Sam Moore, one half of the famous Sam and Dave soul music duo, requested by letter that Barack Obama stop using their song, “Hold On, I’m Comin’” at Obama rallies because he (Sam Moore) has not endorsed Obama or anyone for president. What nerve? If the CNN reporter hadn’t said Sam and Dave, who would’ve even known who Sam Moore is? Hell, they couldn’t give their music away until they hooked up with Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter who wrote most of their songs. Not to mention Booker T. and The MGs in the background with the Memphis Horns.
Who cares if Sam Moore endorses anyone, let alone who he endorses? Like someone’s gonna hear the song and go, “Wow, they’re playing Sam and Dave! That must mean Sam wants us to vote for Obama! Let’s go do that!” Pulease! Playing that song didn’t mean anything. It’s just a feel-good song that will not be missed, I assure you. As far as I’m concerned, if this black man (Sam Moore) was brought out of obscurity thanks to the first viable African American presidential candidate, I would think he’d be thankful to be part of history. But if his arrogant butt wants to be a butt about it, I’m with the Obama campaign. Don’t play the stupid song anymore.
Sam Moore probably voted for Bush all three times (father and son x 2.) Let McCain play his song. Who needs it? We don’t.
Brother Barack won a grammy last night! Best spoken word album. How dope is that?
The next president of the United States, Barack Obama, defeated two former presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, to win a Grammy in the best-spoken word album category for the audio version of his book The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream. Rival Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s husband, Bill, was nominated for his book Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World and Carter for Sunday Mornings in Plains: Bringing Peace to a Changing World.
Is this a sign of things to come? Can we expect defeat over the other half of the Clintons? I take it as a good omen.
I’m a huge Bill Clinton fan. Aside from the fact that while he was president, the economy was better than it had been since I was born, I think he’s kinda sexy and cool. Bill has a swagger and that’s what makes him an honorary brotha. He earned his hood pass by employing blacks in important positions and making life a little better for those of us who fall under the moniker, “minority.” I ain’t mad at Bill, but I don’t care for his wife.
It’s nothing I can put my finger on, I guess she’s cool. Whatever. But my gut says she’ll mess everything up. It’s just a vibe I get. She’s trying too hard to impress. Who knows how far she’ll go to prove herself or prove she’s as strong as or as qualified as any man? Putting her in office would be very bad, I’m afraid.
That’s not to say I’m comfortable with Obama, either. He’s more likable than Hillary. I mean, I’d have a cup of coffee with him and probably enjoy his company. Imagining me across a table from Hillary makes my jaw tighten. Even when she smiles, it seems disingenuous and misleading. I like him better, but I can’t get a real read on him. He says all the right things, but who doesn’t when they’re trying to get something they want? That’s not to say that he’s not genuinely qualified. He may be. I just can’t get a read on him.
Despite my apprehension, I voted for him on Super Tuesday and I intend to continue to support him because I’d rather take a chance with someone with nothing to prove. Sure, he’s African American and might be inclined to try and live up to our expectations as black people. He may even attempt to win over those in the world who hate him because he’s African American. But I believe that in a situation where the country’s safety and security is at risk, he’d handle it with a cool head. Hillary is liable to pull a “DubYah” and do something dumb to prove she’s not to be messed with.
So, although I haven’t read his book, or the other nominees’ either (I intend to,) I am thrilled that he won the award! It’s no big deal to him, I’m sure. He won the same award in 2006 for the audio version of his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father. Clinton and Carter also won the category before. Bill won twice. Even Hillary won one in 1996 for her audio version of the book It Takes A Village.
Even though they all have their own Grammys, it must sting a little after the whoopin’ Barack put on the Clinton campaign this weekend. To have him take away this award, too, has to leave a bad taste in Hillary and Bill’s mouths. Of course, she’ll proceed as if that doesn’t faze her. Grammys have nothing to with politics and is no reflection of what the outcome of this election will be. Whatever. I think it’s a sign. I wish I were a fly on the wall at Bill and Hillary’s after the show.
In the early 80s when the world first knew who Oprah was, she was my hero. She was doing what I wanted to do. She was on tv representing black women all over the world. She gave us hope and taught us things about ourselves. She dared us to stand up for ourselves and be true to ourselves. That was when she was fat, black Oprah.
