Rachel's Spot

sometimes i feel like i've lived many lives. i guess it's because i have. does it make me a "richer" person or just a person who is scattered & can't focus on any one thing for any extended period of time?

i love montages. i often edit them just to get my brain moving so i can edit what i have to edit. maybe i'm just scattered.

here's a short clip that shows glimpses into my scattered past. post-modern dance, rappers, 16mm films, rap videos, dnc protests, b-girls, prison poets. click to watch:

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i'm trying to get organized. i have to write. i have to teach again soon.

i've hit the library:

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i've always wanted to do this sort of video clip:

i didn't do it this time around & don't think there will be a next time. we'll see.

Posted by Rae at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (71)

so i was talking about a new book / dvd project with the super homegirl and working on a hip hop feminism entry for the encyclopedia of sex & gender (due in a few days that will be published on Macmillan in 2007). we were poking around the internet and found this "FOR THE FELLAS" on Bet.com:

so B-GIRLS, huh? it's a BET online section called FOR MEN.

B-Girls as in:
big booty girls?
bikini booty girls?
bootylicious girls?

"i don't think it stands for breathtaking" says MJ, "or beautiful, unfortunately and definitely not beloved". OH BET. how about beautiful? brilliant? brazen? bright?

is this all that BET Girls stand for?

there is a link on the comments page to "Report post as offensive". How about we report the whole site, station, and genre of eye candy / dimepiece / skin to be deaded or at least put on a pay cable channel where it belongs?

In the Minnesota Women's Press Miranda Jane writes "To be a B-Girl" --> "Originally, B-Girl meant break girl or Brox girl. Breaking is the generic term for what is formally considered B-Boying or B-Girling by hip-hop purists, used to describe the style of dance stemming from hip-hop culture which emerged in the South Bronx during the early 1970s. Toay, the term B-Girl has grown to encompass women who are directly involved with or heavily impacted by hip-hop culture."

Click the image to watch a short VIDEO:

don't let BET (mis)inform and (mis)educate you, these are real B-GIRLS!:
Asia One
Rokafella
Break Girl
We B*Girlz (Martha Cooper book)
and so many more...

---> RESOURCES on Women in Hip Hop HERE

Posted by Rae at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1093)

I've had a crush on T.I. since he came out as TIP years back. Don't get me wrong, we know the difference between real crushes and Hollywood crushes but given my background (at magazines and in hip hop), he knows I can get anyones 2-way in the industry if I don't have it already. So, normally honey hates watching what I call "man movies" when I am all crushed out (tho sometimes those slip in like Troy and shirtless Brad Pitt, oh my!), but he requested ATL as our movie of the weekend.

Now from the weak reviews and the trailer I thought ehhhhhh. Probably pretty weak. Another rolling skating movie (like Bow-wow getting his grown man on) with a rap soundtrack (and I'm way exhausted of the selling of movies with music a la Get Rich and all those that have come before).

The plot summary: ATL tells the story of four teens coming of age in a working class Atlanta neighborhood where hip-hop music and roller skating rule. As the group prepares for life after high school, challenges on and off the rink bring about turning points in each of their lives. The film is loosely based on Dallas Austin and Tionne Watkins’ experiences growing up in Atlanta.

Except for some excessive slo-mo roller skating big ol' booty shots (Robinson IS a rap video director) there was a subtlety to the film. Normally the "rap star" films have too many drug dealers, iced out chains, and "lessons" that tell you that the struggles of the "average joe" aren't worth it because you always loose - the $, the respect and the women. But in ATL there are no sloppy sex scenes, no double timing the women (Rashad, the character played by TIP tells his ex she is ex-ed and focuses on his new love and even buys her a little gold necklace), repeated shots of Jellybean's cubic zirconia (and even jokes about it - "I guess u just gonna fake it til you make it, huh?") and lots of time spent watching him clean windows and office buildings. He wears basic t-shirts and jeans, little to no excess, just reality of life struggles and rollerskating. I'm glad rappers aren't too cool to roller skate and the working poor struggles are important enough to Hollywood to tell their stories.

Big Boi plays the drug dealer who tries to lure Rashad's little bro "to the dark side" of drug dealing. You see his car, his dough, his dogs, and the fear he evokes (disguised as respect, as it often is), but Jellybean's "work" life is short-lived. That's rare in a film with rap soundtrack.

