Back in the early ‘90s, Chris Webber exploded onto the sports and Hip-Hop scene as a member of the University of Michigan’s legendary Fab Five Freshman. With their bald heads, baggy yellow shorts, black shoes and socks, swagger and their “me against the world” attitude, the Fab Five transcended the game by bringing Hip-Hop culture to college basketball.   After Michigan, C-Webb went to have successful 15-year NBA career, highlighted by the 1994 Rookie of the Year Award and six All-Star Game appearances.   Off the court, the Detroit native’s charity work is just as impressive. Over the years, Chris has gone above and beyond with his time and money to help people in need. His desire to want to help kids in the African-American community shows the kind of heart Chris has.   On the July 25-27 weekend, Chris and some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment head to Vegas for his Third Annual Bada Bing Weekend at the Planet Hollywood Casino and Resort. All proceeds will benefit the Chris Webber Foundation – which aims to build private schools in the nation’s toughest inner-cities.    C-Webb sat down with us to talk more about the big weekend, his thoughts on the League, his own career and of course, Hip-Hop.   AllHipHop.com:  You finally hung it up this season. How’s retired life going so far?   Chris Webber: Well you know what’s funny, I don’t feel retired yet, because at the end of the basketball season I always have this time off, so I don’t think I’ll feel it until October when we usually start training again. So I’m kind of in denial that I’m retired, so we’ll see how it goes, hopefully it will still go well.   AllHipHop.com: With the injury, your last comeback attempt with Golden State didn’t go exactly as planned. Are you comfortable with how it all ended?   Chris Webber: Definitely because I did all I could do. I’m always looking at KG when he won a championship, and I was just happy for him. And I told him to “be blessed to play with two other great players” – it’s just a blessing. You are here to make the most of it that’s what you work for. He did the most that he could do, and I feel with my career looking back, I really did the most I could do with what I had. Of course you make mistakes and you would take some things back, but I had a 15-year career. Who would have ever thought? So I’m just really happy about that.    AllHipHop.com: Going back to your last team Golden State. A lot of players have opted out so far this summer. What is your take on Baron Davis leaving?   Chris Webber: You know, Baron’s a great guy. I know he wanted to win a championship. I know that him bringing me there was an effort for him to kind of do all he could do. I believe he was trying to get as much help as he can get. I know he’s from the L.A. area and I’m sure money had a lot to do with it. But at the end of the day, I know Baron, and I know being close to home, and as a player believe me, you go home in front of your nieces, nephews, kids and family it just makes life better. So I’m sure that’s why he did it, but he’s one of the best point guards I ever played with, so I’m sure he’ll make that team better.      AllHipHop.com: Where do the Warriors go from here? If you were Chris Mullin what would you do to turn around that franchise?   Chris Webber: That’s a good question. I just have to re-evaluate everything. I know I have a leader in Stephen Jackson. I know he can get it done. The little fella, their point guard Monta Ellis is awesome, he’s gonna be an All-Star in one or two years. Also Biedrins. They have a really good team, I just think that they are going to need a veteran presence, and I see they’ve been talking to Corey Maggette and other people. The J-Rich trade kind of hurts right now.   So, I don’t know, I’d just re-evaluate things and hopefully keep my style of play, because in the West Coast, there are three teams that made the playoffs this year that probably won’t make it. So I just to a lot of praying and make sure I get the best player possible if I were Chris Mullin.   AllHipHop.com: Were you surprised Elton Brand didn’t stay in LA to play with Baron? Because that would have been a scary combo.   Chris Webber: That would have been. But its so much more than the guys you want to play with. I know that Elton is from New York and he’s been on the West Coast a good seven or eight years, I’m sure he’s get ready to get back home. Sometimes its just as simple as that. The East is wide open and he’s got a better chance to win in the East than he does in the West. He can at least make the playoffs.   AllHipHop.com: Tell us a little about the Third Annual Bada Bing Weekend?   Chris Webber:  It’s the third annual like you said. All proceeds benefit my foundation, and my foundation centers around children and education in tough economic situations. We’ve centered no into building schools in our inner-cities. I was fortunate enough to go to college preparatory school in high school and that was only because I could play basketball. I would like to build these kinds of schools inside of our neighborhoods.   This weekend [July 25-27] is going to be a fun weekend. Friday night we have a poker tournament and also have a concert, we have my man Too Short and D-Nice – he’s gonna […]

  It is the continuation of a legacy spawned by what has been far from Hip-Hop’s proudest moment. Flavor of Love gave us I Love New York, Rock of Love and Charm School, and now the VH1 Celebreality machine has created a little brother for the MTV generation.   From G’s to Gents brings together a group of 14 guys described as “rough around the edges,” and gives them the opportunity to change their ways and possibly earn a cash prize.   Originally rumored to be a Charm School experience for the male contestants of I Love New York, the show follows a similar premise to what comedienne Mo’Nique did with the Flavor of Love all-stars, down to the $100,000 prize given to the winner at the end of the season.   But these are not guys seeking to extend their 15 minutes, having masked their desire for superstardom by faking true love. As host Fonzworth Bentley explains, creators Jamie Foxx and Chris Abrego were after way more than a ratings factor in televising this social experiment.   The artist/author, and Ambassador of the Gentleman’s movement shares with us how his latest project goes beyond entertainment.   AllHipHop.com: So how did the show come about?   Fonzworth Bentley: I’ve been turning down reality shows, at least three a week for the last three years, because, as far as reality, I didn’t really wanna do anything unless it was going to help somebody else. And you did the interview with me sometime back in September about the book [Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead]. I had been in talks with a few companies about developing something around the teachings of the book, because people were excited about it and enjoyed the book, it’s been doing well.   I got a call from Chris Abrego, and Jamie Foxx had this idea to turn G’s into gentlemen. And when he thought of it, he thought of me from the very beginning.  The irony of it is, he’s been wanting to do a show with me since he met me back in 2001. It’s kinda funny how six, seven years later, we’re finally able to make it happen, which is a testament to having relationships and maintaining favorable relationships.   AllHipHop.com: So how closely do the topics you visited on the show work with what you wrote about in Advance Your Swagger?   Fonzworth Bentley: It was a perfect fit with the book, and we wrapped a lot of the things around the book. And we added other things on to it that, not just men need to know, but that especially the men need to know. It’s basically about adding other tools to the toolbox, if you will. Right now, if you’re living in the streets, or if you’re living even the suburbs, or wherever you’re living, the only way that you know to go about getting things done or working, or moving your dream forward, let alone just whatever you do to survive, are the only tools that you know.   It’s kinda like, if you have a hammer and a wrench in your tool shed, and that’s all you got, you gon’ break something! So this is just adding a drill. If you got a vise, you can cut something event straighter. So it’s really about adding some different tools to these gentlemen’s toolboxes. I’m excited because every where I go, I would always get asked questions because people know I started from an assistant point of view, and also I had an incredible mentor that knows every gamete of the game. And that’s why I wrote the book. And after I wrote the book, people would say, “Bentley, you really need to do a show with this so that folks can really see this and learn.” And so I think that the show is gonna be really impactful because it’s like, I can see these guys making a transformation.   It was really interesting because, you know the winner gets $100,000. The show started out with everybody [thinking], “I gotta get this $100,000. This could change my life.” And as the show progressed, it turned into, “I don’t wanna leave here Bentley, because I don’t wanna miss the lessons that you’re teaching us.” We taught them lessons in how to dress appropriately for every occasion, and they never really thought about it as in-depth as that. Lessons in chivalry and gallantry. Lessons in how to put together your resumé, and how to take the things that you’ve done and your work experience and make it look the best on a resumé.  How to even go about getting an interview, a lot of folks don’t know.   Etiquette, and business savvy; and there’s a different type of conversation you gotta have if you’re talking to your person on the corner, than if you’re talking to the person that’s in the boardroom. And nothing says that you can’t do all of that. We have living, glowing examples right now, especially in Hip-Hop, of folks that have made that very transition. From 50 [Cent] to Jay [Z], these are prime examples of folks who have made that transition.   AllHipHop.com: You mentioned some of the glowing examples of how this has worked for others. And you got some people involved to showcase that first hand, right? Master P, Irv Gotti…   Fonzworth Bentley: Yeah. Master P is a wonderful example of someone who not only started from nothing, but had a dream to open a record store. And he named his record store No Limit! I mean, just in the sheer idea of what he decided to name his company, folks really need to think about when they brand and name their companies, what are they naming their companies? He named his No Limit, and he did just that. He started with a record store, then he did the label, then he said, “I don’t really need […]