Then she got rich and famous. Her shows were less about African American issues and her audience and guests became lighter and whiter. And she lost all that weight. I called her skinny, white Oprah and I stopped watching her show.
I don’t watch Oprah anymore, but I was very intrigued that she endorsed Barack Obama. I thought she would back Hillary, since she seems to love white women so much. Frankly, I was taken aback. But today, it all became clear to me.
I’ve heard the rumors about her obessions with Barack. I don’t really have an opinion about that because I really don’t care. Oprah wants to run this country. Everyone knows that. She should’ve run for president herself. That she wants to be first lady isn’t much of a stretch.
So, around 4:20 today, as I was watching the Super Tuesday coverage on CNN, it hit me. This is no coincidence. Barack Obama moved to Chicago in 1983. He was a young, single attorney. Oprah moved to Chicago in 1984. She was a young, single reporter. Hmmmm.
So, this is my theory. Oprah didn’t really sell out. She wooed the white people so they’d follow her like the Pied Piper. She tells them what to read and they read it. They do whatever she tells them to do. So when she says, “Vote for Barack Obama,” they’re going to do it! Hmmmmmm.
Whether you vote for the first female ever to run for president or for the first African American to run for president . . . or perhaps, God forbid, you’re voting Republican . . . just vote! Be part of history today. It’s important.
On April 10, 1988, I gave birth to Mark Antony Everett. He was immediately the light of my life. Two years later, on March 29, 1990, his brother, Myles, joined our family. Two years after that, I was blessed with what I really wanted all along, a little girl. I named her Jasmyn, after Jasmine Guy and she was born on Malcom X’s birthday, May 19, 1992.
I was so preoccupied with my own issues, drama and violence in my marriage and my imminent divorce, work and bills . . . bullshit . . . I didn’t notice what fascinating little people they’d become. My sons had a natural talent for tumbling. They threw back flips like gymnasts. My daughter learned every Aaliyah video dance routine and whenever there was music, she was dancing. Then they all started singing and it sounded good! I was shocked, although I don’t know why. I sing. My parents sang. My father played every instrument and so does their father. It was inevitable.
As a DJ, I made sure music was always a part of our lives. My mother, who wasn’t a professional DJ but had a real gift for putting tunes together and creating a vibe, gave me my first record. It was Aretha Franklin’s “Chain, Chain, Chain.” I was hooked. Soul, blues and gospel filled our home. Then, when I went to my grandmother’s house, I heard country. I got to high school, after they integrated us, and was introduced to rock and roll.
As an adult, I was turned on to Chicago, The Beatles, Eric Clapton . . . music I missed because my mom didn’t listen to it. I play everything for my children. They know nearly the entire Beatles catalogue. They love Beethoven and Mozart. They dig Johnny Cash and Carrie Underwood. But their true love is hiphop.
Mark, known professionally as M.Spade, creates beats, raps, sings and produces other artists. Myles, aka Czar, does the same as his brother with the addition of his outrageous personality, insane sense of humor and ridiculous dance skills. Jasmyn sings, raps and dances. She choreographs all the dance routines and will likely do their first video.
They’re all unsigned and I’ve featured some of their music here. In addition are some other artists we’ve collaborated with. Dope House ENT is a group of guys from Alabama with a style all their own. Shawn Dough, of Chedda Chasin’, is a lyricist of epic proportions. Young Atmo is a member of Yung SupaStarz and his voice can be heard on several cuts featuring Dope House and/or M.Spade and MCzar.
Jasmyn is busy with school and cheerleading right now and will more than likely get back into the studio this summer.
They’re a group of the most creative, socially conscious young rappers in the south and you’ve probably never heard of them. They’re Dope House and they’ve been in the game for more than ten years, having locally sold more than 500,000 of their own CDs out of the trunk of a car. If they can do that in this area of Alabama, imagine what their national sales would be if they got a record deal. Somebody betta holla! Ya’ll sleeping on the south!
Dope House consists of six members: Shuuduup Green, D-Lo, Bricc Boi, Yella Boi, Baby Crip and Thunder Kat. I’ve gotten to know these guys during their production. (Spade is my son, remember?) Please don’t be fooled by the name of their group. These are very intelligent and socially conscious young men. Their music is a reflection of the times and what they have to say is relevent. If you take the time to listen to the lyrics of their songs, you’ll hear things you’ve thought and didn’t have the courage to say. You’ll hear your own thoughts and feelings. You’ll hear not just a Black story, but a human story.