In the end, beautiful cinematography (vivid colors and imagery even tho we are focused primarily on the working poor - who is Crash? - shot "One Minute Man" and lots of other videos), strong performances, and this character-driven piece overarch the marketing of rapper turned actor film with rap soundtrack. I'm eager for the next Robinson film and anything with TIP in it (a girl can have a rapper crush can't she?!?)

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Another weekend surprise - the visit of my homegirl. Miss thing has toured & managed many, including the Dogg (that was the last time I saw her). My baby girl, then about 6 or 7, got offered $100 for her all-access Snoop VIP pass by hoes in the bathroom - scary. Now she manages Roc/La Familia artist Tru Life (the Roc chain is bigger than it looks on TV and very shiny!) It's beautiful to see Puerto Rican brothers trying to bring it for the East.

We kicked it, catching up on old times (we go back over a decade), and the "rap life" (which I've years left behind). I'm not sure how she still does it. To me, rap tours feel like the worst babysitting job EVER (grown ass men who bitch and moan 24/7). She seems very happy and I was happy to see her but happier to go home to my life as a soccer mom.

Posted by Rae at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1013)

Hip Hop Film Festival at the Flint Institute of Arts
July 28-30, 2006

1120 East Kearsley Street
Flint, Michigan
810.234.1695 www.flintarts.org

An educational and entertaining experience featuring art, music, and 9 movies!
Admission: $6 per day, $15 weekend pass (call for group rates)

Friday, July 28

5:00 PM – Opening Night Party
An unveiling of a hip-hop inspired art installation in the FIA Lobby, conceived and organized by Michigan-based artist and curator Craig Paul Nowak, including works by the following artists: RIKU, John Fletcher, Serge Gay Jr., MINES, LaKela Brown, ARMY, KOSEK, FARS, Mike Smith. Before the feature films, there will be musical performances by Rosta Records artists Theory, G-Wiz, and Main Event, as well as screenings of locally-produced videos: “104-1/2 Street Short� and “Woman II Woman.�

6:00 PM – Nobody Knows My Name
(58 min., followed by discussion with director Rachel Raimist)
7:30 PM – Scratch (90 min.)

RED INK STUDIOS PRESENTS
The Official Hip-Hop Film Festival After Party
9:30 PM to Midnight
Featuring performances by: The Chose In Few, Lost Elementz, 7 Chakraz, and Done Proper.
Admission is free with HHFF ticket stub; otherwise $5 donation is suggested.
101 Burton Street
(Across from Farmer’s Market, 1/4 mile west of I-475 on Robert T. Longway Boulevard in downtown Flint)
810-232-1354, redinkstudios.org

Saturday, July 29

11:00 AM – Workshop: “The Elements of Rhyme Style�
11:45 AM – Workshop: “The Basics of Hip Hop Production�
12:30 AM – Panel: “Representing Hip Hop on the Web�
1:30 PM – Style Wars (70 min.)
3:00 PM – The Freshest Kids (90 min.)
5:00 PM – Bomb the System (95 min.)
7:30 PM – Wild Style (82 min.)

Sunday, July 30

1:30 PM – What’s Up Fat Lip? (27 min.)
2:00 PM – Breath Control (73 min.)
3:30 PM – Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
(72 min., followed by discussion with filmmakers Kevin Fitzgerald, Todd Hickey, and Rachel Raimist)

The Flint Institute of Arts is a museum and art school located in the Flint Cultural Center in Flint, Michigan. Visitors can enjoy an active program of changing exhibitions, masterpieces from the special collection, weekly films, studio classes, and a variety of educational programs and special events throughout the year.
Contact: Charles Gentry, Assistant Curator of Film and Video Art

ALSO:
The History of Turntablism (“H.o.T�) at the Sloan Museum
Organized by the Art Café of Davison, Michigan, the “H.o.T� exhibition at the Sloan Museum will display antique and retro turntables, art, photography, videos, and other ephemera of DJ culture on Saturday, July 29th, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Contact:
Cora Smilkovich, Executive Director
Curtis Kohl, Program Director
The Art Café
217 Shoppers Alley
Davison, MI 48423
810.624.9385
staff@artcafeonline.org

Posted by Rae at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (896)

July 20 - 23, Chicago, IL

Chicago is the host city for the second annual National Hip Hop Political Convention. The four day event, to be held at several sites, is expected to build upon the success of the first-ever National Hip Hop Political Convention, where in 2004, over 6000 members of the Hip Hop generation converged in Newark, NJ. This year’s convention focuses on training future leaders and equipping the generation to become accountable and responsible with Hip Hop, both the culture and its music.

The theme of the 2006 NHHPC is Money - Power - Respect. Programming is designed to educate members of the Hip Hop generation on how to earn, demand and work for all three.