  Klitschko Stops Thompson in the 11th   Wladimir Klitschko continued his dominance of the heavyweight division with an 11th round knockout over a game but overmatched Tony Thompson this past Saturday (July 12).   Throughout the first six rounds, Thompson was able to find success whenever he pressured a still gun-shy prone Klitschko. With a 240 pound plus frame, the challenger was able to muscle to the inside and land sporadic hard lefts to the body, followed by clubbing rights to the head.   Still, the more skillful Klitschko was able to score quick knockdown off the right hand in the second round.   Klitschko remained consistent with his powerful right cross, and found a home for the punch repeatedly from the seventh round on.   By the championship rounds, a worn down Thompson was caught with another straight right behind a jab which sent him to the canvas. With his energy spent and a cut over the right eye, Thompson slowly rose by the count of nine only to see referee Joe Cortez call a halt to the bout.   While the fight wasn’t a barnburner, it was a significant improvement over Klitschko’s sloppy, pedestrian performance against Sultan Ibragimov five months ago. The champion also pads his resume with his sixth win over a top 10 ranked heavyweight.   Unfortunately, the barren wasteland that is the heavyweight division does not have many challengers left for Klitschko. Samuel Peter is still standing, but Dr. Steel Hammer already holds a win over the Nigerian from their 2005 encounter. Plus that rematch has lost some luster after Peter was nearly kayoed by Jameel McCline.   Ironically, the next big fight for Klitschko may come from the cocky cruiserweight champ David Haye, who’s already on record as stating the Klitschko-Thompson bout was lackluster.   Check out the two champs facing off. As much as I like Haye, I see visions of Apollo Creed vs. Ivan Drago if this comes off.   www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnOANul82Tw   Pavlik-Williams a Strong Possibility   Maxboxing.com broke the story that middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is nearly signed to face two time WBO welterweight champ Paul Williams on September 23 in Atlantic City.   “I’m dealing with [Dan] Goossen, it’s a deal. But [it’s] not sure,” Arum told maxboxing.com. “You never know if it’s a deal. I think there is a deal. But if my life depended on it, I wouldn’t swear to it. With Goossen, you’re never quite sure.”   At first glance it seems peculiar that Arum would match his fighter with a champion two weight classes below. But since Arthur Abraham is tied up with a mandatory defense, it doesn’t seem as bad since Williams is coming off an impressive, high profile destruction of Carlos Quintana last month.   Still, Pavlik is too strong a puncher for Williams and would likely brutally stop him. We should hope that their backup choice, Allan Green, gets the call for what would be a more competitive bout with Pavlik still the favorite.   Emanuel Augustus Signs On for Fight Night Round 4   Cult favorite and ESPN Friday Night Fights legend Emanuel Augustus has announced a deal to feature his likeness in the 2009 edition of EA Sport’s Fight Night.   In the twilight of his career, the deal marks a huge exposure opportunity for Augustus, who has had to deal with many controversial and heartbreaking decision losses in his career.   “To all my doubters in the pro boxing industry now that I am working with EA Sports I have definitely made it to the big time,” Augustus released in a statement. “I hope my actions inside the ring and outside the ring will turn all my doubters into Emanuel Augustus believers. I want to thank all my fans for their continued support and I want to show special appreciation to ‘Irish’ Micky Ward. We will forever be linked together by our historic fight in 2001. Everyday Micky Ward continues to be a great inspiration to me as I continue to move forward in my career.”   In his fourteen year career, Augustus has become a fan favorite due to his bizarre “drunken master” style offense and fearlessness to take on any fighter even on short notice.   His most famous bouts are his spirited efforts in losing performances to Floyd Mayweather (2000) by TKO and Micky Ward (2001) by decision.   Throwback Fighter of the Week: “Big” George Foreman   The affable, product hawking George Foreman that we see today is a far cry from the brutish, Sonny Liston molded Foreman of the ‘70s that terrorized the heavyweight division.   After mowing down mostly easy competition, Foreman earned in his first title shot against undefeated Muhammad Ali conqueror Joe Frazier in 1973. All it took was two rounds for Foreman to drop Joe six times in route to a merciful stoppage.   The following year he demolished Ken Norton in two rounds before running into well prepared and motivated Ali. In one of the most famous bouts in history, Ali outsmarted his younger and stronger foe with the Rope-a-dope to score an upset 8th round stoppage. Foreman was never the same mentally after that bout, taking two years off to recover.   He returned to barely survive a classic shootout with Ron Lyle before knocking out Joe Frazier again in a return bout. After being upset by slickster Jimmy Young he retired in 1977.   Returning 10 years later, Foreman was amazingly able to compete with the top fighters due to his immense power and physical strength. He eventually regained the title in 1994 against Michael Moorer before retiring for good in 1997.   Foreman is considered by most to be one of the powerful, physically and punch-wise, fighters in heavyweight history. His final record stands at 76-5, 68 KOs.   www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL7KnkWWXbQ   www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lRwBb9lbA

Hip-Hop hasn’t typically embraced leftist sub-genres as readily as Rock and Pop. So even though Beck’s early hits were often just oddball Hip-Hop records disguised as Rock, The Community never made any attempt to claim him. His support from other audiences has been inconsistent as well, freeing him to wander across borders as he pleases and focus on creativity instead of marketing. By now, Beck has evolved past primitive notions of genre, but in a roundabout return to his roots, he’s enlisted fellow travelin’ man Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton for his latest, Modern Guilt.With that said, don’t go into Guilt expecting a rap album; it’s closer to an hour-long version of the instrumental break from “Space Oddity.” Like Danger Mouse’s work with Gnarls Barkley and Gorillaz, Hip-Hop production techniques are sculpted into a broader range of styles to become something that a five piece band alone couldn’t quite accomplish. Meanwhile, Beck’s performance is more subdued than usual, setting aside the stream-of-conscious raps and glam performances. Here, Beck is more like a ghost that lives in the attic of his songs than the off kilter frontman he sometimes plays on TV. You always feel his presence, but his vocals are more organically bound to the music than layered on top of it. “Orphans” starts the show with a subtle assist from Cat Power. Here, (and on “Youthless” and “Replica” and everything else) he guides the track effortlessly but does so more with dreamy melodies than catchy hooks and neon-lit theatrics. Bits of Danger Mouse’s dense compositions resemble his work with other bands, but the songs still feel unique since Beck doesn’t simply fall back and allow Burton to envelope him in sound. Having built his career with the assistance of bold producers like The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys) and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead), Beck has a unique expertise for finding his pocket in big, sprawling arrangements that would intimidate a less sure-footed artist (“Soul of a Man”). Modern Guilt’s success isn’t exactly a surprise thanks to Beck’s consistently high quality, but it’s always nice to hear a musician deliver repeatedly while continuing to grow. With his Interscope contract now fulfilled, Beck is likely to go independent for good, but he’s clearly got the talent to avoid getting lost in the Indie-net shuffle. Beck still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and however he chooses to bring them out, they’re sure to be magic. 

  E3 is next week, so be on the lookout for a complete Peep Game dedicated to the news extravaganza and conference. This isn’t to say that this week isn’t exciting.   With news reports on sleeper Mirror’s Edge, a karaoke game called Lips, Rock Band 2 and a couple of trailers featuring everyone’s favorite hedgehog and psychologically deranged cop, and there is a little something for everybody.   Past that, there is a special Played and Pre-Order focusing on Soul Calibur IV.   For our weekly readers, you can tell how much we are anticipating this based on just the amount we report on it, (shout out to the IC’s Jenetix…looking for that rematch), and the fact that the first frenzied video from Gamer’s Studio was a crazy matchup of Soul Calibur III.   Interested? We’re keeping that footage for the Peep Game special. For now, you have plenty to read. Let’s get to it.   Big News   Mirror’s Edge – Game of the Year Candidate?   To be honest, I have been a fan of this game since getting wind of it last year. It seems to be a genre shattering experience in the making. The lead character is a journalist named Faith, whose main weapons are her agility and knowledge of the backstreets.   Now with actual play tests and visuals coming in, the game looks just as advertised. More news is assured to be coming out about it during E3, but if you have been sleeping, here is a trailer:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N1TJP1cxmo   Xbox 360 Price Cut   It’s all but official. Target is now listing the XBOX 360 Pro units at $299, which is dangerously close to the Nintendo Wii industry low $250. Just in time for E3, and the likely slew of first party games that will be announced (Gears of War 2) and preannounced ( Fable 2, Too Human ) to garner some excitement.   Lips – The 360 Karaoke experience   Microsoft is trying to cash in on the ever-so-popular musical recreation genre with their new karaoke game, Lips. Sounds farfetched, but it’s actually a real game, already in production. Your goal is to mimic some of your favorite songs, much like a karaoke night, minus the binge drinking.   Coming with it is a wireless mic that has glowing LED’s to measure your progress. Not much is known at this point; expect more news to come out during E3.   Rock Band 2 – Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby!   Rock Band is an experience no doubt. Getting your friends and mashing on the controllers on expert can make you feel like bona fied rock stars. But, what if the instruments were real? According to PS3 Fanboy, that is what Rock Band 2 Developer Harmonix & Instrument “Developer” Ion will be releasing – a drum kit that will have pads and cymbals. Not just that, there is word that Harmonix may be working on getting some actual guitars and turning them into controllers for the games. Insane.   It isn’t all gravy though. There is a lawsuit pending against Harmonix from Konami because they are “simulating musical instruments.” This may not be as frivolous, as main competitor Activision actually went to Konami and got the licensing to avoid this. More on this as it develops.   Playstation 3 Changes? According to Wal-Mart…   According to Wal-Mart and Engadget, they are going to stop stocking the Playstation 3 40 GB’s for something new. I don’t believe this means the end of the 40 GB, more so news that will be confirmed at E3 – that all Playstation 3 models will be attached with the DualShock3, instead of the three-ounce-soaking-wet SIXAXIS.   Wii Keyboard – Logic 3   For those who don’t like simply hooking up your USB keyboard to your Wii, Logic 3 has a solution for you. It’s an small add-on that will seem really convenient if your stuck on your Smartphone (journalists/ business professionals…you’d already feel at home here) as it uses its design, and its size to add on to your Nintendo Wii. Problem is, it comes out across the pond in the UK. The price point is £14.99, or about 30 duckets American.   Trailers! Max Payne and Sonic Unleashed   Max Payne, Rockstar’s other other franchise, has a decent cult following. Because of it, it will be the first franchise from Take Two’s savior to get a movie. Quite deserving of it, its neo-noir feel provides for quite the captivating story, starring rapper-turned-actor Mark Wahlberg. Slated to hit theaters October 8, this may be one to watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JboQmDIdKWs   Sonic Unleashed is the next game to try to break from the shadow of the last great Sonic adventure…aptly named Sonic Adventure. People were excited to see that it took Sonic back to his roots, blurring speed and breathtaking acrobatics. Hopefully it won’t come with the slowdown and awkward camera angles that seem to plague the series over the last few years.   Algol Joins Soul Calibur IV Roster   Whispers of this appearance are now confirmed. Character designer Hideo Yoshie said, “He was the strongest character ever in the SC series.” He processes the Soul Edge and the Soul Calibur, wielding them both at once. He also has 10 other weapons built into him and can fly. The only thing I can say is, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Ha!   Played   SoulBlade Platform: PSX Developer: Namco Originally Released: November 17, 1997   “A battle of soul and swords…” It’s opening statement that breeds intrigue. What most people didn’t know then, but know now, is that it would be opening phrase for a series that had captivated the fighting game genre and would still be held relevant six games in the series.   Everything must start with a first step, and SoulBlade may have been a leap. It brought over the concept of weapons based fighting, something that had been relatively […]

