Topics: Y2K Bug, Eminem, The Best Man, 90's TV (Bonus Artist: Rocky Mtn. Rhyme Posse)   1999 Notes   Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton President   2.    Jan – A snowstorm leaves 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21 inches (53 cm) in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68.   3.    Jan – The adult animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII.   4.    Feb - Impeachment of Bill Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate.   5.    Mar - A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.   6.    Apr - Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time. The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and violence in the media.   7.    May - The animated children's TV series SpongeBob SquarePants debuts on the cable network Nickelodeon.   8.    May - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is released in theaters.   9.    Jun - Texas Governor George W. Bush announces he will seek the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.   10.    Jun - Napster Released. It was mainly used by people who shared MP3 music and digital audio files. As the laws about file sharing and copyright regarding the internet were just newly established, the service soon ran into legal troubles dealing with copyright infringement.   11.    Jul - U.S. soccer player Brandi Chastain scores the game winning penalty kick against China in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Briana Scurry, goalkeeper, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017. She was the first woman goalkeeper and first black woman to be awarded the honor.   12.    Jun - Lance Armsrong wins the Tour de France. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced in August 2012 that they had disqualified Armstrong from all his results since 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005 (which were, originally, the most wins in the event's history)   13.    Sep - The West Nile Virus first appears in the United States. The disease spread quickly through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to mammals.   14.    Dec - Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, replaced by Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin has been describes as,  "Russia's first modern leader" and has been compared to Nelson Mandela.   15.    Top 3 Pop Songs   16.    #1 "Believe"    Cher   17.    #2 "No Scrubs"    TLC   18.    #3  "Angel of Mine"    Monica   19.    Record of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob Thomas   20.    Album of the Year: Supernatural – Santana   21.    Song of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob   22.    Best New Artist: Christina Aguilera (Note: Beat out Brittney Spears)   23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "It's Not Right but It's Okay" – Whitney Houston   24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Staying Power" – Barry White   25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "No Scrubs" – TLC   26.    Best R&B Song: "No Scrubs" – TLC   27.    Best R&B Album: FanMail – TLC   28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "My Name Is" – Eminem   29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "You Got Me" – The Roots featuring Erykah Badu   30.    Best Rap Album: The Slim Shady LP – Eminem   31.    Top 3 Moives   32.    #1  Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace   33.    #2 The Sixth Sense   34.    #3 Toy Story 2   35.    Notables:  Office Space, Analyze This, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix (3/31/1999 - 20 days before Columbine), Life, The Mummy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Wild Wild West, American Pie, The Blair Witch Project, Eyes Wide Shut, The Wood, The Iron Giant, The Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bowfinger, Three Kings, Fight Club, The Green Mile, Any Given Sunday   36.    Top 3 TV Shows   37.    #1 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Tuesday   38.    #2 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Thursday   39.    #3 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Sunday   40.    Debuts: The PJs, The Parkers, The Queen Latifah Show, Judge Mathis   41.    Economic Snapshots   42.    Income = 40.8k (Previously 38.1k)   43.    House = 131.7k (129.3k)   44.    Car = 21kk (17k)   45.    Rent = 645 (619)   46.    Harvard = 31.1k (30,080)   47.    Movie = 5.06 (4.69)   48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.15)   49.    Stamp = .33 (.32)   50.    Social Scene: Y2K Scare   51.    The Y2K problem and the millennium bug was the most important thing on most companies minds in 1999. This fear was fueled by the press coverage and other media speculation, as well as corporate and government reports. All over the world companies and organizations checked and upgraded their computer systems. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900.   52.    (Audio Clip)   53.    Music Scene   54.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40   55.    #2 "No Scrubs" - TLC   56.    #3 "Angel of Mine" - Monica   57.    #4 "Heartbreak Hotel" - Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price   58.    #9 "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" - Deborah Cox   59.    #11 "Where My Girls At?" - 702   60.    #12 "If You Had My Love" - Jennifer Lopez   61.    #14 "Have You Ever?" - Brandy   62.    #16 "I'm Your Angel" - R. Kelly and Celine Dion   63.    #19 "Smooth" - Santana featuring Rob Thomas   64.    #20 "Unpretty" - TLC   65.    #21 "Bills, Bills, Bills" - Destiny's Child   66.    #24 "Fortunate" - Maxwell   67.    #27 "What's It Gonna Be?!" - Busta Rhymes featuring Janet   68.    #28  "What It's Like" - Everlast   69.    #29 "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz   70.    #31 "Lately" - Divine   71.    #33 "Wild Wild West" - Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee   72.    #35 "Heartbreaker" - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z   73.    #36 "I Still Believe" - Mariah Carey   74.    #39 "Can I Get A..." - Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule   75.    #42 "Mambo No. 5" - Lou Bega   76.    #43 "Sweet Lady" - Tyrese   77.    Top Rnb Albums   78.    Jan Ghetto Fabulous - Mystikal   79.    Jan Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood - DMX   80.    Feb Made Man - Silkk the Shocker   81.    Feb Chyna Doll - Foxy Brown   82.    Feb The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill   83.    Mar Da Next Level - Mr. Serv-On   84.    Mar FanMail - TLC   85.    Mar Bossalinie - C-Murder   86.    Apr The Slim Shady LP - Eminem   87.    Apr I Am… - Nas   88.    May  Ryde or Die Vol. 1 - Ruff Ryders   89.    May No Limit Top Dogg - Snoop Dogg   90.    Jun In Our Lifetime - 8Ball & MJG   91.    Jun The Art of Storytelling - Slick Rick   92.    Jun Venni Vetti Vecci - Ja Rule   93.    Jul Da Real World - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott   94.    Jul Beneath the Surface - GZA/Genius   95.    Jul Street Life - Fiend   96.    Jul Can't Stay Away - Too Short   97.    Aug Guerrilla Warfare - Hot Boys   98.    Aug Coming of Age - Memphis Bleek   99.    Sep Mary - Mary J. Blige   100.    Sep Forever - Puff Daddy   101.    Oct Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady - Eve   102.    Ocy Blackout! - Method Man & Redman   103.    Nov Only God Can Judge Me - Master P   104.    Nov Tha Block Is Hot - Lil Wayne   105.    Dec 2001 - Dr. Dre   106.    Dec Born Again - The Notorious B.I.G.   107.    Featured Artist: Eminem   108.    Childhood & Early Life: Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1972, to parents who were members of a band that used to perform at the hotel 'Ramada Inns.' He grew up in a predominantly black neighbourhood, where he was often bullied. As a child he showed affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping. He had a difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother. He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall's education suffered as a result of constant troubles with his mom and he dropped-out of 'Lincoln High School,' when he was seventeen.   109.    Career: When Marshall was fourteen years old, he started rapping and attenditg contetst with his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper Proof. The two friends formed their own group called 'D12' or 'The Dirty Dozen,' in 1996. Also in 1996, Eminem (@16) brought out his first album titled 'Infinite.' The album was recorded under the banner of 'FBT Productions,' and included songs that spoke about the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time when he was financially unstable. His financial condition had worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother's house with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named 'Slim Shady.' He even recorded his first extended play by the same name in the same year.   110.    After he was fired from his job and evicted from his home, Eminem went to Los Angeles to compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, an annual, nationwide battle rap competition. He placed second, and an Interscope Records intern in attendance called asked Eminem for a copy of the Slim Shady EP, which was then sent to company CEO Jimmy Iovine. Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, who recalled sayingd, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'" Although Dre's friends criticized him for hiring a white rapper, he was confident in his decision: "I don't give a fuck if you're purple; if you can kick it, I'm working with you."   111.    In February 1999, Dr. Dre helped Eminem release an album titled 'The Slim Shady LP,' which immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like 'My Name Is,' '97 Bonnie and Clyde,' and 'Guilty Conscience,' it was one of the most successful albums of the year.   112.    Movie Scene: The Best Man   113.    Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun), is nervous-and with good reason. His steamy new novel hits bookstores soon, and when his friends finally read it he knows they will notice more than just a passing resemblance to the characters depicted in the book.   114.    Director: Malcolm D. Lee, Debut film [Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013), The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), and Night School (2018)]   115.    Cast: Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terance Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall [*Film Debut]   116.    'The Best Man': A Joyous Occasion [By Lonnae O'Neal Parker Washington Post Staff Writer, Oct 1999]   117.    This smart debut from filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, cousin to the film's producer, Spike, centers around a group of old friends who reunite in New York for a wedding. Tapping into the Zeitgeist of young black professionals starving to see themselves on film, it hits all the right cultural touchstones: from BET to Stevie Wonder, Chubb Rock to bid whist. Although the film is produced by Spike Lee, don't expect racial politics. And while comparisons to another black wedding-themed movie starring Taye Diggs, "The Wood," are bound to come up, resist.   118.    James Berardinelli - Reelviews   119.    The Best Man is not what it initially seems to be. Despite starting out with all the earmarks of a fairly ordinary romantic comedy, the project develops into a surprisingly effective look at a man's quest for rebirth after events topple him from a pedestal of arrogance. And, while there are plenty of laughs to be had, The Best Man functions better as a light drama than a straight comedy, with several scenes packing a punch because they're played straight. The film is the directorial debut of Malcolm D. Lee (Spike's cousin), who may have gotten this chance because of family connections but shows enough promise to earn further opportunities on his own.   120.    The Best Man (1999) - 1½ Stars [Reviewed by Dustin Putman, October 1999]   121.    As with 1997's melodramatic, corny "Soul Food," and last summer's "The Wood," which also starred Diggs in a story set around a wedding(!), "The Best Man" aspires to be something more than it actually is. Kudos to Lee for trying his hand at a more knowledgeable picture that all audiences (not just African-Americans) might enjoy, but he also gets more than his share of debits for its severely flawed treatment. At over two hours in length, "The Best Man" thankfully never overstays its welcome and goes by fairly fast, but by the time the Electric Slide was carried out by everyone at the wedding reception over the end credits, I realized that the actors deserved far better. As is, the conclusion plays like an excuse for each of the cast members to give themselves a pat on the back, when they really didn't earn that pat to begin with.   122.    Denzel Washington, film debut in Carbon Copy (1981) and in 1982, Denzel made his first appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role proved to be the breakthrough in his career.   123.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Cry Freedom (1988) and Glory (1990)(*won)   124.    Nominated for Best Actor for Malcolm X (1993)   125.    1981 Carbon Copy / 1984 A Soldier's Story / 1986 Power / 1987 Cry Freedom / 1988 For Queen and Country / 1989 The Mighty Quinn / 1989 Glory / 1990 Heart Condition / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1991 Mississippi Masala / 1991 Ricochet / 1992 Malcolm X / 1993 Much Ado About Nothing / 1993 The Pelican Brief / 1993 Philadelphia / 1995 Crimson Tide / 1995 Virtuosity / 1995 Devil in a Blue Dress / 1996 Courage Under Fire / 1996 The Preacher's Wife / 1998 Fallen / 1998 He Got Game / 1998 The Siege / 1999 The Bone Collector / 1999 The Hurricane - [25 films]   126.    Samuel L. Jackson.   127.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Pulp Fiction (1994)   128.    1981 Ragtime / 1987 Magic Sticks / 1988 Coming to America / 1988 School Daze / 1989 Do the Right Thing / 1989 Sea of Love / 1990 Def by Temptation / 1990 A Shock to the System / 1990 Betsy's Wedding / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1990 The Exorcist III / 1990 Goodfellas / 1990 The Return of Superfly / 1991 Strictly Business / 1991 Jungle Fever / 1991 Jumpin' at the Boneyard / 1991 Johnny Suede / 1992 Juice / 1992 Patriot Games /1992 White Sands / 1992 Fathers & Sons / 1993 Menace II Society /1993 Loaded Weapon / 1993 Amos & Andrew / 1993 Jurassic Park / 1993 True Romance / 1994 Fresh / 1994 Pulp Fiction / 1994 The New Age / 1994 Hail Caesar / 1994 Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker / 1994 The Search for One-eye Jimmy / 1995 Kiss of Death / 1995 Die Hard with a Vengeance / 1995 Losing Isaiah / 1995 Fluke / 1996 The Great White Hype / 1996 A Time to Kill / 1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight / 1996 Hard Eight / 1996 Trees Lounge / 1997 One Eight Seven / 1997 Eve's Bayou / 1997 Jackie Brown / 1998 Sphere / 1998 The Negotiator / 1998 The Red Violin / 1998 Out of Sight / 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace / 1999 Deep Blue Sea - [50 films]   129.    Question: DW vs. SLJ?   130.    Television Scene:   131.    18 Black Sitcoms of the '90s That Changed the Game: Published Jan 24, 2020 - By Damarys Ocaña Perez   132.    Black sitcoms have been popular since classics like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son hit television screens nationwide in the '70s. But it wasn't until The Cosby Show became a ratings juggernaut in the mid '80s that networks finally saw the potential in investing heavily in sitcoms with black leads.   133.    And so the '90s became a decade in which more black sitcoms than ever made it onto TV   134.    Naturally, given the success of The Cosby Show, a lot of shows that followed featured families. But they didn't just simply copy the formula.   135.    The lives of younger people took center stage as well in the '90s. So, instead of being the token black friend within the larger context of a show, black teens, college students, 20-something professionals became the vehicle for funny and even poignant stories.   136.    The '90s turned hugely talented black comedians and actors into stars who remain household names to this day, and it goes to show the impact that being given a seat at the table and a voice on prime time television can accomplish.   137.    Here are 18 black '90s sitcoms that we love do this day for the impact they had on our lives then and now.   138.    'A Different World' (1987-1993): One of the show's major accomplishments was being among the first to tackle real issues like date rape, racism, and HIV, things that the Cosby Show had avoided. A Different World is the gem that created a bridge to the '90s black sitcom boom.   139.    'Family Matters' (1989-1997): The longest-running sitcom about a black family (it spanned nine seasons to The Cosby Show's eight), Family Matters was not only funny -- especially after introducing super-nerd Urkel -- but managed to balance big laughs with more serious moments. There were episodes that centered around civil rights history and police mistreatment of young black men, and a wide-ranging audience got to see them, thanks to the show's across-the-board popularity.   140.    'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' (1990-1996): Nestled between Will Smith's rapping days and his status as one of the world's most bankable A-list movie stars was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which made his a household name and produced one of the longest-running fan debates in TV history on which of the two actresses who played Aunt Viv was the best one.   141.    'Roc' (1991-1994): Before Charles S. Dutton went on to win three Emmys for his work on other shows, he starred in this underrated and brief series that was fairly typical sitcom until the second season, which aired each episode live. Roc was a treat because Dutton and several of the other cast members were trained stage actors.   142.    'Martin' (1992-1997): Martin Lawrence was all edge when he wasn't doing Martin. (One of his stand-up specials was slapped with an NC-17 rating, and he was banned from Saturday Night Live for delivering a hilariously raunchy monologue.) That makes it all the more interesting that on the show Martin, he played a lovably manic man-boy. We lost count of how many characters Martin played on the show (in disguise), each one of them hilarious in their own specific way.   143.    'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper' (1992-1997): This sitcom had a great cast, including comedian Raven-Symoné, Holly Robinson Peete, and Mark Curry.   144.    'Living Single' (1993-1998): The show marked the first time that we saw young black women portrayed as professionals and given well-rounded personalities, have healthy relationships, and pave the way for black female-centered shows - nlike Girlfriends and Insecure.   145.    'Sister, Sister' (1994-1999): There are so many reasons why we loved Sister,Sister, and one of them was that the show would occasionally break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience, which made us feel part of the action. But the show also had layers that deepened its story: The girls had been the product of an interracial relationship between a black mom and a white dad who never had the chance to marry before being separated in tragic circumstances.   146.    'In The House' (1995-1999): It wasn't the world's best sitcom, but hey, LL Cool J has always been a snack.   147.    'The Parent 'Hood' (1995-1999): One of the four original Wednesday night shows that helped launched the WB (The Wayans Bros was another), what sets the show apart are the whimsical fantasy sequences that the dad dreams up to help him solve family issues in a creative and unexpected way.   148.    'The Wayans Bros.' (1995-1999): In Living Color, it's not, but this sitcom from younger Wayans siblings Shawn and Marlon is still simple fun that doesn't require too many brain cells -- and that can be a good thing.   149.    'Moesha' (1996-2001): Moesha centered around a black teenager diving into deeper explorations of all kinds of relationships and left cliffhangers in several story lines dangling when it was canceled.   150.    'The Jamie Foxx Show' (1996-2001): Fresh off the groundbreaking comedy sketch show In Living Color and before he becoming an movie star, Jamie Foxx starred as an aspiring actor who works at his relatives' hotel.   151.    'Kenan & Kel' (1996-2000): Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were Nickelodeon's first black sitcom stars, having landed their own show when producers saw them joking around on the set of All That when they were series regulars.   152.    'The Steve Harvey Show' (1996-2002): A big highlight is the constant guest star roster that's a who's who of black TV stars and musicians -- like Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Kim Fields, and Ja’Net DuBois of the classic sitcom Good Times.   153.    'The Hughleys' (1998-2002): Two decades before Black-ish tackled a similar premise, The Hughleys featured a family that lives in a predominantly white neighborhood.   154.    'The Famous Jett Jackson' (1998-2001): This show had just 65 episodes but has a special place in our hearts as the first Disney Channel show to feature a black actor as the lead. The immensely talented and magnetic Lee Thompson Young starred as Jett Jackson, a kid who tries to live a normal life when he's not filming. Thompson tragically died at age 29, after struggling with bipolar disorder and depression, but the heartwarming show lives on.   155.    'The Parkers' (1999-2004): It's no surprise that one of the most down-to-earth black sitcoms from the '90s starred Mo'Nique as a single mom who dropped out of high school to raise her baby.   156.    Question: Most Liked Show of the 90’s?   157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1999

Topics: Monica Lewinsky Scandal, Jay Z, Beloved (Film), 90's Tech (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound and Luck Pacheco)   1998 General Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton President   2.    Jan - Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment.   3.    Jan - Smoking is banned in all California bars and restaurants.   4.    Jan - Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos become the first AFC team in 14 years to win the Super Bowl, as they defeat the Green Bay Packers   5.    Jan - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The next day, Hillary Clinton appears on The Today Show, calling the attacks against her husband part of a "vast right-wing conspiracy".   6.    Mar - The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.   7.    Apr - The unemployment rate drops to 4.3%, the lowest level since February 1970.   8.    Apr - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 9,000 for the first time.   9.    Apr - Teletubbies begins its U.S. television debut on PBS.   10.    Apr - Inflight smoking is banned on all commercial passenger flights in the United States,   11.    Jun - The Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA title in 8 years when they beat the Utah Jazz. This is also Michael Jordan's last game as a Bull, clinching the game in the final seconds on a fadeaway jumper.   12.    Aug - The bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kill 224 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama bin Laden. Two weeks later. The United States military launches cruise missile attacks against alleged al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan.   13.    Oct - College student Matthew Shepard is found tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. His death became a symbol of gay-bashing and sparked a national debate on homophobia in the U.S.   14.    Nov - Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota.   15.    Nov - America Online announces it will acquire Netscape Communications for $4.2B as the “Dot.com” bubble heats up. Between 1995 and 2000, the Nasdaq Composite stock market index rose 400%.   16.    Dec - Lewinsky scandal: President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives. (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.)   17.    Open Comments   18.    Top 3 Pop songs   19.    #1 "Too Close", Next   20.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy and Monica   21.    #3 "You're Still the One", Shania Twain   22.    Record of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion   23.    Album of the Year: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   24.    Song of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion   25.    Best New Artist: Lauryn Hill   26.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill   27.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "St. Louis Blues”, Stevie Wonder in Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World   28.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy & Monica   29.    Best R&B Song: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill   30.    Best R&B Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   31.    Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album: Live! One Night Only, Patti LaBelle   32.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", Will Smith   33.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Intergalactic", Beastie Boys   34.    Best Rap Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z   35.    Top 3 Movies   36.    #1 Armageddon   37.    #2 Saving Private Ryan   38.    #3 Godzilla   39.    Notables: Dr. Dolittle, Half Baked, The Wedding Singer, The Big Lebowski, Primary Colors, The Players Club, Suicide Kings, He Got Game, Bulworth, The Truman Show, Mulan, There's Something About Mary, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Blade, Rush Hour, Antz, Beloved, Belly, The Waterboy, A Bug's Life, A Simple Plan, You've Got Mail   40.    Open Comments   41.    Top 3 TV Shows   42.    #1 ER   43.    #2 Friends   44.    #3 Frasier   45.    Debuts: Judge Joe Brown, The Hughleys   46.    Open Comments   47.    Economic Snapshots   48.    Income = 38.1 (Previously 37.5K)   49.    House = 129.3 (124k)   50.    Car = 17k (17k)   51.    Rent = 619 (576)   52.    Harvard = 30,080 (28.9)   53.    Movie = 4.69 (4.59)   54.    Gas = 1.15 (1.22)   55.    Stamp = .32 (-)   56.    Social Scene: Monica Lewinsky Scandal (Highlights)   57.    Born in San Francisco in 1973, Monica Lewinsky was raised in a well-off family in the Los Angeles area. In the summer of 1995 (@ 22 yrs. old), after graduating from Lewis and Clark College, she landed an unpaid internship in the White House chief of staff’s office.   58.    In November 1995, during a federal government shutdown, Lewinsky flirted with the president and the two had their first sexual encounter. Later that month, she took a paying job in the Office of Legislative Affairs.   59.    They had seven more encounters in the White House and her visits started drawing notice from people. In April 1996, a deputy chief of staff had her transferred to a job at the Pentagon.   60.    The president and Lewinsky had two more encounters, the last was in spring 1997, and stayed in touch by phone.   61.    At the Pentagon, she befriended a coworker, Linda Tripp, and she confided details of her affair with the president. Tripp in turn shared the story with an anti-Clinton conservative literary agent she knew. That person urged Tripp to secretly, and in violation of taping laws, record hours of her phone conversations with Lewinsky.   62.    Word of Tripp’s tapes made it to lawyers working on behalf of Paula Jones, a former government employee who had filed a lawsuit against the president for alleged sexual misconduct that took place in 1991, when he was governor of Arkansas.   63.    In December 1997, Lewinsky was subpoenaed by Jones’ attorneys and, after the president allegedly suggested she be evasive, the former intern denied in an affidavit that she had had a sexual relationship with Clinton.   64.    Around the same time, independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who had been investigating Clinton and his wife Hillary’s involvement in a failed business venture called Whitewater, found out about Tripp’s recordings. Soon afterward, FBI agents fitted Tripp with a hidden microphone so she could legally tape her conversations with Lewinsky.   65.    Then Starr expanded his investigation to include the president’s relationship with Lewinsky and told her that if she did not cooperate with the investigation she would be charged with perjury.   66.    When Clinton was deposed in January 1998 by Jones’ legal team, he claimed he had never had sexual relations with Lewinsky. (The Big Lie)   67.    On January 17, 1998, the Drudge Report, a conservative online news site, published the accusations against the president and the next day revealed Lewinsky’s identity. The mainstream media picked up the story a few days later, and a national scandal Erupted. Clinton refuted the allegations against him, famously stating at a press conference, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”   68.    That July, Lewinsky’s lawyers announced she had been granted immunity in exchange for her testimony. She also gave Starr’s team physical evidence of her affair with Clinton: a blue dress with an incriminating stain containing the president’s DNA. At the suggestion of Tripp, Lewinsky had never laundered the garment.   69.    On August 17, 1998, Clinton testified before a grand jury and confessed he had engaged in “inappropriate intimate physical contact” with Lewinsky. However, the president contended his actions did not meet the definition of sexual relations used by Jones’ attorneys—so he had not perjured himself. That night, he appeared on national TV and apologized for his behavior but maintained he had never asked anyone involved to lie or do anything illegal.   70.    In September 1998, Starr gave Congress a 445-page report. The Starr Report was soon made public by Congress and published in book form, becoming a best-seller   71.    In December, the House approved two articles of impeachment against him: perjury and obstruction of justice. He was only the second president in U.S. history to be impeached (after President Andrew Johnson in 1868).   72.    On February 12, 1999, following a five-week trial in the Senate, Clinton was acquitted. (During his impeachment proceedings, he agreed to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit for $850,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.)   73.    Open Comments:   74.    Question: Impeach? (Y/N) (Can you imagine if Barack did this to Michelle!)   75.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40   76.    #1 "Too Close" - Next   77.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy and Monica   78.    #6 "Together Again" - Janet   79.    #7 "All My Life" - K-Ci & JoJo   80.    #9 "Nice & Slow" - Usher   81.    #12 "No, No, No" - Destiny's Child   82.    #14 "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" - Will Smith   83.    #15 "You Make Me Wanna..." - Usher   84.    #16 "My Way" - Usher   85.    #17 My All" - Mariah Carey   86.    #18 "The First Night" - Monica   87.    #19 "Been Around the World" - Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase   88.    #24 "Body Bumpin' (Yippie-Yi-Yo)" - Public Announcement   89.    #26 "I Don't Ever Want to See You Again" - Uncle Sam   90.    #27 "Let's Ride" - Montell Jordan featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker   91.    #30 "A Song for Mama" - Boyz II Men   92.    #31 "What You Want" - Mase featuring Total   93.    #33 "Gone till November" - Wyclef Jean   94.    #34 "My Body" - LSG   95.    #36 "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" - Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz   96.    #39 "They Don't Know" - Jon B.   97.    #40 "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" - Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Mystikal   98.    Vote:   99.    Top RnB Albums   100.    Jan - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac   101.    Jan - My Way, Usher   102.    Jan - Money, Power & Respect, The LOX   103.    Feb - My Balls and My Word, Young Bleed   104.    Feb - Anytime, Brian McKnight   105.    Mar - Charge It 2 da Game, Silkk the Shocker   106.    Mar - My Homies, Scarface   107.    Mar - Life or Death, C-Murder   108.    Apr - The Pillage, Cappadonna   109.    Apr - Moment of Truth, Gang Starr   110.    May - There's One in Every Family, Fiend   111.    Jun - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX   112.    Jun - MP Da Last Don, Master P   113.    Jul - El Nino, Def Squad   114.    Jul - Am I My Brother's Keeper, Kane & Abel   115.    Aug - N.O.R.E., Noreaga   116.    Aug - Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life In 1472, Jermaine Dupri   117.    Aug - Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, Snoop Dogg   118.    Sep - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill   119.    Oct - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z   120.    Nov - R., R. Kelly   121.    Dec - Tical 2000: Judgement Day, Method Man   122.    Dec - Doc's da Name 2000, Redman   123.    Vote:   124.    Featured Artists: Jay Z   125.    Childhood & Early Life: Shawn Corey Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1969. He is the last of the four children. When he was only 11 years old, his father abandoned the family. They lived in the drug-infested ‘Marcy Projects’, where violence and gun-culture were also prevalent. He soon became so imbibed the gun-culture that he allegedly shot his elder brother in the shoulder for pocketing his jewelry. His interest in music was sparked from early on when he received a boom box for his birthday from his mother. He began free styling, scripting lyrics and copied the music of many popular artists of the time. He studied at several local high schools, where he was classmates with future performers, Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G., before ultimately dropping out and selling drugs.   126.    Career Highlights   127.    1989 Jaz-O (@19yrs): Hooked up with local star and fellow project inhabitant, Jaz-O, who became his guru and taught him the industry basics. In order to pay homage to his mentor, he changed his name to Jay-Z, since Sean was known as ‘Jazzy’ in his neighborhood. Jaz-O’s “Hawaiian Sophie” is one of Jay-Z’s earliest appearances on wax. - Key development: He saw Jaz-O get jerked over by the record business. No record deal and he return to selling drugs.   128.    1992 Big Daddy Kane (@22): BDK records a mixtape with Jaz-O and Jay-Z. Eventually, BDK and Jay start working together and during BDK’s time with the Patti LaBelle tour he had Jay-Z performing for him while was in the back changing clothes. Key Development: Exposure and experience, but no deal. Back to the streets.   129.    1994 Original Flavor/Clark Kent/Damon Dash (@24): Original Flavor was one of rap's middle school crews headed by Ski, an MC/producer. They were also the first group managed by future recording industry executive Damon Dash. Although Ski worked with legendary New York DJ Clark Kent for the groups debut project, the album fizzled. For their follow-up, Ski enlisted the aid of a few more MCs including a young Brooklynite with some experience in the rap field, Jay-Z. Original Flavor was Jay-Z's training ground and it served as a catapult for his future endeavors. Flavor's sophomore release was released in 1994 and again fizzled. However, the lead single "Can I Get Open" features Jay-Z in impeccable pre-Jayhova form. Jay-Z's skills far surpassed those of the rest of the crew and his solo career would begin soon. Key Development: Local buzz, regional tours, several singles and videos but no deal. Starts transition from the streets.   130.    1995-96 Roc-A-Fella Records (@25): Frustrated with being turned down by several major labels Carter, Dash and Kareem Burke started their own label, Roc-A-Fella, as an independent outlet for Jay-Z's music. After becoming a local sensation, Jay-Z turned into Jigga and adopted the Tony Montana-styled persona. He would continue to work with his Original Flavor partner Ski after the group disbanded, making him a member/producer of his Roc-a-Fella staff. Jay-Z was also supported by The Notorious B.I.G.'s producer DJ Clark Kent. Key Development: Debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt’ released in 1996. It did not immediately attain commercial success, but it spawned several hits, and established Jay-Z in the hip-hop community. No more streets.   131.    1997 Def Jam (@27): Roc-A-Fella Records agreed to a 50/50 partnership and distribution deal with Def Jam. His second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Is released. The album debuted at #3 and most of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team giving the album a glossier sound than its predecessor. It was a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to a more popular sound. Critical reviews: "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow...he struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G." (Also, in response to the sellout charge, Roc-A-Fella Records released the movie Streets Is Watching.)   132.    1998 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: The third studio album was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Key Development: He cracks the code. This album went on to become his most commercially successful album to date, selling over 5 million copies. Critics review: Q magazine called it "the epitome of mainstream hip hop".   133.    Audio Clip   134.    Open Comments:   135.    Question: Everybody knows someone who overcame the “streets” and is a success or should have overcome the “streets” and been a success. Who is your personal “Jay-Z”?   136.    Movie Scene: Beloved   137.    Summary: In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe's home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons. Sethe and her daughter (Kimberly Elise) endure living with the spirit for 10 more years, until an old friend, Paul D. Garner (Danny Glover), arrives to run it out. After Garner moves in, a strange woman named Beloved (Thandie Newton) enters their lives, causing turmoil.   138.    Accolades: Academy Awards, Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood (Nominated), Chicago Film Critics, Most Promising Actress: Kimberly Elise (Winner), NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Danny Glover (Winner)   139.    Review: Demme's direction tells the story through mood and accumulation of incident, rather than through a traditional story line. His editor, Carol Littleton, takes on the difficult task of helping us find our way through the maze. Some audience members, I imagine, will not like it--will find it confusing or too convoluted. And it does not provide the kind of easy lift at the end that they might expect. Sethe's tragic story is the kind where the only happy ending is that it is over. - Roger Ebert   140.    Review: No Peace from a Brutal Legacy.  "Beloved" works on its own but is much enhanced by familiarity with the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. In so ambitiously bringing this story to the screen, Ms. Winfrey underscores a favorite, invaluable credo: read the book.  - By Janet Maslin. NY Times   141.    Fallout: 'Beloved' Tests Racial Themes At Box Office; Will This Winfrey Film Appeal to White Audiences? - By Bernard Weinraub   142.    Answer: No. Winfrey has gone on public record stating that she ate 30 pounds of macaroni and cheese when she was informed the Saturday after the movie opened that "we got beat by something called Chucky." Oprah also claimed that Beloved's failure at the box office was the worst moment in her career and brought her into a major depression. "It was the only time in my life that I was ever depressed, and I recognized that I (was) depressed because I've done enough shows (on the topic). 'Oh, this is what people must feel like who are depressed.”   143.    Open Comments   144.    Question: Favorite book-to-movie?: Call Me By Your Name/The Princess Bride/12 Years a Slave/Little Women/Mean Girls/The Shawshank Redemption/Harry Potter/Gone Girl/The Color Purple/The Wizard of Oz/Jurassic Park/The Lord of the Rings/The Godfather/THE /COLOR PURPLE/ROOTS/WAITING TO EXHALE/BELOVED/WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT/THINK LIKE A MAN/THE WIZ/THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES/The Help/THE HELP/MALCOLM X/LADY SINGS THE BLUES/HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK/PRECIOUS/DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS   145.    Technology that changed us: The 1990s, from Worldwide Web to Google - By David Gewirtz, ZDNET   146.    1990: The First Web Browser - Of all the technologies that changed our lives, perhaps the most profound of the last 50 years has been the web. But it was not the ability to hyperlink documents that made the most impact. Instead, it was the application that presented all that information to users, the browser. English scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented and wrote the first web browser in 1990 while employed at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. Notables: Adobe released the first version of Photoshop in 1990.   147.    1991: Linux - On August 25, 1991, Linus Torvalds typed the following to the Minix Usenet newsgroup, and it changed everything, "I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional..." Today, Linux runs in everything, from light bulbs to cars, to almost all TVs and phones on the market. Notable: Second generation (2G) cell phones. 2G service used digital transmission instead of analog and paved the way for SMS messaging.   148.    1992: The First Sms Text Message - December 3, 1992 engineer Neil Papworth sent a message to Richard Jarvis on a Vodafone Orbitel 901 handset. It said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS".   149.    1993: Mosaic Web Browser - It was the first browser that could display images. Mosaic was created by grad students at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mosaic eventually became Netscape, which dominated the web (for a while, at least).   150.    1994: Amazon Founded - It started as a source for books. Notable: Sony's first PlayStation   151.    1995: Windows 95 And Ie 1.0 - Windows 95 was the first version of Windows to include IE, which would become the dominant browser for more than a decade. Notable (1): E-commerce: While the concept of e-commerce existed loosely for a few years, it was not until the 1990s that modern e-commerce was born. In 1995, both Amazon and eBay launched, and in 1999 Alibaba made its debut. Notable (2): JavaScript. SSL, and eBay   152.    1996: Palm Pilot Handheld - The first successful handheld PDA. Notable: DVD, & USB   153.    1997: Steve Jobs Returns To Apple - Apple would soon utterly transform music and telephones. Notable: MP3 players, Netflix, and Wi-Fi standard adopted.   154.    1998: Google Founded. Notable: Windows 98 and first iMac introduced.   155.    1999: The digital video recorder (DVR) was born. Notable: BlackBerry and preparing for the Y2K bug.   156.    Question: Best 90’s tech:   157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1998?

Topics: Biggie death, Erykah Badu, Eve's Bayou, Miss Evers' Boys (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   Notes 1997   1.    President: Bill Clinton   2.    Feb -A Santa Monica jury finds former football legend O.J. Simpson is liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.   3.    Feb - North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in a mass shootout.   4.    Feb - Miss Evers' Boys airs on HBO. It is a made-for-TV adaptation of David Feldshuh's eponymous 1992 stage play, and was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards and won four, Outstanding Made for Television Movie / Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Alfre Woodard / Editing / Cinematography   5.    Mar - Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24 before the release of his second album Life After Death. The album was released on March 25.   6.    Mar - In San Diego, California, 39 members of  Heaven's Gate, a UFO religious cult, commit mass suicide.   7.    Apr - The Ellen episode, "The Puppy Episode" is broadcast on ABC, showing for the first time the revelation of a main character as a homosexual.   8.    May - U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families.   9.    Jun - During the Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II boxing match in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear.   10.    Jun - The base version of the standard WiFi was released   11.    Aug - Diana, Princess of Wales died in hospital after being injured in a motor vehicle accident in a road tunnel in Paris.   12.    Sep - www.google.com is registered by Google.   13.    Nov - Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.[3]   14.    Nov - The Emergency Broadcast System is replaced by the Emergency Alert System and it continues to this day. - "This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test."   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Top 3 Pop Songs   17.    #1-"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John   18.    #2-"Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me", Jewel   19.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112   20.    Record Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin   21.    Album Of The Year, Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan   22.    Song Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin Colvin)   23.    Best New Artist, Paula Cole   24.    Best Female R&B, On & On - Erykah Badu   25.    Best Male R&B, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly   26.    Best R&B Duo Or Group, No Diggity - Blackstreet   27.    Best R&B Song, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly   28.    Best R&B Album, Baduizm - Erykah Badu   29.    Best Rap Solo, Men In Black - Will Smith   30.    Best Rap Duo Or Group, I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112   31.    Best Rap Album, No Way Out - Puff Daddy & The Family   32.    Top 3 Movies   33.    #1-Titanic   34.    #2-The Lost World: Jurassic Park   35.    #3-Men in Black   36.    Notables: Rhyme & Reason, Gridlock'd, Rosewood, Good Burger, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Hoodlum, Kiss the Girls, Gang Related, Boogie Nights, The Devil's Advocate, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Love Jones, B*A*P*S, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Booty Call, Donnie Brasco, Soul Food, Gang Related,   37.    Open Comments:   38.    Top TV Shows   39.    #1-Seinfeld   40.    #2-ER   41.    #3-Veronica's Closet   42.    Debuts, The Chris Rock Show   43.    Open Comments:   44.    Economic Snapshots   45.    Income = 37.5 (Previously 36.3K)   46.    House = 124k (118.2)   47.    Car = 17k (16.3)   48.    Rent = 576 (554)   49.    Harvard = 28.9 (27.5)   50.    Movie = 4.59 (4.42)   51.    Gas = 1.22 (-)   52.    Stamp = .32 (-)   53.    Social Scene: Death of Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka ‘Biggie Smalls,’ ‘The Notorious B.I.G,’ or ‘Biggie,’   54.    Childhood & Early Life: Born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, to Voletta Wallace and Selwyn George Latore. His mother was a Jamaican preschool teacher and his father was a politician and welder. His father left the family when he was two years old. He attended the ‘Queen of All Saints Middle School’ where he excelled in English, won many awards,  and was given the nickname ‘Big.’ because of his weight, around the age of 10 (1982).  He started dealing drugs as early as 12 while his mother went out for work, and she says he adapted a ‘smart-ass’ attitude, while attending high school, but he was still a good student. He dropped out of school at 17 (1989) and gradually got involved in criminal activities. Shortly after dropping out, he was arrested on weapon charges and was sentenced for probation of five years. He was again arrested in 1990 for violating his probation and again a year later for drug dealing in North Carolina. He stayed in jail for nine months.   55.    Career: As a teen, he began exploring music and performed with local groups, such as ‘Techniques’ and ‘Old Gold Brothers.’ He made a casual demo tape titled ‘Microphone Murder’ under the name ‘Biggie Smalls.’ The name was inspired from his own stature as well as from a character of a 1975 film ‘Let’s Do it Again.’ The tape was promoted by Mister Cee, a New York based DJ and was heard by the editor of ‘The Source.’ In March 1992 (@19), he was featured in the ‘Unsigned Hype’ column of ‘The Source,’ magazine. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by ‘Uptown Records’. In 1993, when Sean 'Puffy' Combs, a producer/A&R with ‘Uptown Records’ was fired, Biggie Smalls signed with Combs’ ‘Bad Boy Records.’ In August, 1993 (@21), he had his first child T’yanna.  To financially support his daughter, he continued to deal drugs. Also in 1993, he worked on the remix of Mary J. Blige’s ‘Real Love.’ While working for ‘Real Love,’ he used the pseudonym ‘The Notorious B.I.G.,’ the name he used for the rest of his career. He followed up with another remix of Blige's ‘What’s the 411’. He debuted as a solo artist in the 1993 film ‘Who’s the Man?’ with the single ‘Party and Bullshit.’   56.    As a solo artist he hit the pop chart in August 1994 (@22) with ‘Juicy/Unbelievable.’ His debut album ‘Ready to Die’ was released in September, 1994, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance". "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards.  At a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the mainstream, this album became a huge success, making him a prominent figure in the East Coast hip hop scene. [Side Note: 2 months later in November, Tupac was shot five times in a NYC recording studio].  In July 1995 (@23), the cover of ‘The Source’ magazine featured him along with the caption ‘The King of New York Takes Over.’   57.    Recording of his second album, ‘Life After Death,’  began in September 1995 but was interrupted due to injuries, hip hop disputes, and legal squabbles (much like his friend Tupac). He was in a car accident which hospitalized him for three months. He had to complete rehabilitation and was confined to a wheelchair for a period. The car accident had shattered his left leg and made him dependent on a cane. He was arrested outside a nightclub in Manhattan in March, 1996 (24), for manhandling and threatening to kill two of his fans who were seeking autographs, and again in the middle of the year, he was arrested from his home at Teaneck, New Jersey, for possessing weapons and drugs. On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he died six days later. Rumors of Biggie Smalls’ involvement in Shakur’s murder were doing the rounds and were reported immediately. In January 1997, he faced an order to pay 41k for a dispute that occurred in May 1995 where a concert promoter’s friend accused him and his entourage of beating him up.   58.    Death: In February 1997, he went to Los Angeles to promote his upcoming album ‘Life After Death’ which was scheduled for March 25th release. On March 7, 1997, he attended the 1997 ‘Soul Train Music Awards’ and presented an award to Toni Braxton. On March 8, he attended the after party at ‘Peterson Automotive Museum,’ hosted by ‘Quest Records’ and ‘Vibe’ magazine. While leaving the party, his truck stopped at a red light, and a black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside it. The Impala's driver, an unidentified African-American man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's car. Four bullets hit Wallace, and his entourage subsequently rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency procedures, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. He was 24 years old.   59.    16 days after his murder, his double disc album ‘Life After Death’ was released. The album peaked at No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts, ultimately went 11× Platinum, was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for its first single "Hypnotize", and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for its second single "Mo Money Mo Problems" at the 1998 Grammy Awards. In 2012, the album was ranked at No. 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Biggie has been described as ‘the savior of East Coast hip hop’ by some and ‘greatest rapper of all time’ by others.   60.    Tupac and Biggie Best Frenemies: Biggie's first single, “Party and Bulls**t” came out in 1993. By that year, Tupac was already a platinum-selling artist, so Biggie asked a drug dealer to introduce him to Tupac at a Los Angeles party, according to the book 'Original Gangstas...' by Ben Westhoff. An intern who worked with Biggie recalled the meeting. “'Pac walks into the kitchen and starts cooking for us. He's in the kitchen cooking some steaks,”.  “We were drinking and smoking and all of a sudden ‘Pac was like, ‘Yo, come get it.’ And we go into the kitchen and he had steaks, and French fries, and bread, and Kool Aid and we just sittin’ there eating and drinking and laughing...that's truly where Big and ‘Pac’s friendship started.” There was mutual respect between the two and Biggie would crash on Tupac’s couch when he was in California and Tupac would always stop by Biggie’s neighborhood when he was in New York. In essence, they were like any other pair of friends and both of them respected the other's talent. At the 1993 Budweiser Superfest at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, they freestyled together. Biggie often turned to Tupac for advice in the business, and even asked him to manage his career. But Tupac advised him to, "stay with Puff. He will make you a star.”   61.    The first big fallout happened when they were scheduled to work on a project together for another rapper, Little Shawn. Tupac arrived at Times Square’s Quad Recording Studios on November 30, 1994, and was getting ready to head upstairs to where Biggie and Combs were. But instead, Tupac was gunned down in the lobby and shot five times. Tupac reportedly believed that Biggie had prior knowledge of the attack and that he also knew who was behind it. "He really thought when he got shot the first time, not that Big set it up or anything, just Big didn't tell him who did it," Tupac's friend and Naughty by Nature frontman Treach told MTV News in June 2010. "In his heart, he was like, 'The homie knows who did it.' Biggie might have wanted to just stay out of it, like, 'I don't know nothing.' [Tupac] was like, 'Yo, man, just put your ear to the street. Let me know who hit me up.'" Despite Tupac's claims, Biggie remained adamant that he had been loyal to his friend. "Honestly, I didn't have no problem with [Tupac]," Biggie previously said. "I saw situations and how sh*t was going, and I tried to school [Tupac]. I was there when he bought his first Rolex, but I wasn't in the position to be rolling like that. I think Tupac felt more comfortable with the dudes he was hanging with because they had just as much money as him."   62.    Still, Tupac's suspicions were only heightened when Biggie released "Who Shot Ya?" a month after Tupac's attack. Biggie claimed that he wrote the song "way before Tupac got shot," but the rapper took it as Biggie's confession. "Even if that song ain't about it, you should be, like, 'I'm not putting it out, 'cause he might think it's about him,'" Tupac said in an interview with Vibe while incarcerated for an unrelated charge.   63.    When Tupac joined Death Row Records, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry was cemented. While Tupac was incarcerated for another incident, he came to believe Biggie knew about the attack ahead of time. The west coast rapper reached out to Suge Knight, who offered him a place on his Death Row Records roster. Tupac accepted, cementing the rivalry between Knight's label and Combs’ Bad Boy Records. “Any artist out there that wanna be an artist, stay a star, and won’t have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing—come to Death Row!” Knight proclaimed at that 1995 Source awards show.   64.    There was never proof that Biggie or Combs knew about the incident. But a couple of months later, Biggie’s B-side single was a track called “Who Shot Ya?” which led to Tupac’s response with the song, “Hit ‘Em Up.” In it, Tupac claimed he slept with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. According to Vibe, Evans denied the claim, saying, “That ain’t how I do business.”   65.    Open Comments:   66.    Question: What Notable deaths hit you pretty hard? [Aaliyh/Al Jarreau/Andre Harrell/Areatha Franklin/Bernie Mack/Bill Withers/Bob Marley/Chadwick Boseman/Diahann Carroll/Donny Hathaway/Eazy-E/Florence Ballard/Florence Griffith Joyner/Fred “Curly” Neal/Heavy D/Jam Master Jay/Jimi Hendrix/John Lewis/John Singleton/John Thompson/Kobe Bryant/Left Eye/Little Richard/Malcolm X/Martin Luther King, Jr./Micgael Jackson/Muhammad Ali/Mya Angelou/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Otis Redding/Prince/Sam Cooke/The Notorious B.I.G./Toni Morrrison/Tupac/Walter Payton/Whitney Houston]   67.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the top 40   68.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112   69.    #4-"Un-Break My Heart", Toni Braxton   70.    #5- "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", Puff Daddy featuring Mase   71.    #6-"I Believe I Can Fly", R. Kelly   72.    #7-"Don't Let Go (Love)", En Vogue   73.    #8-"Return of the Mack", Mark Morrison   74.    #13- "For You I Will", Monica   75.    #14-"You Make Me Wanna...", Usher   76.    #16-"Nobody", Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage   77.    #20- "Mo Money Mo Problems", The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase   78.    #23-"No Diggity", Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre   79.    #24-"I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", Rome   80.    #25-"Hypnotize", The Notorious B.I.G.   81.    #26-"Every Time I Close My Eyes", Babyface   82.    #27-"In My Bed", Dru Hill   83.    #30-"4 Seasons of Loneliness", Boyz II Men   84.    #31-"G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.", Changing Faces   85.    #32-"Honey", Mariah Carey   86.    #33-"I Believe in You and Me", Whitney Houston   87.    #34-"Da' Dip", Freak Nasty   88.    #37-"Cupid", 112   89.    Vote:   90.    Top RnB Albums   91.    Jan - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli   92.    Mar - Baduizm, Erykah Badu   93.    Mar - The Untouchable, Scarface   94.    Apr - Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G.   95.    May - Share My World, Mary J. Blige   96.    Jun - God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation   97.    Jun - Wu-Tang Forever, Wu-Tang Clan   98.    Aug - Supa Dupa Fly, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott   99.    Aug - No Way Out, Puff Daddy and the Family   100.    Aug - The Art of War, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony   101.    Sep - Ghetto D, Master P   102.    Oct - When Disaster Strikes, Busta Rhymes   103.    Oct - Evolution, Boyz II Men   104.    Nov - The Firm: The Album, The Firm feat. Nas, Foxy Brown, Nature and AZ   105.    Nov - Harlem World, Mase   106.    Nov - The 18th Letter, Rakim   107.    Nov - Unpredictable, Mystikal   108.    Dec - Live, Erykah Badu   109.    Dec - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac   110.    Vote:   111.    Music Scene: Erykah Badu, Queen of Neo-Soul   112.    Childhood & Early Years: Born as Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, TX. Her father spent a considerable period in jail, vanished altogether in 1975, and only returned twenty years later. Her mother, a much respected actress in the local theatre, raised the children with the help  of her own mother and her mother-in-law. Erica spent a lot of time with these ladies while her mother was busy on the stage. Erica was born the eldest of 3. Although they were comparatively poor Erica never realized that because everything was neat and clean. Despite the absence of her father, she had a very happy childhood, surrounded by uncles, aunts, grandmothers and cousins. Her mother imbibed in her daughters a love for music, playing the songs of Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to them. Erica inherited her mother’s artistic traits and a desire to perform. She would often sing in front of the mirror pretending that she was a background singer for Chaka Khan. She would also make her grandmother sit up and watch her while she sang, danced and acted. In 1975, Erica first appeared on stage, performing with her mother at Dallas Theatre Centre and by seven, she started learning to play the piano. Her favorite song was ‘The Greatest Love of All’. Another important aspect of her character was that from her childhood she loved to be in control of the situation around her. Therefore, when it was time for elementary schooling, she refused to continue her education there, mainly because she found that in school she was no longer in control. She began her formal education at a grade school, where her talent was quickly recognized. In her First Grade, she appeared in ‘Annie’, skipping and singing the song ‘Somebody Snitched On Me.’ During the summer vacations, she sang at the choir of the First Baptist Church, honing her choral skills.Along with acting and singing, little Erica also began to expand her cultural horizon, attending different festivals, especially Harambee Festival in South Dallas, slowly developing an interest in African culture and dress. The tall headgear she would wear one day originated from these visits.   113.    In 1980, she was enrolled in a dancing troupe. Later she also learned formal ballet. By 1982, she had also started rapping. When it was time to attend high school, she chose Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School, an arts-oriented magnet school. While studying there she rejected what she considered to be a slave name, changing the spelling of Erica to Erykah and replacing Wright with Badu. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at the Grambling State University, a historically black institution in Grambling, Louisiana, studying theatre until 1993. Thereafter, she returned to Dallas without completing her degree, mainly to concentrate on music.   114.    Career: In 1993, Erykah Badu started her career as a music teacher in Dallas. For a time, she also taught drama and dance at South Dallas Cultural Centre. To augment her income, she also served as waitress. She also formed a hip-hop duo with her cousin Robert Free Bradford, calling it ‘Erykah Free’. Very soon, they started going on musical tours and earning local opening slots. Her big chance came when in 1994 (@23), Erykah opened a show for D’Angelo. Through him, she caught the attention of Kedar Massenburg, an American record producer and founder of Kedar Entertainment. Impressed, he set her up to record a duet, ‘Your Precious Love' with D'Angelo. In 1995, she signed a contract with Kedar Entertainment and moved to Brooklyn. In January 1996, she made her debut with ‘On & On’, which remained at the number-one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. In 1996, Erykah also recorded her debut album, ‘Baduizm’. Released on February 11, 1997 by Kedar Records, The Grammy award-winning album received universal acclaim from critics, who not only praised the musical style of the album, but also her ‘artistic vision’, establishing her position as the torchbearer of soul music. Her next album, ‘Live’ was a live album released on November 18, 1997, barely a month after the release of its lead single, ‘Tyrone’. It was also a huge hit and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. While ‘Live’ was being recorded Badu was pregnant with her first child. After its release, she took some time off to raise her child, not returning until 1999.   115.    Open Comments:   116.    Question: What is neo-soul and why don’t I like it?   117.    Movie Scene:Eve’s Bayou, Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons; produced by Caldecot Chubb and Samuel L. Jackson - Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (Louis Batiste), Jurnee Smollett (Eve Batiste), Lynn Whitfield (Roz Batiste), Debbi Morgan (Mozelle Batiste Delacroix), Vondie Curtis Hall (Julian Grayraven), Meagan Good (Cisely Batiste) and Diahann Carroll (Elzora).   118.    Review #1: “...As these images unfold, we are drawn into the same process Eve has gone through: We, too, are trying to understand what happened in that summer of 1962, when Eve's handsome, dashing father--a doctor and womanizer--took one chance too many. And we want to understand what happened late one night between the father and Eve's older sister, in a moment that was over before it began.   119.    We want to know because the film makes it perfectly possible that there is more than one explanation; "Eve's Bayou" studies the way that dangerous emotions can build up until something happens that no one is responsible for and that can never be taken back.   120.    All of these moments unfold in a film of astonishing maturity and confidence; "Eve's Bayou," one of the very best films of the year, is the debut of its writer and director, Kasi Lemmons. She sets her story in Southern Gothic country, in the bayous and old Louisiana traditions that Tennessee Williams might have been familiar with, but in tone and style she earns comparison with the family dramas of Ingmar Bergman. That Lemmons can make a film this good on the first try is like a rebuke to established filmmakers..."Eve's Bayou" resonates in the memory. It called me back for a second and third viewing. If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention. For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams. - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times   121.    Review #2: Kasi Lemmons’ fluid, feminine, African-American, Southern-gothic narrative covers a tremendous amount of emotional territory with the most graceful of steps. Young Jurnee Smollett plays 10-year-old Eve, struggling to understand the womanizing of her adored daddy (Samuel L. Jackson in easy, sexy command) and the passions of her big sister; Debbi Morgan, in a blazing performance, plays Eve’s vibrant aunt, infused with good-witch spiritual powers. The film’s dream-state visual elegance is matched by a great soundtrack. Grade, A-. -  Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly   122.    Review #3: First and best, it's got a rip-roaring story. It sweeps you along, borne effortlessly by believable if flawed characters, as it flows toward the inevitable tragedy. But it's also got a heart: It watches as a child harsh of judgment learns that judgment is too easy a posture for the world, and it's best to love with compassion. - Stephen Hunter, Washington Post   123.    Review #4: “You don't have to believe in magic to be gripped by the psychic forces that the characters' sorcery unleashes. Sibling rivalry, sexual jealousy and anxiety are all feelings that, when heated to the boiling point, have incendiary, semi magical powers. And as the psychosexual forces that bind but also threaten the Batiste family heat up, you can feel the lid about to blow. Every element of the film -- from the turbulent, stormy performances to the rich cinematography (which includes black-and-white computer-enhanced dream sequences) to the setting itself, in which the thick layers of hanging moss over muddy water seem to drip with sexual intrigue and secrecy -- merges to create an atmosphere of extraordinary erotic tension and anxiety.   124.    At the center of it all, exuding a dangerous magnetism, is Jackson's Louis, a swashbuckling, flashing-eyed, slightly oily lightning rod of a charmer whose charisma conveys a warning electric buzz. Jackson has never played a character quite this avid. And in a performance that requires him to infuse the role of perfect father and dream lover with a demonic charge, Jackson makes Louis at once irresistibly lovable and slightly terrifying. - Stephen Holden, New York Times   125.    Open Comments:   126.    Question: Are our family dynamics still suffering, internally, from the legacy of slavery or we closer to moving past it.   127.    TV Scene: “Miss Evers’ Boys”: Powerful, haunting and artfully mounted, “Miss Evers’ Boys” is a docudrama of uncommon quality and clarity. The acting is exceptional, the characters vivid, the presentation balanced. Original films for television rarely aim so high as does this HBO NYC production...And cinematographically, it is a revelation, with director of photography Donald M. Morgan lending the production a strikingly dingy, washed-out look that blends perfectly with the piece’s bleak sensibility. The story as told here centers on nurse Eunice Evers (a dynamic, layered performance from Alfre Woodard). Evers went to work at Alabama’s Tuskegee Hospital in 1932 to assist a certain Dr. Brodus (brilliant work from Joe Morton) in caring for poor black men (sharecroppers mostly) who have been stricken with syphilis. Enter Dr. Douglas (Craig Sheffer), a white doctor who brings with him a fully funded program to treat syphilis at the hospital, offering free treatment to any man who tests positive for the disease. A few months pass before Brodus travels to Washington to meet with Douglas and a government panel of doctors who tell him the funding for treatment has dried up. However, money is available for a study of the syphilitic African-American men. The catch: They can receive no medical treatment initially as a way to establish whether syphilis affects blacks and whites differently. Brodus initially is outraged, but acquiesces in the belief the study will disprove the racist notion of physiological inferiority in blacks. Evers also reluctantly follows along, lying to the men while giving them only vitamins, tonics and liniment rubs. But as the months turn into years, it becomes clear that the afflicted men will never receive treatment. Only with their deaths is the study of how the disease runs its course made complete and viable….[the movie] switches gears during its second hour to become an examination of Evers’ gut-wrenching moral ambiguity in sticking around to help perpetrate this ghastly fraud over 40 years. Woodard movingly conveys the conflict weighing down Evers’ guilt-riddled soul, giving a profound resonance to the disturbing ethical questions raised by her dedication in the name of lending the men comfort and a form of loving (if deliberately ineffectual) care….the overall tone and tenor of “Miss Evers’ Boys” is one of subtle brilliance, bolstered by an exquisitely detailed period sheen that screams excellence. After it’s over, you sit disbelieving that such an inhumane, insidious experiment designed to reduce black men to the level of laboratory animals could ever have been conducted in the United States of America — much less gone undetected until 25 years ago. It went far beyond mere institutional racism. It was pure evil. — Ray Richmond Vanity Fair   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1997?

Topics: Tupac death, Fugees, Set It Off, Moesha (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound) http://afropopremix.com 1996 Snapshots 1.    President: Bill Clinton 2.    Jan - Whitewater scandal: U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies before a grand jury. 3.    Feb - Daniel Green is convicted of the murder of James Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan. 4.    Mar - Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 5.    Apr - Chicago Bulls set a new NBA record for the most wins in a season, 70. 6.    May -? 7.    Jun - The Colorado Avalanche wins their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver and The Chicago Bulls win their fourth NBA Championship by defeating the Seattle Supersonics. 8.    July - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 2 and injures 111. 9.    Aug - Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut. 10.    Sep - Tupac Shakur dies. 11.    Oct - The Fox News Channel is launched. 12.    Nov - Bill Clinton defeats Republican challenger Bob Dole to win his second term. 13.    Dec - Death of JonBenét Ramsey: A six-year-old beauty queen is beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado; her body is found the following day. 14.    Open Comments: 15.    Music Snapshots 16.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 17.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 18.    #3 Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion 19.    Record of the Year: Change the World – Eric Clapton 20.    Album of the Year: Falling Into You – Celine Dion 21.    Song of the Year: Change the World 22.    Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes 23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: You're Makin' Me High – Toni Braxton 24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Your Secret Love – Luther Vandross 25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Killing Me Softly – Fugees 26.    Best R&B Song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Babyface, songwriter (Whitney Houston) 27.    Best R&B Album: Words – The Tony Rich Project 28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: Hey Lover – LL Cool J 29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 30.    Best Rap Album: The Score – Fugees 31.    Movie Snapshots 32.    #1 Independence Day 33.    #2 Twister 34.    #3 Mission: Impossible 35.    Notables: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Birdcage, Fargo, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Nutty Professor, Kazaam, Set It Off, Space Jam, Jerry Maguire. 36.    TV Snapshots 37.    #1 - ER 38.    #2 - Seinfeld 39.    #3 - Suddenly Susan 40.    Debuts: Moesha, The Daily Show, Kenan & Kel, The Steve Harvey Show, In The House, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Jamie Foxx Show 41.    Economic Snapshots 42.    Income = 36.3k (Previously 36K) 43.    House = 118.2K (113) 44.    Car = 16.3k (15.5) 45.    Rent = 554(550) 46.    Harvard = 27.5k (26k) 47.    Movie = 4.42 (4.35) 48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.12) 49.    Stamp = .32 (-) 50.    Social Scene: Tupac Killed 51.    Childhood: Tupac Shakur, born Parish Crooks, was born on June 16, 1971, to Black Panther activist parents in New York City. Thirteen days later, his mother, Alice Faye Walker (Afeni Shakur), changed his name. The parents wanted to avoid him being targeted by Black Panther-affiliated enemies. His mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant with him. Tupac's father, Billy Garland, was also a Panther but lost contact with Afeni when Tupac was five years old. The rapper would not see his father again until he was 23 - I thought my father was dead all my life. 52.    Early Life: He had a difficult childhood, as he grew up in the company of criminals, militant activist, violence, and a drugged addicted mother with a transient lifestyle. Art became a constructive and safe escape. His first acting stint was in 1983 (@12 yrs. old) with the Harlem’s 127th StreetRepertory Ensemble when he performed in a play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Apollo Theater. In 1984, Tupac's family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.There he studied poetry, jazz, acting, and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and befriended Jada Pinkett. The family later moved to Marin City, California, across the bay from Oakland, in 1988 (@17 yrs. old). They went to the home of a woman Afeni had been close to during her Black Panther days and lived in a poor housing complex, referred to as ‘the Jungle.’ 53.    Early Career: While attending high school he participated in a poetry workshop known as The Microphone Sessions, organized by Leila Steinberg, who would eventually become his first manager. She introduced 19-year-old Tupac to Atron Gregory, a manager for the World Class Wrekin Cru’ and tour manager for NWA, who had just returned to the Bay Area, started TNT Records, and quickly gained attention by signing Digital Underground.  Gregory matched Tupac with Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer. Tupac’s talent was soon recognized by the group, and he began rapping in some of their songs. He debuted on ‘Same Song,’ which was featured in the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. (@20 yrs. old) 54.    Solo Career: He released his debut solo album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ in 1991. (Big hit - 'Brenda's Got a Baby') Also in 1991, Shakur filed a $10-million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for allegedly brutalizing him over jaywalking. The case was settled for about $43,000. (1992 - Juice, first starring role) His second album, ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z’ came out in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and contained the hits ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ and ‘I Get Around’. (1993 - Poetic Justice, co-starred with Janet Jackson) In 1994, he formed a group Thug Life and they released one album ‘Thug Life: Volume 1. (1994 - Above the Rim, Co-starred with Duane Martin) During this period he had several brushes with the law (he was associated with the shooting of a 6 yr. old Qa'id Walker-Teal in Marin City / shooting two policemen / various physical assaults) and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the shooting, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He released the album ‘Me Against the World’ in 1995 (@24) while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate hit and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 55.    Final Album: During 1995, while imprisoned, impoverished, and with his mother about to lose her house, Tupac had his wife get word to Marion Suge Knight, in Los Angeles, boss of the Death Row Records, at the time a verry successful company, and asked for a meeting. Tupac's mother received $15k, Suge paid Tupac's $1.4m bail, signed the rapper, and went to work on the album ‘All Eyez on Me’. The album was recorded in two weeks! In a matter of two weeks, Tupac recorded and completed the double-disc album, completing two out of three albums he owed Death Row. (The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) Released in February of 1996, the album featured five singles and went multi-Platinum in just a few months after its release. 56.    Death: Seven months later, in September 1996, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old. 57.    Open Comments: 58.    Question: Confused young man or someone to be taken seriously? (What did he represent?) 59.    Music Scene: 60.    Black Songs in the Top 40 61.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 62.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 63.    #4 Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project 64.    #5 Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey 65.    #6 Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman 66.    #7 Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 67.    #9 You're Makin' Me High / Let It Flow, Toni Braxton 68.    #10 Twisted, Keith Sweat 69.    #11 C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJ's 70.    #14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston 71.    #16 Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy 72.    #17 How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac featuring K-Ci and JoJo 73.    #20 Hey Lover, LL Cool J 74.    #21 Loungin, LL Cool J 75.    #23 Be My Lover, La Bouche 76.    #27 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly 77.    #32 Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige 78.    #33 Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring L.V. 79.    #34 Only You, 112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 80.    #35 Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers 81.    #36 You're the One, SWV 82.    #37 Sweet Dreams, La Bouche 83.    #38 Before You Walk Out of My Life / Like This and Like That, Monica 84.    #40 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio 85.    #42 No Diggity, Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 86.    Vote: 87.    Top RnB Albums 88.    Jan - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack / Various artists 89.    Feb - Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, Eazy-E 90.    Mar - All Eyez on Me, 2Pac 91.    Mar - The Score, Fugees 92.    Apr - The Coming, Busta Rhymes 93.    Apr - The Resurrection, Geto Boys 94.    Jun - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten), Too Short 95.    Jun - Legal Drug Money, Lost Boyz 96.    Jun - The Nutty Professor, Soundtrack / Various artists 97.    Jul - Secrets, Toni Braxton 98.    Jul - Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat 99.    Jul - It Was Written, Nas 100.    Aug - Beats, Rhymes and Life, A Tribe Called Quest 101.    Sep - ATLiens, Outkast 102.    Sep - Home Again, New Edition 103.    Oct - Another Level, Blackstreet 104.    Nov - Bow Down, Westside Connection 105.    Nov - Ironman, Ghostface Killah 106.    Nov - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli 107.    Nov - Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg 108.    Dec - Hell on Earth, Mobb Deep 109.    Dec - Muddy Waters, Redman 110.    Vote: 111.    Featured Artist: The Fugees 112.    Lauryn Hill (@21 yrs. old in 1996) was born in 1975 to a high school teacher and computer expert in New Jersey. Her mother played piano and her father sang in nightclubs. Young Lauryn sang in church choirs, gospel groups and showed a strong voice. She loved '60s and '70s soul and by age thirteen, she was playing the amateur night showtime at the Apollo, doing a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Loving You". Hill nabbed minor roles on television's As the World Turns and in the film Sister Act II: Back in the Habit. Her work with the Fugees began in 1987 in high school with friend Prakazrel Samuel Michel. 113.    "Pras" (@23 in 1996) was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and raised in New Jersey. He showed an early interest in music and attended Rutgers University and Yale University, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. 114.    Wyclef Jean (@27 yrs. old) was born in 1969 in Haiti, the son of a minister. When he was nine, he moved to the projects of Brooklyn, and later New Jersey, where he took up guitar and the study of music. 115.    The trio formed in the late '80s, named themselves the Tranzlator Crew and used Hill's soap opera acting proceeds to pay for equipment. They toured the tri-state area and were signed to major label Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. Hill was still a minor. Shortly thereafter, they renamed themselves Fugees, a derisive slang term for refugees, and released a debut 12-inch Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) "Boof Baf" to no notable sales. 116.    Their 1994 debut LP Blunted on Reality, stylized in a fashion like A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets, did better. However, it was the remixed versions of "Nappy Head (Mona Lisa)" and "Vocab" that earned the group another budget for a follow-up album. (Also, notable, in later interviews Pras would say that a married Wyclef and the underage Hill were having a clandestine relationship at the time) 117.    Combining a mix of conscious hip hp, soul, and reggae, with a homemade basement studio, sampled melodies, live guitars, bass, keys, "The Score" arrived in 1996, filling the void between gangsta and glitter. It became an instant classic, ultimately selling over 18 million copies. 118.    Open Comments: 119.    Internal "Affairs": In the summer of 1996, on the Smoking Grooves Tour, Hill met Rohan Marley, (one of Bob Marley's kids) and even though the former University of Miami football player was initially rebuffed, because Hill was still seeing Jean, , no one knew who the child really belonged to. 120.    In the summer of 1996 Hill had met Rohan Marley, a son of Bob Marley and a former University of Miami football player. Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with the married Wyclef. She soon became visibly pregnant. Marley and Hill's first child was born the following summer. 121.    Soon after Zion was born, she learned that Marley already had a wife and two children from another marriage. 122.    Amid newfound international fame and baby Daddy drama, Wyclef did not support Hill's solo desires (she had made appearances on Wyclef's solo project), thus leading to the group splitting up. 123.    Hill started work on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; blocking out Wyclef Jean from any type of production help after he had snubbed her. Her old-school takes on "Doo Wop (That Thing)" helped it rule the charts in 1998 and win five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album -- the most ever for a woman. 124.    Meanwhile, Hill was having more of Marley's children and becoming close with Brother Anthony, a spiritual adviser who studied the Bible with her several times per week. In 2001, she recorded an MTV Unplugged session where she broke down in tears and admitted to being deranged and emotionally unstable. Rolling Stone called the session "a public breakdown", though it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went platinum. 125.    She has been a sporadic and reluctant public figure ever since. 126.    Question: Have you ever had an affair with a co-worker? How did it turn out? 127.    Movie Scene: Set It Off. [Directed by F. Gary Gray Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, and Vivica A. Fox] 128.    Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Consensus: It may not boast an original plot, but Set It Off is a satisfying, socially conscious heist film thanks largely to fine performances from its leads. 129.    Emanuel Levy, Variety 11-1996: Influenced by "Thelma & Louise" and "Waiting to Exhale," F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" is a well-crafted girls-n-the-hood actioner, with an acute social conscience and plenty of soul. A tale of female bonding and empowerment, this relevant film boasts a terrific cast, headed by Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah in career-making performances. 130.    Stephen Holden, New York Times 11-1996: Just Trying to Get Even While They Get Rich. On the long list of Hollywood heist movies that make you root for its criminals to steal a million dollars and live happily ever after, F. Gary Gray's film ''Set It Off'' is one of the most poignantly impassioned. If this messy roller coaster of a film often seems to be going in several directions at once, it never for a second loses empathy for its quartet of black female bank robbers who grew up together in a Los Angeles housing project and earn meager wages working for a janitorial service... A pop psychologist might translate the story into a fable called ''Women Who Rob Banks and the Society That Hates Them.' 131.    Roger Ebert 11-1996: “Set It Off” is advertised as a thriller about four black women who rob banks. But it's a lot more than that. It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that's so observant and informed; it's like “Waiting to Exhale” with a strong jolt of reality. The movie surprised and moved me: I expected a routine action picture and was amazed how much I started to care about the characters. 132.    Kent, Entertainment Weekly 09-2019: Why Set It Off is an era-defining film that shouldn't be remade. We are clearly in the age of reboots and remakes, but the '90s heist film is irreplaceable. 133.    Question 1: Remake or Sequel? 134.    Question 2: Do we really want more black female action heroines/stories? (i.e., women of Black Panther, "Breaking In" movie, Berry, Valkyrie, Guardians...etc.) 135.    TV Scene: Moesha 136.    Screen Rant: No show lasts for six seasons without making a cultural impact; Moesha was nominated for 32 awards and won three: two NAACP Image Awards and one SHINE Award. The series was syndicated, and still airs around the world. Netflix picked up streaming rights to the series in 2020, which became available to US subscribers on August 1, 2020. As new viewers will discover, however, despite how influential the show was, it ends abruptly after a significant cliffhanger for the main character in the season 6 finale. Despite the recognition, the show steadily declined in ratings, leading to its cancelation. 137.    Moesha Mitchell went through quite the journey on Moesha. At the beginning of the series, Moesha was still dealing with her mother's death a few years prior and learning to come to terms with her new stepmother, Deirdre "Dee" Mitchel (Sheryl Lee Ralph) — who just happened to be the vice principal at Moesha's school. The final season sees Brandy experiencing the trials and tribulations of being a young adult, complete with an engagement to long-time on-again, off-again boyfriend Quinton "Q" Brooks (Fredro Starr) and attending college. The final episode ends with the reveal of a positive pregnancy test in Moesha's dorm — who it belongs to, however, is a mystery. Since the show never got another season, the storyline was never resolved. 138.    According to EW, at the time, UPN's plan was to address the pregnancy cliffhanger in the spin-off series The Parkers, which premiered on the network in 1999. The Parkers followed Moesha's "boy-crazy" friend Kimberly Ann "Kim" Parker as she navigated attending college with her mother, who has decided to enlist at the same time as her daughter. For unknown reasons, however, the planned resolution never took place, despite The Parkers running until 2005. With there being reports of a possible reboot series in the works, perhaps this Moesha storyline — as well as the question of what happened to Moesha's brother Myles, who disappeared in the finale — can finally be laid to rest." 139.    Question: Is it reboot worthy? / Is any classic black TV show reboot worthy? 140.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1996?

