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Voting Rights: Was Chief Justice Roberts Wrong About Voting in Mississippi?

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said implementation of a controversial voter-identification law, which he has championed, began immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating a key section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Best Local Lunch

From November until the end of January every year, Jackson residents and businesses campaign, vote and then wait for the results of the annual Best of Jackson competition. The contest is so popular that we’re now doing mini-polls throughout the year from Best Redhead to Best Local Lunch places, which we announce below. Keep an eye on bestofjackson.com and the print edition for a new ballot in November, as well as fun monthly polls. To the best!

A Little Love Note to the City of Jackson

Fashionista, Screech-hater and, dare I say, philosopher Lisa Turtle once asked, "What is art? Are we art? Is art art?"

Show Some Love

If you have been reading my column for a while, you know a few things about me: I like records, sneakers, hip-hop, funk, reading and the occasional dose of rock 'n' roll. You also probably know that going to see live music is a huge part of my life.

Support Your Local (Mall) Record Store

At a New Year's Eve potluck, James Crow (aka Herbert Brown) told me a tale of buying records at the FYE music store at Northpark Mall. He captivated me with descriptions of full record bins loaded with new albums and re-releases of classics. He came home with A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders," among others.

Dreams Come True

"You can dream a little dream, or you can live a little dream, I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase, but never get it." —Aesop Rock, "No Regrets"

The Full Circle

He was a tall, kind of goofy-bumbling-professor type who was nice to me, even though I was there to whisk his daughter away. We did not get much time to talk and get to know each other on this first meeting, as is to be expected given the circumstances. I learned a lot about Charles that day, however, when Catherine took me to the den saying, "You've got to check this out."

The Search is Over

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 21, the normally "reserved and nonchalant" Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson was concerned and nervous. The Jackson MC had just put the last 10 days of his life into relentlessly pursuing a specific goal with only one desired outcome: winning the Coors Light "Search for the Coldest MC" contest.

Fear and Loathing at Sneaky Fest

The following account may or may not be a truthful re-telling of my day at Sneaky Fest Aug. 27, 2011.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Sure, summer is not officially over. In fact, it is nowhere near being over in any real sense of the word. As those of us who have spent sizeable amounts of time in Mississippi know, our relief will not come until October—if we're lucky.

The South's Coldest MC

This week, Jackson music fans have an opportunity to propel one of our own into the national spotlight. Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson, 29, is a top-four finalist for Coors Light's "Search for the Coldest MC" contest as the winner in the South region. Fans can vote for PyInfamous through June 17 at http://www.searchforthecoldest.com.

Better With Age

My top-five favorite recording artists of all time are: Stevie Wonder, Wu Tang Clan, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Talking Heads. This never changes, as these are the five artists on which all of my music tastes are based. It does get a little iffy, however, when I try to make a top-10 list.

Lead 'Em to the Light

Over a perfectly sparse, yet somehow still-cinematic beat, David Banner leaves no doubt about where his mind is with his new collaboration record with producer 9th Wonder, "Death of a Pop Star."

Rebels Without a Pause

On the first floor of the Capitol last Wednesday, a handful of Democrats assembled to enjoy a late lunch when a burly assistant sergeant-at-arms burst in to say that Speaker Pro Tem Greg Snowden, who presided that day, wanted all the members to return to the chamber.

Car Crushers Concern Cops

Read the full report here. (pdf 762 KB)

Ben Payton

Ben Wiley Payton, 62, grew up with the Mississippi blues. The Coila, Miss. native listened to his grandmother, Mabel Johnson, playing gospel music on piano, and his uncle, Joe Birch, picking the blues on guitar.

Jackson Crime Stats for Aug. 17-23

Major crimes in Jackson decreased again last week, according to a weekly report (PDF) released at a meeting today by the Jackson Police Department. Police reported 230 total crimes, down 7.6 percent from the previous week. Last week's total was almost 20 percent below the same period last year. The city has seen 1.6 percent fewer crimes this year than last year.

Jackson Uniting to Retire Johnson's Debt

A group of diverse citizens who supported varied candidates in the recent mayoral elections in Jackson are putting aside their differences and joining together to help retire the accumulated campaign debt of Mayor-elect Harvey Johnson Jr. The event will be held at the University Club of Jackson next Monday, June 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

[Talk] Let It Shine

It probably goes back to his babysitter on the southside of Chicago who was a deejay. As he grew older, Corio Thomas continued to fall in love with the music of the streets. By age 14, he was playing house and hiphop, sampling old disco records seldom heard outside nightclubs. By age 17, he moved to Ripley, Miss., to live with his grandmother; there he started spinning on the radio in Tupelo. Thomas realized that music was his niche; he started to observe any and everything related to music in and around Mississippi.

Rep. Cecil Brown

Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Hinds, represents the 66th District in the Mississippi Legislature. He is an investment adviser educated at Ole Miss and the University of Texas. Born in Meridian June 22, 1944, he has lived in Jackson for 40 years and has been a legislator since 2000. He is married to the former Nancy Haas and has three children: Lisa, Mickey and Lindy.

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