    Taking care of your hair only gets more difficult as the season changes – the heat, humidity and rain can cause the ultimate fizzes and flops.   All women want to have healthy and strong hair,  but at times it can be hard because of all of the stress that we apply.    We blow dry, curl, flat iron… but it’s all about finding the right match of products for the individual.   What does it take to have that hair that we all work so hard to get?  We got some tips from Kathleen Johnson, Director of Education for the Dr. Miracle’s hair care brand. She gave us some good advice on how to keep your style cool for the rest of the Summer!   AllHipHop.com: At one point in time I was using a product that severely damaged my hair. How can we be more careful about the products that we use? Is their anything that we should be looking for, such as a bad chemical?   Kathleen Johnson: Well, I think the first step is that you have to take time to just get to know your own hair. I believe that there is so much processing going on that I don’t really know if sisters are really stopping and going, “Ok, what’s my hair like? What is the quality, what does it need, how does it work?” There’s so much of the maintenance in hair, we sort of become detached because of salon stylists, it’s almost like you take your hair off and give it to them.   For instance, in the industry of music, you have all these artists, and every time they go out or they go anywhere they need to have makeup and hair done. Things that they have to use to get it done quickly, the chemicals they have to put in to make it stay a certain way… just because you look good doesn’t necessarily mean its good for you! I don’t know how many people are going to make that choice to really make their hair care and their hair growing and keeping it strong and healthy, a priority.   AllHipHop.com: I love Dr. Miracle’s commercials. Most of the women are African American but are these products made for all types of hair?   Kathleen Johnson: I would say yes, but it depends on what you want to do with your hair. Just like any particular styling product, you have to decide what it is you want to accomplish, but there are certain products that I think are a specific market. The 2in1 Tingling Shampoo and Conditioner anyone can use and get a good result. Excellent cleansing and conditioning shampoo, to me, can benefit anyone nowadays, because everyone is putting coloring in their hair or heat styling.   AllHipHop.com: What is the most-sold product thus far and why?   Kathleen Johnson: I would have to say our Temple & Nape Gro Balm, that’s one that people have [given me] good feedback on over the year’s .That’s a common problem of losing hair in your temple and nape. So many women pulling their hair back from braiding it to tight, weaving and the weight of the hair; it’s so many issues. Also using chemicals – it’s just breaking down the more vulnerable hair in those areas. I know some women who used the Temple & Nape Balm consistently for two weeks have seen something happen.   AllHipHop.com: What advice would you give us in regards to dying your hair?   Kathleen Johnson: Well, dying your hair really dries it out; it makes it more brittle, it looks good! So it is damaging, but we have so many things that can make up for what we want. You can put in protective things like the Leave In Treatment and Conditioner.   AllHipHop.com: Okay so what about perming your hair?   Kathleen Johnson: Perming your hair is the same as any chemical processing; it’s making it more vulnerable, more brittle and drier. All that’s happening is the chemicals in your hair helps it feels soft but you have got to balance that with making sure your washing and conditioning your hair. The great thing about Dr. Miracle’s is their products have a lot of essential oils in it – shea, castor oil, lavender, sunflower seed oil and others that your hair is longing for.   AllHipHop.com: Now what about washing your hair? Should we be washing it every day?   Kathleen Johnson: The normal thing is to use proper hygiene. I understand that washing you hair takes a long time… well, it’s not the washing its everything after. For some people, by the fourth day they’re scratching so much because you get bacterial build up in your skin. I really do recommend [that you] don’t wait more than one week at the most to wash your hair.   AllHipHop.com: Can you give us two important tips to having healthy hair?   Kathleen Johnson: You have to sleep with something on your hair; you have to cover your hair up at night if you have hair that is processed. If you have braids in your hair, if you have a weave in your hair, you should really try to protect your hair while you’re sleeping at night. It dries it out and makes it more vulnerable for breakage from rubbing against that cotton pillow case. Start buying satin pillow cases – it treats your hair a little easier at night time and relieves some of the breakage. So that’s my number one tip, please wrap your hair at night!   AllHipHop.com: That’s definitely a great tip; I try to cover my hair each night as well. So what would be your next hair tip for the ladies?   Kathleen Johnson: I think the second thing that I would have say is you must take the time to deep condition your hair. You have to set apart the time. I tell everybody I […]

The annual Funkmaster Flex Custom Car and Bike Show was in full effect the last weekend in June at the Convention & Expo Center in Edison, New Jersey.   The event brought in a swarm of Hip-Hop heads including Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Yung Berg, Maino, Cam’ron, Just Blaze, DJ Premier, Busta Rhymes, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana, among others.     Besides all of the breathtaking cars, bikes and model search which brought out a lot of eye candy for the guys, there was also clothing for sale and sneaker battle, which would have left any sneaker junky in heaven.First and foremost, don’t step on my J’s! I must give respect to all the vendors who showcased the various Jordans from throughout the years. From black and red Jordan One, Jordan Three True Blues to the lime green bean and grey Jordan Retro Five – and some even had throwback jackets and jerseys to match!   These are sneakers by TTK, who has been designing sneakers for three years. Dwele, Cormega and Natalie from Floetry are just a few of the artist who own his footwear.  TTK does a lot of social political pieces. I asked him what inspired his President Bush sneakers and he said, “I don’t agree with some of his policies. On the sneakers I have him preaching democracy, but I spelled it democrazy. Crazy, because over in Iraq we’re not going to go in there and say we’re going to give you democracy and its going to change over night. They’re preaching democracy, but overall it’s all about capitalism, that’s why I spelled it capitoilism, its all about the dollar.” “The Barack Obama’s came to be because we’re a part of history, we are witnessing this right now. My mother was around when Dr. King and other great leaders were, and I know they could never imagine this right here happening in today’s world. This is my piece dedicated to that,” TTK told us. I’m definitely feeling his movement!   I had a quick sneaker convo with DJ Jazzy Joyce, who also passed by TTK, and I asked her what makes a sneaker hot. “It all depends on your personal style, because a sneaker maybe hot but you might not be stylish enough to pull it off,” she explained. “I’m too mature for certain styles. I like it classic, subtle, simply stylish… in the simplicity there’s complexity in the style. It may be a pair of white on white uptowns, but their might be a leather embroidering in it that’s hot!”  Next we have Sublime Creations Footwear out of Virginia. The designer “A Train” Aaron likes to be different and show details. I asked him what has been his most unique piece so far and he said he’s getting a lot of response on his Incredible Hulk inspired sneaker, which I must say was the one that instantly caught my eye.   As of right now many of A-Train’s clients are local artists from the Virginia and DC area, but he’s looking forward to working with some major artists. I must admit one of my favorite sneakers was from Rebel Aire – this teal, black, white and silver is so my style! Some vendors had displays which fused fashion and cars, such as this Scarface-inspired Hayabusa Suzuki motorcycle and jacket.    And what about this bike with the matching sneakers?! There were a few clothing vendors there too. I spoke to the lovely Ms. Debbie, Juelz Sanatana’s mother. She had a table showcasing some Diplomats t-shirts and iced out skull belt buckles.     I know this is the fashion section, but I just wanted to show love to two of my favorite rides! This is a Tricked Out Custom Cycles three-wheel Hayabusa!    And of course this crazy Pure Customs ’85 Cutlass Supreme it has 466 horsepower, 50 thousand dollars of engraving and gold plating!   With over hundreds of attractions inside and outside of the event, it was almost impossible to capture it all, trust me this was only a fraction! Big shout out to Funkmaster Flex for another successful year, this is what you get when some the best things on earth cars, bikes and fashion collide!

