DMX - How's It Goin Down (1998)

Brooklyn Bizness Girl: My pointed letter to Steve Stoute and those upset at The Recording Academy

The summary of this whole letter is for readers to understand that citing facts regarding units sold, gross at concerts or fan base has nothing to do with the process of the Grammy's and should not be used as a foundation for argument.

I have read your (Steve Stoute’s) letter thoroughly and acknowledge your expertise in music culture. After reading a number of blogs and articles, viewed reports, and skimmed comments, I decided to bullet facts and truths that will hopefully bring clarity to those in recent opposition to the 53rd Grammy Award winners.

• Recording Academy members and record companies enter recordings and music videos released during the eligibility year which they consider worthy of recognition in the GRAMMY Awards process.
• Submitted recordings and music videos in the proper categories must meet specific qualifications (i.e.: Must be submitted by good dues standing members and registered labels, etc.)
• However only VOTING MEMBERS can vote.
• Voting Members must be in good dues standing.
• Categorized submissions are then nominated by members resulting in the "Nominees".
• The nominees are then voted by all "in good dues standing members" resulting in the winner.

With all of the ground work of the Grammy's process simplified for readers other than those with expertise of the processes of systems within the entertainment industry.....

I then bullet my questions and need for clarification for this argument to be justified as a grounds for change and a firm reaction for recording artist.

• Was there a significant number of voting members whose expertise and favorites are within the categories that concern your gripes (Maybe there were more voting members in good standing who were jazz related members and perhaps votes also included other members who would normally vote for hip hop- like Esperanza)
• Even though Eminem sold a crazed number above the other nominees, there may have been more members who favor Steely Dan or any other non multi platinum artist winning the Album/Artist/Record of the year
• Were the voting members of hip hop and pop genre related enough votes to stand against voting members who are not of those genres within the Album/Artist/Record of the year
• Were some of the voting members swayed by their own likes and interest and not vote within their expertise or representation within their genres?

There are more points I could make from concerns of those feeling snubbed and treated unfairly, but I have given the most important.

With all of your expertise, Mr. Stoute, and those upset and ready to take on The Recording Academy/Grammy, I challenge you to:

• Research - Request the tallies. See how many people voted. See how many members are represented of genres that concern you (Request can probably be made by a member(s) in good standing) and to also,
• Encourage more recording artists within those genres of concern to become members and once becoming members - PAY DUES ON TIME!

IT IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE RECORDING ACADEMY. With all of the hip hop and pop culture music, producers, writers that exist, there could have definitely been an impact and a difference seen in votes if they were members.

Thank You for Reading!
E. Lane aka The Bizness Girl


**Editor's Note: Learn more about joining The Recording Academy here. I encourage those that qualify to do so. I swear it is easy. No one is conspiring against anyone. GET INVOLVED. Students that are interested in getting involved in the entertainment industry should join Grammy U. That's a personal endorsement as a former member.



Related Reading:
Steve Stoute Explains $40,000 NYT Ad Attacking Grammys (The Hollywood Reporter)

WEEN Launches The WEEN Academy, Announces Audition Details

Auditions for The WEEN Academy, a 6-week crash course in entertainment business for young women ages 18-22, will be held in New York City on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Actors Playhouse, 100 7th Avenue South, from 9am-3pm. One hundred candidates will advance to the second round of auditions slated for March 12, 2011 in NYC, to compete for the 60 academy openings.

WEEN will host The WEEN Academy from July 11-August 17th, 2011 with leading celebrities and executives. All graduates will receive WEEN certification, a guaranteed internship within the entertainment industry, and an industry mentor for one year.

The Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) is a worldwide coalition of women, all ages and races, committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society. The organization was established in 2007 and has over 40,000 members worldwide. WEEN provides entertainment-based educational programs on health, financial literacy, career development and personal advancement for young women nationwide. For more information about WEEN and additional details about the Academy auditions please visit http://www.weenonline.org/.

Billy Drease Williams, RUN, featured at the 9th Annual WNY Black Film Festival

The 9th Annual WNY Black Film Festival opened this past Saturday, February 19th in Buffalo, New York and included a screening of hip hop artist Billy Drease Williams' critically acclaimed short film / long form music video, RUN, from the album Good Morning Amy, available now.