Scheduled programming consists of Freedom School, a Film Festival, Issue Education, Town Hall Meetings, Panel Discussions, Concert/Block Party, Performances, "Down By Law" battles, afterparties and culminating vote on agenda by NHHPC National Assembly.

The plenary session for this year’s event will be “The Movement Continues,� an intergenerational dialogue between organizers and activists from the Civil Rights era and the Hip Hop generation.

The cost of registration for freedom school trainings is $35 for the general public. On-site registration is available. To register, please call 773.238.4533 or visit: www.2006hiphopconvention.com.

Posted by Rae at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (382)

thus far, my summer favorites:

The Heart of the Game - doc about seattle high school's girl bball squad & struggles of teamwork and specifically some of the life complications of darnellia (who desires to play in the wnba and quite possibly has the skills to do so)

finally a film both my honey (an avid bball player/obsessive fan) and i could enjoy together! i most appreciated the filmmaker's dedication. he follows the team over the course of years. i know he must of had hours and hours of footage to edit through. he was a cpa so he's probably pretty patient. i'd love a pass through the footage for a re-edit (less voice over, sorry Luda!) and some more about more of the players, and maybe a bit more of darnellia's pov and her struggles. still, i felt a bit of an outsider just peeking into her life (i know that i am, but i enjoy intimate docs). tho there were a few messages that hit home for me:

the world says: if u get pregnant miss thing (read: young, poor, brown), you will be punished (read: good bye opportunity)

the brown girls (read: unwed pregnant w.o.c.s like me) say: watch me now!

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when i was in film school pre-daughter, i was also treated as a rising star: $, opportunites, attention, support. when it was "found out" that i was pregnant i got a pretty cold reaction from most "in power": lost $ (scholarships, free film, recommendations for jobs, etc...). one faculty member who i had worked with thru undergrad (and the one who encouraged me to apply for grad school & nominated me in ((a rarity at UCLA)) called me "oh yah, what's her name, the one with the baby" to a group of my student friends - deplorable.

some of my "rising star" friends weren't much better. one lady - a variety top 5 to watch for - told me to give up. i recall our convo about my pregnancy (while it was still unknown in the dept.):

me: i'm pregnant, due in august

filmstar girl: so, what are you going to do? i mean, when are you going to get it taken care of.

me: ummmm, i'm having it

filmstar girl: so, you're giving up on film school? do you know how many girls would die to go to ucla?

me: i'm not giving up on anything. things are just changing.

filmstar girl goes on to chronicle about her recent abortions and the reasons why she thought that the only way: you just can't be a filmmaker and a mom

me: maybe you can't but i'm not you

we haven't spoken in many years.

i am a filmmaker and a mom but my priorities are being a mom and a filmmaker. i guess this is the compromise she wasn't willing to make. she's still struggling to direct her first feature, and still no kids in her mid-30's. i know kids aren't for everyone but i love being a filming soccer mom.

i've decided to make films as i feel passionate about them. take and give. give and take.

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The Devil Wears Prada- i actually really enjoyed this hollywood film. normally i'm rolling my eyes at this sort of film but i could relate with the story and the main character. working for a brief stint for rhino fashion brand and having a job that i thought was my dream job (which really could be a horrific nightmare) and quitting to go back to school, i could do a rachel re-make (hip hop style) of this film. maybe i'll read the book (if someone gives it to me free).

Mad Hot Ballroom - documentary about New York City kids (black and brown / mostly Dominican / "urban kids") who learn ballroom through the dancing classroom program. they learn many styles of dance and compete against other schools in the program.

the films feels more subtle than other docs i've watched about inner city kids and their struggles. lack and poverty are a backdrop, a subtext, but the smiles, concentration and energy of the kids are at front. how often do you get to see brown kids learning something and really enjoying it. think of the work of professor Tara J. Yosso. she has a video she uses for teaching (well, she will have a newly updated one once i get editing and stop blogging!) that includes clips of chicano/a and latino/a students in classrooms. dangerous minds, 187, High School High (and the list goes on and on) all feature scenes of "bad" unruly students that act like wild animals. so as a "real" story (please remember documentary is a constructed reality), i appreciate that most of the on-screen moments feature brown kids smiling!

