Funkin' It Back, by JC PattersonReady for some down-and-dirty brass funk, courtesy of the Big Easy's most popular brass band? Ready to dance 'til you drop, to funk like there's no tomorrow? The Rebirth is coming back to Jackson—at Soulshine Pizza next door to Hal …
Black College Women Take Aim at RappersAP reports: "Maybe it was the credit card that rap superstar Nelly swiped through a woman's backside in a recent video. Here at Spelman, the most famous black women's college in the country, a feud has erupted over images of …
GOP Warriors vs. Rap MusicSalon reports: "'We need to understand rap, folks,' Limbaugh told his listeners, in a mocking tone. 'There's a lot of poetry and anger in this. Social energy. It's important. Look, it's one thing to say you like it, but to …
‘I'm Going to Get There,' by Lynette HansonTelling the story of his first encounter with the record business—other than the normal retail one that many 44-year-olds remember—brings a smile to Greg Preston's blue eyes. "I was about 7 when my dad brought home these two guys from …
‘Built This City' Tops Worst Song ListAP reports: "Starship may have built this city on rock and roll, but Blender magazine is tearing it down, naming the band's 'We Built This City' as the worst song ever. Some tunes on the '50 Worst Songs Ever!' list …
Student Trades Rock Posters for FoodWiretap reports: "'If I give food to the hungry, they call me a saint,' Brazilian Bishop Dom Helder Camera once famously quipped. 'But if I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist.' Colorado-based food gatherer Justin …
[Jacktown] Acrimony and Outrage, by Alphonso MayfieldIf you haven't already gone to allhiphop.com and read their two-part, in-depth interview with David Banner, read it! When you get there, you will find the self-proclaimed Mr. Mississippi going off on a number of subjects. This includes acrimony with …
‘Black Females Are Valued By No One'The Village Voice reports on a new study of the attitudes of the "hip-hop generation." Thulani Davis writes: "In reality, the teens interviewed—between 16 and 20 years old—are probably children of the first hip-hop generation (usually considered people born between …
Executioner's Blues, by Scott BarrettaMarch 10, 2004—Steve Earle, who performed at an anti-death penalty benefit at Hal and Mal's on Friday, March 12, stirred up controversy in the country-music world in 2002 with his "John Walker's Blues," sung from the perspective of the infamous …
50 Cent Slams Gay Men; Says Lesbians ‘Cool'MTV News reports: "In a wide-ranging interview with Playboy magazine, 50 Cent has let his feelings on homosexuality be known, in language sure to draw the ire of gay-rights supporters. 'I ain't into f----ts,' 50 says in an interview in …
Praise the Lord, and Pass the Grits, by Lynette HansonFeb. 26, 2004—Harmony can mean many things, not just musical ones, either. For instance, the harmony between grits—that wonderful Southern breakfast side dish—and other scrumptious morsels like hot buttered biscuits, fluffy scrambled eggs, and maybe some thick, barely browned potatoes …
Vasti, Proud and Strong, by Scott BarrettaFeb. 26, 2004—Guitarist, songwriter and producer Vasti Jackson may well be the busiest musician in Mississippi. In the last several years, the Hattiesburg resident has appeared in several feature films, a documentary and a TV show, co-produced a Grammy-nominated album, …
Amen, Smoke , by Charlie BraxtonFeb. 26, 2004—Whoever coined the phrase "where there's smoke, there's fire" must have been a fan of Jackson-based rapper Smoke D. When Smoke hits the microphone, he spits nothing but blazing lyrics filled with a burning truth that ignites your …
Six to Watch, by Palmer HouchinsWant to make it big in the music industry, but discouraged because you're from a small city like Jackson? Don't despair; here are six who are breaking out.