Political Tantrums P. 1

Soul of Success P. 2

Beatzilla Listening Party P. 3

Picture of the Month P. 4

11I S S U E

N o v 1 3

MONTHLY

NEWS FOR

THE BEATZILLA

IN YOU! GGGrrriiiffffffiiinnn GGGaaazzzeeetttttteee

ThePowerof Musicthrough Politics

Letter from the Editor The revo lut ion wi l l be

te lev i sed fe l low Gr i f

f in Gazet te readers .

I n fac t i t a l ready has

been. Last week the

peop le of the wor ld

witnessed a momen

tous occas ion when

Barack Obama be

came the f i r s t Afr i can

Amer ican e lected to

be pres ident of the

Uni ted States .

I was exc i ted to see

how music played a

big ro le in th i s year s

e lect ion . Check out

the Yes We Can

v ideo f rom our In the

Booth sect ion on

page three .

P lease cont inue to

vote and be i nsp i red

by the power of mu

s i c throughout the

wor ld .

Peace and B less ings ,

Ash ley Smi th

HipHopsGrowingPainsLudacrissPoliticalTantrumByChrisAnderson,VPofMarketingOperations

FormerNYCHot97radiopersonalityFatManScoopvoicedastrongsenseofreasoningtothehiphopcommunitythroughVIBEmagazineseditorialstaffstating,WecantmakerecordscallingHillaryClintonab***h.EveryrappershouldjustbackawayuntilNovember.Andthenwecanmakeanyremixwewant.

ScoopsreasoningwasadirectresponsetosouthernrapperChrisLudacrisBridgeslessthanShakespeareanjumpofftoIllinoisSenatorBarackObamasvietobecomethefirstAfricanAmericannomineeoftheDemocraticparty.AstarchsupporterofSenatorObama,LudacrisvocalizedhissupportviathetrackPolitics:ObamaisHere.Inthesong,LudacrisstaunchlyreferstoNewYorksenatorHillaryClinton,asan"irrelevantb***h."TherapperalsotakesaimatJohnMcCaininthesong,sayingtheArizonasenator"don'tbelonginanychairunlesshe'sparalyzed."

Obamacampaignspokesman,BillBurtonquicklydenouncedthesongstating,"ThissongisnotonlyoutrageouslyoffensivetoSenatorClinton,ReverendJackson,SenatorMcCain,andPresidentBush,itisoffensivetoallofuswhoaretryingtoraiseourchildrenwiththevaluesweholddear.

ManywithintheurbancommunityagreewithBurtonsresponse,butthereishopeforhiphop.ThehopeisthattheirexpressivepoliticalofferingwillevolvethroughoutthismostimportanthistoricpartofAmericashistory.

YoucanVoteHoweverYouLikePromotingPoliticalAwarenessByHopeHyder,VPofBusinessDevelopment

WhenrapperT.I.recordedthesingle,WhateverYouLike,hehadnoideathatitwouldbecomeaframeworkforpoliticaldiscourse.ThatsjustwhathappenedwhenadebateclassatTheRonClarkAcademy,anelementaryschoolinAtlanta,GeorgiacreatedYouCanVoteHoweverYouLike.ItisarapsonglikenootherthatutilizesthemusicofT.I.shittopromotetheissuesofthe2008PresidentialElection.AwardwinningeducatorandauthorRonClarkestablishedtheschoolinJune2007.TheAcademypresentsanewparadigmforlearningwhereeveryclassroomhascomputertechnology.Theschoolevenhasarecordingstudiowherestudentslearnmusicproductionandmusicisregularlyusedasateachingtoolinvarioussubjects.Byusingapopulartune(currently#2onBillboardsHot100Chart)studentswereabletopromotetheirmessageinanontraditionalway.TheirprojectisareminderthatHipHopisapowerfulmediumthatcanbeharnessedtotransmitanymessage.Thesonghastakenthestudentstoeverymajortelevisionnetworkandexposedmillionsmoretotheissuesraisedinthesong.OneYouTubevideooftheclassperformingtheirsonghasreceivedoveronemillionhits.HopefullyeducatorsaretakingaverycloselookatTheRonClarkAcademy.HipHopArtistsshouldtakenoticeaswellandrememberthatmusichasthepowertotransformlivesforthebetter.

PoliticallyPoetic:AfricanAmericanNationalAnthemLifteveryvoiceandsing,Tillearthandheavenring,RingwiththeharmoniesofLiberty;LetourrejoicingriseHighasthelisteningskies,Letitresoundloudastherollingsea.Singasongfullofthefaiththatthedarkpasthastaughtus,Singasongfullofthehopethatthepresenthasbroughtus;Facingtherisingsunofournewdaybegun,Letusmarchontillvictoryiswon.