Topics: Million Man March, TLC, Friday, UPN (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) http://afropopremix.com   1995 Notes   1.    Snapshots   2.    President: Bill Clinton   3.    Jan - The WB Television Network and The United Paramount Network (UPN) launches.   4.    Mar - Yahoo! was incorporated and soon became the first popular online directory and search engine on the World Wide Web.   5.    Mar - Mississippi ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The amendment was nationally ratified in 1865. Until February 7, 2013, the state of Mississippi had never submitted the required documentation to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, meaning it never officially abolished slavery.   6.    Mar - Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E is suddenly hospitalized, diagnosed with AIDS, and dies due to its complications.   7.    Apr - Oklahoma City bombing: 168 people, including 8 Federal Marshals and 19 children, are killed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Timothy McVeigh and one of his accomplices, Terry Nichols, set off the bomb.   8.    May - In Culpeper, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse in a riding competition. [See - “Superman Curse”]   9.    Sep - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens.   10.    Oct - The Million Man March is held in Washington, D.C. The event was conceived by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.   11.    Dec - The presidents of Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign a peace treaty in Paris, ending a three-and-a-half-year war.   12.    Music Snapshots   13.    #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V.   14.    #2 "Waterfalls", TLC   15.    #3 "Creep", TLC   16.    Record of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal   17.    Album of the Year: Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette   18.    Song of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal   19.    Best New Artist: Hootie & the Blowfish   20.    Best Female R&B: Anita Baker for "I Apologize"   21.    Best Male R&B: Stevie Wonder for "For Your Love"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: TLC for "Creep"   23.    Best R&B Song: Stevie Wonder (songwriter) for "For Your Love"   24.    Best R&B Album: TLC for CrazySexyCool   25.    Best Rap Solo: "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio   26.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige   27.    Best Rap Album: Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature   28.    Movie Snapshots   29.    #1 Die Hard with a Vengeance   30.    #2 Toy Story   31.    #3 Apollo 13   32.    Notables: Higher Learning, Major Payne, Bad Boys, New Jersey Drive, Friday, Braveheart, Batman Forever, Pocahontas, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Clueless, Waterworld, Mortal Kombat, The Tuskegee Airmen, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Dead Presidents, The American President, Casino, Money Train, Heat, Waiting to Exhale.   33.    TV Snapshots   34.    Top TV Shows   35.    #1 ER   36.    #2 Seinfeld   37.    #3 Friends   38.    Debuts: The Wayans Bros. (WB), The Parent 'Hood (WB), Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (still airing), In the House   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    Income = 35.9k (Previously 37K)   41.    House = 113.1K (119)   42.    Car = 15.5k (12.5)   43.    Rent = 550 (533)   44.    Harvard = 26.2k (24.9)   45.    Movie = 4.35 (4)   46.    Gas = 1.12 (1.09)   47.    Stamp .32 (.29)   48.    Social Scene: Million Man March   49.    A political demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995, to promote African American unity and family values. Estimates of the number of marchers, most of whom were African American men, ranged from 400,000 to nearly 1.1 million, ranking it among the largest gatherings of its kind in American history.   50.    Several African American leaders did not support the march, including Mary Frances Berry, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Rep. John Lewis, the latter of whom saw Farrakhan’s message as an effort to “resegregate America.”   51.    Comments:   52.    Featured Speaker: Louis Farrakhan, @62 yrs old   53.    Born Louis Eugene Wolcott on May 11, 1933, in New York City, New York, to Sarah Mae Manning and Percival Clark. His parents separated even before he was born.   54.    He did not know his biological father and was brought up by his stepfather Louis Wolcott. The death of his stepfather in 1936 led to the relocation of his family to Boston, Massachusetts.   55.    From an early age, he received rigorous training in violin, so much so that by the time he turned 13 he had mastered the instrument and was playing along with the ‘Boston College Orchestra’ and ‘Boston Civic Symphony.’   56.    In his first year as a teenager, he became one of the first black performers to appear on the ‘Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour. ‘The following year, he had two national level victories under his belt.   57.    He attended the prestigious ‘Boston Latin School’ after which he was admitted to ‘English High School. ‘After graduating from ‘English High School,’ he enrolled for a three-year course at the ‘Winston-Salem Teachers College’ on a track scholarship.   58.    Starting from the 1950s, he pursued a career in music. He recorded several calypso albums under the pseudonym ‘The Charmer. ‘He toured frequently since the release of his first album. In 1955, he organized a show titled ‘Calypso Follies’ in Chicago.   59.    Interestingly, one of his songs remained a chartbuster and on top of the ‘Billboard Chart’ for five years in a row.   60.    It was while pursuing his professional music career that he was first exposed to the teachings of ‘Nation of Islam’ through his friend and saxophonist Rodney Smith.   61.    Later, Elijah Muhammad invited him to attend the Nation of Islam’s annual ‘Saviours' Day’ address. Inspired by the discourse, he resolved to be a member of ‘Nation of Islam’ (NOI) in 1955. (@22)   62.    He fulfilled all the requirements to become a registered Muslim/ registered believer/ registered laborer of NOI. Subsequently, he received an approval by the NOI headquarter in July 1955.   63.    Initially known by the name Louis X, his name was later changed to the ‘holy name’ Louis Farrakhan. A derivative of the Arabic word furqan, which means "The Criterion". He gave up on a music career and dedicated his life to the ‘Nation of Islam.’   64.    Within a span of nine months, he worked his way up and started serving as the assistant minister to Malcolm X, who was heading the Muhammad’s Temple of Islam in Boston at that time.   65.    He was soon made the minister as Malcom X was shifted to the Temple of Muhammad in Harlem, New York. Farrakhan replaced Malcom X as the minister at the Boston Temple.   66.    Malcolm X was assassinated on 21 February 1965 and Farrakhan profited from it as he was appointed to two prominent positions in NOI. (@32)   67.    He was appointed to the chair of the minister of the influential Harlem Mosque in 1965, a position which he held until 1975. Furthermore, he became the national spokesman and representative of NOI and served in this position until Elijah Muhammad’s death in 1975.   68.    In 1975, the Nation's leadership chose Wallace Muhammad, also known as Warith Deen Mohammad, the fifth of Elijah Muhammad's sons, not Farrakhan, as the new Supreme Minister.   69.    Though Farrakhan remained a loyalist of the Muhammad clan for some time, in 1977 he withdrew his support from the organization and rebuilt the original ‘Nation of Islam’ which had been established by its founders.   70.    Soon after its foundation, he started a weekly newspaper by the name ‘The Final Call, Inc.’ The objective of this initiation was to communicate his views and thoughts to the supporters and members.   71.    Two years later, along with his supporters, he organized the first ‘Saviours’ Day’ convention in Chicago. His group promised to walk by the principles of Elijah Muhammad.   72.    Throughout his leadership, he blamed the Jewish community and other ethnic and racial groups for the sufferings endured by African Americans.   73.    In October of 1995, he planned a broad coalition, intending to assemble about one million men in Washington DC for the ‘Million Man March.’   74.    At the convention, he was the keynote speaker along with distinguished African American intellectuals, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King III, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, and Benjamin Chavis.   75.    Question: Who else could pull this off today? Where have our leaders gone? (Besides Obama)   76.    Music Scene   77.    #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V.   78.    #2 "Waterfalls", TLC   79.    #3 "Creep", TLC   80.    #4 "Kiss from a Rose", Seal   81.    #5 "On Bended Knee", Boyz II Men   82.    #6 "Another Night", Real McCoy   83.    #7 "Fantasy", Mariah Carey   84.    #9 "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)", Monica   85.    #10 "This Is How We Do It", Montell Jordan   86.    #11 "I Know", Dionne Farris   87.    #12 "Water Runs Dry", Boyz II Men   88.    #13 "Freak Like Me", Adina Howard   89.    #15 "I Can Love You Like That", All-4-One   90.    #18 "Boombastic" / "In the Summertime", Shaggy   91.    #20 "You Gotta Be", Des'ree   92.    #21 "You Are Not Alone", Michael Jackson   93.    #23 "One More Chance", The Notorious B.I.G.   94.    #24 "Here Comes the Hotstepper", Ini Kamoze   95.    #25 "Candy Rain", Soul for Real   96.    #27 "I Believe", Blessid Union of Souls   97.    #28 "Red Light Special", TLC   98.    #29 "Runaway", Janet Jackson   99.    #31 "Colors of the Wind", Vanessa Williams   100.    #32 "Someone to Love", Jon B.   101.    #34 "If You Love Me", Brownstone   102.    #36 "I Got 5 on It", Luniz   103.    #37 "Baby", Brandy   104.    #40 "He's Mine", MoKenStef   105.    Vote:   106.    Jan - My Life, Mary J. Blige   107.    Feb - Cocktails, Too Short   108.    Mar - Safe + Sound, DJ Quik   109.    Apr - Me Against the World, 2Pac   110.    Apr - Friday, Soundtrack   111.    Jun - Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature   112.    Jul - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Michael Jackson   113.    Jul - Operation Stackola, Luniz   114.    Aug - The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, Jodeci   115.    Aug - E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony   116.    Sep - The Show, Soundtrack   117.    Oct - 4,5,6, Kool G Rap   118.    Oct - Daydream, Mariah Carey   119.    Oct - Doe or Die, AZ   120.    Nov - Dogg Food, Tha Dogg Pound   121.    Dec - R. Kelly, R. Kelly   122.    Dec - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack   123.    Vote:   124.    Featured Artists: TLC   125.    Tionne Tenese Watkins (@25) was born on April 26, 1970, in Des Moines, Iowa, into a family of African American, Native American and Irish descent. Both her parents, James and Gayle Watkins, were musicians and singers.   126.    Her parents divorced when she was three years old. Thereafter, she was raised by her mother, who taught her to be “confident and independent”. At the age of nine, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where her maternal grandmother used to live.   127.    As a child, she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA), as a result of which, she had to spend a lot of time in hospitals.   128.    As a teenager, she began working as a hair model, eventually serving as a manicurist and shampoo girl at a popular Atlanta hair salon.   129.    In 1990, (@20) Tionne Watkins heard that a teenager named Crystal Clear was planning to open an all-girls group like Bell Biv DeVoe, having a tomboyish, hip-hop image. Eventually, she appeared for an audition and joined the three-member band, the third one being Lisa Lopes.   130.    Calling themselves ‘2nd Nature’, they soon started working with Jermaine Dupri and Rico Wade on demo tape material.   131.    Meanwhile, Watkins met Perri "Pebbles" Reid, the owner of the management and production company, Pebbitone, and managed to arrange an audition with her.   132.    Impressed by the girls, Reid arranged an audition with the local record label, LaFace Records, co-founded by her then husband Antonio Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmund. She also changed the group’s name to TLC with ‘T’ representing Tionne, ‘L’ Lisa, and ‘C’ Crystal.   133.    Although Antonio Reid was impressed by Watkins and Lopes, he did not approve of Clear, who was eventually replaced by Rozonda Thomas in April 1991. Very soon, Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes became "Left-Eye", and Thomas became "Chilli”, so that ‘TLC’ continued to be the acronym of their names.   134.    Their debut album, 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' was released on February 25, 1992, by LaFace Records. It peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, selling six million copies worldwide, and was certified quadruple platinum RIAA.   135.    'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' scored three top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Baby-Baby-Baby’ peaking at number two, ‘Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg’ at number six and ‘What About Your Friends’ at number seven. Moreover, ‘Baby-Baby-Baby’ also peaked at number one at Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.   136.    In 1993, the group started working on their second album, ‘CrazySexyCool’. But because of Lisa’s personal problems, it took time to complete and was ultimately released on September 15, 1994.   137.    Certified Diamond, the album was a huge success, peaking at the 3rd position on the US Billboard 200. It sold over 11 million copies in the United States alone. The album was nominated for six Grammy Awards, out of which it won two and helped TLC to become the second-best selling girl group of all time.   138.    Billboard named them the ‘Artist of the Year’ at the Billboard Music Awards. The album also appeared on Rolling Stone Magazine’s ’500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.   139.    Despite the success, TLC was forced to file for bankruptcy because of poor contracts they had signed in 1991. Eventually, the group signed a new contract with the same company and went back to work.   140.    Rozonda Ocelian Thomas (@24) was born on 27th February 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia to Abdul Ali and Ava Thomas. Her mother is of African American as well as Native American descent, while her father is of East Indian and Middle Eastern Background. She was raised by a single mother and did not meet her father until she was 25.   141.    Thomas studied at Benjamin E. Mays High School, from where she graduated in 1989. Soon she started working as a back-up dancer for the R&B group Damian Dame.   142.    In 1991, (@20) Rozonda Thomas joined the pop group TLC.   143.    Lisa Nicole Lopes (@24) was born on May 27, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was Ronald Lopes Sr., a staff sergeant in the US Army, and her mother was Wanda Denise, a seamstress. She was of Cape Verdean, Mexican, American, African and Portuguese descent. She was the eldest of three siblings. Her parents divorced when she was in school. Following this, she was raised by her paternal grandmother.   144.    At the age of five, she began playing the piano and eventually started composing songs over the next few years. She studied at the Philadelphia School for Girls.   145.    In late 1990, having heard of an open casting call for a new girl group through her then-boyfriend, Lopes moved to Atlanta to audition.   146.    Lopes’ personal life, though, was marred by her rocky relationship with football great Andre Rison, and in 1994, she was arrested for burning down his home.   147.    In 2000, she began her solo-project ‘Supernova’ which was set to be released in August 2001. However, the date was postponed repeatedly. It was eventually broadcast over the internet in 2002. The album was yet to be released formally and a fourth TLC project was in the making, when Lopes met with a tragic car accident in 2002 which unfortunately put an end to her life.  she was just 30 years old.   148.    Question: Is the WAP controversy justified?   149.    Movie Scene: Friday 1995 film   150.    (Links and Resources: Strong Black Legends: John Witherspoon; "John Witherspoon's Style of Comedy was Timeless," Justin Tinsley, The Undefeated; Gene Siskel's review, Chicago Tribune; Desson Howe's review, Washington Post; "After 20 Years, Friday Is (Still) The Most Important Film Ever Made About The Hood," Kelley L. Carter, BuzzFeed; "John Witherspoon Made Every Scene Better," Rembert Brown, New York Times; Review by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly. - Find additional episodes, leave a comment, or make a donation to support the podcast at unaffiliatedcritic.com.)   151.    Reviews:   152.    Gene Siskel: For all of the shouting, mugging and rap music, a surprisingly dull comic yarn about a young man (Ice Cube) trying to survive in the 'hood. Colorful characters abound, but nothing ties them together. I knew the picture was in trouble when its first gag involved an old lady spewing obscenities. (Rating: 1 star)   153.    By Desson Howe, Washington Post Staff Writer - April 28, 1995: "Friday," a comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, is dirty, offensive, infantile and may launch a few sanctimonious opinion columns. And I mean that in the nicest way. The movie, which shamelessly hawks its own "Friday" music video at the beginning and eschews political correctness whenever possible, happens to be incredibly funny.   154.    After 20 Years, “Friday” Is (Still) The Most Important Film Ever Made About The Hood: - Kelley L. Carter, BuzzFeed News Reporter. Posted April 20, 2015.   155.    “...Todd Boyd, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts as well as screenwriter and producer of the 1999 coming-of-age drama The Wood, says that Friday didn't just add an element of comedy to depictions of everyday life in black neighborhoods, it spawned a new genre — the hood comedy.   156.    “The film demonstrated that black life was not all drugs, violence, dysfunction, and pathology — yet instead of offering a Cosby Show-like fantasy, Friday put these issues in context, finding humor in the everyday lives of regular black people,” he explains. “Since the 1970s, Hollywood has always looked favorably upon low-budget black films that produce high profit margins at the box office. Friday expanded the representation of the hood into the realm of comedy and achieved box office success at the same time.” 157.    Other hood comedies that followed include: 1996’s satire Don’t Be a Menace While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, 1998’s The Player’s Club (Cube wrote and directed it), 2001’s How High, and 2002’s Barbershop, the latter of which Cube starred in.   158.    Question: Friday or Carwash? - Chris Tucker or Mike Epps?   159.    TV Scene   160.    “Was UPN Black America’s Last Hope for a Black Sitcom-Friendly Broadcast Television Network?” April 20, 2017 - https://shadowandact.com   161.    “...Since ABC’s "Black-ish" debuted this fall, it has drawn numerous comparisons to "The Cosby Show" — and I have questions. I wonder why the majority of essays and critiques jumped to a show that has been off-air for 22 years. Although few television shows rivaled the mainstream popularity of Bill Cosby’s chef d’oeuvre, plenty of Black sitcoms have filled its gap since its 1992 finale. Does no one remember the quasi-Black glory of United Paramount Network (UPN)? And can there ever be another like it?   162.    From 1995 to 2006 UPN was the home for over 10 concurrently running Black sitcoms (and a handful of dramas). Given the sheer volume of programming, that’s remarkable in and of itself. But perhaps what is more noteworthy than the number of shows is the range of Black life they displayed.   163.    "All of Us," produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, centered on a blended family of two divorced spouses and their significant others. The Essence Atkins and Rachel True-helmed "Half & Half" explored the relationship between two estranged half-sisters. "Moesha" was UPN’s most successful sitcom during its five-year run and introduced America to another beloved, nuclear Black family besides the Huxtables. Other notable UPN sitcoms included "One on One," "The Parkers," "Eve," and "Malcolm & Eddie."   164.    UPN actively sought programming aimed for Black audiences at a time when Black mainstays from the Big Three networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were waning. "Family Matters" was cancelled from ABC’s coveted TGIF lineup in 1998. Fox declined to extend Martin Lawrence’s eponymously named sitcom the previous year. The major networks were beginning to narrow their viewership to exclude all-Black casting on their sitcoms. Not only were Black actors finding work on shows sold to UPN, but established Black producer-writers like Eunetta T. Boone and Ralph Farquhar found a home as well.   165.    Despite—and maybe because of—its friendliness to Black programming, UPN suffered from a reputation as a sub-par network. The ratings for their sitcoms often scraped the bottom of the Nielsen barrel. UPN is remembered more for its utter failures ("Homeboys in Outer Space") and ignored when we fondly recall the glory of "Girlfriends."   166.    “UPN took the rejects. UPN was 'the Black channel,'” we joke. UPN may not have been perfect, but it gave Black audiences so much to choose from without feeling as if one show had to represent the totality of Blackness.   167.    Accordingly, "Black-ish" has a lot riding on its success. Black audiences tune in hoping big wigs take notice and order more Black sitcoms. But it is telling that major networks began a “blackout” of successful Black cast shows in the late 90s and The CW essentially did the same a decade later.   168.    "Black-ish" could be the start of another heyday for Black sitcoms. We reach backward to "The Cosby Show" because we love it best and we always will. But in doing so, we ignore the stable of Black shows that kept us laughing long after The Huxtables faded to black. However, the success of "Black-ish" will remain singular until executives reexamine their beliefs about African American audiences; we need them, like UPN once did, to give us a chance. I just hope it doesn’t take another decade.   169.    Other Notable UPN Shows: Everybody Hates Chris 2005 / Girlfriends 2000 / All of Us 2003 / Moesha 1996 / The Parkers 1999 / Malcolm and Eddie 1996 / In The House 1995 / Between Brothers 1997 /   170.    Other Notable WB Shows: The WB The Wayans Brothers 1995 / The Parent 'Hood 1995 / Steve Harvey Show 1996 / The Jamie Foxx Show 1996 / Smart Guy 1997 / MIB Animated 1997 / The PJs 1999   171.    Question: What the hell is wrong with BET?   172.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1995?

Topics: OJ Simpson, R. Kelly & Aaliyah, Samuel Jackson, Black TV Cancellation (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound) http://afropopremix.com   Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton is President   2.    Jan - In Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant, under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband. Tonya later pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover-up the attack, is fined $100,000, and banned from the sport.   3.    Jan - During a segment on NBC's Today, host Bryant Gumbel asks, "What is the internet, anyway?"   4.    Feb - During the opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, guest host Martin Lawrence makes sexually explicit jokes about female genitalia and feminine hygiene, which results in NBC banning him from appearing on the network (for the next year) and SNL (for life). In repeats of the episode, the offending section of the monologue is replaced by a title card read by an off-screen player (writer Jim Downey), saying that although SNL is neutral about the issues mentioned by Lawrence, network policy prevents his remarks from being re-broadcast, and that the incident almost cost the entire cast of SNL their jobs.   5.    Apr - Kurt Cobain, songwriter and frontman for the band Nirvana, is found dead at his Lake Washington home. He is believed to have committed suicide three days before he was found.   6.    Jun - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings but is held liable in a civil suit.   7.    Nov - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that he has Alzheimer's disease.   8.    Nov - WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides the world's first internet radio broadcast, aka live streaming.   9.    Nov - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot five times and robbed after entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan.   10.    Sep - The pilot episode for Friends airs on NBC.   11.    Open Comments   12.    Top 3 Pop Songs   13.    #1 "The Sign", Ace of Base   14.    #2 "I Swear", All-4-One   15.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   16.    Record of the Year: Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"   17.    Album of the Year: Tony Bennett for MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett   18.    Song of the Year: Bruce Springsteen for "Streets of Philadelphia"   19.    Best New Artist: Sheryl Crow   20.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "Breathe Again"   21.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Babyface for "When Can I See You"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "I'll Make Love to You"   23.    Best R&B Album: Boyz II Men for II   24.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "U.N.I.T.Y." – Queen Latifah   25.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "None of Your Business" – Salt-N-Pepa   26.    Top 3 Movies   27.    #1 The Lion King   28.    #2 Forrest Gump   29.    #3 True Lies   30.    Notables: House party 3, Blue Chips, Sugar Hill, Above The Rim, The Ink Well, Crooklyn, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Speed, Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Shawshank Redemption, Jason's Lyric, Pulp Fiction, Dumb and Dumber   31.    Top # TV Shows   32.    #1 Seinfeld   33.    #2 ER   34.    #3 Home Improvement   35.    Debuts - Sister, Sister, South Central, Rolanda   36.    Economic Scene   37.    Income = 37k (Previously 31K)   38.    House = 119K (113)   39.    Car = 12.5k (12.7)   40.    Rent = 533 (532)   41.    Harvard = 24.9k (23.5)   42.    Movie = 4 (4.14)   43.    Gas = 1.09 (1.16)   44.    Stamp .29 (Same)   45.    Social Scene: OJ Simpson   46.    O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in Putrero Hill, California, in the family of Eunice and Jimmy Lee Simpson. His father was a chef and bank custodian and his mother were a hospital administrator. Soon after his birth he developed rickets and had to wear braces on his legs till he was five. In 1952, his father left the family when he was still very young, and his mother had to take responsibility of raising the four children. He joined the ‘Persian Warriors’, a street gang in his early teens and was confined at the ‘San Francisco Youth Guidance Center’ for a short while. He played football for his team the ‘Galileo Lions’ at the ‘Galileo High School’ (now known as ‘Galileo Academy of Science and Technology’) in San Francisco.   47.    List of the most familiar faces that played pivotal roles in the trial.   48.    Marcia Clark (Prosecution / Ice Queen): An ace trial lawyer for the L.A. District Attorney's office, Clark spent years in the Special Trials Unit, which involved some of the most complex investigations, before becoming the lead prosecutor of the Simpson murder trial. Described as cold and calculating, Clark turned off many black female jurors who viewed her courtroom style as harsh and aggressive. After losing the Simpson case, Clark resigned from the L.A. District Attorney's office.   49.    Christopher Darden (Prosecution / Uncle Tom / Token): Despite being a co-prosecuting attorney with Clark, Darden had limited trial experience. Still, as a black man amid a majority black jury, his participation was important so as to dismiss the notion that the otherwise all-white prosecution had racist motivations against Simpson. Although Darden floundered at the start of the trial and was purportedly intimidated by Cochran, he gained momentum as events progressed. However, he made a consequential mistake when he demanded that Simpson try on the infamous bloody gloves, which ended up being too small for the accused's hands. The loss of the Simpson trial devastated Darden, who was known for his short fuse, and he took a leave of absence.   50.    Robert Shapiro (Defense / Publicity Hound): A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Shapiro knew how to make a deal without going to trial and was a master at manipulating the media in order to garner sympathy for his famous clients. In fact, he was praised as the "Defense Counsel of the Year" in 1994, which even Judge Ito applauded. But when he began representing Simpson, Shapiro found himself jostling to keep his leadership role as other attorneys on his team were chomping at the bit to outshine him. Reportedly, co-defense lawyer F. Lee Bailey leaked stories to the press about Shapiro's ego, one of many indications there was infighting within the group. However, the blow that removed Shapiro from his lead status was when Cochran won Simpson's favor by visiting him in jail — something Shapiro preferred not to do with any of his clients. Once Cochran took over as lead counsel, Shapiro was vocally critical and attempted to distance himself from his team's chosen strategies. He would later tell Barba ra Walters that "not only did we play the race card, we dealt it from the bottom of the deck."   51.    Johnnie Cochran (Defense / Master Manipulator): Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team. Once Cochran gained control of Simpson's defense strategy and pushed Shapiro to the side, he wooed the courtroom and media. Using his "black preacher" style approach, he controversially used the race card to curry sympathy for Simpson. After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." That moment became a turning point of the trial, giving Simpson's defense a huge advantage.   52.    Lance Ito (Judge / Wanna Be): Before Lance Ito was appointed to the bench in 1989, he was an attorney for the L.A. district and at one point, worked under Cochran. A fan of media attention, Ito was arguably too lax about different aspects of the Simpson trial, giving interviews and inviting celebrities and journalists into his chambers. Judge Ito was further criticized on his decision to allow cameras in the courtroom and letting attorneys stall and have too many sidebars. His willingness to include Detective Mark Fuhrman's old taped interviews, in which he denigrated black people, was also a huge source of contention for the prosecution. In a strange twist, the tapes also revealed Fuhrman had made disparaging remarks about Ito's wife, Margaret York, who was Fuhrman's department superior at the time. When those comments were exposed, the prosecution asked for Ito to recuse himself due to his possible bias against Fuhrman, but later the request was withdrawn.   53.    Mark Fuhrman (Detective & Witness / Racists): Among the most controversial figures of the Simpson trial was L.A. homicide detective Mark Fuhrman. Responsible for discovering the "bloody glove" at the murder scene, Fuhrman did what the LAPD refused to do to Simpson — he threw the former NFL star in jail. Although Fuhrman denied ever having racist tendencies or using the n-word, a taped interview he had chosen to do 10 years earlier revealed otherwise. In the recording, he was quoted as saying to incarcerated black people: "You do what you're told, understand, n—r?" A wave of backlash hit Fuhrman, but he continued denying being a racist and also pushed back against the defense's theory that he planted the bloody glove to frame Simpson.   54.    Dennis Fung (Criminologist & Witness / Dunce): As the prosecution's witness, Dennis Fung — the LAPD criminologist who collected evidence at the murder scene — ended up spending the longest time testifying on the stand. For nine days, Fung recalled how he collected samples of blood, albeit admittedly overlooking some important areas where blood drops were identified and not always using gloves. The defense ate up Fung's inefficient and careless actions and implicated him as a liar who was part of a larger LAPD conspiracy against Simpson.   55.    Kato Kaelin (Witness / ???, Comedy Relief): Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). Due to Kaelin's shiftiness on the stand, prosecutor Clark turned against him and treated him as a hostile witness. Regardless, Kaelin — with his thick tufts of blond hair and surfer dude ways — gained considerable popularity in the media as a likable and comedic character of the trial.   56.    Allan Park (Witness / Voice of Reason): As the limousine driver who was hired to drive Simpson to the airport for his evening flight to Chicago, Allan Park was a vital witness to the prosecution. Competent and composed, Park helped bolster the idea that Simpson may not have been at the Rockingham mansion when the double homicide occurred. Still, the jury did not give much weight to his testimony, asking for his transcript only hours before deliberation. Reportedly, one juror wholly dismissed Park's testimony because he was unable to recall the number of cars parked at the Rockingham mansion. Upon hearing this, Park was shocked his testimony was so casually disregarded.   57.    Open Floor:   58.    Question: What did you want to happen?   59.    Music Scene: Black songs from the Top 40   60.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   61.    #5 "Hero", Mariah Carey   62.    #7 "Breathe Again", Toni Braxton   63.    #11 "Bump n' Grind", R. Kelly   64.    #12 "Again", Janet Jackson   65.    #14 "Whatta Man", Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue   66.    #16 "Without You" / "Never Forget You", Mariah Carey   67.    #17 "You Mean the World to Me", Toni Braxton   68.    #19 "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", Prince   69.    #20 "Fantastic Voyage", Coolio   70.    #22 "Regulate", Warren G featuring Nate Dogg   71.    #23 "If You Go", Jon Secada   72.    #24 "Back & Forth", Aaliyah   73.    #26 "When Can I See You", Babyface   74.    #29 "Shoop", Salt-n-Pepa   75.    #30 "Any Time, Any Place", Janet Jackson   76.    #31 "Shine", Collective Soul   77.    #36 "Can We Talk", Tevin Campbell   78.    #37 "Funkdafied", Da Brat   79.    #39 "Gangsta Lean", DRS   80.    Vote   81.    Top RnB Albums   82.    Jan - Doggystyle    , Snoop Doggy Dogg   83.    Jan - Diary of a Mad Band, Jodeci   84.    Feb - 12 Play, R. Kelly   85.    Apr - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   86.    Jun - Nuttin' But Love, Heavy D & the Boyz   87.    Jun - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   88.    Jun - Regulate...G Funk Era, Warren G   89.    Jul - Get Up on It, Keith Sweat   90.    Jul – Funkdafied, Da Brat   91.    Aug - We Come Strapped, MC Eiht featuring Compton's Most Wanted   92.    Sep - Changing Faces, Changing Faces   93.    Sep – II, Boyz II Men   94.    Oct - Rhythm of Love, Anita Baker   95.    Oct - Jason's Lyric, Soundtrack/Various artists   96.    Nov - Murder Was the Case, Soundtrack/Various artists   97.    Nov - The Icon Is Love, Barry White   98.    Dec – Tical, Method Man   99.    Dec - Dare Iz a Darkside, Redman   100.    Dec - My Life, Mary J. Blige   101.    Dec - Miracles: The Holiday Album, Kenny G   102.    Vote:   103.    Music Scene: R. Kelly and Aaliyah   104.    R. Kelly is an American singer-songwriter, often referred to as the King of R&B.   105.    Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly to his fans, is an American singer. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the United States and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. A multi-faceted personality, Kelly is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and former semi-professional basketball player.   106.    R. Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He and his three siblings were raised by their mother Joanne in the Baptist church, where she served as the lead singer of the choir.   107.    The family lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Kelly started singing as part of the church choir when he was eight.   108.    He had a very difficult childhood as he was often sexually abused by a woman. In his 2012 autobiography ‘Soulacoaster,’ he had penned down his experience and the reason why he never told about his ordeal to anyone. When he was 11, he was shot in the shoulder while riding his bike home.   109.    He had an untreated learning disability, which made it difficult for him to read and write. Eventually, he had to drop out of high school.   110.    He studied at the ‘Kenwood Academy’ in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. He was an athletic young boy and played basketball for his high school team. However, his music teacher Lena McLin, who had recognized his musical talent, advised him to leave the sport and focus on music.   111.    He was very close to his mother, who took him to church and clubs where she performed. She died of cancer in 1993.   112.    Kelly gained recognition in 1989 when he, along with Marc McWilliams, Shawn Brooks, and Vincent Walker, participated in the TV show ‘Big Break,’ where he went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.   113.    As a youngster, he formed the group ‘MGM’ (Musically Gifted Men) along with his friends Marc McWilliams, Vincent Walker, and Shawn Brooks. In 1990, ‘MGM’ recorded and released their first single, ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ and disbanded shortly after.   114.    In 1992, Kelly released his debut album ‘Born into the 90’s’ along with a musical group named ‘Public Announcement.’ The album produced several hit songs and was eventually certified platinum   115.    Kelly's first solo album, ‘12 Play,’ was released in November 1993.   116.    R. Kelly, 27, achieves mainstream success when his single “Bump n’ Grind”, released in January of 1994, hits number one on the Billboard 100. A month later, his protégé Aliyah releases her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, which was almost entirely written and produced by him.   117.    His self-titled album ‘R. Kelly’ was out in 1995. Featuring introspective lyrics and foot-tapping music, this album became a huge hit and spawned three number one singles – ‘You Remind Me of Something,’ ‘Down Low (Nobody Has to Know),’ and ‘I Can't Sleep (Baby If I).   118.    Aaliyah Biography: Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane and Michael Haughton. She had one brother whom she was very close to. She was very family oriented and had close relations with her parents and grandmother. She was of African American descent.   119.    Her mother was a vocalist and young Aaliyah began singing when she was a child, performing at weddings, charity events, and for church choir. Her uncle Barry Hankerson was married to recording artist Gladys Knight who played a major role in introducing Aaliyah to the show business.   120.    She attended a Catholic school named ‘Gesu Elementary,’ where she was cast to play a role in a stage play titled ‘Annie.’   121.    With support from Gladys, Aaliyah auditioned for commercials and television programs, and also for several record labels. She started appearing in concerts alongside Gladys when she was 11.   122.    Aaliyah signed with ‘Jive Records’ and her Uncle Barry Hankerson's ‘Blackground Records’ when she was just 12. Her debut album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number,’ which was recorded when the singer was just 14, was released in 1994.   123.    In its very first week, the album sold almost 74, 000 copies. Soon, it reached from 24th to the 18th position in ‘Billboard 200,’ eventually selling over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   124.    The tremendous success of the album catapulted Aaliyah to international stardom. During this time, rumors of her illegal marriage with her mentor and recording artist and producer R. Kelly began circulating.   125.    In order to silence the rumors, Aaliyah left ‘Jive Records’ and signed a contract with ‘Atlantic Records,’ under which she released her second album ‘One in a Million’ in 1996. This album was also a major success. It peaked at No. 18 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ and sold over 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. It was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   126.    Aaliyah, along with her crew, flew to the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, to shoot the music video of the song, ‘Rock the Boat.’ Completing the shoot early, the crew decided to return to Florida instead of waiting for the next day as per schedule. For their return, they boarded a small private airplane.   127.    The plane was smaller than the one the crew had arrived in. However, the whole party and the equipment were accommodated on board, overloading the plane with a surplus of 320 kg and one excess passenger. The plane crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board.   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Controversies   130.    Illegal marriage: According to Vibe and the Chicago Sun-Times, 27-year-old Kelly and 15-year-old protégée Aaliyah were illegally married in a secret ceremony on August 31, 1994, in Cook County.[126][127] Upon meeting Kelly and prior to the nuptials, Aaliyah admitted she had falsely stated she was 18. In a 2008 interview, Kelly's tour manager, Demetrius Smith, said that he facilitated the wedding by obtaining falsified identification for Aaliyah which listed her as 18 years of age.   131.    He married Andrea, his former backup dancer, in 1996. The couple has three children. They divorced in 2009 after almost 13 years of marriage.   132.    1998, Kelly paid Tiffany Hawkins $250,000 after she claimed Kelly had induced her to have group sex with other teenage girls when she was 15 years old.   133.    2001: Sued by intern: Tracy Sampson sues R. Kelly, accusing him of inducing her "into an indecent sexual relationship" when she was 17 years old. The woman, a former intern at Epic Records, claimed she was "treated as his personal sex object and cast aside".  "He often tried to control every aspect of my life including who I would see and where I would go," she said in her legal case against him. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, said the New York Post.   134.    2002: Two more court cases - Kelly is sued for a third time by Patrice Jones, a Chicago woman who claims he impregnated her when she was underage, and that she was forced to have an abortion. A woman named Montina Woods  also sued Kelly, alleging that he videotaped them having sex without her knowledge. The recording was allegedly circulated on an R Kelly "sex tape" sold by bootleggers under the title R. Kelly Triple-X. The star settled both cases out of court, paying an undisclosed sum in return for a non-disclosure agreement.   135.    2017, Kelly was accused of forcing girls to stay in an ‘abusive cult.’   136.    2018, the ‘Women of Color’ branch of the ‘Time's Up’ movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music and performances over the many allegations against him. The boycott was accompanied by a social media campaign called ‘Mute R. Kelly.’   137.    2019, Kelly was taken back to the ‘Cook County Jail’ after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who didn't want to be identified, paid off the child support.   138.    2019, Lifetime began airing a six-part documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly”, detailing sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against Kelly.   139.    Question: Why do we treat R Kelly different than Michael?   140.    Movie Scene: Sam Jack Mutha F@#A   141.    Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was raised by his mother Elizabeth Jackson as his father lived away from the family and later passed away from alcoholism. He met his father only twice during his life.   142.    He studied at a number of segregated schools and graduated from ‘Riverside High School’ in Chattanooga. During his time at school, he played the French horn and the trumpet in the school orchestra. He suffered from stuttering when he was a child.   143.    He initially dreamt of pursuing a degree in marine biology at ‘Morehouse College’ in Atlanta, but soon switched degrees after he discovered the actor in him. He graduated from the institute in 1972 and at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, ‘Just Us Theatre.’   144.    After appearing in several plays, including ‘The Opera’ and ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ he made his motion picture debut in the blaxploitation film ‘Together for Days’ in 1972. Four years later, he appeared in the television series ‘i’ On.’   145.    He moved to New York City and spent the next several years appearing in stage plays, such as ‘The Piano Lesson’ and ‘Two Trains Running.’ In 1977, he appeared in the film ‘The Displaced Person.’   146.    It is believed that in his early years he was mentored by Morgan Freeman. Later on, in his career, he started doing noticeable roles in films like ‘School Daze’ and ‘Do the Right Thing,’ which released in 1988 and 1989, respectively.   147.    In 1990, he appeared in ‘Goodfellas’ in a minor role and then worked as a substitute on ‘The Cosby Show’ for the next three years.   148.    From 1990 to 1993, he worked in films like ‘Def by Temptation,’ ‘The Return of Superfly,’ ‘Strictly Business,’ ‘Jungle Fever,’ ‘Patriot Games,’ ‘True Romance,’ ‘Amos & Andrew,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ and ‘Loaded Weapon 1.’   149.    In 1994, he played the critically acclaimed role of Jules Winnfield in the hit film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ Jackson became a world icon after the release and subsequent success of the movie. It was later revealed that director Quentin Tarantino specifically wanted him for the role.   150.    Open Comments:   151.    Question: Is Sam better than Denzel?   152.    TV Scene: The Death of Black TV   153.    Cancelled in 1994: Jan - The Les Brown Show, Feb – Thea, The Sinbad Show, May – Roc, In Living Color, and The Arsenio Hall Show   154.    Article #1: A TELEVISION TREND: AUDIENCES IN BLACK AND WHITE by Paul Farhi November 29, 1994   155.    All across the country tonight, millions of households will tune to ABC's "Home Improvement." In a typical week, the situation comedy about the host of a household fix-it show is the most-watched program on the air. Yet one group of viewers is decidedly sparse among the masses of "Home Improvement" fans. In African American households, the program barely makes the top 30. Other big network hits are even less popular: "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" don't even crack the top 90 …The top show for black audiences this season: "Living Single," a Fox sitcom that ranks 69th among all audiences.”   156.    Article #2: Let’s rewind a bit. In the mid-'80s, when there wasn't a whole lot of programming aimed specifically at black folks, black and white viewers watched mostly the same shows — 15 of the top 20 most-watched shows for black audiences in the 1985-96 season were also in white viewers' top 20. But by the next decade, everything had changed. While the then-Big Three had a handful of shows with black casts in the mid-1990s like Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it was the upstart networks like Fox and later UPN and the WB (Both launched in Jan 1995)  that seriously doubled down on black viewers in a bid to become commercially viable as quickly as possible. The result was a kind of alternate TV universe where you could find black folks on-screen seemingly every night of the week — In Living Color; Roc; Sister, Sister; Moesha; In The House; The Jamie Foxx Show; Malcolm & Eddie. (Alas, Latinos and Asian-American folks were then, as now, mostly absent from lead roles on network TV, even on th e smaller "netlets.")   157.    Lots of these shows had big, devoted black followings. While huge swaths of America yearned for Ross and Rachel to get together, my high school classmates and I geeked over the fact that an episode of Fox's New York Undercover played "Flava In Ya Ear" over the cold open… Fox's 1994-95 Thursday night lineup — Martin at 8 p.m., Living Single at 8:30 and New York Undercover at 9 — were the three highest-rated shows among black TV viewers that season. But among white viewers, none of those three shows even cracked the top 100. By the end of the 1990s, Fox switched its focus from black audiences to go after young male viewers, a demographic that they felt was more desirable to advertisers.”   158.    By 2008, the viewing habits of black viewers and white viewers were converging once more. With few "black shows" on broadcast TV, everyone was watching American Idol, Dancing With the Stars or CSI. Black folks who wanted to watch black folks on TV had to go to cable, and so they did. - https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/01/395777889/this-isnt-the-first-time-network-tv-discovered-black-people   159.    Question: Do we need “Black” TV?   160.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1994?

Topics: OJ Simpson, R. Kelly & Aaliyah, Samuel Jackson, Black TV Cancellation (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound) http://afropopremix.com   Snapshots   1.    Bill Clinton is President   2.    Jan - In Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the right leg by an assailant, under orders from figure skating rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband. Tonya later pleads guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution for trying to cover-up the attack, is fined $100,000, and banned from the sport.   3.    Jan - During a segment on NBC's Today, host Bryant Gumbel asks, "What is the internet, anyway?"   4.    Feb - During the opening monologue on Saturday Night Live, guest host Martin Lawrence makes sexually explicit jokes about female genitalia and feminine hygiene, which results in NBC banning him from appearing on the network (for the next year) and SNL (for life). In repeats of the episode, the offending section of the monologue is replaced by a title card read by an off-screen player (writer Jim Downey), saying that although SNL is neutral about the issues mentioned by Lawrence, network policy prevents his remarks from being re-broadcast, and that the incident almost cost the entire cast of SNL their jobs.   5.    Apr - Kurt Cobain, songwriter and frontman for the band Nirvana, is found dead at his Lake Washington home. He is believed to have committed suicide three days before he was found.   6.    Jun - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside the Simpson home in Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings but is held liable in a civil suit.   7.    Nov - Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that he has Alzheimer's disease.   8.    Nov - WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides the world's first internet radio broadcast, aka live streaming.   9.    Nov - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot five times and robbed after entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan.   10.    Sep - The pilot episode for Friends airs on NBC.   11.    Open Comments   12.    Top 3 Pop Songs   13.    #1 "The Sign", Ace of Base   14.    #2 "I Swear", All-4-One   15.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   16.    Record of the Year: Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"   17.    Album of the Year: Tony Bennett for MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett   18.    Song of the Year: Bruce Springsteen for "Streets of Philadelphia"   19.    Best New Artist: Sheryl Crow   20.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Toni Braxton for "Breathe Again"   21.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Babyface for "When Can I See You"   22.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "I'll Make Love to You"   23.    Best R&B Album: Boyz II Men for II   24.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "U.N.I.T.Y." – Queen Latifah   25.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "None of Your Business" – Salt-N-Pepa   26.    Top 3 Movies   27.    #1 The Lion King   28.    #2 Forrest Gump   29.    #3 True Lies   30.    Notables: House party 3, Blue Chips, Sugar Hill, Above The Rim, The Ink Well, Crooklyn, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Speed, Forrest Gump, True Lies, The Shawshank Redemption, Jason's Lyric, Pulp Fiction, Dumb and Dumber   31.    Top # TV Shows   32.    #1 Seinfeld   33.    #2 ER   34.    #3 Home Improvement   35.    Debuts - Sister, Sister, South Central, Rolanda   36.    Economic Scene   37.    Income = 37k (Previously 31K)   38.    House = 119K (113)   39.    Car = 12.5k (12.7)   40.    Rent = 533 (532)   41.    Harvard = 24.9k (23.5)   42.    Movie = 4 (4.14)   43.    Gas = 1.09 (1.16)   44.    Stamp .29 (Same)   45.    Social Scene: OJ Simpson   46.    O.J. Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in Putrero Hill, California, in the family of Eunice and Jimmy Lee Simpson. His father was a chef and bank custodian and his mother were a hospital administrator. Soon after his birth he developed rickets and had to wear braces on his legs till he was five. In 1952, his father left the family when he was still very young, and his mother had to take responsibility of raising the four children. He joined the ‘Persian Warriors’, a street gang in his early teens and was confined at the ‘San Francisco Youth Guidance Center’ for a short while. He played football for his team the ‘Galileo Lions’ at the ‘Galileo High School’ (now known as ‘Galileo Academy of Science and Technology’) in San Francisco.   47.    List of the most familiar faces that played pivotal roles in the trial.   48.    Marcia Clark (Prosecution / Ice Queen): An ace trial lawyer for the L.A. District Attorney's office, Clark spent years in the Special Trials Unit, which involved some of the most complex investigations, before becoming the lead prosecutor of the Simpson murder trial. Described as cold and calculating, Clark turned off many black female jurors who viewed her courtroom style as harsh and aggressive. After losing the Simpson case, Clark resigned from the L.A. District Attorney's office.   49.    Christopher Darden (Prosecution / Uncle Tom / Token): Despite being a co-prosecuting attorney with Clark, Darden had limited trial experience. Still, as a black man amid a majority black jury, his participation was important so as to dismiss the notion that the otherwise all-white prosecution had racist motivations against Simpson. Although Darden floundered at the start of the trial and was purportedly intimidated by Cochran, he gained momentum as events progressed. However, he made a consequential mistake when he demanded that Simpson try on the infamous bloody gloves, which ended up being too small for the accused's hands. The loss of the Simpson trial devastated Darden, who was known for his short fuse, and he took a leave of absence.   50.    Robert Shapiro (Defense / Publicity Hound): A lover of the spotlight, lead defense counsel Shapiro knew how to make a deal without going to trial and was a master at manipulating the media in order to garner sympathy for his famous clients. In fact, he was praised as the "Defense Counsel of the Year" in 1994, which even Judge Ito applauded. But when he began representing Simpson, Shapiro found himself jostling to keep his leadership role as other attorneys on his team were chomping at the bit to outshine him. Reportedly, co-defense lawyer F. Lee Bailey leaked stories to the press about Shapiro's ego, one of many indications there was infighting within the group. However, the blow that removed Shapiro from his lead status was when Cochran won Simpson's favor by visiting him in jail — something Shapiro preferred not to do with any of his clients. Once Cochran took over as lead counsel, Shapiro was vocally critical and attempted to distance himself from his team's chosen strategies. He would later tell Barba ra Walters that "not only did we play the race card, we dealt it from the bottom of the deck."   51.    Johnnie Cochran (Defense / Master Manipulator): Having moved up the legal ranks in L.A.'s criminal division, Cochran went on to represent some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. In 1994, he was considered one of the best trial lawyers in the nation, and it was Simpson himself who asked Shapiro to bring Cochran onto the team. Once Cochran gained control of Simpson's defense strategy and pushed Shapiro to the side, he wooed the courtroom and media. Using his "black preacher" style approach, he controversially used the race card to curry sympathy for Simpson. After prosecutor Darden made the mistake of demanding Simpson try on the ill-fitted bloody gloves, Cochran uttered the famous phrase: "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." That moment became a turning point of the trial, giving Simpson's defense a huge advantage.   52.    Lance Ito (Judge / Wanna Be): Before Lance Ito was appointed to the bench in 1989, he was an attorney for the L.A. district and at one point, worked under Cochran. A fan of media attention, Ito was arguably too lax about different aspects of the Simpson trial, giving interviews and inviting celebrities and journalists into his chambers. Judge Ito was further criticized on his decision to allow cameras in the courtroom and letting attorneys stall and have too many sidebars. His willingness to include Detective Mark Fuhrman's old taped interviews, in which he denigrated black people, was also a huge source of contention for the prosecution. In a strange twist, the tapes also revealed Fuhrman had made disparaging remarks about Ito's wife, Margaret York, who was Fuhrman's department superior at the time. When those comments were exposed, the prosecution asked for Ito to recuse himself due to his possible bias against Fuhrman, but later the request was withdrawn.   53.    Mark Fuhrman (Detective & Witness / Racists): Among the most controversial figures of the Simpson trial was L.A. homicide detective Mark Fuhrman. Responsible for discovering the "bloody glove" at the murder scene, Fuhrman did what the LAPD refused to do to Simpson — he threw the former NFL star in jail. Although Fuhrman denied ever having racist tendencies or using the n-word, a taped interview he had chosen to do 10 years earlier revealed otherwise. In the recording, he was quoted as saying to incarcerated black people: "You do what you're told, understand, n—r?" A wave of backlash hit Fuhrman, but he continued denying being a racist and also pushed back against the defense's theory that he planted the bloody glove to frame Simpson.   54.    Dennis Fung (Criminologist & Witness / Dunce): As the prosecution's witness, Dennis Fung — the LAPD criminologist who collected evidence at the murder scene — ended up spending the longest time testifying on the stand. For nine days, Fung recalled how he collected samples of blood, albeit admittedly overlooking some important areas where blood drops were identified and not always using gloves. The defense ate up Fung's inefficient and careless actions and implicated him as a liar who was part of a larger LAPD conspiracy against Simpson.   55.    Kato Kaelin (Witness / ???, Comedy Relief): Aspiring actor and houseguest of Simpson, Brian "Kato" Kaelin was a star witness for the prosecution. Present at Simpson's Rockingham mansion at the time of the murders, Kaelin claimed that he ate dinner with Simpson that night but could not account for the star athlete's whereabouts between the hours of 9:36 p.m. and 11 p.m. (the prosecution theorized that Simpson murdered his ex-wife and Goldman between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). Due to Kaelin's shiftiness on the stand, prosecutor Clark turned against him and treated him as a hostile witness. Regardless, Kaelin — with his thick tufts of blond hair and surfer dude ways — gained considerable popularity in the media as a likable and comedic character of the trial.   56.    Allan Park (Witness / Voice of Reason): As the limousine driver who was hired to drive Simpson to the airport for his evening flight to Chicago, Allan Park was a vital witness to the prosecution. Competent and composed, Park helped bolster the idea that Simpson may not have been at the Rockingham mansion when the double homicide occurred. Still, the jury did not give much weight to his testimony, asking for his transcript only hours before deliberation. Reportedly, one juror wholly dismissed Park's testimony because he was unable to recall the number of cars parked at the Rockingham mansion. Upon hearing this, Park was shocked his testimony was so casually disregarded.   57.    Open Floor:   58.    Question: What did you want to happen?   59.    Music Scene: Black songs from the Top 40   60.    #3 "I'll Make Love to You", Boyz II Men   61.    #5 "Hero", Mariah Carey   62.    #7 "Breathe Again", Toni Braxton   63.    #11 "Bump n' Grind", R. Kelly   64.    #12 "Again", Janet Jackson   65.    #14 "Whatta Man", Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue   66.    #16 "Without You" / "Never Forget You", Mariah Carey   67.    #17 "You Mean the World to Me", Toni Braxton   68.    #19 "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", Prince   69.    #20 "Fantastic Voyage", Coolio   70.    #22 "Regulate", Warren G featuring Nate Dogg   71.    #23 "If You Go", Jon Secada   72.    #24 "Back & Forth", Aaliyah   73.    #26 "When Can I See You", Babyface   74.    #29 "Shoop", Salt-n-Pepa   75.    #30 "Any Time, Any Place", Janet Jackson   76.    #31 "Shine", Collective Soul   77.    #36 "Can We Talk", Tevin Campbell   78.    #37 "Funkdafied", Da Brat   79.    #39 "Gangsta Lean", DRS   80.    Vote   81.    Top RnB Albums   82.    Jan - Doggystyle    , Snoop Doggy Dogg   83.    Jan - Diary of a Mad Band, Jodeci   84.    Feb - 12 Play, R. Kelly   85.    Apr - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   86.    Jun - Nuttin' But Love, Heavy D & the Boyz   87.    Jun - Above the Rim, Soundtrack/Various artists   88.    Jun - Regulate...G Funk Era, Warren G   89.    Jul - Get Up on It, Keith Sweat   90.    Jul – Funkdafied, Da Brat   91.    Aug - We Come Strapped, MC Eiht featuring Compton's Most Wanted   92.    Sep - Changing Faces, Changing Faces   93.    Sep – II, Boyz II Men   94.    Oct - Rhythm of Love, Anita Baker   95.    Oct - Jason's Lyric, Soundtrack/Various artists   96.    Nov - Murder Was the Case, Soundtrack/Various artists   97.    Nov - The Icon Is Love, Barry White   98.    Dec – Tical, Method Man   99.    Dec - Dare Iz a Darkside, Redman   100.    Dec - My Life, Mary J. Blige   101.    Dec - Miracles: The Holiday Album, Kenny G   102.    Vote:   103.    Music Scene: R. Kelly and Aaliyah   104.    R. Kelly is an American singer-songwriter, often referred to as the King of R&B.   105.    Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly to his fans, is an American singer. He is one of the best-selling music artists in the United States and the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s. A multi-faceted personality, Kelly is a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and former semi-professional basketball player.   106.    R. Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He and his three siblings were raised by their mother Joanne in the Baptist church, where she served as the lead singer of the choir.   107.    The family lived in poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Kelly started singing as part of the church choir when he was eight.   108.    He had a very difficult childhood as he was often sexually abused by a woman. In his 2012 autobiography ‘Soulacoaster,’ he had penned down his experience and the reason why he never told about his ordeal to anyone. When he was 11, he was shot in the shoulder while riding his bike home.   109.    He had an untreated learning disability, which made it difficult for him to read and write. Eventually, he had to drop out of high school.   110.    He studied at the ‘Kenwood Academy’ in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. He was an athletic young boy and played basketball for his high school team. However, his music teacher Lena McLin, who had recognized his musical talent, advised him to leave the sport and focus on music.   111.    He was very close to his mother, who took him to church and clubs where she performed. She died of cancer in 1993.   112.    Kelly gained recognition in 1989 when he, along with Marc McWilliams, Shawn Brooks, and Vincent Walker, participated in the TV show ‘Big Break,’ where he went on to win the $100,000 grand prize.   113.    As a youngster, he formed the group ‘MGM’ (Musically Gifted Men) along with his friends Marc McWilliams, Vincent Walker, and Shawn Brooks. In 1990, ‘MGM’ recorded and released their first single, ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ and disbanded shortly after.   114.    In 1992, Kelly released his debut album ‘Born into the 90’s’ along with a musical group named ‘Public Announcement.’ The album produced several hit songs and was eventually certified platinum   115.    Kelly's first solo album, ‘12 Play,’ was released in November 1993.   116.    R. Kelly, 27, achieves mainstream success when his single “Bump n’ Grind”, released in January of 1994, hits number one on the Billboard 100. A month later, his protégé Aliyah releases her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, which was almost entirely written and produced by him.   117.    His self-titled album ‘R. Kelly’ was out in 1995. Featuring introspective lyrics and foot-tapping music, this album became a huge hit and spawned three number one singles – ‘You Remind Me of Something,’ ‘Down Low (Nobody Has to Know),’ and ‘I Can't Sleep (Baby If I).   118.    Aaliyah Biography: Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York, to Diane and Michael Haughton. She had one brother whom she was very close to. She was very family oriented and had close relations with her parents and grandmother. She was of African American descent.   119.    Her mother was a vocalist and young Aaliyah began singing when she was a child, performing at weddings, charity events, and for church choir. Her uncle Barry Hankerson was married to recording artist Gladys Knight who played a major role in introducing Aaliyah to the show business.   120.    She attended a Catholic school named ‘Gesu Elementary,’ where she was cast to play a role in a stage play titled ‘Annie.’   121.    With support from Gladys, Aaliyah auditioned for commercials and television programs, and also for several record labels. She started appearing in concerts alongside Gladys when she was 11.   122.    Aaliyah signed with ‘Jive Records’ and her Uncle Barry Hankerson's ‘Blackground Records’ when she was just 12. Her debut album ‘Age Ain't Nothing but a Number,’ which was recorded when the singer was just 14, was released in 1994.   123.    In its very first week, the album sold almost 74, 000 copies. Soon, it reached from 24th to the 18th position in ‘Billboard 200,’ eventually selling over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   124.    The tremendous success of the album catapulted Aaliyah to international stardom. During this time, rumors of her illegal marriage with her mentor and recording artist and producer R. Kelly began circulating.   125.    In order to silence the rumors, Aaliyah left ‘Jive Records’ and signed a contract with ‘Atlantic Records,’ under which she released her second album ‘One in a Million’ in 1996. This album was also a major success. It peaked at No. 18 on the ‘Billboard 200,’ and sold over 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. It was certified double platinum by the ‘RIAA.’   126.    Aaliyah, along with her crew, flew to the Bahamas on August 25, 2001, to shoot the music video of the song, ‘Rock the Boat.’ Completing the shoot early, the crew decided to return to Florida instead of waiting for the next day as per schedule. For their return, they boarded a small private airplane.   127.    The plane was smaller than the one the crew had arrived in. However, the whole party and the equipment were accommodated on board, overloading the plane with a surplus of 320 kg and one excess passenger. The plane crashed soon after taking off, killing everyone on board.   128.    Open Comments:   129.    Controversies   130.    Illegal marriage: According to Vibe and the Chicago Sun-Times, 27-year-old Kelly and 15-year-old protégée Aaliyah were illegally married in a secret ceremony on August 31, 1994, in Cook County.[126][127] Upon meeting Kelly and prior to the nuptials, Aaliyah admitted she had falsely stated she was 18. In a 2008 interview, Kelly's tour manager, Demetrius Smith, said that he facilitated the wedding by obtaining falsified identification for Aaliyah which listed her as 18 years of age.   131.    He married Andrea, his former backup dancer, in 1996. The couple has three children. They divorced in 2009 after almost 13 years of marriage.   132.    1998, Kelly paid Tiffany Hawkins $250,000 after she claimed Kelly had induced her to have group sex with other teenage girls when she was 15 years old.   133.    2001: Sued by intern: Tracy Sampson sues R. Kelly, accusing him of inducing her "into an indecent sexual relationship" when she was 17 years old. The woman, a former intern at Epic Records, claimed she was "treated as his personal sex object and cast aside".  "He often tried to control every aspect of my life including who I would see and where I would go," she said in her legal case against him. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, said the New York Post.   134.    2002: Two more court cases - Kelly is sued for a third time by Patrice Jones, a Chicago woman who claims he impregnated her when she was underage, and that she was forced to have an abortion. A woman named Montina Woods  also sued Kelly, alleging that he videotaped them having sex without her knowledge. The recording was allegedly circulated on an R Kelly "sex tape" sold by bootleggers under the title R. Kelly Triple-X. The star settled both cases out of court, paying an undisclosed sum in return for a non-disclosure agreement.   135.    2017, Kelly was accused of forcing girls to stay in an ‘abusive cult.’   136.    2018, the ‘Women of Color’ branch of the ‘Time's Up’ movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music and performances over the many allegations against him. The boycott was accompanied by a social media campaign called ‘Mute R. Kelly.’   137.    2019, Kelly was taken back to the ‘Cook County Jail’ after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who didn't want to be identified, paid off the child support.   138.    2019, Lifetime began airing a six-part documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly”, detailing sexual abuse and misconduct allegations against Kelly.   139.    Question: Why do we treat R Kelly different than Michael?   140.    Movie Scene: Sam Jack Mutha F@#A   141.    Samuel Leroy Jackson was born on December 21, 1948, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was raised by his mother Elizabeth Jackson as his father lived away from the family and later passed away from alcoholism. He met his father only twice during his life.   142.    He studied at a number of segregated schools and graduated from ‘Riverside High School’ in Chattanooga. During his time at school, he played the French horn and the trumpet in the school orchestra. He suffered from stuttering when he was a child.   143.    He initially dreamt of pursuing a degree in marine biology at ‘Morehouse College’ in Atlanta, but soon switched degrees after he discovered the actor in him. He graduated from the institute in 1972 and at the same time, co-founded the theatre group, ‘Just Us Theatre.’   144.    After appearing in several plays, including ‘The Opera’ and ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ he made his motion picture debut in the blaxploitation film ‘Together for Days’ in 1972. Four years later, he appeared in the television series ‘i’ On.’   145.    He moved to New York City and spent the next several years appearing in stage plays, such as ‘The Piano Lesson’ and ‘Two Trains Running.’ In 1977, he appeared in the film ‘The Displaced Person.’   146.    It is believed that in his early years he was mentored by Morgan Freeman. Later on, in his career, he started doing noticeable roles in films like ‘School Daze’ and ‘Do the Right Thing,’ which released in 1988 and 1989, respectively.   147.    In 1990, he appeared in ‘Goodfellas’ in a minor role and then worked as a substitute on ‘The Cosby Show’ for the next three years.   148.    From 1990 to 1993, he worked in films like ‘Def by Temptation,’ ‘The Return of Superfly,’ ‘Strictly Business,’ ‘Jungle Fever,’ ‘Patriot Games,’ ‘True Romance,’ ‘Amos & Andrew,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ and ‘Loaded Weapon 1.’   149.    In 1994, he played the critically acclaimed role of Jules Winnfield in the hit film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ Jackson became a world icon after the release and subsequent success of the movie. It was later revealed that director Quentin Tarantino specifically wanted him for the role.   150.    Open Comments:   151.    Question: Is Sam better than Denzel?   152.    TV Scene: The Death of Black TV   153.    Cancelled in 1994: Jan - The Les Brown Show, Feb – Thea, The Sinbad Show, May – Roc, In Living Color, and The Arsenio Hall Show   154.    Article #1: A TELEVISION TREND: AUDIENCES IN BLACK AND WHITE by Paul Farhi November 29, 1994   155.    All across the country tonight, millions of households will tune to ABC's "Home Improvement." In a typical week, the situation comedy about the host of a household fix-it show is the most-watched program on the air. Yet one group of viewers is decidedly sparse among the masses of "Home Improvement" fans. In African American households, the program barely makes the top 30. Other big network hits are even less popular: "Seinfeld" and "Frasier" don't even crack the top 90 …The top show for black audiences this season: "Living Single," a Fox sitcom that ranks 69th among all audiences.”   156.    Article #2: Let’s rewind a bit. In the mid-'80s, when there wasn't a whole lot of programming aimed specifically at black folks, black and white viewers watched mostly the same shows — 15 of the top 20 most-watched shows for black audiences in the 1985-96 season were also in white viewers' top 20. But by the next decade, everything had changed. While the then-Big Three had a handful of shows with black casts in the mid-1990s like Family Matters and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it was the upstart networks like Fox and later UPN and the WB (Both launched in Jan 1995)  that seriously doubled down on black viewers in a bid to become commercially viable as quickly as possible. The result was a kind of alternate TV universe where you could find black folks on-screen seemingly every night of the week — In Living Color; Roc; Sister, Sister; Moesha; In The House; The Jamie Foxx Show; Malcolm & Eddie. (Alas, Latinos and Asian-American folks were then, as now, mostly absent from lead roles on network TV, even on th e smaller "netlets.")   157.    Lots of these shows had big, devoted black followings. While huge swaths of America yearned for Ross and Rachel to get together, my high school classmates and I geeked over the fact that an episode of Fox's New York Undercover played "Flava In Ya Ear" over the cold open… Fox's 1994-95 Thursday night lineup — Martin at 8 p.m., Living Single at 8:30 and New York Undercover at 9 — were the three highest-rated shows among black TV viewers that season. But among white viewers, none of those three shows even cracked the top 100. By the end of the 1990s, Fox switched its focus from black audiences to go after young male viewers, a demographic that they felt was more desirable to advertisers.”   158.    By 2008, the viewing habits of black viewers and white viewers were converging once more. With few "black shows" on broadcast TV, everyone was watching American Idol, Dancing With the Stars or CSI. Black folks who wanted to watch black folks on TV had to go to cable, and so they did. - https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/01/395777889/this-isnt-the-first-time-network-tv-discovered-black-people   159.    Question: Do we need “Black” TV?   160.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1994?

