What a long and crazy week. The President is not black enough, he’s scared of white people, he needs a lesson on civil rights, he’s sexist; and to end the week some folks are creating drama with Snooki-gate and mongrel-gate. Whew! With all this lunacy going on and on, the Lounge brings out the Jack Daniels tonight. Enjoy it with coke, on the rocks, neat or however you prefer. Salud!

Please feel free to add a music video about the president’s week, the soul patrol, cable news hacks or anything else on your mind.

Mos Def was born Dante Terrell Smith on December 11, 1973. He is an American actor and MC.  Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees andDe La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, who released the album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in the late 1990s underground hip hop explosion spearheaded by Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006, and The Ecstatic in 2009.

Initially recognized for his musical output, Mos Def’s screen work since the early 2000s has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. Mos Def has also been active on several social and political issues and was particularly vocal in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Umi Says

Dollar Day-2006

Rock n Roll

Talib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1974), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American emcee from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means “student” or “seeker”; his middle name in Swahili means “truth”. Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Kweli grew up in a highly educated household in Park Slope. His mother, Brenda Greene, is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and his father a sociology professor. His younger brother, Jamal Greene, is a professor of Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School, and former clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. As a youth, he was drawn to Afrocentric rappers, such as De La Soul and other members of the Native Tongues Posse whom he had met in high school.  He was also a member of the duo BlackStar with Mos Def.

Get By

Black Star is a hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Affiliated with the group is DJ Hi-Tek, who formed producer/MC duoReflection Eternal with Kweli for the album Train of Thought and “Revolutions Per Minute,” and produced a portion of Black Star’s debut album. Black Star arose from the underground movement of the late 1990s, which was in large part due to Rawkus Records, an independent record label stationed in New York City. They released one self titled album. Though the record achieved little commercial success, they (and other members of the Native Tongues Posse) helped shape underground alternative rap and helped bring it further into the mainstream eye. Both have gone on to greater commercial and critical success in separate solo careers.

Definition

Sit back and enjoy what hip-hop is really all about.  As always discuss, engage, debate and enlighten!

The Roots is an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Malik B., Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, and Josh Abrams were added to the band, originally called The Square Roots. They have collaborated with a wide range of artists from different genres, including Roy Ayers and Cody Chesnutt. The Roots have generated a great deal of critical acclaim and influenced numerous rap and R&B acts. On March 2, 2009, The Roots became the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

You Got Me -1999

The Next Movement- 1999

Lonnie Rashied Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 90s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success. His first Grammy award was in 2003 for Best R&B Song for “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” with Erykah Badu^{[2] [3]}. Its popularity was matched by May 2005′s Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for “Southside” (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album Thisisme Then: The Best of Common was released on November 27, 2007.

The Light-2000

The Corner- 2005

And lastly.. I can’t forget Queen Latifah

Ladies First- 1989

I hope you enjoy the tunes! As always WeeSeeYou Fam… discuss, engage, debate and enlighten!

Arrested Development  is an American alternative hip hop group founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, Afrocentric alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s.

It took the group three years, five months and two days to be offered a record deal, when Chrysalis Records sent A&R director Duff Marlowe to Atlanta’s Bosstown Studios to meet with the group’s manager Michael Mauldin.^{[citation needed]} Arrested Development had already been offered a single deal for the song “Tennessee,” hence the name of the first album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…, which produced several hit tracks. These included “Tennessee”, “People Everyday”, and “Mr. Wendal,” all of which hit the Top Ten.

The group won two Grammy Awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and were also named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

People Everyday

“People Everyday” is the first hit single for rap/hip-hop group Arrested Development. It was released in 1992, taken from their critically-acclaimed album 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of….

It uses the chorus and basic structure of Sly & the Family Stone’s 1969 hit “Everyday People,” with new verses written by lead singerSpeech. He also sings the lead, with additional lyrics sung by Dionne Farris, who is not an official member of the group.

The song was their first hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and becoming their biggest hit in the United Kingdom, reaching #2 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1992, being kept off the top spot by Boyz II Men’s song End Of The Road.

Mr. Wendel

It  is a single released by influential rap group Arrested Development in 1992, from their most commercially successful album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of….

The song was written about the plight of the homeless and encourages people not to ignore them just because of their status or how they look.

Lastly, I wanted to spotlight another group- Digable Planets.

Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop group based in New York City, composed of Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler (from Seattle), Craig “Doodlebug” Irving (from Philadelphia), and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira (from Washington, D.C.).

If you didn’t get a chanced to please click on the link  and send a birthday message to the President anddon’t forget to tell him we proud of what he does!  http://j.mp/b3FKua

As always engage, debate, discuss to enlighten!!

Bonita Applebum was the first single from A Tribe Called Quest’s debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It is believed to be about a real girl from the group’s high school.

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. It was composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but appears to have rejoined the group since 2006. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as “Bonita Applebum”, “Can I Kick It?”, “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo”, “Scenario”, “Check the Rhime”, “Jazz (We’ve Got)”, “Award Tour” and “Electric Relaxation” are regarded as classics of the genre.

They released five albums in eight years time (the first one being in 1990 and the last one in 1998), the first three LPs were highly acclaimed, but the group disbanded in 1998.

Can I Kick It?

Scenario is the third single from A Tribe Called Quest’s second album The Low End Theory (1991). The song features members ofLeaders of the New School. Matt Cibula of PopMatters called the track hip hop’s greatest posse cut.^[1] The music video features cameo appearances by Spike Lee, De La Soul, Brand Nubian, Busta Rhymes, Fab 5 Freddy and Redman.

