Afro Pop Remix

About Afro Pop Remix

This podcast looks back at the pop culture of Generation X, from an African-American perspective. (Years covered: 1960-2000) RSSVERIFY

Publisher

Afro Pop Remix

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

8 Jun 2018

Latest episode

1 Jan 2021

Latest episodes

39 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Jan 2021

   1999: Y2Shady and A Wedding - Spcl Gsts Ashley and Terrence

   Topics: Y2K Bug, Eminem, The Best Man, 90's TV (Bonus Artist: Rocky Mtn. Rhyme Posse) 1999 Notes Snapshots 1.    Bill Clinton President 2.    Jan – A snowstorm leaves 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21 inches (53 cm) in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68. 3.    Jan – The adult animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII. 4.    Feb - Impeachment of Bill Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate. 5.    Mar - A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man. 6.    Apr - Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time. The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and violence in the media. 7.    May - The animated children's TV series SpongeBob SquarePants debuts on the cable network Nickelodeon. 8.    May - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is released in theaters. 9.    Jun - Texas Governor George W. Bush announces he will seek the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. 10.    Jun - Napster Released. It was mainly used by people who shared MP3 music and digital audio files. As the laws about file sharing and copyright regarding the internet were just newly established, the service soon ran into legal troubles dealing with copyright infringement. 11.    Jul - U.S. soccer player Brandi Chastain scores the game winning penalty kick against China in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Briana Scurry, goalkeeper, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017. She was the first woman goalkeeper and first black woman to be awarded the honor. 12.    Jun - Lance Armsrong wins the Tour de France. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced in August 2012 that they had disqualified Armstrong from all his results since 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005 (which were, originally, the most wins in the event's history) 13.    Sep - The West Nile Virus first appears in the United States. The disease spread quickly through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to mammals. 14.    Dec - Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, replaced by Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin has been describes as,  "Russia's first modern leader" and has been compared to Nelson Mandela. 15.    Top 3 Pop Songs 16.    #1 "Believe"    Cher 17.    #2 "No Scrubs"    TLC 18.    #3  "Angel of Mine"    Monica 19.    Record of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob Thomas 20.    Album of the Year: Supernatural – Santana 21.    Song of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob 22.    Best New Artist: Christina Aguilera (Note: Beat out Brittney Spears) 23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "It's Not Right but It's Okay" – Whitney Houston 24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Staying Power" – Barry White 25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "No Scrubs" – TLC 26.    Best R&B Song: "No Scrubs" – TLC 27.    Best R&B Album: FanMail – TLC 28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "My Name Is" – Eminem 29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "You Got Me" – The Roots featuring Erykah Badu 30.    Best Rap Album: The Slim Shady LP – Eminem 31.    Top 3 Moives 32.    #1  Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 33.    #2 The Sixth Sense 34.    #3 Toy Story 2 35.    Notables:  Office Space, Analyze This, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix (3/31/1999 - 20 days before Columbine), Life, The Mummy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Wild Wild West, American Pie, The Blair Witch Project, Eyes Wide Shut, The Wood, The Iron Giant, The Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bowfinger, Three Kings, Fight Club, The Green Mile, Any Given Sunday 36.    Top 3 TV Shows 37.    #1 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Tuesday 38.    #2 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Thursday 39.    #3 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Sunday 40.    Debuts: The PJs, The Parkers, The Queen Latifah Show, Judge Mathis 41.    Economic Snapshots 42.    Income = 40.8k (Previously 38.1k) 43.    House = 131.7k (129.3k) 44.    Car = 21kk (17k) 45.    Rent = 645 (619) 46.    Harvard = 31.1k (30,080) 47.    Movie = 5.06 (4.69) 48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.15) 49.    Stamp = .33 (.32) 50.    Social Scene: Y2K Scare 51.    The Y2K problem and the millennium bug was the most important thing on most companies minds in 1999. This fear was fueled by the press coverage and other media speculation, as well as corporate and government reports. All over the world companies and organizations checked and upgraded their computer systems. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. 52.    (Audio Clip) 53.    Music Scene 54.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40 55.    #2 "No Scrubs" - TLC 56.    #3 "Angel of Mine" - Monica 57.    #4 "Heartbreak Hotel" - Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price 58.    #9 "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" - Deborah Cox 59.    #11 "Where My Girls At?" - 702 60.    #12 "If You Had My Love" - Jennifer Lopez 61.    #14 "Have You Ever?" - Brandy 62.    #16 "I'm Your Angel" - R. Kelly and Celine Dion 63.    #19 "Smooth" - Santana featuring Rob Thomas 64.    #20 "Unpretty" - TLC 65.    #21 "Bills, Bills, Bills" - Destiny's Child 66.    #24 "Fortunate" - Maxwell 67.    #27 "What's It Gonna Be?!" - Busta Rhymes featuring Janet 68.    #28  "What It's Like" - Everlast 69.    #29 "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz 70.    #31 "Lately" - Divine 71.    #33 "Wild Wild West" - Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee 72.    #35 "Heartbreaker" - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z 73.    #36 "I Still Believe" - Mariah Carey 74.    #39 "Can I Get A..." - Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule 75.    #42 "Mambo No. 5" - Lou Bega 76.    #43 "Sweet Lady" - Tyrese 77.    Top Rnb Albums 78.    Jan Ghetto Fabulous - Mystikal 79.    Jan Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood - DMX 80.    Feb Made Man - Silkk the Shocker 81.    Feb Chyna Doll - Foxy Brown 82.    Feb The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill 83.    Mar Da Next Level - Mr. Serv-On 84.    Mar FanMail - TLC 85.    Mar Bossalinie - C-Murder 86.    Apr The Slim Shady LP - Eminem 87.    Apr I Am… - Nas 88.    May  Ryde or Die Vol. 1 - Ruff Ryders 89.    May No Limit Top Dogg - Snoop Dogg 90.    Jun In Our Lifetime - 8Ball & MJG 91.    Jun The Art of Storytelling - Slick Rick 92.    Jun Venni Vetti Vecci - Ja Rule 93.    Jul Da Real World - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott 94.    Jul Beneath the Surface - GZA/Genius 95.    Jul Street Life - Fiend 96.    Jul Can't Stay Away - Too Short 97.    Aug Guerrilla Warfare - Hot Boys 98.    Aug Coming of Age - Memphis Bleek 99.    Sep Mary - Mary J. Blige 100.    Sep Forever - Puff Daddy 101.    Oct Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady - Eve 102.    Ocy Blackout! - Method Man & Redman 103.    Nov Only God Can Judge Me - Master P 104.    Nov Tha Block Is Hot - Lil Wayne 105.    Dec 2001 - Dr. Dre 106.    Dec Born Again - The Notorious B.I.G. 107.    Featured Artist: Eminem 108.    Childhood & Early Life: Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1972, to parents who were members of a band that used to perform at the hotel 'Ramada Inns.' He grew up in a predominantly black neighbourhood, where he was often bullied. As a child he showed affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping. He had a difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother. He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall's education suffered as a result of constant troubles with his mom and he dropped-out of 'Lincoln High School,' when he was seventeen. 109.    Career: When Marshall was fourteen years old, he started rapping and attenditg contetst with his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper Proof. The two friends formed their own group called 'D12' or 'The Dirty Dozen,' in 1996. Also in 1996, Eminem (@16) brought out his first album titled 'Infinite.' The album was recorded under the banner of 'FBT Productions,' and included songs that spoke about the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time when he was financially unstable. His financial condition had worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother's house with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named 'Slim Shady.' He even recorded his first extended play by the same name in the same year. 110.    After he was fired from his job and evicted from his home, Eminem went to Los Angeles to compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, an annual, nationwide battle rap competition. He placed second, and an Interscope Records intern in attendance called asked Eminem for a copy of the Slim Shady EP, which was then sent to company CEO Jimmy Iovine. Iovine played the tape for record producer Dr. Dre, who recalled sayingd, "In my entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find him. Now.'" Although Dre's friends criticized him for hiring a white rapper, he was confident in his decision: "I don't give a fuck if you're purple; if you can kick it, I'm working with you." 111.    In February 1999, Dr. Dre helped Eminem release an album titled 'The Slim Shady LP,' which immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like 'My Name Is,' '97 Bonnie and Clyde,' and 'Guilty Conscience,' it was one of the most successful albums of the year. 112.    Movie Scene: The Best Man 113.    Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun), is nervous-and with good reason. His steamy new novel hits bookstores soon, and when his friends finally read it he knows they will notice more than just a passing resemblance to the characters depicted in the book. 114.    Director: Malcolm D. Lee, Debut film [Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013), The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), and Night School (2018)] 115.    Cast: Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terance Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall [*Film Debut] 116.    'The Best Man': A Joyous Occasion [By Lonnae O'Neal Parker Washington Post Staff Writer, Oct 1999] 117.    