Topics: WTC Bombing, Urban Fashion, Dr. Dre, Menace II Society, Living Single (Bonus Artist: Luck) http://afropopremix.com/   https://www.vibe.com/2016/01/1993-the-year-hip-hop-and-rb-conquered-the-world "1993: The Year Hip-Hop And R&B Conquered The World" 1993 was a historically transformative period for hip-hop and rhythm and blues. When VIBE Magazine dropped its iconic black and white debut issue in September of 1993—featuring a ridiculously fresh faced Snoop Doggy Dogg gracing the landmark cover—it was yet another reminder how ubiquitous urban culture had become. 1993: Hip Hop Artist that released albums A Tribe Called Quest / Bone Thugs-n-Harmony / Cypress Hill / De La Soul / Digable Planets / Digital Underground / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince / Eazy-E / Fat Joe / Geto Boys / Heavy D & the Boyz / Ice Cube / Ice-T / Insane Clown Posse / Jodeci / Jungle Brothers / Kid Rock / Kris Kross / KRS-One / LL Cool J / Luke / MC Lyte / Naughty by Nature / Onyx / Queen Latifah / Run-D.M.C. / Salt-n-Pepa / Shaquille O'Neal / Snoop Dogg / Tag Team / The Roots / Too Short / Tupac / Wu-Tang Clan / Yo-Yo Next recording: Sunday June, 28th 2020 Time: Decatur / Tulsa - 12 noon Denver - 11a California - 10a Topics: Social - World Trade Center bombing Social - Urban fashion Music - The Chronic, by Dr. Dre Movies - Menace II Society TV - Living Single 1. 1993 notes 2. Bill Clinton, President 3. Feb – Former tennis player Arthur Ashe, 49, dies of the AIDS virus in New York. Ashe was believed to have contracted the virus from a blood transfusion during a heart surgery ten years earlier. 4. Feb – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over 1,000. 5. Feb – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and five Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins. 6. Mar - ESPN holds the first ever ESPY Awards. 7. Apr – The Kuwaiti government claims to uncover an Iraqi assassination plot against former U.S. President George H. W. Bush shortly after his visit to Kuwait. Two Iraqi nationals confess to driving a car bomb into Kuwait on behalf of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. 8. Apr - Colorado Rockies becomes a baseball team 9. Jun - The final episode of Soul Train with Don Cornelius as host airs. 10. Jul – U.S. President Bill Clinton announces his 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy regarding homosexuals serving in the American military. 11. Sep – PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin shake hands in Washington D.C., after signing a peace accord. 12. Oct – A large scale battle erupts between U.S. forces and local militia in Mogadishu, Somalia; eighteen Americans and over 1,000 Somalis are killed. The assault was planned to include an air and ground phase. As the mission was ongoing, Somali forces shot down two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters using RPG-7s. A desperate defense of the downed helicopters began, which would become dramatized in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down. Fighting lasted through the night to defend the survivors of the crashes, including the insertion of two sniper commandos who would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In the morning, a UNOSOM II armored convoy fought their way to the helicopters, incurring further casualties but eventually rescuing the survivors. 13. Nov – President Clinton signs the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a background check. 14. Open Comments: 15. Top 3 Pop Songs 16. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 17. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 18. #3. "Can't Help Falling in Love" UB40 19. Record of the Year: "I Will Always Love You", Whitney Houston 20. Album of the Year: The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 21. Song of the Year: "A Whole New World" by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle 22. Best New Artist: Toni Braxton 23. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Toni Braxton for "Another Sad Love Song" 24. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Ray Charles for "A Song for You" 25. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Sade for "No Ordinary Love" 26. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson 27. Best Rap Solo Performance: Dr. Dre for "Let Me Ride" 28. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Digable Planets for "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" 29. Top 3 movies 30. #1. Jurassic Park 31. #2. Mrs. Doubtfire 32. #3. The Fugitive 33. Notables: CB4, Groundhog Day, The Crying Game, Falling Down, Indecent Proposal, Who's the Man?, Sleepless in Seattle, Poetic Justice, Carlito's Way, A Bronx Tale 34. Top 3 TV Shows 35. #1. 60 Minutes 36. #2. Home Improvement 37. #3. Seinfeld 38. Debuts: Living Single (Forgot to Mention "Martin" debut for 1992) 39. Economic Snapshots 40. Avg. Income: 31k (30k - previously) 41. New Home: 113k (122.5k) 42. Avg Rent: 532 (519) 43. New Car: 12.7k (16.9k) 44. Harvard: 23.5k (15.4k) 45. Movie Ticket: 4.14 (4.25) 46. Gas: 1.16 1.05 (1.05) 47. Stamp: .29 (.29) 48. Social Scene: WTC Bombing 49. A 1,200-pound bomb in a Ryder rental truck parked in a parking garage beneath the World Trade Center exploded. The explosion created a hole about 6 stories deep. An estimated 50,000 people were evacuated, yet only 6 people died. 50. Ramzi Yousef directed the organization and execution of the bombing. He said he did it to avenge the sufferings Palestinian people had endured at the hands of US-aided Israel. He is the nephew of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed - the accused mastermind of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people and ultimately brought down the World Trade Center. 51. Timeline 52. February 26, 1993 - At 12:18 p.m. ET, a bomb explodes on the second subterranean level of Vista Hotel's public parking garage, below the 2 World Trade Center building. 53. February 28, 1993 - The FBI confirms that a bomb caused the explosion. In the wreckage, federal agents find shattered van parts with a vehicle identification number. 54. March 4, 1993 - Mohammad Salameh is arrested after he claims a refund on a rented van authorities believe carried the explosives. 6 More arrested over next 8 months. 55. March 29, 1993 - The World Trade Center re-opens. 56. August 25, 1993 - Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (The Blind Sheik) an Egyptian cleric who emigrated to the United States, is indicted for involvement for in the terrorist plot. Some of the 1993 bombing suspects frequented the New Jersey mosque where he preached. 57. February 7, 1995 - Suspected WTC bombing mastermind Yousef is captured abroad by the FBI and State Department. 58. October 1995 - Abdel-Rahman is convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. 59. January 8, 1998 - After being convicted, Yousef is sentenced to 240 years in prison for his role in organizing the bombing. "I am a terrorist and proud of it," he tells the court. He has been locked away in solitary confinement at the federal "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, since 1998. 60. February 18, 2017 - Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian-born cleric who inspired terrorist plots including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, passes away in an American prison at the age of 78. 61. Question: What do you remember about this attack and/or the 9/11 attack? 62. Social Scene (2) Urban Wear / Street gear explosion 63. First generation of hip-hop acts dressed like the top RnB acts that influenced them: Classic Motown, Rick James, Michael Jackson, Prince, George Clinton, etc... 64. 1983: Run-DMC set a new standard in hip-hop fashion, choosing casual wear like adidas sneakers and Kangol hats over suits, fancy shoes and other expensive gear. They popularized, the B-Boy look of bucket hats, sneakers, and gold chains. 65. Mid 80's Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, a haberdasher who would import bootlegged fabrics or screen-print logos onto luxury leather, then turn them into one-of-a-kind, street-inflected pieces. His boutique, operated from 1982–92 and is most associated with introducing high fashion (opposite Run-DMC's casual style) to the hip hop world, with high profile clients over the years including Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, & LL Cool J. 66. 1984-1992: Tommy Hilfiger & Polo Ralph Lauren: Between 1984 and 1989, Ralph Lauren was king of the hip-hop culture. When Tommy Hilfiger was released in the early 1990s, both brands battled each other for the hearts of musicians and the attention of hip-hop fans around the world. In 1992, Grand Puba wrote lyrics for the Mary J. Blige’s song “What’s the 411?” and mentioned Hilfiger because that’s what he was repping at the time. Puba said he gave a shout-out to the brand because rap artists recognized “whatever’s fresh, whatever’s dope.” 67. 1990: Founded in 1989, Cross Colours was geared toward young African Americans to help promote pride in their ethnicity. Based on the principle of “clothes without prejudice,” Cross Colours is one of the most iconic brands to embrace hip-hop culture. In 1990, on the first season of the hit primetime television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, lead actor Will Smith wore a series of boldly hued and geometric looks designed by the young Los Angeles–based urban apparel line. African American-owned, founded by Carl Jones and T.J. Walker, the brand quickly skyrocketed. Soon, it was being worn by almost every musical icon of the era. Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Run DMC, Dr. Dre, Lil Kim, Mary J. Blige, members of TLC, television show In Living Color, and Muhammad Ali. 68. 1993: With the mainstream success of hip-hop, street gear/urban wear sales exploded and legitimized "Urban" fashion as a legitimate niche for major retail outlets. 69. Notable brands: Pelle (1978), Karl Kani (1989), Phat Farm (1992), PNB Nation (1992), Fubu (1992), Ecko Unlimited (1993), Mecca (1994), Enyce (1996), Sean John (1998), Rocawear (1999) 70. Question: What old-school gear/style would you still rock today? 71. Music Scene: 72. Black Songs from the top 40 73. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 74. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 75. #4. "That's the Way Love Goes" Janet Jackson 76. #5. "Freak Me" Silk 77. #6. "Weak" SWV 78. #7."If I Ever Fall in Love" Shai 79. #8. "Dreamlover" Mariah Carey 80. #9. "Rump Shaker" Wreckx-n-Effect 81. #10. "Informer" Snow 82. #11. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" Dr. Dre 83. #12. "In the Still of the Nite" Boyz II Men 84. #13. "Don't Walk Away" Jade 85. #14. "Knockin' da Boots" H-Town 86. #15. "Lately" Jodeci 87. #16. "Dazzey Duks" Duice 88. #17. "Show Me Love" Robin S. 89. #18. "A Whole New World" Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle 90. #19. "If" Janet Jackson 91. #20. "I'm So Into You" SWV 92. #21."Love Is" Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight 93. #23. "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" Exposé 94. #24. "Ditty" Paperboy 95. #25. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap! 96. #29. "Right Here" SWV 97. #30. "I Have Nothing" Whitney Houston 98. #31. "Mr. Wendal" Arrested Development 99. #33. "Saving Forever for You" Shanice 100. #35. "If I Had No Loot" Tony! Toni! Toné! 101. #37. "Slam" Onyx 102. #38. "Looking Through Patient Eyes" P.M. Dawn 103. #39. "I'm Every Woman" Whitney Houston 104. #40. "Baby I'm Yours" Shai 105. Vote: 106. Number One RnB Albums 107. Jan The Bodyguard - Soundtrack / Whitney Houston 108. Feb The Chronic - Dr. Dre 109. Mar 19 Naughty III - Naughty by Nature 110. Mar Till Death Do Us Part - Geto Boys 111. Apr Loose Control - Silk 112. Apr 14 Shots to the Dome - LL Cool J 113. May Down with the King - Run-D.M.C. 114. May Fever for Da Flavor - H-Town 115. Jun janet. - Janet Jackson 116. June 26 Menace II Society - Soundtrack / Various artists 117. Aug Black Sunday - Cypress Hill 118. Sep The World Is Yours - Scarface 119. Sep Music Box - Mariah Carey 120. Oct Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton 121. Oct 187, He Wrote - Spice 1 122. Nov It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa - Eazy-E 123. Nov Get in Where You Fit In - Too Short 124. Nov Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest 125. Dec Shock of the Hour - MC Ren 126. Dec Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg 127. Dec Lethal Injection - Ice Cube 128. Vote: 129. Music Scene: The Chronic by Dr. Dre, (@age 28 yrs. old) 130. Bio: Dr Dre (Andre Romelle Young) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Aftermath Entertainment. 131. His initial stint with music was as a DJ in the local club, The Eve After Dark. It was during this time that he took up the moniker Dr Dre that has lived with him all through. In 1984, Dre began his musical career as a member of the musical group, World Class Weckin’ Cru. The group soon dominated the electro-hop scene in the West Coast with their first single, ‘Surgery’ selling more than 50,000 copies within Compton alone. In 1986, he along with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and DJ Yella formed the local gangsta rap group N.W.A. (Niggaz for Life). N.W.A worked on the themes of urban crime and gang lifestyle. Their lyrics were harsh and overt, and brought to mainstream America the slice of ‘real’ life on streets. N.W.A’s debutant studio album, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ met with blockbuster success, selling more than 2 million copies. Its single, ‘Fuck Tha Police’ explored the tension between black youth and police officials. In 1991, the group released its second album, ‘Efil4zaggin’ before disbanding. In 1991, he co-founded Death Row Records with Sue Knight. In 1992, he released his first single, which served as the title track for the film ‘Deep Cover’. The single featured the debut of rapper Snoop Dogg as well. 132. In 1993, Dre made the big leap of his career with his maiden album, ‘The Chronic’. Its singles, ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’, ‘Let Me Ride’, ‘Fuck with Dre Day’ created a revolution in the music industry, making the album a cultural phenomenon. The album with its G-funk sound dominated the hip hop music for the early 1990s.Following success as a rapper, he switched to being a producer. He produced Snoop Dogg’s debut album, ‘Doggystyle’, Tupac Shakur’s work, ‘All Eyez on Me’ and several film songs. 133. In 1996, following contractual dispute, he left Death Row Records for good. Same year, he set up his own label, Aftermath Entertainment in connection with Interscope Records. 134. Audio clip 1 - Review 135. Audio clip 2 - Jimmy Iovine 136. Question: Are you tired of Ganster Rap? If so, when and why? 137. Movie Scene: Menace II Society 138. Audio Clip Trailer 139. Firmly established "Hood" films as commercially viable, just like fashion. 140. Question: which of the following is your favorite "hood" film? 141. Colors, 1988 / King Of New York, 1990 / Boyz N The Hood, 1991 / Juice, 1992 / New Jack City, 1992 / South Central, 1992 / Deep Cover 1992 / Menace II Society, 1993 / Poetic Justice, 1993 / Sugar Hill, 1993 / Strapped, 1993 / CB4*, 1993 142. Soon to come: Fresh (1994) / Above the Rim (1994) / Friday (1995) / Higher Learning (1995) / New Jersey Drive (1995) / Set It Off (1996) / Dead Presidents (1995) / Hoodlum (1997) / The Players Club (1998) / Belly (1998) / In Too Deep (1999) 143. TV Scene: Living Single, starring Queen Latifah (@ 23 yrs. old) 144. Audio clip Theme song 145. Queen Latifah is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, record producer and talk show host 146. Dana Elaine Owens was born on 18th March 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, to Lance and Rita Owens. Her father was in police services. Her parents got divorced when she was eight. She was raised by her mother in Baptist faith. Her mother played a catalyst role in her music career. She had an older brother, Lance Owens, who also worked in police service. He died in a motorbike accident in 1992. This motorbike was presented to him by Latifah. She attended Catholic School in Newark, New Jersey. During her high school days, she was part of girls’ basketball team. She began rapping during high school. She formed her first rap group ‘Ladies Fresh’ when she was in junior year. She met local DJ Mark James. He formed a group named ‘Flavor Unit’ of which Latifah was the original member. James made a demo record of Latifah's rap ‘Princess of the Posse’. This recording caught attention of ‘Tommy Boy Music’ who immediately signed Latifah. In 1988, this music company offered her first single, ‘Wrath of My Madness’. The song got a positive response and she got an opportunity of a European tour and to perform at the ‘Apollo Theater’. In 1989, when she was just 19 years old, Latifah released her first album, ‘All Hail to the Queen’, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies. 147. Queen invested her money in a small video store on the ground floor of her apartment. She elevated this business to turn it into a record production company. In 1991, when she was just 21 years old, she rolled out ‘Flavor Unit Records and Management Company’ in New Jersey in partnership with her old friend Shakim Compere. She became the CEO of this company. In the same year, she also tried her hands at acting. She debuted in inter-racial romance drama ‘Jungle Fever’. In 1992, she appeared in crime thriller ‘Juice’. 148. Soon she grabbed a leading role in the groundbreaking a sitcom ‘Living Single’. 149. By late 1993, her record company signed 17 rap groups. One of these groups, ‘Naughty by nature’, was extraordinarily successful. In the same year, this company released, album ‘Black Reign’. 150. audio clip - Friends vs Living Single 151. Question: Did Friends have any character that was better than Living Single? 152. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1993?

Topics: L.A. Riots, Mary J. Blige, White Men Can't Jump, Def Comdey Jam (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound) 1992 Snapshots 1. President: George H. W. Bush 2. Feb - In Indianapolis, Indiana, boxer Mike Tyson is convicted of raping Desiree Washington. 3. Mar - H. Ross Perot announces that he will run for U.S. President. 4. Apr - Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of the murder of mob boss Paul Castellano and of racketeering, and is later sentenced to life in prison. 5. Apr - Former tennis player Arthur Ashe, 48, announces that he is suffering from the AIDS virus, which he is believed to have contracted from a blood transfusion during heart surgery in 1983. 6. Apr - In Simi Valley, California, a jury acquits four LAPD police officers accused of excessive force in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King, causing the 1992 Los Angeles riots and leading to 53 deaths and $1 billion in damage. 7. May - After 30 years, Johnny Carson retires as host of NBC's The Tonight Show. 8. Jun - During a spelling bee at a Trenton, New Jersey elementary school, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle erroneously corrects a student's spelling of the word potato, indicating it should have an e at the end. 9. Jul - 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain 10. Oct - The video game Mortal Kombat is released. 11. Nov - Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeats incumbent President George H. W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot in the US presidential election. ["It's the economy, stupid"/ "I didn't inhale."] 12. Dec - Hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre releases his solo debut studio album The Chronic. 13. Top 3 Pop Songs 14. #1 - End of the Road", Boyz II Men 15. #2 - "Baby Got Back", Sir Mix-a-Lot 16. #3 - ‘Jump", Kris Kross 17. Record of the Year - Eric Clapton for "Tears in Heaven" 18. Album of the Year - Eric Clapton for Unplugged 19. Song of the Year - Eric Clapton "Tears in Heaven" 20. Best New Artist - Arrested Development 21. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Chaka Khan for The Woman I Am 22. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - Al Jarreau for Heaven and Earth 23. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - Boyz II Men for "End of the 24. Road" 25. Best Rap Solo Performance - Sir Mix-a-Lot for Baby Got Back 26. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Arrested Development for Tennessee 27. #1 - Aladdin 28. #2 - The Bodyguard 29. #3 - Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 30. Notables: Juice, American Me, Basic Instinct, Deep Cover, Sister Act, A league of Their Own, Mo' Money, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Mighty Ducks, Reservoir Dogs, Malcolm X, The Bodyguard, A Few Good Men, Toys, White Men Can't Jump 31. Top 3Tv Shows 32. #1 60 Minutes 33. #2 - Roseanne 34. #3 - Home Improvement 35. Debuts: Hanging with Mr. Cooper and Def Comedy Jam 36. Economic Snapshots 37. Avg. Income: 30k (29.9k - previously) 38. New Home: 122.5 (120k) 39. Avg Rent: 519 (495) 40. New Car: 16.9k (16.8k) 41. Harvard: 15.4 (14.5k) 42. Movie Ticket: 4.25 (4.25) 43. Gas: 1.05 (1.12) 44. Stamp: .29 (.25) 45. Social Scene: LA Riots 46. Audio Clip 47. Open Comments 48. Question: Do riots actually serve a meaningful purpose? What would you tell your kids if 49. they were in a riot? (On either side) 50. Music Scene 51. Top Black Songs from the top 40 52. #1. "End of the Road". Boyz II Men 53. #2. "Baby Got Back". Sir Mix-a-Lot 54. #3. "Jump". Kris Kross 55. #4. "Save the Best for Last". Vanessa Williams 56. #5. "Baby-Baby-Baby". TLC 57. #7. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)". En Vogue 58. #9. "All 4 Love". Color Me Badd 59. #10. "Just Another Day". Jon Secada 60. #11. "I Love Your Smile". Shanice 61. #14. "Black or White". Michael Jackson 62. #16. "I'll Be There". Mariah Carey 63. #19. "Remember the Time". Michael Jackson 64. #20. "Finally". CeCe Peniston 65. #23. "Can't Let Go". Mariah Carey 66. #24. "Jump Around". House of Pain 67. #25. "Diamonds and Pearls". Prince and The New Power Generation 68. #27. "Masterpiece". Atlantic Starr 69. #29. "Giving Him Something He Can Feel". En Vogue 70. #31. "Come and Talk to Me". Jodeci 71. #33. "Humpin' Around". Bobby Brown 72. #35. "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do". Tevin Campbell 73. #36. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg". TLC 74. #37. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday". Boyz II Men 75. #38. "Move This". Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K 76. #40. "Tennessee". Arrested Development 77. #41. "The Best Things in Life Are Free". Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson 78. #42. "Make It Happen". Mariah Carey 79. #44. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss". P.M. Dawn 80. #46. "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hammer 81. #47. "Please Don't Go". KWS 82. #48. "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)". Mint Condition 83. Vote: 84. Top RnB Albums 85. Jan - Dangerous, Michael Jackson 86. Feb - Keep It Comin', Keith Sweat 87. Apr - Private Line, Gerald Levert 88. May - The Comfort Zone, Vanessa Williams 89. May - Funky Divas, En Vogue 90. May - Totally Krossed Out, Kris Kross 91. Jun - Dead Serious, Das EFX 92. Oct - What's the 411?, Mary J. Blige 93. Nov - Bobby, Bobby Brown 94. Dec - The Predator, Ice Cube 95. Vote: 96. Featured Artist: Mary J. Blige 97. Audio: 98. Open Comments 99. Movie Scene: White Men Can't Jump 100. Audio Clip 101. Open Comments 102. Question: Why do Black people LOVE basketball? 103. TV Scene: Def Comedy Jam 104. According to Russel Simmions, In his book "Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money + God" The inspiration for Def COmedey Jam was a club on Crenshaw Blvd in L.A. called the Comedy Act Theater. Robin Harris hosted performances there, and he already had a serious underground buzz, from House PArty and Do the Right Thing. At the same time, everywhere Russell traveled, the "Black Comedy" nights were hot, and Russel was always looking for stuff that was "hot" with his hip-hop customer base. 105. In 1989, he eventually hooked up with Hollywood power player Stan Lathan (Sanford & Son, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Remington Steele ,Cagney & Lacey, Frank's Place, Roc and the 1984 classic feature film Beat Street) and they began creating Def Comedy Jam. 106. The original run of Def Comedy Jam ran from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. In the fall of 2006 it returned to HBO. Many comedians had their careers launched by the huge success of this series! 107. Robin Harris was going to be the original host, but he died in 1990. Eddie Murphy was a big supporter of Martin Lawrence to replace Harris. 108. The show caught major criticism for using excessive foul language and a “supposed” negative representation of African Americans. Bill Cosby and Sidney Potier were major critics. 109. Def Comedy Jam, went on to become the longest running HBO series ever, launched the careers of several A-List comedians today. 110. 1992 Alumni: 111. Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Bill Bellamy, DL Hughley, Adele Givens, Cedric the Entertainer, Dave Chapelle, Eddie Griffin, Joe Torry, Michael Colyar, and Ricky Harris Jr. 112. Open Comments 113. Question: Favorite bit/comedian? 114. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1992?

Questions: 1. Scared yet: CV19 what we know 2. Health: How you be? personally, family, and friends 3. Quarantine life: stir crazy yet? How is technology helping? What’s up with Work/Exercise/Entertainment/Education? 4. Government response: local state federal 5. Future behavior: keep social distancing, hand washing, gloves masks wipes (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)

Topics: Rodney King, Boyz II Men / Jodeci, Boyz In the Hood, Roc - Sitcom (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) 1991 General Snapshots 1.    President: George H. W. Bush 2.    January - Gulf War: The Congress of the United States passes a resolution authorizing the use of military force to liberate Kuwait. 5 days later, Operation Desert Storm begins with airstrikes against Iraq. 3.    January - Whitney Houstondelivers her now legendary rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" 4.    February - Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated". 5.    February - Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler join the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live. 6.    March - An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles, California police officers. 7.    July - Boxer Mike Tyson is arrested and charged with raping Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington in Indianapolis, Indiana. 8.    July - Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested after the remains of eleven men and boys are found in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin apartment. Police soon find out that he is involved in six more murders. 9.    August - Nickelodeon introduces its series of Nicktoons, with Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show the first three to air. 10.    August - The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is first released in the United States. 11.    October - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews both Supreme Court candidate Clarence Thomas and former aide Anita Hill, who alleges that Thomas sexually harassed her while she worked for him. 12.    October - Jennifer Lopez joins the cast as one of the Fly Girls on the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (she would leave the show after the next season). Other cast additions include future Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx. 13.    November - Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson announces that he has HIV, effectively ending his NBA career. 14.    November - Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury dies from AIDS at 45 years old, one day after making his diagnosis public. 15.    December - The Cold War ends as President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev resigns and the Soviet Union dissolves. 16.    Open Comments 17.    Top 3 Pop Songs 18.    #1 - "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", Bryan Adams 19.    #2 - "I Wanna Sex You Up", Color Me Badd 20.    #3 - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", C+C Music Factory 21.    Record of the Year: "Unforgettable" performed by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole 22.    Album of the Year: Unforgettable... with Love performed by Natalie Cole 23.    Song of the Year: "Unforgettable" performed by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole 24.    Best New Artist: Marc Cohn 25.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Lisa Fischer for "How Can I Ease the Pain" & Patti LaBelle for "Burnin'" 26.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Luther Vandross for Power of Love 27.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "Cooleyhighharmony" 28.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Power of Love/Love Power" performed by Luther Vandross 29.    Best Rap Solo Performance: LL Cool J for "Mama Said Knock You Out" 30.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for "Summertime" 31.    Top 3 Movies 32.    #1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day     33.    #2. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 34.    #3. Beauty and the Beast 35.    Notables: The Silence of the Lambs, New Jack City, The Five Heartbeats, A Rage in Harlem, Thelma & Louise, Jungle Fever, Point Break, and House Party 2 36.    Top 3 TV Shows 37.    #1 60 Minutes 38.    #2 Roseanne 39.    #3 Murphy Brown 40.    Mea Culpa: Family Matters originated 9/22/1989 on ABC 41.    Notables: The Party Machine with Nia Peeples, The Jerry Springer Show, The Montel Williams Show, Hammerman, & Roc. 42.    Economic Snapshots 43.    Avg. Income: 29.9k (29K) 44.    New Home: 120k (previously 123K) 45.    Avg Rent: 495 (465) 46.    New Car: 16.8k (16K) 47.    Harvard: 14.5k (13.5k) 48.    Movie Ticket: 4.25 (3.50) 49.    Gas: 1.12 (1.34) 50.    Stamp: .25 (.25) 51.    Social Scene: Police Beating of Rodney King 52.    Early Life: Rodney King (@ 26 yrs. old), born in Sacramento, CA, was an American taxi driver who is best known for the 1991 police beatings and the 1992 riots as a result of the officers’ trial. 53.    Prior Record: In 1987, he pleaded no contest to a charge of battery. In 1989, King was imprisoned for robbery after robbing a store; he served one year of a two-year sentence. 54.    1991 Arrest: Rodney King attempted to outrun a police patrol car in March 1991. King had been drinking and feared he would be over the limit, driving under the influence charge would have seen King return to jail. King refused to pull over for the police and a high-speed chase ensued. Eventually, King was cornered, and he and the other occupants of the car were ordered to leave the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. King refused and was forcibly removed from the car. While on the ground the police beat and abused the three men. The Los Angeles Police Department then arrived on the scene; the original officers on the scene had been highway patrol. Rodney King resisted arrest and was tasered. King was then viciously beaten repeatedly while on the ground by police wielding batons. King continually attempted to stand up only to be met with a further hail of baton blows from the four police officers. King suffered from thirty-three baton blows and six kicks before having his arms and legs cuffed. Eight officers were involved in his arrest. George Halliday, a man who lived near the sight of the arrest, had filmed the arrest from the time that King was tasered. Halliday contacted the LAPD about his videotape, but the police department showed no interest in the footage. Halliday next presented the footage to a local TV station which aired the footage. It caused a sensation across the media. The footage made Rodney King’s arrest a lightning rod for a more comprehensive discussion about police brutality against minorities. 55.    Legal Proceedings: Rodney King had suffered facial fractures, lacerations and a broken ankle from his arrest. The city awarded King damages amounting to 3.8 million dollars as well as covering his legal costs which totaled to close to two million dollars. He was also not charged with drink driving or evading arrest due to the time between the incident and the start of legal proceedings. Four LAPD officers were charged with using excessive force. The legal case against the officers was mired in controversy from the start as the initial judge, Bernard Kamins was removed, and the trial received a change of venue. Warren Christopher also began a commission to investigate accusations of police discrimination. Three of the officers charged were acquitted, and the fourth faced a no verdict. The court’s decision shocked the nation. The mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, and the President of the United States of America, George Bush, both declared they could not understand the verdict and condemned the officers involved. Many African Americans considered the trial a whitewash and were incensed. Following the 1992 Riots, the officers were tried in a federal court, and two were found guilty and sentenced to thirty months in prison. 56.    Rodney King Riots: Following the court's verdict and the release of the officers, widespread civil unrest erupted in North America. The worst of the rioting was confined to LA, but Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta and even Toronto in Canada experienced violence. The 1992 LA Riots became known as the Rodney King Riots due to their link to the court case. King appeared on TV during the riots to appeal for calm. Before the verdict was announced the police, force had been expecting trouble, money for overtime and a delay in the reading of the verdict were granted to give police time to prepare. Rioting started at a liquor store in Normandie. LAPD officers attempted to make an arrest a hostile crowd surrounded them and forced them to retreat. TV coverage of the violence encouraged more people to take to the streets, and the police communications proved wholly inadequate to deal with the spread of the violence. The rioters began destroying property and attacking people going about their business. Over a thousand firearms were looted, and some fires were started as night set in. The riots spread throughout the city and emergency workers came under gunfire as they attempted to tackle the fires and help the wounded. A curfew was declared, and the National Guard began deploying. Despite this the second day of looting and arson took place. Rioting spread to Hollywood, Inglewood, Long Beach and Compton. Police was criticized for focusing their attention on defending the wealthier areas of LA such as Beverley Hills. Other minority neighborhoods were forced to form militias to protect their property. Korean shopkeepers were involved in a shoot-out with rioters in Koreatown. On the third day of rioting, the Federal government took direct control of all military in the area and began overseeing the response to the riots. Troops and police officers from other regions of California started pouring into the city. On the fourth day, over thirteen thousand soldiers were deployed on the streets of LA, and the rioting was slowly quelled. The riot was spread over six days, but troops remained in the area for weeks afterward. Fifty-five people died during the riots and over two thousand hospitalized. A billion dollars’ worth of damage had been done; the worst affected were the Korean community. Eleven thousand people were arrested during the rioting, but because of the sheer volume of prisoners, police were unable to prosecute the majority. 57.    King After the Riots: Rodney King continued to have run-ins with the law and was sometimes arrested after the 1992 Riots. In 2007, King was shot in an attempted robbery. King appeared in a reality TV show, Sober House, which covered celebrities in rehab. 2012 saw King publish his memoirs, The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption. Rodney King fathered a daughter with Carmen Simpson when they were both teenagers. In 1985, he married Daneta Lyles, and they had a daughter together. The pair divorced in 1988. King then married Crystal Waters, with whom he also had a daughter. They divorced in 1996. King had been arrested for assaulting both his wives. In 2010, King began living with Cynthia Kelly, and it was she who found him in the swimming pool on 17 June 2012. King was pronounced dead by medical staff, and plenty of drugs and alcohol were found in his system. 58.    The King beating began a wave of reforms for the Los Angeles Police Department, including tighter rules on when officers can use force, more minority officers, and stricter term limits for police chiefs. 59.    Question: What is the lesson to be learned? 60.    Question: What do we teach the children about dealing with cops? 61.    Top Black Songs from the top 40 62.    #2 - "I Wanna Sex You Up", Color Me Badd 63.    #3 - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", C+C Music Factory 64.    #4 - "Rush Rush", Paula Abdul 65.    #8 - "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", Hi-Five 66.    #9 - "The First Time", Surface 67.    #11 - "Motownphilly", Boyz II Men 68.    #12 - "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)", Stevie B 69.    #13 - "Someday", Mariah Carey 70.    #16 - "All the Man That I Need", Whitney Houston 71.    #18 - "I Adore Mi Amor"    , Color Me Badd 72.    #19 - "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", Janet Jackson 73.    #20 - "Good Vibrations", Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 74.    #21 - "Justify My Love", Madonna 75.    #22 - "Emotions", Mariah Carey 76.    #24 - "Romantic", Karyn White 77.    #25 - "Hold You Tight", Tara Kemp 78.    #26 - "I Don't Wanna Cry", Mariah Carey 79.    #28 - "Every Heartbeat", Amy Grant 80.    #29 - "Sensitivity", Ralph Tresvant 81.    #30 - "Touch Me (All Night Long)", Cathy Dennis 82.    #31 - "I've Been Thinking About You", Londonbeat 83.    #32 - "Do Anything", Natural Selection 84.    #34 - "Coming Out of the Dark", Gloria Estefan 85.    #35 - "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over", Lenny Kravitz 86.    #36 - "Here We Go", C+C Music Factory 87.    #38 - "Summertime", DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince 88.    #40 - "P.A.S.S.I.O.N.", Rythm Syndicate 89.    Vote: 90.    Top R&B Albums 91.    Jan - I'm Your Baby Tonight - Whitney Houston 92.    Feb - The Future - Guy 93.    Feb - Do Me Again - Freddie Jackson 94.    Mar - Business as Usual - EPMD 95.    Apr - Ralph Tresvant - Ralph Tresvant 96.    Apr - Hi-Five - Hi-Five 97.    Apr - New Jack City - Soundtrack / Various artists 98.    Jun - Power of Love - Luther Vandross 99.    Jul - Make Time for Love - Keith Washington 100.    Aug - Jungle Fever - Soundtrack / Stevie Wonder 101.    Aug - Cooleyhighharmony - Boyz II Men 102.    Sep - Boyz n the Hood - Soundtrack / Various artists 103.    Oct - Can You Stop the Rain - Peabo Bryson 104.    Oct - Good Woman - Gladys Knight 105.    Oct - Different Lifestyles - BeBe & CeCe Winans 106.    Nov - As Raw As Ever - Shabba Ranks 107.    Nov - Forever My Lady - Jodeci 108.    Nov - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black - Public Enemy 109.    Dec - Diamonds and Pearls - Prince and The New Power Generation 110.    Dec - Death Certificate - Ice Cube 111.    Vote: 112.    Featured Artists #1: Boyz II Men is the most commercially successful R&B group of all time. They've sold millions of records and produced three of the longest-running No. 1 pop singles in music history. The pioneering R&B group is known for their flawless blend of four-part harmonies, and their influence is still felt to this day. 113.    Formation: Boyz II Men formed in 1988 at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson founded the group, originally known as Unique Attraction. Other members came and went due to graduation, but Morris and Nelson eventually met Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockmanand Michael McCary, and the group stabilized. They took inspiration from the popular R&B group New Edition and renamed themselves Boyz II Men after their song "Boys to Men." They got their big break in 1989 when they snuck backstage at a concert to sing for New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoemember Michael Bivins. They sang an a cappella rendition of the New Edition song "Can You Stand the Rain." Bivins was impressed and agreed to help them get signed. Marc Nelson left the group not long before they started working on their debut album, allegedly due to personality differences. Boyz II Men became a quartet—with Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman—that would soon find international fame. 114.    Early Career: Bivins helped produce Boyz II Men's first album, Cooleyhighharmony, on Motown Records in 1991. The new jack swing style was characteristic of Bell Biv DeVoe's music, but Boyz II Men's classic, soulful vocals offered something different that was eventually dubbed "hip hop doo wop." Since the very beginning, Boyz II Men has featured all members equally as lead vocalists, going against the typical R&B group set up of one lead singer/front man and a handful of nameless backups. Their arrangement became a sort of trademark for the group. Cooleyhighharmony was a major success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and winning them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The singles "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" both became No. 1 R&B hits. 115.    Commercial Breakthrough: After their debut, they abandoned the new jack swing style to focus on creating a more mature, pop-infused sound. They released the wildly successful single "End of the Road" in 1992. The song spent a record-breaking 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the year's most popular song. Just like that, Boyz II Men has transformed from R&B up-and-comers to mainstream superstars. 116.    Legacy: Boyz II Men was instrumental in bringing R&B back to the mainstream, where it had not appeared since the '70s. With a staggering 60 million albums sold worldwide; they hold the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time. For more than 20 years they have created a catalog of massively successful songs known for rich, smooth harmonies and timeless subject matter. 117.    Open Comments: 118.    Featured Artists #2: Jodeci, one of the premier '90s R&B acts, were a quartet notable for successfully marrying gospel-esque harmonization’s with a sexier-than-thou style.  Also, they were the first act that future hip-hop superstars Timbaland and Missy Elliott were involved with. 119.    Biography: Jodeci was an R&B group formed from two sets of two brothers, the Haileys and the DeGrates. All four of them were brought up in the Pentecostal church in North Carolina, the DeGrates' father was a minister. As young boys, they sang in gospel choirs which recorded albums and had their songs played on the radio, but they weren't destined to meet until they were teenagers. Their girlfriends introduced them. However, when they did meet, K-Ci was with a girl Dalvin had been dating, and a fight nearly broke out. The Hailey brothers and DeVante started hanging out together, partying and talking about making R&B records together, coming up with the name Jodeci at this time. At age 16, DeVante ran away to Minneapolis to get a job in Prince's organization but was refused. He returned to Charlotte, where he wrote a song and recorded JoJo singing it. The two planned on going to New York to shop the demo around by themselves, but both K-Ci and Dalvin decided to tag along at the last minute. By the time they got to New York, they had demo recordings of 29 songs, which they brought to the offices of Uptown Entertainment. They were almost rejected, but rapper Heavy D overheard the tape and talked Uptown president Andre Harrell into hearing the group. Harrell was impressed, and just like that, Jodeci signed a recording contract. In 1991, they recorded Forever My Lady, which featured the gold single "Come and Talk to Me" and went on to sell over three million copies. 120.    Jodeci Albums: 1991: Forever My Lady (3x platinum) / 1993: Diary of a Mad Band (2x platinum) / 1995: The Show, The After Party, The Hotel (platinum) 121.    Open Comments: 122.    Track vs Track Album Battle: Cooleyhighharmony vs Forever My Lady 123.    Movie Scene: John Singleton / Boyz In the Hood 124.    John Singleton’s 1991 feature film debut, Boyz n the Hood, garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Singleton followed-up with Poetic Justice in 1993 and Higher Learning in 1995. Subsequent works include 1997's Rosewood, 2000's Shaft remake and 2001's Baby Boy. In 2005, he produced Hustle & Flow and directed Four Brothers. The filmmaker died on April 29, 2019, after suffering a stroke. 125.    Profile: He grew up in South Central Los Angeles and studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. During his four-year studies there, he won three writing awards. 126.    These achievements in writing earned Singleton a contract with the powerful Creative Artists Agency during his sophomore year at USC, and in May of 1990, his agent sent the script for Boyz N the Hood to Columbia pictures. The response was immediate: “I thought John’s script had a distinctive voice and great insight,” Frank Price, chairman of Columbia Pictures, said in an interview excerpted in the New York Times. “He’s not just a good writer, but he has enormous self-confidence and assurance. In fact, the last time I’d met someone that young with so much self-assurance was Steven Spielberg.” Columbia wanted to make the picture, but at first wanted someone else to direct it. Singleton believed only he could do it. “They asked me if I would consider anybody else directing it,” he recalled to Interview’s Steven Daly. “And I said, Hell, no, I’m not gonna let somebody from Idaho or Encino direct a movie about living in South Central Los Angeles. They can’t come in here and cast it and go through the rewrites and know exactly what aesthetics are unique to this film.” In 1991, Columbia Pictures bought his script for Boyz n the Hood and budgeted it at $7 million. The film portrayed life in crime-ridden South-Central L.A. and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director in 1991, making Singleton the first African American and the youngest person ever nominated for the award. The film also garnered a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. 127.    Legacy: Regina King, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Tyra Banks, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P Henson 128.    Open Comments: 129.    Boyz In the Hood Summary: Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence and prospects. 130.    Major Themes: (1) the power of family and black culture in the ghettos, (2) effects of capitalism to American citizens especially the Negros living in harsh environments, (3) the power of temptation and (4) more so juvenile and gang associated delinquencies that are usually influenced by peer and social pressure (5) gentrification, (6) living in a bad neighborhood, and (7) gangs. 131.    Question: What themes stood out for you? 132.    Television Scene: Roc (3 Seasons) Comedy, Sitcom 133.    Summary: Garbageman Roc Emerson and his wife shared their Baltimore home with his outspoken father and apathetic brother. In an unusual move, the sitcom's entire second season was performed live. Series star Charles S. Dutton won a 1993 NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of Roc. The show deals with real life issues such as gang violence, local politics, drugs, teens and sexually transmitted diseases. Roc reminded you of a typical family with normal problems such as parenting and dealing with live in relatives. The series gaining momentum in the last season could not make its presence felt on Tuesdays, the networks worst night for ratings. The struggle eventually led up to the series cancellation. 134.    Awards: 1992: GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Episode, 1994: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Charles S. Dutton 135.    Question: Has anyone ever watched this? 136.    Vote: Most impactful item/event from 1991?

Topics: Rodney King, Boyz II Men / Jodeci, Boyz In the Hood, Roc - Sitcom (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) 1991 General Snapshots 1.    President: George H. W. Bush 2.    January - Gulf War: The Congress of the United States passes a resolution authorizing the use of military force to liberate Kuwait. 5 days later, Operation Desert Storm begins with airstrikes against Iraq. 3.    January - Whitney Houstondelivers her now legendary rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" 4.    February - Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated". 5.    February - Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler join the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live. 6.    March - An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles, California police officers. 7.    July - Boxer Mike Tyson is arrested and charged with raping Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington in Indianapolis, Indiana. 8.    July - Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested after the remains of eleven men and boys are found in his Milwaukee, Wisconsin apartment. Police soon find out that he is involved in six more murders. 9.    August - Nickelodeon introduces its series of Nicktoons, with Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show the first three to air. 10.    August - The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is first released in the United States. 11.    October - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews both Supreme Court candidate Clarence Thomas and former aide Anita Hill, who alleges that Thomas sexually harassed her while she worked for him. 12.    October - Jennifer Lopez joins the cast as one of the Fly Girls on the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color (she would leave the show after the next season). Other cast additions include future Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx. 13.    November - Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson announces that he has HIV, effectively ending his NBA career. 14.    November - Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury dies from AIDS at 45 years old, one day after making his diagnosis public. 15.    December - The Cold War ends as President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev resigns and the Soviet Union dissolves. 16.    Open Comments 17.    Top 3 Pop Songs 18.    #1 - "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", Bryan Adams 19.    #2 - "I Wanna Sex You Up", Color Me Badd 20.    #3 - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", C+C Music Factory 21.    Record of the Year: "Unforgettable" performed by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole 22.    Album of the Year: Unforgettable... with Love performed by Natalie Cole 23.    Song of the Year: "Unforgettable" performed by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole 24.    Best New Artist: Marc Cohn 25.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Lisa Fischer for "How Can I Ease the Pain" & Patti LaBelle for "Burnin'" 26.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Luther Vandross for Power of Love 27.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Boyz II Men for "Cooleyhighharmony" 28.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Power of Love/Love Power" performed by Luther Vandross 29.    Best Rap Solo Performance: LL Cool J for "Mama Said Knock You Out" 30.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for "Summertime" 31.    Top 3 Movies 32.    #1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day     33.    #2. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 34.    #3. Beauty and the Beast 35.    Notables: The Silence of the Lambs, New Jack City, The Five Heartbeats, A Rage in Harlem, Thelma & Louise, Jungle Fever, Point Break, and House Party 2 36.    Top 3 TV Shows 37.    #1 60 Minutes 38.    #2 Roseanne 39.    #3 Murphy Brown 40.    Mea Culpa: Family Matters originated 9/22/1989 on ABC 41.    Notables: The Party Machine with Nia Peeples, The Jerry Springer Show, The Montel Williams Show, Hammerman, & Roc. 42.    Economic Snapshots 43.    Avg. Income: 29.9k (29K) 44.    New Home: 120k (previously 123K) 45.    Avg Rent: 495 (465) 46.    New Car: 16.8k (16K) 47.    Harvard: 14.5k (13.5k) 48.    Movie Ticket: 4.25 (3.50) 49.    Gas: 1.12 (1.34) 50.    Stamp: .25 (.25) 51.    Social Scene: Police Beating of Rodney King 52.    Early Life: Rodney King (@ 26 yrs. old), born in Sacramento, CA, was an American taxi driver who is best known for the 1991 police beatings and the 1992 riots as a result of the officers’ trial. 53.    Prior Record: In 1987, he pleaded no contest to a charge of battery. In 1989, King was imprisoned for robbery after robbing a store; he served one year of a two-year sentence. 54.    1991 Arrest: Rodney King attempted to outrun a police patrol car in March 1991. King had been drinking and feared he would be over the limit, driving under the influence charge would have seen King return to jail. King refused to pull over for the police and a high-speed chase ensued. Eventually, King was cornered, and he and the other occupants of the car were ordered to leave the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. King refused and was forcibly removed from the car. While on the ground the police beat and abused the three men. The Los Angeles Police Department then arrived on the scene; the original officers on the scene had been highway patrol. Rodney King resisted arrest and was tasered. King was then viciously beaten repeatedly while on the ground by police wielding batons. King continually attempted to stand up only to be met with a further hail of baton blows from the four police officers. King suffered from thirty-three baton blows and six kicks before having his arms and legs cuffed. Eight officers were involved in his arrest. George Halliday, a man who lived near the sight of the arrest, had filmed the arrest from the time that King was tasered. Halliday contacted the LAPD about his videotape, but the police department showed no interest in the footage. Halliday next presented the footage to a local TV station which aired the footage. It caused a sensation across the media. The footage made Rodney King’s arrest a lightning rod for a more comprehensive discussion about police brutality against minorities. 55.    Legal Proceedings: Rodney King had suffered facial fractures, lacerations and a broken ankle from his arrest. The city awarded King damages amounting to 3.8 million dollars as well as covering his legal costs which totaled to close to two million dollars. He was also not charged with drink driving or evading arrest due to the time between the incident and the start of legal proceedings. Four LAPD officers were charged with using excessive force. The legal case against the officers was mired in controversy from the start as the initial judge, Bernard Kamins was removed, and the trial received a change of venue. Warren Christopher also began a commission to investigate accusations of police discrimination. Three of the officers charged were acquitted, and the fourth faced a no verdict. The court’s decision shocked the nation. The mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, and the President of the United States of America, George Bush, both declared they could not understand the verdict and condemned the officers involved. Many African Americans considered the trial a whitewash and were incensed. Following the 1992 Riots, the officers were tried in a federal court, and two were found guilty and sentenced to thirty months in prison. 56.    Rodney King Riots: Following the court's verdict and the release of the officers, widespread civil unrest erupted in North America. The worst of the rioting was confined to LA, but Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta and even Toronto in Canada experienced violence. The 1992 LA Riots became known as the Rodney King Riots due to their link to the court case. King appeared on TV during the riots to appeal for calm. Before the verdict was announced the police, force had been expecting trouble, money for overtime and a delay in the reading of the verdict were granted to give police time to prepare. Rioting started at a liquor store in Normandie. LAPD officers attempted to make an arrest a hostile crowd surrounded them and forced them to retreat. TV coverage of the violence encouraged more people to take to the streets, and the police communications proved wholly inadequate to deal with the spread of the violence. The rioters began destroying property and attacking people going about their business. Over a thousand firearms were looted, and some fires were started as night set in. The riots spread throughout the city and emergency workers came under gunfire as they attempted to tackle the fires and help the wounded. A curfew was declared, and the National Guard began deploying. Despite this the second day of looting and arson took place. Rioting spread to Hollywood, Inglewood, Long Beach and Compton. Police was criticized for focusing their attention on defending the wealthier areas of LA such as Beverley Hills. Other minority neighborhoods were forced to form militias to protect their property. Korean shopkeepers were involved in a shoot-out with rioters in Koreatown. On the third day of rioting, the Federal government took direct control of all military in the area and began overseeing the response to the riots. Troops and police officers from other regions of California started pouring into the city. On the fourth day, over thirteen thousand soldiers were deployed on the streets of LA, and the rioting was slowly quelled. The riot was spread over six days, but troops remained in the area for weeks afterward. Fifty-five people died during the riots and over two thousand hospitalized. A billion dollars’ worth of damage had been done; the worst affected were the Korean community. Eleven thousand people were arrested during the rioting, but because of the sheer volume of prisoners, police were unable to prosecute the majority. 57.    King After the Riots: Rodney King continued to have run-ins with the law and was sometimes arrested after the 1992 Riots. In 2007, King was shot in an attempted robbery. King appeared in a reality TV show, Sober House, which covered celebrities in rehab. 2012 saw King publish his memoirs, The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption. Rodney King fathered a daughter with Carmen Simpson when they were both teenagers. In 1985, he married Daneta Lyles, and they had a daughter together. The pair divorced in 1988. King then married Crystal Waters, with whom he also had a daughter. They divorced in 1996. King had been arrested for assaulting both his wives. In 2010, King began living with Cynthia Kelly, and it was she who found him in the swimming pool on 17 June 2012. King was pronounced dead by medical staff, and plenty of drugs and alcohol were found in his system. 58.    The King beating began a wave of reforms for the Los Angeles Police Department, including tighter rules on when officers can use force, more minority officers, and stricter term limits for police chiefs. 59.    Question: What is the lesson to be learned? 60.    Question: What do we teach the children about dealing with cops? 61.    Top Black Songs from the top 40 62.    #2 - "I Wanna Sex You Up", Color Me Badd 63.    #3 - "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", C+C Music Factory 64.    #4 - "Rush Rush", Paula Abdul 65.    #8 - "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", Hi-Five 66.    #9 - "The First Time", Surface 67.    #11 - "Motownphilly", Boyz II Men 68.    #12 - "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)", Stevie B 69.    #13 - "Someday", Mariah Carey 70.    #16 - "All the Man That I Need", Whitney Houston 71.    #18 - "I Adore Mi Amor"    , Color Me Badd 72.    #19 - "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", Janet Jackson 73.    #20 - "Good Vibrations", Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 74.    #21 - "Justify My Love", Madonna 75.    #22 - "Emotions", Mariah Carey 76.    #24 - "Romantic", Karyn White 77.    #25 - "Hold You Tight", Tara Kemp 78.    #26 - "I Don't Wanna Cry", Mariah Carey 79.    #28 - "Every Heartbeat", Amy Grant 80.    #29 - "Sensitivity", Ralph Tresvant 81.    #30 - "Touch Me (All Night Long)", Cathy Dennis 82.    #31 - "I've Been Thinking About You", Londonbeat 83.    #32 - "Do Anything", Natural Selection 84.    #34 - "Coming Out of the Dark", Gloria Estefan 85.    #35 - "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over", Lenny Kravitz 86.    #36 - "Here We Go", C+C Music Factory 87.    #38 - "Summertime", DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince 88.    #40 - "P.A.S.S.I.O.N.", Rythm Syndicate 89.    Vote: 90.    Top R&B Albums 91.    Jan - I'm Your Baby Tonight - Whitney Houston 92.    Feb - The Future - Guy 93.    Feb - Do Me Again - Freddie Jackson 94.    Mar - Business as Usual - EPMD 95.    Apr - Ralph Tresvant - Ralph Tresvant 96.    Apr - Hi-Five - Hi-Five 97.    Apr - New Jack City - Soundtrack / Various artists 98.    Jun - Power of Love - Luther Vandross 99.    Jul - Make Time for Love - Keith Washington 100.    Aug - Jungle Fever - Soundtrack / Stevie Wonder 101.    Aug - Cooleyhighharmony - Boyz II Men 102.    Sep - Boyz n the Hood - Soundtrack / Various artists 103.    Oct - Can You Stop the Rain - Peabo Bryson 104.    Oct - Good Woman - Gladys Knight 105.    Oct - Different Lifestyles - BeBe & CeCe Winans 106.    Nov - As Raw As Ever - Shabba Ranks 107.    Nov - Forever My Lady - Jodeci 108.    Nov - Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black - Public Enemy 109.    Dec - Diamonds and Pearls - Prince and The New Power Generation 110.    Dec - Death Certificate - Ice Cube 111.    Vote: 112.    Featured Artists #1: Boyz II Men is the most commercially successful R&B group of all time. They've sold millions of records and produced three of the longest-running No. 1 pop singles in music history. The pioneering R&B group is known for their flawless blend of four-part harmonies, and their influence is still felt to this day. 113.    Formation: Boyz II Men formed in 1988 at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Nathan Morris and Marc Nelson founded the group, originally known as Unique Attraction. Other members came and went due to graduation, but Morris and Nelson eventually met Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockmanand Michael McCary, and the group stabilized. They took inspiration from the popular R&B group New Edition and renamed themselves Boyz II Men after their song "Boys to Men." They got their big break in 1989 when they snuck backstage at a concert to sing for New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoemember Michael Bivins. They sang an a cappella rendition of the New Edition song "Can You Stand the Rain." Bivins was impressed and agreed to help them get signed. Marc Nelson left the group not long before they started working on their debut album, allegedly due to personality differences. Boyz II Men became a quartet—with Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman—that would soon find international fame. 114.    Early Career: Bivins helped produce Boyz II Men's first album, Cooleyhighharmony, on Motown Records in 1991. The new jack swing style was characteristic of Bell Biv DeVoe's music, but Boyz II Men's classic, soulful vocals offered something different that was eventually dubbed "hip hop doo wop." Since the very beginning, Boyz II Men has featured all members equally as lead vocalists, going against the typical R&B group set up of one lead singer/front man and a handful of nameless backups. Their arrangement became a sort of trademark for the group. Cooleyhighharmony was a major success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and winning them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The singles "Motownphilly" and "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" both became No. 1 R&B hits. 115.    Commercial Breakthrough: After their debut, they abandoned the new jack swing style to focus on creating a more mature, pop-infused sound. They released the wildly successful single "End of the Road" in 1992. The song spent a record-breaking 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the year's most popular song. Just like that, Boyz II Men has transformed from R&B up-and-comers to mainstream superstars. 116.    Legacy: Boyz II Men was instrumental in bringing R&B back to the mainstream, where it had not appeared since the '70s. With a staggering 60 million albums sold worldwide; they hold the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time. For more than 20 years they have created a catalog of massively successful songs known for rich, smooth harmonies and timeless subject matter. 117.    Open Comments: 118.    Featured Artists #2: Jodeci, one of the premier '90s R&B acts, were a quartet notable for successfully marrying gospel-esque harmonization’s with a sexier-than-thou style.  Also, they were the first act that future hip-hop superstars Timbaland and Missy Elliott were involved with. 119.    Biography: Jodeci was an R&B group formed from two sets of two brothers, the Haileys and the DeGrates. All four of them were brought up in the Pentecostal church in North Carolina, the DeGrates' father was a minister. As young boys, they sang in gospel choirs which recorded albums and had their songs played on the radio, but they weren't destined to meet until they were teenagers. Their girlfriends introduced them. However, when they did meet, K-Ci was with a girl Dalvin had been dating, and a fight nearly broke out. The Hailey brothers and DeVante started hanging out together, partying and talking about making R&B records together, coming up with the name Jodeci at this time. At age 16, DeVante ran away to Minneapolis to get a job in Prince's organization but was refused. He returned to Charlotte, where he wrote a song and recorded JoJo singing it. The two planned on going to New York to shop the demo around by themselves, but both K-Ci and Dalvin decided to tag along at the last minute. By the time they got to New York, they had demo recordings of 29 songs, which they brought to the offices of Uptown Entertainment. They were almost rejected, but rapper Heavy D overheard the tape and talked Uptown president Andre Harrell into hearing the group. Harrell was impressed, and just like that, Jodeci signed a recording contract. In 1991, they recorded Forever My Lady, which featured the gold single "Come and Talk to Me" and went on to sell over three million copies. 120.    Jodeci Albums: 1991: Forever My Lady (3x platinum) / 1993: Diary of a Mad Band (2x platinum) / 1995: The Show, The After Party, The Hotel (platinum) 121.    Open Comments: 122.    Track vs Track Album Battle: Cooleyhighharmony vs Forever My Lady 123.    Movie Scene: John Singleton / Boyz In the Hood 124.    John Singleton’s 1991 feature film debut, Boyz n the Hood, garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Singleton followed-up with Poetic Justice in 1993 and Higher Learning in 1995. Subsequent works include 1997's Rosewood, 2000's Shaft remake and 2001's Baby Boy. In 2005, he produced Hustle & Flow and directed Four Brothers. The filmmaker died on April 29, 2019, after suffering a stroke. 125.    Profile: He grew up in South Central Los Angeles and studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. During his four-year studies there, he won three writing awards. 126.    These achievements in writing earned Singleton a contract with the powerful Creative Artists Agency during his sophomore year at USC, and in May of 1990, his agent sent the script for Boyz N the Hood to Columbia pictures. The response was immediate: “I thought John’s script had a distinctive voice and great insight,” Frank Price, chairman of Columbia Pictures, said in an interview excerpted in the New York Times. “He’s not just a good writer, but he has enormous self-confidence and assurance. In fact, the last time I’d met someone that young with so much self-assurance was Steven Spielberg.” Columbia wanted to make the picture, but at first wanted someone else to direct it. Singleton believed only he could do it. “They asked me if I would consider anybody else directing it,” he recalled to Interview’s Steven Daly. “And I said, Hell, no, I’m not gonna let somebody from Idaho or Encino direct a movie about living in South Central Los Angeles. They can’t come in here and cast it and go through the rewrites and know exactly what aesthetics are unique to this film.” In 1991, Columbia Pictures bought his script for Boyz n the Hood and budgeted it at $7 million. The film portrayed life in crime-ridden South-Central L.A. and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director in 1991, making Singleton the first African American and the youngest person ever nominated for the award. The film also garnered a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. 127.    Legacy: Regina King, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Tyra Banks, Tyrese Gibson, Taraji P Henson 128.    Open Comments: 129.    Boyz In the Hood Summary: Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence and prospects. 130.    Major Themes: (1) the power of family and black culture in the ghettos, (2) effects of capitalism to American citizens especially the Negros living in harsh environments, (3) the power of temptation and (4) more so juvenile and gang associated delinquencies that are usually influenced by peer and social pressure (5) gentrification, (6) living in a bad neighborhood, and (7) gangs. 131.    Question: What themes stood out for you? 132.    Television Scene: Roc (3 Seasons) Comedy, Sitcom 133.    Summary: Garbageman Roc Emerson and his wife shared their Baltimore home with his outspoken father and apathetic brother. In an unusual move, the sitcom's entire second season was performed live. Series star Charles S. Dutton won a 1993 NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of Roc. The show deals with real life issues such as gang violence, local politics, drugs, teens and sexually transmitted diseases. Roc reminded you of a typical family with normal problems such as parenting and dealing with live in relatives. The series gaining momentum in the last season could not make its presence felt on Tuesdays, the networks worst night for ratings. The struggle eventually led up to the series cancellation. 134.    Awards: 1992: GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Episode, 1994: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Charles S. Dutton 135.    Question: Has anyone ever watched this? 136.    Vote: Most impactful item/event from 1991?

Topics: A Black Renaissance?, Mariah Carey, House Party, In Living Color / The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)     1990 General Snapshots   1.    George Bush Sr. President   2.    January - United States invasion of Panama: General Manuel Noriega, the deposed "strongman of Panama", surrenders to American forces.   3.    January - Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.   4.    January - Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.   5.    February - James "Buster" Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson to win the World Heavyweight Boxing crown.   6.    February - A smoking ban takes effect on all domestic U.S. flights of less than six hours.   7.    March - Greyhound bus drivers’ strike for higher pay.   8.    April - STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.   9.    June - Nelson Mandela tours North America, visiting 3 Canadian cities and 8 U.S. cities.   10.    July - George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, designed to protect disabled Americans from discrimination.   11.    August - Gulf War: Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.   12.    September - Chris Rock makes Saturday Night Live debut.   13.    October - Evander Holyfield defeats James "Buster" Douglas to become the heavyweight boxing champion.   14.    November - Sharon Pratt Kelly is elected Mayor of the District of Columbia, becoming the first black woman to head a major U.S. city. She takes office January 2, 1991.   15.    Top 3 Pop Songs   16.    #1    "Hold On"    Wilson Phillips   17.    #2    "It Must Have Been Love"    Roxette   18.    #3    "Nothing Compares 2 U"    Sinéad O'Connor   19.    Record of the Year - "Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins   20.    Album of the Year - Quincy Jones (producer & artist) for Back on the Block   21.    Song of the Year - "From a Distance" performed by Bette Midler   22.    Best New Artist - Mariah Carey   23.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Anita Baker for Compositions   24.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - Luther Vandross for "Here and Now"   25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group - Ray Charles & Chaka Khan for "I'll Be Good to You"   26.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song - "U Can't Touch This" performed by M.C. Hammer   27.    Best Rap Solo Performance - M.C. Hammer for "U Can't Touch This" 28.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy D. III & Quincy Jones for "Back on the Block"   29.    Top 3 Movies   30.    #1 Ghost   31.    #2 Home Alone   32.    # 3 Pretty Woman   33.    Other Notables:   34.    Top 3 TV Shows   35.    Cheers   36.    60 Minutes   37.    Roseanne   38.    Debuts: In Living Color, True Colors, Brewster Place, The Fresh Prince   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    New Home: 123k (previously 120K)   41.    Avg Rent: 465 (425)   42.    Avg. Income: 29k (27K)   43.    New Car: 16k (15K)   44.    Harvard: 13.5k (12.7k)   45.    Movie Ticket: 4 3.50 - same   46.    Gas: 1.34 (.97)   47.    Stamp: .25 (.25)   48.    Social Scene: Pop Culture Dominance and Influence   49.    Politics: Colin Powell, Douglas Wilder, Congressional Black Caucus @ 25 (John Lewis 2nd term)   50.    Business: Ebony/Jet, Russel Simmons, Reginald F. Lewis   51.    Sports: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr.   52.    Music: Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney, Janet Jackson, MC Hammer, Anita Baker   53.    Movies: Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee, Robert Townsend   54.    Television: Oprah (Daytime), Cosby (Prime time), Aresnio (Nighttime)   55.    Open Comments:   56.    Question: Assimilation? OK, but who is changing who? Are we changing America or is America Changing us?   57.    Music Scene   58.    Black Songs from the Top 40   59.    #4    "Poison"    Bell Biv DeVoe   60.    #6    "Vision of Love"    Mariah Carey   61.    #8    "Hold On"    En Vogue   62.    #11    "Do Me!"    Bell Biv DeVoe   63.    #13    "Pump Up the Jam"    Technotronic   64.    #14    "Opposites Attract"    Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair   65.    #15    "Escapade"    Janet Jackson   66.    #17    "Close to You"    Maxi Priest   67.    #21    "All Around the World"    Lisa Stansfield   68.    #22    "I Wanna Be Rich"    Calloway   69.    #23    "Rub You the Right Way"    Johnny Gill   70.    #24    "She Ain't Worth It"    Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown   71.    #26    "The Power"    Snap!   72.    #30    "Two to Make It Right"    Seduction   73.    #33    "Step by Step"    New Kids on the Block   74.    #36    "I Don't Have the Heart"    James Ingram   75.    #38    "Rhythm Nation"    Janet Jackson   76.    #41    "Everything"    Jody Watley   77.    #42    "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)"    Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler   78.    #43    "Here and Now"    Luther Vandross   79.    Top RnB Albums   80.    January Tender Lover Babyface   81.    January Back on the Block Quincy Jones   82.    April Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em MC Hammer   83.    June Poison Bell Biv DeVoe   84.    June Johnny Gill Johnny Gill   85.    August I'll Give All My Love to You Keith Sweat   86.    December I'm Your Baby Tonight Whitney Houston   87.    Featured Artist: Mariah Angela Carey, (Songbird) singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and philanthropist   88.    Childhood - Born to Patricia (Hickey), an Irish American mezzo-soprano opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer. They got divorced when Carey was only three. Her first public performance was at the age of six. By the age of sixteen, she was skipping classes to write songs and her brother, Morgan, paid for her first recording session. She finally graduated from Harborfields High School, in 1987.   89.    Career - Before Carey got her big break, she worked as a temp and juggled with a few odd jobs such as a beautician, hair sweeper in a salon, waitress and as a coat check girl. After several years of struggling, Carey began singing background vocals for the pop and salsa singer-songwriter Brenda Starr in the late 1980s. Additionally, Carey wrote four songs with Ben Margulies, which solely constituted her demo tape. Margulies was a drummer, guitarist, piano player and singer. (One of Margulies's bandmates went to high school with Mariah’s older brother) Starr ultimately helped Carey land a record contract by giving her demo tape to Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola. In 1988, Mottola signed her***.   90.    In June of 1990, her self-titled album, ‘Mariah Carey’, which contained four No.1 hits were released. It was the best-selling album of 1991 and has been certified nine times Platinum.   91.    Aside from her voice, she has become known for her songwriting. Yahoo Music editor Jason Ankeny wrote, "She earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion but did them both one better by composing all of her own material." Also, according to Billboard magazine, she was the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. Additionally, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Carey as the third best-selling female artist of all-time behind Madonna, Rhianna, maybe Taylor Swift.   92.    Open Comments:   93.    Point #1 – Divas status is earned. (She stuck to her guns re: song writing / Dunked on everyone / Checked Eminem)   94.    Pont #2 – Studio performer, but not studio tricks.   95.    Point #3 – The Christmas Song   96.    Question: Is Mariah a "Soul" singer?   97.    Movie Scene: House Party,” …an infectious, engaging comedy starring the rap duo Kid 'N Play.”   98.    Plot: Although Kid has been grounded by his father, he sneaks out for a party at his friend Play's house. But Kid has no clue about the trouble that awaits him in the form of three thugs from school.   99.    Release date: March 9, 1990 / Rotten Tomatoes: 93% 4.5 Stars   100.    Budget - $2.5m, / Box office - $26.4m   101.    Open Comments:   102.    Point #1: Cast is great (Tisha & Martin broke out)   103.    Point #2: First truly successful "Hood" comedy franchise. (4! sequels)   104.    Point #3: Not possible without the success of Robert and Spike. Director said the project only got the green light because of the recent box office success of "black" movies.   105.    Question: What are some of your house party war stories?   106.    Television Scene   107.    #1 - In Living Color (1990–1994): [IMDB Rating: 8.1/10] Keenen Ivory Wayans (@ wasn't looking to do a TV show. In 1988, he was riding high on the success of his cult hit I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and contemplating his next movie. But he took a meeting with a fledgling network called Fox, which made an offer he couldn't refuse. "They told me I could do whatever I wanted," Wayans, 61, recalls. What he wanted was to do a show like Saturday Night Live only much, much edgier. Homey Da Clown, Homeboy Shopping Network, Men on Films, Fire Marshall Bill, Oswald Bates, Wanda, The Fly Girls — the skits Wayans and his mostly African American cast performed each week pushed the envelope not just of TV's color barrier but of TV comedy, won an Emmy and incubated the careers of stars Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lopez, and several members of the Wayans family.   108.    Open Comments:   109.    Question: Chapelle or In Living Color?   110.    #2 - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996) [MDB Rating: 7.9/10]: A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.   111.    Open Comments   112.    Point #1 - Will and Jazzy were supposed to do the movie House Party   113.    Point #2 - Quincy is doing the most! - Fresh Prince, a collaboration of Quincy Jones and the then-married team of Andy and Susan Borowitz, was based loosely on the life of Will Smith’s then-manager Benny Medina (and on the lifestyle of Jones’ own family) and ran on NBC from 1990-96. NBC was wary of a project starring a rapper, and the show was derided at first by some for a lack of grit. Ultimately, critiques proved ignorant, as the sitcom became part of the cultural DNA of the 1990s. “The Cosbys were affluent,” said Quincy Jones in 2015, “but the Banks’ were wealthy. I don’t think you’d ever seen a wealthy African-American family on television until Fresh Prince, and you definitely hadn’t seen a kid from the hip-hop generation until Fresh Prince.”   114.    Open Comments:   115.    Question: Why wasn't this just "Different Strokes" - Pt. 2?   116.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1990?