  The acting career of Common poses a very interesting paradox to his job as an MC. Getting Common on your song is an honor, as his verse is usually the most important part of any track he’s featured on. Let’s not get into the stock value of his entire catalog – up to and including his work in progress, September’s Invincible Summer, a work that he says despite all rumors is not a follow up to Electric Circus.   Common as an actor is a man with bit parts that are slowly ensuring his status as a bona fide movie star. His roles in Smoking Aces and American Gangster were small albeit pivotal, where even in the tiniest moments, Common managed to shine. His role in the current blockbuster Wanted is equally short in his opinion, but one of the most enjoyable to the point where he feels akin to the movie’s stars. He even has Angelina Jolie bumpin’ his music now.   On an arid summer’s day in New Mexico, Common is on location filming the new school Terminator flick Terminator: Salvation. He speaks about his acting with the same eager giddiness as he does his music. After all this time, Common can still approach his career like it’s his first day on the job. While music holds his heart, movies are coming in a close second. A man with that much passion can take over Hollywood any day…and he plans to.   AllHipHop.com: We definitely want to hear about Wanted, but I want to discuss another role first. You know, there were two parts in Smoking Aces where I was so impressed with your acting – the scene where Jeremy Piven throws a card at your eye. You really made it like your eye was out; I thought your eye was out of commission.   Common: [laughs] Yeah.   AllHipHop.com: That was a great scene and then the soliloquy scene when you’re talking to Piven and you realized how shady he was. You really looked at him like you were ready to rip him apart. Good acting. Common: Thank you, thank you. What’s funny is when I did Smoking Aces, when [Piven] threw the card into my eye…I can’t close my left eye completely without closing my right. So we had to put even more blood on my eye for it to look closed, which was funny to me. That’s so embarrassing I couldn’t do it, ‘cause the director needed me to keep my eye closed, but I couldn’t do it.   I was like, “Man, why can’t I do this?” You know it’s just one of those things your body won’t let you do. Like you can do that probably, but you know how some people are double jointed? I can’t close my left eye without closing my right, which I don’t understand. Guess it’s just something in the body makeup! AllHipHop.com: How was it shooting Wanted?   Common: Wanted was one of the best experiences I had, because I was working with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy. I was in Prague, and it was my first time being in Prague and to be there for a movie…it was like surreal in a way. Like man, I’m going to do a movie!   I’ve been to a lot of different places in Europe and I’ve been to Australia, I’ve been to Japan, but I had never been to Prague and going there doing a film – and then for me to have the opportunity to go back to Chicago to shoot some film, was like, “Dang I’m at home shooting a movie.” I would have never known I would be doing this when I was a kid, so it was a lot of fun.   Then I had days off where I would just go to these restaurants and hang out and drink a little wine or something, you know, enjoy peace of mind. It was a good experience for me. And Angelina and Morgan Freeman and James was just really like…we had a family like connection going.   Of course Morgan Freeman is the guru, one of the kings, so we look up to him like one of the greats. And Angelina is this powerful woman – powerful strong lady, talented, beautiful. She was really cool, like really making sure everything was straight and throwing me some lines, ‘cause I ain’t got a lot of lines in the movie to be honest. So when you see it, don’t be surprised I don’t have a lot of lines. But she would throw me lines when she could and we were doing improv; it was just a lot of funny really. AllHipHop.com: Wow, that’s cool. So it kind of built your improv experience as well then. Common: It definitely continues to enhance my improv. You know coming from a Hip-Hop background, I’m used to freestyling and just being able to go spontaneous with thoughts. Even Smoking Aces we were allowed to do a little improv. I mean, the dialogue was written somewhere so we didn’t want to change it too much, but I added a couple of things, which I was really happy about ‘cause you know when you’re right in the moment you feel a certain thing. So if you say it, and if the director likes it, that’s a good thing ‘cause that lets you know that you’re really there, and you ain’t just saying lines. AllHipHop.com: Definitely, and it’s cool they give you that kind of freedom too, and trusted your ability to get into the role and stuff. Common: With Wanted I want to say it was spontaneous…well, not so much…even though we did do some stuff with improv scenes – you know Angelina and I did some of that. It was more spontaneous with the way we would be changing. Like we would think we were coming to shoot this one scene, and then they’d change the process of […]

Studio: Sony Release date: July 3, 2008 Cast: Sir Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen, Method Man, Aaron Yoo   Remember the days of 60-minute cassette tapes, young summer love and radio DJs that actually spun records like Biz Markie’s infamous “Just a Friend” or Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Princes’ “Summertime?”   The Wackness will make you go back; back in time to 1994, New York City and teenage problems that seemed like weights of the world.   The plot surrounds seemingly unimportant white people in an overpopulated urban city, its’ the “summer that changed my life” genre that we, both young and old, can relate to.   The Wackness stars Josh Peck, most famous for the Nickelodeon series Drake and Josh, as recent high school graduate Luke Shapiro.   He’s the local weed man on his Upper East Side block and to most of his classmates. Although he’s sold to them for most of their high school years, he’s never really made a connection with anyone, and he feels left out and depressed.   While making a chronic run, he realizes that a graduation party is ensuing that he was never invited.  He’s got no friends, no girl to call his own, dysfunctional parents constantly at each other’s throats – and his days are spent daydreaming about unattainable girls and classic ‘90s Hip-Hop.   Everything changes this particular summer, when he forms an unfamiliar bond with his just as depressed physiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Squires, portrayed by Ben Kingsley. The doctor is also an outcast and druggie, who ultimately exchanges weed for therapy.  During these therapy/smoke out sessions, Luke and Dr. Squires start to open up, revealing some of the most pivotal dialogues and riveting discoveries of a pre-millennium teenager and seasoned quack.   The Wackness is skillfully written and amateur directed by independent filmmaker Jonathan Levine, who came away with the coveted Audience Favorite award at this year’s prestigious Sundance film festival. What Levine lacks in direction, he more than makes up for in character development and creating the 1994 scenario at the height of New York Hip Hop, when Tribe Called Quest and Notorious B.I.G. reigned supreme.   Levine allows the audience to reminisce over a time when opposite sex crushes were priority and parents just didn’t understand. Of course, in the midst of Luke’s awakenings, he falls for the alluring Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby) who just happens to be Dr. Squires’ step-daughter. Meanwhile, Dr. Squires unwittingly encourages Luke to go after his dream girl and by all means, get laid.   For most of the movie, Dr. Squires dispenses questionable advice, and is smoked out more than an earlier Snoop Dogg video. Ben Kingsley’s performance allows you to connect to this middle-aged man yearning for his youth. Both he and Luke have more in common than either realizes – being girl crazy, depressed about how life has unfolded and addicted to the cannabis. It’s the journey of discovery that finds these two unpolished men freakishly attached to one another, if only for one summer.   Method Man and Mary Kate Olsen make small yet memorable impressions in the movie, as Luke’s Rastafarian ganja supplier and a strung out Manhattan hippie respectively. Still, Luke and Dr. Squires are by far the stand-out characters in The Wackness.   This film will probably fall under the radar against the superhero blockbusters, but it’s worth the effort to seek out a smaller theatre to find. It’s clever, witty and most importantly, a breath of fresh air. The plot is simple – love, sex and weed make for the best summers. For an independent film, The Wackness stands above the rest.   There is plenty of nostalgia in the film to make a child of the ‘90s connect to each line, but we can’t expect every generation to get the point. Thankfully, there are a lot of people who love the era, all of whom should peep this movie.

CANADA WEEK 2008Charisma? Check.  Swagger? Check. Controversy? Check. With four years in Toronto, a first hand education at two majors under his belt, and cosigns from both Whoo? Kid and DJ Drama, The Kid Famous seems poised to help T-dot and the rest of Canada Plant their flag on the Hip-Hop map.  Will you make him famous?  Read on.AllHipHop.com:  You got a lot of buzz from a previous incident where it was said you were writing for a Def Jam artist. Can you go into that a little bit?   Famous: I actually like to stay away from that, but I mean as far as that goes, that was just something Wendy Williams put out. Basically, it was stemmed up…I don’t know how it was stemmed up, but it was an article in Hip Hop Weekly and you guys[AllHipHop] got publication of that so you guys posted the video, and it just so happened that we’d been working on the project, like this whole Famous project, and it just went hand-in-hand so the timing was absolutely great because the buzz was absolutely going crazy.   The good thing is, we had good product to back it up so a lot of those people who checked it out, they have now become fans you know. But as far as the whole Jay-Z writing thing, like, I’m not writing for Jay if that’s what you really want to know. “I’m not writing for Jay if that’s what you really want to know” AllHipHop.com: You seem to be fairly savvy as far as the usage of media. How does that effect who you are as an artist and your business model so to speak?   Famous: well the whole business of it is like when I came into this…I first moved to Toronto like 4 years ago and I was interning at Def Jam. Then I moved over to Sony BMG and I was working there on Tuesdays and Thursdays while I was working at the radio station.   So before the whole music thing, I was really just learning the business and we all know the new wave of media is really digital right now, they’re all on the internet. So I really try to focus on that, really try to touch as many people as we can on the internet.   It’s this 3-hit program that I have. So the first time, people don’t really care. They just see it but they don’t care. Then the second time they might remember. Third time they see it; it’s a wrap. I’m trying to hit people in threes so if each person I get to see the product sees it three times, then they’ll get familiar with Famous.   AllHipHop.com: Now each new era in Hip-Hop pertained to location. It comes in certain waves, like after the initial New York movement, you had Compton with Ruthless, Houston with Rap-A-Lot, New Orleans with No Limit, etc. What do you think it would take for Toronto and Canada as a whole to jump off and take center stage or to garner more attention?   Famous: Well you right now the city is real hot and I think the leader of it right now is Kardinal. You know the whole Konvict situation, he’s got the Danger single out with Akon. So I mean Kardinal’s been putting Toronto on the map for like so many years but like the recognition was never there. But I mean through like Akon who spots something like that, we all know Akon’s hot international so he’s just helping me because I think I’m right behind him you know as far as putting Toronto on the map. “And you know the thing about Toronto, is like the fact that none of us made it yet but we’re still doing it, it just shows that we actually love the music” And you know the thing about Toronto, is like the fact that none of us made it yet but we’re still doing it, it just shows that we actually love the music you know its more than just the money and the fame. We’re actually doing it because we love the music, and people appreciate the music, it’s not really where you’re from, it’s kinda the music. You know as long as your music is real where you’re from; people appreciate that.     AllHipHop.com: As far as Canadian Hip-Hop goes, is there anything different about it? The UK has Grime, and in other places around the world, their movements didn’t really start till they got a different take on Hip-Hop. Is there anything currently brewing in Canada?     Famous: Yea I think it’s more of a sound really. I can’t really speak for all of Canada but I can speak for Toronto. As far as Toronto goes, it’s very multicultural, people are real open, and you get a bit of here, you get a bit of there. So when you’re thinking about world music, people just appreciate that sound. Reggae and soca are real big influences up here.     AllHipHop.com: So when people hear the name Famous, what images should that name conjure?  What do you stand for? What is your direction as far as the music goes?   Famous: Well as far as Famous…when they hear Famous…well Famous is the name but it’s “The Kid Famous” so the Kid is just a regular kid like you know the dude who moved here four years ago and got his grind on, but Famous is like the inspiration right, so Famous is like the main name. So when people hear Famous, it kinda gives me something to live up to.   The whole Famous thing is like…it’s just real music. When they hear the name Famous, they’re just gonna be like ok what’s this guy about? It’s not often that a lot of artists from Canada are known in the US by a lot of the artists. The name Famous goes […]