This smart debut from filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, cousin to the film's producer, Spike, centers around a group of old friends who reunite in New York for a wedding. Tapping into the Zeitgeist of young black professionals starving to see themselves on film, it hits all the right cultural touchstones: from BET to Stevie Wonder, Chubb Rock to bid whist. Although the film is produced by Spike Lee, don't expect racial politics. And while comparisons to another black wedding-themed movie starring Taye Diggs, "The Wood," are bound to come up, resist. 118.    James Berardinelli - Reelviews 119.    The Best Man is not what it initially seems to be. Despite starting out with all the earmarks of a fairly ordinary romantic comedy, the project develops into a surprisingly effective look at a man's quest for rebirth after events topple him from a pedestal of arrogance. And, while there are plenty of laughs to be had, The Best Man functions better as a light drama than a straight comedy, with several scenes packing a punch because they're played straight. The film is the directorial debut of Malcolm D. Lee (Spike's cousin), who may have gotten this chance because of family connections but shows enough promise to earn further opportunities on his own. 120.    The Best Man (1999) - 1½ Stars [Reviewed by Dustin Putman, October 1999] 121.    As with 1997's melodramatic, corny "Soul Food," and last summer's "The Wood," which also starred Diggs in a story set around a wedding(!), "The Best Man" aspires to be something more than it actually is. Kudos to Lee for trying his hand at a more knowledgeable picture that all audiences (not just African-Americans) might enjoy, but he also gets more than his share of debits for its severely flawed treatment. At over two hours in length, "The Best Man" thankfully never overstays its welcome and goes by fairly fast, but by the time the Electric Slide was carried out by everyone at the wedding reception over the end credits, I realized that the actors deserved far better. As is, the conclusion plays like an excuse for each of the cast members to give themselves a pat on the back, when they really didn't earn that pat to begin with. 122.    Denzel Washington, film debut in Carbon Copy (1981) and in 1982, Denzel made his first appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role proved to be the breakthrough in his career. 123.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Cry Freedom (1988) and Glory (1990)(*won) 124.    Nominated for Best Actor for Malcolm X (1993) 125.    1981 Carbon Copy / 1984 A Soldier's Story / 1986 Power / 1987 Cry Freedom / 1988 For Queen and Country / 1989 The Mighty Quinn / 1989 Glory / 1990 Heart Condition / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1991 Mississippi Masala / 1991 Ricochet / 1992 Malcolm X / 1993 Much Ado About Nothing / 1993 The Pelican Brief / 1993 Philadelphia / 1995 Crimson Tide / 1995 Virtuosity / 1995 Devil in a Blue Dress / 1996 Courage Under Fire / 1996 The Preacher's Wife / 1998 Fallen / 1998 He Got Game / 1998 The Siege / 1999 The Bone Collector / 1999 The Hurricane - [25 films] 126.    Samuel L. Jackson. 127.    Nominated for Best Supporting Actor: Pulp Fiction (1994) 128.    1981 Ragtime / 1987 Magic Sticks / 1988 Coming to America / 1988 School Daze / 1989 Do the Right Thing / 1989 Sea of Love / 1990 Def by Temptation / 1990 A Shock to the System / 1990 Betsy's Wedding / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1990 The Exorcist III / 1990 Goodfellas / 1990 The Return of Superfly / 1991 Strictly Business / 1991 Jungle Fever / 1991 Jumpin' at the Boneyard / 1991 Johnny Suede / 1992 Juice / 1992 Patriot Games /1992 White Sands / 1992 Fathers & Sons / 1993 Menace II Society /1993 Loaded Weapon / 1993 Amos & Andrew / 1993 Jurassic Park / 1993 True Romance / 1994 Fresh / 1994 Pulp Fiction / 1994 The New Age / 1994 Hail Caesar / 1994 Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker / 1994 The Search for One-eye Jimmy / 1995 Kiss of Death / 1995 Die Hard with a Vengeance / 1995 Losing Isaiah / 1995 Fluke / 1996 The Great White Hype / 1996 A Time to Kill / 1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight / 1996 Hard Eight / 1996 Trees Lounge / 1997 One Eight Seven / 1997 Eve's Bayou / 1997 Jackie Brown / 1998 Sphere / 1998 The Negotiator / 1998 The Red Violin / 1998 Out of Sight / 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace / 1999 Deep Blue Sea - [50 films] 129.    Question: DW vs. SLJ? 130.    Television Scene: 131.    18 Black Sitcoms of the '90s That Changed the Game: Published Jan 24, 2020 - By Damarys Ocaña Perez 132.    Black sitcoms have been popular since classics like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son hit television screens nationwide in the '70s. But it wasn't until The Cosby Show became a ratings juggernaut in the mid '80s that networks finally saw the potential in investing heavily in sitcoms with black leads. 133.    And so the '90s became a decade in which more black sitcoms than ever made it onto TV 134.    Naturally, given the success of The Cosby Show, a lot of shows that followed featured families. But they didn't just simply copy the formula. 135.    The lives of younger people took center stage as well in the '90s. So, instead of being the token black friend within the larger context of a show, black teens, college students, 20-something professionals became the vehicle for funny and even poignant stories. 136.    The '90s turned hugely talented black comedians and actors into stars who remain household names to this day, and it goes to show the impact that being given a seat at the table and a voice on prime time television can accomplish. 