Run is a seven minute mini-film and music video co-directed by Edreys Wajed and Dominic Luongo. The video, which went viral only days after it's launch on YouTube, has received more than a half million views. Run artistically explores the process of losing yourself in a relationship, and the darkness, confusion and hopelessness involved in trying to rediscover and regain your wholeness once the relationship is no more. Coincidentally, the film raises other issues and fine details, left for the viewer to interpret and contrast with their own experiences. The short film was filmed entirely in Western New York featuring Buffalo talent.

Edreys Wajed, performing under the stage name of Billy Drease Williams, is a talented hip hop artist who focuses on giving positive messages through the spoken word and musical video. He is the recipient of features in Billboard Magazine, Urb Next 1000, Myspace Music; music placements to Lions Gate Films, ESPN Video Games and HBO; as well as selections to NXNE, Warped Tour, and CMJ Music Festivals.

For more information on Billy Drease Williams please visit:
http://www.goodmorningamy.com/
http://www.billydrease.com/
http://www.dtr45.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/deepthinka

About the WNY Black Film Festival
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Buffalo Alumnae Chapter in collaboration with Masten District Council member Demone Smith, introduced the Western New York Black Film Festival in 2002. Its goal is to educate the public on vital issues affecting the African American community and support the efforts of independent filmmakers in their quest to tell much needed stories. The festival will take place again this Sunday, February 27 at 3pm. Tickets are $5 per show and can be purchased in advance at the Market Arcade Film and Arts Centre and at the door. For more information click here.

Source:
Tony Caferro, DTR45
WKBW News

RIP Troy "Escalade" Jackson

From FOX News:

Troy "Escalade" Jackson, the larger-than-life streetball legend and younger brother of former NBA player Mark Jackson, died in his sleep early Sunday morning, according to the New York Post.


The 6-foot-10, 400-pound Jackson, 35, was in Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Weekend. The cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy. (Read More)

I couldn't believe it when I heard Kenny Smith say it last night. I had to pull out my AND1 Mixtape shirt and wear it today (yes I still have mine from 2003). I spent a few summers watching this guy on ESPN and whenever the tour would come to Philly. This was just sad news. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[weekend fresh] Kanye West - All Of The Lights

Warning: If you suffer from migranes you might NOT want to watch this. I had to fast forward once the song started unfortunately.

Q&A: Torri L. Holmes Author of The Leading Lady of Rap

Recently I was one of five winners of a Hip Hop Trivia contest sponsored by Kredible Alerts. The prize was an autographed copy a new book called The Leading Lady of Rap by literary newcomer, Torri L. Holmes. The day it arrived on my doorstep I couldn't wait to crack it open after looking at the cover and with the recent snowstorm, I had nothing but time to read. The Leading Lady of Rap is one of those books you can't put down. I finished it in one day. I immediately emailed Torri to let him know how I much I enjoyed reading the book and he agreed to be featured in the HHM Spotlight Q&A.

HHM: What inspired you to make your main character a female rapper?


Torri: I am a fan of female rap. Always have been. I was watching the movie 8-mile starring Eminem in 2005, which is one of my favorite movies, and the movie was deep. I thought to myself, why not make a movie about a female rapper??? I had just graduated from college, and was at home waiting to start my 1st job at BellSouth (now known as AT&T). I was also attempting to get a record deal at the time because I sing R&B (I've now decided on being an author). I had nothing but time on my hands. The movie 8-mile inspired me greatly. Female rappers don't get the proper notoriety as they should, so my goal for the script was to salute female rappers and give them something that is for "them." Now that the script has been converted into a 17 chapter novel, this is still my goal.

HHM: The novel is based on a screenplay you finished in 2005, but after reading this book its hard not to compare the fictional characters Lo-is and Satin to what is currently going with Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim. What were your thoughts releasing this book while Nicki and Kim were beefing?