Topic: Transitioning from Gen-X to Gen-Y. (Born 1980-1994) (Bonus Artitst: Luck Pacheco)   Question #1: Millennials, who are you, and what do you want? (What motivated you when you were 20 and just starting out)   Question #2: Favorite memories of growing up in the 90's?   Question #3: Why are you guys so sensitive, spoiled, and lazy?   Question #4: Who/what represents the best of your generation?   Question #5: Thoughts on Gen Z? (Born 1995-2015)

Topics: 80's Tech, MC Hammer, Do The Right Thing, The Arsenio Hall Show (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) 1989 Notes 1. General Snapshots 2. George Bush Sr. President 3. Feb - Barbara Harris is the first woman (and first black woman) consecrated as a bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. 4. Mar - Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m3) of oil after running aground. 5. Apr - Bill White becomes president of baseball's National League, becoming the first African American to head a major sports league. 6. Apr - Trisha Meili is attacked while jogging in New York City's Central Park; as her identity remains secret for years, she becomes known as the "Central Park Jogger." 7. May - President Bush vetoes a minimum-wage bill passed by Congress on May 17 that would have increased the minimum wage to $4.55 an hour. 8. Jun - In Texas v. Johnson, the United States Supreme Court ruled that burning the Flag of the United States was protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. 9. Jun - In Penry v. Lynaugh, the Supreme Court rules that states can execute murderers as young as 16 or who are mentally retarded. 10. Jul - In Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, the Supreme Court gives the state’s new authority to restrict abortions. 11. Aug - President Bush nominates United States Army Gen. Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the first African American to hold that position. 12. Aug - Hughey P. Newton was murdered in Oakland, California by Tyrone Robinson, a member of the Black Guerrilla Family. 13. Aug - Yusef Hawkins is shot in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York, sparking racial tensions between African Americans and Italian Americans. 14. Nov - Douglas Wilder wins the Virginia governor's race, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States. 15. Nov - David Dinkins becomes the first African American mayor of New York City. 16. Nov - Congress passes legislation to raise the minimum wage from $3.35 to $4.25 an hour by April 1991. Bush signs this bill on November 17. 17. Nov - Clarence Page 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary 18. Nov - Denzel Washington: First African American actor to receive two Best Supporting Actor nominations. Cry Freedom / Glory (Won) 19. Misc.: Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first African American to lead a major United States political party. 20. Misc.: The first of 24 Global Positioning System satellites is placed into orbit. 21. Open Comments: 22. Top 3 Pop Songs 23. #1 "Look Away" Chicago 24. #2 "My Prerogative" Bobby Brown 25. #3 "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" Poison 26. Record of the Year: Bette Midler for "Wind Beneath My Wings" 27. Album of the Year: Bonnie Raitt for Nick of Time 28. Song of the Year: "Wind Beneath My Wings" performed by Bette Midler 29. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Anita Baker for "Giving You the Best That I Got" 30. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Bobby Brown for "Every Little Step" 31. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Soul II Soul & Caron Wheeler for "Back to Life" 32. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "If You Don't Know Me By Now" performed by Simply Red 33. Best Rap Performance: Young MC for "Bust a Move" 34. Open Comments 35. Top Movies 36. #1 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 37. #2 Batman 38. #3 Back to the Future Part II 39. Other Notables: Look Who's Talking, Dead Poets Society, Lethal Weapon 2, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Disney, Ghostbusters II, The Little Mermaid Disney, Born on the Fourth of July, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Lean on Me, Field of Dreams, Weekend at Bernie's, When Harry Met Sally..., Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Harlem Nights, The War of the Roses, Steel Magnolias, Glory, and Driving Miss Daisy*. 40. Top 3 TV Shows 41. #1 - The Cosby Show 42. #2 - Roseanne 43. #3 - Cheers 44. Debuts: Saved by the Bell, American Gladiators, Doogie Howser, M.D., Baywatch, America's Funniest Home Videos, COPS, Seinfeld, and The Simpsons 45. Economic Snapshot: 46. New Home: 120K - previously 91,777 47. Avg Rent: 425 - p. 420 48. Avg. Income: 37K - p. 24k 49. New Car: 15K - p. 10,432 50. Harvard: 12,700 - p. 12,015 51. Movie Ticket: 3.50 - same 52. Gas: .97 - p. .91 53. Stamp: .25 - same 54. Social Scene: Top Tech of The 80’s 55. Mobile Tech 56. Sony Walkman: Before the iPod effectively killed off an entire industry, the Sony Walkman was the original, must-have portable cassette player. Unlike portable radio players, the Japan-made Walkman allowed people to choose what to listen to via portable headphones, and make playlists on tape, alongside FM and AM radio frequencies. Like with Texas Instrument’s Speak and Spell, the first model hit shelves in the late 1970s, but it rose to prominence during the two decades that followed. So ubiquitous it became that the word Walkman even entered the English dictionary in 1986. The model pictured is the WM-F77. 57. Nokia-Mobira Cityman 900: These days, the mobile phone is so far advanced we barely even call it a mobile phone any more, but back in the '80s the sheer thought of carrying a phone any further than the length of a coiled plastic chord seemed fantasy at best. Then along came a handful of firms, including a certain Finnish outfit by the name of Nokia-Mobira and made portable phone calls an actual reality. Looking back the sheer size of it is almost laughable (18cm high and 760g in weight to be precise), but it was practically lightweight compared to the colossal Talkman, which weighed in at shocking 5.5kg! Still, it put Nokia on the map and set the stage for the firm's dominance to come in the late '90 and early '00s. 58. The Boombox: Much like the VHS player, the humble Boombox was more of a collective movement than the work of one particular model, but it still became one of the most iconic devices of the late '80s. Again, to keep things on message with this feature, the classic Boombox wasn't just a powerful all-in-one music player (with AM/FM radio and multiple cassette decks) it was also a portable music player (if you were willing to lug it around). While its size and battery-powered portability eventually saw it go the way of the dodo in and around the mid '90s, the 'ghetto blaster' became intertwined with the rise of hip hop in the States and secured itself a place in the annals of gadget lore. 59. Sharp pocket computer: The 1980s was the decade of the microprocessor, led by the likes of Sharp and its range of pocket computers. These gadgets resembled calculators but worked in a similar way to how we use keyboards on modern-day PCs and laptops. Below a 24-digit dot matrix LCD display sat a full QWERTY-style keyboard you could use to program BASIC code. The computer’s battery was said to last 200 hours and it even came with a connector that let you attach a printer or tape drive. 60. Epson ET-10 Pocket TV: If you haven't already twigged, there's a bit of a pattern forming with this feature - good ol' portability. From music on the move to phone calls away from home, handheld technology helped define the decade and every single one that's followed. And so, it was the turn of the humble TV, already shrinking as a regular set, to get the micro treatment. The ET-10 from Epson was one of the first, and the most popular, with its two-inch liquid crystal display offering proper TV viewing while out and about (and in a decent spot to catch the analogue signal). With a five-hour battery, the ET-10 was a proper little dynamo and foreshadowed the portable TV experience we take for granted now with tablets and smartphones. 61. Casio Databank: It’s a testament to just how cool and iconic the Casio Databank watches became - they’re still sold in various models and designs today. One of the original models of this calculator watch, the gold version of the DBC 610 (pictured), was first released in 1985 and later re-released due to popular demand. The designs of these modern versions have barely deviated from the original and still feature a membrane keyboard, with Mode and Adjust physical buttons on the side. 62. Gaming Tech 63. Nintendo Entertainment System: Another iconic Japanese import of the 1980s was the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES. A remodeled version of the company’s Family Computer, or Famicom, the 8-bit NES was originally designed to be a joint venture between Nintendo and Atari until a dispute over licensing meant Nintendo decided to go it alone. It helped lift the gaming industry out of the slump of 1983 by offering easier-to-use controllers, standardized graphics and a wider variety of game genres. It brought hugely popular arcade games, including Donkey Kong, to home TVs. 64. Nintendo Game Boy: Fresh off the success of its Nintendo Entertainment System, the Japanese giant launched a handheld version of is 8-bit console called the Nintendo Game Boy in 1989. It effectively used the same A and B controls and D pad seen on the NES, positioned below a 4.7cm x 4.3xm “pea soup” green LCD display. Using ROM cartridges also similar in design to those used on the NES, these games could be inserted and removed on the back of the device. The Game Boy ran on four AA batteries and was an incredibly robust console, making it a popular choice among kids. The Game Boy and its successor the Game Boy Color have sold in excess of 118 million units and spawned several later models, namely the Game Boy Lite and Game Boy Advance. 65. Simon: Another classic from the 1980s that is still sold today is the Simon game. Named after the Simon Says game, the toy’s premise is simple – the colored panels light up and you must repeat the pattern and tones it creates. Yet despite this simple gameplay, it was a great feat of engineering at the time of release in 1978 and became a pop culture icon during the 1980s. 66. Speak and Spell: One of the world’s first handheld PCs and gaming consoles, the educational Speak and Spell from Texas Instruments was unveiled during the 1978 Consumer Electronic Shows. Its visual display was among the first of its kind and it used interchangeable cartridges to let children play different games, aimed at helping to improve their spelling and vocabulary. It became one of the iconic toys of the 1980s until its final model was released in 1992, and its use of the first single-chip microcontroller and speech synthesizer paved the way for many of the gadgets we use today. 67. Social Media Tech 68. Polaroid Sun AF 660: Polaroid cameras have seen a resurgence of late, thanks in part to the release of a classic-looking digital model called One Step Plus. Yet the original designs, such as the Polaroid Autofocus Lightmixer 660 pictured, can still be found on auction sites selling for decent sums. Part of the Polaroid 600 series, the Autofocus 660 (also known as the AF 660) had an 116mm lens and was the first in the range to use Polaroid's patented Sonar Autofocus technology. This system used sensors to establish how far away a subject was, using sonar pulses, to achieve an accurate autofocus shot. 69. Computing Tech 70. Apple Macintosh 128K: Long before Steve Jobs debuted the iPhone on stage in Cupertino in 2007, his company specialized in personal computers. The first of which was known as the Apple Macintosh. It was later renamed the Macintosh 128K to differentiate it from its successor, the Macintosh 512K. Released to great fanfare in 1984, Alien director Ridley Scott created the now-infamous advert for the computer, broadcast during that year’s Superbowl. The Macintosh 128K got its name by the fact it ran on 128K of RAM. It had a 9in CRT monitor, single-sided floppy disk drive and featured a handle on the top that meant it could be moved from place to place. 71. Smart Home Tech 72. The Clapper: Sadly not every gadget that came out of the '80s set the precedent for a bloodline of tech to come, but hey, there's something pretty satisfying about clapping your hands (or whichever body parts you preferred using) to turn off a lamp. Plugging into a power socket in your wall, the Clapper was basically a sound activated on/off switch that could link up to devices for hours of clap-controlled hilarity. It didn't work that great and was prone to being set off by anything from coughs to dog barks. Still, it looked good in the movies, right? 73. VHS player/VCR recorder: Okay, with so many different players that helped make VHS the preferred video format in the '80s (sorry BetaMax), it's hard to nail down particular model that made all the difference, but it just goes to prove how influential those chunky video cassettes became in the '80s and '90s. From Panasonic to JVC, all the big and aspiring electronics giants had their own player and future fortunes were made as the home video entertainment market boomed. Now you could buy films and watch them in the comfort of your home own home. More importantly, you could eventually record TV content as well. Grainy compilations of Red Dwarf and Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles? Yes please! 74. Only thing missing was the internet 75. Open Comments: 76. Music Scene: 77. Top Black songs from Billboard Top 40 Chart 78. #2 "My Prerogative" Bobby Brown 79. #4 "Straight Up" Paula Abdul 80. #5 "Miss You Much" Janet Jackson 81. #6 "Cold Hearted" Paula Abdul 82. #8 "Girl You Know It's True" Milli Vanilli 83. #10 "Giving You the Best That I Got" Anita Baker 84. #14 "Don't Wanna Lose You" Gloria Estefan 85. #16 "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" Milli Vanilli 86. #19 "On Our Own" Bobby Brown 87. #21 "Blame It on the Rain" Milli Vanilli 88. #25 "Like a Prayer" Madonna 89. #28 "Baby Don't Forget My Number" Milli Vanilli 90. #30 "Forever Your Girl" Paula Abdul 91. #33 "Wild Thing" Tone Lōc 92. #36 "Buffalo Stance" Neneh Cherry 93. #46 "Real Love" Jody Watley 94. Vote: 95. Top RnB Albums 96. Jan - Giving You the Best That I Got, Anita Baker 97. Jan - Karyn White, Karyn White 98. Mar - Don't Be Cruel, Bobby Brown 99. Apr - Let's Get It Started, MC Hammer 100. Apr – Guy, Guy 101. May - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, Slick Rick 102. May - Feet High and Rising, De La Soul 103. Jul - Walking with a Panther, LL Cool J 104. Aug - Big Tyme, Heavy D and the Boyz 105. Sep - 2 Keep On Movin', Soul II Soul 106. Sep - Unfinished Business, EPMD 107. Sep - No One Can Do It Better, The D.O.C. 108. Oct - Tender Lover, Babyface 109. Nov - Silky Soul, Frankie Beverly and Maze 110. Nov - Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet Jackson 111. Dec - Stay with Me Regina Belle 112. Vote: 113. Featured Artist: MC Hammer, Stanley Kirk Burrell (@27 Yrs. old) 114. Childhood & Early Life: Born and raised in Oakland, California. He was the youngest of his 6 siblings and lived in a government housing project apartment in East Oakland. His father, Lewis Burrell, worked as warehouse supervisor while his mother was a secretary. Interested in baseball from his early boyhood, he spent time around the ‘Oakland Coliseum’ and entertained by dancing during the breaks. ‘Oakland Athletics’ owner, Charles Finley, watched him perform in the Coliseum’s parking lot and hired the 11-year Burrell as ‘batboy.’ Burrell’s resemblance to the baseball player ‘Hammerin’ Hank Aaron earned him the nick-name ‘Hammer.’ The ‘MC’ part came from ‘Master of Ceremonies’ as he performed at various clubs while on the road with A’s. He played baseball (second base) during high school years and wished to be a professional player but was not selected. After high school, he enlisted for US Navy and served as aviation storekeeper for 3 years. 115. Career: After being honorably discharged from the US Navy, Hammer began playing in clubs and formed ‘Holy Ghost Boys,’ a Christian rap music group with Jon Gibson. One of their songs, ‘The Wall,’ became a hit. Two former A’s player, Mike Davis and Dwayne Murphy, helped him financially to start his own record label, ‘Bust It Records.’ Hammer released his debut album, ‘Feel My Power,’ through his own label, ‘Oakland Records,’ in 1987, and the album sold over 60,000 copies. He released a single, ‘Ring ‘Em,’ and marketed it on his own. Hammer formed a troupe with dancers, musicians and vocalist, and presented stage shows and live shows at clubs. Through his album and one of his live acts, he earned a multi-album deal with the ‘Capitol Records’ in 1988. His first album through ‘Capitol,’ was the 1989 album, ‘Let’s Get It Started,’ a revised version of ‘Feel My Power.’ With its charted numbers, ‘Turn This Mutha Out,’ ‘Let’s Get it Started,’ ‘They Put Me in the Mix’ among others, the album sold more than 2 million copies and was certified double platinum. 116. Hammer toured around with his live show promoting the album and installed a recording studio at the back of this tour bus, where he recorded songs. His next album, ‘Please, Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em,’ was brought out on February 12, 1990. The single, ‘U Can’t Touch This,’ from this album proved most successful and is considered as his signature song. 117. He was a part of many TV shows and films, including cartoon-show, ‘Hammerman,’ ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Right Connections,’ ‘Deadly Rhapsody,’ ‘The Surreal Life,’ among many others. He appeared as a dance judge on the show, ‘Dance Fever’ (2003). ‘Hammertime’ (2009) was his reality TV series on ‘A&E Network,’ which dealt with his daily life. Hammer established ‘Oakland Stable’ in 1991 for thoroughbred horses. He was also involved with various business ventures from clothing lines, to tech start-up and product endorsements. Hammer sported a lavish lifestyle with a huge mansion at Fremont, California, sprawling estate and luxury cars. He also spent a large amount of money on his stage shows, staff, and relatives. With $13 million in debt, he filed for bankruptcy in 1996. In 1997, he turned to faith and became a preacher with a Christian Ministry TV show. 118. Open Comments: 119. Question: Would you rather flame out spectacularly like Hammer or low-key longevity? 120. Movie Scene: Do The Right Thing, Spike Lee 121. Breakdown: by Walker Valdez - “The film…focuses on a single day of the lives of racially diverse people who live and work in a lower-class neighborhood in Brooklyn New York. However, this ordinary day takes place on one of the hottest days of the summer. The film centers on how social class, race and the moral decisions that the characters make have a direct effect on the way people interact with each other. It starts with the film’s characters waking up to start their day and climaxes with a neighborhood riot after police officers excessively restrain and kill a young black man named Radio Raheem for fighting an older Italian American restaurant owner named Sal in his pizzeria, and then outside on the street. The film, although released in 1989, with its social commentary on the effect that race has on police brutality is just as relevant today as when it was released 26 years ago. 122. Cast was bananas! 123. Negative Review - David Denby, then writing for New York, also predicted a dire outcome…He accused Lee of creating "the dramatic structure that primes black people to cheer the explosion as an act of revenge," and concluded, “The end of this movie is shambles, and if some audiences go wild, he's partly responsible." 124. The same notion crept into Joe Klein's editorial in the same issue of New York, in which he surmised as to the film's possible political effect on David Dinkins's mayoral campaign. He wrote: "Dinkins will also have to pay the price for Spike Lee's reckless new movie about a summer race riot in Brooklyn" 125. Speaking about the reviews more than 10 years later, Lee was still livid: "What the fuck is that?... What he's saying is, 'Pray to God that this film doesn't open in your theater, (because) niggers are gonna go crazy.'" Lee points out that white audiences aren't presumed to "go crazy" over far more violent action films, "but we're such mental midgets that we can't tell the difference between what's on screen and what's in real life?" 126. Positive Review - Roger Ebert: “I have been given only a few filmgoing experiences in my life to equal the first time I saw “Do the Right Thing.” Most movies remain up there on the screen. Only a few penetrate your soul. In May of 1989 I walked out of the screening at the Cannes Film Festival with tears in my eyes. Spike Lee had done an almost impossible thing. He'd made a movie about race in America that empathized with all the participants. He didn't draw lines or take sides but simply looked with sadness at one racial flashpoint that stood for many others.” 127. Question: What is the right thing to do in the face of systemic social injustice? 128. TV Scene: The Arsenio Hall Show 129. Arsenio Hall (@ 33 yrs. old) is a famous American comedian, actor and talk show host who gained his fame from the show ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’ that aired from the year 1989 to 1994 and 2013 to 2014. Born and raised in Cleveland, as a child, Arsenio used to perform magic tricks. He joined and graduated from Warrensville Heights High School and later pursued his higher education from Kent State University. 130. Early Profession and Career: “Arsenio was a passionate and determined child from childhood and wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. During his early career days, he went to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy. He has appeared on Thicke of the Night as an announcer, besides, Alan Thicke. Arsenio appeared on numerous talk shows which made him popular among the audiences. However, he reached in a prominent place in the talk show genre when he got an opportunity to host his own show ‘The Arsenio Hall Show.’ The late-night show was a hit. 131. Where did he come from? 132. Open Comments: 133. Question: Where do you go nowadays to tap into black culture? 134. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1989?

Topics: Gangs, Keith Sweat, Al. B. Sure!, Bobby Brown, Coming to America, A Different World (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   Snapshots   1.    Ronald Reagan President (Last Year!)   2.    Jan - Doug Williams super bowl [Two weeks earlier, CBS commentator Jimmy the Greek had been fired for remarking that blacks were better at sports because of slave plantation breeding techniques: “During the slave period, the slave owner would breed his big black with his big woman so that he would have a big black kid — that’s where it all started.”]   3.    Feb – Winter Olympics: Jamaican Bobsled team! Debi Thomas 1988 winter Olympics Bronze medal - The best African American figure skater in history   4.    Jul - Jessie Jackson keep hope alive speech at the DNC   5.    Jul - The first ever edition of "Shark Week" airs on Discovery Channel.   6.    Aug - Yo! MTV Raps   7.    Sep - James Brown, while high on PCP, was involved in a high-speed chase with the police. He was eventually convicted of assaulting an officer and possession of an unlicensed firearm, among other charges. He spent three years in prison   8.    Sep – Summer Olympics: Florence Joyner She is considered the fastest woman of all time, based on the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m still stand. Jackie Joyner-Kersee long jump and heptathlon, Carl Lewis, Steve Lewis, and roger kingdom   9.    Oct - Sega's two-year head start on Nintendo in the 16-bit gaming wars began on October 29, 1988, when the Sega Genesis launched   10.    Nov - George Bush elected President   11.    Dec - Mad Max Robinson dies   12.    Dec - Roots: The Gift, the third installment of the Roots series is broadcast on ABC.   13.    Open Comments:   14.    Top Pop Songs   15.    #1 - "Faith" - George Michael   16.    #2 - Need You Tonight" - INXS   17.    #3 - "Got My Mind Set on You" - George Harrison   18.    Grammy Awards   19.    Record of the Year: Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"   20.    Album of the Year: George Michael (producer & artist) for Faith   21.    Song of the Year: Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"   22.    Best New Artist: Tracy Chapman   23.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Anita Baker for "Giving You the Best That I Got"   24.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Terence Trent D'Arby for Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'arby   25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Gladys Knight & the Pips for "Love Overboard"   26.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: Anita Baker for "Giving You the Best That I Got" performed by Anita Baker   27.    Best Rap Performance: "Parents Just Don't Understand" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. [The first award for Best Rap Performance was presented to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for "Parents Just Don't Understand". Jeff and Smith led a boycott in protest of the awards presentation not being televised, and some members of the rap community felt that more qualified artists were overlooked.   28.    Top 3 Movies   29.    #1 - Rain Man   30.    #2 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit   31.    #3 - Coming to America   32.    Other Notables: Big, Twins, Crocodile Dundee II, Die Hard, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Cocktail, Beetlejuice, Above the Law, Colors, A Fish Called Wanda, Young Guns, Tougher Than Leather, Child's Play, The Land Before Time, Tequila Sunrise, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, and School Daze.   33.    Top 3 TV Shows   34.    #1 - The Cosby Show   35.    #2 - Roseanne   36.    #3 - A Different World   37.    Economic Snapshots   38.    New Home: 91,777   39.    Avg Rent: 420   40.    Avg. Income: 24,457   41.    New Car: 10,432   42.    Harvard: 12,015   43.    Movie Ticket: 3.50   44.    Gas: .91   45.    Stamp: .25   46.    Social Scene: Gangs and the movie Colors   47.    Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvatzKVM2g   48.    “Bulls”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJQAKDbq0hI   49.    Stevin Levitt, Freakonomics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UGC2nLnaes 50.    @9:35 - Summary: McDonalds vs Gang   51.    Factors: Socio-political-economical, hyper masculinity and criminal justice/policing   52.    Other ethnicities “evolved” out of their “street-gang” phases, but black- brown people are dealt with differently.   53.    Open Comments:   54.    Question: would more representation in the criminal justice system help – how to counter our internal factor?   55.    Music Scene:   56.    Top Black Singles   57.    #6 - "So Emotional", Whitney Houston   58.    #11 - "One More Try", George Michael   59.    #12 - "Wishing Well", Terence Trent D'Arby   60.    #15 - "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", Billy Ocean   61.    #21, "Man in the Mirror", Michael Jackson   62.    #27, "Father Figure", George Michael   63.    #33 - "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", Whitney Houston   64.    #36 - "The Way You Make Me Feel", Michael Jackson   65.    #37 - "Don't Worry, Be Happy", Bobby McFerrin   66.    Top Black Albums   67.    Jan – Bad, Michael Jackson   68.    Jan - Characters, Stevie Wonder   69.    Feb - All Our Love, Gladys Knight & the Pips   70.    Mar - Make It Last Forever, Keith Sweat   71.    Apr - Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, Terence Trent D'Arby   72.    May - Faith, George Michael   73.    Jul - In Effect Mode, Al B. Sure!   74.    Aug - Strictly Business, EPMD   75.    Sep - Don't Be Cruel, Bobby Brown   76.    Sep - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy   77.    Oct - Don't Let Love Slip Away, Freddie Jackson   78.    Nov - Giving You the Best That I Got, Anita Baker   79.    Nov - Any Love, Luther Vandross   80.    Vote:   81.    Featured Artists: New jack swingers   82.    Keith Sweat (@ 27 yrs. old): Known for his distinctive ‘whining’ vocal style, Sweat has established himself as one of the most successful male R&B/soul singers not only in America but also in other parts of the world. Born Keith Douglas Sweat, he was raised in Harlem and by the time he was 14 he had performed at various nightclubs in and around New York City. He graduated from the City College of New York with a BS degree in ‘communications’, after which he worked for a brief period as a successful brokerage assistant in a Wall Street firm. Despite a prosperous career at the Wall Street, he chose to pursue his passion for music and began writing songs and tried selling them to various record labels. In 1975, he began his career in music as a member of the Harlem based band called the ‘Jamilah’. In 1984, he left ‘Jamilah’ in order to begin a solo career and subsequently sang at various nightclubs in New York. He was quickly noticed and given an opportunity to record an independent album for ‘Stadium Records’. He recorded ‘My Mind Is Made Up’ for the ‘Stadium Records’ and he was also credited as the co-writer and co-producer of ‘You Are the One for Me’. On November 25, 1987 his debut solo album ‘Make It Last Forever’ was released, which sold three million copies. The biggest hit from this album was the song that inaugurated the new jack swing era "I Want Her"   83.    Bobby Brown (@ 19 yrs. old): Brown changed producers for this album and worked extensively with hit-making songwriting and production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Alex Henderson of AllMusic wrote: “Don't Be Cruel was to Bobby Brown what Control was to Janet Jackson – a tougher, more aggressive project that shed his "bubblegum" image altogether and brought him to a new artistic and commercial plateau. With "My Prerogative" and the title song, Brown became a leader of new jack swing”   84.    Al B. Sure!(@ 20 yrs. old): During the late '80s, Al B. Sure! enjoyed a brief run as one of new jack swing's most popular romantic singers. Born Al Brown in Boston, he grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, listening to smooth crooners like Marvin Gaye and Johnny Mathis; he later became interested in rap and added that skill to his vocal repertoire. At age ten, he and a friend performed on a song written by Ellie Greenwich for the soundtrack of Sesame Street, and later he began writing songs with his cousin Kyle West. While in high school (where he quarterbacked the football team), he became friends with Edward Ferrell, aka DJ Eddie F, who was working with rapper Heavy D at the time. Eddie F introduced the still-teenaged Al B. Sure! to Heavy D's manager/Uptown label head Andre Harrell, who had him sing backing vocals on several Heavy D tracks and helped him get a deal with Warner Brothers. In 1987, Al was selected by Quincy Jones as the first winner of the Sony Innovators Talent Search. He collaborated with Jones on various projects, most notably the platinum single “The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)” from Jones’ double-platinum-certified album Back on the Block. On this hit, he was one of a quartet with El DeBarge, Barry White, and James Ingram. His debut album of 1988 In Effect Mode topped the Billboard R&B chart for seven consecutive weeks, selling more than two million copies.   85.    Open Comments:   86.    Question: Al B. Said “There’s a generation of women starving to be told I love you again” What happened?! Who is bringing it back?   87.    Movie Scene: Coming to America   88.    Trailer:   89.    The Hollywood Reporter's original review: “Eddie Murphy's latest Coming to America is likely to leave the wreath-bearers, the frantic faithful, the crowd herders and the legions of line-waiters in numbed, disbelieving disappointment…Distressingly, the film flops into the blandest of sitcom formats, never realizing its regal potential...Coming to America is the filmic equivalent of using a Maserati to go to the corner grocery store…Yes, there are some crazy pieces crammed into America — Murphy and Hall in their multi-roles do a running black barbershop bit that is good and nuts — but this comedy is generally tame and sappy…The plot itself is pathetic…No getting around it, while the script completely misses as a social satire, the writers have botched the romance part of America as well…Rivaling the inept screenplay is John Landis' cornball direction, which includes a TV season's worth of reactive cutaways to an ugly poodle…On a production level, at least, Coming to America gets top marks. — Duane Byrge originally published on June 24, 1988.   90.    Open Comments:   91.    Question: Is this Eddie’s best movie? Was Arsenio better than Eddie? Sequel or a remake?   92.    Television Scene: A Different World   93.    Theme song differences   94.    Debbie Allen’s influence   95.    Why didn’t any of them go onto stardom? -   96.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1988?

Topics: Crack Epidemic, Michael Jackson - Bad, Hollywood Shuffle, Eyes on the Prize (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   Snapshots   1.    Ronald Reagan President – (Should have been impeached)   2.    January   3.    The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, became the very first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.   4.    March   5.    U.S. President Ronald Reagan addresses the American people on the Iran-Contra Affair, acknowledging that his overtures to Iran had 'deteriorated' into an arms-for-hostages deal.   6.    Jim Bakker, head of PTL Ministries, resigns after admitting an affair with church secretary Jessica Hahn.   7.    April   8.    Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of English rock band Queen, is diagnosed with AIDS. He dies four years later after making his diagnosis public.   9.    Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuts as a series of short animated segments as part of The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox.   10.    May   11.    U.S. Senator Gary Hart drops out of the running for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, amid allegations of an extramarital affair with Donna Rice.   12.    June   13.    During a visit to Berlin, Germany, U.S. President Ronald Reagan challenges Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.   14.    Teddy Seymour is officially designated the first black man to sail around the world, when he completes his solo sailing circumnavigation in Frederiksted, St. Croix, of the United States Virgin Islands.   15.    Edwards v. Aguillard: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that a Louisiana law requiring that creation science be taught in public schools whenever evolution is taught is unconstitutional.   16.    July   17.    Ronald Reagan nominates former Solicitor General Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. The nomination is later rejected by the Senate, the first and only nominee rejection to date.   18.    October   19.    Jesse Jackson launches his second campaign for U.S. President.   20.    The United States is caught up in a drama that unfolds on television as a young child, Jessica McClure, falls down a well in Midland, Texas, and is later rescued.   21.    December   22.    Prozac makes its debut in the United States.   23.    Open Comments   24.    Black Snapshots   25.    Mar - The first ever Soul Train Music Awards   26.    Apr - Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis makes racially insensitive comments when 27.    asked about the scarcity of black field or general managers in MLB. Campanis, who had played alongside Robinson and was known for being close to him, was being interviewed about the subject on Nightline. Anchorman Ted Koppel asked him why, at the time, there had been few black managers and no black general managers in Major League Baseball. Campanis' reply was that blacks "may not have some of the necessities to be, let's say, a field manager, or, perhaps, a general manager" for these positions. Elsewhere in the interview, he said that blacks are often poor swimmers "because they don't have the buoyancy." Koppel says he gave Campanis several opportunities to clarify, ("Do you really believe that?") or back down from his remarks, but Campanis confirmed his views with his replies. Campanis was fired less than 48 hours later.   28.    Literature – Rita Dove wins a Pulitzer for Thomas and Beulah and Toni Morrison publishes Beloved; it will win a Pulitzer and become a movie. Terri McMillan's first book, Mama, was published in 1987, later works include Disappearing Acts, Waiting To Exhale, and How Stella got Her Groove Back. James Baldwin, author of If Beale Street Could Talk, passed away.   29.    John H. Johnson is named the first BE Entrepreneur of the Decade, having built Johnson Publishing Co. Inc., producers of Ebony, Jet, and Fashion Fair cosmetics into an international powerhouse. Born and raised in Arkansas, Johnson’s family moved to Chicago when he was a teen. He excelled in school, received a scholarship to the University of Chicago, and began working at an insurance company. He got his start when his mother used her furniture as collateral for a $500 loan to start his first publication, Negro Digest, in 1942, which served as the launching pad for him to create the largest African American publishing company in the world. Seemingly, there wasn’t a single African American household in late 20th century America in which you could not find a copy of Ebony or Jet on the coffee table. In September 1955, Johnson made a decision that forever shook the world. Not one to vacillate on any issue, he revealed to millions the mutilated corpse of Emmett Till, a Chicago youngster who had been bludgeoned and shot in Mississippi for reportedly whistling at a white woman. Shortly thereafter, other black publications followed Jet’s lead in publishing the photos. It galvanized clusters of African Americans nationwide to protest such senseless acts of violence. In one bold move, the determined 37-year-old publisher helped launch the civil rights movement.   30.    Open Comments   31.    Top 3 Pop Songs   32.    #1 - "Walk Like an Egyptian", The Bangles   33.    #2 - "Alone", Heart   34.    #3 - "Shake You Down", Gregory Abbott   35.    Grammy Awards   36.    Record of the Year - Paul Simon for "Graceland"   37.    Album of the Year -U2 for The Joshua Tree   38.    Song of the Year - "Somewhere Out There" performed by Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram   39.    Best New Artist - Jody Watley   40.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Aretha Franklin for Aretha   41.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - Smokey Robinson for "Just to See Her"   42.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - Aretha Franklin & George Michael for "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"   43.    Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist) - David Sanborn for "Chicago Song"   44.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song - Bill Withers (songwriter) for "Lean on Me" performed by Club Nouveau   45.    Open Comments   46.    Top 3 Movies   47.    #1 - Beverly Hills Cop II   48.    #2 – Platoon   49.    #3 - Fatal Attraction   50.    Other Notables: Lethal Weapon, Predator, Spaceballs, Full Metal Jacket, RoboCop, La Bamba, The Lost Boys, Who's That Girl, Disorderlies, Dirty Dancing, The Big Easy, Hellraiser, The Princess Bride, Three Men and a Baby, Wall Street, Good Morning, Vietnam, and Eddie Murphy Raw   51.    Open Comments   52.    Top 3 TV Shows   53.    #1 - The Cosby Show   54.    #2 - A Different World   55.    #3 - Cheers   56.    Debuts: 21 Jump Street, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and A Different World   57.    Open Comments   58.    Economic Snapshots   59.    New Home: 92,024   60.    Avg Rent: 395   61.    Avg. Income: 24,375   62.    New Car: 10,370   63.    Harvard: 11,390   64.    Movie Ticket: 3.00   65.    Gas: .89   66.    Stamp: .22   67.    Social Scene: The Crack Epidemic   68.    Crack cocaine   69.    What is it - Crack cocaine, is a free base form of cocaine that can be smoked. Cocaine had a reputation as a “party” drug for rich white people. Heroine was a “street” drug for poor black people. Crack became popular on the “streets” with dealers because it turns powder cocaine into an extremely profitable and addictive drug you can now sell to anybody, rich, poor, black, and white. Users liked it because it is a cheap and very potent.   70.    Epidemic background – In 1981, crack started showing up in southern states, like Miami and Houston, and on the west coast, Los Angeles and Oakland. (Coastal/Port cities) Crack was basically an unheard-of drug until 1985. That year was the first time the term "crack" was used by the press, November, 29 New York Times article - A NEW, PURIFIED FORM OF COCAINE CAUSES ALARM AS ABUSE INCREASES, By Jane Gross. Within a year, over one thousand stories showed up in the press. By 1987, The DOJ said crack was in 46 out of 50 states.   71.    How did it Happen? The main conspiracy theory out there is that Reagan had the CIA do it.   72.    Audio Clip   73.    Question: Did crack impact your life at all? Why/Why not?   74.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the top 40   75.    #3 - "Shake You Down", Gregory Abbott   76.    #4 - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", Whitney Houston   77.    #7 - "Here I Go Again", Whitesnake   78.    #14 - "Always", Atlantic Starr   79.    #16 - "Looking for a New Love", Jody Watley   80.    #17 - "Head to Toe", Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam   81.    #22 - "Didn't We Almost Have It All", Whitney Houston   82.    #24 - "I Want Your Sex", George Michael   83.    #29 - "Lean on Me", Club Nouveau   84.    #31 - "Lost in Emotion", Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam   85.    #36 - "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", Aretha Franklin and George Michael   86.    #37 - "Control", Janet Jackson   87.    #38 - "U Got the Look", Prince   88.    #39 - "Somewhere Out There", Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram   89.    Vote:   90.    Top RnB Albums   91.    Jan - Just Like the First Time, Freddie Jackson   92.    May - Give Me the Reason, Luther Vandross   93.    Jun - Jody Watley, Jody Watley   94.    Jul - One Heartbeat, Smokey Robinson   95.    Jul - Bigger and Deffer, LL Cool J   96.    Sep - If I Were Your Woman, Stephanie Mills   97.    Dec – Characters, Stevie Wonder   98.    Vote   99.    Featured Artist: Michael Jackson, BAD   100.    Open Floor   101.    Question 1: Best Song on the Album   102.    Question 2: Best MJ song ever?   103.    Movie Scene: Hollywood Shuffle, by Robert Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans   104.    Robert Townsend, writer, producer, director, and actor was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 6, 1957, the second oldest of four children to Shirley and Robert Townsend.  Growing up on the Westside of Chicago, Townsend was raised by his mother in a single parent home.  As a child Townsend watched TV where he learned to do impersonations of his favorite actors. In 1974, at age 17, he joined Chicago’s Experimental Black Actors Guild X-Bag Theatre and studied at the Second City comedy workshop for improvisation. In 1975, he had a brief uncredited role in the 1975 movie, Cooley High. After high school, Townsend enrolled at Illinois State University, studied for a year, dropped out and moved to New York to pursue comedy.   105.    Townsend met Keenan Ivory Wayans while they were both auditioning at the Improvisation Comedy club and the two formed a lifelong friendship. Keenan left for Hollywood, Robert stayed in NYC, and in 1980, at age 23, he almost landed Eddie Murphy’s spot on SNL. Keenan soon talked him into moving to Hollywood and pursuing an acting career.   106.    He performed on comedy specials such as Rodney Dangerfield: It’s Not Easy Being Me and landed minor roles in films such as A Soldier’s Story (1984) with Denzel Washington, Streets of Fire (1984) with Diane Lane, and American Flyers, a 1985 movie starring Kevin Costner.    107.    The auditioning process in Hollywood, along with other industry processes, were making Robert and Keenan very frustrated. Tired of the run-around and shuffling back and forth for opportunities that were patronizing and demeaning, they decided to make their own movie. At age 30, without any funding beyond the money saved from his earlier work, he co-wrote, directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed 1987 film, Hollywood Shuffle. Later that same year he directed his old friend Eddie Murphy’s stand-up special Raw. In 1991 he directed and starred in The Five Heartbeats, a biographical drama based loosely on the lives of the rhythm and blues group, the Dells and Temptations. He also directed and starred in The Meteor Man (1993) with James Earl Jones and Bill Cosby and went on to co-create the television series The Parent 'Hood (1995-99)   108.    Open Floor   109.    Audio Clip   110.    Question 1: Is Tyler Perry a Tom?   111.    Question 2: What are today’s stereotypes?   112.    Television scene: Eyes on the Prize- An American television series and 14-part documentary about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States that originally aired on PBS in 1987.   113.    Produced by Blackside, Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today. Winner of numerous Emmy Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, an International Documentary Award, and a Television Critics Association Award, Eyes on the Prize is the most critically acclaimed documentary on civil rights in America.   114.    The 1987 original airing: America's Civil Rights Years 1954–1965 (6 parts) Pt. 1 - Awakenings (1954–1956)": Chronicles the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi and the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama. Pt. 2 - "Fighting Back (1957–1962)”: Chronicles the school desegregation crises at Central High School by the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas and by James Meredith at the University of Mississippi during the Ole Miss riot of 1962. Pt. 3 - "Ain't Scared of Your Jails (1960–1961)": Covers the Nashville sit-ins and boycotts that sought to end racial segregation at lunch counters in Tennessee and the Freedom Riders efforts to end segregation on interstate transportation and terminals throughout the southern United States. Pt. 4 - "No Easy Walk (1961–1963)": Examines the failed attempt by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Albany, Georgia to end segregation and the subsequent lessons learned to win a major victory in Birmingham, Alabama during the Birmingham campaign. The film also covers the March on Washington, one of the largest political rallies for civil rights in United States. Pt. 5 - "Mississippi: Is This America? (1962–1964)" Chronicles the murder of Medgar Evers in 1963 and the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in 1964 in Mississippi. The film also covers the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) attendance at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City during the United States presidential election of 1964. Pt. 6 - "Bridge to Freedom (1965)": Examines the effort to restore voting rights in Selma, Alabama during the Selma to Montgomery marches.   115.    Review from Common Sense Media: - IS IT ANY GOOD? - This documentary series is wonderfully narrated by Julian Bond and peppered with feisty first-person accounts from the people who lived it. Watching early film of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a 26-year-old clergyman at the beginning of his historic odyssey and seeing the young, future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall just after his victory in Brown vs. the Board of Education are highlights in a film that consistently strives for excellence, integrity, and clarity. It's a fascinating, emotional journey marked by moments of sadness, disgust, pride, and ultimately joy. Eyes on the Prize brings a crucial part of America's recent past to life.   116.    About Henry Hampton: Hampton was born in St. Louis and as a child suffered from polio. He obtained a B. A. degree from Washington University in his hometown. He was a renowned producer whose television documentary Eyes on the Prize set the pattern for nonfiction accounts of the civil rights movement. His films include The Great Depression and America's War on Poverty, both of which were critically acclaimed. Hampton founded and ran Blackside Productions; the United States' largest African American owned documentary film Production Company. His work focused on the lives of the poor and disenfranchised and chronicled the 20th century's great political and social movements.   117.    Open Floor:   118.    Question: None   119.    Vote: Favorite/Best/Most Important Pop Culture Item of 1987

Topics: Chicago Bears, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker, She's Gotta Have It, 227-(TV Sitcom)(Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   General Snapshots   1.    Ronald Reagan is President   2.    Jan - The first federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr., is observed.   3.    Jan - The first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll HOF, included Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and 3 other white performers. Also inducted were, James Brown*, Little Richard*, Fats Domino*, Ray Charles*, Chuck Berry*, Sam Cooke*, Robert Johnson*, and Jimmy Yancey*.   4.    Jan - Super Bowl XX: The Chicago Bears defeat the New England Patriots 46–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.   5.    Jan - Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the crew of seven astronauts, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe (see Space Shuttle Challenger disaster). President Ronald Reagan postpones for one week the State of the Union address that had been scheduled for the evening and instead addresses the nation on the Challenger disaster.   6.    Mar - Halley's Comet is a comet visible from Earth every 75–76 years. It last appeared in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.   7.    Apr - The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, hosted by Geraldo Rivera, is a two-hour live American television special.   8.    Apr - In Ukraine, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes, creating the world’s worst nuclear disaster. 31 are killed directly by the incident, many more die from cancer in later years, many thousands more are exposed to significant amounts of radioactive material, and vast territories in Ukraine and Belarus are rendered uninhabitable.   9.    May - Hands Across America: approximately 6.5 million people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness. The event raised about $15 million. A total of 24 cities participated along the route, including: Champaign, Illinois (with Walter Payton), Chebanse, Illinois (A cornfield in central Illinois served as center-point of the nation with 16,000 people in attendance), Springfield, Illinois (with 50 Abraham Lincoln impersonators), and St. Louis, Missouri (with Kathleen Turner under the St. Louis Arch)   10.    Aug - In Edmond, Oklahoma, United States Postal Service employee Patrick Sherrill guns down 14 of his co-workers before committing suicide.   11.    Sep - Desmond Tutu becomes the first black Anglican Church bishop in South Africa’s Cape Town, the most senior position in southern Africa's Anglican hierarchy.  Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from black theology with African theology; politically, he identifies as a socialist.   12.    Nov - Iran–Contra affair: The United States has been selling weapons to Iran in secret, in order to secure the release of 7 American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. Also, profits from the covert weapons sales to Iran were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, start shredding documents implicating them.   13.    Nov - Mike Tyson wins his first world boxing title by defeating Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout or stoppage, 12 of them in the first round.   14.    Dec - Three African Americans are assaulted by a group of white teens in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York. One of the victims, Michael Griffith, is run over and killed by a motorist while attempting to flee the attackers.   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Top 3 Pop Songs   17.    1 "That's What Friends Are For, Dionne and Friends   18.    2 "Say You, Say Me", Lionel Richie   19.    3 "I Miss You", Klymaxx   20.    Grammy Award Winners   21.    Record of the Year: "Higher Love", Steve Winwood   22.    Album of the Year: Paul Simon (producer & artist) for Graceland   23.    Song of the Year: Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager (songwriters) for "That's What Friends Are For" performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder   24.    Best New Artist: Bruce Hornsby & the Range   25.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Anita Baker for Rapture   26.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: James Brown for "Living in America"   27.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Prince and The Revolution for "Kiss"   28.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Sweet Love" performed by Anita Baker   29.    Open Comments   30.    Top 3 Movies   1.    Top Gun   2.    Crocodile Dundee   3.    Platoon   31.    Other Notables: The Karate Kid Part II, Star Trek IV, Back To School, Aliens, The Golden Child, Ruthless People, Ferris Bueller's Day Off,  Crocodile Dundee, The Fly, Howard the Duck, Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, Platoon, Pretty in Pink, Stand By Me, Top Gun, The Three Amigos ---AND UNDER THE CHERRY MOON!   32.    Open Comments   33.    Top 3 TV Shows   1.    The Cosby Show   2.    Family Ties   3.    Cheers   34.    Open Comments   35.    Economic Snapshot   36.    New Home: 89,463   37.    Avg Rent: 385   38.    Avg. Income: 22,300   39.    New Car: 9,300   40.    Harvard:10,600 yearly   41.    Movie Ticket: 2.75   42.    Gas: .89   43.    Stamp: .22   44.    Social Scene: Chicago Bears – Super Bowl Shufflin!!   45.    “In March of 1920 a man telephoned me. Mr. Chamberlain asked if I would like to come to Decatur and work for the Staley Company. [George Chamberlain was general superintendent of the A. E. Staley Company, a food starch company of Decatur, Illinois. In 1919, the company's Fellowship Club had formed a football team. It had done well against other local teams, but Mr. Staley wanted to build it into a team that could compete successfully with the best semi-professional and industrial teams in the country.” - George Halas, in his book Halas by Halas.   46.    The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 17, 1920 and moved to Chicago in 1921. It is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL's founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals, which was originally also in Chicago. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the company hired George Halas, a Chicago native, and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman in 1920 to run the team. The 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922). The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys. Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for $100 (~$1,400 in 2019). In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise and, as with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team. Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and the Bears adopted those colors as their own.   47.    The 1985 Bears were simply the greatest team ever, and here's why. The collection of players Chicago put together not just on defense, but also offense, made them one of the most talented teams ever assembled. The Bears steam-rolled their way through the regular season with a 15-1 record. In Super Bowl XX, they destroyed the Pats 46-10, with the only 10 points they would give up in the entire playoffs. At the time, the 36-point win was the largest in Super Bowl history. Chicago finished with an 18-1 overall record and allowed only five of the teams they faced that year to score more than 10 points in a game. They had the greatest running back in NFL history, Walter Payton. They had the best middle linebacker in NFL history, Mike Singletary. And they even had the 1985 Coach of the Year, Mike Ditka. But, most importantly, they had the greatest team in the history of the NFL. (Including the “Punkie” QB and the Fridge!) They were the 1985 Chicago Bears. R.I.P. Sweetness. Although you wore No. 34 on the field, you will always be No. 1 in Bears fans' hearts! - MATT REAGAN [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/136752-1985-chicago-bears-the-greatest-team-ever]   48.    Question: Did you care?   49.    Music Scene   50.    Black Songs from the Top 40   51.    1 "That's What Friends Are For, Dionne and Friends   52.    2 "Say You, Say Me", Lionel Richie   53.    3 "I Miss You", Klymaxx   54.    4 "On My Own", Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald   55.    6 "How Will I Know", Whitney Houston   56.    7 "Party All the Time", Eddie Murphy   57.    11 "Greatest Love of All", Whitney Houston   58.    12 "Secret Lovers", Atlantic Starr   59.    16 "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", Billy Ocean   60.    19 "Kiss", Prince and The Revolution   61.    26 "I Can't Wait", Nu Shooz   62.    31 "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", Billy Ocean   63.    32 "When I Think of You", Janet Jackson   64.    39 "Dancing on the Ceiling", Lionel Richie   65.    43 "What Have You Done For Me Lately", Janet Jackson   66.    Vote:   67.    Top RnB Albums   68.    Jan - In Square Circle, Stevie Wonder   69.    Feb – Promise, Sade   70.    Apr – Control, Janet Jackson   71.    Jun - Winner in You, Patti LaBelle   72.    Aug - Love Zone, Billy Ocean   73.    Aug - Raising Hell, Run–D.M.C.   74.    Sep – Rapture, Anita Baker   75.    Oct - Word Up!, Cameo   76.    Nov - Give Me the Reason, Luther Vandross   77.    Dec - Just Like the First Time, Freddie Jackson   78.    *Dec - Life, Love & Pain, the debut album of Club Nouveau (Personal Favorite – 1st “Grown Up” album I bumped)   79.    Vote   80.    Featured Artist: Janet Damita Jo Jackson (@ 20 yrs. old): a.k.a, Ms. Jackson if you’re Nasty.    81.    One of the most awarded artists in the world, her career longevity, hit records and trail of achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music. In her more than four decades of music career that has spanned over eleven studio albums and seven world tours, Jackson has sold more than 100 million records with four of her albums being included in Rolling Stone's ‘500 Greatest Albums’ and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ‘Definitive 200’ list. She was a fixture on MTV and a major role model for young artist.   82.    Childhood and career: Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she was the youngest of the ten children. With the entire family into the entertainment business, it was only natural for Janet Jackson to follow suit. She recorded herself in the studio and by the age of seven, had performed at the Las Vegas Strip at MGM Casino. In 1976, Jackson began acting in the variety show ‘The Jacksons’. The following year, she grabbed a main role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom ‘Good Times’. This was followed by a role in ‘A New Kind of Family’ and a recurring role in ‘Different Strokes’. At the age of 16, Jackson received a contract with A&M Records. Under the label, she released her debut album ‘Janet Jackson’ in 1982. The album peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200, and number six on the publication’s R&B albums chart. In 1984, Jackson released her second album ‘Dream Street’. The album was moderately successful, peaking at 147 on the Billboard 200, and number 19 on the R&B albums chart. Its lead single ‘Don’t Stand a Chance’ peaked at number nine on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Continuous tiffs with her father led Jackson to come out from under his shell. She then teamed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to come up with her third album ‘Control’ in 1986 which became a major hit. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, selling over ten million copies worldwide.   83.    ‘Control’ gave Jackson her first breakthrough success. It not just spawned top five singles but also gave her, her first number one hit on the Hot 100. The album went on to receive six Billboard Awards, including Top Pop Singles Artist and three Grammy nominations. It also won four American Music Awards from twelve nominations, the highest ever till date. ‘Control’ gained crossover pop appeal, giving Jackson her own identity, away from her clan. Following the stupendous success of ‘Control’, Jackson was bounded by the pressure to come up with its sequel. However, she refrained from bowing down to the pressure and instead came up with her fourth album ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ that dealt with a socially conscious theme.   84.    Open Comments:   85.    Question 1: Nipple Gate - In a 2006 interview with MTV, Justin Timberlake admitted that Jackson suffered more in wake of the controversy. “If you consider it 50-50, then I probably got 10 percent of the blame,” Timberlake told MTV’s John Norris in a 2006 interview. “I think America is harsher on women. I think America is unfairly harsh on ethnic people.” He also said that he could have “handled [the aftermath] better.” -  Why did she get crushed?   86.    Question 2: TMZ 6/23/2019 - Janet Jackson has broken her silence amid new allegations against her brother, Michael Jackson, in "Leaving Neverland" -- and her message is simple ... his rep will be just fine. Janet says, "I love it when I see kids emulating him, when adults still listen to his music. It just lets you know the impact that my family has had on the world." She added, "I hope I'm not sounding arrogant in any way -- I'm just stating what it is. It's really all God's doing, and I'm just thankful for that." She's also defended him in the past, specifically when Jordy Chandler accused Michael of sexual abuse in '93. At the time, Janet called it a money grab. – Denial or Business?   87.    Featured Artist: Anita Denise Baker (@ 28 yrs. old): a.k.a., 'The Songstress'. Singer and songwriter.   88.    Childhood & Early Life: Born in Toledo, Ohio. She was abandoned by her parents at the age of two and was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan. Her foster parents passed away when she was only 12 and her foster sister took care of her upbringing after the death of her foster parents. Baker had an interest in music from an early age and started singing R & B in nightclubs in Detroit by the time she was 16. It was after one of those performances that funk band leader David Washington of ‘Chapter 8’ identified her and asked her to go to go for an audition in order to join the band.   89.    Career: Baker became a member of the band ‘Chapter 8’ in 1975 (@ 17 yrs. old) and following a string of performances, the band was handed a deal by Ariola Records in 1979. The group’s first album ‘Chapter 8’ was released in 1979 and featured the singles "Ready for Your Love," a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and the Baker-led "I Just Want to Be Your Girl." In 1979, Ariola Records was taken over by Arista Records and Chapter 8 lost their contract as Arista Records was of the view that Baker was not fit to be the group’s lead singer. Baker went back to Detroit and worked as a waitress and a receptionist for a law firm. In 1983 (@ 25yrs old), she released her debut solo album, 'The Songstress', under the Beverly Glen label. The album was a popular one and many of the songs made it to the music charts. Following the release of the album she had a protracted legal battle with the Beverly Glen label over payment of royalties and breach of contract issues. She won the case against the label in 1985, signed with Elektra Records label, and came out with her second album 'Rapture' in 1986. The album became a big hit, with over eight million copies sold worldwide and led to ‘The Rapture Tour’.   90.    Open Comments:   91.    Question: Parade Magazine 9/12/19 - Short hair, don’t care! Tamron Hall has been rocking a short ‘do for over 20 years—and the TV personality, 48, revealed on her new self-titled daytime talk show that she decided to first go for the chop because of an old flame. “I cut my hair when I was 18 years old because my boyfriend at the time had a crush on Anita Baker, and I had a bigger crush on him than he did on me apparently,” she shared. So, Hall modeled her hair after the “Sweet Love” singer, who has been credited as one of the pioneers of the pixie haircut. – Do you like the pixie on women?   92.    Movie Scene: She’s Gotta Have It   93.    A 1986 American black-and-white comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Spike Lee. Filmed on a small budget and Lee's first feature-length film, it earned positive reviews and launched Lee's career. The plot concerns a young woman (Johns) who is seeing three men, and the feelings this arrangement provokes. Nola idealizes the freedom to have multiple sex partners that men have typically enjoyed, saying “A woman can be a sexual being, doesn’t have to belong to a man, and perhaps shouldn’t even wish for such a thing.” Nola's voice has been described as the most revolutionary element in the film, a representation of the struggle African American women faced in society at the time.   94.    Review: By Esi Edugyan, he Guardian 12/2017 - Perhaps the most daring aspect of ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ was not its portrayal of sexuality but simply its willingness to view black people just as people. The film never highlights their racial otherness, exploring instead the whole messy business of their experiences. The black experience – to the extent such a thing even exists – is not only slavery and racism and economic disparity and brutality and the endless ongoing struggle, though it is all these things certainly. It is also sex and love and boredom and dreaming and joy.   95.    Question: Are promiscuous black women now acceptable?   96.    TV Scene     97.    Debuts: Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based talk show goes national, He's the Mayor, The Redd Foxx Show, Melba, featuring singer/actress Melba Moore.   98.    Cancellations: Mar - Diff'rent Strokes, 1978 / Apr - Benson, 1979 / May - The Love Boat, 1977   99.    Featured Show: “227”   100.    “227” stars Marla Gibbs as Mary Jenkins. The series was adapted from a play written in 1978 by Christine Houston about the lives of women in a predominantly black apartment building. The show was created as a starring vehicle for Marla Gibbs, who had become famous as Florence Johnston, the sassy maid on The Jeffersons, and had starred in Houston's play in Los Angeles. This role was similar in nature.   101.    “227” followed the lives of Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs), a nosy, tart-tongued, but loving housewife. Her husband, Lester (Hal Williams), had his own construction company, and their daughter, Brenda (Regina King), was boy-crazy yet smart and studious, in her first television acting role. Also cast in 227 was Sandra Clark (Jackée Harry), Mary's young neighbor who constantly bickered back and forth with her about their respective views on life. Except for The Cosby Show and A Different World, “227” achieved higher ratings than other sitcoms airing at the time with a predominantly African American cast during the first two seasons. Awards: Winner of 1987 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Jackée Harry.   102.    Open Comments:   103.    Featured Character: Sandra's style was so great because it's the quintessential 1980's look of "grown and sexy". Sandra showed us Black women could be bold, fierce, fabulous, and fashionistas and rock any outfit with enough confidence to stop traffic. From interview with Lee Bailey’s Electronic Urban Report, “I was a diva, full and blown up. In fact, I was the ‘It’ girl. Oh yeah, I was that girl. I dressed well, had a lot of money. I don’t know how many cars. You know, it was the 80s, it was not a blur, but it flew so fast.” Fortunately, Harry had a great vehicle to shine in “227,” which struck a chord with its relatable characters. Harry’s hard work obviously paid off with Sandra, who became a certified hit with viewers. It’s a given that Harry put her stamp on the character, but she credits a couple of entertainment icons for helping to lay the groundwork for her and other women to be funny and sexy without missing a beat. Especially when it came to Sandra. “Just funny. Funny. And the clothes she wore, scandalous. Funny lines. Sexy, fancy. People wanted that and I didn’t know that, then,” Harry said about what made her beloved “227” character so endearing. “I grew up watching a lot of TV and I had seen women like that on TV… a lot of different women like Mae West and Lucille Ball. That was my vision of funny. Pretty, but still funny and you can get away with a lot more. Which is still true today.”   104.    Open Comments:   105.    Question: Ever met a real-life “Jackee”?   106.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1986