137.    Here are 18 black '90s sitcoms that we love do this day for the impact they had on our lives then and now. 138.    'A Different World' (1987-1993): One of the show's major accomplishments was being among the first to tackle real issues like date rape, racism, and HIV, things that the Cosby Show had avoided. A Different World is the gem that created a bridge to the '90s black sitcom boom. 139.    'Family Matters' (1989-1997): The longest-running sitcom about a black family (it spanned nine seasons to The Cosby Show's eight), Family Matters was not only funny -- especially after introducing super-nerd Urkel -- but managed to balance big laughs with more serious moments. There were episodes that centered around civil rights history and police mistreatment of young black men, and a wide-ranging audience got to see them, thanks to the show's across-the-board popularity. 140.    'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' (1990-1996): Nestled between Will Smith's rapping days and his status as one of the world's most bankable A-list movie stars was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which made his a household name and produced one of the longest-running fan debates in TV history on which of the two actresses who played Aunt Viv was the best one. 141.    'Roc' (1991-1994): Before Charles S. Dutton went on to win three Emmys for his work on other shows, he starred in this underrated and brief series that was fairly typical sitcom until the second season, which aired each episode live. Roc was a treat because Dutton and several of the other cast members were trained stage actors. 142.    'Martin' (1992-1997): Martin Lawrence was all edge when he wasn't doing Martin. (One of his stand-up specials was slapped with an NC-17 rating, and he was banned from Saturday Night Live for delivering a hilariously raunchy monologue.) That makes it all the more interesting that on the show Martin, he played a lovably manic man-boy. We lost count of how many characters Martin played on the show (in disguise), each one of them hilarious in their own specific way. 143.    'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper' (1992-1997): This sitcom had a great cast, including comedian Raven-Symoné, Holly Robinson Peete, and Mark Curry. 144.    'Living Single' (1993-1998): The show marked the first time that we saw young black women portrayed as professionals and given well-rounded personalities, have healthy relationships, and pave the way for black female-centered shows - nlike Girlfriends and Insecure. 145.    'Sister, Sister' (1994-1999): There are so many reasons why we loved Sister,Sister, and one of them was that the show would occasionally break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience, which made us feel part of the action. But the show also had layers that deepened its story: The girls had been the product of an interracial relationship between a black mom and a white dad who never had the chance to marry before being separated in tragic circumstances. 146.    'In The House' (1995-1999): It wasn't the world's best sitcom, but hey, LL Cool J has always been a snack. 147.    'The Parent 'Hood' (1995-1999): One of the four original Wednesday night shows that helped launched the WB (The Wayans Bros was another), what sets the show apart are the whimsical fantasy sequences that the dad dreams up to help him solve family issues in a creative and unexpected way. 148.    'The Wayans Bros.' (1995-1999): In Living Color, it's not, but this sitcom from younger Wayans siblings Shawn and Marlon is still simple fun that doesn't require too many brain cells -- and that can be a good thing. 149.    'Moesha' (1996-2001): Moesha centered around a black teenager diving into deeper explorations of all kinds of relationships and left cliffhangers in several story lines dangling when it was canceled. 150.    'The Jamie Foxx Show' (1996-2001): Fresh off the groundbreaking comedy sketch show In Living Color and before he becoming an movie star, Jamie Foxx starred as an aspiring actor who works at his relatives' hotel. 151.    'Kenan & Kel' (1996-2000): Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were Nickelodeon's first black sitcom stars, having landed their own show when producers saw them joking around on the set of All That when they were series regulars. 152.    'The Steve Harvey Show' (1996-2002): A big highlight is the constant guest star roster that's a who's who of black TV stars and musicians -- like Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Kim Fields, and Ja’Net DuBois of the classic sitcom Good Times. 153.    'The Hughleys' (1998-2002): Two decades before Black-ish tackled a similar premise, The Hughleys featured a family that lives in a predominantly white neighborhood. 154.    'The Famous Jett Jackson' (1998-2001): This show had just 65 episodes but has a special place in our hearts as the first Disney Channel show to feature a black actor as the lead. The immensely talented and magnetic Lee Thompson Young starred as Jett Jackson, a kid who tries to live a normal life when he's not filming. Thompson tragically died at age 29, after struggling with bipolar disorder and depression, but the heartwarming show lives on. 155.    'The Parkers' (1999-2004): It's no surprise that one of the most down-to-earth black sitcoms from the '90s starred Mo'Nique as a single mom who dropped out of high school to raise her baby. 156.    Question: Most Liked Show of the 90’s? 157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1999