Studio: Sony Release date: July 2, 2008 Cast: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron   Cookouts, American flags, daytime drinking and Will Smith movies; is it July 4th already? This year, The Fresh Prince’s annual blockbuster comes in the form of Hancock, a super-hero film of sorts that puts a realistic twist on the classic Superman story by, as characters repeatedly point out, making him an a**hole.   John Hancock (Smith) literally wakes up one day as an amnesiac with super-strength and the ability to fly. When a couple of guys who are up to no good start making trouble in his neighborhood, Hancock jumps in to play hero. But his decision is made mostly because he’s got nothing better to do with himself.   He resents that people don’t welcome his “help,” and the isolation he feels turns him into a depressed, incompetent alcoholic. His work gets sloppy (usually making things worse) and the public turns on him. Eventually, Hancock happens to save the life of a publicist (Jason Bateman) who decides to help the bedraggled super-hobo refine his image – in hopes that maybe people will learn to like him.   This is the movie you’ll pay to see based on the commercials, and for a while, that’s what you’ll get. Hancock is a deliberately unlikable cross between Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan and Wolverine. To keep things from getting too dark, Bateman (the film’s true MVP) provides the all-important comic relief, and while the portrayal of Hancock’s depression gets a bit hammy at times, it generally feels appropriate.   Everything works fairly well for the half-hour or so that the film sticks to this formula, but then… things change. An explanation of Hancock’s origin is naturally attempted, but is done so with a poorly executed plot twist that completely changes the tone of the film.   Too many ideas are forced into the plot’s resolution and rather than a well-crafted build, we’re tossed a curveball to give the film an excuse to continue for another 45 minutes. The eventual reveal of Hancock’s origin is disappointingly thin, and only further paints the story into a corner.    Ultimately, Hancock is over-ambitious and doesn’t really work past its own premise. Calling it a failure would be inaccurate, but the second half of the film is more like the first’s shoddy sequel – both over simplified and needlessly complex at the same time.   “The comic-book was better” is a commonplace complaint, and while Hancock isn’t based on a comic, the book would’ve been better if it existed. As a 92-minute film however, Hancock is (at best) two thirds of a good movie. Save it for a Sunday afternoon on cable.

CANADA WEEK 2008 Canada is an incubator for world class entertainment. Actors, musicians, and athletes have all established global success in many arenas.   Our hip-hop scene, however, despite an immense amount of talent, hasn’t popped on a grand scale yet. Some chalk it up to the size of our population and a lack of local support, others point to a lack of infrastructure and flowing capital. Artists have struggled to get heard and have even more trouble getting their records distributed to the music buying public.   Likely, the true answer falls within a of all these possibilities. The solution falls within improving on these factors (where possible) and keeping the movement headed forward. I’ve witnessed a genuine growth in support in recent years and an increasingly stern sense of national pride – the type needed to emulate the success-breeding unity of the Dirty South or the raw grit and grind of the Mid-West in recent years.   On a recent trip to New York City, my eyes were opened to the amount of support Kardinal Offishall’s “Dangerous” single was receiving south of the border. As one of the main focuses of Akon’s Kon Live imprint, Kardinal is preparing for the release of his 4th studio album, Not 4 Sale. With a strong US buzz as new ground, fans and industry heads alike are keeping their eyes peeled for the type of impact Not 4 Sale will make after its late summer release. As an avid reader of AllHipHop, I was extremely pleased when I got word from Odeisel that a Canada Week special was looming. I’m using this opportunity to put you up on some important upcoming releases from Canadian artists. . Mayhem Morearty, hailing from Toronto’s West-end (in a hood known as Jungle), will be releasing his official album debut titled The Audiobiography September 8th on Mosaic Music/KOCH.   Mayhem has established himself as one of Toronto’s hardest working artists and has the promotional discography to prove it. Countless mixtapes, videos and performances have accumulated the type of buzz needed to make The Audiobiography a success.   It remains one of the most anticipated debuts coming out of Canada’s Eastsides.       Going to Canada’s West coast, Vancouver’s Checkmate and Concise are wrapping up the release of their African Kings album under their group-name, Defenders of the Faith.   Checkmate was featured on the late 90’s Rascalz single titled “Northern Touch” which remains a Canadian anthem till this day. Vancouver producer, DJ Kemo, who produced “Northern Touch” has formed a new production crew named “The Vanguards” who were the production brains behind Kardi’s “Dangerous”.   Kemo has also been working with some of Van City’s next generation of artists including Young Kazh and Tre Nyce. Calgary’s Deezuz recently dropped his album debut, Souldenera which has pumped new life into the scene out in Southern Alberta. The album featured various guest appearances including Kool G Rap, Sean Price and Vancouver’s, Moka Only, who recently put out Volume 2 of his album Airport. Edmonton’s E-Dot, who resides in Brooklyn and was introduced to fans via his connection to Uncle Howie Records has connected with soulful Toronto singer and producer, Darp Malone to release a self-titled album under the moniker of HERO.  Some viral internet searches should make it easy to track down the vast array of remixes and videos the duo have put out. Heading East to the Maritimes, just outside of Halifax in Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s fan favorites. Classified has 12 albums under his belt and recently completed a sold-out Canada-wide tour for his album While You Were Sleeping, a greatest hits release used to introduce his vast catalog of material to newer fans. He’s currently working on his 13th project, The Day Before Tomorrow and developing his label, HalfLife Records which is home to various up and coming artists including J-Bru, Chad Hatcher and his younger brother, Mic Boyd. Back to the streets of Toronto, hailing from Regent Park is a crew with one of the largest followings on Canada’s Eastside. Point Blank is currently preparing for the August 19th release of their self-titled album debut on Tilt Rock/KOCH and they’ve recently released their latest video single, “God Only Knows” which features Mark McKay. Earlier in the year, their “Born and Raised in the Ghetto” remix garnered them national attention and a high level of public anticipation for the album’s release. Keep your eyes open for that one.   Before leaving Toronto, it’s important to mention Bishop Brigante AKA The Gambling Man who is preparing for the Fall release of his album The Poker Face which was recorded in 10 days, with 10 different producers, banging out a total of 10 different tracks. AllHipHop readers might remember IllSeed’s recent posting of his “Hard Times” video or his role as the low-end dealer killed by Ray Liotta in the movie “N.A.R.C.”   A quick look into the Canadian spectrum of hip-hop wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the immense talent coming from our Francophone artists. To mention just a few, one of the biggest names holding down Real City, Montreal is Sans Pression (SP) who is likely one of the most recognizable French Canadian artists nationwide and across the Atlantic in France. SP recently put out a new album called “La Tendance Se Maintenant” which has been extremely well received by his fans. Another project, although out since the beginning of the year but definitely worth mentioning, is the latest release from Imposs titled “Mon Poing D’Vue”. Imposs is best known internationally from his group Muzion and work with artists such as Wyclef.   Ending off this summary is our nation’s capital, Ottawa. Belly is set to drop his next mixtape with Whoo Kid and will follow that up with a collaborative album with Kurupt. The 2 originally linked up on a big single titled “I’m The Man” from Belly’s double-CD album debut, The Revolution which was certified Gold in Canada and recently picked up the […]