Yo Soy Boricua - i love the music YerbaBuena! produced by liz garbus, rory kennedy (a powerhouse team) and directed by rosie perez (who has bothered me my whole adult life, because living outside of NY i've been called rosie rachel cuz of my "accent"). the film is a bit too pbs-y for me (long voice-overs, distant from the subject matter (even tho the film is about rosie's family) and a bit surface. but, i love the section about the forced sterilization of puerto rican women which i will definitely show in a women's studies class. overall, wanted more.

purchases received in the mail (i try to buy other indie doc filmmakers stuff when my rent is paid):
the Abortion Diaries
Searching for Angela Shelton

with family movie watching:
Akeelah and the Bee
Cars
Hoot
Pink Panther
Click
Stick It
Take the Lead
Into the Wild

with honey movie watching:
Dave Chapelle's Block Party
Da Vinci Code
Troy
North Country
Honeymooners
Last Holiday
40 Year Old Virgin
Wolf Creek
Hostel
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Every Mother's Son (again)
Panther in Africa (again)

tried to watch:
Munich - fell asleep

want to see:
Quinceanera - two white gay filmmakers cast "normal" people in this story. "As Magdalena's 15th birthday approaches, her simple, blissful life is complicated by the discovery that she's pregnant. Kicked out of her house, she finds a new family with her great-granduncle and gay cousin.
Urban Explorers- "POLICE THINK THEY ARE TERRORISTS BUT URBAN EXPLORERS ARE ACTUALLY A GROWING SUBCULTURE OF ADVENTURE SEEKERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO EXPLORE PLACES WHERE MOST PEOPLE WOULD NEVER DREAM OF GOING."
Slingshot Hip Hop - "a documentary film that focuses on the daily life of Palestinian rappers living in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel. It aims to spotlight alternative voices of resistance within the Palestinian struggle and explore the role their music plays within their social, political and personal lives."

Posted by Rae at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (759)

Up next, I'll be heading to Flint, Michigan for the Hip Hop Film Festival.

Full Schedule of screenings (Freestyle,What's Up Fatlip and more!) - available HERE

Posted by Rae at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (445)

I'm really happy to read this - NO MORE UNCUT!

I'm really excited to see this - Heart of the Game
except review says: Documentaries should ask questions, explore subjects and universalize the story. "Heart of the Game" does none of these; it's too much game, not enough heart.
Still, I think it will be a great teachable moment.
May be good for this class I'm teaching in the Fall.

I'm really intrigued about this - short film made of just STILLS

I'm doubtful about this - Now that Lil Kim is Free Will She Fight For Other Prisoners?

I'm trying to feel content reminiscing about timing, listening to-
"Say Yes" by Floetry

I'm energized listening to this - YerbaBuena

I'm happy to be finally working on my entries for the ladies crew, check us out:

Posted by Rae at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (71)

So I receive an email from miss Mona from the Hip Hop Association inviting me to screen at the Black Filmmaker Magazine Film Festival. She asked for press links and stills and all the things I should have organized and easily accessible but for some reason I've been lost for the last couple months years. So I grabbed a couple links:

http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1278/article13352.asp
http://www.mndaily.com/loadAV.php?mult_id=45
http://muse.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/access.cgi uri=/journals/the_velvet_light_trap/v053/53.1editors03.pdf
http://www.verbalisms.com/content/archives/000443.php
http://www.manhunt.com/features/html/103.html
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/DB/issues/99/12.02/ae.nobody.html
http://starbulletin.com/2003/12/19/features/story5.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3935/is_200207/ai_n9128228
http://www.thecyberkrib.com/Features/Archive/Ichiban_Son/nobody.html
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/fc/fcgreenpop.htm
http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2001-1/issue2/ar-nobody.html

and even found a video clip that I never saw before. How do I not find these little clips until like a year later?

Lookie here:

Posted by Rae at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (422)

This came from some friends from my favorite class at the U. If you have time, energy and interest:

Hey Ladies - Having trouble locating your...

VOICE?!

Because Ashley Hanson and Crystal Spring are hosting our first non-annual
"Quest for our Voice" Workshop!

In this hectic world of advertisements and individualism, it can be very
difficult to locate and maintain our relationships, community and authentic
expression. Crystal and Ashley want to invite you to come and explore,
express, and empower your voice as a woman and your relationship with
other women in your community.
We are inviting self-identified women from all walks of life to
participate in a two day exploratory workshop filled with building warm
relationships, exploring life issues, along with locating and exercising
the voices of women in the world today!

When: July 21st 5:30pm-9:00pm and July 22nd 10:00am-4:00pm (with an hour
lunch!)
Where: University of Minnesota, Coffman Union, Room 324
(Map available at: http://onestop.umn.edu/Maps/CMU/index.html )
Why: Because you will make connections, discoveries, and maybe learn
something completely new about yourself and because women deserve to locate
and share our voices together!
How much: Completely FREE! (bring lunch or money for lunch on Saturday!)