2. 

   1 Dec 2020

   1998: A Hard Knock Life for Monica and Bill - Spcl Gsts Carlissa, Ashley, and Terrence

   Topics: Monica Lewinsky Scandal, Jay Z, Beloved (Film), 90's Tech (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound and Luck Pacheco) 1998 General Snapshots 1.    Bill Clinton President 2.    Jan - Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. 3.    Jan - Smoking is banned in all California bars and restaurants. 4.    Jan - Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos become the first AFC team in 14 years to win the Super Bowl, as they defeat the Green Bay Packers 5.    Jan - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The next day, Hillary Clinton appears on The Today Show, calling the attacks against her husband part of a "vast right-wing conspiracy". 6.    Mar - The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States. 7.    Apr - The unemployment rate drops to 4.3%, the lowest level since February 1970. 8.    Apr - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 9,000 for the first time. 9.    Apr - Teletubbies begins its U.S. television debut on PBS. 10.    Apr - Inflight smoking is banned on all commercial passenger flights in the United States, 11.    Jun - The Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA title in 8 years when they beat the Utah Jazz. This is also Michael Jordan's last game as a Bull, clinching the game in the final seconds on a fadeaway jumper. 12.    Aug - The bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kill 224 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama bin Laden. Two weeks later. The United States military launches cruise missile attacks against alleged al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan. 13.    Oct - College student Matthew Shepard is found tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. His death became a symbol of gay-bashing and sparked a national debate on homophobia in the U.S. 14.    Nov - Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota. 15.    Nov - America Online announces it will acquire Netscape Communications for $4.2B as the “Dot.com” bubble heats up. Between 1995 and 2000, the Nasdaq Composite stock market index rose 400%. 16.    Dec - Lewinsky scandal: President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives. (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.) 17.    Open Comments 18.    Top 3 Pop songs 19.    #1 "Too Close", Next 20.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy and Monica 21.    #3 "You're Still the One", Shania Twain 22.    Record of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion 23.    Album of the Year: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 24.    Song of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion 25.    Best New Artist: Lauryn Hill 26.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill 27.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "St. Louis Blues”, Stevie Wonder in Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World 28.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy & Monica 29.    Best R&B Song: "Doo Wop (That Thing)”, Lauryn Hill 30.    Best R&B Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 31.    Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album: Live! One Night Only, Patti LaBelle 32.    Best Rap Solo Performance: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", Will Smith 33.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Intergalactic", Beastie Boys 34.    Best Rap Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z 35.    Top 3 Movies 36.    #1 Armageddon 37.    #2 Saving Private Ryan 38.    #3 Godzilla 39.    Notables: Dr. Dolittle, Half Baked, The Wedding Singer, The Big Lebowski, Primary Colors, The Players Club, Suicide Kings, He Got Game, Bulworth, The Truman Show, Mulan, There's Something About Mary, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Blade, Rush Hour, Antz, Beloved, Belly, The Waterboy, A Bug's Life, A Simple Plan, You've Got Mail 40.    Open Comments 41.    Top 3 TV Shows 42.    #1 ER 43.    #2 Friends 44.    #3 Frasier 45.    Debuts: Judge Joe Brown, The Hughleys 46.    Open Comments 47.    Economic Snapshots 48.    Income = 38.1 (Previously 37.5K) 49.    House = 129.3 (124k) 50.    Car = 17k (17k) 51.    Rent = 619 (576) 52.    Harvard = 30,080 (28.9) 53.    Movie = 4.69 (4.59) 54.    Gas = 1.15 (1.22) 55.    Stamp = .32 (-) 56.    Social Scene: Monica Lewinsky Scandal (Highlights) 57.    Born in San Francisco in 1973, Monica Lewinsky was raised in a well-off family in the Los Angeles area. In the summer of 1995 (@ 22 yrs. old), after graduating from Lewis and Clark College, she landed an unpaid internship in the White House chief of staff’s office. 58.    In November 1995, during a federal government shutdown, Lewinsky flirted with the president and the two had their first sexual encounter. Later that month, she took a paying job in the Office of Legislative Affairs. 59.    They had seven more encounters in the White House and her visits started drawing notice from people. In April 1996, a deputy chief of staff had her transferred to a job at the Pentagon. 60.    The president and Lewinsky had two more encounters, the last was in spring 1997, and stayed in touch by phone. 61.    At the Pentagon, she befriended a coworker, Linda Tripp, and she confided details of her affair with the president. Tripp in turn shared the story with an anti-Clinton conservative literary agent she knew. That person urged Tripp to secretly, and in violation of taping laws, record hours of her phone conversations with Lewinsky. 62.    Word of Tripp’s tapes made it to lawyers working on behalf of Paula Jones, a former government employee who had filed a lawsuit against the president for alleged sexual misconduct that took place in 1991, when he was governor of Arkansas. 63.    In December 1997, Lewinsky was subpoenaed by Jones’ attorneys and, after the president allegedly suggested she be evasive, the former intern denied in an affidavit that she had had a sexual relationship with Clinton. 64.    Around the same time, independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who had been investigating Clinton and his wife Hillary’s involvement in a failed business venture called Whitewater, found out about Tripp’s recordings. Soon afterward, FBI agents fitted Tripp with a hidden microphone so she could legally tape her conversations with Lewinsky. 65.    Then Starr expanded his investigation to include the president’s relationship with Lewinsky and told her that if she did not cooperate with the investigation she would be charged with perjury. 66.    When Clinton was deposed in January 1998 by Jones’ legal team, he claimed he had never had sexual relations with Lewinsky. (The Big Lie) 67.    On January 17, 1998, the Drudge Report, a conservative online news site, published the accusations against the president and the next day revealed Lewinsky’s identity. The mainstream media picked up the story a few days later, and a national scandal Erupted. Clinton refuted the allegations against him, famously stating at a press conference, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” 68.    