Topics: Air Jordans, Whitney Houston, Sade, The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Phylicia Rashad (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1985 Notes   General Snapshots   1.    President: Ronald Reagan   2.    Jan – In Hollywood,  California, the charity single "We  Are the World" is recorded by USA for  Africa. The  single raises money to combat the  ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The  American act consists of high-profile  performers, including Michael  Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner,  Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.   3.    Jan – The newest music video channel, VH-1, begins broadcasting on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV. The first video played is Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner".   4.    Mar – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.  In the main event, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through closed-circuit television, making it the largest pay-per-view showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.   5.    Apr – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.   6.    Aug - Ryan White who was expelled from Western High School in Indiana is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.   7.    Sep - The Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.   8.    Oct  – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores. By 1988, industry observers stated that the NES's popularity had grown so quickly that the market for Nintendo cartridges was larger than that for all home computer software.  The NES was released two years after the North American video game crash of 1983, when many retailers and adult consumers regarded electronic games as a passing fad. With the NES, Nintendo also changed the relationship between console manufacturers and third-party software developers by restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher-quality games, which helped change the attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly produced games for earlier systems.   9.    Nov - Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.   10.    Open Comments:   11.    Top 3 Pop Songs   12.    1    "Careless Whisper"    Wham!   13.    2    "Like a Virgin"    Madonna   14.    3    "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"    Wham!   15.    Grammy Awards   16.    Record of the Year: Quincy Jones (producer) for "We Are the World"   17.    Album of the Year: Phil Collins (producer & artist) for No Jacket Required   18.    Song of the Year: Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie (songwriters) for "We Are the World"   19.    Best New Artist: Sade   20.    Top 3 Movies   21.    Back to the Future   22.    Rambo: First Blood Part II   23.    Rocky IV   24.    Other Notables:  The Color Purple / Out of Africa / Cocoon / The Jewel of the Nile / Witness / The Goonies / Spies Like Us / The Breakfast Club / Brewster's Millions / St. Elmo's Fire /  Krush Groove   25.    Top 3 TV Shows   26.    The Cosby Show   27.    Family Ties   28.    Murder, She Wrote       29.    TV Debuts   30.    Sep - What's Happening Now!! / Stir Crazy   31.    Black Snapshots   32.    Feb -  Whitney Houston releases her debut  album – Whitney Houston.   33.    Mar  – Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.   34.    May - Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year."   35.    May – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode, the  first African American to hold that office,  orders police to storm the  headquarters of the black liberation/back-to-nature group MOVE to end a stand-off over serving arrest warrants. (Due process?!?!)  The police drop 2 explosive devices into the headquarters, killing 6 adults and 5 children, and destroyed an additional 61 residental homes in the resulting fire. The survivors filed a civil suit against the city and the police department, and were awarded $1.5 million in 1996.   36.    Jul - The final episode of The Jeffersons airs. (1975-) 10 yrs   37.    Aug - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids  (1972-) 13 yrs   38.    Nov - Ebony Man: EM  Magazine launches   39.    Best Comedy Recording: Whoopi Goldberg - Original Broadway Show Recording   40.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Freeway of Love"   41.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Stevie Wonder for In Square Circle   42.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Commodores for "Nightshift"   43.    Economic Snapshot   44.    Avg. Income = $22,138   45.    House = $99,331   46.    New Car = $9,531   47.    Avg. Rent = $375   48.    Tuition at Harvard = $9,800   49.    Movie Ticket = $2.75   50.    Gas = $1.20   51.    Stamp = $0.22   52.    Socilal Scene: “Money, it's gotta be da shoes!” - Mars Blackmon   53.    The Air Jordan I was originally released in 1985 and is almost single-handedly responsible for modern-day sneaker culture. Michael Jordan originally wanted to sign with either Converse or Adidas. But Converse declined and according to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 so did Adidas. Still MJ was not convinced. Only when Nike, thinking they had nothing to loose, offered to give MJ his own shoe- and clothing line did he change his mind. This was unheard of at the time, no NBA player had an entire product line named after them. As the first basketball player with his own signature shoes Jordan would immediately become the king of basketball sneaker advertising. Just to be on the safe side Nike worked an out-clause into the contract: if Air Jordans didn’t earn Nike $3 million in the first 3 years, or if Jordan didn’t make the NBA All-Star Game in his first three years, Nike could dump him. Jordan was voted into the All-Star Game as a Rookie starter and the "Air Jordan 1" shoe made Nike $130 million in 1985 alone. The rest is history.   54.    Open Comments:   55.    The pushback and common critisisms   56.    Extremely superficial materialism is one of the only ways that many black Americans express a sense of self worth.    57.    When you live in a society where nobody has a savings account, or a college degree, or has traveled abroad, having a fresh pair of sneakers and a gold chain shouldn't be your version of keeping up with the Joneses.   58.    Liking shoes is as much of a "black thing" as liking chicken is a "black thing". Everyone likes both of these things.   59.    Open Comments:   60.    It became popular in the late 80s for people with moderate or low incomes to wear clothing adorned with the names and logos of luxury, high-end brands. Then all the luxury brands started making their own low-end, logo-covered versions. You wear your favorite sports team to affiliate yourself with them. It's the same thing with Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi, Gitano, Bonjour, Sasson, etc., it's a way of signalling.   61.    Question: We went from tailored suits and dresses to baggy jeans and yoga pants. From afro's and braids to fashioned bandanas and bleached blondes. From the stylish Supremes and Tempations to tatooed  faces and pireced everytginhg. - What do you think is at the root of our decisions? Are we victims of advertising?   62.    Music Scene   63.    Black Songs from the Top 40 (No Lionel Richie showed up!)   64.    5    "I Feel for You"    Chaka Khan   65.    6    "Out of Touch"    Hall & Oates   66.    12    "Easy Lover"    Philip Bailey and Phil Collins   67.    17    "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   68.    20    "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   69.    22    "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   70.    23    "Saving All My Love For You"    Whitney Houston   71.    26    "Cool It Now"    New Edition   72.    28    "Loverboy"    Billy Ocean   73.    29    "Lovergirl"    Teena Marie   74.    31    "Oh Sheila"    Ready for the World   75.    32    "Rhythm of the Night"    DeBarge   76.    38    "Neutron Dance"    The Pointer Sisters   77.    40    "Nightshift"    Commodores   78.    Vote:   79.    Top RnB Singles   80.    Jan - "Operator"    Midnight Star   81.    Jan - "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   82.    Feb -  "Mr. Telephone Man"    New Edition   83.    Feb - "Missing You"    Diana Ross   84.    Mar - "Nightshift"    The Commodores   85.    Apr - "Back In Stride"    Maze featuring Frankie Beverly   86.    Apr - "Rhythm Of the Night"    DeBarge   87.    May - "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   88.    May - "Fresh"    Kool & the Gang   89.    May - "You Give Good Love"    Whitney Houston   90.    Jun - "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)"    Freddie Jackson   91.    Jul - "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"    Loose Ends   92.    Jul - "Save Your Love (For #1)"    René & Angela   93.    Aug - "Freeway of Love"    Aretha Franklin   94.    Sep - "Saving All My Love for You"    Whitney Houston   95.    Sep - "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   96.    Sep - "Oh Sheila"    Ready For the World   97.    Oct - "You Are My Lady"    Freddie Jackson   98.    Oct - "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   99.    Nov - "Caravan of Love"    Isley-Jasper-Isley   100.    Dec - "Don't Say No Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   101.    Vote:   102.    Top RnB Albums   103.    Jan - New Edition    New Edition   104.    Feb - Solid    Ashford & Simpson   105.    Mar - Gap Band VI    The Gap Band   106.    Mar p- Private Dancer    Tina Turner   107.    Apr - Nightshift    The Commodores   108.    Apr - Can't Stop the Love    Frankie Beverly and Maze   109.    May - The Night I Fell in Love    Luther Vandross   110.    Jun - Whitney Houston    Whitney Houston   111.    Jun - Rock Me Tonight    Freddie Jackson   112.    Nov - In Square Circle    Stevie Wonder   113.    Vote   114.    Featured Artists: Whitney Houston and Sade   115.    Whitney Elizabeth Houston, @22 yrs old: Singer, actress, model, and producer, Whitney Houston is one of the world’s most successful female entertainers of all time.   116.    Born and raised in Newark NJ,  she is the daughter of Grammy-award-winning gospel singer, Emily “Cissy” Houston and John R. Houston, who managed his daughter’s production company.    117.    Childhood & Early Life   118.    She was no stranger to the entertainment industry, having come from a line of singers and actresses. Not only did her mother’s vocal group, the ‘Sweet Inspirations’, sing backup for Aretha Franklin, but her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are also renowned singers, as well as her godmother, Darlene Love. She began performing in her church’s gospel choir as a soloist at the age of eleven and learned to play the piano. While attending Catholic school, she took voice lessons from her mother, with whom she would occasionally perform in nightclubs.   119.    Career   120.    In 1977 (@ 14 yrs old), she was a backup singer for Michael Zager Band’s single ‘Life’s a Party’ and the following year she sang on Chaka Khan’s single ‘I’m Every Woman’. She was offered an opportunity to sign with a recording company, but her mother declined so she would finish high school. In the early 1980s, (@17 yrs old), she worked as a model, appearing in several magazines including, ‘Seventeen’, where she became the first African American to be featured on the cover. She also took on acting gigs appearing in TV show episodes such as, ‘Gimme a Break’, while continuing to develop her vocal skills. In 1983,(@ 20yrs old) she was signed with ‘Arista Records’. President Clive Davis spent the next couple years assembling lyricists and producers to balance her gospel-like sound with contemporary melodies. In 1985, her debut album, ‘Whitney Houston’ gradually became the number one selling album of her career.  She went on to win two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards.   121.    Open Comments:   122.    A Hot Mess   123.    On February 11th, 2012, Whitney Houston (@ 48 yrs old) was found facedown in a bathtub.  Weeks later, an autopsy report would contribute Houston’s death to accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use. There were additional traces of a muscle relaxant, Xanax, marijuana and an allergy medication in the singer’s system.    124.    The sad, secret life of Whitney Houston: From a secret lesbian relationship to a decades-long struggle with drugs, five years after singer’s death, a new film ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ examines what caused her tragic downfall - Tara Brady [Jun 12, 2017] https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-sad-secret-life-of-whitney-houston-1.3105861   125.    Selected quotes from the article:   126.    What exactly killed Houston? Why did she drown? How did she drown? Was she simply overwhelmed by the controlling demands of her formidable mother, Cissy Houston, Svengali Clive Davis, and her record company, Arista? Did the aftermath of her toxic and co-dependent marriage to Bobby Brown send her spiralling? Or was it the dissolution of her decades-old lesbian relationship with her assistant Robyn Crawford? It’s complicated, as documentarian Nick Broomfield discovered.  “In the end I think the divide between who she was and what her public persona was became more and more difficult,” says  documentarian Nick Broomfield. “And she just went down,    127.    The imploding relations between Houston, Bobby Brown and Robyn Crawford. Brown told Us Weekly magazine that Houston was bisexual and that she once had an affair with Tupac Shakur. He went on to say that Houston kept her relationship with Crawford hidden because of Cissy. “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown told the magazine. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”   128.    From Cissy’s notorious 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey:  “Would it have bothered you if your daughter was gay?”  “Absolutely,” Cissy snapped back. “You wouldn’t have condoned it?” continued an incredulous Oprah. “Not at all.” ...“I didn’t particularly like [Crawford],” Cissy told the talk show queen. “She just spoke too much, disrespectful sometimes, like she had something over Nippy (Houston’s nickname), and I didn’t like that at all. She was all right, she turned out to be all right, I guess. That was her friend.”   129.    Houston and Crawford first bonded while they were teenagers working at a community centre in East Orange, New Jersey. When Houston’s modelling career began to take off, she’d face bullying in school, and Crawford, who was originally a friend of Houston’s older brothers Michael and Gary, would frequently come to the rescue. When Houston moved out of her family home, she shared her first apartment with Crawford. Deep into Houston and Brown’s 14-year marriage, Crawford remained a fixture in Houston’s domestic arrangements.   130.    Houston’s marriage to Brown, understandably, made for an uneasy romantic trinity. In Derrick Handspike’s unauthorised 2008 biography, Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But . . ., the author quotes Brown as saying: “Now I realise Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. I believe her agenda was to clean up her image while mine was to be loved and have children. “Whitney felt she had to make rumours of a lesbian affair go away. Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn’t go too well with her image. In Whitney’s situation the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation whether it was true or not.”   131.    Supermarket tabloids did a brisk trade during the 1990s by peddling the idea that Houston’s life spiralled into addiction after she married Brown. She was the gospel-singing good girl – the church-going daughter of Cissy and a cousin of Dionne Warwick. He was a bad boy who, aged 20, when they first met, had already been shot and stabbed in the shoulder. Their tumultuous marriage (from 1992 to 2007), characterised by drug use, infidelity and a costly entourage, was seldom out of the headlines. But contrary to popular belief, Brown did not introduce his troubled wife to cocaine. Houston first dabbled with drugs with her brothers, Michael and Gary, as a teenager. The truth is that Houston was always as “street“ as her R&B star husband. But that part of her personal history didn’t fit with what Broomfield calls “the Whitney character”.  As Pattie Howard, Houston’s backing vocalist, notes: “People may not know it but Whitney was from the ‘hood’. They wanted to present her as the princess. And that’s what white America was presented with.” Kenneth Reynolds, who worked in marketing for Arista Records recalls that: “Anything that was too black sounding was sent back. We wanted Joni Mitchell. We wanted Barbra Streisand. ” “She was very carefully groomed for nearly two years before the first album came out,” explains Broomfield. “So every aspect of her was carefully considered. She was a major project. A lot of money was spent on her. Anything that was too R&B was out. They didn’t want a female James Brown. That was not part of their vision. Which, of course, was a very successful vision.”   132.    In 1989, just as Houston topped 25 million in album sales and surpassed the Beatles’s record with seven consecutive number one hits, she attended the Soul Train awards where, in response to her “white” music, she was roundly booed. Pre-Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, “crossover” was synonymous with cultural betrayal. People shouted “Oreo” – brown on the outside, white on the inside – as her nomination for Best Female Vocalist was announced. “It’s not a good feeling,” says Houston, in Can I Be Me. “It’s horrible and kind of funny. You think: ‘Are they booing me?’ And you have to sit there and be cordial and smiley. And you feel like: ‘Oh my God’.” Kirk Whalum, the saxophonist who toured with Houston for more than seven years recalls that night, which coincidentally, was the first time she met Brown. “It was devastating [for her],” says Whalum.   133.    By the end of the 90s, Houston found herself at the centre of a perfect storm of ongoing racial friction, marital troubles and drug abuse. Friends, unable to watch Houston’s decline, began to drift away. Her father, John, died in 2003, but not before his management company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, filed a $100 million lawsuit against his own daughter. Months before his death, he made a public appeal on the syndicated show, Celebrity Justice: “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me.” Robyn Crawford’s departure in 2000, too, prompted a new, crippling dependency on crack-cocaine and other substances. - “Robyn was the one who was keeping her together,” says writer Allison Samuels. “That’s when drugs became so important to her.”   134.    Open Comments:   135.    The Smooth Operator -Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade (@26 yrs old)   136.    Sade is an internationally renowned, multi-Grammy award winning singer who is known for her smooth, melodic vocals and the seamless incorporation of different styles of music. She was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria on January 16, 1959. Her father Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer of economics, and her mother Anne Hayes, a district nurse, had met in London. Sade was the couple’s second child. Shortly after her birth, Sade’s parents separated and she and her brother followed their mother to Colchester, Essex, England. There, the children were raised by their mother as well as their maternal grandfather. Upon finishing her education at Clacton County High School in Colchester, she enrolled at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London to pursue fashion and design. After completion of her program, she worked as a model and menswear designer.    137.    Sade entered the music scene around 1980 when she started singing harmony for Arriva, a Latin funk band. She joined another funk band called Pride and was a background singer for the group. Pride garnered much attention from record companies due to their performances around London. Eventually Sade and fellow bandmates, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Denma, and Andrew Hale signed a deal with the U.K. division of Epic Records and formed the band Sade. In 1984 the band’s debut album, Diamond Life, was released to much critical success and was bolstered by singles such as “Hang On to Your Love” and “Smooth Operator.” The band followed up their debut with their next album, Promise, which was released the following year. “The Sweetest Taboo,” a single from Promise, was on the U.S. Hot 100 for six months. She was awarded the Grammy for best new artist of 1985.    138.    Open Comments:   139.    Selected quote about her sound   140.    Let's get this into context. With Sade it's unlikely there will ever be a full, naked baring of the soul. In terms of contemporary icons, it's better to listen to Mary J for stories of drama and shattered devotion. But Sade, today, is all about the acknowledged presence of absence. What's missing in her music is as important as what's present. - The Fader   141.    A small, yet important, fact: When Sade signed her first record deal with Epic in the early '80s, she accepted a small advance, worth ~$70,000 in exchange for an unusually high cut of sales for a new artist—15 percent. It was a deal that ended up proving immensely lucrative, and it has freed her from many of the commercial demands that often encumber artists. Put simply, she only works when and how she wants to. As one executive at her label, Epic, put it to me: "Who's going to argue with a woman who's sold 50 million albums? She's more powerful than anyone working at the label, including the [President]." - The Fader   142.    Question: Does the Sade sound ever wear out?   143.    The Movie Scene   144.    The Color Purple/Film synopsis   145.    An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.   146.    Review by Roger Ebert   147.    Returning to "The Color Purple" after almost 20 years, I can see its flaws more easily than when I named it the best film of 1985, but I can also understand why it moved me so deeply, and why the greatness of some films depends not on their perfection or logic, but on their heart. The movie may have inconsistencies, confusions and improbabilities, but there is one perfect thing at its center, and that is the character of Celie, as played by Whoopi Goldberg. "Here is this year's winner for best actress," I wrote in my original review, and that should have been true, but although "The Color Purple" had 11 nominations, it won not a single Oscar. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That's what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. I am not female, I am not black, I am not Celie, but for a time during "The Color Purple," my mind deceives me that I am all of those things, and as I empathize with her struggle and victory I learn something about what it must have been like to be her.  - Roger Ebert   148.    Selected Quotes   149.    In Honor of Its 33rd Anniversary, Here Are 10 Life Lessons I Learned From the Color Purple - By Melissa Kimble Dec 18, 2018 [https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a25616715/the-color-purple-quotes-anniversary/]   150.    I was born a few years after the film was released. However, I can credit much of my self discovery to the many times I’ve watched it. My favorite quotes from the movie taught me valuable lessons about Black womanhood, faith, and self love. And these 10 are the ones I’ll never forget.   151.    “Girl, you oughta bash Mister’s head open and think about heaven later.” By Oprah Winfrey - In a film where women are treated like inferiors, Sofia breaks the mold by refusing to be her husband's punching bag. This scene-stealing monologue, with its rage filled entrance by the O of O, is an act of defiance—especially one committed in early 20th century Georgia. It was powerful and necessary to see a Black woman go against the grain on screen. And to me, it was a call to action to be fearless.   152.    "I'm poor, Black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here! I’m here!" By Whoopi Goldberg - What a victorious statement this was by Celie, who, up until this point, had spent most of her life feeling unworthy and invisible. It reminded me that even with our flaws and imperfections, we still deserve to show up in our own lives.   153.    "Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble." By - Whoopi Goldberg - With these words, Celie breaks a cycle of abuse from Mister and sticks up for herself. I interpreted this line as a sign that I don’t have to carry the weight of people who have caused my pain; life will take care of everything.   154.    “Miss Celie, why you always covering up your smile?” By Desreta Jackson - Growing up, I was very insecure about my smile. And when Shug Avery posed this question to Miss Celie, it also made me turn to myself. When Shug encourages Celie to smile, I learned that there’s no need to cover up my own   155.    Open Comments:   156.    Featured Artist   157.    Caryn Elaine Johnson, a.k.a. Whoopi Goldberg (@ 30 yrs old): an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, Broadway star, political activist, author and talk show host, she is one of the most successful and established African American actresses of her time.    158.    Born and raised in Manhattan, she is one of 14 entertainers ever to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. What differentiates Goldberg from her contemporaries is the excellence that she portrayed in all the mediums of entertainment, be it television, theatre, films or radio.    159.    Childhood & Early Life   160.    Her mother was a nurse and a teacher while her father served as a clergyman. She was raised in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses by her mother alone after her father disbanded the family when she was young. She studied until her teen years and later dropped out of school. Her started acting started at a young age. It was during her stage performance that people complimented her by saying that she looked like whoopee cushion. It was from there that she took the stage name Whoopi and adopted Goldberg as her surname to sound more Jewish.    161.    Career   162.    In 1974, (@ age 19) she moved to California and thereafter lived in various cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. It was during this time that she honed her acting skills and developed her talent as a stand-up comedian.  However, soon thereafter, she returned to New York and started receiving training under acting coach Uta Hagen. Her first ever appearance on screen was for William Farley’s feature, ‘Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away’ in 1982 (@ 27). In 1983, she created, starred and directed a ‘The Spook Show’, a one-woman show that addressed the issue of race in American but in a unique and innovative style. Next, she created other off-Broadway productions such as ‘Little Girl’ an African-American child obsessed with having blond hair and ‘Fontaine’ a junkie who also happens to hold a doctorate in literature. The innovative presentation and sense of wit and style in her shows impressed director Mike Nicholas who offered to take ‘The Spook Show’ to the Broadway. The show which ran for 156 performances, met with much acclaim both commercially and critically. It went on to earn her a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The eye-catching performance and amazing positive reception of the show earned her attention of the Hollywood bigwigs. It helped her bag a role in the Steven Spielberg film, ‘The Color Purple’, released in 1985. The movie met with resounding success, clutching 11 Academy Awards nominations and she won her first Golden Globe award.   163.    Open Comments:   164.    Oprah Gail Winfrey , a.k.a. Oprah Winfrey (@ 31 yrs old): Talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist.   165.    Childhood & Early Life   166.    Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a small family farm, to an unwed mother who had a short relationship with a soldier stationed nearby, Oprah grew up in dire poverty, and was primarily raised by her grandmother. Sexually abused and mistreated as a child, Winfrey rose above adversity to focus on her primary and high school education.    167.    Career   168.    When she was still a teenager, the local CBS television station in Nashville, Tennessee offered her a job as a co-anchor. She turned it down three times. At age 19, Oprah Winfrey said yes after the fourth offer. She failed the interview, but instead was offered a job as a full-time reporter for a Baltimore television news channel. She did poorly as a reporter, and by age 22 she was fired from the news division. The director of the station gave Winfrey a boost by selecting her to anchor a morning talk show entitled ‘People are Talking’. For the next seven years, her talk show enjoyed excellent ratings. In 1981, (@ 27) she moved to Chicago to host a talk show entitled ‘A.M. Chicago’. Four years later, (1985) after a tremendous boost in the ratings, the producers changed the name to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. She caught the attention of Quincy Jones, a Chicago native, and he cast her as Sofia for the first movie he produced, 'The Color Purple'. The following year ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was broadcast nationally.    169.    Open Comments:   170.    TV Scene:   171.    Featured Actor: Phylician Ayers Allen, a.k.a Phylicia Rashad is an Emmy-nominated American actress, singer, and director.   172.    Her multi-faceted career began with Broadway before she branched into television and films. She is best remembered for her character as Claire Huxtable in the NBC sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’, which ran for eight years. The series brought Phylicia much deserved recognition, also earning her two Emmy nominations. Phylicia, however, is immortalized for her rich performances on the stage as an artist. She starred in several lavish musicals and dramas, all praised highly by critics. She became the first African American actress to walk away with a Tony Award for her performance in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘Raisin in The Sun’.  Subsequently, she was venerated within the African American acting community at the NAACP Awards, where she was called ‘The Mother’ of the Black Community. Her other popular plays include ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, ‘August: Osage Country’, and ‘Gem of the Ocean’. She has tried her hand at stage direction and has successfully directed hit plays at prominent stages. Over the course of her career, Rashad has starred in several television series and voiced many characters. Her prolific output continues to be on the rise as she is still an active part of the entertainment industry.   173.    Childhood & Early Life:   174.    Phylicia Rashad was born Phylician Ayers Allen on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas to Vivian Ayers and Andrew Arthur Allen. Her mother was a prize-winning poet and artist, while her father was a reputed orthodontist. She has three siblings: Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., Debbie Allen, and Hugh Allen. Phylicia was raised in the United States and Mexico. She studied at Howard University, Washington D.C. and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre in 1970. During her university days, she was inculcated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.   175.    Career   176.    After graduating with a degree in theatre, Phylicia immediately joined the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. She toured the city and was seen in several plays under this troupe. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1972 and she was seen in several minor roles for hit musicals, including ‘The Wiz’ (1975) and ‘Dreamgirls’ (1981). In 1978, Rashad tried her hand at something new by releasing the concept album ‘Josephine Superstar’, an album that was based on Josephine Baker’s life. She decided to embark on an alternative career in television owing to the scarcity of good roles given to her. In 1982, after moving to television, Rashad landed a recurring role in the series ‘One Life to Live’ as Courtney Wright, a publicist. In 1984, Phylicia Rashad was roped in to play the role of Clair Huxtable, an attorney, in the hit comedy ‘The Cosby Show’. The show starred Bill Cosby in the lead role and Phylicia played his wife. The series ran for over eight years and was a critical and commercial success. Phylicia’s role as Clair proved to be the highest point in her career, earning her two Emmy Award nominations.   177.    Open Comments   178.    Question: Is she a good actor? Do you buy her in other roles?   179.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1985

Topics: Air Jordans, Whitney Houston, Sade, The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Phylicia Rashad (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1985 Notes   General Snapshots   1.    President: Ronald Reagan   2.    Jan – In Hollywood,  California, the charity single "We  Are the World" is recorded by USA for  Africa. The  single raises money to combat the  ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The  American act consists of high-profile  performers, including Michael  Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner,  Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.   3.    Jan – The newest music video channel, VH-1, begins broadcasting on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV. The first video played is Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner".   4.    Mar – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.  In the main event, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through closed-circuit television, making it the largest pay-per-view showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.   5.    Apr – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.   6.    Aug - Ryan White who was expelled from Western High School in Indiana is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.   7.    Sep - The Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.   8.    Oct  – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores. By 1988, industry observers stated that the NES's popularity had grown so quickly that the market for Nintendo cartridges was larger than that for all home computer software.  The NES was released two years after the North American video game crash of 1983, when many retailers and adult consumers regarded electronic games as a passing fad. With the NES, Nintendo also changed the relationship between console manufacturers and third-party software developers by restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher-quality games, which helped change the attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly produced games for earlier systems.   9.    Nov - Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.   10.    Open Comments:   11.    Top 3 Pop Songs   12.    1    "Careless Whisper"    Wham!   13.    2    "Like a Virgin"    Madonna   14.    3    "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"    Wham!   15.    Grammy Awards   16.    Record of the Year: Quincy Jones (producer) for "We Are the World"   17.    Album of the Year: Phil Collins (producer & artist) for No Jacket Required   18.    Song of the Year: Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie (songwriters) for "We Are the World"   19.    Best New Artist: Sade   20.    Top 3 Movies   21.    Back to the Future   22.    Rambo: First Blood Part II   23.    Rocky IV   24.    Other Notables:  The Color Purple / Out of Africa / Cocoon / The Jewel of the Nile / Witness / The Goonies / Spies Like Us / The Breakfast Club / Brewster's Millions / St. Elmo's Fire /  Krush Groove   25.    Top 3 TV Shows   26.    The Cosby Show   27.    Family Ties   28.    Murder, She Wrote       29.    TV Debuts   30.    Sep - What's Happening Now!! / Stir Crazy   31.    Black Snapshots   32.    Feb -  Whitney Houston releases her debut  album – Whitney Houston.   33.    Mar  – Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.   34.    May - Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year."   35.    May – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode, the  first African American to hold that office,  orders police to storm the  headquarters of the black liberation/back-to-nature group MOVE to end a stand-off over serving arrest warrants. (Due process?!?!)  The police drop 2 explosive devices into the headquarters, killing 6 adults and 5 children, and destroyed an additional 61 residental homes in the resulting fire. The survivors filed a civil suit against the city and the police department, and were awarded $1.5 million in 1996.   36.    Jul - The final episode of The Jeffersons airs. (1975-) 10 yrs   37.    Aug - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids  (1972-) 13 yrs   38.    Nov - Ebony Man: EM  Magazine launches   39.    Best Comedy Recording: Whoopi Goldberg - Original Broadway Show Recording   40.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Freeway of Love"   41.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Stevie Wonder for In Square Circle   42.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Commodores for "Nightshift"   43.    Economic Snapshot   44.    Avg. Income = $22,138   45.    House = $99,331   46.    New Car = $9,531   47.    Avg. Rent = $375   48.    Tuition at Harvard = $9,800   49.    Movie Ticket = $2.75   50.    Gas = $1.20   51.    Stamp = $0.22   52.    Socilal Scene: “Money, it's gotta be da shoes!” - Mars Blackmon   53.    The Air Jordan I was originally released in 1985 and is almost single-handedly responsible for modern-day sneaker culture. Michael Jordan originally wanted to sign with either Converse or Adidas. But Converse declined and according to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 so did Adidas. Still MJ was not convinced. Only when Nike, thinking they had nothing to loose, offered to give MJ his own shoe- and clothing line did he change his mind. This was unheard of at the time, no NBA player had an entire product line named after them. As the first basketball player with his own signature shoes Jordan would immediately become the king of basketball sneaker advertising. Just to be on the safe side Nike worked an out-clause into the contract: if Air Jordans didn’t earn Nike $3 million in the first 3 years, or if Jordan didn’t make the NBA All-Star Game in his first three years, Nike could dump him. Jordan was voted into the All-Star Game as a Rookie starter and the "Air Jordan 1" shoe made Nike $130 million in 1985 alone. The rest is history.   54.    Open Comments:   55.    The pushback and common critisisms   56.    Extremely superficial materialism is one of the only ways that many black Americans express a sense of self worth.    57.    When you live in a society where nobody has a savings account, or a college degree, or has traveled abroad, having a fresh pair of sneakers and a gold chain shouldn't be your version of keeping up with the Joneses.   58.    Liking shoes is as much of a "black thing" as liking chicken is a "black thing". Everyone likes both of these things.   59.    Open Comments:   60.    It became popular in the late 80s for people with moderate or low incomes to wear clothing adorned with the names and logos of luxury, high-end brands. Then all the luxury brands started making their own low-end, logo-covered versions. You wear your favorite sports team to affiliate yourself with them. It's the same thing with Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi, Gitano, Bonjour, Sasson, etc., it's a way of signalling.   61.    Question: We went from tailored suits and dresses to baggy jeans and yoga pants. From afro's and braids to fashioned bandanas and bleached blondes. From the stylish Supremes and Tempations to tatooed  faces and pireced everytginhg. - What do you think is at the root of our decisions? Are we victims of advertising?   62.    Music Scene   63.    Black Songs from the Top 40 (No Lionel Richie showed up!)   64.    5    "I Feel for You"    Chaka Khan   65.    6    "Out of Touch"    Hall & Oates   66.    12    "Easy Lover"    Philip Bailey and Phil Collins   67.    17    "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   68.    20    "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   69.    22    "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   70.    23    "Saving All My Love For You"    Whitney Houston   71.    26    "Cool It Now"    New Edition   72.    28    "Loverboy"    Billy Ocean   73.    29    "Lovergirl"    Teena Marie   74.    31    "Oh Sheila"    Ready for the World   75.    32    "Rhythm of the Night"    DeBarge   76.    38    "Neutron Dance"    The Pointer Sisters   77.    40    "Nightshift"    Commodores   78.    Vote:   79.    Top RnB Singles   80.    Jan - "Operator"    Midnight Star   81.    Jan - "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   82.    Feb -  "Mr. Telephone Man"    New Edition   83.    Feb - "Missing You"    Diana Ross   84.    Mar - "Nightshift"    The Commodores   85.    Apr - "Back In Stride"    Maze featuring Frankie Beverly   86.    Apr - "Rhythm Of the Night"    DeBarge   87.    May - "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   88.    May - "Fresh"    Kool & the Gang   89.    May - "You Give Good Love"    Whitney Houston   90.    Jun - "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)"    Freddie Jackson   91.    Jul - "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"    Loose Ends   92.    Jul - "Save Your Love (For #1)"    René & Angela   93.    Aug - "Freeway of Love"    Aretha Franklin   94.    Sep - "Saving All My Love for You"    Whitney Houston   95.    Sep - "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   96.    Sep - "Oh Sheila"    Ready For the World   97.    Oct - "You Are My Lady"    Freddie Jackson   98.    Oct - "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   99.    Nov - "Caravan of Love"    Isley-Jasper-Isley   100.    Dec - "Don't Say No Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   101.    Vote:   102.    Top RnB Albums   103.    Jan - New Edition    New Edition   104.    Feb - Solid    Ashford & Simpson   105.    Mar - Gap Band VI    The Gap Band   106.    Mar p- Private Dancer    Tina Turner   107.    Apr - Nightshift    The Commodores   108.    Apr - Can't Stop the Love    Frankie Beverly and Maze   109.    May - The Night I Fell in Love    Luther Vandross   110.    Jun - Whitney Houston    Whitney Houston   111.    Jun - Rock Me Tonight    Freddie Jackson   112.    Nov - In Square Circle    Stevie Wonder   113.    Vote   114.    Featured Artists: Whitney Houston and Sade   115.    Whitney Elizabeth Houston, @22 yrs old: Singer, actress, model, and producer, Whitney Houston is one of the world’s most successful female entertainers of all time.   116.    Born and raised in Newark NJ,  she is the daughter of Grammy-award-winning gospel singer, Emily “Cissy” Houston and John R. Houston, who managed his daughter’s production company.    117.    Childhood & Early Life   118.    She was no stranger to the entertainment industry, having come from a line of singers and actresses. Not only did her mother’s vocal group, the ‘Sweet Inspirations’, sing backup for Aretha Franklin, but her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are also renowned singers, as well as her godmother, Darlene Love. She began performing in her church’s gospel choir as a soloist at the age of eleven and learned to play the piano. While attending Catholic school, she took voice lessons from her mother, with whom she would occasionally perform in nightclubs.   119.    Career   120.    In 1977 (@ 14 yrs old), she was a backup singer for Michael Zager Band’s single ‘Life’s a Party’ and the following year she sang on Chaka Khan’s single ‘I’m Every Woman’. She was offered an opportunity to sign with a recording company, but her mother declined so she would finish high school. In the early 1980s, (@17 yrs old), she worked as a model, appearing in several magazines including, ‘Seventeen’, where she became the first African American to be featured on the cover. She also took on acting gigs appearing in TV show episodes such as, ‘Gimme a Break’, while continuing to develop her vocal skills. In 1983,(@ 20yrs old) she was signed with ‘Arista Records’. President Clive Davis spent the next couple years assembling lyricists and producers to balance her gospel-like sound with contemporary melodies. In 1985, her debut album, ‘Whitney Houston’ gradually became the number one selling album of her career.  She went on to win two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards.   121.    Open Comments:   122.    A Hot Mess   123.    On February 11th, 2012, Whitney Houston (@ 48 yrs old) was found facedown in a bathtub.  Weeks later, an autopsy report would contribute Houston’s death to accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use. There were additional traces of a muscle relaxant, Xanax, marijuana and an allergy medication in the singer’s system.    124.    The sad, secret life of Whitney Houston: From a secret lesbian relationship to a decades-long struggle with drugs, five years after singer’s death, a new film ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ examines what caused her tragic downfall - Tara Brady [Jun 12, 2017] https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-sad-secret-life-of-whitney-houston-1.3105861   125.    Selected quotes from the article:   126.    What exactly killed Houston? Why did she drown? How did she drown? Was she simply overwhelmed by the controlling demands of her formidable mother, Cissy Houston, Svengali Clive Davis, and her record company, Arista? Did the aftermath of her toxic and co-dependent marriage to Bobby Brown send her spiralling? Or was it the dissolution of her decades-old lesbian relationship with her assistant Robyn Crawford? It’s complicated, as documentarian Nick Broomfield discovered.  “In the end I think the divide between who she was and what her public persona was became more and more difficult,” says  documentarian Nick Broomfield. “And she just went down,    127.    The imploding relations between Houston, Bobby Brown and Robyn Crawford. Brown told Us Weekly magazine that Houston was bisexual and that she once had an affair with Tupac Shakur. He went on to say that Houston kept her relationship with Crawford hidden because of Cissy. “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown told the magazine. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”   128.    From Cissy’s notorious 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey:  “Would it have bothered you if your daughter was gay?”  “Absolutely,” Cissy snapped back. “You wouldn’t have condoned it?” continued an incredulous Oprah. “Not at all.” ...“I didn’t particularly like [Crawford],” Cissy told the talk show queen. “She just spoke too much, disrespectful sometimes, like she had something over Nippy (Houston’s nickname), and I didn’t like that at all. She was all right, she turned out to be all right, I guess. That was her friend.”   129.    Houston and Crawford first bonded while they were teenagers working at a community centre in East Orange, New Jersey. When Houston’s modelling career began to take off, she’d face bullying in school, and Crawford, who was originally a friend of Houston’s older brothers Michael and Gary, would frequently come to the rescue. When Houston moved out of her family home, she shared her first apartment with Crawford. Deep into Houston and Brown’s 14-year marriage, Crawford remained a fixture in Houston’s domestic arrangements.   130.    Houston’s marriage to Brown, understandably, made for an uneasy romantic trinity. In Derrick Handspike’s unauthorised 2008 biography, Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But . . ., the author quotes Brown as saying: “Now I realise Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. I believe her agenda was to clean up her image while mine was to be loved and have children. “Whitney felt she had to make rumours of a lesbian affair go away. Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn’t go too well with her image. In Whitney’s situation the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation whether it was true or not.”   131.    Supermarket tabloids did a brisk trade during the 1990s by peddling the idea that Houston’s life spiralled into addiction after she married Brown. She was the gospel-singing good girl – the church-going daughter of Cissy and a cousin of Dionne Warwick. He was a bad boy who, aged 20, when they first met, had already been shot and stabbed in the shoulder. Their tumultuous marriage (from 1992 to 2007), characterised by drug use, infidelity and a costly entourage, was seldom out of the headlines. But contrary to popular belief, Brown did not introduce his troubled wife to cocaine. Houston first dabbled with drugs with her brothers, Michael and Gary, as a teenager. The truth is that Houston was always as “street“ as her R&B star husband. But that part of her personal history didn’t fit with what Broomfield calls “the Whitney character”.  As Pattie Howard, Houston’s backing vocalist, notes: “People may not know it but Whitney was from the ‘hood’. They wanted to present her as the princess. And that’s what white America was presented with.” Kenneth Reynolds, who worked in marketing for Arista Records recalls that: “Anything that was too black sounding was sent back. We wanted Joni Mitchell. We wanted Barbra Streisand. ” “She was very carefully groomed for nearly two years before the first album came out,” explains Broomfield. “So every aspect of her was carefully considered. She was a major project. A lot of money was spent on her. Anything that was too R&B was out. They didn’t want a female James Brown. That was not part of their vision. Which, of course, was a very successful vision.”   132.    In 1989, just as Houston topped 25 million in album sales and surpassed the Beatles’s record with seven consecutive number one hits, she attended the Soul Train awards where, in response to her “white” music, she was roundly booed. Pre-Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, “crossover” was synonymous with cultural betrayal. People shouted “Oreo” – brown on the outside, white on the inside – as her nomination for Best Female Vocalist was announced. “It’s not a good feeling,” says Houston, in Can I Be Me. “It’s horrible and kind of funny. You think: ‘Are they booing me?’ And you have to sit there and be cordial and smiley. And you feel like: ‘Oh my God’.” Kirk Whalum, the saxophonist who toured with Houston for more than seven years recalls that night, which coincidentally, was the first time she met Brown. “It was devastating [for her],” says Whalum.   133.    By the end of the 90s, Houston found herself at the centre of a perfect storm of ongoing racial friction, marital troubles and drug abuse. Friends, unable to watch Houston’s decline, began to drift away. Her father, John, died in 2003, but not before his management company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, filed a $100 million lawsuit against his own daughter. Months before his death, he made a public appeal on the syndicated show, Celebrity Justice: “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me.” Robyn Crawford’s departure in 2000, too, prompted a new, crippling dependency on crack-cocaine and other substances. - “Robyn was the one who was keeping her together,” says writer Allison Samuels. “That’s when drugs became so important to her.”   134.    Open Comments:   135.    The Smooth Operator -Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade (@26 yrs old)   136.    Sade is an internationally renowned, multi-Grammy award winning singer who is known for her smooth, melodic vocals and the seamless incorporation of different styles of music. She was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria on January 16, 1959. Her father Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer of economics, and her mother Anne Hayes, a district nurse, had met in London. Sade was the couple’s second child. Shortly after her birth, Sade’s parents separated and she and her brother followed their mother to Colchester, Essex, England. There, the children were raised by their mother as well as their maternal grandfather. Upon finishing her education at Clacton County High School in Colchester, she enrolled at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London to pursue fashion and design. After completion of her program, she worked as a model and menswear designer.    137.    Sade entered the music scene around 1980 when she started singing harmony for Arriva, a Latin funk band. She joined another funk band called Pride and was a background singer for the group. Pride garnered much attention from record companies due to their performances around London. Eventually Sade and fellow bandmates, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Denma, and Andrew Hale signed a deal with the U.K. division of Epic Records and formed the band Sade. In 1984 the band’s debut album, Diamond Life, was released to much critical success and was bolstered by singles such as “Hang On to Your Love” and “Smooth Operator.” The band followed up their debut with their next album, Promise, which was released the following year. “The Sweetest Taboo,” a single from Promise, was on the U.S. Hot 100 for six months. She was awarded the Grammy for best new artist of 1985.    138.    Open Comments:   139.    Selected quote about her sound   140.    Let's get this into context. With Sade it's unlikely there will ever be a full, naked baring of the soul. In terms of contemporary icons, it's better to listen to Mary J for stories of drama and shattered devotion. But Sade, today, is all about the acknowledged presence of absence. What's missing in her music is as important as what's present. - The Fader   141.    A small, yet important, fact: When Sade signed her first record deal with Epic in the early '80s, she accepted a small advance, worth ~$70,000 in exchange for an unusually high cut of sales for a new artist—15 percent. It was a deal that ended up proving immensely lucrative, and it has freed her from many of the commercial demands that often encumber artists. Put simply, she only works when and how she wants to. As one executive at her label, Epic, put it to me: "Who's going to argue with a woman who's sold 50 million albums? She's more powerful than anyone working at the label, including the [President]." - The Fader   142.    Question: Does the Sade sound ever wear out?   143.    The Movie Scene   144.    The Color Purple/Film synopsis   145.    An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.   146.    Review by Roger Ebert   147.    Returning to "The Color Purple" after almost 20 years, I can see its flaws more easily than when I named it the best film of 1985, but I can also understand why it moved me so deeply, and why the greatness of some films depends not on their perfection or logic, but on their heart. The movie may have inconsistencies, confusions and improbabilities, but there is one perfect thing at its center, and that is the character of Celie, as played by Whoopi Goldberg. "Here is this year's winner for best actress," I wrote in my original review, and that should have been true, but although "The Color Purple" had 11 nominations, it won not a single Oscar. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That's what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. I am not female, I am not black, I am not Celie, but for a time during "The Color Purple," my mind deceives me that I am all of those things, and as I empathize with her struggle and victory I learn something about what it must have been like to be her.  - Roger Ebert   148.    Selected Quotes   149.    In Honor of Its 33rd Anniversary, Here Are 10 Life Lessons I Learned From the Color Purple - By Melissa Kimble Dec 18, 2018 [https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a25616715/the-color-purple-quotes-anniversary/]   150.    I was born a few years after the film was released. However, I can credit much of my self discovery to the many times I’ve watched it. My favorite quotes from the movie taught me valuable lessons about Black womanhood, faith, and self love. And these 10 are the ones I’ll never forget.   151.    “Girl, you oughta bash Mister’s head open and think about heaven later.” By Oprah Winfrey - In a film where women are treated like inferiors, Sofia breaks the mold by refusing to be her husband's punching bag. This scene-stealing monologue, with its rage filled entrance by the O of O, is an act of defiance—especially one committed in early 20th century Georgia. It was powerful and necessary to see a Black woman go against the grain on screen. And to me, it was a call to action to be fearless.   152.    "I'm poor, Black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here! I’m here!" By Whoopi Goldberg - What a victorious statement this was by Celie, who, up until this point, had spent most of her life feeling unworthy and invisible. It reminded me that even with our flaws and imperfections, we still deserve to show up in our own lives.   153.    "Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble." By - Whoopi Goldberg - With these words, Celie breaks a cycle of abuse from Mister and sticks up for herself. I interpreted this line as a sign that I don’t have to carry the weight of people who have caused my pain; life will take care of everything.   154.    “Miss Celie, why you always covering up your smile?” By Desreta Jackson - Growing up, I was very insecure about my smile. And when Shug Avery posed this question to Miss Celie, it also made me turn to myself. When Shug encourages Celie to smile, I learned that there’s no need to cover up my own   155.    Open Comments:   156.    Featured Artist   157.    Caryn Elaine Johnson, a.k.a. Whoopi Goldberg (@ 30 yrs old): an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, Broadway star, political activist, author and talk show host, she is one of the most successful and established African American actresses of her time.    158.    Born and raised in Manhattan, she is one of 14 entertainers ever to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. What differentiates Goldberg from her contemporaries is the excellence that she portrayed in all the mediums of entertainment, be it television, theatre, films or radio.    159.    Childhood & Early Life   160.    Her mother was a nurse and a teacher while her father served as a clergyman. She was raised in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses by her mother alone after her father disbanded the family when she was young. She studied until her teen years and later dropped out of school. Her started acting started at a young age. It was during her stage performance that people complimented her by saying that she looked like whoopee cushion. It was from there that she took the stage name Whoopi and adopted Goldberg as her surname to sound more Jewish.    161.    Career   162.    In 1974, (@ age 19) she moved to California and thereafter lived in various cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. It was during this time that she honed her acting skills and developed her talent as a stand-up comedian.  However, soon thereafter, she returned to New York and started receiving training under acting coach Uta Hagen. Her first ever appearance on screen was for William Farley’s feature, ‘Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away’ in 1982 (@ 27). In 1983, she created, starred and directed a ‘The Spook Show’, a one-woman show that addressed the issue of race in American but in a unique and innovative style. Next, she created other off-Broadway productions such as ‘Little Girl’ an African-American child obsessed with having blond hair and ‘Fontaine’ a junkie who also happens to hold a doctorate in literature. The innovative presentation and sense of wit and style in her shows impressed director Mike Nicholas who offered to take ‘The Spook Show’ to the Broadway. The show which ran for 156 performances, met with much acclaim both commercially and critically. It went on to earn her a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The eye-catching performance and amazing positive reception of the show earned her attention of the Hollywood bigwigs. It helped her bag a role in the Steven Spielberg film, ‘The Color Purple’, released in 1985. The movie met with resounding success, clutching 11 Academy Awards nominations and she won her first Golden Globe award.   163.    Open Comments:   164.    Oprah Gail Winfrey , a.k.a. Oprah Winfrey (@ 31 yrs old): Talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist.   165.    Childhood & Early Life   166.    Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a small family farm, to an unwed mother who had a short relationship with a soldier stationed nearby, Oprah grew up in dire poverty, and was primarily raised by her grandmother. Sexually abused and mistreated as a child, Winfrey rose above adversity to focus on her primary and high school education.    167.    Career   168.    When she was still a teenager, the local CBS television station in Nashville, Tennessee offered her a job as a co-anchor. She turned it down three times. At age 19, Oprah Winfrey said yes after the fourth offer. She failed the interview, but instead was offered a job as a full-time reporter for a Baltimore television news channel. She did poorly as a reporter, and by age 22 she was fired from the news division. The director of the station gave Winfrey a boost by selecting her to anchor a morning talk show entitled ‘People are Talking’. For the next seven years, her talk show enjoyed excellent ratings. In 1981, (@ 27) she moved to Chicago to host a talk show entitled ‘A.M. Chicago’. Four years later, (1985) after a tremendous boost in the ratings, the producers changed the name to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. She caught the attention of Quincy Jones, a Chicago native, and he cast her as Sofia for the first movie he produced, 'The Color Purple'. The following year ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was broadcast nationally.    169.    Open Comments:   170.    TV Scene:   171.    Featured Actor: Phylician Ayers Allen, a.k.a Phylicia Rashad is an Emmy-nominated American actress, singer, and director.   172.    Her multi-faceted career began with Broadway before she branched into television and films. She is best remembered for her character as Claire Huxtable in the NBC sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’, which ran for eight years. The series brought Phylicia much deserved recognition, also earning her two Emmy nominations. Phylicia, however, is immortalized for her rich performances on the stage as an artist. She starred in several lavish musicals and dramas, all praised highly by critics. She became the first African American actress to walk away with a Tony Award for her performance in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘Raisin in The Sun’.  Subsequently, she was venerated within the African American acting community at the NAACP Awards, where she was called ‘The Mother’ of the Black Community. Her other popular plays include ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, ‘August: Osage Country’, and ‘Gem of the Ocean’. She has tried her hand at stage direction and has successfully directed hit plays at prominent stages. Over the course of her career, Rashad has starred in several television series and voiced many characters. Her prolific output continues to be on the rise as she is still an active part of the entertainment industry.   173.    Childhood & Early Life:   174.    Phylicia Rashad was born Phylician Ayers Allen on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas to Vivian Ayers and Andrew Arthur Allen. Her mother was a prize-winning poet and artist, while her father was a reputed orthodontist. She has three siblings: Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., Debbie Allen, and Hugh Allen. Phylicia was raised in the United States and Mexico. She studied at Howard University, Washington D.C. and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre in 1970. During her university days, she was inculcated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.   175.    Career   176.    After graduating with a degree in theatre, Phylicia immediately joined the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. She toured the city and was seen in several plays under this troupe. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1972 and she was seen in several minor roles for hit musicals, including ‘The Wiz’ (1975) and ‘Dreamgirls’ (1981). In 1978, Rashad tried her hand at something new by releasing the concept album ‘Josephine Superstar’, an album that was based on Josephine Baker’s life. She decided to embark on an alternative career in television owing to the scarcity of good roles given to her. In 1982, after moving to television, Rashad landed a recurring role in the series ‘One Life to Live’ as Courtney Wright, a publicist. In 1984, Phylicia Rashad was roped in to play the role of Clair Huxtable, an attorney, in the hit comedy ‘The Cosby Show’. The show starred Bill Cosby in the lead role and Phylicia played his wife. The series ran for over eight years and was a critical and commercial success. Phylicia’s role as Clair proved to be the highest point in her career, earning her two Emmy Award nominations.   177.    Open Comments   178.    Question: Is she a good actor? Do you buy her in other roles?   179.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1985

Topics: 1984 Olympics, Prince, Purple Rain (LP/Film), Cosby Show. (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1984 Notes General Snapshots 1. President: Ronald Reagan 2. Jan - US Bell System is broken up Bell System divestiture breaks AT&T into 24 independent units. 3. Jan - Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" advertisement is first broadcast, which gains Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase national fame. 4. Jan - Michael Jackson's hair catches on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. Michael Jackson stars in a Pepsi commercial with a young Alfonso Ribeiro, a.k.a Carlton from “The Fresh Prince.” 5. Feb - Michael Jackson wins a record eight Grammy Awards. [Prince was in the audience] 6. May - Happy Days airs its series finale, "Passages". 7. Jun – Best ever NBA draft: (1) Hakeem Olajuwon, (3) Michael Jordan, (5) Charles Barkley, and (16) John Stockton. [Sam Bowie 2nd pick] 8. Jun - Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger. 9. Jul - The Motion Picture Association of America institutes the PG-13 rating, as a response to violent horror films such as Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. [Parental Advisory sticker for albums coming next year because of Darling Nikki by Prince] 10. Jul - ABC begins their coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Los Angeles. 11. Sep - The first MTV Video Music Awards, featuring Madonna’s iconic breakout moment, the ‘Like a Virgin’ performance. 12. Nov - Sony and Philips introduce the first portable CD player. 13. Nov – Reagan Re-Elected 14. Top 3 Pop Songs 15. #1 - "When Doves Cry", Prince 16. #2 - "What's Love Got to Do with It", Tina Turner 17. #3 - "Say Say Say", Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 18. Record of the Year: Tina Turner / What's Love Got To Do With It 19. Album of the Year: Lionel Richie / Can't Slow Down 20. Song of the Year: Terry Britten (songwriter) / What's Love Got To Do With 21. Best New Artist: Cyndi Lauper 22. Top 3 Movies 23. #1 - Beverly Hills Cop 24. #2 - Ghostbusters 25. #3 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 26. Other Notable Movies 27. Gremlins / Karate Kid /Footloose / Terminator / Nightmare on Elm Street / Police Academy / The Never-Ending Story / Sixteen Candles / Romancing the Stone / Breakin’ / Beat Street 28. Top 3 TV Shows 29. #1 – Dynasty 30. #2 – Dallas 31. #3 - The Cosby Show 32. Black Snapshots 33. Apr - Marvin Gaye, singer, songwriter, and musician (b. 1939) Motown legend Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his own father after a fight between them. The murder weapon was a gun he had given his father for Christmas. His reputed final words were, "I got what I wanted... I couldn't do it myself, so I made him do it." 34. Jul - Vanessa L. Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown, after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine. 35. Dec - Four African American youths board an express train in The Bronx and attempt to rob Bernhard Goetz. He shoots them. 36. Dec - The first nationally broadcast telethon for the United Negro College fund is held. - "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste" 37. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Chaka Khan / "I Feel for You" 38. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Billy Ocean / "Caribbean Queen" 39. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: James Ingram & Michael McDonald for "Yah Mo B There" 40. Best R&B Instrumental Performance: Herbie Hancock / "Sound System" 41. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: Prince, songwriter / "I Feel for You" performed by Chaka Khan 42. Economic Snapshot 43. Avg. Income = $21,600 44. House = $86,700 45. New Car = $8,700 46. Avg. Rent = $350 47. Tuition at Harvard = $9,000 48. Movie Ticket = $2.50 49. Gas = $1.10 50. Stamp = $0.20 51. Social Scene: 1984 Olympics [Jul 28th - Aug 12th] 52. Under the direction of the American entrepreneur Peter Ueberroth, the 1984 Olympics witnessed the ascension of commercialism as an integral element in the staging of the Games. Corporate sponsors, principally U.S.-based multinationals, could put Olympic symbols on their products, which were then marketed as the “official” such product of the Olympics. A spot on the torch relay team sold for $3,000 per km. The Olympics turned a profit ($225 million) for the first time since 1932. Despite concerns about growing corporate involvement ... the financial success and high worldwide television ratings raised optimism about the Olympic movement for the first time in a generation. [Due to the success of the games, Peter Ueberroth was named Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1984.] - https://www.britannica.com/event/Los-Angeles- 53. The Soviets, and 13 other countries, in retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, boycotted the 1984 Olympics. 54. Highlights: 55. Carl Lewis Ties Jesse Owens: At the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens won four gold medals — the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter, the long jump, and the 400-meter relay. Nearly five decades later, Carl Lewis also won four gold medals, in the same events as Jesse. 56. Edwin Moses won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles 8 years after winning in 1976. 57. Mary Lou Retton: The U.S. became enthralled with the short (4' 9"), exuberant Mary Lou Retton in her attempt to win gold in gymnastics, a sport that had long been dominated by the Soviet Union. When Retton received perfect scores in her final two events, she became the first American woman to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics. 58. A marathon for women was held for the first time at the Olympics (won by Joan Benoit of the U.S.) 59. Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin were on the team that won the gold medal in basketball. 60. The United States topped the medal count for the first time since 1968. 61. Music Scene 62. Black Songs from the Top 40 63. #1 - "When Doves Cry", Prince 64. #2 - "What's Love Got to Do with It", Tina Turner 65. #3 - "Say Say Say", Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 66. #7 – “Hello", Lionel Richie 67. #9 - "Ghostbusters", Ray Parker Jr. 68. #12 - "All Night Long (All Night)", Lionel Richie 69. #13 - "Let's Hear It for the Boy", Deniece Williams 70. #18 - "Jump (For My Love)", The Pointer Sisters 71. #21 - "Let's Go Crazy", Prince and The Revolution 72. #22 - "Say It Isn't So", Hall & Oates 73. #24 - "Joanna", Kool & The Gang 74. #25 - "I Just Called to Say I Love You", Stevie Wonder 75. #30 - "The Glamorous Life", Sheila E. 76. #32 - "Stuck on You", Lionel Richie 77. Vote: 78. Top R&B Albums 79. Jan - Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie 80. Mar – Thriller, Michael Jackson 81. Apr - Busy Body, Luther Vandross 82. Apr - She's Strange, Cameo 83. May - Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie 84. Jul - Jermaine Jackson, Jermaine Jackson 85. Jul – Lady, One Way 86. Jul - Private Dancer, Tina Turner 87. Jul - Purple Rain [Soundtrack], Prince and The Revolution 88. Dec - The Woman in Red [Soundtrack], Stevie Wonder 89. Vote: 90. Featured Artist: Prince Rogers Nelson, a.k.a. Prince, The Purple One. American singer, songwriter, actor, and multi-instrumentalist. (@ 26 yrs. old) 91. Famous for his flamboyance, powerful voice, and eclectic behavior, he boasted of a career that spanned four long decades, a rarity in the music world where success is fickle. With worldwide sales of 100 million records, he is counted amongst the best-selling artists of all time. The son of a pianist and a jazz singer, Prince inherited his musical talents from his parents who encouraged him from a young age to pursue music as a career. Under his parents’ guidance he developed a deep love for music and began creating tunes when he was just seven. He also taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums. He became a professional singer and performer as a young man and earned much popularity with his eponymous album ‘Prince.’ His highly sexualized lyrics, creative compositions, and incorporation of elements of funk, dance, and rock music made him stand out from others of his generation. He enjoyed a very successful career that was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 57. 92. Childhood & Early Life: 93. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1958 to an African American couple Mattie Della and John Lewis Nelson. His father was a pianist and songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer. He suffered from epileptic seizures as a young child. He became interested in music at a young age and was encouraged by his parents. He taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums, and wrote his first tune when he was seven. His parents separated when he was ten, and the next few years were spent repeatedly switching homes, sometimes living with his father and sometimes with his other. He formed his first band, Grand Central (later known as Champagne), when he was 14. 94. Career: 95. Debut album ‘For You’, (1978) / ‘Prince’, (1979) - Hit singles ‘Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’. Went platinum, effectively establishing Prince’s career. / ‘Dirty Mind’ (1980) / ’Controversy’ (1981), and ‘1999’ (1982) 96. 1984, he released ‘Purple Rain’. Sold more than 13 million copies in the US and spent 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1. The same year he appeared in a rock musical drama film of the same name, making his film debut. The film became a cult classic. 97. Following Albums: ‘Parade’ (1986) / ‘Sign o' the Times’ (1987) / ‘Lovesexy’ (1988) / ‘Batman’ (1989) 98. In the 1990s he started performing with a new backing band, the New Power Generation. 99. In 1993 he changed his stage name to, an unpronounceable symbol which was a combination of the symbols for male (♂) and female (♀). 100. ‘Purple Rain’ is consistently ranked among the best albums in music history and is widely regarded as Prince's magnum opus. It has sold over 22 million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth best-selling soundtrack album of all time. His album ‘Sign o' the Times’, which had elements of funk, soul, psychedelic pop, and rock music, and featured tracks like ‘If I Was Your Girlfriend’, ‘Housequake’ and ‘It’ was another one of his mega hits. In 1989, ‘Time Out’ magazine ranked it as the greatest album of all time. 101. In early April 2016 he reported that he was not feeling well and postponed his performances. It was also said that he was being treated for drug overdose. On April 21, 2016, he was found dead in an elevator. He was 57 years old. 102. Open Comments: Do you know what Purple Rain is? 103. TV Scene: 110. Open Comments: 111. Question: Evans or Huxtables? 112. Vote:

Topics: The Cold War, Run-DMC, New Edition, Bill Cosby (Himself), Eddie Murphy (Delirious). (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1983 Notes   1. Ronald Reagan President   2. Feb - The final episode of M*A*S*H airs, setting a record for most-watched television broadcast in American history.   3. Mar - Strategic Defense Initiative: U.S. President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles. The media dub this plan "Star Wars".   4. Mar - Michael Jackson performs the dance move that will forever be known as the "moonwalk" at Motown 25.   5. Apr - The April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut kills 63 people.   6. Sep - Cold War: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 is shot down by a Soviet Union jet fighter when the commercial aircraft enters Soviet airspace. All 269 on board are killed including U.S. Congressman Larry McDonald.   7. Sep - Vanessa Lynn Williams becomes the first African American to be crowned Miss America, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.   8. Oct - United States troops invade Grenada at the behest of Eugenia Charles of Dominica, a member of the Organization of American States.   9. Oct - Microsoft Word is first released.   10. Nov - The first United States cruise missiles arrive at Greenham Common Airbase in England amid protests from peace campaigners.   11. Dec - Michael Jackson's music video for "Thriller" is broadcast for the first time. It becomes the most often repeated and famous music video of all time, increasing his own popularity and record sales of the album "Thriller".   12. Misc.: McDonald's introduces the McNugget and The Cabbage Patch Kids dolls make their national debut, their popularity leads to the Cabbage Patch riots.   13. Top 3 Pop Songs   14. 1 - "Every Breath You Take", The Police   15. 2 - "Billie Jean", Michael Jackson   16. 3 - "Flashdance... What a Feeling", Irene Cara   17. Record of the Year: "Beat It" – Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones   18. Album of the Year: Thriller – Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones   19. Song of the Year: "Every Breath You Take" – The Police Sting (songwriter)   20. Best New Artist: Culture Club   21. Top 3 Movies   22. 1 - Return of the Jedi   23. 2 - Terms of Endearment   24. 3.    Flashdance   25. Top 3 TV   26. 1 - Dallas   27. 2 - 60 Minutes   28. 3 - Dynasty   29. Debuts: The A-Team / Webster   30. Black Snapshots   31. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Chaka Khan – Chaka Khan   32. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson   33. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "Ain't Nobody" – Chaka Khan & Rufus   34. Best R&B Instrumental Performance: "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock   35. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson   36. Best Comedy Recording: "Eddie Murphy", Comedian – Eddie Murphy (Also shows up in TV)   37. Apr - Harold Lee Washington became the first African American Mayor of Chicago.   38. Aug - STS-8: Space Shuttle Challenger carries Guion S. Bluford (Col, USAF, Ret.), the first African American astronaut, into space.   39. Nov - Reagan signed a bill, proposed by Representative Katie Hall of Indiana (a black woman), to create a federal holiday honoring MLK Jr. Although the federal holiday honoring King was signed into law in 1983 and took effect three years later, not every U.S. state chose to observe the holiday at the state level until 1991.   40. Nov - Jessie Jackson announced his campaign for President of the United States in the 1984 election, becoming the second African American (after Shirley Chisholm) to mount a nationwide campaign for president.   41. Sept - Vanesa Williams becomes the first African American recipient of the Miss America title.   42. Misc.: The Color Purple wins the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.   43. The Women of Brewster Place is the debut novel of American author Gloria Naylor. It won the 1983 National Book Award for "First Novel".   44. “Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?”, Maya Angelou's fourth volume of poetry, is published.   45. Nikki Giovanni publishes her 9th poetry collection, "Those Who Ride The Night Winds". Included are poems about John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, as well as friends, lovers, mothers, and the poet herself.   46. Economic Snapshots   47. New House: 82k   48. Avg Income: 21k   49. New Car: 9k   50. Avg. Rent: 350   51. Tuition to Harvard: 8K   52. Movie Ticket: 2.50   53. Gas: 1.20   54. Stamp: 20c     55. Social Scene: The Cold War Becomes A Real Thing for Gen X.   56. Brief Overview - [http://www.american-historama.org/1945-1989-cold-war-era/strategic-defense-initiative.htm]   57. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars because it promoted ideas such as lasers and computer-guided projectiles, was the US response to possible nuclear attacks and it was introduced on March 23, 1983 during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.   58. The objective of the SDI program was to develop an advanced anti-ballistic missile system to enable the United States to prevent missile attacks from the USSR and other countries during the Cold War.   59. The idea was to set up many space satellites that would detect the launch, and then shoot down, any enemy missiles.   60. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was cancelled in 1993 and replaced with the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) renamed the Missile Defense Agency in 2002.   61. 10 SDI Highlights   62. #1: Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was the military strategy adopted during the Cold War Arms Race. It assumed that both the USSR and the US would refrain from launching nuclear weapons, knowing that the other country would retaliate and cause the complete nuclear annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.   63. #2: The Strategic "Defense" Initiative program focused on strategic defense and replaced the "Offensive" doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD).   64. #3: SDI became the subject of intense political controversy. A Washington Post article published the day after the speech, quoted Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy describing the proposal as "reckless Star Wars schemes."   65. #4: Critics in the media used that term frequently (despite Reagan's request that they use the program's official name), implying it was an impractical science fiction. This did much damage the program's credibility.   66. #5: Many critics believed that it would extend the arms race into space and cause the USSR to expand its own offensive nuclear weapons.   67. #6: SDI began extremely expensive research projects costing billions of dollars every year. The research projects included space-based laser weapons, spy satellites and space-based interceptors.   68. #7: In response to the US research projects, the Soviets began work on developing their own version of Strategic Defense Initiative.   69. #8: The efforts by the Soviet Union to match the expenditure of the U.S. in the Cold War Arms Race contributed greatly to nation's economic problems.   70. #9: Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev realized that the USSR could not afford the Cold War Arms Race or match the massive expenditure involved in the US Strategic Defense Initiative. In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev fell from power and the Soviet Union was dissolved.   71. #10: The SDI had itself become an economic weapon and was instrumental in causing the downfall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.    72. Audio Clip:   73. Question: Do you think the threat of Nuclear War has grown or shrunk during your lifetime?   74. Music Scene   75. Top R&B Singles (from Billboard's Year-End Top 40 Pop Songs)   76. #2 - "Billie Jean", Michael Jackson   77. #3 - "Flashdance... What a Feeling", Irene Cara   78. #5 - "Beat It", Michael Jackson   79. #7 - "Maneater", Hall & Oates   80. #8 - "Baby, Come to Me", Patti Austin and James Ingram   81. #15 - "She Works Hard for the Money", Donna Summer   82. #25 - "Little Red Corvette"    Prince   83. #29 - "You"    Lionel Richie   84. #32 - "Sexual Healing"    Marvin Gaye   85. #29 - “One on One"    Hall & Oates   86. #41 - "1999"    Prince   87. Other Notable 1983 R&B Singles   88. Apr - "Atomic Dog", George Clinton   89. May - "Candy Girl", New Edition   90. May - "Save the Overtime (For Me)", Gladys Knight and the Pips   91. Jun - "Juicy Fruit", Mtume   92. Oct - "Ain't Nobody", Rufus & Chaka Khan   93. Oct - "All Night Long (All Night)", Lionel Richie   94. Dec - "Time Will Reveal", DeBarge   95. Vote   96. Top R&B Albums (from Billboard's number-one R&B albums)   97. Jan - Midnight Love, Marvin Gaye   98. Jan - Thriller, Michael Jackson   99. Jul - Between the Sheets, The Isley Brothers   100. Jul - Thriller, Michael Jackson   101. Sep - Cold Blooded, Rick James   102. Nov - Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie   103. Vote   104. Key Artist #1: Run - DMC   105. Run (Joseph Simmons) @ 19 yrs old / DMC (Darryl McDaniels) @ 19 yrs old / Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) @ 18 yrs old   106. The trio grew up in Hollis, Queens, a moderately stable African American community in New York. / DMC was born to a teenage mother and was adopted three months later.   107. Run and DMC were childhood friends   108. 1978: JMJ discovers the turntable at age 13. By age 14 he is spinning for live crowds at block parties.   109. 1980: The trio met via the emerging hip-hop scene at Hollis' "Two-Fifths Park". Simmons and McDaniels rapped in front of Mizell at the park, and the three became friends.    110. 1981: Fortunately for them, Run’s older brother, Russell Simmons, had his foot in the music business, as the manager for rappers Kurtis Blow and Whodini. Russell made Run Kurtis Blow's DJ and helped him record the single “Street Kid,” but it went nowhere. Later that year, the friends decide to become a crew.   111. 1982: Russell agreed to help the new group record a single and get a record deal, but on one condition –McDaniels change his stage name, from “Easy D” to “D.M.C.”   112. 1983: Run DMC hit the scene with their debut 12-inch single for “It’s Like That,” with “Sucker MCs” as the B-side. The out-of-the-box success of these two songs was the beginning of a new era for hip-hop.   113. Run-D.M.C. exploded out of Hollis, changing popular culture in general. Not only was their sound different, so was their dress. Earlier rap stars fashioned their looks after the spangled superhero costumes of 1970s funk acts like Parliament-Funkadelic and Rick James, Run-DMC appeared in their signature bowler hats, black leather jackets, unlaced Adidas athletic shoes, and black denim pants, establishing the more casual look of hip urban youth.   114. They were the first rappers to have a gold album - Run-D.M.C. (1984). The first rap act to appear on MTV, becoming popular with the cable channel’s largely white audience with their fusion of hip-hop and guitar solos on hits such as “Rock Box” (1984) and a 1986 remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”.   115. Although the group never officially disbanded, their recording and performing activities decreased significantly in the 1990s and in 2002 Jam Master Jay was fatally shot at a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens.   116. Run-DMC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 and received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.   117. Meanwhile, up the coast near Boston… In 1978, Robert Barisford Brown (@ 9 yrs old), Michael Lamont Bivins (@ 10 yrs old), and Ricardo "Ricky" Bell (@ 11 yrs old) started a vocal group.   118. Ricardo’s friend Ralph Edward Tresvant (@10 yrs old), and the nephew of the group’s manager and choreographer, Ronald Boyd DeVoe Jr. (@11 yrs old) soon joined.   119. Key Artists #2: New Edition   120. For a complete history go watch "The New Edition Story" on BET    121. But the short story is this...They all lived in the Orchard Park Projects in Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, and where heavily influenced by Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5.    122. They scored its big break in 1981, when they finished 2nd in a local talent show. They impressed the singer/producer Maurice Starr, and he brought the group to his studio the following day and started recording their debut album, Candy Girl.   123. Audio Clip   124. Question: These two groups are primarily responsible for hip-hop crossing over to rock and R&B, and therefore a wider and whiter audience. Has that been a good thing?    125. Movie Scene   126. Bill Cosby: Himself 127. After I Spy and before The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby left his own inimitable mark on the arena of stand-up comedy in this live concert showcasing his down-to-earth observations on the rigors and joys of family life. Cosby, using only a microphone and a chair, discusses his take on raising kids and the illogical nature of children and the futility of trying to argue with a child that in the end may be smarter than you. Notable highlights include Cosby's ruminations on the meaning of the all-purpose phrase "I don't know" to kids, and Cosby describing the effect raising children has on his wife Camille's mental state and the pitch of her voice. Containing the basis for the humor of his long-running situation comedy, Bill Cosby: Himself is a polished, occasionally insightful, and frequently hilarious night of comedy from one of the longtime masters of the form. --Robert Lane: https://www.quotes.net/movies/bill_cosby%3A_himself_1089   128. Born poor, the son of a sailor and a maid, he excelled at school, in both sport and academic study, becoming class president and winning a university scholarship while doing part-time jobs to help support his family. Giving all that up, he instantly became successful as a comedian, going on to be the first African American to star in a network TV series (I Spy), as well as the first to win an acting Emmy (three of them, plus one for variety shows and nine Grammies). By the time this performance was recorded, he had completed a doctorate in education, and was about to launch The Cosby Show, the decade's biggest sitcom, which would make him the best-paid entertainer in the world for two years running (1986 and 1987). He also sings and can play jazz guitar and drums. At 75, he's still extremely funny. - https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/jul/19/comedy-gold-bill-cosby-himself   129. Television Scene 130. Delirious (1983) is an American stand-up comedy television special directed by Bruce Gowers, written by and starring Eddie Murphy. The comedy became a TV Special for HBO released August 30, 1983.Eddie Murphy in stand-up before all the prosthetic flesh happened. For a generation of naughty schoolboys, this was the video to have; no parent-free gathering or playground conversation was complete without repeating some of Eddie’s profanity-strewn, impression-laden genius. The homophobic opening gambit and an alarmingly ignorant bit on AIDS are jaw-dropping, but there’s no denying Murphy’s supreme on-stage talent — when he’s on more timeless material (ice cream, cookouts, shoe-throwing mothers), few in the world were ever as funny as this. It’s easy to forget how funny Murphy's stand-up really was. Despite being a little dated in subject, this still slays. - https://www.empireonline.com/movies/eddie-murphy-delirious/review/   131. “The most homophobic standup routine I’ve ever seen,” says another. “Can’t believe all the messed-up things he says about AIDS, including saying how you’ll catch AIDS from your girlfriend if she kisses her gay friend. 80s hateful prejudice in full force.”   132. Murphy apologized for the routine back in 1996, saying, “I deeply regret any pain all this has caused. Just like the rest of the world, I am more educated about AIDS in 1996 than I was in 1981. ”I know how serious an issue AIDS is the world over. I know that AIDS isn’t funny. It’s 1996 and I’m a lot smarter about AIDS now. I am not homophobic, and I am not anti-gay. My wife and I have donated both time and money to AIDS research. I’ve had people close to me die from the disease as well. I don’t know a person who hasn’t been touched in some way by this disease. Everybody knows somebody who is sick. Black people have been hit harder by this disease than any other group of people on the planet.” - https://www.queerty.com/eddie-murphys-homophobic-comedy-special-delirious-now-streaming-netflix-20161229 133. Question: Does he get a pass?   134. The A-Team   135. Four Vietnam vets, framed for a crime they didn't commit, help the innocent while on the run from the military. It’s THE A-TEAM 136. Led by master of disguise, Lieutenant Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith played by the gruff but loveable George Peppard, this group of falsely convicted commandos now work as fugitive mercenaries. Dirk Benedict is the team’s master manipulator and con man, Templeton “Face” Peck. Dwight Schultz plays the certifiable master aviator, Captain H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock. And you can’t spell The A-Team without Mr. T as master mechanic, Mohawked muscle man, and van driver (with a serious fear of flying), Bosco “B.A.” (“Bad Attitude”) Baracus. But enough jibba jabba. Tune in and watch the plan come together, fool!   137. The show ran for five seasons, with several minor cast changes along the way; the show's eventual decline was attributed to the constantly recycled and extremely formulaic plot. Attempts to win viewers back, by both changing the overall premise and having the A-Team overseen by a former antagonist, worked for only a short while.   138. Logic and credibility were usually ignored for the series' trademark over-the-top explosions, but the show never took itself particularly seriously, anyway: most of Hannibal's disguises were paper-thin, the villains were usually mostly-inept and somewhat one-dimensional, and the weapons that the Team cobbled together from miscellaneous parts were invariably more effective than the machine guns that the episode's villains used. 139. A big-screen version was released in June 2010, with Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley and Quinton Jackson as the team. The trailer can be seen on YouTube. Tropes go to the respective page.   140. Question: Does anybody care?   141. Webster   142. The post-retirement season is suddenly disrupted for football player George Papadapolis and his wife Katherine when Webster, the orphaned son of a former teammate, moves in. Laughter, and life lessons, in every episode. Webster was ABC's answer to the long-running NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes ... especially with its showcase star and even down to the basic concept (a young African American child being adopted by a white family).   143. The showcase star on Webster was Emmanuel Lewis, who played the title character. At 4-foot-3, the 12-year-old Lewis easily passed for 6 or 7 (the character's age at the start of the series in 1983), which was Webster's age when he was adopted by    144. Clark's production company. After the third season ended, Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Inc. was established and became a third production company. This was actually part of an agreement between Karras and Clark, Paramount, and ABC, in which Emmanuel Lewis would get production credit alongside them for ABC to stop making the story lines be "all Webster, all the time. “The series ran from 1983-1987 on ABC before spending its final two first-run years in syndication. By the time the final first-run episode aired in 1989, Webster was 12 years old and getting ready to enter junior high school; in real life, Lewis had just turned 18.   145. Question: Why didn’t we riot in the streets?   146. Final Vote: Favorite pop culture event/item for 1983?  