This workshop is for women who are interested in discovering the parts of
ourselves we haven't explored yet; our layers and what is in between those
layers. We will be facilitating exercises from the techniques we have
studied based on the works of Augusto Boal, Sonja Kuftinec, Michael Rohd, &
Jan Mandell.

You do not need to be in theatre or in the arts to participate in this
workshop all you need is enthusiasm! We will explore how to relate to each
other, ourselves, and the world as women and we would love to have you!

Please contact Ashley Hanson at 612-296-9885 or hans1581@umn.edu or
Crystal Spring at 612-331-2741 or spri0090@umn.edu with any questions, doubts, or
encouragements!

If you are interested in attending, please send an email to
questforourvoice@gmail.com with your name and contact information. Let us
know if you can make it. We invited you specifically and space is limited,
so don't wait until the last minute. Please respond by July 17th.
We are excited to have you!

And if you know of any other self-identified women who are looking for a
safe space to exercise their voice, please pass along this information.

We look forward to sharing stories, space and smiles with all of you!

Love, Love, Love,
Crystal Spring & Ashley Hanson

Posted by Rae at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (303)

At B-Girl Be my friend Molly gave me a copy of the book she illustrated:

I'm liking it. Simple, straight forward, clear and honest. Would be a great addition to my Mac class reading.

Here's the official description:

In this incisive guide, Pittelman and members of the Resource Generation-a group of wealthy young people working for social justice-coach other privileged youth anxious about inherited advantage to use their economic position for social change (which, they write, "means we believe that there is an unjust distribution of resources and that we want to be a part of working towards change"). Emphasizing the positions of power occupied by upper-class youths' parents, and the likelihood of useful connections, the book argues for the importance of being up front about wealth and societal position instead of shying away from activism because of guilt over privilege. Divided into two parts, "understanding privilege" and "taking action," the books is peppered with quizzes, word searches, comics and role-playing games that may be a bit juvenile for the intended audience-people at the age to manage their own wealth (identified by the book as aged 15-35). However, with sections devoted to becoming comfortable without hiding wealth, developing a giving process and using socially responsible investing strategies, the book offers useful and hard-to-find information.

Book's Website is HERE

Posted by Rae at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (306)

Call for Papers: Hip Hop and the Academy
Winter 2006: Popular Culture in the Academy: A Home for Hip Hop?
Deadline October 1, 2006

In an effort to engage teenagers in their learning, teachers are increasingly turning to popular culture for alternative texts and topics. Should educators use popular culture and hip hop as teaching tools? How do you feel when students are the experts? What contemporary texts have worked best with your students? How do you handle lyrics and lines that push at the boundary of school-appropriate material? How can we help students take a critical stance towards media images and advertising campaigns? California English is interested in publishing stories from your classroom describing how popular culture can be used as a springboard for deep and authentic learning.

Please send all submissions to California English editor, Carol Jago. Articles should be limited to 2,500 words. Please submit manuscripts via email to jago@gseis.ucla.edu.

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California State University in Northridge and University at Albany invite your papers concerning "Feminism, Race, Transnationalism & HipHop", they "especially invite submissions that highlight global and transnational perspectives on women, hip-hop from around the globe, and other forms of popular music." Deadline is Auggust 5th, see below for details.

Special Issue of Meridians
Women, Hip-Hop, and Popular Music

For a proposed special issue of Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism on the subject "Women, Hip-Hop, and Popular Music," we invite critical essays, creative work, and interviews or conversations with music artists/practitioners from a variety of disciplines, practices, and cultural scenes. Music may be broadly defined to include spoken word, dub poetry, DJs, low- and high-tech innovations, etc. We especially invite submissions that highlight global and transnational perspectives on women, hip-hop from around the globe, and other forms of popular music. We also invite submissions that highlight music from the past and other historical issues that shed light on contemporary music scenes. High priority will be given to submissions that utilize critical race feminist analyses.