I’m featuring them because I believe in them and I believe in their message. I believe in the mystical and Dope House is mystical. I asked Shuuduup (pronounced Shud-up) if he believed in reincarnation. He replied, “It has to be.” I told him I suspected he’d been here before.
Shuuduup isn’t your typical thirty-something man. He lives his life with conviction, unwilling to bend to anyone. His beliefs are strong and he remains true to them without compromise. As a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he has a unique view of politics and serious concerns about our youth and the future. He is a man of vision and activism. I think he’s a pretty good example of a real black man. As a rapper, his flow is different from anything I’ve ever heard before. You kinda can’t predict where he’s going and just when you think you feel it, he switches up on ya. He’s a beast!
D-Lo’s heart is so big. He feels things deeply. I kinda picture him praying for the world and the children in Africa, etc. That’s not to say that he’s soft. Don’t get it twisted. He’s as hard as they come, having gone through some of the things he’s been through. I’m just saying that he thinks about more things than how big his rims are or how much he paid for the chain around his neck. That is reflected in his music, which is a wonderful thing in this day when everyone’s rapping about having my damned house on their wrist. D-Lo has something important to say, to tell someone about his life so they won’t make the same mistakes he made. He’s worth listening to.
Bricc Boi is a big ball of personality. He can make any situation into a party just by walking in the room. A multi-talented instrumentalist, he is also a gifted singer. He’s a beast on the guitar and could easily make his mark as a musician or singer. But hip hop calls him and I’m so glad he answers. He comes hard on every track, often with something outrageous that makes everyone who hears it go, “OoooooooH!” He has some very interesting philosophies about life, too. You’d enjoy his deep conversations. He’s all about business, so don’t even try to crack in here and steal nothing. Everything is copyrighted and we will sue your ass! Don’t play.
Yella Boi is fair-skinned, thus his name. He’s a cutie and I’m pretty sure he knows that. Hee Hee. But don’t be fooled by that pretty face. That nucca will murk (murder) you! Beneath is a very cool, very hot brotha who will tap into your imagination with his lyrics. With a low voice, his words just pour out into the mic. The ladies love him, I’m sure. The fellas respect his flow. You’ll find his verses fascinating. If you listen closely, you might learn a thing or two. He has a lot to say and I look forward to hearing what stories he’ll tell.
Baby Crip has had a tough life. I knew him as a kid and lost track of him for a while. He reappeared in my life when he showed up to record with Dope House one day. We didn’t talk much that day, but I listened to his lyrics and got some idea of where he’d been and what he’d gone through. I was saddened for what he went through, but so proud of him for having the guts to talk about it through his music. He pours his heart out into his music. That’s hip hop in its purest form.
Thunda Kat is a member of Dope House, even though he has moved away. He comes home regularly to make an apperance in the lab. Still representing Dope House, he offers a look into the life of a brotha with a serious problem. All the ladies want him. What is Thunder Kat gonna do? When I met him, I could tell immediately that he was a smooth one. He flashes that grill and I know the ladies melt. But when it’s needed, he gets in touch with his inner thug. He’s a lover and a fighter which is reflected in his music. Through his lyrics you’ll hear odes to the ladies and something hard for the Niggaz. He’s an all-around artist who will appeal to everyone.
There are many collabo’s with other local artists, including Spade and CZar (my sons) and Yung Atmo. Featured in this radio blog are some of Dope House’s music. The album can be available via the internet if there’s enough of a demand. If you’d like to be able to download the Dope House album, leave a comment. If I get enough requests, I’ll make it available with PayPal.
If you’d like to get in touch with any of the Dope House guys or their producer (he made all the beats), Spade, just follow the links on the right under “Dem Boyz” or you can email me @ astorm251@yahoo.com. Dope House is available for live performances. For booking information, send me an email and I’ll get you the information. In the meantime, enjoy Dope House.
Be sure to check back periodically for other local featured artists. Coming soon are GSG and T.O tha Iced Out Boy, as well as Tizzle, Nick 45 On Da Rise and hopefully, Chedda Chasin’ ENT. If you’d like your music featured here, holla at me. Peace and Merry Christmas and all that jazz!