  If you’ve tuned in to Showtime recently, you’ve probably caught the John Witherspoon You Got to Coordinate comedy special. Now available on DVD, the show is reminiscent of some of the classic stand-up specials like Richard Pryor’s Live On Sunset Strip or Eddie Murphy’s Delirious.   The movie and television star, who is proudly type-cast as America’s ‘Pops’, performs a perfectly executed stand-up routine that is hysterical from the intro to the finale.   Over a span of four decades, John has appeared on classic urban television shows like Good Times, What’s Happening?, Martin, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Def Comedy Jam, The Wayans Brothers and The Boondocks.   His notoriety escalated after his appearance in Boomerang where he improvised a lot of his dialogue including memorable lines like, “You got to coordinate” and “Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang”. In the Friday movies, he’s well-known as Ice Cube aka Craig’s father, and coined the phrase, “Don’t nobody go in the bathroom for 35-45 minutes” – which is still repeated daily in households from the ‘hood to the ‘burbs.   Nowadays, John is gearing up for the release of his first rap/comedy CD, 63 Cent. With tracks like “Don’t Nobody Go In The Bathroom,” “Dance Now With Your Big Ole Ass,” “You Got To Coordinate” and “Don’t Be P***y Whipped,” John is expectantly hilarious, but surprisingly, he displays rap skills.   Witherspoon plans to bridge the gaps between Hip-Hop and comedy and the younger and older crowd, while simultaneously creating his own niche in the music and comedy industries. We caught up with John to discuss his beginnings with Richard Pryor, his work with Hip-Hop icons Jay-Z and Ice Cube and the making of his new album.   AllHipHop.com: You really have a connection with the younger audience, especially within the Hip-Hop community. With you being an old school Detroit Motown era veteran, what do you think is your key to success with the younger crowd?   John Witherspoon: I think it’s because of the movies and television shows that I’ve done. The new generation of people loved all three of the Friday movies, and they love The Wayans Brothers show with Marlon and Shawn. Also, the House Party movies are a Hip-Hop fan favorite, as well as the cartoon The Boondocks.   I relate to the younger people because those movies and TV shows kind of stop your aging, so I’m still like a young person on those projects. Plus I’ve got this Hip-Hop/comedy CD coming out called 63 Cent, so I know they’re gonna love that.   AllHipHop.com: I’m sure! [Let’s] talk about your Showtime special and DVD, You Got to Coordinate. How did that situation come about, and how did it feel to have your own feature?   John Witherspoon: Well I worked with Levity Productions and they own the Improv comedy clubs where I do stand-up. They said, “Why don’t you just do a live show?” and I said, “Well, I don’t really wanna do a live show” and they said. “You should do a live show because you’ve never had one out.” So they put up the money, and I went and recorded a live show and Showtime bought it right away. Now it’s on DVD, and that’s good because it promotes your career and it legitimizes you. It’s funny because I’ve met people that have seen me in the movies that didn’t know I did stand-up. Just like a lot of people don’t know I can rap! AllHipHop.com: [laughs] Tell us a little about your CD, who produced it and what made you want to record a CD?   John Witherspoon: Well my thing is, I see all of these rappers making all of this money. They’re on MTV Cribs and wearing all that ‘Bling Bling’ and driving fancy cars. [laughs] I’m proud of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, Nelly and Jay-Z, they’re making a lot of money. So I said, “If I could rap, I can get some of those cars and cribs and wear some of that ‘Bling Bling’ and stuff.” [laughs]   So I had some songs that I had written, and I hooked up with Ted, Brian O. and Khalid aka Big K from K.O. Productionz/Da Raskulls from Washington, DC. I met Ted out here in L.A. at a party and he told me that they had a studio, and I told him that I wrote some songs so we exchanged information. He called a few days later, and I eventually got in the studio with him, Khalid and Brian. We had great chemistry and they ended up producing most of the project.   Every time I went to D.C. or Baltimore to perform at a comedy club, they would come and pick me up and take me to their studio ‘in the hood’ to record. [laughs]   AllHipHop.com: Well that’s where you get the flava from, ‘in the hood’.   John Witherspoon: Yeah, it was cool. We would go to KFC first and buy a bunch of chicken and I’d drink me a little glass of wine and go in the recording booth and put the vocals down. [laughs]   AllHipHop.com: So you actually wrote a lot of the lyrics?   John Witherspoon: Yeah I wrote most of it. My brother Ron also produced three songs including “Sleaze” and “Nefertiti” and then a couple of songs I wrote with Big K, he wrote some of the raps for me like “Don’t Nobody Go In The Bathroom” and “You Can Kiss Where The Sun Don’t Shine” and a few others, but I wrote the rest of that stuff.   AllHipHop.com: Now speaking of rap and Hip-Hop, you’ve worked with Hip-Hop icons Jay-Z on the “I Just Want To Love You” (Give It To Me) video and Ice Cube in all of the Friday movies, and now you’re releasing your own CD. When will it be released?   John Witherspoon: It will be on iTunes almost immediately. It will […]

[Photo: Ricardo Mayorga]   Pacquiao Ravages Diaz   There were two main questions going into the June 28 WBC lightweight title bout between David Diaz and Manny Pacquiao.   First, could Diaz impose his bigger size and natural lightweight frame on his smaller opponent? Second, would Pacquiao utilize his attributes of superior speed and skill to avoid unnecessary brawling with a larger man?   The latter proved true to devastating effect, as Pacquiao punished Diaz over nine mostly one-sided rounds to score a brutal knockout and pick up the WBC lightweight title.   It became apparent in the early rounds that Diaz would have no answer for Pacquiao’s speed and surprising footwork improvement. The Pac Man repeatedly bounced four and even five punch combinations off Diaz’s skull and body. The speed of Pacquiao’s punches would freeze Diaz, and before the champion could respond the Pac Man would slide out of range to prevent any counterattack.   From the fifth round on, Diaz’s already sporadic punch output continued to drop as Pacquiao slashed him constantly with his deadly left cross. Diaz, who dedicated this fight to his deceased father, continued to bravely press forward in the face of Pacquiao’s new found weapon, the right hand. The media dubbed “Mexican Assassin/Killer” used his oft forgotten hand to grind down the champion with clean jabs, sharp hooks, and jarring uppercuts.   On the inside, Pacquiao was easily able to counter Diaz’s jab with right and left hooks to the head and body. The damage started to get unsettling as Diaz’s face was a mangled canvas of blood and flesh.  With the conclusion of the seventh and eighth rounds, the HBO commentating team began to wonder when the fight would be stopped.   The brutal end came in round nine, when Pacquiao ruined Diaz with his fourth pinpoint straight left of the round. The champion crumpled forward on his knees before landing face first to the canvas. The referee had seen enough and called a half to the bout with 36 seconds left in the round.   Pacquiao picks up the WBC lightweight title and sets the stage for a rumored showdown at 140lbs with champion Ricky Hatton. That fight is interesting, but before leaving Pacquiao could really cement his legacy by taking on the true top fighters in his current division: lineal champ Joel Casamayor and/or #1 contender Nate Campbell.   Whomever Pacquaio decides to fight, he’s currently the most exciting elite fighter in boxing and without question #1 pound for pound. With the win, Manny Pacquiao improves to 47-3-2 (36 KOs) while David Diaz falls to 34-2-1 (17 KOs). Undercard results saw Monte Barrett KO1 Tye Fields and Mario Santiago D12 with Steven Luevano. In a bizarre DQ4, Humberto Soto lost to Franciso Lorenzo due to a glancing rabbit punch as Lorenzo was taking a knee. Referee Joe Cortez’s ruling was so bad that the WBC will likely not award the interim title to Lorenzo.   De La Hoya Sees Dollars and Legacy in Bouts with Cotto and Trinidad   Part time fighter Oscar De La Hoya has further narrowed down his list of potential opponents for his farewell fight in December 2008.   It was reported a few weeks back that De La Hoya was considering veteran Winky Wright, but now the Golden Boy has switched gears to more exciting and winnable fights against Felix Trinidad or Miguel Cotto.   Golden Boy Promoter Richard Schaefer explained to ESPN.com his client’s reasoning for these two potential blockbuster bouts: “Cotto is just one option, but Trinidad is definitely a possibility. I talked to (Don) King and (Trinidad attorney Nicholas) Medina. They are definitely interested and I think a deal could be made. Oscar gave me instructions to make the biggest fight possible.”   Emphasizing on Shaefer’s use of the phrase “biggest fight possible” leads me to believe we’ll probably see De La Hoya seek revenge against Trinidad. However, if Oscar is truly looking for a win to improve his legacy, Miguel Cotto (if he beats Antonio Margarito next month) would be the ideal but more dangerous opponent.   Mosley-Mayorga Set for October 11 on HBO PPV   Dan Rafael of ESPN.com has reported that Golden Boy and Don King Promotions have agreed to an October 11 bout between former welterweight champions Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga. The bout will take place in LA at the Staples Center, and King disclosed to ESPN.com that “the split was 55-45 in favor of Golden Boy Promotions.”   “We’ll kick Shane’s ass and send lonesome Bob (Arum) a message that we want Cotto and we are prepared to beat Cotto,” King stated in his typical maverick fashion.   It appears beating on a shot Fernando Vargas has given Mayorga’s camp newfound confidence. But Mosley is a few classes above the wild-swinging but entertaining Nicaraguan. Expect Sugar Shane to prevail in a highlight reel level performance akin to De La Hoya’s destruction of Mayorga a few years back.   Throwback Fighter of the Week: “The Manassa Mauler” Jack Dempsey   Jack Dempsey was born in 1895 to a poor family in Manassa, Colorado. He left home at 16 and was forced to live as a hobo on trains and the street. There he learned to fight to prevent attacks from strangers. After observing his sibling’s talent, older brother Bernie pushed him to pursue boxing. With no experience, Dempsey had mixed results after initially turning pro in 1914. The most dubious was a first round knockout at the hands of Jim Flynn.   He rebounded well in 1918 with 15 wins to earn a title shot against champion Jess Williard. Dempsey destroyed Willard in three rounds many historians call the most brutal in boxing history. Dempsey used his smaller size to bob and weave under Willard’s punches and counter with huge hooks. Also, the rules of the day allowed fighters to stand over their downed opponents and hit them as soon as their knees left the canvas.   Dempsey’s […]