A remixed version of “Scenario” appeared on the B-side of the 12-inch single and cassette single as well as the limited edition release of the group’s final album, The Love Movement (1998). The remix also features Leaders of the New School and newcomer rapper Kid Hood, who was murdered 3 days after recording his verse. Blender magazine ranked the remix at number 216 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born”.

And to add something special…

Passin’ Me By- Pharcyde

As always engage, discuss, debate, and enlighten!!

Fight the Power-1989

Public Enemy, also known as PE, is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, andDJ Lord, who replaced Terminator X in 1999. Formed on Long Island, New York in 1982, they are known for their politically charged lyrics and criticism on the American media, with an active interest in the frustrations and concerns of the African American community.

“Don’t Believe the Hype” is the second single of Public Enemy’s second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. The song’s lyrics are mostly about the political issues that were current in the U.S. at the time of its release. “Don’t Believe the Hype” charted at number 18 on the U.S. R&B chart. It also reached a high of 18 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1988. The b-side included “Prophets of Rage” and “The Rhythm The Rebel” which is an acapella of the opening verse from “Rebel Without a Pause” which was a popular scratching phrase.

Can’t Truss It , which addressed the history of slavery and how the black community can fight back against oppression appeared on the Apocalypse 91′… The Enemy Strikes Back.

Lastly, just show how ahead of their time they were, Public Enemy released By the Time I Get to Arizona, which was a song calling out the Governor of Arizona at the time, Evan Mecham who refused to recognize Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday.

As always WSY Family and lurkers, make sure to engage, debate, and discuss with enlightenment. Have a great Monday!

Mary Mary is a three time Grammy-award winning American gospel music duo, consisting of sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell (born April 29, 1972)and Tina Atkins-Campbell (born May 1, 1974). The duo are often credited along with Kirk Franklin for broadening the fan base ofurban contemporary gospel in the 2000s by introducing elements of soul music, hip hop, funk and jazz. Mary Mary broke onto the music scene with their popular song “Shackles (Praise You)” which is considered one of the pioneering songs of urban contemporary gospel music.

“Shackles (Praise You)” is the debut single by singer-songwriter duo Mary Mary. It was first released in 2000 and has since been dubbed the signature Mary Mary song as it ultimately raised the profile of the duo in the gospel music industry. Stan North of GospelFlava.com deemed it as one of the pioneer songs of Urban Gospel music. The song was originally recorded and released in December 1999 upon Mary Mary’s signing with Columbia Records and was re-released one month later as a promotional single for their upcoming album,Thankful. They both feature the same track listing but different album covers, the second using a picture of the duo. Mary Mary later shot amusic video for the song.

“Stomp” is a 1996 song by gospel group God’s Property featuring Cheryl James and Christian urban singer Kirk Franklin. It was one of the most successful gospel songs of the 1990s, charting on Billboard‘s mainstream R&B airplay list in 1997.

I hope these two songs will give you some inspiration to debate, discuss, and enlighten.

Good morning WSY Fam! Hope everybody is enjoying a relaxing weekend.

The WSY Obama Men series concludes today with Mr. Eric Holder.

Eric H. Holder, Jr. was sworn in as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States on February 3, 2009 by Vice President Joe Biden.  He is the first African American to occupy the office.

What He Does

 Attorney General Eric Holder is a member of the Obama Cabinet and head of the Department of Justice.  He is the nation’s top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the government.

Path to Power

Mr. Holder, a native of New York City, attended Columbia College and graduated in 1973.  He graduated from Columbia Law School in 1976.

While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense Fund and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Upon graduating, he joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He was assigned to the newly formed Public Integrity Section in 1976 and was tasked to investigate and prosecute official corruption on the local, state and federal levels.

In 1997, Mr. Holder was named by former President Clinton to be the Deputy Attorney General, the first African-American named to that post. Prior to that he served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. (Bio)

Personal Life

Mr. Holder lives in Washington with his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, a physician, and their three children.

The President enjoyed an impressive number of accomplishments this week. WSY blogger/trustee Carolinagirl chronicled many; Booman’s list is here.

Fittingly, the lounge theme tonight is Hail-to-the-Chief!

Obama Rising 

1 1/2 oz. Absolute Vodka
1/2 oz. Blue Curacao
2 1/2 oz. White grape juice
1/2 oz. Calpico
1/2 oz. yuzu lemonade

Obama-Time-Tini

2-1/2 ounces Bombay Sapphire Gin
1-1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth
1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish
Orange or Angostura bitters (optional)

Music:  Please feel free to post music videos about the president’s week, manic progressives, the idiotic media, the Greek Lady, or anything else on your mind.

Good Morning and Happy Friday WSY Fam!

Today’s Obama Man is Ambassador Ron Kirk.

Ambassador Kirk was nominated to be United States Trade Representative by President Barack Obama and was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 18, 2009.

What He Does

As United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Kirk is a member of President Obama’s Cabinet and serves as the President’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.

Path to Power

Ambassador Kirk was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and sociology from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1979.

Ambassador Kirk draws upon more than 25 years of diverse legislative and economic experience on local, state and federal levels. As the first African American mayor of Dallas from 1995 – 2001, Ambassador Kirk expanded Dallas’ reach to the world through a range of trade programs, including numerous trade missions.

Previously, he served as Texas Secretary of State under Governor Ann Richards; as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.) and as chair of Texas’ General Service Commission. Ambassador Kirk also served as a City of Dallas assistant city attorney. (Bio)

Personal Life

Ambassador Kirk is married to Matrice Ellis-Kirk. He and his wife have two daughters, Elizabeth Alexandra and Catherine Victoria.

Matrice Ellis-Kirk holds the bible as Vice President Biden administers the Oath of Office