Stonytheroadwetrod,Bitterthechasteningrod,Feltinthedayswhenhopeunbornhaddied;Yetwithasteadybeat,HavenotourwearyfeetCometotheplaceforwhichourfatherssighed?Wehavecomeoverawaythatwithtearshasbeenwatered.Wehavecome,treadingourpaththroughthebloodoftheslaughtered,Outfromthegloomypast,TillnowwestandatlastWherethewhitegleamofourbrightstariscast.

Godofourwearyyears,Godofoursilenttears,Thouwhohastbroughtusthusfarontheway;ThouwhohastbyThymight,Ledusintothelight,Keepusforeverinthepath,wepray.Lestourfeetstrayfromtheplaces,ourGod,wherewemetThee,Lestourhearts,drunkwiththewineoftheworld,weforgetThee;ShadowedbeneathThyhand,Mayweforeverstand,TruetoourGod,Truetoournativeland.

ByJamesWeldonJohnson(18711938)

This Weeks Internet Hot Spots

1.TurntableLab

www.turntablelab.com

Combiningtheglobeforthelatest

obscuremashupmixtapesfrom

Belgium,totherarestdubreggae

compilationfromJamaica,andun

dergroundhiohopMCsfromBrook

lynaretheultimateplaylistsofa

beatjunkiesdream.

2.MixUnit

www.mixunit.com

Stayinthemixwiththeworldslargesthiphopstorerockingfashion,

musicandentertainment.

3.ILoveMusic

www.ilovemsuic.comTheopinionatedarewelcomedand

thetimidareboundtobeeaten

aliveatILoveMusic.com.Withmes

sageboardsofviciouswebslang

andknowitalltudesthingsare

oftenkeptentertaining.

4.Musicovery

www.musicovery.com

Discovernewmusicbasedonyour

mood.Thisfreeinteractivewebradio

letsyoubrowsemusicstylesandepochs.

It Happens (Please dont make me say it!) We asked Beatzillas

CEO how overcome un-expected setbacks.

Beatzilla founder D. Rashaan

Gilmore shares how every

artistcanturnasetbackintoa

comeback.ThispastSunday,wehosted

thesecondinaseriesoflis

teningparties.Wewere

thrilledtohavethestudents

fromthePaseoAcademyfor

thePerformingArtsTheloni

ousInstituteofJazzperform

forus.Wewereblownaway

bytheirtalentanddrive.Im

surethatImnottheonlyone

expectingbigthingsfrom

theserisingstars.Thatwasthefunpart.Sadly,

thereisanothersidetothe

story:thefeaturedactdidnt

showup!Infact,thegroup

completelydisbandedjustan

hourbeforetheyweresetto

performforourassembled

guests.Inaninstant,everything

changed.Trueenough,it

happens.Butitswhatyoudo

aboutitthatmakesthediffer

ence.

Realleadershipisntalways

aboutensuringthatthereare

noproblems.Rather,true

leadersmakersuretheyare

preparedtohandletheprob

lemsthatdoarise,asthey

inevitablywill.Sohowdoyoudealwithun

foreseenchallengesinyour

life?Hopefully,youbeginby

reaffirmingyourcommitment

toyourgoals.Bydoingso,

youcanconqueranyproblem.Thenexttimethingsdont

turnoutthewayyouwant,

remembertheoldsaying,the

showmustgoon!Forus,it

did.

Asetbackis

asetup

fora

comeback!

Young,GiftedandBlack

UnexpectedChangeBringsMeaningful

Opportunity

IntheBoothMusicRelated

CampaignPicks

will.i.am

YesWeCan

RonClarkAcademy

YouCanVoteHoweverYouLike

will.i.am

ItsaNewDay

CheckThisOutHipHopNews

OnNPR

ObamaHipHop:FromMixtapestoMainstream

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96748462

QTip's'Renaissance'

WorththeWaithttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96867102

EYEONIT:HipHopRepublicans?Whatmayseemtabooto

manyisactuallyareality.

HipHopRepublicansisa

diversegroupofminorities

under35whohavebeen

tryingtosettherecord

straightforfouryearsnow.

Theseindependentcon

servativesofcoloradvo

catetheeconomicem

powerment,academic

successandselfreliance

withintheurbancommu

nityandbeyond.What

startedasjustapolitical

blogin2004hasbecome

oneofthenationsmost

influentialrepublican

groupsforminorities.

FormerLt.GovernorMi

chaelS.Steelwhowasthe

firsteverproclaimedHi

hopRepublicansumma

rizestheirphilosophyby

saying,AfricanAmericans

andotherminoritiesno

longerwantaseatatthe

lunchcounter,theywant

toowntheentirediner.

Tofindoutmorevisitthe

hiphoprepublicanweb

sitebyclickingontheim

agebelow.