That July, Lewinsky’s lawyers announced she had been granted immunity in exchange for her testimony. She also gave Starr’s team physical evidence of her affair with Clinton: a blue dress with an incriminating stain containing the president’s DNA. At the suggestion of Tripp, Lewinsky had never laundered the garment. 69.    On August 17, 1998, Clinton testified before a grand jury and confessed he had engaged in “inappropriate intimate physical contact” with Lewinsky. However, the president contended his actions did not meet the definition of sexual relations used by Jones’ attorneys—so he had not perjured himself. That night, he appeared on national TV and apologized for his behavior but maintained he had never asked anyone involved to lie or do anything illegal. 70.    In September 1998, Starr gave Congress a 445-page report. The Starr Report was soon made public by Congress and published in book form, becoming a best-seller 71.    In December, the House approved two articles of impeachment against him: perjury and obstruction of justice. He was only the second president in U.S. history to be impeached (after President Andrew Johnson in 1868). 72.    On February 12, 1999, following a five-week trial in the Senate, Clinton was acquitted. (During his impeachment proceedings, he agreed to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit for $850,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.) 73.    Open Comments: 74.    Question: Impeach? (Y/N) (Can you imagine if Barack did this to Michelle!) 75.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40 76.    #1 "Too Close" - Next 77.    #2 "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy and Monica 78.    #6 "Together Again" - Janet 79.    #7 "All My Life" - K-Ci & JoJo 80.    #9 "Nice & Slow" - Usher 81.    #12 "No, No, No" - Destiny's Child 82.    #14 "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" - Will Smith 83.    #15 "You Make Me Wanna..." - Usher 84.    #16 "My Way" - Usher 85.    #17 My All" - Mariah Carey 86.    #18 "The First Night" - Monica 87.    #19 "Been Around the World" - Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 88.    #24 "Body Bumpin' (Yippie-Yi-Yo)" - Public Announcement 89.    #26 "I Don't Ever Want to See You Again" - Uncle Sam 90.    #27 "Let's Ride" - Montell Jordan featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker 91.    #30 "A Song for Mama" - Boyz II Men 92.    #31 "What You Want" - Mase featuring Total 93.    #33 "Gone till November" - Wyclef Jean 94.    #34 "My Body" - LSG 95.    #36 "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" - Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz 96.    #39 "They Don't Know" - Jon B. 97.    #40 "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" - Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Mystikal 98.    Vote: 99.    Top RnB Albums 100.    Jan - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac 101.    Jan - My Way, Usher 102.    Jan - Money, Power & Respect, The LOX 103.    Feb - My Balls and My Word, Young Bleed 104.    Feb - Anytime, Brian McKnight 105.    Mar - Charge It 2 da Game, Silkk the Shocker 106.    Mar - My Homies, Scarface 107.    Mar - Life or Death, C-Murder 108.    Apr - The Pillage, Cappadonna 109.    Apr - Moment of Truth, Gang Starr 110.    May - There's One in Every Family, Fiend 111.    Jun - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX 112.    Jun - MP Da Last Don, Master P 113.    Jul - El Nino, Def Squad 114.    Jul - Am I My Brother's Keeper, Kane & Abel 115.    Aug - N.O.R.E., Noreaga 116.    Aug - Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life In 1472, Jermaine Dupri 117.    Aug - Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, Snoop Dogg 118.    Sep - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 119.    Oct - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z 120.    Nov - R., R. Kelly 121.    Dec - Tical 2000: Judgement Day, Method Man 122.    Dec - Doc's da Name 2000, Redman 123.    Vote: 124.    Featured Artists: Jay Z 125.    Childhood & Early Life: Shawn Corey Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1969. He is the last of the four children. When he was only 11 years old, his father abandoned the family. They lived in the drug-infested ‘Marcy Projects’, where violence and gun-culture were also prevalent. He soon became so imbibed the gun-culture that he allegedly shot his elder brother in the shoulder for pocketing his jewelry. His interest in music was sparked from early on when he received a boom box for his birthday from his mother. He began free styling, scripting lyrics and copied the music of many popular artists of the time. He studied at several local high schools, where he was classmates with future performers, Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G., before ultimately dropping out and selling drugs. 126.    Career Highlights 127.    1989 Jaz-O (@19yrs): Hooked up with local star and fellow project inhabitant, Jaz-O, who became his guru and taught him the industry basics. In order to pay homage to his mentor, he changed his name to Jay-Z, since Sean was known as ‘Jazzy’ in his neighborhood. Jaz-O’s “Hawaiian Sophie” is one of Jay-Z’s earliest appearances on wax. - Key development: He saw Jaz-O get jerked over by the record business. No record deal and he return to selling drugs. 128.    1992 Big Daddy Kane (@22): BDK records a mixtape with Jaz-O and Jay-Z. Eventually, BDK and Jay start working together and during BDK’s time with the Patti LaBelle tour he had Jay-Z performing for him while was in the back changing clothes. Key Development: Exposure and experience, but no deal. Back to the streets. 129.    1994 Original Flavor/Clark Kent/Damon Dash (@24): Original Flavor was one of rap's middle school crews headed by Ski, an MC/producer. They were also the first group managed by future recording industry executive Damon Dash. Although Ski worked with legendary New York DJ Clark Kent for the groups debut project, the album fizzled. For their follow-up, Ski enlisted the aid of a few more MCs including a young Brooklynite with some experience in the rap field, Jay-Z. Original Flavor was Jay-Z's training ground and it served as a catapult for his future endeavors. Flavor's sophomore release was released in 1994 and again fizzled. However, the lead single "Can I Get Open" features Jay-Z in impeccable pre-Jayhova form. Jay-Z's skills far surpassed those of the rest of the crew and his solo career would begin soon. Key Development: Local buzz, regional tours, several singles and videos but no deal. Starts transition from the streets. 130.    1995-96 Roc-A-Fella Records (@25): Frustrated with being turned down by several major labels Carter, Dash and Kareem Burke started their own label, Roc-A-Fella, as an independent outlet for Jay-Z's music. After becoming a local sensation, Jay-Z turned into Jigga and adopted the Tony Montana-styled persona. He would continue to work with his Original Flavor partner Ski after the group disbanded, making him a member/producer of his Roc-a-Fella staff. Jay-Z was also supported by The Notorious B.I.G.'s producer DJ Clark Kent. Key Development: Debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt’ released in 1996. It did not immediately attain commercial success, but it spawned several hits, and established Jay-Z in the hip-hop community. No more streets. 