Topics: Reaganomics, MJ vis-a-vis Prince, 48 Hrs. (Film). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)     1.    1982 Notes   2.    General Snapshots   3.    Ronald Reagan President   4.    Oct – The 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders occur when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide.   5.    November – The unemployment rate peaks at 10.8%.   6.    November 2 – United States elections, 1982. The Republican Party loses 27 seats to the majority Democratic Party in the House.   7.    November 30 – Michael Jackson releases Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.   8.    Open Comments   9.    Popular Music Scene   10.    Top 3 Singles   11.    1 - "Physical", Olivia Newton-John   12.    2 - "Eye of the Tiger", Survivor   13.    3 - "I Love Rock 'n Roll", Joan Jett & The Blackhearts   14.    Record of the Year - "Rosanna", Toto   15.    Album of the Year - Toto IV, Toto   16.    Song of the Year - "Always on My Mind", Willie Nelson   17.    Best New Artist - Men at Work   18.    Open Comments   19.    Popular Movies   20.    Top 3 Grossing Movies   21.    1 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial   22.    2 – Tootsie   23.    3 - An Officer and a Gentleman   24.    Notables: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, First Blood, Poltergeist, Rocky III, Porky's, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan   25.    Open Comments   26.    Popular TV   27.    1 - 60 Minutes   28.    2 – Dallas   29.    3 - M*A*S*H / Magnum, P.I.   30.    Black Snapshots   31.    Jan - Fame debuts on TV   32.    Mar - Teddy Pendergrass is severely injured in a car accident in Philadelphia. Pendergrass's injuries result in him being paralyzed from the chest down.   33.    Andrew Jackson Young Jr., pastor, politician, diplomat, activist, former executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and a close confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. becomes Mayor of Atlanta.   34.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Jennifer Holliday for "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)"Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Marvin Gaye for "Sexual Healing"   35.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: (tie) Dazz Band for "Let It Whip" 36.    Earth, Wind & Fire for "Wanna Be with You"   37.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Turn Your Love Around" performed by George Benson   38.    Best Comedy Recording: Richard Pryor for Live on the Sunset Strip   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    New House - 82.5k   41.    Avg Income - 21k   42.    New Car - 8k   43.    Avg Rent – 320   44.    Harvard Tuition - 7k per year   45.    Movie Ticket - 2.50   46.    Stamp - .20   47.    Open Comments   48.    Social Scene: Reaganomics   49.    Reaganomics is a popular term used to refer to the economic policies of Ronald Reagan   50.    During the campaign of 1980, Ronald Reagan announced a recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He claimed an undue tax burden, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs hampered growth.   51.    Reagan's 1981 Program for Economic Recovery had four major policy objectives: (1) reduce the growth of government spending, (2) reduce the marginal tax rates on income from both labor and capital, (3) reduce regulation, and (4) reduce inflation by controlling the growth of the money supply. The economic theory behind the plan was called Supply-Side, or Trickle-Down economics, or voodoo economics by political opponents.   52.    Did It Work?   53.    President Reagan delivered on each of his four major policy objectives., although not to the extent that he and his supporters had hoped.   54.    Government spending wasn't lowered, just shifted from domestic programs to defense. The result? The federal debt almost tripled, from $997 billion in 1981 to $2.857 trillion in 1989.   55.    Reagan cut tax rates enough to stimulate consumer demand. By Reagan's last year in office, the top income tax rate was 28 percent for single people making $18,550 or more. Anyone making less paid no taxes at all. That was much less than the 1980 top tax rate of 70 percent for individuals earning $108,000 or more. Reagan offset these tax cuts with tax increases elsewhere. He raised Social Security payroll taxes and some excise taxes. Reagan cut the corporate tax rate from 46 percent to 40 percent.   56.    Reagan deregulated: Domestic oil and gas, cable TV, long-distance telephone service, interstate bus service, and ocean shipping. He eased bank regulations, but that helped create the Savings and Loan Crisis in 1989. Reagan increased, not decreased, import barriers. He did little to reduce other regulations affecting health, safety, and the environment. Carter had reduced regulations at a faster pace.   57.    Tame Inflation. Reagan was fortunate Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was already in place. Volcker vigorously attacked the double-digit inflation of the 1970s.   58.    Legacy   59.    Reagan’s indifference to urban problems was legendary. For example, early in his presidency, at a White House reception, Reagan greeted the only black member of his Cabinet, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Samuel Pierce, saying: “How are you, Mr. Mayor? I’m glad to meet you. How are things in your city?” He had failed to recognize his own HUD Secretary.   60.    And his dislike for public school education is still with us.   61.    MAY 06, 2013 LANCE T. IZUMI: SACRAMENTO, CA – While Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy changed the face of the world, it shouldn’t be forgotten that his leadership also dramatically changed the face of issues at home. Top among those was education. In 1983, the Reagan administration released the groundbreaking report A Nation at Risk.  Using a wealth of statistical data, the report demonstrated in detail the failings of America’s education system and the impact of those failings on the country’s children. The report recommended greater emphasis on basic subjects such as math and English, more rigorous and measurable standards, higher expectations for student performance and conduct, lengthening the school year, and improving teacher quality through, for example, increasing standards for teacher training programs. It’s no coincidence that the report’s recommendations form the basis for much of today’s agenda for education reform.   62.    According to Dick Carpenter, professor of education leadership at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, in the two years after the release of “A Nation at Risk”,  Reagan delivered more than 50 education-related speeches. Prof. Carpenter found, In speech after speech, Reagan articulated his educational beliefs and ideas, including parental responsibility in education; school choice, including tax credits and vouchers; rigorous academic content focused on basics such as reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and government; religious freedom in schools; high standards of conduct and discipline; character education; and a federal responsibility in helping the disadvantaged.    63.    Gary K. Clabaugh The Cutting Edge 259: Most presupposed that the charges made by Mr. Reagan’s handpicked panel were true. Oddly, throughout this entire clamor parents’ confidence in the schools their children attended remained remarkably high.9Meanwhile Mr. Reagan was quietly halving federal aid to education.   64.    That sums up Mr. Reagan’s educational legacy. As governor and president he demagogically fanned discontent with public education,then made political hay of it. As governor and president he bashed educators and slashed education spending while professing to value it. And as governor and president, he left the nation’s educators dispirited and demoralized.   65.    Open Comments   66.    Question: What are some of the changes you have noticed in schools since you were a child? Good & Bad.   67.    Music Scene   68.    Black Songs from the Top 40   69.    4 - "Ebony and Ivory", Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder   70.    15 - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", Hall & Oates   71.    24 - "Let It Whip", Dazz Band   72.    26 - "The Other Woman", Ray Parker Jr.27 - "Turn Your Love Around", George Benson   73.    33 - "Let's Groove”, Earth, Wind & Fire   74.    Vote Top R&B Albums   75.    Jan - Raise!, Earth, Wind and Fire   76.    Feb - Skyy Line, Skyy   77.    Feb - The Poet, Bobby Womack   78.    Apr - Love Is Where You Find It, The Whispers   79.    Apr - Friends, Shalamar   80.    May - Brilliance, Atlantic Starr   81.    May - The Other Woman, Ray Parker, Jr.   82.    Jun - Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I, Stevie Wonder   83.    Jun - Keep It Live, Dazz Band   84.    Jul - Gap Band IV, The Gap Band   85.    Sep - Jump to It, Aretha Franklin   86.    Oct - Get Loose, Evelyn "Champagne" King   87.    Nov - Forever, For Always, For Love, Luther Vandross   88.    Nov - Lionel Richie, Lionel Richie   89.    Dec - Midnight Love, Marvin Gaye   90.    Key Artists: Michael Jackson, vis-a-vis Prince, and Quincy   91.    Let's just peek into the "underground" scene and see what Prince has been up to since Off The Wall   92.    (1979)"Thriller" is the sixth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 30, 1982   93.    "1999" is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the first to feature his band the Revolution. It was released on October 27, 1982.   94.    Previous Albums by Prince: For You (1978), Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), 1999 (1982) - Peak Chart Position for "1999" was #5   95.    Singles from Prince since 1978:   96.    June 7, 1978 - "Just as Long as We're Together"   97.    November 21, 1978 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover"   98.    August 24, 1979"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"   99.    January 23, 1980"Still Waiting"   100.    March 25, 1980"Sexy Dancer"   101.    April 1980 (non-US single)"Uptown"   102.    September 10, 1980"Dirty Mind"   103.    November 26, 1980"Do It All Night"   104.    March 6, 1981"Controversy"   105.    September 2, 1981"Sexuality"   106.    October 1981 (non-US single)"Let's Work"   107.    January 6, 1982"Do Me, Baby"   108.    July 16, 1982Singles from "1999""1999"   109.    September 24, 1982"Little Red Corvette"   110.    February 9, 1983"D.M.S.R."   111.    Vote: Prince vs. MJ   112.    Quincy Delight Jones Jr., aka The Dude (@ 49 yrs. old): Producer, musician, composer, and film producer.   113.    Born on the South Side of Chicago   114.    Parents divorced at a young age. At 10 yrs. old, family moved to the state of Washington.   115.    At 14, began playing the trumpet, arranging music, and hanging out with 16-year-old Ray Charles.   116.    At 19, left college to become a professional musician with the Lionel Hampton band. While with the band he did arrangements for Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and other prominent artists of the day.   117.    For the next 8 years he traveled the world performing with Hampton, arranging music, and building possibly the best contacts list in music history.   118.    At 27, he started his own band. It was a financial failure and left him in serious debt.   119.    Irving Green, friend and head of Mercury records gave him a personal loan, and an executive job. Quincy was off to the races.   120.    Highlights:   121.    One 1 year later, friend Sidney Lumet, one of the most prolific filmmakers of the era: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976), and The Verdict (1982), asked him to score his film The Pawnbroker. He would go one to score 40+ films.   122.    In 1964, at age 31, he was the arranger/conductor for Frank Sinatra's 2nd album with Count Basie, It Might As Well Be Swing, which contained the classic hit Fly Me to The Moon. It became the first music heard on the Moon when played on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped onto the Moon.    123.    In addition, he composed the theme music for the TV shows, Sanford and Son, Ironside, Banacek, The Bill Cosby Show, the opening episode of Roots, Mad TV and the game show Now You See It.   124.    He was co-producer for the 1985 film The Color Purple. He convinced Steven Spielberg to direct, and was responsible for discovering and casting Oprah.   125.    In 1990, he began production for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, with Will Smith, and In the House, with LL Cool J.   126.    He launched Vibe magazine in 1993.He is second in the list of all-time Grammy award wins with 28. (31 is 1st)   127.    Absolute Legend.   128.    Bonus Song: Grandmaster Flash  and The Furious Five   129.    "The Message" is the best-known track by legendary hip-hop innovators Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and is a song that, without exaggeration, changed rap music's tone and content forever.   130.    Movie Scene: 48 Hrs., starring Eddie Murphy   131.    TV Scene: N/A   132.    Vote: Favorite/Most Important Pop Culture thing for the year?

Topics: Black Hair/Jheri Curls, Luther Vandross, Ragtime (Film) - Howard Rollins Jr., Nell Carter (Tv). (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1981 Notes 1.      Snapshots 2.      Ronald Reagan is President 3.      Jan - Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President of the United States. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis. 4.      Mar - U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley, Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady are also wounded. 5.      Jun - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California, have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (the first recognized cases of AIDS). 6.      Jul - President Ronald Reagan nominates the first woman, Sandra Day O'Connor, to the Supreme Court of the United States. 7.      Aug - MTV (Music Television) is launched on cable television in the United States. 8.      Aug - The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is introduced. 9.      Nov - Luke and Laura marry on the U.S. soap opera General Hospital; it is the highest-rated hour in daytime television history. 10.     Dec - The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in Norfolk, Virginia. 11.     Open Comments: 12.     Popular Music Scene 13.     Top 3 Singles 14.     1 - "Bette Davis Eyes", Kim Carnes 15.     2 - "Endless Love", Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 16.     3 - "Lady", Kenny Rogers 17.     Record of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" performed by Kim Carnes 18.     Album of the Year: John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy 19.     Song of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" performed by Kim Carnes 20.     Best New Artist: Sheena Easton 21.     Open Comments: 22.     Popular Movies 23.     Top 3 Grossing Movies 24.     1 - Raiders of the Lost Ark 25.     2 - On Golden Pond 26.     3 - Superman II 27.     Open Comments: 28.     Popular TV 29.     Top 3 Rated Shows 30.     1 - Dallas 31.     2 - 60 Minutes 32.     3 - The Jeffersons 33.     Open Comments: 34.     Black Snapshots 35.     Feb - Funky 4 + 1 perform "That's the Joint" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. This makes them the first hip hop act to perform on national television.  36.     Mar - Toni Morrison gave her next novel, Tar Baby (1981), a contemporary setting. In it, a looks-obsessed fashion model, Jadine, falls in love with Son, a penniless drifter who feels at ease with being black. 37.     Jun - Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old African American, is arrested and charged with the murders of two other African Americans. He is later accused of 28 others, in the Atlanta child murders. 38.     Aug - Bryant Gumbel: The candidates auditioned for Brokaw's job throughout the summer of 1981 when he was on vacation. Gumbel became a candidate for the job just by chance when he served as a last-minute substitute for Today co-anchor Jane Pauley in August 1981.  39.     Oct - Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981 until May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. 40.     Sep - Isabel Sanford - For her role on The Jeffersons as "Weezy", she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981, making her the first African American actress to win in that category. 41.     Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Hold On I'm Comin'" 42.     Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: James Ingram for "One Hundred Ways" 43.     Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Quincy Jones for The Dude 44.     Best R&B Instrumental Performance: David Sanborn for "All I Need Is You" 45.     Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Just the Two of Us" performed by Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers 46.     Open Comments: 47.     Economic Snapshot 48.     New House: 78k 49.     Avg. income: 21k 50.     New car: 8k 51.     Avg rent: 315 52.     Postage Stamp: 18c 53.     Movie ticket: 2.25 54.     Open Comments: 55.     Social Scene: The Jheri Curl 56.     Brief History of Black Hair 57.     For centuries black communities around the world have created hairstyles that are uniquely their own. These hairstyles span all the way back to the ancient world and continue to weave their way through the social, political and cultural conversations surrounding black identity today. 58.     Ancient Origins: Headdresses and wigs symbolized one’s rank and were essential to royal and wealthy Egyptians, male and female alike.  59.     Twisted Locks: Dreadlocks have often been perceived as a hairstyle associated with 20th century Jamaican and Rastafarian culture, but according to Dr. Bert Ashe’s book, Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles, one of the earliest known recordings of the style has been found in the Hindu Vedic scriptures and worn about 2,500 years ago. 60.     Intricate Braids: Braids were used to signify marital status, age, religion, wealth, and rank within several West African communities. 61.     Bantu/Nubian Knots: Bantu universally translates to “people” among many African languages and is used to categorize over 400 ethnic groups in Africa.  62.     Cornrows: Africans wore these tight braids laid along the scalp as a representation of agriculture, order and a civilized way of life. These types of braids have served many purposes, from an everyday convenience to a more elaborate adornment meant for special occasions. In the age of colonialism, slaves wore cornrows not only as an homage to where they had come from, but also a practical way to wear one’s hair during long labored hours. 63.     Madam CJ Walker and The Quest for Straight Hair: Even after Emancipation, there was a growing notion that European textured hair was “good” and African textured hair was “bad,” foreign and unprofessional. Wigs and chemical treatments became the means to achieve smoother, straighter hair. Cornrows were still popular, but this time only as the base for sew-ins and extensions, not something thought of as for public display. In the early 1900s, Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker started to develop products that targeted this want for straighter hair.  64.     Dreadlocks: In the 1920s, Jamaica born Marcus Garvey began a black nationalist movement in America to spread his belief that all black people should return to their rightful homeland of Africa. Although many associate dreadlocks like Bob Marley’s with what became known as the Rastafari movement, the Ethiopian emperor, who the movement was named for, was better known for his facial hair than the hair on his head. Early Rastas were reluctant to cut their hair due to the Nazarite vow in the Bible. Tensions started to build regarding debates on whether to comb these locs. In the 1950s, a faction within the Rastafari movement, the Youth Black Faith, rebelled against any visual signs of conformity, and split into the “House of Dreadlocks” and “House of Combsomes.” 65.     Afro: With the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, came the rise of the natural hair movement that encouraged black communities to accept their hair and turn away from damaging products. The notion of conforming to European standards did not fit with their message of black power. 66.     Jheri Curl (Thanks Michael Jackson):  The Jheri curl provided a glossy curly style that became uniquely iconic in its time. The name comes from its inventor, Jheri Redding, a white man from an Illinois farm who turned into one of the 20th century’s leading hair chemists. In the 1970s, Jheri Redding Products created a two-step chemical process that first softened the hair, then sprang it up into curls. However, Comer Cottrell is the man responsible for taking this product to the masses. In 1970, Cottrell and two partners started mixing hair care products by hand for their new L.A. company, Pro-Line Corporation. By 1980 they were able to create a product that replicated the look of the Jheri curl for much cheaper. The Curly Kit cut out the need to book an expensive salon appointment and in 1981, Forbes magazine called it “the biggest single product ever to hit the black cosmetic market.” In their first year of business, the $8 kits took in over $10 million in sales. 67.     Audio Clips 68.     Shape-Ups and Fade: (Thanks Michael Jackson) The 1980s ushered in the birth of Hip Hop, which had a huge cultural influence on style. Black barber shops around the U.S. had perfected the fade but the ‘80s allowed them to blossom with more forms of creativity and expressionism. Afros were shaped up with the sides cut short for a hi-top fade, and cornrows were braided in with flairs of individuality. Icons like Grace Jones sported inspired looks on their album covers, and by the 1990s the fade was being beamed into television sets across the U.S., via Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. [Source: https://www.history.com/news/black-hairstyles-visual-history-in-photos] 69.     Open Comments: 70.     Question: What is your "back in the day" hair horror story? 71.     Music Scene 72.     Black Songs from the Top 40  73.     #2 - "Endless Love", Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 74.     #6 - "Celebration", Kool & the Gang 75.     #7 - "Kiss on My List", Hall & Oates 76.     #13 - "Being with You", Smokey Robinson 77.     #18 - "Just the Two of Us", Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers 78.     #19 - "Slow Hand", The Pointer Sisters 79.     #22 - "Sukiyaki", A Taste of Honey 80.     #39 - "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", Commodores 81.     #45 - "How 'Bout Us", Champaign 82.     Vote: 83.     Top R&B Albums 84.     Jan - Hotter Than July, Stevie Wonder 85.     Feb - The Gap Band III, The Gap Band 86.     Mar - The Two Of Us, Yarbrough & Peoples 87.     Apr - Being With You, Smokey Robinson 88.     May - A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio 89.     Jun - Street Songs, Rick James 90.     Oct - Breakin' Away, Jarreau 91.     Nov - The Many Facets Of Roger, Roger 92.     Nov - Never Too Much, Luther Vandross 93.     Nov - Something Special, Kool & The Gang 94.     Nov - Raise, Earth, Wind & Fire 95.     Vote: 96.     Key Artists: Luther Vandross, "The Velvet Voice" 97.     Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (@ 30 yrs. old), was born and raised in NYC. He was a singer, songwriter and record producer. - "For many years, Luther Vandross was the vintage Cadillac among the banged-up jalopies in the used car lot of male pop singers.  98.     With a sound that echoed the smooth soul stylings of the 1960s, Vandross was a fixture on the rhythm and blues charts from his solo recording debut in 1981 until his tragic stroke in 2003. Over the course of his career he released a string of platinum albums and established himself as one of the leading romantic singers of his generation. Much of his appeal came from his emotional approach to music, which he modeled after great female vocalists such as his friends Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick." 99.     He Came from Musical Family:  His father, an upholsterer, died when Luther was eight years old, and his mother, a nurse, supported the family (4 children) while living in lower Manhattan housing project. His first piano lessons came at the age of three and his sister was a member of a doo-wop group. By 13, Vandross was obsessed with the girl groups of the Motown label, as well as the gospel-based soul sounds being produced by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Cissy Houston. He liked to hang out in the school hallways and sing doo-wop. In 1972 (@21 yrs. old) a song written by Vandross, "Everybody Rejoice," was chosen for the Broadway musical The Wiz. Although he received substantial royalties for the composition, the money was not enough to support him completely, and Vandross continued to work at a variety of "day jobs". 100.    Entered the Music Industry through the Back Door: In 1974 (@23 yrs. old), Vandross received his first real professional break. A childhood friend landed a job backing British singer David Bowie, and he invited Vandross to accompany him to a recording session during the making of Bowie's album Young Americans. During the session, Bowie overheard Vandross mentioning some background vocal arrangement suggestions to Alomar. Bowie loved the ideas, and he immediately hired Vandross to sing and arrange backup vocals for the album. He also recorded a Vandross-penned song, "Fascination." When the album was finished, Vandross joined the Bowie tour as a backup singer. Through Bowie, Vandross made many important connections in the music industry, laying the groundwork for his own budding career. Bowie introduced Vandross was Bette Midler. She hired Vandross to sing backup vocals on her next two albums. Vandross soon became much sought after. Among the artists whose recordings his voice appeared on during the next few years were Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, the Average White Band, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. He also became one of Madison Avenue's favorite voices for commercial jingles. During the late 1970s, Vandross's anonymous voice was used to sell everything from fried chicken to long-distance telephone service, not to mention as a recruiting tool for the U.S. Army.  Artistically, however, those jobs did not satisfy him, and he continued to try to break out as a solo act. He formed or joined several groups, with such names as Luther, Bionic Boogie, and Change, but none proved commercially viable. He also sang the lead vocal on Chic's song "Dance, Dance, Dance." 101.    Hit the Big Time: Part of the problem in landing a solo recording contract was Vandross's insistence on total creative control of the recording process. Another problem was the prevalence of disco, a musical form antithetical to Vandross's lyrical approach. Finally, in 1980, Vandross used his own money to rent a studio and began recording. He took the resulting handful of songs to Epic Records, and he was immediately given a contract. Epic released Vandross's first solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981. The album sold more than one million copies cracked the top ten on black pop charts, and effectively launched Vandross's career as a solo superstar. 102.    Audio Clip / Open comments: 103.    Achievements: Grammy Awards, 1979, 1990, 1991 (2), 1996, 2003 (4); NAACP Image Awards, 1990, 2003. 104.    Health and death: As Vandross's career expanded, so did his waistline. At times his weight soared to well over 300 pounds. Angered by the constant mention of his size in the press, where he was tagged with such nicknames as the "heavyweight of soul," Vandross shed 120 pounds, only to seesaw back and forth between weight extremes for the next several years. In several interviews, Vandross attributed the yo-yoing to his love life. When things were going well, he lost weight; when he was heartsick, he overcompensated with food. Sadly, in April of 2003 Vandross suffered a debilitating stroke that left him temporarily in a coma; the stroke was likely caused by a combination of his recent weight gain and his ongoing struggle with diabetes. He never fully recovered.  105.    Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54 of a heart attack. [Source:https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/luther-vandross] 106.    Movie Scene: Ragtime 107.    A 1981 drama, directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1975 historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow.  Starring: Howad E Rollins Jr, Moses Gunn, Debbie Allen, and Samuel Jackson. 108.    Review: "Profound as Coalhouse's story might be, Ragtime is about far more. Set in early 1900s New York, at the beginning of America's so-called Gilded Age, the movie is about the radical and long-lasting changes, including the onset of the industrial revolution, and increased importance of civil rights and sexual equality issues. As in E.L. Doctorow's novel, the characters in Forman's film each represent those changes, with Coalhouse just one in a complex and compelling mix. [Source: Nikki Tranter - 28 Nov 2004 https://www.popmatters.com/ragtime-1981-dvd-2496253275.html] 109.    Roger Ebert - “Ragtime” is a loving, beautifully mounted, graceful film that creates its characters with great clarity. We understand where everyone stands, and most of the time we even know why. Forman surrounds them with some of the other characters from the Doctorow novel (including Harry Houdini, Teddy Roosevelt, and Norman Mailer as the architect Sanford White), but in the film they're just atmosphere, window dressing. Forman's decision to stick with the story of Coalhouse is vindicated, because he tells it so well. [Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ragtime-1981] 110.    Audio Clips 111.    Open Comments 112.    The actor Howard E. Rollins Jnr made his film debut in Milos Forman's Ragtime (1981) as Coalhouse Walker, the cool, sophisticated ragtime pianist. who becomes head of a group of black revolutionaries. Variety praised his "staggeringly effective portrayal of conscience-wracked pride" and "intense screen magnetism that bodes instant stardom". For a time, it looked as if Rollins would become Sidney Poitier's successor. However, in spite of unanimous praise from the critics, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Rollins made only one other film appearance. This was A Soldier's Story (1984) ...Rollins gave another memorable performance as the stylish, self-assured but intense Captain Richard Davenport, one of the first black officers in the US Army, who arrives in a racially segregated training camp in wartime Louisiana to investigate the murder of a black sergeant. But this time there was no Oscar recognition or any follow-up movie roles. Years passed before Hollywood felt ready to promote a serious black actor: Denzel Washington. 113.    Question: Was he better than Denzel? 114.    Black Television: Gimme a Break! [PLEASE!] 115.    The series aired for 6 seasons and starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. 116.    Nell Ruth Hardy, (@ 33yrs old), born and raised in Birmingham, AL was an award-winning singer, actress, Broadway and television performer. She possessed a powerful, sultry singing voice and had a very strong stage presence; she deftly handled roles in drama, comedy, and musicals with equal capability. 117.    Carter was the fifth of nine children. When she was a toddler, her father died of electrocution. At 15, she was raped at gunpoint and gave birth to the child. That same year, four of her friends died when a bomb planted by segregationists exploded in a local church. Later, Carter would say she found solace in listening to music, having a fondness for her mother's Dinah Washington and B.B. King tunes as well as her brother's Elvis Presley records. Carter developed her performance skills by singing in church groups, on the gospel circuit, on a weekly radio program, and coffeehouses. At age 19, she moved to New York City to study acting at Bill Russell's School of Drama. There, she began to appear at several nightclubs. 118.    Carter's Broadway debut came in the 1971 musical Soon. (@23 yrs. old), – unknowns Richard Gere and Peter Allen were in the cast. Carter also had a bit part in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973. She moved overseas and studied drama in London before being cast in the 1978 Broadway production of Ain’t Misbehavin' (@30 yrs. old), where it ran four years. She would win a Tony Award for her performance in Ain't Misbehavin' and won an Emmy Award in 1982 for the television version of the show. In addition to her stage roles, Carter appeared in a handful of television shows in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the soap opera Ryan's Hope in 1978 and 1979 and in the television series The Mis-adventures of Sheriff Lobo in 1980. Sensing her appeal, network executives offered her the lead role in the sitcom Gimme A Break! in 1981. 119.    Audio clip: 120.    After Gimme a Break went off the air in 1987, Carter took various parts in films, on television shows, and on stage. Even later in her career, Carter kept active with cabaret performances and concerts. 121.    Eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, and other health concerns plagued Carter for years. In a 1994 interview, she admitted that she first tried cocaine the night she won her Tony Award. In 1992, Carter had two brain surgeries to fix an aneurysm. In 1997, Carter learned she had diabetes. Carter was married in 1982 and divorced in 1992, then married again that same year. She was divorced again in 1993. In 1989 and 1990, she adopted two sons. Carter died on January 23, 2003, at the age of 54 due to natural causes likely caused by heart disease and complications from diabetes. [Rumored: After her passing, friends and family were surprised to discover that Carter had been living as a closeted lesbian, and that custody of her children had been left to her domestic partner, Ann Kaser.] [Main Source: https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-A-Di/Carter-Nell.html#ixzz5kPhe5ORT] 122.    Open Comments 123.    Question: Was this just a show about a modern Mammy? 124.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture thing for the year?

Topics: Pac-Man & the start of the "Gaming" culture, Zapp, Fame (1980 Film), Eddie Murphy. (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1980   1.    Jimmy Carter President   2.    Jan – The comic strips The Far Side debuts in newspapers   3.    Feb – The XIII Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York.[1]   4.    Feb – The United States Olympic Hockey Team defeats the Soviet Union in the medal round of the Winter Olympics, in the Miracle on Ice.   5.    Feb - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.   6.    Apr – Operation Eagle Claw, a commando mission in Iran to rescue American embassy hostages, is aborted after mechanical problems ground the rescue helicopters. Eight United States troops are killed in a mid-air collision during the failed operation.   7.    Apr – Rosie Ruiz wins the Boston Marathon, but is later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award   8.    May – A Miami, Florida court acquits four white police officers of killing Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance executive, provoking three days of race riots.   9.    May – Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage.   10.    May – The Empire Strikes Back is released.   11.    May – Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game of all time, is released.   12.    May – Vernon Jordan is shot and critically injured in an assassination attempt in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Joseph Paul Franklin (the first major news story for CNN).   13.    Jun – The Cable News Network (CNN) is officially launched.   14.    Jun – In Los Angeles, comedian Richard Pryor is badly burned trying to freebase cocaine.   15.    Jun – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs Proclamation 4771, requiring 19- and 20-year-old males to register for a peacetime military draft, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.   16.    Jul – The Unemployment Rate peaks at 7.8%, the highest in four years.   17.    Nov – United States presidential election, 1980: Republican challenger and former Governor Ronald Reagan of California defeats incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter, exactly one year after the beginning of the Iran hostage crisis.   18.    Nov - Millions of viewers tune into the U.S. soap opera Dallas to learn who shot lead character J. R. Ewing. The "Who shot J. R.?" event is a national obsession.   19.    Dec - John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota apartment building in New York City.   20.    Open Comments:   21.    Popular Music Scene   22.    Top 3 Singles   23.    1 - "Call Me", Blondie   24.    2 - "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", Pink Floyd   25.    3 - "Magic", Olivia Newton-John   26.    Record of the Year: Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for "Sailing"   27.    Album of the Year: Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross   28.    Song of the Year: Christopher Cross for "Sailing"   29.    Best New Artist: Christopher Cross   30.    Open Comments:   31.    Popular Movies   32.    Top 3 Grossing Movies   33.    1 - The Empire Strikes Back   34.    2 - 9 to 5   35.    3 - Stir Crazy   36.    Open Comments:   37.    Notables:   38.    Airplane!, starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar   39.    American Gigolo, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton and Héctor Elizondo   40.    The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins   41.    The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Henry Gibson   42.    Caddyshack, directed by Harold Ramis, starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, Bill Murray   43.    Coal Miner's Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones   44.    Flash Gordon, directed by Mike Hodges, starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Chaim Topol   45.    Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Harry Crosby   46.    Raging Bull, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty   47.    The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers   48.    Open Comments:   49.    Popular TV   50.    Top 3 Rated Shows   51.    1 - Dallas   52.    2 - The Dukes of Hazzard   53.    3- 60 Minutes   54.    Open Comments:   55.    Black Snapshots   56.    Ralph Abernathy, president of the SCLC following the assassination of King in 1968, endorses Ronald Reagan   57.    Nikki Giovanni publishes Vacation Time: Poems for Children   58.    Bernard Shaw stars at CNN:  Shaw is widely known for the question he posed to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis at his second Presidential debate with George H. W. Bush during the 1988 election, which Shaw was moderating. Knowing that Dukakis opposed the death penalty, Shaw asked him if he would support an irrevocable death penalty for a man who hypothetically raped and murdered Dukakis's wife. Dukakis responded that he would not.   59.    Nov - Eddie Murphy made his first Saturday Night Live appearance, appearing in a non-speaking role in the sketch "In Search Of The Negro Republican".   60.    Jan - Black Entertainment Television launches in the United States as a block of programming on the USA Network; it won't be until 1983 that BET becomes a full-fledged channel.   61.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before"   62.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - George Benson for Give Me the Night   63.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - The Manhattans for "Shining Star"   64.    Open Comments:   65.    Economic   66.    New House: 69K   67.    Avg. income: 19K   68.    New car: 7K   69.    Avg rent: 300   70.    Postage Stamp: 15c   71.    Movie ticket: 2.25   72.    Open Comments:   73.    Social Scene:  Pac-Man, Arcade, and the birth of the Gaming Culture.   74.    Taken from: For Amusement Only: the life and death of the American arcade [https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3740422/the-life-and-death-of-the-american-arcade-for-amusement-only]   75.    "If you’ve never been inside a “real” arcade, it could be hard to distinguish one from say, oh, a Dave & Buster’s. Authenticity is a hard nut to crack, but there are a few hallmarks of the video game arcade of days gone by: first, they have video games. Lots and lots of video games, and (usually) pinball machines. They’re dark (so that you can see the screens better), and they don’t sell food or booze. You can make an exception for a lonely vending machine, sure, but full meals? No thanks. There’s no sign outside that says you “must be 21 to enter.” These are rarely family-friendly institutions, either. Your mom wouldn’t want to be there, and nobody would want her there, anyway. This is a place for kids to be with other kids, teens to be with other teens, and early-stage adults to serve as the ambassador badasses in residence for the younger generation. It’s noisy, with all the kids yelling and the video games on permanent demo mode, beckoning you to waste just one more quarter. In earlier days (though well into the ‘90s), it’s sometimes smoky inside, and the cabinets bear the scars of many a forgotten cig left hanging off the edge while its owner tries one last time for a high score, inevitably ending in his or her death. The defining feature of a “real” arcade, however, is that there aren’t really any left."   76.    Open Comments:   77.    The years between 1978 and 1982 saw unprecedented growth across the entire video game industry. A January 1982 cover story in Time magazine noted that the most popular machines were pulling in $400 a week in quarters and the number of dedicated arcades in the United States reached its peak with around 13,000. Video game cabinets also appeared in grocery stores, drug stores, doctor’s offices, and even in school recreation centers. The arcade chain Tilt began opening locations in the growing number of shopping malls across America. Beginning with Space Invaders in 1978, a string of now legendary games were released in rapid succession: Galaxian ('79), Asteroids ('79), Berzerk ('80), Centipede ('80), Rally-X ('80), Defender ('81), Donkey Kong ('81), Frogger ('81), Galaga ('81), Ms. Pac-Man ('81), Dig Dug ('82), Donkey Kong Jr. (('82), Joust ('82), Pole Position ('82), Q*bert ('82), and Tron ('82).    78.    Simultaneously, the home console business blossomed: from the primitive Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, the concept of home gaming erupted with the Atari 2600 and the Apple II in 1977, the Intellivision in 1980, the Commodore 64 and ColecoVision in 1982, and the NES and Sega Master System in 1985.But it was 1980’s Pac-Man, the most successful video arcade game of all time, released by Midway in the United States, which had the most lasting effects on the industry and the American psyche.   79.    Audio Clip:   80.    Question: What do you say about the following criticisms: Ingrains scripts of violence and aggression into the psyche. / Too much sex, nudity, and mistreatment of women. / Poor portrayal of race / Addiction leading to health problems and obesity.   81.    Music Scene   82.    Black Songs from the Top 40    83.    4    "Rock with You"    Michael Jackson   84.    8    "Funkytown"    Lipps Inc   85.    13    "Cruisin"    Smokey Robinson   86.    14    "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl"    The Spinners   87.    18    "Upside Down"    Diana Ross   88.    19    "Please Don't Go"    KC and the Sunshine Band   89.    21    "With You I'm Born Again"    Billy Preston and Syreeta   90.    22    "Shining Star"    The Manhattans   91.    23    "Still"    Commodores   92.    29    "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time"    The Spinners   93.    30    "Let's Get Serious"    Jermaine Jackson   94.    35    "Ladies' Night"    Kool & the Gang   95.    36    "Too Hot"    Kool & the Gang   96.    37    "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"    The SOS Band   97.    38    "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"    Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer   98.    42    "Special Lady"    Ray, Goodman & Brown   99.    43    "Send One Your Love"    Stevie Wonder   100.    44    "The Second Time Around"    Shalamar   101.    Vote:   102.    Top R&B Albums   103.    Jan - Off the Wall    Michael Jackson   104.    Feb - The Whispers    The Whispers   105.    Apr - Light Up the Night    The Brothers Johnson   106.    May - Go All the Way    The Isley Brothers   107.    Jun - Let’s Get Serious    Jermaine Jackson   108.    Jul - Cameosis    Cameo   109.    Jul - diana    Diana Ross   110.    Sep - Give Me the Night    George Benson   111.    Oct - Love Approach    Tom Browne   112.    Oct - Zapp    Zapp   113.    Nov - Triumph    The Jacksons   114.    Nov - Hotter Than July    Stevie Wonder   115.    Vote:   116.    Key Artists: Roger Troutman and Zapp   117.    Roger Troutman (@ 29 yrs. old) singer, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer.   118.    Born and raised in Hamilton, OH, the fourth child of nine, he gravitated toward music at an extremely early age; he was only five years old when he received his first guitar.   119.    By 11, he was playing in local bands with one of his brothers.    120.    Influenced by old-schoolers B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Chuck Jackson, and Junior Walker, and then-current chart-toppers The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, and the Beatles, by the late '60s, Roger had added Hammond organ to his resumé of instruments, and 2 more brothers.   121.    Like many of his generation, Roger and his brothers became enraptured by such funk/rock artists as Jimi Hendrix, the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and Funkadelic.   122.    By age 26, the band was playing shows all over the U.S. and Canada. The group added another Troutman brother to their ranks ((4 in total), Terry, who went by the nickname of "Zapp," and that soon became the group's new name.   123.    Shortly thereafter, Bootsy Collins' brother, Phelps "Catfish" Collins, happened to catch a gig by Zapp, who put them in touch with Bootsy, who then brought them to the attention of George Clinton. Clinton promptly signing the group to his own custom label, Uncle Jam.   124.    Clinton got Roger (Not Zapp) a performance spot at a 1979 Awards show and declared “Roger Troutman as the most talented musician” he'd ever seen in his life. Roger’s performance created a buzz for Zapp's self-titled debut release, issued in 1980.   125.    Audio clips   126.    After the 1980 release of Zapp's debut album, tensions rose between Roger Troutman and George Clinton. Troutman's solo album “The Many Facets of Roger” was primarily funded by Clinton and Clinton was experiencing financial troubles due to his poor management skills and shifting tastes in music.   127.    Troutman could see the disarray surrounding Clinton and severed their partnership by accepting a higher offer for the album from Warner Bros. and cut Clinton out of the picture.   128.    Clinton's view was, "…I paid for it. I don't like to go into it on the negative side, but it cost about 5 million [dollars], and a lot of people's jobs and what we consider as the empire falling". - The financial loss from the rupture with Troutman is credited as one of the factors that derailed Clinton's musical career and sent Funkadelic into hiatus.   129.    On Sunday morning, April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was fatally wounded as a result of an apparent murder-suicide that was orchestrated by his older brother, Larry. Roger was shot several times in the torso by Larry as he exited a recording studio. Larry's body was found in a car a short distance away from the murder scene. There were no witnesses at the time, and Larry's motive for the murder of Roger remains unclear. Larry had been experiencing increasingly severe financial problems managing the family-run business. Larry might also have been bitter after Roger fired him as manager of his music career, a position Larry had held for several years.   130.    After Troutman's death, Ice Cube said that "More Bounce To The Ounce" introduced him to hip-hop. "I was in the sixth grade, we'd stayed after school. We had this dude named Mr. Lock, and he used to bring in his radio with these pop-lockers. He used to teach [the dance group] the L.A. Lockers, and he would do community service in after-school programs. He knew a lot of kids and introduced them to all the new dances, he put on that song 'More Bounce', and they started pop-locking. And I think from that visual, from seeing that, it was my first introduction into hip-hop. Period. I didn't know nothing about nothing. I hadn't heard 'Rapper's Delight' yet. It was the first thing that was really fly to me. They started dancing, and since 'More Bounce' goes on forever, they just got down. I just think that was a rush of adrenaline for me, like a chemical reaction in my brain.”   131.    Open Comments   132.    Black Movies: Fame   133.    Blending elements of straight drama, music, and dance, FAME shadows a group of gifted students (including singer Irene Cara, dancer Gene Anthony Ray, and composer Lee Currieri) during their time at New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts, where they're learning the skills they need to succeed. The film -- which won two Oscars for its music (including a Best Original Song statuette for the title track "Fame" -- spawned a 1980s TV series of the same name that allowed several of its young stars to reprise their roles and gave Debbie Allen a much more prominent role as a no-nonsense dance teacher.   134.    Critical response: Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, "When the kids perform, the movie sings, but their fictionalized personal stories are melodramatic drivel." -  Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, "Fame is a genuine treasure, moving and entertaining, a movie that understands being a teen-ager as well as Breaking Away did, but studies its characters in a completely different milieu."   135.    Audio Clips   136.    Open Comments   137.    Black Television: Eddie Murphy – The Young Prince   138.    Edward Regan Murphy, (@ 19 yrs. old), Comedian, actor, screen writer, film producer, and singer? He was the dominant comedic voice during the 1980s.    139.    Born and raised in NYC, parents split when he was 3, father died when he was eight, lived in foster care for a year, and began doing stand-up comedy after listening to "That Nigger's Crazy", by Richard Pryor, when he was 15.   140.    Doing impersonations of Al Green at talents shows helped him land gigs at late night clubs.   141.    After the 79-80 season of SNL wrapped for summer break, the show had a major shakeup. OG Producer, Lorene Michaels and the OG cast left. After the new producer was hired, she had 2 months to re-cast the show.   142.    In September 19-year-old Eddie contacted the show and repeatedly pleaded for an audition. 2 months later he made his national television debut.   143.    Audio Clips   144.    Major criticism:” Welcome Back, Eddie Murphy! The rise and fall and rise of America's most dangerous comic” - Chris Nashawaty November 06, 2011 - [https://ew.com/article/2011/11/06/welcome-back-eddie-murphy-the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-americas-most-dangerous-comic/]   145.    “If you grew up watching Eddie Murphy chomping on a cigar as Gumby or getting gunned down in a hail of bullets as Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live, or better yet, dropping F-bombs as the cool-cat star of 48 Hrs., Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that there’s a whole generation out there that has no clue just how funny and dirty he once was. When they think of Eddie Murphy — if they even think of him at all — it’s as the donkey from the kiddie franchise Shrek, or the once-dangerous comedian desperately searching for laughs in fart gags and fat suits in The Klumps.”   146.    Audio Clips   147.    Open Comments   148.    Question: Is Eddie funny or formula?   149.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture thing for the year?

A detailed look at black, African-American, culture during the "Seventies". (1970-1979) (Bonus Artists: Luck Pacheco)   1979: When MJ Was Black - Spcl. Gst. Ed Mar 1, 2019 Topics: Jimmy Carter, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor - Live In Concert, Roots: The Next Generations. 1    "My Sharona" - The Knack 2    "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer 3    "Le Freak" - Chic 1.    Kramer vs. Kramer 2.    The Amityville Horror 3.    Rocky II 1    60 Minutes 2    Three's Company 3    That's Incredible!     1978: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, ...It's Superfreak! - Spcl. Gst. Barbara Feb 1, 2019 Topics: Muhammad Ali, Rick James, The Wiz, Max Robinson (TV). 1    "Shadow Dancing" - Andy Gibb 2    "Night Fever" - Bee Gees 3    "You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone 1.    Grease 2.    Superman 3.    Animal House 1    Laverne & Shirley 2    Three's Company 3    Mork & Mindy     1977: Going, Going, Gettin' to the Roots! - Spcl. Gst. Barbara, Adam DeCollibus, & Edward Jan 2, 2019 Topics: Roots, by Alex Haley (Social & TV), Which Way is Up?, Thelma Houston / Lou Rawls / The Emotions / The Brothers Johnson 1    "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" - Rod Stewart 2    "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" - Andy Gibb 3    "Best of My Love" - The Emotions 1.    Star Wars 2.    Smokey and the Bandit 3.    Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1    Laverne & Shirley 2    Happy Days 3    Three's Company     1976: Bi-centennial, Make a Friend Y'all - Spcl. Gst. Barbara Dec 1, 2018 Topics: Black History Month, Chaka Khan, Car Wash (film), What's Happening! (TV). 1    "Silly Love Songs" - Wings 2    "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee 3    "Disco Lady" - Johnnie Taylor 1.    Rocky 2.    To Fly! 3.    A Star Is Born 1    Happy Days 2    Laverne & Shirley 3    M*A*S*H     1975: We Laugh, We Cry, We Get a Piece of Pie Nov 3, 2018 Topics: Urban Literature, Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim, Natalie Cole, Richard Pryor, Cooley High, The Jeffersons. 1    "Love Will Keep Us Together"    - Captain & Tennille 2    "Rhinestone Cowboy" - Glen Campbell 3    "Philadelphia Freedom" - Elton John 1    Jaws 2    The Rocky Horror Picture Show 3    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1    All in the Family 2    Rich Man, Poor Man  3    Laverne & Shirley     1974: It's Pfunky In Here! - Spcl. Gsts. Barbara & Edward (Extra Pfunk to Philip Weightman) Oct 1, 2018 Topics: Black Women vis-a-vis White Women in the feminist community, Funk Music, Claudine (film), Good Times (TV show). 1    "The Way We Were" - Barbra Streisand 2    "Seasons in the Sun" - Terry Jacks 3    "Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra 1.    Blazing Saddles 2.    The Towering Inferno 3.    The Trial of Billy Jack 1    All in the Family 2    Sanford and Son 3    Chico and the Man     1973: Party Time! (Yes, Yes, Y'all. You Don't Stop) - Spcl. Gst. Ed Sep 1, 2018 Topics: Dj Kool Herc, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Pam Grier, The Mack, & George Jefferson. 1    "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" - Tony Orlando and Dawn 2    "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" - Jim Croce 3    "Killing Me Softly with His Song" - Roberta Flack 1.    The Sting 2.    The Exorcist 3.    American Graffiti 1    All in the Family 2    The Waltons 3    Sanford and Son     1972: New Directions, from Politics to Pimpin! - Spcl. Gst. Edward Aug 2, 2018 Topics: Shirley Anita Chisholm, H. Rap Brown, Diana Ross, Al Green, Superfly, Sanford & Son, & Fat Albert. 1    "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - Roberta Flack 2    "Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan 3    "American Pie" - Don McLean 1.    The Godfather 2.    The Poseidon Adventure 3.    What's Up, Doc? 1    All in the Family 2    Sanford and Son 3    Hawaii Five-O     1971: What's Really Going On - Spcl. Gsts. Janice & Edward Jul 1, 2018 Topics: The Black Church, Jessie Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Shaft, & Soul Train. 1    "Joy to the World" - Three Dog Night 2    "Maggie May"/"Reason to Believe" - Rod Stewart 3    "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move" - Carole King 1.    Fiddler on the Roof 2.    The French Connection 3.    Diamonds Are Forever 1    All in the Family 2    The Flip Wilson Show 3    Marcus Welby, M.D.     1970: Hello World! Jun 8, 2018 Topics: Black Power Movement, Muhammad Ali, Angela Davis, James Brown, Sidney Poitier, and Flip Wilson. 1    "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel 2    "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - The Carpenters 3    "American Woman" - The Guess Who 1.    Love Story 2.    Airport 3.    MASH 1    Marcus Welby, M.D. 2    The Flip Wilson Show 3    Here's Lucy

Topics: Jimmy Carter, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor - Live In Concert, Roots: The Next Generations. (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)     1979   Snapshots   1.    Jimmy Carter president   2.    Mar - America's most serious nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.   3.    Mar - C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.   4.    Apr - On CBS, the final episode of All in the Family is seen by 40.2 million American viewers.   5.    Jun - McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal.   6.    Sep - ESPN, an all-sports channel, launches and becomes the first cable TV channel to be launched as a 24-hour channel   7.    Oct - President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education. [also responsible for Dept. of Energy]   8.    Nov - Iran hostage crisis begins: 3,000 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are American). They demand that the United States send the former Shah of Iran back to stand trial.   9.    Open Comments:   10.    Popular Music Scene   11.    #1 - "My Sharona", The Knack   12.    #2 - "Bad Girls", Donna Summer   13.    #3 - "Le Freak", Chic   14.    Record of the Year: "What a Fool Believes"-The Doobie Brothers   15.    Album of the Year: "52nd Street"-Billy Joel   16.    Song of the Year: "What a Fool Believes"-The Doobie Brothers   17.    Best New Artist: Rickie Lee Jones   18.    Open Comments:   19.    Popular Movies   20.    #1 - Kramer vs. Kramer   21.    #2 - The Amityville Horror   22.    #3 - Rocky II   23.    Notables: Apocalypse Now, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, 10, The Jerk, Moonraker, The Muppet Movie, Phantasm, The Warriors.   24.    Open Comments:   25.    Popular TV   26.    #1 - 60 Minutes   27.    #2 - Three's Company   28.    #3 - That's Incredible!   29.    Open Comments:   30.    Black Snapshots   31.    Jan - Singer Donny Hathaway dies after falling 15 stories from his hotel room in New York City. According to Hathaway's record company, Atlantic, the singer had been having some psychological problems   32.    Apr - Real People, starring Byron Allen, featured a panel of seated hosts in front of a large studio audience. The hosts introduced pre-filmed segments and engaged in comedic banter about them. Each segment was a visit to someone with a unique occupation or hobby.   33.    Aug - Michael Jackson releases his first breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7x platinum album.   34.    Aug – “Prince”, the self-titled second studio album from Prince was released. The album was written, arranged, composed, produced and performed entirely by Prince. Singles: “I Wanna Be Your Lover" & "Sexy Dancer".   35.    Aug – TV Debut: The Facts of Life   36.    Sep - Benson   37.    Sep - Sugarhill Gang releases Rapper's Delight.   38.    Nov - The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Film)   39.    Open Comments:   40.    Economic   41.    New House: 58k   42.    Avg. income: 17.5k   43.    New car: 5.7k   44.    Avg rent: 280   45.    Gas: 0.86    46.    Inflation reaches double digits - 13%   47.    Open Comments:   48.    Social Scene:  Jimmy Carter’s truth-telling sermon to Americans   49.    James Earl Carter Jr. (@ 55yrs old in 1979), Politician and philanthropist. Born and raised in south-west Georgia, Jimmy grew up to be a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, Georgia State Senator, Governor of Georgia, and the 39th POTUS.   50.    On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter went on national television to share with millions of Americans his diagnosis of a nation in crisis. "It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper -- deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. And I realize more than ever that as President I need your help...I know, of course, being President, that government actions and legislation can be very important. That’s why I’ve worked hard to put my campaign promises into law, and I have to admit, with just mixed success. But after listening to the American people, I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. I do not mean our political and civil liberties. They will endure. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence."   51.    General Legacy   52.    Carter's presidency was initially seen as a failure. Although HE ESTABLISHED THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY  and the  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, initiated a lot of pro-environment policies, PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN NEGOTIATING A PEACE TREATY BETWEEN EGYPT AND ISRAEL, IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH PANAMA BY GIVING THEM CONTROL OF THE PANAMA CANAL, his  administration was plagued by dissatisfaction from congressional Democrats, high unemployment and inflation, an energy crisis, and most notably the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Carter has said his biggest lesson from his time in office was, "not to ever let American hostages be held for 444 days in a foreign country without extracting them." He added, "I did the best I could, but I failed."   53.    However, Carter’s peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts since he left office have earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, along with a Grammy award, making him one of the most successful ex-presidents in American history. - The Independent wrote, "Carter is widely considered a better man than he was a president."   54.    Open Comments:   55.    African American Legacy/ Appointments   56.    Patricia Roberts Harris: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. The first African American woman to serve in the United States Cabinet, and the first to enter the line of succession to the Presidency.   57.    Amalya Lyle Kearse: the first female African-American circuit court judge   58.    Andrew Young: Ambassador to the United Nations, the first African-American to hold a high-level diplomatic post.   59.    On Obama   60.    Carter has criticized the Obama administration for its use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists.   61.    Carter also said that he disagrees with President Obama's decision to keep the Guantánamo Bay detention camp open.   62.    In July 2013, Carter expressed his criticism of current federal surveillance programs as disclosed by Edward Snowden.   63.    Carter believes the Obama administration “waited too long” to act on ISIS.   64.    When asked about Obama's "success or failures on the world stage," Carter replied: "On the world stage, I think they've been minimal...let me add again, let me repeat, I don't blame him for it, because there's been circumstances that have been involved."   65.    Audio Clip: OPRAH'S SUPERSOUL CONVERSATIONS - Season 7 Episode 620 (Aired on 09/27/2015)   66.    Question: How should black folks think about Jimmy? Friend - Foe - Forgettable   67.    Music Scene   68.    Black Songs from the Top 40    69.    #2    "Bad Girls"    Donna Summer   70.    #3    "Le Freak"    Chic   71.    #5    "Reunited"    Peaches & Herb   72.    #6    "I Will Survive"    Gloria Gaynor   73.    #7    "Hot Stuff"    Donna Summer   74.    #8    "Y.M.C.A."    Village People   75.    #9    "Ring My Bell"    Anita Ward   76.    #12    "MacArthur Park"    Donna Summer   77.    #15    "Fire"    The Pointer Sisters   78.    #20    "Good Times"    Chic   79.    #22    "Knock on Wood"    Amii Stewart   80.    #24    "Lead Me On"    Maxine Nightingale   81.    #25    "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"    The Jacksons   82.    #30    "You Can't Change That"    Raydio   83.    #31    "Shake Your Groove Thing"    Peaches & Herb   84.    #32    "I'll Never Love This Way Again"    Dionne Warwick   85.    #38    "After the Love Has Gone"    Earth, Wind & Fire   86.    #39    "Heaven Knows"    Donna Summer and Brooklyn Dreams   87.    Vote:   88.    Top R&B Albums   89.    Jan - C'est Chic, Chic   90.    Mar - 2 Hot, Peaches & Herb   91.    Mar - Instant Funk, Instant Funk   92.    Apr - We Are Family, Sister Sledge   93.    Jun - Bad Girls, Donna Summer   94.    Jul - I Am, Earth, Wind & Fire   95.    Jul - Teddy, Teddy Pendergrass   96.    Sep - Midnight Magic, Commodores   97.    Oct - Off the Wall, Michael Jackson   98.    Oct - Ladies' Night, Kool & the Gang   99.    Dec - Masterjam, Rufus and Chaka Khan   100.    Vote:   101.    Key Artists   102.    LaDonna Adrian Gaines, a.k.a. Donna Summer - Disco Queen (@ 31 yrs. old) (past away 2012 @ 63 yrs. old): Singer, songwriter, and actress. Five-time Grammy winner, the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one and charted four number-one singles in the US within a 12-month period. She had dance hits in five straight decades; she hit the pop Hot 100 32 times. And her biggest songs altered the course of pop music permanently: Love to Love You Baby, I Feel Love, Hot Stuff, This Time I Know It’s for Real, Bad Girls, & She Works Hard for the Money.   103.    Audio Clips   104.    Open Comments   105.    Michael Joseph Jackson, The King of Pop (@ 21 yrs. old): Singer, songwriter, dancer, and global icon.   106.    "...Raised in the limelight by an infamously strict father, Michael (as a teenager) was painfully self-conscious, worried that he might never be able to shake his child stardom. He didn’t want to merely cling to his family’s fading notoriety. He wanted to break away from it completely. Off the Wall is the sound of that liberation. And he knew exactly what he was doing. On November 6, 1979, just as the album was starting to take off, Michael wrote a note to himself on the back of a tour itinerary, a proclamation of self so ambitious it could make Kanye blush. "MJ will be my new name, no more Michael Jackson. I want a whole new character, a whole new look, I should be a totally different person. People should never think of me as the kid who sang ‘ABC’ [and] ‘I Want You Back,’" he jotted down. "I should be a new incredible actor singer dancer that will shock the world. I will do no interviews. I will be magic. I will be a perfectionist, a researcher, a trainer, a masterer… I will study and look back on the whole world of entertainment and perfect it. Take it steps further from where the greats left off." - by Ryan Dombal Features Editor 2/24/2016 pitchfork.com   107.    Audio Clips   108.    Open Comments   109.    Movies   110.    Richard Pryor: Live in Concert is a 1979 American stand-up comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Jeff Margolis.   111.    In her review of Richard Pryor Live in Concert, Pauline Kael commented, "Probably the greatest of all recorded-performance films. Pryor had characters and voices bursting out of him .... Watching this mysteriously original physical comedian you can't account for his gift and everything he does seems to be for the first time."   112.    Audio Clips   113.    Open Comments   114.    Television   115.    Roots: The Next Generations   116.    Primetime Emmy Awards: Best Limited Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special – Marlon Brando for "Episode VII"   117.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture reference from 1979

Topics: Muhammad Ali, Rick James, Max Robinson (TV). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1978   1.    Snap Shots   2.    General News   3.    Jimmy Carter is President   4.    February   5.    The first computer bulletin board system (CBBS) is created in Chicago.  Bulletin board systems were in many ways a precursor to the modern form of the World Wide Web, social networks, and other aspects of the Internet.   6.    Serial killer Ted Bundy is captured in Florida and The Hillside Strangler of Los Angeles, (serial killing cousins) claims a 10th and final victim.   7.    April   8.    Women's Army Corps (WAC) abolished (1943-1978); women integrated into regular Army.   9.    September   10.    The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin . The Accords led directly to the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty a year later. Due to the agreement, Sadat and Begin received the shared 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. In turn, these events led to Sadat's assassination by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in 1981.   11.    November   12.    Mass murder/suicide of 909 Americans in Jonestown, Guyana under the direction of Jim Jones.   13.    December   14.    Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who is subsequently convicted of the murder of 33 young men, is arrested.   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Economic Snapshots   17.    Min. wage = $2.65hr (+.35) / $106wk / $5,512 yrly) - 2018 = $21,228yrly   18.    Avg. Income per year - $16,975   19.    Avg. Cost of new house - 54,749   20.    Avg. Rent - $260   21.    Avg. Cost new car - $5,405   22.    Postage Stop - $0.15   23.    Unemployment 6.4% vs Black unemployment 14.5%   24.    Open Comments:   25.    Black Snapshots   26.    February   27.    Harriet Tubman is the first African American Woman to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp.   28.    Muhammad Ali loses title to Leon Spinks    29.    May   30.    Ain't Misbehavin' (musical) hits Broadway. Won 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical: Breakout Stars was Nell Carter (sitcom Gimme a Break!) and Irene Cara (Flash Dance: What a Feeling) and Charlayne Woodard (Janice on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air)   31.    June   32.    The SCOTUS bars quota systems in college admissions but affirms the constitutionality of programs which give advantages to minorities.   33.    July   34.    ABC World News Tonight, employing a unique three-anchor setup:  Frank Reynolds serving as lead anchor from Washington, Peter Jennings with international news from London, and Max Robinson presenting national news from Chicago. Robinson is noted as the first African-American broadcast network news anchor in the United States   35.    September   36.    Ali defeats Spinks and regained the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first man to win the World Heavyweight Championship three times.   37.    Misc.:   38.    Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collections: Cotton Candy and Woman   39.    Open Comments:   40.    Music Snapshots   41.    Record of the Year: Billy Joel for "Just the Way You Are"   42.    Album of the Year: Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Various Artist   43.    Song of the Year: Billy Joel for "Just the Way You Are"   44.    Best New Artist: A Taste of Honey   45.    Top Billboard Singles   1.    Shadow Dancing", Andy Gibb 2.    "Night Fever", Bee Gees 3.    "You Light Up My Life", Debby Boone   46.    Open Comments:   47.    Movie Snapshots: Highest-grossing films   1.    Grease 2.    Superman 3.    National Lampoon's Animal House   48.    Open Comments:   49.    TV Snapshots   1.    Laverne & Shirley 2.    Three's Company 3.    Mork & Mindy   50.    Debuts   51.    September - WKRP in Cincinnati (Featuring Tim Reid as Venus Flytrap): BEST THEME SONG EVER!!!   52.    November - Diff'rent Strokes: The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two Black boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman and widower named Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) and his daughter Kimberly (Dana Plato), for whom their deceased mother previously worked.   53.    Open Comments:   54.    Social Scene: Ali's Last Dance (Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks I and II)   55.    First Fight (February): THE ONLY TIME ALI LOST HIS TITLE IN THE RING   56.    Tom Gray (Ringtv.com) - "At 36 years of age, the great Muhammad Ali was on the physical descent. The warning signs were clearly visible in prior defenses of his heavyweight championship. Jimmy Young and Ken Norton could easily have been given decisions against Ali in 1976. A European-level fighter like Alfredo Evangelista could last the distance in May 1977. And power-puncher Earnie Shavers, despite falling short on points, had inflicted 10 fights worth of damage on “The Greatest” over 15 brain-shuddering rounds that September. Ali, who should have been enjoying retirement, needed a very easy fight – enter Leon Spinks. The St. Louis product was a decorated amateur star. He had captured bronze at the World Championships in 1974, silver at the Pan-Am Games in 1975 and gold, as a light heavyweight, at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Great stats, but, alarmingly, the challenger was bringing a (6-0-1, 5 knockouts) professional record into a heavyweight championship fight. The 24-year-old Spinks would be the most inexperienced professional to vie for the title (in 21yrs, since "1957").   57.    Spinks won a split decision   58.    The matchup would win Fight of the Year, Round of the Year (for rnd 15), and Upset of the Year awards.   59.    Aftermath: Spinks signed for a rematch with Ali at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans and was stripped of his title for refusing to fight no. 1 contender Ken Norton instead.   60.    The Rematch   61.    70,000 people attended the bout and paid a total of $6 million admission, making it the largest live gate in boxing history at that time.   62.    Ali beat Spinks in a unanimous decision.   63.    When Ali reclaimed the title, he made history by becoming the first man to win the heavyweight championship three times.   64.    After the fight, Ali retired from boxing in 1979 - for the first time.   65.    Subsequently, Ali tried 2 more comebacks: In 1980, against former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and in 1981 against Trevor Berbick    66.    Both were loses, 1978 rematch the last win of his boxing career.   67.    Legacy   68.    Pro Record: 61 fights / 56 wins / 5 losses [By the end of his career Ali had absorbed ~200,000 hits]   69.    Time magazine named Ali one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century / Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated / Named Sports Personality of the Century in a BBC poll / The Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton / The Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush / Sports Illustrated renamed its Sportsman Legacy Award to the Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.  (honors former "sports figures who embody the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy as vehicles for changing the world.") / Ring Magazine, named him number 1 greatest heavyweights from all eras / The Associated Press, No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century / ESPN, the second greatest pound for pound fighter in boxing history (#1 Sugar Ray Robinson) and the second greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis    70.    Personally: Ali and James Brown are the only two men I think my father ever admired.   71.    Open Comments:   72.    Music Scene   73.    Billboard Year-End Top 40 Black singles of 1978   74.    #9 - "Boogie Oogie Oogie", A Taste of Honey   75.    #10 - "Three Times a Lady", Commodores   76.    #20 - "Dance, Dance, Dance", Chic   77.    #31 - "Jack And Jill", Raydio   78.    #34 - "Last Dance", Donna Summer   79.    #38 - "The Closer I Get to You", Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway   80.    Number-One R&B singles of 1978   81.    Jan - "Ffun", Con Funk Shun   82.    Jan - "Our Love", Natalie Cole   83.    Feb - "Theme Song from 'Which Way Is Up'", Stargard   84.    Feb - "Too Hot ta Trot", The Commodores   85.    Feb - "It's You That I Need", Enchantment   86.    Mar - "Flash Light”, Parliament   87.    Mar - "Bootzilla", Bootsy's Rubber Band   88.    Apr - "The Closer I Get to You", Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway   89.    Apr - "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams   90.    May - Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1)", The Isley Brothers   91.    May - "Use ta Be My Girl", The O'Jays   92.    Jul - "Stuff Like That", Quincy Jones   93.    Jul - "Close the Door", Teddy Pendergrass   94.    Jul - "You and I", Rick James   95.    Aug - "Boogie Oogie Oogie", A Taste Of Honey   96.    Aug - "Three Times a Lady", The Commodores   97.    Aug - "Get Off", Foxy   98.    Sep - "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)", L.T.D.   99.    Sep - "Got to Get You into My Life", Earth, Wind & Fire   100.    Sep - "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)", Funkadelic   101.    Nov - "I'm Every Woman", Chaka Khan   102.    Dec - "Le Freak", Chic   103.    Vote:   104.    Jan - All 'N All, Earth, Wind and Fire   105.    Feb - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Bee Gees   106.    Mar - Bootsy? Player of the Year, Bootsy's Rubber Band   107.    Apr - Street Player, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan   108.    Apr - Weekend in L.A., George Benson   109.    May - Showdown, The Isley Brothers   110.    Jun - So Full Of Love, The O'Jays   111.    Jun - Natural High, The Commodores   112.    Aug - Life Is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy Pendergrass   113.    Sep - Blam!, The Brothers Johnson   114.    Oct - Is It Still Good to Ya, Ashford & Simpson   115.    Oct - One Nation Under a Groove, Funkadelic   116.    Nov - The Man, Barry White   117.    Dec - C'est Chic, Chic   118.    Vote:   119.    Key Artist   120.    Who: James Ambrose Johnson Jr., a.k.a. Rick James The Superfreak (@ 30 yrs old): singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, hitmaker, performer, producer, impresario, and pioneer in the fusion of funk groove and rock.  A flamboyant, provocative, charismatic, brilliant, volatile, and outrageous bona fide superstar.    121.    Why is he being featured: Debut solo album, Come Get It!, with hit singles "You and I" & "Mary Jane"   122.    Short Story:  Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, he was one of eight children. His father was abusive and abandoned the family when James was eight. His mother was a former dancer who worked as a housekeeper, but also was a numbers runner. Went to Catholic school and was an altar boy, he also committed petty theft crimes, and spent some time in juvenile detention centers. He also began doing drugs. While James was always musically inclined, it was not until he performed in a talent show in high school that he seriously considered a career in music. He formed a group called the Duprees. At the same time, he joined the Naval Reserve to avoid the draft. As he and his group gained popularity he began to skip out on his naval duties. James was soon drafted, but he fled to Canada.  His uncle was Melvin Franklin of the Temptations. Franklin helped his nephew get a recording contract with Motown Records. This led to James striking a deal with the government and serving some time in prison for draft evasion. After his release, he began to record his first album, which included the hits "You & I," and his ode to marijuana, "Mary Jane." The album sold two million copies.   123.    James's second album, Bustin' Out of L Seven(1979), followed the previous album's success, eventually selling a million copies.   124.    His third album, Fire It Up (1979) and the supporting tour led to James developing a bitter rivalry with one of his opening acts, Prince. Rick accused Prince of ripping off his act.   125.    His fifth album, Street Songs (1981), also proved to be a crossover success. With the Temptations on background vocals, James released "Super Freak."    126.    With the success of "Super Freak," James began to produce for other artists. He formed an all-girl band named the Mary Jane Girls. He also performed duets with R&B singer Teena Marie and Smokey Robinson. He also produced comedian Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time," which was a hit in the mid-1980s.   127.    James' on-stage persona was one of wild debauchery. Dressed in sequins, tight leather, high-heeled boots, and cornrows or a jheri curl, James oozed sex on stage. Offstage, he smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine. According to the Washington Post, he told the Detroit News in 2004, "The biggest mistake I made is that I tried to become my alter ego. I wanted to be Rick James, wild man, party machine, lady slayer, and the cocaine told me I could. I forgot that I was James Johnson, a nerdy kid who grew up reading Dante's Inferno on Saturday nights."   128.    James' spiral out of control came to a head when he was charged with assault in 1991. He was convicted in 1993 and served three years. He vowed to get clean and live a more sedate life. Upon his release, he married and began having serious health problems.  James was found dead on August 6, 2004; he was 56.  His death was ruled accidental, but nine drugs were found in his system. However, the official cause of death was a heart attack.   129.    Open Comments:   130.    Movie Scene   131.    The Wiz: A musical adventure fantasy film based upon characters from “The Wizard of OZ” featuring an all-black cast, the film was loosely adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical of the same name. It follows the adventures of Dorothy, a shy, twenty-four-year-old Harlem schoolteacher who finds herself magically transported to the urban fantasy Land of Oz, which resembles a dream version of New York City. Befriended by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion, she travels through the city to seek an audience with the mysterious Wiz, who they say is the only one powerful enough to send her home.   132.    Various reviews: "...Diana Ross, too old to play Dorothy." and ...portrayal of Dorothy was "cold, neurotic and oddly unattractive" / "...cockamamy screenplay" / “the picture finished off Diana Ross's screen career" / "The Wiz was too scary for children, and too silly for adults." / Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in the 1939 The Wizard of Oz film, did not think highly of The Wiz, stating "The Wiz is overblown and will never have the universal appeal that the classic MGM musical has obtained."   133.    Sean Munger - seanmunger.com "...But, despite the fact that it was a bad movie–and it clearly is–there’s a lot of very interesting stuff about The Wiz lurking under the surface. You can make an argument that its failure ended not one but two eras in cinema: the era of the glitzy big-budget musical, and that of what is known, not entirely politically correctly (these days), as the “Blacksploitation” boom. The Wiz also began a professional association between two of its participants that had an effect on popular culture of almost inestimable magnitude: the musical pairing of Michael Jackson and songwriter/producer Quincy Jones."   134.    Open Comments:   135.    TV Scene   136.    Maxie Cleveland "Max" Robinson, Jr. (@39yrs old): American broadcast journalist and founder of the National Association of Black Journalists   137.    Robinson’s first journalism job began and ended in 1959, when he was hired to read news at a Portsmouth, Va., television station. Although the station selected him over an otherwise all-white group of applicants, it still enforced a color barrier by projecting an image of the station’s logo to conceal Robinson as he read the news. He was fired the day after he presented the news without the logo obscuring his face. In 1965 he joined WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C., as a correspondent and camera operator, but he moved quickly to nearby WRC-TV, where he won awards for coverage of race riots and a documentary on life in poor urban neighborhoods. He was hired back by WTOP as its first African American news anchor in 1969 and stayed there until 1978. Robinson moved to Chicago when ABC News chose him as one of three co-anchors for ABC’s World News Tonight. The anchor arrangement ended with the death of co-anchor Frank Reynolds in 1983. Robinson left ABC News shortly thereafter and joined Chicago’s WMAQ-TV as a news anchor (1984–87).   138.    Clarence Page offered a final tribute to his friend Max Robinson in Chicago: "Some journalists are remembered for the stories they covered. Robinson will be remembered for being the story. Like Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color bar in 1947, Max Robinson won't be applauded for his home runs, but for the fact that he ran the bases."   139.    Open Comments:   140.    Final Question: Biggest legacy from 1978?