As the behemoth that is E3 continues to approach, there have been more rumors flying about it. That is never a bad thing however; as it means that it should be a very exciting show.    Most of our news wraps around that this week. Sid Meier Civilization Revolution gets some shine. He doesn’t fail when it comes to civilization so it should be worth checking out.   Diablo III has been announced. For the many of us who have subscribed late nights in Battle.net killing hell spawn know, this is one of the most anticipated games in a long time.   Read on!   Big News   Infinite Undiscovery Cover   Interesting cover. Looks like the cover features several meanings, such as order and chaos, with the storm and triangle. As we reported, this is the first of the Square-Enix games to appear exclusively on the Xbox 360. This one is due September 2.   Diablo III Announced   After what seems to be tons of speculations, hints, and clues left all over the internet, Diablo III was finally officially announced much to the joy of gamers everywhere. Fans can expect the same quality Blizzard quality. With it comes a website – blizzard.com/diablo3 – which drops plenty of hints of gameplay, including a new class called Witch Doctor.    Many of the details are empty, but with most blizzard products, you can guarantee controlled information release and the buzz to build. Check out the videos below.  One must wonder what will be exposed at the upcoming E3 and BlizzCon.   Duke Nukem “Too Good” for E3   “Development is swimming along nicely. Seriously nicely,” 3d Realms skipper Scott Miller said to Next-Gen in an interview. Is it a reason for the long-awaited and aptly named Duke Nukem Forever not to be at E3? According to the skipper, “It’s just that we view E3 as irrelevant nowadays. In fact, I wasn’t even aware it was coming up.”   Apparently it is. Take it how you want it, but I am calling malarkey.   360 Price Drop? Yet another rumor…     According to Engadget and a Kmart clipping, this could be reality. With E3 coming up, this is the perfect time for rumors to be flying about, and many people have been forecasting a 360 price cut to counter increased PS3 sales. Speaking of rumors…   PSP Phone?   This is a rumor that fails to die. There are talks that there is a PSP phone to be debuted in 2009 in Korea and Japan. The interface is there, with Skype and Wi-Fi already featured with your PSP already, however this rumor has been appearing since the consoles inception.   Confirmed E3 Appearances   Kid Icarus, Doom 4, Alan Wake, and Left 4 Dead. If these titles aren’t exciting then someone should check your pulse, as when you combine this with titles such as LittleBigPlanet & Gears of War 2, E3 is looking serious.   SOCOM Confrontation Headset    SOCOM Confrontation will come with a  wireless Bluetooth headset, with a USB connection to charge up with. Wrapped up with a mute button, this looks to be a very solid headset to match up with your other 100.   Nintendo and Starlight Hookup for Fun Centers!   Starlight and Nintendo are hooking up to give sick children in the hospital some fun. The Fun Centers, featuring HDTV’s, a DVD Player and a Wii loaded with games, will allow the kids to get together, talk and game, which is sure to brighten morale and help recovery.   The first Fun Center went into Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on June 25. No matter what company you like, or the genres you subscribe to, we can all agree that this really shows the positive light to our hobby.   Played   Diablo II  Platform: PC Developer: Blizzard Originally Released: June 29, 2000   There are few games that can stand above and beyond the competition for years beyond. Just as infrequent is a sequel to a critically acclaimed game outdoing the original game.  Being recognized as one of the best game to do both puts Diablo II on any competent writer’s “best game ever” list.   A story of caging hells demons, Diablo II puts you in control of one of five (or seven in the expansion) classes as you take on Hell itself. Building your character through quests, monster slayings, and customization from macro (such as your armor) to micro (such as runes and jewelry) is liable to keep anyone addicted.   This isn’t a journey best faced alone. To increase the fun level, take your homies online to face the minions of Beelzebub. As more people join in, the game gets harder, as it’s really a wonder to have everyone everywhere handling demons while you all split experience. It’s a quick recipe for fun and can leave you playing without a care from time.   Spawning several imitators, such as the Dungeon Siege series, no one can doubt the impact that this game had on the medium on a whole. This game is Role Playing at its finest. With Diablo III recently being announced, take the time to go back to Battle.net and get down with your favorite class. You know the cows are calling.   Original Trailer:     Pre-Order   Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 Developer: 2K Games Release Date:  July 8, 2008   The genius of Sid Meier is matched by very few, and one of the reasons is the game Civilization. He took the process of being a world leader throughout time and made such a game fun, addicting, and timeless. He has now decided to place his magic on consoles with Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution.   Claiming fast paced action oriented gameplay to replace the more deliberate style of the PC versions, Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution appears to be ready to make a mark on consoles.   If Meier’s track record is anything to […]

It is often said that with shining genius comes fatal flaws.  However it’s been shown time and again that the light of genius can blind us to even the most egregious of errors.    Today, we focus on the genius of Michael Joseph Jackson, a man whose prodigious talent has cast an impenetrable shadow over present day Black Music.    Artists like Usher, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Justin Timberlake have collectively dominated the charts with Jackson’s moves, similar vocal and musical arrangements (mainly the talented but derivative Ne-Yo) and of course, the moves.     But why Michael Jackson?  Why not Stevie or Marvin?  Why not Prince? Because Michael Jackson represents our general humanity.    His is a story of nothing to something, and of family; of dreams. Most importantly, it’s a story of love and its evolution within us as we grow from child to adult.   We have watched him for 40 years express his love for others and for the world through the eyes of a child, and adolescent and as a man.    And as a man we’ve watched that love expand and evolve with his experiences. What endears him to us is that we’ve watched that love change him, and elevate him, subsequently imprison him, and eventually drive him crazy.   We can all identify with that. This bittersweet connection is why we’ll always love Mike, and also why no matter how many times you moonwalk, regardless of what you sample,  or how you inflect your voice, it will always pale in comparison.     There are child stars in abundance now.  Their lives are scripted by PR people, taped by studios, and packaged for our children’s visual entrapment. The honesty, the transparency, the ascension, and the tragedy that is Michael Jackson is like Season One of the Real World: everything else that follows is scripted; we know what’s coming.     Michael grew up surrounded by a family escaping mediocrity, restricted by religion, and suddenly thrust upon with fame and fortune, in a system that enables self destruction and the prevalence of image over reality.   In that environment he became a megastar, a humanitarian and the blueprint for two generations of youth. Besides the aforementioned R&B stars, there’s no Miley Cyrus, no Raven Symone, and no Olsen Twins without Michael Jackson. There’s no Maury without Mike (The Kid Is Not My Son).  There’s no Maino without Mike (Leave Me Alone>>>> Hi Haters).     Michael Jackson is living proof that we CAN dream big and that we CAN change our dreams to reality.  He’s also a stark example of how we can become victims of our dreams when we can’t distinguish fantasy from reality. He is the most beautiful of nightmares. Pay homage. Love his music. Listen to his love evolve with the following selections. And for God’s sake don’t leave your kids with him because …we just don’t know.  Take a listen to the playlist for this piece by copy pasting this link to your browsers and enjoy.  Peace. http://www.imeem.com/odeisel/playlist/mcj8jCha/ahh_black_music_month_michael_jackson_music_playlist/

  Malik Yoba said it best when he said to me “Acting is not acting, acting is being.” So what exactly did he mean by that? I’ll answer that question, but first, I’m going to take a bit of a risk and open up a window of my childhood for you, just a sliver. Let’s take a peek, shall we?   Rewind to a warm June night. Both of my parents lay bleeding from bullet wounds to the head. The only witness other than the gunmen? Me.   Rewind to the sleepover at my best friend’s home, when her older brother snuck into the room while I was sleeping.   Take it back to a time when I first realized I was different from all the Jewish kids I played with in my neighborhood, because for some reason, I was the only one that Melane kept calling “ni**er”.   Journey back with me as I stand on the curb, and watch my friend Albert run into the street in front of speeding car…   Now, let’s go to a place, where if asked about any one of those incidents, and more, I would tell you about them while feeling the emotional equivalence of someone reciting a grocery list… to a place where I sat at funerals and wondered what was on television. A place where ending long-term relationships and friendships felt as traumatic to me as throwing out an old tube of lip gloss. Emotionally bankrupt, my sister would call it. “Noree,” she said, “you are sociopathically numb.”   For years, I lived with the belief that perhaps, after a certain threshold, human tragedy just didn’t affect me, when it happened to me. I felt immune, fortunate, strong, impenetrable – like Superman packaged into a petite female frame. And while my sister and I would sit on the phone for hours debating who was more “screwed up” – me, nominating her for being so dramatic and sensitive; and for trying to convince me that feeling pain actually makes you a whole person, and makes the life you live that much richer.   She threw my name on the ballot for, well, as she put it so many times, “having the emotions of a doorframe” – which of course was an exaggeration, because as strange as it may seem, I did empathize profoundly with other people and feel for them, it just didn’t register much at all if the same events happened to me.   I felt as if giving into the emotions of grief, sadness, loneliness, fear, etc,   was an ultimate weakness. And it never was a problem for me… until I became an actor.   Think of the greatest actors that exist and their most incredible performances. Then, think of why they’re just so freaking incredible. It’s because whatever they are going through on screen resonates within you. They make you feel them.  Film is actually a healing art when actors bring dynamic performances to the screen that draw you in and make you feel connected. And when that happens, it’s not because an actor is in front of you acting.   Anyone can act. It’s because an actor is in front of you being, and feeling, and actually living out the emotional life of their character. To be able to do that when the world around you is make-believe is a special gift, granted only to those who have embraced their own complete emotional existence on a level even more elevated than the average living, breathing, and feeling human being. For this reason, actors have to be able to dig deeper and feel more.   Think about it. 100 people walk into a movie theatre in 100 different moods. They watch a scene where a woman grieves over her murdered son. If that actor can’t draw most of you out of your current moods and into her grief, then she hasn’t done her job. If I am that actor, I have to take myself to an emotional abyss and feel this grief so deeply, so that when you see me, I allow you to feel it too. If I’m faking it, if I am “acting” and not being, then you will remain unconvinced. In other words, when you see me, I really am grieving, not pretending to grieve.   One of the biggest obstacles for me as an actor has been, number one, even acknowledging that my pain exists. Moving on from that, is embracing that pain, and then allowing myself to feel it. When I first started out, I would frequently receive the same feedback, “I can tell that you are acting, why don’t you just let go and feel it?”  And I would walk away, frustrated, screaming in my mind, “HOW?! When I just don’t feel anything!”     In a quest to find and uncover Noree’s Emotions, I began to work tirelessly with a few acting coaches, some from very popular studios, many of whom had the right concepts in mind, but still failed to point me in the right direction for personal growth. Anyone can tell you what to do, but there are few who can actually touch you deeply enough, take you by the hand, and show you how.   At one point, I even began to think that just maybe I didn’t have it in me to continue on. Maybe I was a sociopath, and maybe I should just give up trying to give life to these characters on paper. It wasn’t until I found a combination of the right people with both the talent and emotional and spiritual (yes, spiritual) insight into someone like me, that I began to transform and actually feel. And immediately I began to see a difference in my work.   Not only that, but my personal relationships began to transform as well. I also cried. Daily. Until every last bit of denied pain from my past was wrapped in snotty tissues on my bathroom floor.   […]

