TRANSFORMING THEIR VISION INTO HOLLYWOOD GLORY

By: Rahiem Shabazz

When independent filmmakers AJ Kparr and Alexander Kane raised money from investors they had the same dreams as many other filmmakers, to take Hollywood by storm. The duo intended to knock down Hollywood barriers, instilling hope and destroying the myth of independent films, which they did. Their skills and commitment as filmmakers have attracted a host of believers inside and outside of the industry, who had no problem investing their money to make the film possible.

“This film was completely independently financed,” states Alex.  It is difficult to raise funds particularly at the early stage of your film career but we knew folks who had money and we knew how to present the project,” he explains.

The Box starring, Gabrielle Union quickly made its impact on IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) at #45 after being acquired and distributed by Black Code Entertainment. When asked how he managed to get an A-List actor such as Gabrielle Union Alexander Kane states, “she read and connected with the material and after two to three meetings, she felt confident this would be a good project for her regardless, to being a big budget film or not, explains the 1^st time director.” “This was a labor of love for something she really wanted to do, to display her ability,” he shares.

Movies were always a passion for the two budding filmmakers.  Kparr, who attended Howard University, gained his insights into the movie industry by pursuing a film and television degree.  After his involvement in several project he decided to make his directorial debut with The Box. “From the start, I wanted to make an impact on the cinematic world with a film with crossover appeal at the box office,” he states.

 A complete visionary, AJ exercises his innate ability as a director to make a film that resonates with viewers across all racial barriers. In The Box, the fact versus fiction scenario deepens as the movie’s plot unveils it’s self.

For Finn Williams (Yul Vazquez) and his friends, a typical night out involve hotties, cold beers, and a stack of poker chips. But tonight it’s just the boys, as they celebrate their buddy Tommy, who’s off to Spain for a year. All things said, it’s a pretty uneventful night that is, until three men armed with heavy weapons burst in, looking for millions in stolen money. By night’s end, only two men are left standing: Finn and one of the robbers. Now, it’s up to two hard-nosed homicide detectives (Det. Cris Romano—Gabrielle Union) and Det. Dwayne Burkhalter – Giancarlo Esposito), seeking answers to interrogate them, as they try to piece together what happened. Everyone has a story, everyone has an agenda, but the truth will be revealed inside The Box.           

 The daunting task of getting Hollywood to notice one’s film, has just been made easier by Kparr and Kane. The dynamic duo is now working on their next projects; Kane’s latest efforts will be as writer/producer of a psychological thriller titled “Mate”. This chess thriller will be Kane’s directorial debut. While, Kparr is currently producing a psychological thriller, called “Primal,” the supernatural thriller will be his sophomore effort. 

For more information on The Box visit Code Black http://www.codeblackentertainment.com

Rahiem Shabazz is a filmmaker and journalist living in Atlanta. For more information log on to www.myspace.com/rahiemshabazz or www.rashaentertainment.com

Is Hip Hop Really from the Bronx? Anthropology professor Says’No’

Anthropology Professor Traces & Challenges
Hip Hop’s True Orgins

by Daniel Dexter

http://hiphopnews. yuku. com/topic/441

Austin, TX: Frank Rochester is often described as a principled, fair and honest man to a fault. The 6′ 4″ 51 year old tenured anthropology professor at nearby University of Texas is a towering figure who you would best not to cross. There’s a large number of people 1500 miles away in New York City aka The Big Apple who are about to find out the hard way.

Professor Rochester is one who embodies the stubborn resilient spirit of the Lone Star state who is quite willing to go at an opponent against all odds. After quietly raging a two year battle, Rochester finally may be getting his wish as he takes aim at the media conglomerates who he claims unfairly, undeservedly and erroneously attribute cultural trends to the New York populace.

“Because New York City is home to all the TV networks and big time media, important stories and perspectives from other parts of the country don’t get discovered until somebody from New York ‘discovers’ or ‘invents’ it”, Rochester said with pointed enthusiasm.

“It’s now common knowledge that while New York City is often dubbed the fashion capital of the world, it really isn’t. The truth of the matter is most fashion trends start overseas in places like Japan and make then make its way to the states beginning with west coast cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco”, Rochester noted. “However to listen to the so called big city pundits you would never know that. It’s all about New York and it’s completely false.
“

As a cultural anthropologist Rochester has discovered that big media have created a mystique around New York that simply needs to be shattered. By falsely attributing cultural trends to the Big Apple many regions in this country have suffered a talent drain. Some of our best and brightest from Texas have wound up going to New York for validation.