131.    1997 Def Jam (@27): Roc-A-Fella Records agreed to a 50/50 partnership and distribution deal with Def Jam. His second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Is released. The album debuted at #3 and most of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team giving the album a glossier sound than its predecessor. It was a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to a more popular sound. Critical reviews: "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow...he struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G." (Also, in response to the sellout charge, Roc-A-Fella Records released the movie Streets Is Watching.) 132.    1998 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: The third studio album was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Key Development: He cracks the code. This album went on to become his most commercially successful album to date, selling over 5 million copies. Critics review: Q magazine called it "the epitome of mainstream hip hop". 133.    Audio Clip 134.    Open Comments: 135.    Question: Everybody knows someone who overcame the “streets” and is a success or should have overcome the “streets” and been a success. Who is your personal “Jay-Z”? 136.    Movie Scene: Beloved 137.    Summary: In 1873 Ohio, Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is a mother of three haunted by her horrific slavery past and her desperate actions for freedom. As a result, Sethe's home is haunted by a furious poltergeist, which drives away her two sons. Sethe and her daughter (Kimberly Elise) endure living with the spirit for 10 more years, until an old friend, Paul D. Garner (Danny Glover), arrives to run it out. After Garner moves in, a strange woman named Beloved (Thandie Newton) enters their lives, causing turmoil. 138.    Accolades: Academy Awards, Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood (Nominated), Chicago Film Critics, Most Promising Actress: Kimberly Elise (Winner), NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Danny Glover (Winner) 139.    Review: Demme's direction tells the story through mood and accumulation of incident, rather than through a traditional story line. His editor, Carol Littleton, takes on the difficult task of helping us find our way through the maze. Some audience members, I imagine, will not like it--will find it confusing or too convoluted. And it does not provide the kind of easy lift at the end that they might expect. Sethe's tragic story is the kind where the only happy ending is that it is over. - Roger Ebert 140.    Review: No Peace from a Brutal Legacy.  "Beloved" works on its own but is much enhanced by familiarity with the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. In so ambitiously bringing this story to the screen, Ms. Winfrey underscores a favorite, invaluable credo: read the book.  - By Janet Maslin. NY Times 141.    Fallout: 'Beloved' Tests Racial Themes At Box Office; Will This Winfrey Film Appeal to White Audiences? - By Bernard Weinraub 142.    Answer: No. Winfrey has gone on public record stating that she ate 30 pounds of macaroni and cheese when she was informed the Saturday after the movie opened that "we got beat by something called Chucky." Oprah also claimed that Beloved's failure at the box office was the worst moment in her career and brought her into a major depression. "It was the only time in my life that I was ever depressed, and I recognized that I (was) depressed because I've done enough shows (on the topic). 'Oh, this is what people must feel like who are depressed.” 143.    Open Comments 144.    Question: Favorite book-to-movie?: Call Me By Your Name/The Princess Bride/12 Years a Slave/Little Women/Mean Girls/The Shawshank Redemption/Harry Potter/Gone Girl/The Color Purple/The Wizard of Oz/Jurassic Park/The Lord of the Rings/The Godfather/THE /COLOR PURPLE/ROOTS/WAITING TO EXHALE/BELOVED/WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT/THINK LIKE A MAN/THE WIZ/THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES/The Help/THE HELP/MALCOLM X/LADY SINGS THE BLUES/HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK/PRECIOUS/DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS 145.    Technology that changed us: The 1990s, from Worldwide Web to Google - By David Gewirtz, ZDNET 146.    1990: The First Web Browser - Of all the technologies that changed our lives, perhaps the most profound of the last 50 years has been the web. But it was not the ability to hyperlink documents that made the most impact. Instead, it was the application that presented all that information to users, the browser. English scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented and wrote the first web browser in 1990 while employed at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. Notables: Adobe released the first version of Photoshop in 1990. 147.    1991: Linux - On August 25, 1991, Linus Torvalds typed the following to the Minix Usenet newsgroup, and it changed everything, "I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional..." Today, Linux runs in everything, from light bulbs to cars, to almost all TVs and phones on the market. Notable: Second generation (2G) cell phones. 2G service used digital transmission instead of analog and paved the way for SMS messaging. 148.    1992: The First Sms Text Message - December 3, 1992 engineer Neil Papworth sent a message to Richard Jarvis on a Vodafone Orbitel 901 handset. It said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS". 149.    1993: Mosaic Web Browser - It was the first browser that could display images. Mosaic was created by grad students at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) located at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Mosaic eventually became Netscape, which dominated the web (for a while, at least). 150.    1994: Amazon Founded - It started as a source for books. Notable: Sony's first PlayStation 151.    1995: Windows 95 And Ie 1.0 - Windows 95 was the first version of Windows to include IE, which would become the dominant browser for more than a decade. Notable (1): E-commerce: While the concept of e-commerce existed loosely for a few years, it was not until the 1990s that modern e-commerce was born. In 1995, both Amazon and eBay launched, and in 1999 Alibaba made its debut. Notable (2): JavaScript. SSL, and eBay 152.    1996: Palm Pilot Handheld - The first successful handheld PDA. Notable: DVD, & USB 153.    1997: Steve Jobs Returns To Apple - Apple would soon utterly transform music and telephones. Notable: MP3 players, Netflix, and Wi-Fi standard adopted. 154.    1998: Google Founded. Notable: Windows 98 and first iMac introduced. 155.    1999: The digital video recorder (DVR) was born. Notable: BlackBerry and preparing for the Y2K bug. 156.    Question: Best 90’s tech: 157.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1998?