Topics: Roots, by Alex Haley, with commentary by Adam DeCollibus (@adam_decollibus), author of "Caravan". (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) (***Audio quality is spotty***)   1977 1.    General News snapshots 2.    Jimmy Carter President 3.    Jan - The world's first personal computer, the Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) released 4.    Jun - The Apple II released 5.    Aug - TRS-80 released (Byte magazine referred to these as the "1977 Trinity" of personal computing) 6.    Aug - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy. 7.    Aug - Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll dies in his home in Graceland at age 42. 8.    Oct - Atari 2600, this popularized the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code. 9.    Open Comments 10.    Economic Snapshots 11.    Min Wage = $2.30 (+.10) 12.    Avg. Income = $15,070 13.    New House = $49,300 14.    New car = $4,785 15.    Avg. rent $240 16.    Black unemployment 12.1% vs 7.6% 17.    Open Comments: 18.    Black News Snapshots 19.    Jan - Roots airs on ABC. 20.    Jul - The New York City blackout of 1977 lasts for 25 hours, resulting in looting and other disorder. 21.    Popular Music Snapshots 22.    Record of the Year: The Eagles for "Hotel California" 23.    Album of the Year: Fleetwood Mac for Rumours 24.    Song of the Year (Tied): "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)" performed by Barbra Streisand & "You Light Up My Life" performed by Debby Boone 25.    Best New Artist: Debby Boone 26.    Popular Movie Snapshots 27.    Top Grossing Movies 28.    1 - Star Wars 29.    2 - Smokey and the Bandit 30.    3 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind 31.    Notable Black Films 32.    A Piece of the Action: Crime comedy film directed by and starring Sidney Poitier and co-starring Bill Cosby. It was the third film pairing of Poitier and Cosby, following Uptown Saturday Night (1974) and Let's Do It Again (1975). The films are considered a trilogy, even though the actors play characters with different names in each film. It was also Poitier's last acting role for more than a decade, as he focused his attentions on directing only. 33.    Which Way is Up? Comedy film starring Richard Pryor. It is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy film The Seduction of Mimi. Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker who has two women at the same time, the orange picker's father, and a Reverend who gets the orange picker's wife pregnant. 34.    Popular TV Shows 35.    1 - Laverne & Shirley 36.    2 - Happy Days 37.    3 - Three's Company 38.    Notable Black TV Shows & Snapshots 39.    The Richard Pryor Show was an American comedy-variety show starring Richard Pryor. [Lasted for only 4 episodes] 40.    Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) debuts on Soap as the wisecracking African-American cook/butler. In 1979, Benson leaves for his own spin-off. 41.    Janet Jackson (@11 yrs. old) joins the cast of the CBS sitcom Good Times for its final two seasons as Penny Gordon, an upstairs neighbor who is abused her biological mother. 42.    Open Comments: 43.    Black Social Scene [+ Television] 44.    Roots:  The Saga of an American Family - “One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.” - www.litlovers.com 45.    Special guest commentator: Adam DeCollibus, Author of Caravan. 46.    Brief explanation for why Adam was invited 47.    Adam’s personal/writing background 48.    Adam’s professional/company background 49.    Adam’s personal/professional goals 50.    Adam’s biggest obstacles (past, present, or future) 51.    Summary of Adam’s book, “Caravan” 52.    Transition to Roots discussion 53.    Roots tells the story of Kunta Kinte - a young man taken from The Gambia when he was seventeen and sold as a slave - and seven generations of his descendants in the United States, which includes the author himself. [The Television mini-series focused mainly on Kunta, his daughter Kizzy, and her son “Chicken” George.] 54.    Open comments/general reactions to the story 55.    Brief layout of the main Characters / Conflicts / Resolutions 56.    Discussion Topics: [American-born African-Americans broken Identity with Africa / Kizzy's relationship with Missy Anne [i.e., happy pet and owner type relationship] / George's skin color] 57.    [Open floor topics] 58.    Has the context changed in 21st century America? Do different themes seem important now? 59.    Concluding question: Did you find anything hopeful about the story? [i.e. a spark curiosity / or pride / or determination] 60.    Thanks to Adam [Caravan recap/contact info] 61.    Black Music Scene 62.    Billboard Top 40 “Black” songs 63.    3 - "Best of My Love", The Emotions 64.    5 - "Angel in Your Arms", Hot 65.    7 - "Don't Leave Me This Way", Thelma Houston 66.    8 - "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher", Rita Coolidge 67.    11 - "I'm Your Boogie Man", KC and the Sunshine Band 68.    18 - "Sir Duke", Stevie Wonder 69.    20 - "Got to Give It Up", Marvin Gaye 70.    23 - "Rich Girl", Hall & Oates 71.    25 - "Hot Line", The Sylvers 72.    26 - "Car Wash", Rose Royce 73.    27 - "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)", Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. 74.    33 - "Easy", Commodores 75.    35 - "I've Got Love on My Mind", Natalie Cole 76.    40 - "Enjoy Yourself", The Jacksons 77.    41 - "Dazz", Brick 78.    Vote: 79.    Billboard Top Soul Albums 80.    Jan - Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder 81.    Jan - Good High, Brick 82.    Mar - Ask Rufus, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan 83.    Apr - Unpredictable, Natalie Cole 84.    Apr - Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!, Bootsy's Rubber Band 85.    Apr - Live at the London Palladium, Marvin Gaye 86.    May - Go for Your Guns, The Isley Brothers 87.    May - Commodores, Commodores 88.    Jul - Rejoice, The Emotions 89.    Aug - Floaters, The Floaters 90.    Oct - Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, Rose Royce 91.    Oct - Something to Love, L.T.D. 92.    Oct - Barry White Sings for Someone You Love, Barry White 93.    Nov - Brick, Brick 94.    Dec - All 'n All, Earth, Wind & Fire 95.    Vote: 96.    Movie Scene [Covered during Popular Movie Discussion] 97.    Television Scene [Covered during Social discussion] 98.    Biggest Legacy from 1977

Topics: Black History Month, Chaka Khan, Car Wash (film), What's Happening! (TV). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1976   1.    Snap Shots   2.    General News   3.    Gerald Ford is President   4.    Apr - Apple Computer Company is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.   5.    Jul - In New York City, the "Son of Sam" pulls a gun from a paper bag, killing 1 and seriously wounding another, in the first of a series of attacks that terrorize the city for the next year.   6.    Jul - U.S. track and field athlete Bruce Jenner (@ age 27) won the gold medal for decathlon, setting a world record of 8,634 points.   7.    Nov - U.S. presidential election, 1976: Jimmy Carter defeats incumbent Gerald Ford, becoming the first candidate from the Deep South to win since the Civil War.   8.    Misc.: VHS released, and eventually won the war with Betamax tapes, although most agree it was an inferior product.    9.    Open Comments   10.    Money Snapshots   11.    Min. wage = $2.30hr (+.20) / $92wk / $4,600k yrly - 2018 = $20,408yrly   12.    Avg. Income per year - $16,095   13.    Avg. Cost of new house - $43,340   14.    Avg. Rent - $220   15.    Avg. Cost new car - $4,557   16.    Unemployment 7.8% vs Black unemployment 12%   17.    Open Comments   18.    Black Snapshots   19.    Jul - Sugar Ray Leonard (@ age 20), Leon Spinks (@ age 23), Michael Spinks (@ age 20) won gold medals in boxing.   20.    Jul - Twenty-year-old Morehouse College student Edwin Moses sets a new world record in the 400m hurdles,   21.    Aug - Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (@ age 55) is published. in 1976. (Forty-six weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List, w/ twenty-two weeks at number one.) (TV mini-series already in production)   22.    Open Comments   23.    Music Snapshots   24.    Record of the Year: "This Masquerade" - George Benson (artist) & Tommy LiPuma (producer)   25.    Album of the Year: Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder (artist) & Stevie Wonder (producer)   26.    Song of the Year: "I Write the Songs" - Bruce Johnston (songwriter) (for performed by Barry Manilow)   27.    Best New Artist: Starland Vocal Band   28.    Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976   1.    "Silly Love Songs", Wings   2.    "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", Elton John & Kiki Dee   3.    "Disco Lady", Johnnie Taylor   29.    Open Comments   30.    Movie Snapshots   31.    Highest-grossing films   1.    Rocky   2.    To Fly! - *(Weird documentary film about the history of flight)   3.    A Star Is Born   4.    All the President's Men   32.    Open Comments   33.    TV Snapshots   34.    To Shows   1.    - Happy Days   2.    - Laverne & Shirley   3.    - M*A*S*H   35.    Debuts:    36.    Aug - What's Happening!!   37.    Open Comments   38.    Social Scene   39.    What: Black History Month   40.    Why: First year of national recognition   41.    Key Person(s): Carter G. Woodson, the "father of black history" (d. 1950), historian, author, and journalist.   42.    Short Story:   43.    Started as Negro History Week (1926)   44.    Woodson (@ age 51) announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week" because it covered the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson said teaching black history was essential to ensure physical and    45.    intellectual survival. - "If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of    46.    tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. Despite worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization."   47.    The push for Black History Month (1970 -76)   48.    BHM was first proposed at Kent State University in February 1969.  The first celebration happened in 1970. Six years later, President Gerald Ford recognized BHM during the Bicentennial celebration. - "[Americans should] seize the opportunity to honor the    49.    too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".   50.    Open Comments   51.    Question 1: Is BH "M" too small/short of an emphasis or just, about right?   52.    Question 2:  Did you do anything for BHM growing up &/or while raising your kids?    53.    Music Scene   54.    Billboard Year-End Top 40 Black singles of 1976   55.    3 - "Disco Lady", Johnnie Taylor   56.    6 - "Kiss and Say Goodbye", The Manhattans   57.    7 - "Love Machine", The Miracles   58.    11 - "Sara Smile", Hall & Oates   59.    14 - "Fly, Robin, Fly", Silver Convention   60.    15 - "Love Hangover", Diana Ross   61.    19 - "Misty Blue", Dorothy Moore   62.    20 - "Boogie Fever", The Sylvers   63.    22 - "You Sexy Thing", Hot Chocolate   64.    24 - "Get Up and Boogie", Silver Convention   65.    27 - "Sweet Love", Commodores   66.    28 - "Right Back Where We Started From", Maxine Nightingale   67.    29 - "Theme from S.W.A.T.", Rhythm Heritage   68.    30 - "Love Rollercoaster", Ohio Players   69.    32 - "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", Lou Rawls   70.    Vote:   71.    Jan - Gratitude, Earth, Wind & Fire   72.    Jan - Wake Up Everybody, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes   73.    Feb - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, Rufus And Chaka Khan   74.    Apr - Eargasm, Johnnie Taylor   75.    Apr - Brass Construction, Brass Construction   76.    May - I Want You, Marvin Gaye   77.    May - Breezin', George Benson   78.    May - Look Out For #1, The Brothers Johnson   79.    June - Harvest For The World, The Isley Brothers   80.    Jul - Contradiction, Ohio Players   81.    Jul - Sparkle (Soundtrack), Aretha Franklin   82.    Aug - All Things In Time, Lou Rawls   83.    Aug - Hot On The Tracks, Commodores   84.    Sep - Wild Cherry, Wild Cherry   85.    Sep - Hot On The Tracks, Commodores   86.    Oct - Songs In The Key Of Life, Stevie Wonder   87.    Vote:   88.    Key Artists   89.    Who: Yvette Marie Steven, a.k.a., Chaka Khan (@ age 23) - Queen of Funk, singer, songwriter, actor, activist.   90.    Why is she being featured: "Sweet Thing", she is breaking out, and I don't want to cover disco yet.   91.    Short story:   92.    Born and raised in Chicago housing projects, the oldest of five. Started singing early, formed a girl group at age eleven. Changed her name to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi at thirteen and started running around with the Fred Hampton and the Panthers.  In 1969, at age16, she dropped out of high school, left the Panthers, and focused on singing with local bands. In 1973, she joined the band Rufus. The first album in 1973 was a dud, but Stevie Wonder was so impressed by Chaka Khan's vocals, he wanted to write a song specifically for her. "Tell Me Something Good", written by Stevie, on their 1974 album won a Grammy. (He also played harmonica on 'I Feel For You'.). But, because of her increasing popularity the record label started calling the group Rufus "Featuring" Chaka Khan, (which was the title of their fourth album that had the hit single "Sweet Thing") and this caused tension in the band. She was back and forth with the group for a few years. Went solo in 1978 and became a legend. (10 Grammys, 8 of them solo) 93.    [Audio Clip]   94.    Open Comments:   95.    Movie Scene   96.    Notable releases   97.    Mother, Jugs & Speed, starring Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch, Harvey Keitel   98.    The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, starring Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, & Richard Pryor   99.    Silver Streak, starring Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Jill Clayburgh, Ned Beatty, Ray Walston, Patrick McGoohan   100.    Open Comments   101.    Key Release   102.    What: Car Wash   103.    Who:  Starring Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, George Carlin, Irwin Corey, Ivan Dixon, Antonio Fargas, Jack Kehoe, Clarence Muse, Lorraine Gary, The Pointer Sisters, and Richard Pryor.   104.    Director: Michael Schultz - Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974), Cooley High (1975), Greased Lightning (1977), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Bustin' Loose (1981), Carbon Copy (1981), Krush Groove (1985), Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon (1985), Disorderlies (1987), Livin' Large! (1991), Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004)   105.    Why is it featured: The Soundtrack is DOPE!!   106.    Short Story: An episodic comedy about a day in the lives of the employees and the owner of a Los Angeles car wash.   107.    Critic Review: "Car Wash initially left critics unimpressed (except for Roger Ebert who correctly called it a "wash-and-wax M*A*S*H") but over the decades both the film and the soundtrack have left their mark on pop culture. With its Afros, bell-bottoms, cars as big as boats, and disco soundtrack, Car Wash is a perfect time-capsule of America's bicentennial year." - http://www.threemoviebuffs.com/review/car-wash.html   108.    [Audio Clips]   109.    Open Comments   110.    TV Scene   111.    What: What's Happening!!   112.    Who: Starring Ernest Lee Thomas, Haywood Nelson, Fred Berry, Danielle Spencer, Mabel King, Shirley Hemphill   113.    Why is it featured: The last show dedicated to black families until(?) The Cosby Show in 1984. The next few years introduced the interracial family dynamic. (Different Strokes like stuff.)   114.    Short Story: Loosely based on Cooley High. What's Happening!! follows the lives of three working-class African-American teens living in Watts.   115.    Critic Review: Unlike its contemporary Good Times, What's Happening!! isn't committed to presenting enlightening social commentary or providing empowering African-American role models. Most of the problems the gang faces here are typical of what kids from any community have to deal with. While the show has its funny moments (especially when Dee offers her strong, often sarcastic opinions), much of the show's humor stems from a slapstick-like comedy style that's reminiscent of the minstrel show stereotypes of the 1930s - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/whats-happening   116.    [Audio Clips]   117.    Open Comments:   118.    Final Question: Biggest legacy from 1976?

Topics: Urban Literature, Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim, Natalie Cole, Richard Pryor, Cooley High, The Jeffersons. (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1975   A. General News   B. Gerald Ford is President   C. Apr - Vietnam War: The Fall of Saigon: The Vietnam War ends as Communist forces take Saigon, resulting in mass evacuations of Americans and South Vietnamese. As the capital is taken, South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally.   D. Jul - Stanley Foreman takes the photo "Fire Escape Collapse."   E. Sep - Ford survives 2 assassination attempts. Lynette Fromme, a follower of jailed cult leader Charles Manson, and Sara Jane Moore, a leftists sympathizer, are the only two women that have attempted to assassinate an American president; both of their attempts were on Gerald Ford and both took place in California within three weeks of one another.   F. Nov - Former California Governor Ronald Reagan enters the race for the Republican presidential nomination, challenging incumbent President Gerald Ford.   G. Dec - United States Congress passes the Metric Conversion Act which declares, but does not mandate, that the metric system is "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce".   H. Misc Tech: Kodak developed "The Digital Camera" / Motorolla obtains patent for the first portable mobile phone / Bill Gates and Paul Allen develop a BASIC programming language for the Altair 8800 computer, trademark the name "Microsoft" (for microcomputer software), and the personal computer wave begins.   I. The ring-tab beer (and soda) can design was discontinued in 1975, after injuries were caused by people swallowing the metal tabs.    J. Open Comments:   K. 1975 Min.wage = $2.10hr (+.10) / $84wk / $4,200k yrly - 2018 = $19,950yrly   L. Avg. Income per year $14,100   M. Avg. House Price - $11,787   N. Avg. Cost of new house -  $39,300   O. Avg. Cost new car - $4,250   P. Unemployment 9.2% vs Black unemployment 15.5%   Q. Open Comments:   1.    Top Pop Singles   2.    1 - "Love Will Keep Us Together", Captain & Tennille   3.    2 - "Rhinestone Cowboy", Glen Campbell   4.    3 - "Philadelphia Freedom", Elton John   5.    Grammy Award winners   6.    RotY: "Love Will Keep Us Together", Captain & Tennille   7.    AotY: Still Crazy After All These Years, Paul Simon   8.    SotY: "Send In the Clowns", Judy Collins   9.    New Artist: Natalie Cole   10.    Top Grossing Films   11.    1 - Jaws   12.    2 - The Rocky Horror Picture Show   13.    3 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest   14.    Top TV Shows   15.    1 - All in the Family (first tv series to be #1, 5yrs in a row)   16.    2 - Rich Man, Poor Man (7-week mini-series)   17.    3 - Laverne & Shirley   18.    TV Debuts   19.    Jan - The Jefferson’s, a spinoff of All in the Family, on CBS (1975–85)   20.    Sep - Welcome Back, Kotter on ABC (1975–79)   21.    Black Snapshots:   22.    Jan - The Wiz opens on Broadway   23.    Jan - The creation of the Church Committee was approved. Later that year, the media begins reporting that the FBI & CIA spied on citizens, many of them high profile African Americans; MLK, Malcom X, Black Panther leadership, etc. Senator Frank Church stated on NBC's "Meet the Press": "...If this government ever became a tyrant, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government to know. Such is the capability of this technology."   24.    Feb - Elijah Muhammad, the religious leader of the Nation of Islam dies. He was a mentor to Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and Muhammad Ali, as well as his own son and successor, Wallace D. Mohammed, a.k.a., Warith D. Mohammed. Because of his personal studies and thinking, Warith led the majority of the original NOI to mainstream, traditional Sunni Islam by 1978. However, splinter groups resisting these changes formed, particularly under Louis Farrakhan, who in 1981 would revive the name Nation of Islam and claim direct continuity from the pre-1976 NOI.   25.    Apr - In the pilot episode of Starsky and Hutch, Richard Ward plays an African-American supervisor of white American employees for the first time on TV.   26.    July - Arthur Ashe wins Wimbledon   27.    August - James Benton Parsons (64 yrs. old), the first African American to serve as a life tenured federal judge: Becomes the "Chief" Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. (Basically Chicago). Born in Kansas City, Missouri, raised in Decatur, Illinois. He was named "class orator" for Stephen Decatur High School class of 1929. He was on the basketball team, in the school band and orchestra. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Millikin University in 1934.   28.    September – WGPR-TV, channel 62 in Detroit, becomes the first television station in the U.S. to be owned and operated by blacks.   29.    September – The Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier title fight from the Philippines (the "Thrilla in Manila") is sent via satellite to the U. S. and shown on HBO   30.    September - Roxie Roker, mother to artist Lenny Kravitz, played Helen Willis on 'The Jefferson’s'. She was part of the first interracial couple to appear on regular primetime television.   31.    October - The premiere episode of Saturday Night Live is broadcast on NBC with OG cast member Garret Morris (Mr. Mason from Cooley High) and Billy Preston and Janis Ian the first musical guests.   32.    ###The Social Scene: Urban Literature / Fiction / Art   33.    Donald Goines, the ‘Godfather of Urban Fiction.’ (36yrs old): Criminal, drug addict, Author. From 1969 -1974 he published 16 novels that helped establish the genre.   34.    Urban fiction working definition: Works of art set in urban America dealing with drugs, violence, and sex, involving African    35.    American or Latino characters. The genre is also known as Street Fiction, Gangsta Lit, Ghetto Lit, or Hip-Hop Fiction.   36.    Goines was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were a middle-class African-American couple that ran a laundry business. At 15 Goines lied about his age to join the Air Force, where he fought in the Korean War. During his stint in the armed forces, Goines developed an addiction to heroin that continued after his discharge from the military in the mid-1950s. To support his addiction, Goines turned to crime, this included pimping, and theft. He began writing while serving a sentence in Michigan's Jackson Penitentiary. Goines initially attempted to write westerns but decided to write urban fiction after reading Iceberg Slim's autobiography Pimp: The Story of My Life.   37.    Goines continued to write novels at an accelerated pace to support his drug addictions, sixteen books in five years, with some books taking only a month to complete. His series about Kenyatta (under the name Al C. Clark) describes a black revolutionary, who campaigns against exploitation and evils of inner-city life. On October 21, 1974, Goines and his common-law wife were discovered dead in their Detroit apartment. The police had received an anonymous phone call and responded, discovering Goines in the living room of the apartment and his common-law wife Shirley Sailor's body in the kitchen.   38.    Goines books are still popular, especially in the prison system. His books have gone on to sell millions of copies and have never been out of print, making him one of the most successful African-American authors in history.   39.    His books have been utilized in several prison literacy programs and his novel "Dopefiend" (1971) has been taught in a Rutgers University class.   40.    Other popular titles: Whoreson (1972), Black Gangster (1972), Street Players (1973), White Man's Justice, Black Man's Grief (1973), and Black Girl Lost (1974)   41.    ***Question: has anyone read his books?   42.    Donald's work was deeply influenced by Iceberg Slim.   43.    In 1961, after serving 10 months of solitary confinement in a Cook County jail, Robert Maupin (a.k.a. Slim) decided he was too old for a life of pimping and was unable to compete with younger, more ruthless pimps. In an interview with the Washington Post, he said he retired "because I was old. I did not want to be teased, tormented and brutalized by young whores."   44.    In 1967, he published two books; A memoir, "Pimp: The Story of My Life" and the novel "Trick Baby"   45.    ***Question: has anyone read his books?   46.    Iceberg and Donald's work made a HUGE impact on the youth growing up in the 70's and 80's.   47.    "Pimp" inspired the screenplay for the 1973 film "The Mack", starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor.   48.    Various other entertainers were also influenced by Goines and Slim: Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Katt Williams,    49.    Eddie Griffin, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Ludacris, Nas, and Jay-Z, just to name a few.   50.    Iceberg and Donald also proved that a commercial "Black" book market did exist.   51.    A new "post" Hip-Hop revival of contemporary urban fiction happened at the end of the 1990s, as demand for novels authentically conveying the urban experience increased, and new business models enabled fledgling writers to more easily bring a manuscript to market and to libraries.   52.    One of the first writers in this new cycle of urban fiction was Omar Tyree, who published the novel Flyy Girl.    53.    The genre gained significant momentum in 1999 with Sister Souljah's bestseller The Coldest Winter Ever. Teri Woods's True to the Game was also published in 1999.The publishing of these three novels created a momentum of readership for urban fiction and carried that wave for years. All three books are considered classics in the renaissance of the genre.   54.    Major writers of contemporary urban fiction include Wahida Clark, Vickie Stringer, Nikki Turner, Kole Black, K'wan, Toy Styles, Kwame Teague, and the writing duo Meesha Mink & De'Nesha Diamond.   55.    ***Question: has anyone read any of these books?   56.    The reach of urban fiction into a large youth readership is undeniable today, particularly among adolescent girls.   57.    Critics and supporters are pleased that Black youth are reading. But some have mixed feelings about promoting literacy by any means necessary. “To some extent, there is an exposure to a part of urban culture that has rarely been explored in a way that it is now…which can be a starting point for civic dialogues,” offers Tracey Michae’l Lewis, who teaches writing and literature at Community College of Philadelphia and Philadelphia University. “Unfortunately, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What is this costing us?’”   58.    Scholars have differing opinions on Urban Fiction. Some believe that it is low reading, like a trashy book, that is not of high quality. Those who believe this think that prisoners and adolescent should be reading more elevated works.   59.    On the other hand, are scholars who say that African Americans appear to be reading street lit to find themselves and escape themselves at the same time. Some readers just enjoy losing themselves in portrayals of lavish lifestyles, racy sex and ride-or-die dramas of the streets, while others enjoy the genre for its reflective qualities.   60.    [Contributing source: Debating Black “Street Lit,” New Urban Fiction May 31, 2008 / Joe / African Americans, book review, urban]   61.    ***Question: Is urban art (books/films/music) really and truly a problem?   62.    ###The Music Scene   63.    6 - "Shining Star", Earth, Wind & Fire   64.    13 - "Lovin' You", Minnie Riperton   65.    14 - "Kung Fu Fighting", Carl Douglas   66.    18 - "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)", Tony Orlando and Dawn   67.    20 - "Pick Up the Pieces", Average White Band   68.    21 - "The Hustle", Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony   69.    22 - "Lady Marmalade", Labelle   70.    23 - "Why Can't We Be Friends", War   71.    24 - "Love Won't Let Me Wait", Major Harris   72.    25 - "Boogie On Reggae Woman", Stevie Wonder   73.    27 - "Fight the Power", The Isley Brothers   74.    30 - "Fire", Ohio Players   75.    ***Vote:    76.    Jan: Fire, The Ohio Players   77.    Feb: Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Love Songs, Carl Douglas   78.    Feb:  New and Improved, The Spinners   79.    Feb: Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), B.T. Express   80.    Mar: AWB, Average White Band   81.    Mar: Al Green Explores Your Mind, Al Green   82.    Apr: Perfect Angel, Minnie Ripperton   83.    Apr: That's the Way of the World, Earth, Wind & Fire   84.    May: A Song for You, The Temptations   85.    May: To Be True, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes   86.    May: Mister Magic, Grover Washington, Jr.   87.    May: Sun Goddess, Ramsey Lewis   88.    May: Just Another Way to Say I Love You, Barry White   89.    Jun: Survival, The O'Jays   90.    Jul: Disco Baby, Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony   91.    Aug: The Heat Is On, The Isley Brothers   92.    Aug: Chocolate Chip, Isaac Hayes   93.    Aug: Cut the Cake, Average White Band   94.    Aug: Why Can't We Be Friends?, War   95.    Sep: Non-Stop, B.T. Express   96.    Sep: Honey, The Ohio Players   97.    Oct: ...Is It Something I Said?, Richard Pryor   98.    Nov: Al Green Is Love, Al Green   99.    Nov: KC and the Sunshine Band, KC and the Sunshine Band   100.    Nov: Inseparable, Natalie Cole   101.    Nov: Save Me, Silver Convention   102.    Dec: Let's Do It Again, The Staple Singers   103.    Dec: Feels So Good, Grover Washington, Jr.   104.    Dec: Family Reunion, The O'Jays   105.    ***Vote:    106.    ###Key Artist: Natalie Maria Cole (25yrs old): singer-songwriter, actor, author, daughter of crooner Nat King Cole, nicknamed, "Sweetie"   107.    Short-story: Born and raised in Los Angeles. Grew up immersed in the music scene of her parents. Even though she didn't plan on a singing career, she took a summer job singing with a band in 1972. Albums soon followed, as well as two Grammy Awards for her debut album, Inseparable (1975). After a bout with addiction, Cole returned in the 1990s with Unforgettable... with Love, featuring renditions of songs previously sung by her father. Cole died in 2015 at the age of 65.   108.    Early Career: She met the writing and producing team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy in 1975. The duo helped Cole land a deal with Capitol Records and, later that year, create the album Inseparable. With hit songs such as "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," the album exploded onto the music scene, earning the young starlet her first two Grammy Awards—for best new artist and best female R&B performance.   109.    Cole's career took flight: she turned out four gold and two platinum records / in 1979, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame / Cole hit a lull in her career in the early 1980s due to her struggle with drug addiction / in 1991, she released Unforgettable... with Love. and won a Grammy for album of the year / in 2008, "Still Unforgettable" won another Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album.   110.    Personal Life and Death: The death of her father, when she was 15 yrs. old, greatly affected her and put a strain on Cole's relationship with her mother. In her 2000 autobiography, Angel on my Shoulder, Cole exposed her depression and heavy drug use throughout her career. She began using in college. She overcame her addiction in 1983. In 2008, Cole was diagnosed with hepatitis C, a disease of the liver. She passed 7 from congestive heart failure on December 31, 2015.   111.    Legacy: "Cole wasn’t the next Aretha. She was the simply the MOST versatile vocalist of the soul-pop era" - Written by Keith Murphy (@murphdogg29) BET 1/2016  112.    Cole could do Chaka’s “Tell Me Something Good.”. But could Chaka do “Our Love.”? Cole could do Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.” But could Gladys do “Good Morning Heartache,’? Cole could do Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know.” But could Houston do “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” or “Something Got A Hold On Me”?   113.    Audio Clips   114.    ***Question: Silver spoon or deserved?   115.    ###Key Artist: Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III (35yrs old): Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter (1940–2005)   116.    Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, he became one of the most influential comedians in the history of comedy. Few comics today will talk about their own careers without mentioning the inspiration they received from Pryor. A talented yet controversial man, most people either love him unconditionally or hate him passionately.    117.    Early Life: For much of his youth, Pryor was left in his grandmother's care and lived in the brothel she ran. He also experienced sexual abuse as a child, according to his official website. To step away from the grim reality of his life, Pryor found solace in going to the movies. Expelled from school at age 14, Pryor ended up working a string of jobs until he joined the military in 1958. He served in the army for only two years, as he was discharged for fighting with another soldier.   118.    Early Career: Returning home, he found work as a stand-up comic throughout the Midwest, playing African-American clubs in such cities as East St. Louis and Pittsburgh. In 1963, Pryor moved to New York City. The following year, he made his television debut on the variety show On Broadway Tonight. Guest appearances followed on such programs as The Merv Griffin Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. At the time, his act was modeled after two African-American comedians he admired, Bill Cosby and Dick Gregory.   119.    In 1960, while playing in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel, he had a panic attack and walked off stage. He wanted to give voice to the winos, pimps, dealers, and other characters in his head. He retreated to Berkeley, California, where he met a variety of counterculture figures, including Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton.   120.    Mainstream Success: In the early 1970s, Pryor scored several successes as an actor and comedian. He earned positive reviews for his supporting role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972), starring Diana Ross. In 1973, he netted his first Emmy Award nomination (outstanding writing achievement in comedy, variety) for his work on The Lily Tomlin Show. The following year, Pryor took home his first Emmy (best writing in comedy, variety) for another collaboration with Lily Tomlin: the comedy special Lily (1973). Pryor also wrote for such shows as The Flip Wilson Show and Sanford and Son, which starred comedian Redd Foxx. Continuing to thrive professionally, Pryor co-starred with Max Julien in the film "The Mack" 91973) and worked with Mel Brooks on the screenplay for the western spoof Blazing Saddles (1974). His own work was also attracting a lot of attention. Despite its X-rated content, his third comedy albums sold extremely well and won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recordings in 1974, 1975, and 1976.   121.    Fans of all racial backgrounds were captivated by Pryor's comedy, which consisted of situational and character-driven humor in place of straightforward jokes. He poked fun at the white establishment and explored the racial divide. By the late 1970s, Pryor had a thriving career as a stand-up comic and movie actor.   122.    Audio Clips   123.    Troubled Personal Life: Pryor had a long history of substance abuse and stormy relationships. He got into legal trouble in the early 1970s for failing to file tax returns. / In 1978, Pryor had another run-in with the law after he shot his estranged wife's car. / Pryor’s health began to suffer, and he endured his first heart attack in 1978 / In June 1980, after several days of freebasing cocaine, he lit himself on fire in a suicide attempt /    124.    Later Years: In 1986, Pryor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system. By the early 1990s, the once-kinetic Pryor was confined to a wheelchair. The comedian wrote the autobiography Pryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences with Todd Gold, earning critical acclaim upon its release in 1995. In 2001, Pryor remarried Jennifer Lee. He spent his final years with her at his California home. Outside of performing, Pryor was an advocate for animal rights and opposed animal testing. He established Pryor's Planet, a charity for animals.   125.    Death and Legacy: On December 10, 2005, Pryor died of a heart attack at a Los Angeles area hospital. In addition to providing audiences with both hilarious and moving performances, he paved the way for African-American comedians like Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock to make their mark. "Pryor started it all. He made the blueprint for the progressive thinking of black comedians, unlocking that irreverent style," comedian and filmmaker Keenen Ivory Wayans explained to The New York Times.   126.    ***Question: Given his EXTEMELY troubled personal life, does he deserve praise, pity, or pilloried (ridiculed publicly)?   127.    ###Vote for Key Artist:   128.    ###The Movie Scene    129.    Dolemite: Played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film. Moore had developed the alter-ego as a stand-up comedian and released several comedy albums using this persona. The film has attained cult status. Plot: Dolemite is a pimp and nightclub owner who is serving 20 years in prison after being set up by a rival, Willie Green. One day, his friend and fellow pimp Queen Bee helps him get out of jail, and plots with him to get revenge on Green.   130.    Mahogany: A romantic drama directed by Berry Gordy and produced by Motown Productions.  Mahogany stars Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, a struggling fashion design student who rises to become a popular fashion designer in Rome. Fresh from the success of Lady Sings the Blues, this film served as Ross' follow-up feature film.   131.    Let's Do It Again is an action crime comedy directed by and starring Sidney Poitier and co-starring Bill Cosby and Jimmie Walker. The film, directed by Poitier, is about blue-collar workers who decide to rig a boxing match to raise money for their fraternal lodge. The song of the same name by The Staple Singers was featured as the opening and ending theme of the movie, and as a result, the two have become commonly associated with each other.  This was the second film pairing of Poitier and Cosby following Uptown Saturday Night, and followed by A Piece of the Action (1977). Of the three, Let's Do It Again has been the most successful both critically and commercially. [FYI...Calvin Lockhart was Biggie Smalls and Jimmie Walker as Bootney Farnsworth]   132.    ###Key Movie: Cooley High: [My Favorite movie of all-time!]   133.    Summary: "...But "Cooley High" was no exploitation film. Unlike the other black stories being told on screen in the early '70s, this one wasn't about crime, racism, drugs, vengeance, or black-power heroes and heroines who stuck it to the Man. It was just about teens doing what teens do -- hanging out, going to school, going to parties, hooking up, cruising the streets, and dreaming of the future. Yes, there was petty crime and some tragic violence, but they weren't the focus of the story. It was just a slice of life, both specific and universal. As a result, "Cooley High" marked the beginning of the shift in African-American cinema away from blaxploitation toward more diverse stories of black life, although it would take another 20 years for that transition to be fully realized." - 'Cooley High' Is the Most Influential Movie You've Never Seen, by Gary Susman, moviefone.com   134.    Audio Clips   135.    In film, coming of age is a genre of teen films. Coming-of-age films focus on the psychological and moral growth or transition of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. Personal growth and change are an important characteristic of this genre, which relies on dialogue and emotional responses, rather than action. The main character is typically male, around mid-teen and the story is often told in the form of a flashback.   136.    Films in this subgenre include Bambi (1942), Oliver! (1967), American Graffiti (1973), Breaking Away (1979), The Last American Virgin (1982), The Breakfast Club (1985), Stand by Me (1986), Almost Famous (2000), the Harry Potter series (2001–2011), and Moonlight (2016)   137.    ***Question: The movie dealt with friendships, loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, and regrets. Do you have any personal stories to tell that deal with these issues?   138.    ###The TV Scene: The Jefferson’s   139.    Sample review: Parents need to know that this classic '70s/'80s sitcom -- which follows an African-American couple who move to an upper-class Manhattan apartment in a primarily Caucasian neighborhood -- combines strong racial stereotypes with some positive representations of African Americans and interracial relationships. George Jefferson is stubborn, mean-spirited, and bigoted, and the show uses strong words like "damn" and racial epithets like "honky." The show is generally mild by today's standards, but George's inappropriate behavior and language may send iffy messages to younger viewers.   140.    For many black Americans, the news of actor Sherman Hemsley’s death represents a two-fold loss of both an incredible talent and the captivating character that was George Jefferson. By portraying the outspoken and incredibly honest Mr. Jefferson, who was never too shy to speak candidly about race relations in the seventies, Hemsley and his cast mates had a major effect on American television through the hit sitcom “The Jefferson’s.”    141.    As the longest-running series with a predominantly African American cast, the show was one of the first to portray a successful black family, paving the way for future sitcoms like “The Cosby Show” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” It was also the first series to prominently feature an interracial couple with the characters Helen and Tom Willis, using its makeup of colorful personalities to create humorous commentary about race in the United States at the time.    142.    Making its debut in 1975, the show mimicked its parent series “All In The Family,” but instead focused on a black household. George Jefferson displayed his distrust of white people and shared his views on race in America with a fervor that rivaled Archie Bunker’s comical, yet stinging, opinions about minorities. The show explored issues rarely discussed on television, and the characters’ frequent use of racially charged terms like “nigger” and “honky” placed the series in a class all its own. Although George and his wife Louise “Weezy” Jefferson’s sudden success catapulted them into a predominantly white world, they represented the epitome of black culture. Even the show’s popular theme song was reminiscent of the gospel tunes often heard in black churches.    143.    “The Jeffersons” use of confrontational humor and candid commentary that helped ease the discussion of topics like race and class on American television (and beyond) is the cornerstone of the show’s legacy. Its characters opened doors for future black actors, and its success proved that African American sitcoms did, in fact, resonate with general audiences.    144.    ***Open Comments:   145.    Legacy: We also recognized the familiar in George's willingness to put on airs if it meant seizing an advantage against a rival or gaining one from a potential patron, backing down only when it became clear that his honor or family's well-being was at risk. It was easy to mistake George's hustle as symptoms of a gratuitous and crass materialism, but, his endless striving, the relentless quest to impress the Wittendales of the world or to get into a posh tennis club, even though he had no clue or interest in the sport, was always about survival. Money, in George's mind, represented the best defense against discrimination. "Let me tell you something about people," George tells his old adversary Archie Bunker at a cocktail party. "That bartender's willing to work for me because if you got enough green in your pocket, then black becomes his favorite color." - What 'The Jeffersons' Taught Me About Being an American. SHERVIN MALEKZADEH  AUG 7, 2012   146.    "...And the previous, say, eight years or so were characterized by efforts to sort of break down institutional racism in America from the Civil Rights Act to desegregation in schools. And so, you had this whole level of black folks who were just being held back by institutional racism, and once those bonds started to break, they could build businesses. They could get great jobs, and they could move into the middle class and upper middle class in a way that they hadn't been able to do before. And "The Jeffersons" in its own way, even though it was also a very typical sitcom, very broad, it also talked about those elements. You know, George had to deal with his friends from the old neighborhood. They would come to visit and embarrass him because he was trying to impress the new wealthy people that he lived with in his new high-rise. And, you know, there was always that tension, and I think some black folks were going through that in their own lives. They could recognize a bit of that in what George Jefferson was doing. - Heard on All Things Considered, NPR   147.    ***Question: Was the show too unrealistic/out of reach?   148.    ***Vote: 1975 biggest legacy?

Topics: Black Women vis-a-vis White Women in the feminist community, Funk Music, Claudine (film), Good Times (TV show). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1974   ...fyi "Claudine" is free on Youtube: https://youtu.be/tJUiV9Pnwps   General News   Richard Nixon STILL President. but not for long.   Vietnam War: Wrapping up active combat.   Feb - Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst kidnapped. 2 months later she participates in a bank robbery.   Apr - Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves breaks Babe Ruth's home run record   Jul - Watergate scandal: The House Judiciary Committee adopts 3 articles of impeachment, charging President Nixon with obstruction of justice, failure to uphold laws, and refusal to produce subpoenaed material.   Aug - Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States. President Gerald Ford is sworn in. Ford later pardons Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office.   Sep - Stuntman Evel Knievel fails in his attempt to rocket across the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.   Oct -The Rumble in the Jungle. Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman to regain the Heavyweight title, which had been stripped from him 7 years earlier.   1974 minimum wage = $2hr/$80wk/$4kyrly - 2018 = $10.50/$420/$21k   Avg. House Price = $9,942    Avg. Annual Income = $13,9k   Avg. Monthly Rent = $185   Gallon of Gas = 42c    Dozen Eggs = 45c   9% unemployment vs Black unemployment 15%   Open Comments:   Top Pop Singles:   "The Way We Were", Barbra Streisand   "Seasons in the Sun", Terry Jacks   "Love's Theme", Love Unlimited Orchestra   Grammy Awards for 1974   ROY: Olivia Newton-John, "I Honestly Love You"   AOY: Stevie Wonder, Fulfillingness' First Finale   SOY: "The Way We Were", Barbra Streisand   New Artist: Marvin Hamlisch   Top Grossing Movies   Blazing Saddles   The Towering Inferno   The Trial of Billy Jack   Top TV Shows   All in the Family   Sanford and Son   Chico and the Man   Debut Shows   Feb - Good Times (a spinoff of Maude) (1974–79)   Sep - That's My Mama (1974–1975)   Open Comments:   Black Snapshots   Gail Cobb (@24yrs), Black Washington D.C. police officer: The first U.S. woman police officer killed in the line of duty.   Maya Angelou: Gather Together in My Name, the second of seven autobiographies.   James Baldwin: If Beale Street Could Talk, a love story set in Harlem in the early 1970's.   Reader's Digest publishes the first excerpts from Roots in May and June. They said it was an epic work, "destined to become a classic of American literature."   Univ. of Penn publishes a study concluding IQ tests are biased towards whites   Cicely Tyson 2 Emmys for The Autobiography of Miss Jane.   Richard Pryor Emmy for Lily Tomlins TV special   Open Comments:   Social Scene: Sisters Gonna Work It Out   Social Scene: Women's issues   Sept: President Gerald Ford meets with women's groups and it was the first time a president of NOW had been invited to the White House.   Apr - The first industry-wide race and sex discrimination settlement, steel companies settled with the Labor Department for approximately $56 million.   May - AT&T signed a $30 million consent decree with the EEOC for back pay to victims of sex discrimination. Companies agreed to equalize starting salaries for men and women and guarantee that both sexes would receive equal pay in promotions. It provided May - Bank of America agrees to pay $10 million in compensatory salary increases to its women employees.   Jul - Eleven women were ordained as the first female priests of the Episcopal Church.   Mar - Helen Thomas named White House reporter for UPI. It was the first time a woman had held such a position.   Apr. - Julia Phillips wins Oscar for "The Sting.", the first by a woman movie producer.   Aug - The Fair Housing Act of 1968 extended to prohibit discrimination based on sex.   Oct - The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits discrimination in consumer credit practices based on sex. (Lindy Boggs added the provision without informing fellow committee members)   The Big Backlash Begins   Jan - The "March for Life", an annual rally protesting both the practice and legality of abortion was organized for the first time.    Open Comments:   Four Sisters put there foot down and make the world turn   Washington: Before Barack there was Barbara   Barbara Charline Jordan (@ 38yrs), lawyer, educator, politician, and Civil Rights leader.   Born and raised in Houston   Democrat and the first African American elected to the Texas Senate.   After Reconstruction, the first Southern African-American woman elected to the HOR   Best known for her eloquent opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee hearings during the impeachment process against Richard Nixon   Also, the first African-American and the first woman to deliver a keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in 1976.   Her sexual orientation has never been determined, but some sources list her as a lesbian.   Bill Clinton said that he wanted to nominate Jordan for the SCOTUS, but by the time he could, she had health problems.   Died at the age of 59 due to complications from pneumonia in 1996.   [Audio Clip]   The sophisticated Songstress   Roberta Cleopatra Flack (@37 yrs.), Singer-songwriter, musician.   Known for her #1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love", and for "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway.   She was the first, and remains the only, solo artist to win the Grammy Award for ROY on two consecutive years   The "Black B**ch" (Her words)   Diahann Carroll (@39yrs): Actress, singer and model   Known for performances in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959)   Julia (1968) broke ground for being one of the first shows on TV to star a black woman in a non-stereotypical role.   Also played Dominique Deveraux in the TV show Dynasty.   [Audio Clip]   The Anti-Mammy Machine   Esther Rolle (@54yrs): Actress.   Born and raised in Pompano Beach, Florida   Best known for her role as Florida Evans   She was the tenth of 18 children.   Iron-willed and PROUD   Her father insisted she promise to never become a servant or maid in real life.   [Audio Clip]   Open Comments:   Question: These four women broke down barriers, without the help of the National Organization of Women. Are white women reliable allies for black women?   Conclusion: The more things change the more they seem to stay the same.   Music Scene:   Top "Black" pop singles   3 - "Love's Theme", Love Unlimited Orchestra   5 - "Dancing Machine", The Jackson 5   7 - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", MFSB   11 - "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", Aretha Franklin   12 - "Jungle Boogie", Kool & the Gang   14 - "You Make Me Feel Brand New", The Stylistics   15 - "Show and Tell", Al Wilson   19 - "Sideshow", Blue Magic   30 - "Boogie Down", Eddie Kendricks   34 - "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me", Gladys Knight & the Pips   35 - "Feel Like Makin' Love", Roberta Flack   36 - "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", The Main Ingredient   37 - "Nothing from Nothing", Billy Preston   38 - "Rock Your Baby", George McCrae   Vote:   Top Albums   Jan Imagination, Gladys Knight & the Pips   Feb Stone Gon', Barry White   Feb Ship Ahoy, The O'Jays   Feb Livin' for You, Al Green   Mar Love Is the Message, MFSB   Apr Boogie Down, Eddie Kendricks   May The Payback, James Brown   May Let Me in Your Life, Aretha Franklin   May Open Our Eyes, Earth, Wind & Fire   Jun Mighty Love, The Spinners   Jun War Live, War   Jul Body Heat, Quincy Jones   Jul Claudine, Soundtrack / Gladys Knight & the Pips   Aug Skin Tight, The Ohio Players   Aug Marvin Gaye, Live!, Marvin Gaye   Sep That Nigger's Crazy, Richard Pryor   Oct Fulfillingness' First Finale, Stevie Wonder   Nov Live It Up, The Isley Brothers   Nov Can't Get Enough, Barry White   Dec I Feel a Song, Gladys Knight & the Pips   Vote:   Key Artist   George Edward Clinton (@33yrs), The Prime Minister of Funk, a.k.a. Dr. Funkenstein, a.k.a, Star Child: Singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer.    Born in Kannapolis, NC, he grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. Clinton became interested in doo wop during the early ’50s. Basing his group on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Clinton formed The Parliaments in 1955, rehearsing in the back room of a Plainfield barbershop where he straightened hair. The Parliaments released only two singles during the next ten years, but frequent trips to Detroit during the mid-’60s – where Clinton began working as a songwriter and producer – eventually paid off their investment. The Parliaments finally had a hit with the 1967 single “(I Wanna) Testify”. But his label ran out of money and George refused to record any new material. When the label was bought out by Atlantic, Clinton decided to abandon the Parliaments name rather than record for the major label and record the same band under a new name: Funkadelic. (In 1970 he regained the rights to The Parliaments name) Inspired by Motown ‘s assembly line of sound, He gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded during the ’70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. While Funkadelic pursued band-format psychedelic rock, Parliament engaged in a funk free-for-all, blending influences from the godfathers (James Brown and Sly Stone) with freaky costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. He is regarded, along with James Brown and Sly Stone, as one of the foremost innovators of funk music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, alongside 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.   Key Artist   Kool & the Gang, "Best Band Ever!?!?"   Formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell. They have explored many musical styles: jazz, soul, funk, rock, and pop music. After three albums, the band had commercial success with Wild and Peaceful (1973) which contained the US top ten singles "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging". They reached a commercial peak between 1979 and 1986 following their partnership with Brazilian musician Eumir Deodato and the addition of singer James "J.T." Taylor to the line-up. Their most successful albums of this period include Ladies' Night (1979), Celebrate! (1980), and Emergency (1984), and the hit singles "Ladies' Night", "Celebration", "Get Down on It", "Joanna", and "Cherish". The band continues to perform to this day.   Open Comments:   Question: What makes a track funky?   Movie Scene - Royal Black Hollywood Strikes Back   Both movies were deliberate attempts to counter the Blaxploitation movement.   Claudine - "The Poverty Technician" (Plot)   The film tells the story of Claudine Price (Diahann Carroll), a single Black Harlem mother, living on welfare with six children, who finds love with a garbage collector, Rupert Marshall (James Earl Jones), whom she calls "Roop". The pair's relationship becomes complicated because of several factors. Among these are that the couple do not want to marry because they would not be able to support the children without welfare, and that the kids themselves, particularly eldest son Charles (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), are apprehensive of Rupert, and believe that he will leave their mother just like her previous husbands had. Claudine and Rupert meet while both are at work. Rupert asks Claudine out on a date with him and Claudine accepts. When Rupert becomes invited inside Claudine's apartment, the children are rude and vulgar towards Rupert. This is also the first time the audience meets the children and sees the inside of Claudine's slum-like apartment. Later, in the film, the audience finds out that Claudine receives financial aid from the government through the welfare program. Throughout the film, Miss Kabak, the social worker, visits Claudine at her home and asks her if she is employed and if she is dating anyone. Claudine always denies Miss Kabak the truth and lies to her about being unemployed and single. If Claudine tells the truth and says that she is employed, the amount of financial aid she receives from the welfare program would decrease or she could also no longer receive any more financial aid. If Claudine dates anyone and receives gifts from her boyfriend, the social worker must deduct any money or gifts Claudine is receiving from whomever she is dating. Just before he is to announce his engagement to Claudine to the kids, Rupert is served papers for a court order relating to underpayment of child support of his own children; his work wages are garnished to pay the difference. Rupert becomes so upset about this that he disappears for a couple of days and loses contact with everyone. He moves out of his apartment, does not show up to work, and does not show up to the Father's Day celebration the children had prepared for him. Charles eventually finds him drunk at a bar and angrily confronts him. Charles is angry at Rupert because he left his mother without any explanation. Out of the anger Charles felt for Rupert, he engages in a physical fight with him. After the incident at the bar, Rupert eventually shows up outside of Claudine's apartment and speaks to her. After some time, the couple talk things over and make up. After several hardships and debating over whether they should marry because of financial issues relating to welfare, the couple decide to marry. They hold a wedding ceremony, but it is interrupted when Charles runs inside the apartment in the middle of the ceremony while the police are chasing after him. The couple and the rest of the children run after Charles, leave the ceremony, and board the police wagon. The film ends on a cheery note with the entire family, along with Rupert, walking happily hand in hand through the neighborhood.   Question: Should welfare be (a) reformed or (b) avoided? What would a or b look like?   Conclusion: Regardless of the message, Gladys' music was on hit (3rd #1 R&B LP) and Diahann Carroll was great, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 1975.   Uptown Saturday Night - "The Good Guys (Sidney & Bill) Get Over" (Plot)   While enjoying themselves at Madame Zenobia's club on Saturday Night, Steve Jackson (Poitier) and Wardell Franklin (Cosby) are held up by robbers who raid the club, taking Steve's wallet as a result. Upon realizing that a winning lottery ticket worth $50,000 is in the wallet, they set out to find the crooks themselves. Determined to retrieve the ticket, they search for it using the help of gangster Geechie Dan Beauford (Belafonte), who wants to defeat his rival Silky Slim (Lockhart). Using their wit, perseverance, and fearlessness, Steve and Wardell devise a plan to get the ticket using the help of both gangsters, in the hopes that it will pay off for them.   Question: Is this truly anti-Blaxploitation or just another version?   Television Scene - A Tale of 2 Black Families   That's My Mama, "Warm and Fuzzy" (1 season, 1974-75) (Plot)   Set in a middle-class African American neighborhood in Washington, D.C., the program revolved around the character Clifton Curtis (played by Clifton Davis), a man in his mid-20s who worked as a barber at Oscar's Barber Shop, the family barber shop he had inherited from his late father. While Clifton enjoyed being a bachelor, his loving, but tart-tongued and opinionated mother Eloise "Mama" Curtis, played by Theresa Merritt, wanted him to settle down and find a nice wife. Additional characters – such as Clifton's two best friends—Earl, played by Teddy Wilson, an easy-going mailman and Junior, played by Ted Lange, a suave and good-humored ladies' man—came and went over the course of a typical day at Oscar's Barber Shop. Other characters included Tracy, Clifton's little sister, played by Lynne Moody and later by Joan Pringle and her husband, Leonard, played by Lisle Wilson, as well as local seniors Josh and Wildcat, played by DeForest Covan and Jester Hairston. Clifton Davis and Hairston would work together again years later in the hit sitcom, Amen.   Conclusion: Never a ratings success.   Good Times, "Classic" (6 seasons, 1974-1979) (Plot)   Florida and James Evans live in a Chicago housing project and have three children: James Jr., also known as "J.J."; Thelma; and Michael, called "the militant midget" by his father due to his passionate activism. When the series begins, J.J. is seventeen years old, Thelma is sixteen, and Michael is eleven. Their exuberant neighbor, and Florida's best friend, is Willona Woods, a recent divorcée who works at a boutique. Their building superintendent is Nathan Bookman. The characters originated on the sitcom Maude. Episodes deal with the characters' attempts to overcome poverty. GT was intended to be a good show for Esther Rolle and John Amos. Both expected the show to deal with serious topics in a comedic way while providing positive characters. However, J.J. became the breakout character.  As a result, the writers focused more on J.J.'s comedic antics instead of serious issues. Through seasons two and three, Rolle and Amos grew increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the show. Rolle was vocal about it: "He's 18 and he doesn't work. He can't read or write. He doesn't think. The show didn't start out to be that...Little by little—with the help of the artist, I suppose, because they couldn't do that to me—they have made J.J. more stupid and enlarged the role. Negative images have been slipped in on us through the character of the oldest child." Jimmie Walker was the only cast member to not show at Rolle's funeral. Amos also spoke out: "The writers would prefer to put a chicken hat on J.J. and have him prance around saying "DY-NO-MITE", and that way they could waste a few minutes and not have to write meaningful dialogue." Amos was ultimately fired after just 3 seasons.   [Audio Clip]   Open Comments:   Question: Did/do you know anyone in real life like J.J.?   Conclusion: They didn't recast James Evans, they just killed him off and Esther was playing a single mom after all. She quit after season 4.   Vote, Biggest Impact for 1974:  

Topics: Dj Kool Herc, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Pam Grier, The Mack, & George Jefferson. (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1.    Snapshots   2.    General News   3.    Richard Nixon STILL President.   4.    Vietnam War: year 18 of 19   5.    The Paris Peace Accords, signed on January 27, 1973, effectively removed the U.S. from the conflict in Vietnam.   6.    Deaths: 168 killed. Down from 641 in 1972   7.    Nixon, on national TV, accepts responsibility, but not blame, for Watergate; (April 30).   8.    Spiro T. Agnew resigns as Vice President and then pleads no contest to charges of evasion of income taxes while Governor of Maryland (Oct. 10).   9.    Jan: Military draft ends   10.    Jan: Roe v. Wade, SCOTUS ruled that a right to privacy extended to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but with some limits.   11.    Apr: The World Trade Center   12.    Economics:   13.    Oct: OPEC embargo sets off an oil/energy crisis and starts the recession.   14.    Unemployment: 4.9% / Black unemployment: 5.7 / minimum wage: still $1.60 ($64w, $3,200y, ~$19,800 in 2018)   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Sports:   17.    Super Bowl: Miami d. Washington   18.    World Series: Oakland A's d. NY Mets (4-3)   19.    NBA Championship: New York d. LA Lakers   20.    Pop Music:   21.    Top radio singles:   22.    #1 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", Tony Orlando and Dawn   23.    #2 "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Jim Croce   24.    #3 "Killing Me Softly with His Song", Roberta Flack   25.    1973 Grammy Awards:   26.    ROY, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” Roberta Flack   27.    SOY, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,”   28.    AOY, Innervisions, Stevie Wonder   29.    New Artist, Bette Midler   30.    Open Comments:   31.    Top Movies:   32.    #1 The Sting   33.    #2 The Exorcist   34.    #3 American Graffiti   35.    Top Television:   36.    #1 All in the Family   37.    #2 The Waltons   38.    #3 Sanford and Son   39.    Black Folks   40.    Illinois 1st state to declare MLK Day   41.    Alice Walker publishes 1st book   42.    Red Foxx NAACP Entertainer of the Year   43.    Open Comments:   44.    Social/Political Scene: The Birth of a Hip-Hop Nation   45.    Clive Campbell (@18yrs) - a.k.a. DJ Kool Herc (Hercules), founding father of hip hop.   46.    It's summer time of 1973 in the Bronx NY.   47.    In the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, a HISTORIC party jumps off. - And hip hop is born!   48.    Bio: Kool Herc was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, moved to NYC as a teen and started spinning records at parties with his dad's PA system.   49.    He was deep into Reggae and he styled himself like a Jamaican “selector” (DJ) and did a lot of “toasting” (talking/chanting) over the instrumentals.   50.    But his real genius was paying attention to the crowds. He said a lot of DJ's back then would put on a record and go smoke a cigarette.   51.    He watched what got the crowd going and noticed hat it was the instrumental bridge, or drum breaks, that was hot with the dancers.   52.    His SIGNATURE move and GROUNDBREAKING contribution was to use the two turntables of a regular DJ setup, NOT to switch between songs, BUT switch back and forth between the break beats and keep the crowds moving!   53.    His homie, Coke La Rock, would get on the mic and do shout outs ("so and so is in the house!"), do call-and-response phrases (yes, yes, y'all - you don't stop, ...just throw your hands in the air), and do catchy "poems" (Hotel, motel, you don't tell, we won't   54.    tell)   55.    Herc had been working on it this new style for almost a year, but that summertime party in 73 was his breakout moment.   56.    After that, the crowds got too big for the rec room and he started throwing jams in the park. Those crowds where bigger than some at the clubs and that's where all four elements of hip hop would really come together. (Dj'ing, MC'ing, dancing, and graffiti)    57.    He got stabbed at a party just a few years later, and while he was sidelined, his 2 homies and "understudies" took over hip hop, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash!    58.    Hip Hop basically started by presenting a party on wax.   59.    Question: How has partying changed? (i.e., dancing, music, sex, drugs, socializing, violence, etc...)   60.    Final thoughts: Kool Herc continues be an undervalued personality. He deserves WAY more credit.   61.    Music Scene:   62.    Pop Singles   63.    #1 - Tony Orlando and Dawn, Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Ole Oak Tree   64.    #3 - Roberta Flack, Killing Me Softly With His Song   65.    #4 - Marvin Gaye, Let’s Get It On   66.    #8 - Billy Preston, Will It Go Round In Circles   67.    #10 - Diana Ross, Touch Me In The Morning   68.    #15 - Billy Paul, Me And Mrs. Jones   69.    #17 - Dobie Gray, Drift Away   70.    #19 - Stevie Wonder, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life   71.    #21 - Isley Bros., That Lady   72.    #22 - Sylvia, Pillow Talk   73.    #26 - Stevie Wonder, Superstition   74.    #32 - O’Jays, Love Train   75.    #33 - Barry White, I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More   76.    Vote:   77.    Jan - 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, Billy Paul   78.    Feb -Talking Book, Stevie Wonder   79.    Feb - The World Is a Ghetto, War   80.    Apr - Wattstax: The Living Word, Soundtrack / Various artists   81.    Apr - Neither One of Us, Gladys Knight & the Pips   82.    May - Masterpiece, The Temptations   83.    May - Spinners, The Spinners   84.    Jun - Birth Day, New Birth   85.    Jun - Call Me, Al Green   86.    Jun - Live at the Sahara Tahoe, Isaac Hayes   87.    Jul - I've Got So Much to Give, Barry White   88.    Jul - Back to the World, Curtis Mayfield   89.    Aug - Fresh, Sly and the Family Stone   90.    Aug - Touch Me in the Morning, Diana Ross   91.    Sep - Innervisions, Stevie Wonder   92.    Sep - Deliver the Word, War   93.    Sep - Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye   94.    Dec - Imagination, Gladys Knight & the Pips   95.    Key Artist: Gladys Maria Knight, aka The Empress of Soul (@29): Singer, song writer, actress.   96.    Born and raised in ATL   97.    Started touring with the Pips at 16yrs old, signed with Motown at 22, and started dropping hits:   98.    "Every Beat of My Heart/I Heard It Through the Grapevine/If I Were Your Woman   99.    In 1973 she left Motown (Former Motown artists where EVERYWHERE) and blew up!   100.    They landed 4 straight #1 Soul Lps between 1973 and 1974   101.    Neither One of Us/Imagination/Claudine/I Feel a Song   102.    Gladys will tell you that Diana Ross, kicked her off a tour once because the crowds were feeling her more and that The Boss felt overshadowed.   103.    Some people called her the true successor to Aretha.   104.    Question: What was Glady's biggest hurdle: Too nice, Diana, song material, or a CRAZY personal life? (4 marriages, custody battles, legal issues with the Pips, child kidnapped, or the Mormons?   105.    Key Artist: Stevland Hardaway Morris (@23yrsold), aka Stevie Wonder: Musical Genius   106.    Born in Michigan, raised in Detroit   107.    Started getting down with Motown in 1961 at 11yrs old and rose to fame FAST!   108.    Fingertips/Uptight (everything's Alright/Sign, Sealed, Delivered/My Cherie Amour   109.    In 1971, he let his Motown contract expire, muscled his way to a bigger royalty, got more creative independence, and proceeded to change the history of pop music.   110.    His next 3 releases each won album of the year! - a first for an RnB act.   111.    Partly influenced by his Motown homie Marvin Gaye and his album "what's Going On", (and to some degree his FRIENDS the Beatles!) he consciously changed up his style.   112.    "We as a people are not interested in 'baby, baby' songs anymore," he said back then. "There's more to life than that.   113.    Innervisions (16th studio LP) was where he stopped being merely a "boy" genius.   114.    "It is the album that best celebrates his musical maturity and completes the transition from Little Stevie Wonder to the grown-up artist with an active imagination and burning social conscience. Coming just nine months after Talking Book, Innervisions is Wonder at  115.    the absolute peak of his powers, a 23-year-old man with the world at his fingertips." - BBC Review   116.    Question: Bigger impact, Stevie or James? (Writing, singing, performing, musician)   117.    Conclusion: IMHO, Stevie is the most important black artist ever.   118.    Movies   119.    Key Actor: Pamela Suzette Grier (@24yrs old); Actress, author, superstar girlfriend   120.    Born in North KakalaKa and raised as an Air Force kid   121.    The family settled in Denver and she went to East High School - Genina's alma mater   122.    She started competing in state wide beauty contests and that led to her moving to LA to pursue acting at 18   123.    In 1971, at 22, she made her movie debut in Big Doll House.   124.    She did a few more "women in cages" movies and broke out in 1973 with Coffy!   125.    "The baddest one-chick hit-squad that ever-hit town!"   126.    In 1974, she delivered her iconic performance as Foxy Brown   127.    A gun toting prostitute out for revenge   128.    This solidified her as really the first female action hero.   129.    It also, stigmatized her acting career, as she basically got limited to Blaxploitation roles   130.    However, she still received props for her acting skills in those roles.   131.    "What makes Coffy interesting is Miss Grier...she’s' beautiful, but also has a kind of physical life to her that is sometimes missing in beautiful actresses...she gets into an action role and does it right." - film critic, Roger Ebert   132.    Question: where have the female black action heroines gone?   133.    Key Movie: The Mack   134.    Question: What was that?!?!?!   135.    Television:   136.    Key Character: George Jefferson, Dry cleaning Business owner   137.    Played by Sherman Hemsley (@35): born and raised in Philly   138.    High school dropout and former Air force   139.    went to NYC and got regular work as a Broadway actor   140.    In 1971 (@33) he flashed on Broadway and caught the attention of the producer for "All in The Family" (sorta like Redd Foxx)   141.    In 1973 he debuted on the show as Archie's "opinionated, rude, bigoted, scheming neighbor.   142.    Always trying to move "to a deluxe apartment in the sky"!   143.    But, he was also a loving and hard-working family man, who was cleverer than Archie.   144.    Sherman himself was shy and very private.   145.    Never married and no kids.   146.    He said playing George Jefferson "was hard for me. But he was the character. I had to do it."   147.    Question: Was GJ a positive or negative character?   148.    Schoolhouse Rock! Animated musical educational short films.   149.    Aired from 1973 to 1985 (12 Yrs.)   150.    64 -3m episodes   151.    Topics covered: Math, grammar, American history, and science.   152.    The creator noticed one of his sons was having trouble remembering the multiplication tables, BUT the kid knew all the lyrics to the current rock songs.   153.    The goal was to educate through videos, motivate kids with music, and convince them learning is fun.   154.    Question: What are some of your favorite SHR episodes?   155.    Conclusion:  No doubt, for a generation of kids, every Saturday morning, SHR put it DOWN!   156.    Wrap Up   157.    Question: What had the biggest impact from 1973?