The days and hours leading up to the NBA Draft is the same every year. All the hearsay and speculation that floats around the web is always over-hyped.   Shawn Marion’s going here, Stephon’s going there and so-and-so is trading up their pick. But when it’s all said and done, all the hype ends up being just that…hype.   The draft for the most part was predictable. The Bulls shocked nobody by selecting the hometown kid, Derrick Rose. Although there was speculation O.J. Mayo was heading to South Beach, the Heat snagged Michael Beasley instead.   With a few small exceptions, everyone was picked where they were supposed to be. Too bad Isiah Thomas wasn’t around to pull off one of his Renaldo Balkman drafting moments.   There were a few blockbuster trades though. The Nets’ Richard Jefferson went to the Bucks for Yi Jianlian. Memphis’ top draft pick Kevin Love along with Mike Miller were traded to Minnesota for Antoine Walker, O.J. Mayo and Marco Jaric.   Here are some of the winners and losers of Thursday night.   Winners   Chicago – They say Derrick Rose is Jason Kidd with a jumpshot. If that is the case, you better not f’ this up and pick anyone else! And if he is a Chicago native, you better not f’ this up and pick anyone else! Michael Beasley is a beast, but the Windy City would never forgive John Paxon if he chose anybody but Rose.   The University of Memphis freshman sensation will make an immediate impact in the pros and will be up there with Deron Williams and Chris Paul in a few years. Now, all Chicago has to do is get rid of their logjam of guards, by unloading either Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich or Larry Hughes.   New Jersey – Standord center Brooke Lopez was once pegged as being the third pick. But somehow in the past month, the seven-footer slid down the charts. How he slipped all the way to 10 (where teams like Charlotte, Memphis and Minnesota really could have used him) is beyond me.   Lopez is a skilled big man with a soft touch and good basketball IQ. He may not be a future All-Star but he is no bust. Snagging Ryan Anderson from Cal is also a solid pick. The Pac-10’s leading scorer can spread the floor with his shooting.   Portland – At first it was looking like a nightmare situation for Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless. Having slid a little, Bayless was finally picked up by the Pacers – where they just traded for T.J. Ford, another young point guard. Luckily for Jerryd, he was traded to the Blazers – who are in need of a starting point guard. With a young nucleus of Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge, Bayless walked into a perfect situation.   Memphis – When the Grizzlies traded Pao for basically peanuts earlier this year, Memphis looked like a team that should have been demoted to the D-League. But after acquiring O.J. Mayo via trade, the Grizz now have a solid and exciting foundation of Mayo, Rudy Gay and Mike Conley.   LA Clippers – Eric Gordon was a fine choice with the seventh pick. With Cuttino getting up there in age and Sean Livingston’s status unclear, the super smooth combo guard from the Chi will fit in nicely for L.A.’s B squad. And stealing DeAndre Jordan in the second round might come back and haunt every team that passed on the Texas A&M talent.   Losers   Charlotte – No disrespect to D.J. Augustin, but M.J. dropped the ball once again. Two years after Air Jordan passed on Brandon Roy for Adam Morrison, Mike passed on Brooke Lopez by picking an undersized point guard when they already have Raymond Felton.   If you are unhappy with Felton, and are going to draft a point guard, why not get the bigger and more talented Jerryd Bayless? I may be wrong about D.J., but based on Jordan’s track record (*cough*Kwame Brown*cough*) M.J. screwed up yet another draft.   New York – It is unfair to criticize someone you have never seen play. By all accounts, Danilo Gallinari is a Toni Kukoc clone who has some game. But there were still a lot of great guards on the board like Bayless and Eric Gordon and the New York fans were not shy about voicing their displeasure with this pick.   Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni better pray this kid is the next Dirk Nowitzki or else they’ll be chanting “Fire D’Antoni.” Doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like “Fire Isiah” – but you get the point.   Sacramento – With the 12th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft the Sacramento Kings select Jason Thompson from Rider University. Wait…who? I think Jay Bilis said he was solid but nothing great, so why use a lottery pick on the guy? At least they made a great PR move by drafting Patrick Ewing Jr. in the second round!   Let us know your thoughts on the 2008 draft! Who made good choices, and who didn’t?

The Hidden Beach Unwrapped  series is more than creativity at its finest – it’s a symphonic blend of some of Hip-Hop’s most well-known tracks fused together with the best in smooth jazz.For some, the blend of Hip-Hop with jazz has been long awaited, and who else to present it than the home of Jill Scott? Hidden Beach Records introduces the 5th installment of the Unwrapped series. “Unwrapped – The Collipark Café Sessions,” features the jazz infused renditions of some of today’s biggest anthems. “Get Low” wasn’t exactly the picture perfect welcome into a jazzy Hip-Hop infused album, so the labels “catchy and unique” would be an overstatement. “Aye Bay Bay,” “Sensual Seduction” and “Crank Dat,” have now been seen in a new light. The sultry saxophones and guitars over a general melody capture the essence of complete calmness and take away the strip club bass drops, but still manage to incorporate the initial chorus that make you bounce. Something about removing Ludacris on “Splash Waterfalls” makes that track a complete miss, but who’s to judge? The strong sax at times creates more drama than melancholy, but as a whole, the musical marriage was pure genius. Kudos to Hidden Beach for not copying the Ying Yang Twins “Haaaaaaaaa!” on the chorus of the borrowed track, “Salt Shaker” – it’s appreciated. Not an immediate purchase, but definitely a stocking stuffer for the over 40 age bracket or those who wish to keep all thoughts to a minimum, it serves its purpose. The Collipark Cafe Sessions gets the job done for Neo-Pop mood music. 

Studio: Spyglass/Universal Release date: July 27, 2008 Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Common   This one is for the boys. Sexual overtones, gruesome knockout beat downs, swerving bullets that defy a gun’s trajectory, peanut-butter-crazed exploding rats and some tongue-in-cheek humor so you don’t take it all so serious.   The beginning of Wanted was very reminiscent of the first Matrix, in that the main character, Wesley, portrayed so innocently by James McAvoy, narrates it.   Wesley’s living a life of lackluster motivations; doing what’s expected yet never reaping any of the benefits. He sits in a cubicle working for a lousy boss, who takes every opportunity that she can to spew malicious remarks at him.   Wesley is also with a pretentious girlfriend who makes him feel like sh*t at home. His so-called friend is a two-faced jerk, and he’s downing anti-panic attack pills like their tic-tacs. Something’s got to give. Wesley is cute and unassuming… and he’s the son of one of the world’s most infamous first-class assassins.   Before we know it, his life is put in danger, and a strange woman, Fox (played by Angelina Jolie), has to step in to save him. I love Jolie as Fox – she is the type of cool, skinny b*tch who has no time for boyfriends or relationships, or even sexuality or flirtations.   For Fox and her brethren, it’s about being a solider. And she does a lot more than save Wesley’s life; she’s given the task of recruiting and training him; basically to transform him into the man that he’s destined to be.   Fox is a member of an organization called The Fraternity of Assassins. Their mission: kill one, (maybe) save a thousand. Led by smooth-talking father figure Sloan (Morgan Freeman), this group of misfit killers represents the worlds’ finest murder specialists.   Wesley jumps at the chance to change his life, and most importantly, to learn more about his father. But joining a fraternity isn’t a walk in the park, especially not a fraternity of killers. Wesley’s official training is short in the whole sequence of the film, yet contributes to lots of comedic moments that allow you to become familiar with his character and the lovely characters of The Fraternity.   Common portrays Gunsmith, the sexy beast who manages the guns and trains Wesley to do some of the most dramatic things with a bullet. Then there’s The Butcher, who knows his way around the meat freezer and handles a knife unlike any other film character I’ve seen.   The most memorable character is The Repairman, who soaks Wesley in what initially looks like solid candle wax every time he’s worn out from his official assassin training. He also teaches him a thing or two about rodent’s fondness for peanut butter.   Creating the ultimate killing machine doesn’t come easy, but it seems like lots of fun. Before you know it, Wesley is curving bullets and breaking noses with the best of them. He’s finally ready to make his first kill. But who or what decides who gets the ax?   Sloan and this mysterious artistry of fabric tapestry make those decisions. It’s Sloan’s job to read the names and their job to fulfill the order and make the kill. Everyone goes along with the system – until there’s a glitch. There’s always a glitch, and Wesley ends smack dab in the middle fighting for his life.   In hot pursuit of his target, Wesley and Fox end up in Italy on a metro train that heads up a mountain. All hell breaks loose, but he’s determined to make his target. This sequence of scenes makes for some of the most exciting stunts in the movie. Edge-of-your-seat drama, action and artillery swirling around people’s heads… Wow, there’s still thirty minutes left.   When I say that the boys will love this movie, I mean it. It’s rough like Fight Club yet driven like The Transporter, including knuckle punches, train rides and bullet wounds. Everything the boys love to see in an action flick. Remember there is a twist, which will keep you guessing till the very end.   Wanted is a great Friday night flick that will get your heart pumping and your trigger finger inching. Believe me, it’s worth it in every sense of the word. If you like action flicks, you want to see Wanted.