Theysaywhenonedoorclosesanotheropens.ThatwasdefinitelythecasewhichwasthecasewhenouropeningactKansasCityR&BgroupRoyaltybrokeupatthelastminute.Thoughtherewasmuchanticipationforthemtoperform,asthesayinggoestheshowmustgoon.Oursecondactwasmadeupofthreeyoung and talented jazz singers.JanayWilson, 17, Leonard Tann, 18,and Cheyenne Melton, 16, are students at Paseo Academy, who participateintheTheloniousInstituteofJazzattheirschool.TheyfoundtheirwaytoBeatzillathroughtheirmusicteacherLisaHenry,anaccomplishedjazzsingerwhohasperformedallovertheworld.BeforetheirperformancesLisahadmentionedthatshepreppedherstudentsforanyinterviews,andasIgreetedthemtheystoodtall,gavegreateyecontactandpolitelyintroducedthemselves.AfterthatIknewIwasinforatreat.ThefirsttoperformwasJanayWilson,whocameacrossasshy,butworkedthecameraasifshesbeeninthebusinessforyears.Blownawaybyherperformanceshereceivedastandingovationfromthecrowd.NextwasLeonardTannwhoseperformancestartedoutabitreserved.EverythingchangedduringhisfinalesongSoHighbyR&BartistJohnLegend.Hehitanotethatattendee,MishundaWallacedescribedasbutterjustdrippingallover.Thefinalsinger,JazmineSullivanlookalikeCheyenne,wasalsoabitrestrained.ButduringherrenditionofItWasntEasybygospelartistCeCeWinansshereallyletgoandbroughtthehousedown.Therewerethoseinthecrowdwhoevenhadtofightbacktears.

Aftereachstudentperformedmembersoftheaudiencethatincluded.KansasCityprofessionalsandexperiencedsingerswereinvitedtogiveconstructivefeedback.Thiswasoneofthehighlightsoftheevening,becauseitintegratedBeatzillasemphasisonartistdevelopment.LastbutnotleastwasleadsingerofRoyalty,Jodi,21,whotookcenterstagetoexplainwhyhisgroupdidntshowuptoperform.EventhoughRoyaltylostoneoftheirmembersthatnight,heisstillcommittedtohisloveformusic.TherewasnodoubtthatSundaynightbelongedtothestudents.Theseyoungpeopleinspiredusallwiththeirhumility,courageandwillingnesstosharetheirdream.

Update:

R&BGroupRoyalty

ThemembersofRoyaltyarebacktogetheragain.Clickonimageaboveto

visittheirsite.

SavetheDate:

December14thMoredetailstocome.

HappyHolidays

BeatzillaTop3:PoliticalSongsofAllTime 1.BillieHolidayStrangeFruit

2.MarvinGayeInnerCityBlues

3.JohnLennon

Imagine

PictureoftheMonth

PoliticalPersuasionPostersforBarackObama

NowuntilSaturday,December27th

BarackObamahasinspiredlegionsof

youngsupportersaswellasartistsacross

thenation.Enjoythatveryinspirationof

hopeandprogressdownattheH&R

Block(16East43rdStreet)Artspaceforan

exhibitofadiversearrayofBarackOb

amaposters.Formoreinformationcall

8168023458

CodeRedHIV/AIDSFundraiser

Wednesday,November26th

CodeRedisthefirstMillennialLeague

fundraisingeventtopromoteHIV/AIDS

awarenesswithintheGreaterKansasCity

area.Theeventstartsat8p.m.witha

VIPreceptionheldat7p.m.down

attheRonBergEventSpace.

HipHopHotWingsRecordBar

Sunday,November30th

BeatbrokerandMilesBonneybringthe

bestinlocal,regionalandnationalhiphop

toRecordBar,thedowntownhotspotfor

livemusicandhotwings.Doorsopen

at8p.m.witha$5covercharge.

Openforadults21+

CulturalCocktailsNelsonAtkinsEveryWeek

EveryThursday,Friday,andSaturdaythe

NelsonAtkinsMuseumofArt,Museum

Caf(locatedintheBlochbuilding)

hostsahappyhourthatincludessavory

tapas,AsianSpringrolls,andawide

varietyofdrinkspecials.

FashionRocks:SuperstarSneakers

Tocommemoratelastyears

20072008NBAChampion

shipoftheBostonCeltics,

Adidashasdesignedthelim

itededitionSuperstarCeltics

shoeonlyavailableatselect

retailersinBostonandatthe

NBAstoreinNewYorkCity.

Quitethecommodity,only

seventeenpairsweremade;

oneforeveryCelticNBA

championship.

NotaNBAsuperstarwith

customizedkicks?Checkout

converse.comanddesign

yourownsneaks.

ComingtoaCityNearYou

A Living Dream