Subjects covered may include but are not limited to the following:
- popular music and feminist consciousness (performers, political activists, lyricists, producers, compilers of music CD/albums, club and radio DJs, etc. who engage in “feminist� and social justice issues).
- marginal pop music personas (e.g. Enya, Zap Mama, Sade, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Ani Difranco, Björk).
- historical recoveries and research of women’s popular music in the past.
- marginalization of women musicians (including vocalists and rappers) in music industries and/or academic studies.
- representations of women in popular music, the media, public performances, etc.
- music at the movies (marketing of movie soundtracks, silent movie era, movie portrayals of music artists, Bollywood playback singers and item girls, etc.).
- local artists, global markets, world music scenes (cross-cultural efforts by women music artists to increase their profiles, cultural appropriations, and/or globalizing trends).
- appropriation of women’s music (male and/or mainstream takeover of female music expressions).
- hip-hop, popular music, and the prison or military industrial complex.
- teaching hip-hop and popular music in the feminist classroom.

Essays should not exceed 9,000 words or 35 pages, including all endnotes and references (typed and double-spaced, using Chicago style); abstracts should be 150 words.
Please send email attachments in Word format

R. Dianne Bartlow
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8251
Phone: (818)677-2097

Janell Hobson
University at Albany, SUNY
1400 Washington Avenue, SS 341
Albany, NY 12222
Phone: (518) 442-5575
dianne.bartlow@csun.edu; jhobson@albany.edu

Posted by Rae at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (647)

I love VLOGS - video blogs. People post short films of their lives, home-made music videos, and lots of event coverage.

I want to post a video clip everyday, but that would require much more dedication and energy (working on it). Anyway, I'm a member of the Yahoo Videobloggers group.

Gena of http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com and http://voxmedia.org/wiki/Video writes of myspace's content (meaning when artists put video clips of their work on their myspace page):

Their normal terms of service isnothing short of blood sucking.

I read different newsletters, some of which have nothing to do with
computers or vlogging. This is an extract from an article that Meg
Weaver wrote for Absolute Markets Newsletter (for writers):

The MySpace.com fine print informs users that by posting any content,
"you hereby grant to MySpace.com a non-exclusive, fully-paid and
royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense through
unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy, modify, adapt,
translate, publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce,
transmit, and distribute such Content on and through the Services."

According to nydailynews.com (link below) Myspace.com spokesman Jeff
Berman said not to worry. "Because the legalese has caused some
confusion, we are at work revising it to make it very clear that
MySpace is not seeking a license to do anything with an artist's work
other than allow it to be shared in the manner the artist intends.
Obviously, we don't own their music or do anything with it that they
don't want."

Right. The legalese is just there for fun.

Have you checked the fine print where you post material?"

That's CRAZY. I'll think twice before posting any of my video clips on my myspace page. Thank goodness the system doesn't work too well (crashes every time I try to upload something).

Some of My Favorite Vlogs:
scratch video
moment showing
village girl
Annieisms
sarah's corner
faux press
ryan edit
my world
the dylan show
amyville
mom's brag vlog
minnesota stories

Posted by Rae at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (462)

medusa performs at first ave

Star Tribune - 5 Ways the Ladies Can Save Hip Hop

1. Lose the bling, the Cristal, the Sean Jean, etc.
2. Bring back the poetry and passion.
3. Bring back the politics, too.
3. A little singing would be nice.
4. Do the Kanye.
5. Put the guys in the tight booty shorts and G-strings, with water splashing on them and submissiveness written all across their face.

Insight News - Female Hip-Hop Dancers CONVERGE on Minneapolis

City Pages - Ladies Nite and Roxanne Shante

Minnesota Public Radio - The Backstory on a B-Girl

Minnesota Women's Press - Dancin' to the b-girl beat

Posted by Rae at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (143)

It's been a wonderful break but now it's back to work - writing papers for incompletes, writing/revising papers for exams, editing and building webpages.

Recap:

- Got another WoSt faculty member blogging and built her some personal web pages. Go Richa!

- B-Girl Be

I didn't do too much. Spoke on a panel on hip hop scholarship with Dr. Roxanne Shante. She was definitely the highlight of the weekend for me personally.

Spent much of the weekend listening to her speak (my favorite quote on rap videos/tv shows/movies: It's not How I'm Livin', it's how I'm lyin'!, and just hanging out with her and her beautiful daughter. My Tiana and her Tajai even busted a rap at the open mic while Roxanne and I were on a panel. Of course while she was saying: my kids don't do hip hop. Yah right, hip hop moms raise b-girl babies.

Beautiful ladies, lots of energy, and just good vibes this weekend. I only filmed Tiana painting. Usry handled the filming and the flicking and promises me a link to all his photos soon.

Tiana's highlights were playing and painting, of course:

Medusa, Asia, Pam, Des, and Maria Isa put on a phenomenal show.

Posted by Rae at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)