The Roots of Hip Hop Expression: Bull-Dancing and Bell Ringing

“New York City being the center of the cultural universe is a myth. It’s one big urban legend that in many ways is harmful”, Rochester stated. “One of the biggest falsehoods is that New York City is the birthplace of the music phenomenon called Hip Hop. For almost three decades we have been led to believe that a bunch kids from public housing projects went out and created one of the most vibrant and certainly one of the most popular art forms in the 21st century. It sounds good on TV. It reads well in newspaper. It tugs at our heart strings”, Rochester grimaced, “But the truth of the matter is this cultural expression is rooted in Texas sharecropping and cowboy culture.
“

Rochester’s research shows that long before kids in the Bronx were rapping on the mic, there were rhyme sayers working the cotton fields in Texas as far back as the 1700s. Rochester has in his possession old slave and sharecropping journals and even old African -American newspapers that are filled with rhymes and limericks.

“Black people in Texas have been using rhymes as a form of communication for hundreds of years.”, Rochester noted. He continued by stating that it wasn’t unusual for groups of African descended men to get in a circle and recite rhyme against one another.
It’s part of what many anthropologist have long called the ‘African Oral Tradition‘ In Texas it was known as ‘Hollaring in the Circle‘.

Rochester pointed out oftentimes the cowboys would join those hollars and their own 2 cents in terms of rhymes. It was slave hands and later, sharecroppers rhyming alongside cowboys. “This is history that isn’t recognized”, Rochester said.

He went on to explain that break-dancing is actually a derivative of cowboy culture which started off in rodeos. He described how field hands would show off their toughness by lassoing bulls and allowing themselves to be pulled around. At first the cowboys would try and stand up and do fancy moves with their feet as a sign of being quick footed. As the bulls would become more agitated the cowboys would be dragged to the ground at which point they would do fancy spins on their backs while holding tight to the rope.

“This activity was called ‘back lassoing‘ or ‘bull-dancing‘ and it’s been in existence at least one hundred years before New York supposedly discovered it.”, Rochester quipped.

“If you look at what are described as power moves in Hip Hop dance, you will see that they are no different then the bull dance moves which are still done to this day at Texas rodeos throughout east Texas and near the border towns.”.

He added that bull-dancing was accompanied by quick witted wordsmiths who would serves as MCs (Masters of Ceremonies). These individuals would recite rhymes and make up limericks for the bull-dancers.
Often times a cowbell ringer would be in the back ground setting the pace by ringing the bells. At its best the announcer would say his rhyme to the beat of the cowbell.

“I guess a bunch of cowboys and sharecroppers inventing Hip Hop doesn’t sound as compelling as compared to some project kids from the Bronx.”, Rochester said.

Connecting Texas and the Bronx

Rochester has been able to trace the roots of Cowboy and share-cropping culture and its connection to New York and what would later emerge to be Hip Hop. He explained that in 1970 the Texas rodeo teams went to New York for the first time and did and very well attended exhibit at Madison Square Garden. The teams stayed for several weeks and mesmerized Big Apple residents with their bull-dancing techniques and cowbell ringing. The showmanship captured the imaginations of a lot of people including several New York deejays.

Rochester said if you go and listen to the first raps they sound just like bull-dance calls. The rapper would reflect his voice as if he was throwing up. These deejays later brought that style to the airwaves and popular nightclubs.
Rochester steadfastly maintains that it was from Texas Bull-dancing that Jamaican born Kool Herc adapted what would later become Hip Hop.
There is no doubt in Rochesters mind that Herc as well as other pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa and others all were inspired by the Texas rodeo.

Rochester pointed out two undeniable facts. First, during the 1970 Texas rodeo appearance in New York City, attending the event at Madison Square Garden was a popular class field trip for NY public schools. There’s a strong Likelyhood that many of New York’s pioneering figures saw first hand rhyming, bull-dancing and cowbell ringing.

Second, is according to migration patterns, many Black Texans fleeing racial discrimination and hardships landed in New York. The Bronx and nearby Westchester county were popular spots that when you do the research show its heavily concentrated with displaced Texans. This means that there is a strong possibility that during the summer months and holidays, Bronx born African American New Yorkers went ‘back home to Texas and got exposed to bull-dancing.
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Taking it to the Capitol

Professor Frank Rochester is absolutely convinced that Hip Hop emerged from Texas before New York City. He claims that one of the reasons that Texas Hip Hop now outsells and is more popular then NY is because when it comes from here the audience is experiencing the ‘real thing’.

Rochester feels that the state of Texas is losing not only cultural recognition but also millions of dollars in revenue that could be generated if the world was to know the truth about Texas being the real birthplace of Hip Hop.