Torri: It has been 5 years since I originally wrote it, so of course I had to modernize some of the screenplay to 2010 (when I wrote the novel). Initially, I wanted Remy Ma as my lead character, and Lo-is and Satin were still both the same characters. Satin and Lo-is were rivals. I wanted a sex symbol as the veteran rival, and unfortunately people have identified that to be Lil Kim. I made her assistant aware of it, and hopefully when she reads it she will love it. I honestly wasn't aware of the beef between the two ladies until my novel was released, but it makes my novel more interesting now that you think about it. Nicki Minaj's Hot 97 interview with Angie Martinez in late November is when I found out about the beef. My novel was released on November 11, 2010. Many of my readers have said the fight scene at the award show in Chapter 7: "It's about to show down" reminds them of the two ladies, and I sure as hell hope they don't fight at the BET Awards (laughs). Lil Kim is a Queen in her own right, and so is Nicki Minaj. Lil Kim has sold over 7 million records, and Nicki Minaj is now platinum in a short amount of time. I want to work with them both some day, hopefully in the same room.


Author Torri L. Holmes with Natalie Nunn of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club

 HHM: What made you decide to self-publish as opposed to going the traditional publishing route? How has the experience been for you? Would you recommend it?


Torri: Waiting on a book deal can take months, sometimes years. I felt that 5 years had already been too long, and my life's work needed to be out into the world as soon as possible. I honestly never knew what self-publishing was. I graduated from college, but I believe I may have slept through that part in my English classes (laughs). I was watching "The Mo'Nique Show" on BET in early 2010, and Mo had Triple Crown's Vickie Stringer on as one of her guests. I saw the episode, and that is when I learned about the idea of self-publishing. I kept it in the back of my mind for a few months, and in May 2010 while cleaning my bedroom and packing up clothes to donate to Haiti, I picked the script up, got to my laptop computer, and the rest is history. The experience has been wonderful. I have received nothing but excellent reviews from my readers, including a 92 year old who my mom plays bingo with (laughs). In addition, I've had the opportunity to reach out to certain celebrities and provide them with a book, including Natalie Nunn from the Bad Girls Club. I now have direct contact with Mo'Nique's co-host, Rodney Perry, and he did me the favor of letting her know what the show did for me. Also, most of the female rappers are aware that a novel exists dedicated to them, and that is a blessing for your work to be known. I'm sending them all this link, so I must acknowledge them. Shout out to Lil Kim, Missy, Jacki-O, Shawnna, Foxy Brown, and Free Remy Ma. I emailed Remy's husband, Papoose's management to let them know about the book, and hopefully they passed the message along. I plan to send her a copy in prison. I would recommend self-publishing ONLY if your book stands out. When you self-publish, it means that everything is 100% funded by the author. Many people are watching me and thinking that it is easy. It is not.


HHM: Do you still want to make The Leading Lady of Rap a movie?

Torri: Yes. I have to make a movie. My readers will kill me if a don't (laughs). I'm actually reviewing movie and stage play offers. I'm looking for the best situation. I have a couple of opportunities for "straight to DVD", but I'll pass. I want the movie to be filmed right, and I want a bomb ass soundtrack with every last female rapper. Sapphire who wrote the novel "Precious" said that she turned 3 people down to film "Precious" before making her selection, because she wanted to choose the right person. I feel her on that, and I won't stop until the right person picks it up. All you movie producers that want to get these Oscars, get at me!


HHM: What other projects are you currently working on and our their plans for more books or a possible sequel?

Torri: I am currently writing 2 books at one time, one is for teens, and the other is for adults. I have been asked about a sequel to this, and if I do so, it will be a few years. The book ends pretty solid, and I didn't leave any cliffhangers, so it would have to be one of those "10 years later" situations. In addition to that, I am open to any other projects/collaborations. Anyone wanting to work with me on anything, feel free to hit me up authortorri@yahoo.com, follow me on twitter @authortorri and add me as a friend www.facebook.com/authortorri. I'm putting it out there, but no psychos please (laughs).


HHM: Which Hip Hop Mogul has inspired you the most and why?

Torri: Diddy inspires me the most. We have a lot of similarities. Similar to him, my father was a hustler, and he died when I was very young. He was raised by a strong woman, and so was I. He continues to push the envelope, and isn't scared to take chances, and I am the same way. What you will get from me each and every time you see me is something new. I have always received that from Diddy.


Thanks Torri for a great interview. Make sure to pick up your copy of The Leading Lady of Rap, available now on Amazon (Click Here).