Topics: Shirley Anita Chisholm, H. Rap Brown, Diana Ross, Al Green, Superfly, Sanford & Son, & Fat Albert. (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1.    1972 - A Transitional Year, New Directions, Politics and Pimpin   2.    News snapshots   3.    Nixon wins reelection   4.    Watergate: 5 dudes arrested for breaking into the DNC headquarters   5.    Vietnam War: year 17 of 19   6.    Deaths: 641 down from 2357 in 1971   7.    June29 - SCOTUS rules death penalty unconstitutional   8.    Economic snapshots   9.    Black unemployment is 9.9%. highest since great depression.   10.    31% black families headed by women   11.    Minimum wage:    12.    Sports snapshots   13.    Super Bowl: Dallas def. Miami   14.    World Series: Oakland A's def. Cincinnati (4-3)   15.    NBA Championship: LA Lakers def. New York   16.    Science snapshots   17.    CAT scanning, compact disks, electronic mail, and Prozac are developed.   18.    Apollo XVII, the last manned moon landing to date   19.    Entertainment snapshots   20.    Time Inc. drops HBO, the first pay cable network.   21.    Atari breaks out Pong, the first arcade video game. (home version in 1974)   22.    Women dominate the Grammy Awards, grabbing the big 4. Carole King won Record, Album and Song of the Year, while Carly Simon won Best New Artist.   23.    Music (top selling albums): #3. Fragile by Yes, #2. American Pie by Don McLean, #1. Harvest by Neil Young / just an fyi, #13. Led Zeppelin IV   24.    Movies (top grossing): #3. What's up Doc, #2. The Poseidon Adventure, #1. The Godfather   25.    Television: #3. Hawaii Five-O, #2. Sanford and Son*, #1. All in the Family   26.    Black snapshots   27.    Mahalia Jackson and Jackie Robinson pass away   28.    NYC graffiti breaks out. it's one of the 4 pillars of hip-hop   29.    MJ (@14) goes solo: hits w/ Ben   30.    Cicely Tyson (@48) stars in Sounder: Box office hit. Proving that the black audience will take, a non 'super black' exploitation movie seriously.   31.    QUESTION: What pops out for you?   32.    Socio-political (1st major shift to a new direction, political power)   33.    Shirley Anita Chisholm, (@ 47): politician, educator, and author of "Unbought and Unbossed! -1970 autobiographies.   34.    in 1972, she became the first black person EVER to run for POTUS AND the first woman to run for the Democrats.   35.    Already, in 1968, she was the first black woman elected to Congress.   36.    Her campaign was underfunded, dismissed as a symbolic, & basically ignored by the power structure.   37.    And she was not instantly a heroine for black people.   38.    Of course, black male colleagues showed little love: "When I ran for the Congress, when I ran for president, I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black. Men are men.... They think I am trying to take power from them. The black man must step     39.    forward, but that doesn't mean the black woman must step back."   40.    QUESTION: Is this the real reason more black women haven't run? (only other black woman was Carol Moseley Braun from Il in 2004)   41.    About her legacy, she said, “I want to be remembered as a woman … who dared to be a catalyst of change.” (Obama?)   42.    Famous Quotes:   43.    "Tremendous amounts of talent are lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt."   44.    "The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, 'It's a girl'."   45.    "In the end, anti-black, anti-female, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing - anti-humanism."   46.    Conclusion: In our lifetime we saw THE MOST successful path for black advancement. Politics. Only 36 years from Shirley to Obama.   47.    Shirley Chisholm was an underappreciated legend and icon.   48.    Other Comments?   49.    Meanwhile...the Black Power Movement is falling apart! (2nd major shift)   50.    1971-1972 the Panthers split into different camps. Huey vs Eldrigdge   51.    They went "Hatfield vs McCoy" and started retaliatory assassinations.   52.    H. Rap Brown (@ 29), is the latest high-profile BPM figure to fall.   53.    Others include: Angela Davis, Assata Shakur, Elaine Brown, Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Huey P. Newton, Stokely Carmichael, and Bobby Seale   54.    H Rap Brown sentenced for an attack on a New York City bar?!?!   55.    Currently serving a life sentence for murder after shooting of two Sheriff's deputies in 2000.   56.    He was known for taking over SNCC after Stokely and his autobiography, Die Nigger Die!   57.    Probably most famous for saying, "violence is as American as cherry pie” -and- "If America don't come around, we're gonna burn it down."   58.    QUESTION: Was the decline of the BPM more internal (reliance on the gun and violence), external (black people lost interest) -OR- did black people choose to go the "integration" route?   59.    Conclusion: The BPM had a great message: Pride, Self-reliance, and education. But, I think they were too extreme.   60.    Other Comments:   61.    Music: 1972 Top Singles   #1 Roberta Flack    The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face #2 Gilbert O’Sullivan    Alone Again (Naturally) #3 Don McLean    American Pie #4 Nilsson    Without You #5 Sammy Davis Jr.    Candy Man #6 Joe Tex    I Gotcha #7 Bill Withers    Lean On Me #8 Mac Davis    Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me #9 Melanie    Brand New Key #10 Wayne Newton    Daddy Dont You Walk So Fast #11 Al Green    Let’s Stay Together #12 Looking Glass    Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) #13 Chi-Lites    Oh Girl #14 Gallery    Nice To Be With You #15 Chuck Berry    My Ding-A-Ling #16 Luther Ingram    If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right #17 Neil Young    Heart Of Gold #18 Stylistics    Betcha By Golly, Wow #19 Staple Singers    I’ll Take You There #20 Michael Jackson    Ben #21 Robert John    The Lion Sleeps Tonight #22 Billy Preston    Outa-space #23 War    Slippin’ Into Darkness #24 Hollies    Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) #25 Mouth and MacNeal    How Do You Do #26 Neil Diamond    Song Sung Blue #27 America    A Horse With No Name #28 Hot Butter    Popcorn #29 Main Ingredient    Everybody Plays The Fool #30 Climax    Precious And Few   62.    Vote: Best Single, __________________________________   63.    1972 Albums   64.    Jan - There's a Riot Going' On - Sly & the Family Stone   65.    Jan - Black Moses - Isaac Hayes   66.    Mar - Solid Rock - The Temptations   67.    Mar - Let's Stay Together - Al Green   68.    May - First Take - Roberta Flack   69.    Jun - A Lonely Man - The Chi-Lites   70.    Jul - Still Bill - Bill Withers   71.    Oct - Super Fly Soundtrack - Curtis Mayfield   72.    Nov - All Directions - The Temptations   73.    Dec - I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green   74.    Vote: Best Album, __________________________________   75.    Key Artist - Diana Ross (@28): Singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Detroit.   76.    Became famous as the lead singer the Supremes, the best charting girl group in history. With twelve number-one hit singles. ("Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love", "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me     77.    Hangin' On", "Love Child", and "Someday We'll Be Together", etc...)   78.    The movie dream girls was inspired by the group   79.    She also did a few big films: Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, The Wiz, etc...   80.    Question: Here's my problem with The Boss. Mary Wilson was the heart and soul of the Supremes. Florence Ballard was the best singer. Diana was what?   81.    Conclusion: The Supremes were deliberately glamorous, because Gordy wanted all of Motown to be crossover artists. Beyonce has real game, I'm not convinced Diana wasn't just hyped up.    82.    Other Comments:   83.    Key Artist - Al Green (@26): singer, songwriter and record produce. Born in AR, grew up in Michigan, discovered in Memphis.   84.    Kicked out of the house when his very religious daddy caught him listening to Jackie Wilson.   85.    Quote: "I also listened to Mahalia Jackson, all the great gospel singers. But the most important music to me was those hip-shaking’ boys: Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley. I just loved Elvis Presley. Whatever he got, I went out and bought."   86.    Started out in 1967, flashed in 1971 with the album, "Al Green Gets Next to You", PEAKED in 1972 with 2 albums - "Let's Stay Together" & "I'm Still in Love with You", and capped 1973 with the lp "Call Me", a critically acclaimed "Masterpiece!"   87.    Basically, everything we love about Al was dropped in that 3-year window.   88.    1974 he was born again   89.    Soon after that his "girlfriend" dumped boiling grits on him in the bathtub before shooting and killing herself. (with his gun!?)   90.    By 1976, he was ready to go gospel.   91.    His longtime producer, Willie Mitchell (the guy who discovered him and crafted his music), passed on doing gospel music. (Bounced check story)   92.    1977, he dropped "The Belle Album", his 12th. Rolling Stone magazine said, "We may someday look back on The Belle Album as Al Green’s best"   93.    Question: Just an observation really. This is the 3rd major shift in 1972. Al didn't make political or activist music. Some said he was the last great "Soul Man". In 1971 Marvin asked, what's going on. During 1972, in the middle of war protests, Watergate, an     94.    election, civil rights protests, the Panthers shooting up the streets, Al Green made LOVE ok again.   95.    Other Comments:   96.    Vote: Key Artists, ________________________________   97.    Movies   98.    Lady Sings the Blues: Based on Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday   99.    Starring: Diana Ross (@28), Billy Dee Williams (@35), Richard Pryor (@32)   100.    Blacula: important because it was a successful black horror film   101.    Buck and the Preacher: important for casting blacks as leads in a western and was the first film Sidney Poitier directed   102.    Super Fly: 4th Major shift (The streets are talking)   103.    Priest is done with the clothes, the cars, the drugs, the money, and the white women.   104.    But, his partner, Eddie isn’t.   105.    Quote (Eddie talking to Priest): "You're gonna give all this up? 8-Track Stereo, color T.V. in every room, and can snort a half a piece of dope everyday? That's the American Dream, nigga! Well, ain't it? Ain't it?"   106.    Curtis Mayfield (@30) wrote and produced the AMAZING soundtrack.   107.    Starring: Ron O’Neal (@35), Carl Lee (@46), Sheila Frazier (@24)   108.    At the time of its release, lots of black folks didn't like what Super Fly was representing.   109.    Quote from the Hollywood NAACP branch: “we must insist that our children are not exposed to a steady diet of so-called black movies that glorify black males as pimps, dope pushers, gangsters, and super males.”   110.    The filmmakers (White producer / black director) say they wanted to show the negative and empty aspects of the drug subculture.   111.    Regardless, Super Fly landed BIG TIME with the "post-Civil Rights" generation.   112.    They thought Eddie spoke the gospel.   113.    Quote (Eddie talking to Priest): " I know it's a rotten game, but it's the only one The Man left us to play. That's the stone, cold truth."   114.    Question: Ultimately, what is the legacy of Superfly?   115.    Conclusion: I really enjoyed the movie. However, it blatantly dismissed the BPM, and spoke directly to the criminal elements in the black community. This movie, along with the "Urban" writers, Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim, helped spawn a generation     116.    of criminals. That can't be a good thing.   117.    Other comments:   118.    Vote: Key movie, ____________________________________   119.    Television   120.    Jan - Sanford and Son debuts on NBC (6 seasons)   121.    Groundbreaking: 1st "Black" cast sit-com on the air...at least 2yrs before: That's My Mama ('74), Good Times ('74), The Jeffersons ('75), and What's Happening!!('76)   122.    Theme music by Quincy Jones (@39)   123.    Starring: Redd Foxx (@50), and Demond Wilson (@26)   124.    Foxx was born in St. Louis, raised in Chicago, and ran the streets with pre-Muslim Malcolm X back in the day.   125.    He came up performing raunchy comedy and developed a cult following in the 50's and 60's.   126.    In 1970 he flashed in the comedy movie "Cotton Comes to Harlem" and the producer of All in the Family hit him up.   127.    Question: Is Lamont crazy? Quote: "MLK left black people hooked on economic dependence and Sanford and Son taught entrepreneurship"   128.    Conclusion: Undeniably funny. Redd had the respect and help from some of the best young comics in the business, black and white. Classic!   129.    Other Comments:   130.    Sep - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (8 seasons)   131.    Fat Albert first popped up in 1967 during Cosby's stand-up comedy routine "Buck Buck,"   132.    Starring: Bill Cosby (@35)   133.    Born and raised in Philly. High school drop-out. Got his G.E.D. and went to Temple Univ. on a scholarship. While bartending, he discovered his comedy talent.   134.    He dropped out of college and mastered crossover comedy in the early sixties.   135.    In 1965 he broke out in the hit tv series I-Spy and by 1970 he was America's top Black comic.   136.    He went back to college in 1970 and got involved with PBS and the Electric Company.   137.    During this time, he cooked up "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids"   138.    It was based on his childhood friends and every show had an educational lesson in it.   139.    A lot of times the crew would end the show playing a song in the neighborhood junkyard.   140.    Question: Frankly, did the sex scandal undermine his whole career?   141.    Conclusion: I used to really like Bill.   142.    Other comments:   143.    Vote: Television, ___________________________________   144.    Vote: 1972 Biggest Shadow, __________________________

Topics: The Black Church, Jessie Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Shaft, & Soul Train. (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1971 Overview Snapshots 1.    Richard Nixon still President 2.    Vietnam War still going: (year 16 of 19) 3.    Deaths: 2,357 of 58,318 total 4.    Congressional Black Caucus created 5.    Soledad Brothers (California) and Attica (New York) prison riots 6.    The Supreme Court rules unanimously that busing of students may be ordered to achieve racial desegregation. 7.    Maya Angelou’s, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Nikki Giovanni all publish books 8.    Beverly Johnson is the first black woman to appear on the cover of a major fashion magazine (Glamour). 9.    QUESTION: Because schools are socializing and educational institutions, did busing “undercut” black identity and intellect or help us get along better in a diverse world and learn more? Jesse Louis Jackson Sr.: Civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician from Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. 10.    Breakout Year: The "Black Expo" in Chicago, attend by 800,000+, to encourage black business and he organizes People United to Save Humanity (P.U.S.H.) 11.    FYI: Graduate from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 12.    Started working for Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 13.    Jackson participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches. 14.    Became known for commanding public attention since he first started with MLK. 15.    MLK was impressed by JJ’s drive and organizational abilities but was also concerned about his ambition and attention-seeking. 16.    1971 he grabs the MLK legacy and becomes the de facto face of the “Black Church”. 17.    QUESTION: I appreciate Jessie, but why don’t I trust him? The Black Church: Always in the Mix. (JJ  18.    The phrase "black church" refers to Protestant churches that minister to predominantly black congregations. 19.    Segregationist discouraged and often prevented blacks from worshiping with whites.  20.    This created culturally distinct communities and worship practices that incorporated African spiritual traditions. 21.    Gradually, slaves developed their own interpretations of the Scriptures. Finding inspiration in stories of oppression and deliverance like Moses vs. Pharaoh. 22.    Question: First image that comes to mind? 23.    Key event: Philadelphia, PA 1787 – Birth of the “Black Church”: Richard Allen founded the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). The first fully independent black denomination. 24.    The AME church put a high premium on education, tended to attract the middle class, and produce black leadership. 25.    After the Civil War, "Baptists" grew rapidly, due primarily to a more independent governing structure. 26.    Baptist churches are governed locally, by the congregation. 27.    Major Difference Between Methodist and Baptist: The Method of Baptism [Pentecostals require additional reading] 28.    Who: Methodists baptize infants. Baptists only baptizes those capable of understanding. 29.    How: Methodists baptize with immersion, sprinkling, and pouring. Baptists only with immersion. 30.    Question: Any special memories about you or someone else being baptized? The Civil Rights Period: The Baptist “Come Up” 31.    Black churches were the heart and soul: acting as information hubs and centers of solidarity, while also providing leadership, organizational manpower, and moral guidance during this period. 32.    Notable minister-activists: Martin Luther King, Jr. - Baptists (Atlanta, GA), Ralph David Abernathy - Baptist (Linden, AL), Bernard Lee - Baptist (Norfolk, VA), Fred Shuttlesworth - Baptist (Mount Meigs, AL), Wyatt Tee Walker - Baptists (Brockton, MA), C. T. Vivian - Baptist (Boonville, MO) *Obama awarded him The P.M.o.H. in 2013.  Practices 33.    Main features: African ritual, slave emotionalism, and speaking/story-telling eloquence.  34.    Services: devotional prayer, singing by the congregation and choir, and the minister's sermon. 35.    Many ministers use drama, poetry, and the "call and response" tradition to connect with and energize the congregation. Question: Have you ever visited a “white” church and felt the difference? Politics and social issues 36.    Tendency to focus more on social issues. (poverty, gang violence, drug use, prison ministries, racism, etc.) 37.    Generally, more socially conservative [i.e., same-sex marriage, LGBT issues, women's rights, etc.] Present Day: Quick facts (Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study) 38.    Roughly eight-in-ten (79%) Blacks self-identify as Christian.  39.    The share of African Americans who identify as religiously “unaffiliated” has increased in recent years, mirroring national trends. 40.    This shift may help explain the popularity of non-church led activism, such as Black Lives Matter, Contributions of the Black Church 41.    The church has housed and fed the poor, assisted with psychologically negative and destructive habits, helped others overcome social and economic oppression, provided leadership development, supported the black family structure, acted as a social network and liaison for businesses, educated youths and adults, mentored "at risk" youth, provided job development skills, offered scholarships, built recreation centers, provided prison aftercare and drug prevention programs, and many other things. 42.    Functioned as a primary repository for "Black Culture", housing much of our history and traditions. Conclusion: 43.    Historically, the Black Church has been a major agent for socioeconomic and religious empowerment since the post-slavery era. 44.    It has acted as a reliable ally and sanctuary to the black community. Question: Will the Black Church be as vital to the next generation? Economics 45.    Unemployment Rate = 5.8% / Minimum Wage = $1.60, up .15c ($64w, $3,200y, ~$19,800 in 2018) Music 46.    Top Singles for the entire year of 1971 (Source: http://billboardtop100of.com/1971-2/) (*) = Black Artists / (it took 40 songs to get 10 black artists) -1    Three Dog Night: Joy To The World -2    Rod Stewart: Maggie May / (Find A) Reason To Believe -3    Carole King: It’s Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move -4    Osmonds: One Bad Apple -5    Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart -6    Raiders: Indian Reservation -7    Donny Osmond: Go Away Little Girl -8    John Denver: Take Me Home, Country Roads -9(1)    Temptations: Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) -10    Dawn: Knock Three Times -11    Janis Joplin: Me And Bobby McGee -12(2)    Al Green: Tired Of Being Alone -13(3)    Honey Cone: Want Ads -14(4)    Undisputed Truth: Smiling Faces Sometimes -15(5)    Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose: Treat Her Like A Lady -16    James Taylor: You’ve Got A Friend -17(6)    Jean Knight: Mr. Big Stuff -18    Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar -19    Lee Michaels: Do You Know What I Mean -20    Joan Baez: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -21(7)    Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On -22    Paul and Linda McCartney: Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey -23(8)    Bill Withers: Ain’t No Sunshine -24    Five Man Electrical Band: Signs -25    Tom Jones: She’s A Lady -26    Murray Head and The Trinidad Singers: Superstar -27(9)    Free Movement: I Found Someone Of My Own -28    Jerry Reed: Amos Moses -29    Grass Roots: Temptation Eyes -30    Carpenters: Superstar -31    George Harrison: My Sweet Lord / Isn’t It A Pity -32    Donny Osmond: Sweet And Innocent -33    Ocean: Put Your Hand In The Hand -34    Daddy Dewdrop: Chick-a-boom -35    Carpenters: For All We Know -36    Sammi Smith: Help Me Make It Through The Night -37    Carpenters: Rainy Days And Mondays -38    Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind -40(10)    Jackson 5: Never Can Say Goodbye 47.    Question: Best Single? Top Albums 48.    Jan - ...To Be Continued, Isaac Hayes 49.    Feb - Curtis, Curtis Mayfield 50.    Apr - Live in Cook County Jail, B.B. King 51.    May - Maybe Tomorrow, The Jackson 5 52.    Jun - Aretha Live at Fillmore West, Aretha Franklin 53.    Jul - What's Going On, Marvin Gaye 54.    Jul - Shaft    Soundtrack, Isaac Hayes 55.    Question: Best album? Key Artists 56.    Marvin Gaye: American singer, songwriter and record producer. Gaye helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, including "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and duet recordings with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Rossand Tammi Terrell, later earning the titles "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". 57.    During the 1970s, he recorded the albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On and became one of the first artists in Motown (joint with Stevie Wonder) to break away from the reins of a production company. His later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. Following a period in Europe as a tax exile in the early 1980s, he released the 1982 Grammy Award-winning hit "Sexual Healing" and its parent album Midnight Love. 58.    Aretha Louise Franklin: American singer and songwriter. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career. 59.    In 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Spanish Harlem" and "Think". 60.    By the end of the 1960s decade she had gained the title "The Queen of Soul".  61.    Franklin eventually became the most charted female artist in the history. 62.    Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Franklin has been honored throughout her career including a 1987 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in which she became the first female performer to be inducted. She was inducted to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Franklin is listed in at least two all-time lists on Rolling Stone magazine, including the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time; and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. African-American Cinema 63.    Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent action thriller film written, co-produced, scored, edited, directed by and starring Melvin Van Peebles. His son Mario Van Peebles also appears in a small role, playing the title character as a young boy. It tells the picaresque story of a poor black man on his flight from the white authority. 64.    Van Peebles began to develop the film after being offered a three-picture contract for Columbia Pictures. No studio would finance the film, so Van Peebles funded the film himself, shooting it independently over a period of 19 days, performing all of his own stunts and appearing in several sex scenes, reportedly unsimulated. He received a $50,000 loan from Bill Cosby to complete the project. The film's fast-paced montages and jump-cuts were unique features in American cinema at the time. The picture was censored in some markets and received mixed critical reviews. However, it has left a lasting impression on African-American cinema. 65.    The musical score of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song was performed by Earth, Wind & Fire. Van Peebles did not have any money for traditional advertising methods, so he released the soundtrack album prior to the film's release to generate publicity. Huey P. Newton celebrated and welcomed the film's revolutionary implications, and Sweetback became required viewing for members of the Black Panther Party. According to Variety, it demonstrated to Hollywood that films which portrayed "militant" blacks could be highly profitable, leading to the creation of the blaxploitation genre, although critic Roger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be an exploitation film. 66.    Release date: April 23, 1971 / Budget: $150k (~920k today) / Gross: $4.1m (~25m today) 67.    Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation action-crime film directed by Gordon Parks and written by Ernest Tidyman and John D. F. Black. The film revolves around a private detective named John Shaft who is hired by a Harlem mobster to rescue his daughter from the Italian mobsters who kidnapped her. The film stars Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, Moses Gunn as Bumpy Jonas, Charles Cioffi as Vic Androzzi, and Christopher St. John as Ben Buford. The major themes present in Shaft are the Black Power movement, race, masculinity, and sexuality. It was filmed within the New York City borough of Manhattan, specifically in Harlem, Greenwich Village, and Times Square. 68.    Shaft was one of the first blaxploitation films, and one of the most popular, which "marked a turning point for this type of film and spawned a number of sequels and knockoffs." The Shaft soundtrack album, recorded by Isaac Hayes, was also a success, winning a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture; and a second Grammy that he shared with Johnny Allen for Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement; Grammy Award for Best Original Score; the "Theme from Shaft" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and has appeared on multiple Top 100 lists, including AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. Widely considered a prime example of the blaxploitation genre. Shaft was selected in 2000 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." 69.    Release date: July 2, 1971 / Budget: 500k (~3m today) / Gross: $13m (~80m today) 70.    The film was one of only three profitable movies that year for MGM,  71.    It not only spawned several years of "blaxploitation" action films, it earned enough money to save then-struggling MGM from bankruptcy Television: 72.    Soul Train is an American music-dance television program which aired in syndication from October 2, 1971 to March 27, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, dance/pop and hip-hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco and gospel artists also appeared. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as its first host and executive producer. 73.    Some commentators have called Soul Train a "black American Bandstand," 74.    Cornelius acknowledged Bandstand as a model for his program, but he tended to bristle at the Bandstand comparisons. 75.    Cornelius, with help from Jesse Jackson, openly accused Dick Clark of trying to undermine TV's only Black-owned show, when Clark launched "Soul Unlimited". 76.    Cornelius was relatively conservative in his musical tastes and was admittedly not a fan of the emerging hip hop genre, believing that the genre did not reflect positively on African-American culture (one of his stated goals for the series). 77.    Rosie Perez testified in the 2010 VH1 documentary Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America that Cornelius also disliked seeing the show's dancers perform sexually suggestive "East Coast" dance moves. 78.     This disconnect (which was openly mocked in an In-Living Color sketch where Cornelius and the show were lampooned as extremely old and out of touch) eventually led to Cornelius's stepping down as host in the early 1990s and the show's losing its influence. Black Church Sources: https://thewitnessbcc.com/history-black-church/ https://aaregistry.org/story/the-black-church-a-brief-history/ http://news.gallup.com/poll/200186/five-key-findings-religion.aspx [2016] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Black_America#Baptists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Black_America http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/02/07/5-facts-about-the-religious-lives-of-african-americans/

Topics: Black Power Movement, Muhammad Ali, Angela Davis, James Brown, Sidney Poitier, and Flip Wilson. (Bonus Artists: hidingtobefound & Luck Pacheco)   1970   Snapshots   MLK birthday celebrated in many states   Toni Morrison’s 1st novel, “The Bluest Eye”   Black Enterprise and Essence start   Jimi Hendricks dies   Cheryl Adrienne Brown (Miss Iowa) 1st black to compete in Miss America   Social/Political Key Development: Part 1: Black Power Movement The Black Power Movement focused on racial pride, self-sufficiency, and equality for all people of Black and African descent. It was led by a generation of black activists who had participated the Civil Rights movement. By the mid-1960s, a split developed among those activists and many no longer saw nonviolent protests as a viable way of combatting racism. Major turning point: The Watts riots, a 5 day "War" in 1965, that took place in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Dead‎: ‎34 / Injured‎: ‎1,032 New organizations (the Black Panther Party, the Black Women’s United Front, the Nation of Islam, and others) developed new cultural, political, and economic programs. Desegregation was insufficient. Deconstruction of the white power structures was the new focus. Because they wanted space for black political voices, collective black power, and social autonomy, the movement was often viewed as violent, anti-white, and anti-law enforcement. Key events: the 1965 assassination of Malcom X, and the 1968 assassination of MLK. Major accomplishment: raising the collective level of consciousness, pride, and interest in education. By the mid-1970s, the movement was in decline due to government repression, intragroup squabbles, and further assassinations. Also, police raids, arrests, and harassment. By 1973 African-American activists had begun to concentrate on getting blacks and progressive whites elected to public office. By 1976, the traditional movement was effectually dead. Legacy: Some have compared the modern movement Black Lives Matter to the Black Power movement noting a January 2015 community panel, hosted by the Garfield H.S. – B.S.U. (Seattle) titled: Black Power to Black Lives Matter, connecting the current youth-led struggle of BLACK LIVES MATTER to the Black Power movement of the 1960s-1970s.   Part 2:  Conclusion The Black Power movement not only represented a change in tactical strategy, but also a change in the mind-set of African-Americans. For instance, the black music industry, with its roots in gospel and rhythm and blues became more nationalist. Songs like the Impressions’ “We’re a Winner” (1967), James Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968), and the Temptations’ “Message to a Black Man” (1969) helped establish a distinctive sound for a generation of politically conscious young black Americans. Some blacks chose to don African garb and adopt African names. The slogans “Power to the People” and “Black is Beautiful” became very popular. The movement’s style and fashion (military berets, leather gloves and hats, bright powder-blue shirts, and Afro hairstyles were also symbolically important. The impact of this imagery was immediate and resonated across the United States as well as throughout the world.   Part 3: Important figures Nat Turner (d. 1841, American slave) Marcus Garvey (d. 1940, Black Nationalist political advocate) Frantz Fanon (d. 1961, Psychiatrist/Author – “This Wretched Earth: Algerian struggle against colonialism) W.E.B. Dubois (d. 1963, Historian) Malcolm X (d. 1965, Minister/Activist) MLK (d. 1968, Minister/Activist) 1968 Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos Stockley Carmichael (d. 1998, Activist) Hughey P. Newton (d. 1989, Activist/BPP) Bobby Seale (Activist/BPP) Eldridge Cleaver (d. 1998, Activist/BPP)   Part 4. Key Figure: Muhammad Ali (1942-2016, Black America’s Crown Jewel and The Embodiment of the Black Power Movement)    Key 1970 event: Licenses reinstated by the New York State boxing commission.    Important Woman: Angela Davis (b. 1944, Political activist, academic, and author) She emerged as a prominent counterculture activist in the 1960s working with the Black Panther Party and being highly involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Because of purchasing firearms used in the 1970-armed take-over of a Marin County, California courtroom, in which four persons were killed, she was prosecuted for conspiracy. She was later acquitted of this charge. She is a professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in its History of Consciousness Department Activist   C: Economic Snapshot: Unemployment rate, 4.9%. Minimum wage, $1.45ph ($58 weekly, $2,900 yearly, ~$18,652 2018)   D: Pop Culture Snapshots   Toni Morrison’s 1st novel, “The Bluest Eye”   The Jackson 5 breakout with, “I Want You Back” and “ABC”   Diana Ross: Leaves the Supremes   Jimi Hendricks dies   Black Music Top 10 Singles 1    Jackson 5 ►The Love You Save 2    Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ►The Tears of a Clown 3    The Jackson 5 ►I Want You Back 4    Jackson 5 ►ABC 5    Stevie Wonder ►Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours 6    Sly & The Family Stone ►Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin 7    The Moments ►Love on a Two-Way Street 8    Diana Ross ►Ain't No Mountain High Enough 9    The 5th Dimension ►One Less Bell to Answer 10    The Temptations ►Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)   Key Albums - Jan Puzzle People    The Temptations - Feb Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5    The Jackson 5 - Apr Psychedelic Shack    The Temptations - May The Isaac Hayes Movement    Isaac Hayes - Jun ABC    The Jackson 5 - Sep Diana Ross    Diana Ross - Oct Third Album    The Jackson 5 - Dec Greatest Hits    Sly and the Family Stone - Dec ...To Be Continued    Isaac Hayes   Key Artist: James Brown (d. 2006, Soul Brother #1, The Godfather)     Black Film Key Releases: - Cotton Comes to Harlem: Plot: "Reverend" Deke O'Malley, a conman, is selling shares at a Harlem rally, for the purchase of a Back-to-Africa movement ship to be called The Black Beauty. During the rally, several masked gunmen jump out of a meat truck and steal $87,000 in donated cash from the back of an armored car. Two Harlem detectives, Gravedigger Jones and "Coffin" Ed Johnson chase the car, and a bale of cotton falls out of the vehicle, unremarked at the time. Uncle Budd, a scavenger, finds the bale of cotton and sells it for $25 to a junk dealer, but later buys it back for $30. There is a reward out for the $87,000, and Gravedigger and Coffin deduce that the money was probably hidden inside of the bale which had fallen out of the getaway vehicle during the chase. After accusing Reverend O’Malley of stealing the money and taking him captive, Detectives Jones and Johnson are able to blackmail Tom, a mob leader, to give them $87,000 - to be restored to the original donors - after discovering that Uncle Budd has run off with the stolen money and emigrated to Ghana, to live in retirement with his ill-gotten gains.   Directed by    Ossie Davis Written by    Ossie Davis Arnold Perl Starring    Godfrey Cambridge Raymond St. Jacques Calvin Lockhart Release date May 26, 1970 Box office    $5.2 million (rentals)   - Halls of Anger Plot: A predominantly black high school is integrated by white students and trouble follows.   Directed by    Paul Bogart Written by    John Herman Shaner Al Ramrus Starring    Calvin Lockhart Janet MacLachlan Jeff Bridges Release date April 29, 1970 (United States) Budget    $1.6 million   - ...tick...tick...tick Plot: In a small Southern town, Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the incumbent. Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, leaving office, or from Mayor Parks, who insists he be consulted on any decision the new sheriff makes. A white man, John Braddock, is arrested on a manslaughter charge after his drunken driving causes the death of a young girl. Braddock's father carries considerable influence and demands his son be freed. Price's deputy, Bradford Wilkes, is beaten by Little's former deputy, Bengy Springer. Another arrest is made, this time of a black man, George Harley, accused of rape. The townspeople's mood turns uglier by the minute, particularly when Braddock's father threatens to spring his son by force if necessary. Little's conscience gets the better of him. He agrees to become Price's new deputy. Together, they try in vain to persuade other men in town to side with them against Braddock's vigilantes and to convince the mayor to call in the National Guard for help. Alone against the mob, Price and Little form a barricade and prepare for the worst when their fellow townsmen suddenly join them in the street.   Directed by    Ralph Nelson Written by    James Lee Barrett Starring    Jim Brown George Kennedy Fredric March Release date January 9, 1970 Box office    $2,144,000   Key Movie: They Call me Mr. Tibbs - Plot: The second installment in a trilogy, the release was preceded by In the Heat of the Night (1967).  Detective Virgil Tibbs, now a lieutenant with the San Francisco police, is assigned to investigate the murder of a prostitute. A prime suspect is Rev. Logan Sharpe, a liberal street preacher and political organizer, who insists to Tibbs that he was merely visiting the hooker in a professional capacity, advising her spiritually.  Tibbs questions a janitor from the victim's building, Mealie Williamson, and Woody Garfield, who might have been the woman's pimp. Suspicion falls on a man named Rice Weedon, who takes umbrage and is shot by Tibbs in self-defense. Tibbs concludes that Sharpe really must be the culprit. Sharpe confesses but requests Tibbs give him some time to complete his work on one last political issue. Told this wouldn't be possible, Sharpe takes his own life.   Directed by    Gordon Douglas Written by    Alan Trustman Starring    Sidney Poitier Martin Landau Barbara McNair Music by    Quincy Jones July 8, 1970 Box office    $2,350,000    Key Actor/Actress: Sidney Poitier Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (born February 20, 1927) is a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. In 1964, Poitier became the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor[a] for his role in Lilies of the Field. The significance of these achievements was bolstered in 1967, when he starred in three successful films, all of which dealt with issues involving race and race relations: To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, making him the top box-office star of that year. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Poitier among the Greatest Male Stars of classic Hollywood cinema, ranking 22nd on the list of 25.   Black TV Important Event Carters Army Plot: A redneck officer (Stephen Boyd) is put in charge of a squad of all black troops charged with the mission of securing an important hydro dam in Nazi Germany. Their failure would delay the Allied advance into Germany, thus prolonging the war. These African-Americans had been relegated to cleaning latrines and therefore have little real military training, but Captain Beau Carter has no choice. He leads the rag-tag unit to secure the dam and the men reveal themselves as heroic . Written by    Aaron Spelling David Kidd Directed by    George McCowan Original release    January 27, 1970 Cast Stephen Boyd as Capt. Beau Carter Robert Hooks as Lt. Edward Wallace Susan Oliver as Anna Renvic Roosevelt Grier as Big Jim Moses Gunn as Pvt. Doc Hayes Richard Pryor as Pvt. Jonathan Crunk Glynn Turman as Pvt. George Brightman Billy Dee Williams as Pvt. Lewis Paul Stewart as Gen. Clark   Key Show The Flip Wilson Show Main Character: Geraldine (Wilson) Starring    Flip Wilson No. of seasons    4 No. of episodes    94 Original network    NBC Original release    September 17, 1970 – June 27, 1974   The Flip Wilson Show was an hour-long variety show. The program was the first successful network variety series starring an African American. During its first two seasons, its Nielsen ratings made it the nation's second most watched show.   3: Key Actor/Actress: Flip Wilson (1933-1998, Comedian) Our first "Star"  Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (1933 – 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards. He also won a Grammy Award in 1970 for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's image on its cover and named him "TV's first black superstar". According to The New York Times, Wilson was "the first black entertainer to be the host of a successful weekly variety show on network television."

A detailed look at black, African-American, culture during the "Sixties". (1960-1969) (Bonus Artists: hidingtobefound & Luck Pacheco)   Overview   "The Sixties":  the counterculture and revolution in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling – or - irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order.   Also labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism that occurred during this time.   Also described as a classical Jungian nightmare cycle, where a rigid culture, unable to contain the demands for greater individual freedom, broke free of the social constraints of the previous age through extreme deviation from the norm.   The confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union dominated geopolitics during the '60s, with the struggle expanding into developing nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia characterized by proxy wars, funding of insurgencies, and puppet governments.   In response to civil disobedience campaigns from groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), U.S. President John F. Kennedy, pushed for social reforms. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 was a shock.   Liberal reforms were finally passed under Lyndon B. Johnson including civil rights for African Americans· and healthcare for the elderly and the poor. Despite his large-scale Great Society programs, Johnson was increasingly reviled. The heavy-handed American role in the Vietnam War outraged student protestors around the globe.   The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., anti-Vietnam War movement, and the police response towards protesters of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, defined a politics of violence in the United States.   The 1960s were marked by several notable assassinations:   12 June 1963 – Medgar Evers, an NAACP field secretary. Assassinated by Byron de la Beckwith, a member of the Ku Klux Klan in Jackson, Mississippi.   22 November 1963 – John F. Kennedy, President of the United States. Assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.   21 February 1965 – Malcolm X. Assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam in New York City. There is a dispute about which members killed Malcolm X.   4 April 1968 – Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader. Assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee.   5 June 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, United States Senator. Assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in Los Angeles, after taking California in the presidential national primaries.   Social and political movements (counterculture)   Flower Power/Hippies In the second half of the decade, young people began to revolt against the conservative norms of the time. The youth involved in the popular social aspects of the movement became known as hippies. These groups created a movement toward liberation in society, including the sexual revolution, questioning authority and government, and demanding more freedoms and rights for women and minorities. The movement was also marked by the first widespread, socially accepted drug use (including LSD and marijuana) and psychedelic music.     Anti-war movement The war in Vietnam would eventually lead to a commitment of over half a million American troops, resulting in over 58,500 American deaths and producing a large-scale antiwar movement in the United States. Students became a powerful and disruptive force and university campuses sparked a national debate over the war. The antiwar movement was heavily influenced by the American Communist Party, but by the mid-1960s it outgrew this and became a broad-based mass movement centered in universities and churches: one kind of protest was called a "sit-in".   Civil rights movement Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing into the late 1960s, African-Americans in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against black Americans and voting rights to them. The emergence of the Black Power movement, which lasted roughly from 1966 to 1975, enlarged the aims of the civil rights movement to include racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency, and anti-imperialism. The movement was characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance. Forms of protest and/or civil disobedience included boycotts such as the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) in Alabama; "sit-ins" such as the influential Greensboro sit-ins (1960) in North Carolina; marches, such as the Selma to Montgomery marches (1965) in Alabama.; and a wide range of other nonviolent activities. Noted legislative achievements during this phase of the civil rights movement were passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, that banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin" in employment practices and public accommodations; the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that restored and protected voting rights; the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965, that dramatically opened entry to the U.S. to immigrants other than traditional European groups; and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, that banned discrimination in the sale or rental of housing.   Hispanic and Chicano movement Another large ethnic minority group, the Mexican-Americans, are among other Hispanics in the U.S. who fought to end racial discrimination and socioeconomic disparity. In the 1960s and the following 1970s, Hispanic-American culture was on the rebound like ethnic music, foods, culture and identity both became popular and assimilated into the American mainstream. Spanish-language television networks, radio stations and newspapers increased in presence across the country.   Second-wave feminism A second wave of feminism in the United States and around the world gained momentum in the early 1960s. While the first wave of the early 20th century was centered on gaining suffrage and overturning de jure inequalities, the second wave was focused on changing cultural and social norms and de facto inequalities associated with women. At the time, a woman's place was generally seen as being in the home, and they were excluded from many jobs and professions. Feminists took to the streets, marching and protesting, writing books and debating to change social and political views that limited women. In 1963, with Betty Friedan's revolutionary book, The Feminine Mystique, the role of women in society, and in public and private life was questioned. By 1966, the movement was beginning to grow and power as women's group spread across the country and Friedan, along with other feminists, founded the National Organization for Women. In 1968, "Women's Liberation" became a household term.   Gay rights movement The United States, in the middle of a social revolution, led the world in LGBT rights in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Inspired by the civil-rights movement and the women's movement, early gay-rights pioneers had begun, by the 1960s, to build a movement. These groups were rather conservative in their practices, emphasizing that gay men and women are no different from those who are straight and deserve full equality. This philosophy would be dominant again after AIDS, but by the very end of the 1960s, the movement's goals would change and become more radical, demanding a right to be different, and encouraging gay pride.   Crime The 1960s was also associated with a large increase in crime and urban unrest of all types. Between 1960 and 1969 reported incidences of violent crime per 100,000 people in the United States nearly doubled and have yet to return to the levels of the early 1960s. Large riots broke out in many cities like Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, New Jersey, Oakland, California and Washington, D.C. By the end of the decade, politicians like George Wallace and Richard Nixon campaigned on restoring law and order to a nation troubled with the new unrest.   Economics The decade began with a recession and at that time unemployment was considered high at around 7%. John F. Kennedy promised to "get America moving again." To do this, he instituted a 7% tax credit for businesses that invest in new plants and equipment. By the end of the decade, median family income had risen from $8,540 in 1963 to $10,770 by 1969. Minimum wage was $1.30 per hour / ~$2,700 per year (~$18,700 in 2018)   Popular culture   The counterculture movement dominated the second half of the 1960s, its most famous moments being the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967, and the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York in 1969. Psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, were widely used medicinally, spiritually and recreationally throughout the late 1960s, and were popularized by Timothy Leary with his slogan "Turn on, tune in, drop out". Psychedelic influenced the music, artwork and films of the decade, and several prominent musicians died of drug overdoses. There was a growing interest in Eastern religions and philosophy, and many attempts were made to found communes, which varied from supporting free love to religious puritanism.   Music   British Invasion: The Beatles arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 7 February 1964   "The 60's were a leap in human consciousness. Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, Mother Teresa, they led a revolution of conscience. The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix created revolution and evolution themes. The music was like Dalí, with many colors and revolutionary ways. The youth of today must go there to find themselves." – Carlos Santana.     As the 1960s began, the major rock-and-roll stars of the '50s such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard had dropped off the charts and popular music in the US came to be dominated by Motown girl groups and novelty pop songs. Another important change in music during the early 1960s was the American folk music revival which introduced Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Odetta, and many other Singer-songwriters to the public.   Girl groups and female singers, such as the Shirelles, Betty Everett, Little Eva, the Dixie Cups, the Ronettes, and the Supremes dominated the charts in the early 1960s. This style consisted typically of light pop themes about teenage romance, backed by vocal harmonies and a strong rhythm. Most girl groups were African-American, but white girl groups and singers, such as Lesley Gore, the Angels, and the Shangri-Las emerged by 1963.   Around the same time, record producer Phil Spector began producing girl groups and created a new kind of pop music production that came to be known as the Wall of Sound. This style emphasized higher budgets and more elaborate arrangements, and more melodramatic musical themes in place of a simple, light-hearted pop sound. Spector's innovations became integral to the growing sophistication of popular music from 1965 onward.   Also during the early '60s, the “car song” emerged as a rock subgenre and coupled with the surf rock subgenre. Such notable songs include "Little Deuce Coupe," "409," and "Shut Down," all by the Beach Boys; Jan and Dean's "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Drag City," among many others.   While rock 'n' roll had 'disappeared' from the US charts in the early '60s, it never died out in Europe and Britain was a hotbed of rock-and-roll activity during this time. In late 1963, the Beatles embarked on their first US tour. A few months later, rock-and-roll founding father Chuck Berry emerged from a 2-1/2-year prison stint and resumed recording and touring. The stage was set for the spectacular revival of rock music.   In the UK, the Beatles played raucous rock 'n' roll – as well as doo wop, girl-group songs, show tunes. Beatlemania abruptly exploded after the group's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.   As the counterculture movement developed, artists began making new kinds of music influenced by the use of psychedelic drugs. Guitarist Jimi Hendrix emerged onto the scene in 1967 with a radically new approach to electric guitar that replaced Chuck Berry, previously seen as the gold standard of rock guitar. Rock artists began to take on serious themes and social commentary/protest instead of simplistic pop themes.   A major development in popular music during the mid-1960s was the movement away from singles and towards albums.   Blues also continued to develop strongly during the '60s, but after 1965, it increasingly shifted to the young white rock audience and away from its traditional black audience, which moved on to other styles such as soul and funk.   Jazz music during the first half of the '60s was largely a continuation of '50s styles, retaining its core audience of young, urban, college-educated whites. By 1967, the death of several important jazz figures such as John Coltrane and Nat King Cole precipitated a decline in the genre. The takeover of rock in the late '60s largely spelled the end of jazz as a mainstream form of music, after it had dominated much of the first half of the 20th century.   Significant events in music in the 1960s:   Sam Cooke was shot and killed at a motel in Los Angeles, California [11 December 1964] at age 33 under suspicious circumstances.   Motown Record Corporation was founded in 1960. Its first Top Ten hit was "Shop Around" by the Miracles in 1960. "Shop Around" peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Motown's first million-selling record.   The Marvelettes scored Motown Record Corporation's first US No. 1 pop hit, "Please Mr. Postman" in 1961. Motown would score 110 Billboard Top-Ten hits during its run.   The Supremes scored twelve number-one hit singles between 1964 and 1969, beginning with "Where Did Our Love Go".   John Coltrane released A Love Supreme in late 1964, considered among the most acclaimed jazz albums of the era.   In 1966, The Supremes A' Go-Go was the first album by a female group to reach the top position of the Billboard magazine pop albums chart in the United States.   The Jimi Hendrix Experience released two successful albums during 1967, Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love, that innovate both guitar, trio and recording techniques.   R & B legend Otis Redding has his first No. 1 hit with the legendary Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. He also played at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 just before he died in a plane crash.   The Bee Gees released their international debut album Bee Gees 1st in July 1967 which included the pop standard "To Love Somebody".   1968: after The Yardbirds fold, Led Zeppelin was formed by Jimmy Page and manager Peter Grant, with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones; and, released their debut album Led Zeppelin.   Big Brother and the Holding Company, with Janis Joplin as lead singer, became an overnight sensation after their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and released their second album Cheap Thrills in 1968.   Gram Parsons with The Byrds released the extremely influential LP Sweetheart of the Rodeo in late 1968, forming the basis for country rock.   The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the highly influential double LP Electric Ladyland in 1968 that furthered the guitar and studio innovations of his previous two albums.   Woodstock Festival, 1969   Sly & the Family Stone revolutionized black music with their massive 1968 hit single "Dance to the Music" and by 1969 became international sensations with the release of their hit record Stand!. The band cemented their position as a vital counterculture band when they performed at the Woodstock Festival.   Film Some of Hollywood's most notable blockbuster films of the 1960s include: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Apartment, The Birds, I Am Curious (Yellow), Bonnie and Clyde, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Bullitt, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Carnival of Souls, Cleopatra, Cool , and Luke, The Dirty Dozen, Doctor Zhivago, Dr. Strangelove, Easy Rider, Exodus, Faces, Funny Girl, Goldfinger, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, , Head, How the West Was Won, The , Hustler, Ice Station Zebra, In the Heat of the Night, The Italian Job, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Jason and the Argonauts, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Jungle Book, Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, The Longest Day, The Love Bug, A Man for All Seasons, The Manchurian Candidate, Mary Poppins, Medium Cool, Midnight Cowboy, My Fair Lady, Night of the Living Dead, The Pink Panther, The Odd Couple, Oliver!, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, One Million Years B.C., Planet of the Apes, Psycho, Romeo and Juliet, Rosemary's Baby, The Sound of Music, Spartacus, Swiss Family Robinson, To Kill a Mockingbird, Valley of the Dolls, West Side Story, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Wild Bunch.   Television   The most prominent American TV series of the 1960s include: The Ed Sullivan Show, Star Trek, Peyton Place, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Andy Williams Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Wonderful World of Disney, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, Batman, McHale's Navy, Laugh-In, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Fugitive, The Tonight Show, Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan's Island, Mission: Impossible, The Flintstones, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Lassie, The Danny Thomas Show, The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, The Red Skelton Show, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.   The Flintstones was a favored show, receiving 40 million views an episode with an average of 3 views a day.   Some programming such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour became controversial by challenging the foundations of America's corporate and governmental controls; making fun of world leaders, and questioning U.S. involvement in and escalation of the Vietnam War.   Fashion   Significant fashion trends of the 1960s include:     The Beatles exerted an enormous influence on young men's fashions and hairstyles in the 1960s which included most notably the mop-top haircut, the Beatle boots and the Nehru jacket.   The hippie movement late in the decade also had a strong influence on clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints.   The bikini came into fashion in 1963 after being featured in the film Beach Party.   Mary Quant invented the miniskirt, which became one of the most popular fashion rages in the late 1960s among young women and teenage girls. Its popularity continued throughout the first half of the 1970s and then disappeared temporarily from mainstream fashion before making a comeback in the mid-1980s.   Men's mainstream hairstyles ranged from the pompadour, the crew cut, the flattop hairstyle, the tapered hairstyle, and short, parted hair in the early part of the decade, to longer parted hairstyles with sideburns towards the latter half of the decade.   Women's mainstream hairstyles ranged from beehive hairdos, the bird's nest hairstyle, and the chignon hairstyle in the early part of the decade, to very short styles popularized by Twiggy and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby towards the latter half of the decade.   African-American hairstyles for men and women included the afro.       James Brown "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (1965) "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965) "Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968)     Ray Charles "Georgia On My Mind' (1960) "Hit the Road Jack" (1961) "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1962)     Marvin Gaye "Ain't That Peculiar?" (1965) "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1968) "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (1969)     The Temptations "My Girl" (1965) "Ain't Too to Beg" (1966) "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969)     Bobby "Blue" Bland "I Pity the Fool" (1961) "Turn On Your Lovelight" (1961) "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" (1964)     Aretha Franklin "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967) "Respect" (1967) "Chain of Fools" (1967-68)     The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go?" (1964) "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) "Love Child" (1968)     Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Shop Around" (1960-61) "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" (1962-63) "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965)     The Impressions "Gypsy Woman" (1961) "It's All Right" (1963) "People Get Ready" (1965)     Brook Benton "Kiddio" (1960) "Think Twice" (1961) "Hotel Happiness" (1962-63)     Jackie Wilson "Doggin' Around" (1960) "Baby Workout" (1963) "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (1967)     Sam Cooke "Wonderful World" (1960) "Bring It On Home To Me" (1962) "A Change is Gonna Come" (1965)     Otis Redding "These Arms of Mine" (1963) "Try a Little Tenderness" (1966-67) "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (1968)     Jerry Butler "He Will Break Your Heart" (1960) "Never Give You Up" (1968) "Only the Strong Survive" (1969)     Wilson Pickett "In the Midnight Hour" (1965) "Land of 1000 Dances" (1966) "Funky Broadway" (1967)     Stevie Wonder "Fingertips, Part 2" (1963) "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" (1965-66) "I Was Made to Love Her" (1967)     B.B. King "Beautician Blues" (1964) "Waiting on You" (1966) "Paying the Cost To Be the Boss" (1968)     Joe Tex "Hold What You've Got" (1964-65) "A Sweet Woman Like You" (1965-66) "Skinny Legs and All" (1967)     The Marvelettes "Please Mr. Postman" (1961) "Beechwood 4-5789" (1962) "Too Many Fish in the Sea" (1965)     Mary Wells "Bye Bye Baby" (1960-61) "The One Who Really Loves You" (1962) "My Guy" (1964)     The Four Tops "Baby, I Need Your Loving" (1964) "I Can't Help Myself (A/K/A Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (1965) "Reach Out, I'll Be There" (1966)     Martha & The Vandellas "Heat Wave" (1963) "Dancing in the Street" (1964) "Nowhere to Run" (1965)     Dionne Warwick "Don't Make Me Over" (1962-63) "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (1963-64) "Walk On By" (1964)     Solomon Burke "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)" (1961) "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (1964) "Got To Get You Off My Mind" (1965)     Etta James "At Last" (1960-61) "Tell Mama" (1967-68) "I'd Rather Go Blind" (1967-68)     The Shirelles "Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (1960-61) "Dedicated to the One I Love" (1961) "Baby It's You" (1961-62)     Chuck Jackson "I Don't Want to Cry" (1961) "Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)" (1962) "Beg Me" (1964)     Gene Chandler "Duke of Earl" (1962) "Rainbow" (1963) "I Fooled You This Time" (1966)     The Drifters "This Magic Moment" (1960) "Save the Last Dance for Me" (1960) "Up on the Roof" (1962-63)     Jr. Walker & The All-Stars "Shotgun" (1965) "(I'm A) Road Runner" (1966) "Home Cookin'" (1968-69)     Gladys Knight & The Pips "Every Beat of My Heart" (1961) "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (1967) "Friendship Train" (1969)     Carla Thomas "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" (1961) "B-A-B-Y" (1966) "Another Night Without My Man" (1966)     Chubby Checker "The Twist" (1960) "Pony Time" (1961) "Dancin' Party" (1962)     Sam & Dave "Hold On! I'm A Comin'" (1966) "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" (1967) "Soul Man" (1967)     Joe Simon "My Adorable One" (1964) "Nine Pound Steel" (1967) "The Chokin' Kind" (1969)     The Dells "There Is" (1967-68) "Stay in My Corner" (1968) "Oh, What a Night" (1969)     Little Milton "So Mean To Me" (1962) "We're Gonna Make It" (1965) "Grits Ain't Groceries" (1969)     Ben E. King "Spanish Harlem" (1960-61) "Stand By Me" (1961) "That's When it Hurts" (1964)     Betty Everett "You're No Good" (1963) "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" (1964) "There'll Come a Time" (1969)     Hank Ballard & The Midnighters "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (1960) "Finger Poppin' Time" (1960) "Nothing But Good" (1961)     Major Lance "The Monkey Time" (1963) "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" (1964) "Investigate" (1966)     Booker T. & The MGs "Green Onions" (1962) "Hip-Hug-Her" (1967) "Time is Tight" (1969)     The Intruders "Together" (1967) "Cowboys to Girls" (1968) "(Love is Like a) Baseball Game" (1968)     Ike & Tina Turner "A Fool in Love" (1960) "Goodbye, So Long" (1965) "River Deep--Mountain High" (1966)     Johnnie Taylor "I Got to Love Somebody's Baby" (1966) "Who's Making Love" (1968) "I Could Never Be President" (1969)     The Orlons "The Wah Watusi" (1962) "Don't Hang Up" (1962) "South Street" (1963)     Barbara Lewis "Hello Stranger" (1963) "Baby, I'm Yours" (1965) "Make Me Your Baby" (1965)     Maxine Brown "All in My Mind" (1960-61) "Oh No, Not My Baby" (1964) "One in a Million" (1966)     Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters "Cry Baby" (1963) "Tell Me Baby" (1964) "I'll Take Good Care of You" (1966)     Ramsey Lewis "The In Crowd" (1965) "Hang On Sloopy" (1965) "Wade in the Water" (1966)  

A detailed look at black, African-American, culture during the "Sixties". (1960-1969)   Overview   "The Sixties":  the counterculture and revolution in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling – or - irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order.   Also labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism that occurred during this time.   Also described as a classical Jungian nightmare cycle, where a rigid culture, unable to contain the demands for greater individual freedom, broke free of the social constraints of the previous age through extreme deviation from the norm.   The confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union dominated geopolitics during the '60s, with the struggle expanding into developing nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia characterized by proxy wars, funding of insurgencies, and puppet governments.   In response to civil disobedience campaigns from groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), U.S. President John F. Kennedy, pushed for social reforms. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 was a shock.   Liberal reforms were finally passed under Lyndon B. Johnson including civil rights for African Americans· and healthcare for the elderly and the poor. Despite his large-scale Great Society programs, Johnson was increasingly reviled. The heavy-handed American role in the Vietnam War outraged student protestors around the globe.   The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., anti-Vietnam War movement, and the police response towards protesters of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, defined a politics of violence in the United States.   The 1960s were marked by several notable assassinations:   12 June 1963 – Medgar Evers, an NAACP field secretary. Assassinated by Byron de la Beckwith, a member of the Ku Klux Klan in Jackson, Mississippi.   22 November 1963 – John F. Kennedy, President of the United States. Assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.   21 February 1965 – Malcolm X. Assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam in New York City. There is a dispute about which members killed Malcolm X.   4 April 1968 – Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader. Assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee.   5 June 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, United States Senator. Assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in Los Angeles, after taking California in the presidential national primaries.   Social and political movements (counterculture)   Flower Power/Hippies In the second half of the decade, young people began to revolt against the conservative norms of the time. The youth involved in the popular social aspects of the movement became known as hippies. These groups created a movement toward liberation in society, including the sexual revolution, questioning authority and government, and demanding more freedoms and rights for women and minorities. The movement was also marked by the first widespread, socially accepted drug use (including LSD and marijuana) and psychedelic music.     Anti-war movement The war in Vietnam would eventually lead to a commitment of over half a million American troops, resulting in over 58,500 American deaths and producing a large-scale antiwar movement in the United States. Students became a powerful and disruptive force and university campuses sparked a national debate over the war. The antiwar movement was heavily influenced by the American Communist Party, but by the mid-1960s it outgrew this and became a broad-based mass movement centered in universities and churches: one kind of protest was called a "sit-in".   Civil rights movement Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing into the late 1960s, African-Americans in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against black Americans and voting rights to them. The emergence of the Black Power movement, which lasted roughly from 1966 to 1975, enlarged the aims of the civil rights movement to include racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency, and anti-imperialism. The movement was characterized by major campaigns of civil resistance. Forms of protest and/or civil disobedience included boycotts such as the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) in Alabama; "sit-ins" such as the influential Greensboro sit-ins (1960) in North Carolina; marches, such as the Selma to Montgomery marches (1965) in Alabama.; and a wide range of other nonviolent activities. Noted legislative achievements during this phase of the civil rights movement were passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, that banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin" in employment practices and public accommodations; the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that restored and protected voting rights; the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965, that dramatically opened entry to the U.S. to immigrants other than traditional European groups; and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, that banned discrimination in the sale or rental of housing.   Hispanic and Chicano movement Another large ethnic minority group, the Mexican-Americans, are among other Hispanics in the U.S. who fought to end racial discrimination and socioeconomic disparity. In the 1960s and the following 1970s, Hispanic-American culture was on the rebound like ethnic music, foods, culture and identity both became popular and assimilated into the American mainstream. Spanish-language television networks, radio stations and newspapers increased in presence across the country.   Second-wave feminism A second wave of feminism in the United States and around the world gained momentum in the early 1960s. While the first wave of the early 20th century was centered on gaining suffrage and overturning de jure inequalities, the second wave was focused on changing cultural and social norms and de facto inequalities associated with women. At the time, a woman's place was generally seen as being in the home, and they were excluded from many jobs and professions. Feminists took to the streets, marching and protesting, writing books and debating to change social and political views that limited women. In 1963, with Betty Friedan's revolutionary book, The Feminine Mystique, the role of women in society, and in public and private life was questioned. By 1966, the movement was beginning to grow and power as women's group spread across the country and Friedan, along with other feminists, founded the National Organization for Women. In 1968, "Women's Liberation" became a household term.   Gay rights movement The United States, in the middle of a social revolution, led the world in LGBT rights in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Inspired by the civil-rights movement and the women's movement, early gay-rights pioneers had begun, by the 1960s, to build a movement. These groups were rather conservative in their practices, emphasizing that gay men and women are no different from those who are straight and deserve full equality. This philosophy would be dominant again after AIDS, but by the very end of the 1960s, the movement's goals would change and become more radical, demanding a right to be different, and encouraging gay pride.   Crime The 1960s was also associated with a large increase in crime and urban unrest of all types. Between 1960 and 1969 reported incidences of violent crime per 100,000 people in the United States nearly doubled and have yet to return to the levels of the early 1960s. Large riots broke out in many cities like Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, New Jersey, Oakland, California and Washington, D.C. By the end of the decade, politicians like George Wallace and Richard Nixon campaigned on restoring law and order to a nation troubled with the new unrest.   Economics The decade began with a recession and at that time unemployment was considered high at around 7%. John F. Kennedy promised to "get America moving again." To do this, he instituted a 7% tax credit for businesses that invest in new plants and equipment. By the end of the decade, median family income had risen from $8,540 in 1963 to $10,770 by 1969. Minimum wage was $1.30 per hour / ~$2,700 per year (~$18,700 in 2018)   Popular culture   The counterculture movement dominated the second half of the 1960s, its most famous moments being the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967, and the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York in 1969. Psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, were widely used medicinally, spiritually and recreationally throughout the late 1960s, and were popularized by Timothy Leary with his slogan "Turn on, tune in, drop out". Psychedelic influenced the music, artwork and films of the decade, and several prominent musicians died of drug overdoses. There was a growing interest in Eastern religions and philosophy, and many attempts were made to found communes, which varied from supporting free love to religious puritanism.   Music   British Invasion: The Beatles arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 7 February 1964   "The 60's were a leap in human consciousness. Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, Mother Teresa, they led a revolution of conscience. The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix created revolution and evolution themes. The music was like Dalí, with many colors and revolutionary ways. The youth of today must go there to find themselves." – Carlos Santana.     As the 1960s began, the major rock-and-roll stars of the '50s such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard had dropped off the charts and popular music in the US came to be dominated by Motown girl groups and novelty pop songs. Another important change in music during the early 1960s was the American folk music revival which introduced Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Odetta, and many other Singer-songwriters to the public.   Girl groups and female singers, such as the Shirelles, Betty Everett, Little Eva, the Dixie Cups, the Ronettes, and the Supremes dominated the charts in the early 1960s. This style consisted typically of light pop themes about teenage romance, backed by vocal harmonies and a strong rhythm. Most girl groups were African-American, but white girl groups and singers, such as Lesley Gore, the Angels, and the Shangri-Las emerged by 1963.   Around the same time, record producer Phil Spector began producing girl groups and created a new kind of pop music production that came to be known as the Wall of Sound. This style emphasized higher budgets and more elaborate arrangements, and more melodramatic musical themes in place of a simple, light-hearted pop sound. Spector's innovations became integral to the growing sophistication of popular music from 1965 onward.   Also during the early '60s, the “car song” emerged as a rock subgenre and coupled with the surf rock subgenre. Such notable songs include "Little Deuce Coupe," "409," and "Shut Down," all by the Beach Boys; Jan and Dean's "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Drag City," among many others.   While rock 'n' roll had 'disappeared' from the US charts in the early '60s, it never died out in Europe and Britain was a hotbed of rock-and-roll activity during this time. In late 1963, the Beatles embarked on their first US tour. A few months later, rock-and-roll founding father Chuck Berry emerged from a 2-1/2-year prison stint and resumed recording and touring. The stage was set for the spectacular revival of rock music.   In the UK, the Beatles played raucous rock 'n' roll – as well as doo wop, girl-group songs, show tunes. Beatlemania abruptly exploded after the group's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.   As the counterculture movement developed, artists began making new kinds of music influenced by the use of psychedelic drugs. Guitarist Jimi Hendrix emerged onto the scene in 1967 with a radically new approach to electric guitar that replaced Chuck Berry, previously seen as the gold standard of rock guitar. Rock artists began to take on serious themes and social commentary/protest instead of simplistic pop themes.   A major development in popular music during the mid-1960s was the movement away from singles and towards albums.   Blues also continued to develop strongly during the '60s, but after 1965, it increasingly shifted to the young white rock audience and away from its traditional black audience, which moved on to other styles such as soul and funk.   Jazz music during the first half of the '60s was largely a continuation of '50s styles, retaining its core audience of young, urban, college-educated whites. By 1967, the death of several important jazz figures such as John Coltrane and Nat King Cole precipitated a decline in the genre. The takeover of rock in the late '60s largely spelled the end of jazz as a mainstream form of music, after it had dominated much of the first half of the 20th century.   Significant events in music in the 1960s:   Sam Cooke was shot and killed at a motel in Los Angeles, California [11 December 1964] at age 33 under suspicious circumstances.   Motown Record Corporation was founded in 1960. Its first Top Ten hit was "Shop Around" by the Miracles in 1960. "Shop Around" peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Motown's first million-selling record.   The Marvelettes scored Motown Record Corporation's first US No. 1 pop hit, "Please Mr. Postman" in 1961. Motown would score 110 Billboard Top-Ten hits during its run.   The Supremes scored twelve number-one hit singles between 1964 and 1969, beginning with "Where Did Our Love Go".   John Coltrane released A Love Supreme in late 1964, considered among the most acclaimed jazz albums of the era.   In 1966, The Supremes A' Go-Go was the first album by a female group to reach the top position of the Billboard magazine pop albums chart in the United States.   The Jimi Hendrix Experience released two successful albums during 1967, Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love, that innovate both guitar, trio and recording techniques.   R & B legend Otis Redding has his first No. 1 hit with the legendary Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. He also played at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 just before he died in a plane crash.   The Bee Gees released their international debut album Bee Gees 1st in July 1967 which included the pop standard "To Love Somebody".   1968: after The Yardbirds fold, Led Zeppelin was formed by Jimmy Page and manager Peter Grant, with Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones; and, released their debut album Led Zeppelin.   Big Brother and the Holding Company, with Janis Joplin as lead singer, became an overnight sensation after their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and released their second album Cheap Thrills in 1968.   Gram Parsons with The Byrds released the extremely influential LP Sweetheart of the Rodeo in late 1968, forming the basis for country rock.   The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the highly influential double LP Electric Ladyland in 1968 that furthered the guitar and studio innovations of his previous two albums.   Woodstock Festival, 1969   Sly & the Family Stone revolutionized black music with their massive 1968 hit single "Dance to the Music" and by 1969 became international sensations with the release of their hit record Stand!. The band cemented their position as a vital counterculture band when they performed at the Woodstock Festival.   Film Some of Hollywood's most notable blockbuster films of the 1960s include: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Apartment, The Birds, I Am Curious (Yellow), Bonnie and Clyde, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Bullitt, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Carnival of Souls, Cleopatra, Cool , and Luke, The Dirty Dozen, Doctor Zhivago, Dr. Strangelove, Easy Rider, Exodus, Faces, Funny Girl, Goldfinger, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, , Head, How the West Was Won, The , Hustler, Ice Station Zebra, In the Heat of the Night, The Italian Job, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Jason and the Argonauts, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Jungle Book, Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, The Longest Day, The Love Bug, A Man for All Seasons, The Manchurian Candidate, Mary Poppins, Medium Cool, Midnight Cowboy, My Fair Lady, Night of the Living Dead, The Pink Panther, The Odd Couple, Oliver!, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, One Million Years B.C., Planet of the Apes, Psycho, Romeo and Juliet, Rosemary's Baby, The Sound of Music, Spartacus, Swiss Family Robinson, To Kill a Mockingbird, Valley of the Dolls, West Side Story, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Wild Bunch.   Television   The most prominent American TV series of the 1960s include: The Ed Sullivan Show, Star Trek, Peyton Place, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Andy Williams Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Wonderful World of Disney, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, Batman, McHale's Navy, Laugh-In, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Fugitive, The Tonight Show, Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan's Island, Mission: Impossible, The Flintstones, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Lassie, The Danny Thomas Show, The Lucy Show, My Three Sons, The Red Skelton Show, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.   The Flintstones was a favored show, receiving 40 million views an episode with an average of 3 views a day.   Some programming such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour became controversial by challenging the foundations of America's corporate and governmental controls; making fun of world leaders, and questioning U.S. involvement in and escalation of the Vietnam War.   Fashion   Significant fashion trends of the 1960s include:     The Beatles exerted an enormous influence on young men's fashions and hairstyles in the 1960s which included most notably the mop-top haircut, the Beatle boots and the Nehru jacket.   The hippie movement late in the decade also had a strong influence on clothing styles, including bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye and batik fabrics, as well as paisley prints.   The bikini came into fashion in 1963 after being featured in the film Beach Party.   Mary Quant invented the miniskirt, which became one of the most popular fashion rages in the late 1960s among young women and teenage girls. Its popularity continued throughout the first half of the 1970s and then disappeared temporarily from mainstream fashion before making a comeback in the mid-1980s.   Men's mainstream hairstyles ranged from the pompadour, the crew cut, the flattop hairstyle, the tapered hairstyle, and short, parted hair in the early part of the decade, to longer parted hairstyles with sideburns towards the latter half of the decade.   Women's mainstream hairstyles ranged from beehive hairdos, the bird's nest hairstyle, and the chignon hairstyle in the early part of the decade, to very short styles popularized by Twiggy and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby towards the latter half of the decade.   African-American hairstyles for men and women included the afro.       James Brown "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (1965) "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965) "Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968)     Ray Charles "Georgia On My Mind' (1960) "Hit the Road Jack" (1961) "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1962)     Marvin Gaye "Ain't That Peculiar?" (1965) "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1968) "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (1969)     The Temptations "My Girl" (1965) "Ain't Too to Beg" (1966) "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969)     Bobby "Blue" Bland "I Pity the Fool" (1961) "Turn On Your Lovelight" (1961) "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" (1964)     Aretha Franklin "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967) "Respect" (1967) "Chain of Fools" (1967-68)     The Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go?" (1964) "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965) "Love Child" (1968)     Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Shop Around" (1960-61) "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" (1962-63) "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965)     The Impressions "Gypsy Woman" (1961) "It's All Right" (1963) "People Get Ready" (1965)     Brook Benton "Kiddio" (1960) "Think Twice" (1961) "Hotel Happiness" (1962-63)     Jackie Wilson "Doggin' Around" (1960) "Baby Workout" (1963) "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (1967)     Sam Cooke "Wonderful World" (1960) "Bring It On Home To Me" (1962) "A Change is Gonna Come" (1965)     Otis Redding "These Arms of Mine" (1963) "Try a Little Tenderness" (1966-67) "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (1968)     Jerry Butler "He Will Break Your Heart" (1960) "Never Give You Up" (1968) "Only the Strong Survive" (1969)     Wilson Pickett "In the Midnight Hour" (1965) "Land of 1000 Dances" (1966) "Funky Broadway" (1967)     Stevie Wonder "Fingertips, Part 2" (1963) "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" (1965-66) "I Was Made to Love Her" (1967)     B.B. King "Beautician Blues" (1964) "Waiting on You" (1966) "Paying the Cost To Be the Boss" (1968)     Joe Tex "Hold What You've Got" (1964-65) "A Sweet Woman Like You" (1965-66) "Skinny Legs and All" (1967)     The Marvelettes "Please Mr. Postman" (1961) "Beechwood 4-5789" (1962) "Too Many Fish in the Sea" (1965)     Mary Wells "Bye Bye Baby" (1960-61) "The One Who Really Loves You" (1962) "My Guy" (1964)     The Four Tops "Baby, I Need Your Loving" (1964) "I Can't Help Myself (A/K/A Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (1965) "Reach Out, I'll Be There" (1966)     Martha & The Vandellas "Heat Wave" (1963) "Dancing in the Street" (1964) "Nowhere to Run" (1965)     Dionne Warwick "Don't Make Me Over" (1962-63) "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (1963-64) "Walk On By" (1964)     Solomon Burke "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)" (1961) "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (1964) "Got To Get You Off My Mind" (1965)     Etta James "At Last" (1960-61) "Tell Mama" (1967-68) "I'd Rather Go Blind" (1967-68)     The Shirelles "Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (1960-61) "Dedicated to the One I Love" (1961) "Baby It's You" (1961-62)     Chuck Jackson "I Don't Want to Cry" (1961) "Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)" (1962) "Beg Me" (1964)     Gene Chandler "Duke of Earl" (1962) "Rainbow" (1963) "I Fooled You This Time" (1966)     The Drifters "This Magic Moment" (1960) "Save the Last Dance for Me" (1960) "Up on the Roof" (1962-63)     Jr. Walker & The All-Stars "Shotgun" (1965) "(I'm A) Road Runner" (1966) "Home Cookin'" (1968-69)     Gladys Knight & The Pips "Every Beat of My Heart" (1961) "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (1967) "Friendship Train" (1969)     Carla Thomas "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)" (1961) "B-A-B-Y" (1966) "Another Night Without My Man" (1966)     Chubby Checker "The Twist" (1960) "Pony Time" (1961) "Dancin' Party" (1962)     Sam & Dave "Hold On! I'm A Comin'" (1966) "When Something is Wrong With My Baby" (1967) "Soul Man" (1967)     Joe Simon "My Adorable One" (1964) "Nine Pound Steel" (1967) "The Chokin' Kind" (1969)     The Dells "There Is" (1967-68) "Stay in My Corner" (1968) "Oh, What a Night" (1969)     Little Milton "So Mean To Me" (1962) "We're Gonna Make It" (1965) "Grits Ain't Groceries" (1969)     Ben E. King "Spanish Harlem" (1960-61) "Stand By Me" (1961) "That's When it Hurts" (1964)     Betty Everett "You're No Good" (1963) "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" (1964) "There'll Come a Time" (1969)     Hank Ballard & The Midnighters "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (1960) "Finger Poppin' Time" (1960) "Nothing But Good" (1961)     Major Lance "The Monkey Time" (1963) "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" (1964) "Investigate" (1966)     Booker T. & The MGs "Green Onions" (1962) "Hip-Hug-Her" (1967) "Time is Tight" (1969)     The Intruders "Together" (1967) "Cowboys to Girls" (1968) "(Love is Like a) Baseball Game" (1968)     Ike & Tina Turner "A Fool in Love" (1960) "Goodbye, So Long" (1965) "River Deep--Mountain High" (1966)     Johnnie Taylor "I Got to Love Somebody's Baby" (1966) "Who's Making Love" (1968) "I Could Never Be President" (1969)     The Orlons "The Wah Watusi" (1962) "Don't Hang Up" (1962) "South Street" (1963)     Barbara Lewis "Hello Stranger" (1963) "Baby, I'm Yours" (1965) "Make Me Your Baby" (1965)     Maxine Brown "All in My Mind" (1960-61) "Oh No, Not My Baby" (1964) "One in a Million" (1966)     Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters "Cry Baby" (1963) "Tell Me Baby" (1964) "I'll Take Good Care of You" (1966)     Ramsey Lewis "The In Crowd" (1965) "Hang On Sloopy" (1965) "Wade in the Water" (1966)  

Intention: The average person can not tell you the names of their Great-great-grandparents, and if they can name someone, it is unlikely that they know much about that person's life. This podcast is a legacy project and reference for future generations. We encourage you to email us your memories, corrections, comments,and questions. We would love to share and archive your contributions here. Dedications: The Supreme Council (Grandmother, her three sisters, and father) Thank you: Gladys, “Talk Star Wars.co.uk Podcast”, wife and daughter. Peace, Derrick 5/2018