Rochester is currently working with lawmakers here in the state capitol to see about suing the city of New York for deceptive and misleading practices.
Texas lawmaker Tony Sanchez says he’s in agreement with Rochester. He feels that a strong message needs to be sent to all those complicit in this deception.
Ideally they want to get it legislated so that NY can’t officially call itself the birthplace of Hip Hop

“For years Texas has been overlooked and essentially victim to big city politics which has resulted in cultural theft. We can not allow New York City officials to erroneously lay claim to being the birthplace of Hip Hop. It’s a lie that needs to be corrected”, Sanchez wrote in a recent press release.

This amendment will be introduced to the floor of the Texas assembly next week and attached to Bill HR 321
http://www. capitol. state. tx. us/BillLookup/BillNumber. aspx

Thus far New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been silent on this but we suspect he’ll be speaking up in due time trying to defend New York’s ill-gotten attributions.

http://hiphopnews. yuku. com/topic/441

VIBE MAGAZINE’S MAY 2008 COVER TO FEATURE HIP HOP STAR LIL WAYNE

Veteran rap star Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter is featured on the May 2008 cover of VIBE Magazine – on newsstands April 2nd.  This month’s cover story reveals details of the rapper’s controversial lifestyle.  From his obsession with making music, to his admitted addiction to prescription cough syrup, and his recent run-ins with the law, VIBE breaks down the complex personality of the Hip Hop superstar.

The May 2008 issue also features an exclusive interview with Senator Hillary Clinton who speaks one-on-one with VIBE correspondent Joan Morgan.  During her conversation with Morgan, Clinton talks about reforming drug sentencing laws, discusses the “misogyny and coarseness” of pop-culture, and talks about Senator Barack Obama as a possible running mate should she win the Democratic nomination.

Penning this month’s Lil Wayne cover feature is VIBE Senior Editor Benjamin Meadows-Ingram who examines just how high the rap prodigy’s star has risen since signing his first record deal at age 11.  Taking an extensive look at his 14-year career, Meadows-Ingram praises Lil Wayne’s talents as an artist and gets him to open-up about a range of topics surrounding his personal life. 

Lil Wayne talks about his love for making music:  “I love the studio…It feels like going into a classroom, you know you didn’t study everything, the test gets in front of you, and you’re like ‘Damn, I know all the answers.’  That’s how I feel when I get in the studio, like ‘Damn, I know all the answers.”

Lil Wayne admits his addiction to “syrup” and suffering from withdrawal:  “You will literally feel it going in, like Pepto-Bismol shows in the commercial….It pissed me off ‘cause I couldn’t get off it…I can take pain good…but that wasn’t pain I could take.”
Lil Wayne’s response when questioned about his lifestyle:  “Don’t judge me until you meet me.  And you know when you gonna meet me?  Never.  So don’t judge me.  Don’t worry about my health because…what you doing?  And when you tell me what you doing, I bet it ain’t half as great as what I’m doing…I smoke, drink, and…do what, who, and how I want and I’m going to keep doing.  And I’ma die the way I want.  And that’s that.”

Lil Wayne on his legacy:  “I wanna be a Bob Marley.  I wanna be a Tupac – their lives mean so much…I wanna mean so much after I’m gone.  Y’all still gotta do shows, tributes, dedicate 20 whole minutes to me on every show.  I want that.”

Lil Wayne’s response when asked if he’s scared of death: “F— no.  I’m more afraid of life than death…I don’t know where you going when you die, so I ain’t too scared of that.  I already know what’s poppin’ ‘round here.  It’s scary out here.”

Lil Wayne on wanting respect as an artist: “I still feel like I’m not being respected…I still feel like I don’t have the crown.  I still feel like there’s something I have to do that hasn’t been done.”

This issue of VIBE also examines the waning star power of American Idol and questions the ability of pop reality shows to produce real stars.  The magazine takes an in-depth look at the rate of success for artists following their appearances on the show and others such as Making the Band.

VIBE also introduces readers to bowling in this month’s issue as several celebrities express their affinity for the sport.  NBA star Chris Paul, who is an official spokesman for the United States Bowling Congress, reveals how he got introduced to the sport while the magazine reveals a list of other celebs who got game – including rappers Nelly, Ludacris, and Juelz Santana, producer Jermaine Dupri, and NBA players Dwight Howard and Gilbert Arenas.

ABOUT VIBE:
VIBE Media Group, an affiliate of The Wicks Group of Companies, L.L.C., is a leading music/lifestyle media company that publishes the award-winning VIBE magazine, the preeminent brand in urban and music culture, which was founded by Quincy Jones in 1993, now celebrating its 15 Anniversary-year.  Additional VIBE Media Group properties include Vibe.com; Comcast’s VIBE video-on-demand channel; The VIBE Awards; the wireless content service mVibe; and VIBE Books, which published The New York Times bestseller, Tupac Shakur.