3. 

   1 Nov 2020

   1997: Biggie, Badu, Bayou - Spcl Gst Khalil, Irin, and Majesty

   Topics: Biggie death, Erykah Badu, Eve's Bayou, Miss Evers' Boys (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) Notes 1997 1.    President: Bill Clinton 2.    Feb -A Santa Monica jury finds former football legend O.J. Simpson is liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. 3.    Feb - North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in a mass shootout. 4.    Feb - Miss Evers' Boys airs on HBO. It is a made-for-TV adaptation of David Feldshuh's eponymous 1992 stage play, and was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards and won four, Outstanding Made for Television Movie / Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Alfre Woodard / Editing / Cinematography 5.    Mar - Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24 before the release of his second album Life After Death. The album was released on March 25. 6.    Mar - In San Diego, California, 39 members of  Heaven's Gate, a UFO religious cult, commit mass suicide. 7.    Apr - The Ellen episode, "The Puppy Episode" is broadcast on ABC, showing for the first time the revelation of a main character as a homosexual. 8.    May - U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families. 9.    Jun - During the Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II boxing match in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. 10.    Jun - The base version of the standard WiFi was released 11.    Aug - Diana, Princess of Wales died in hospital after being injured in a motor vehicle accident in a road tunnel in Paris. 12.    Sep - www.google.com is registered by Google. 13.    Nov - Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.[3] 14.    Nov - The Emergency Broadcast System is replaced by the Emergency Alert System and it continues to this day. - "This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test." 15.    Open Comments: 16.    Top 3 Pop Songs 17.    #1-"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John 18.    #2-"Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me", Jewel 19.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 20.    Record Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin 21.    Album Of The Year, Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan 22.    Song Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin Colvin) 23.    Best New Artist, Paula Cole 24.    Best Female R&B, On & On - Erykah Badu 25.    Best Male R&B, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly 26.    Best R&B Duo Or Group, No Diggity - Blackstreet 27.    Best R&B Song, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly 28.    Best R&B Album, Baduizm - Erykah Badu 29.    Best Rap Solo, Men In Black - Will Smith 30.    Best Rap Duo Or Group, I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112 31.    Best Rap Album, No Way Out - Puff Daddy & The Family 32.    Top 3 Movies 33.    #1-Titanic 34.    #2-The Lost World: Jurassic Park 35.    #3-Men in Black 36.    Notables: Rhyme & Reason, Gridlock'd, Rosewood, Good Burger, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Hoodlum, Kiss the Girls, Gang Related, Boogie Nights, The Devil's Advocate, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Love Jones, B*A*P*S, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Booty Call, Donnie Brasco, Soul Food, Gang Related, 37.    Open Comments: 38.    Top TV Shows 39.    #1-Seinfeld 40.    #2-ER 41.    #3-Veronica's Closet 42.    Debuts, The Chris Rock Show 43.    Open Comments: 44.    Economic Snapshots 45.    Income = 37.5 (Previously 36.3K) 46.    House = 124k (118.2) 47.    Car = 17k (16.3) 48.    Rent = 576 (554) 49.    Harvard = 28.9 (27.5) 50.    Movie = 4.59 (4.42) 51.    Gas = 1.22 (-) 52.    Stamp = .32 (-) 53.    Social Scene: Death of Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka ‘Biggie Smalls,’ ‘The Notorious B.I.G,’ or ‘Biggie,’ 54.    Childhood & Early Life: Born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, to Voletta Wallace and Selwyn George Latore. His mother was a Jamaican preschool teacher and his father was a politician and welder. His father left the family when he was two years old. He attended the ‘Queen of All Saints Middle School’ where he excelled in English, won many awards,  and was given the nickname ‘Big.’ because of his weight, around the age of 10 (1982).  He started dealing drugs as early as 12 while his mother went out for work, and she says he adapted a ‘smart-ass’ attitude, while attending high school, but he was still a good student. He dropped out of school at 17 (1989) and gradually got involved in criminal activities. Shortly after dropping out, he was arrested on weapon charges and was sentenced for probation of five years. He was again arrested in 1990 for violating his probation and again a year later for drug dealing in North Carolina. He stayed in jail for nine months. 55.    Career: As a teen, he began exploring music and performed with local groups, such as ‘Techniques’ and ‘Old Gold Brothers.’ He made a casual demo tape titled ‘Microphone Murder’ under the name ‘Biggie Smalls.’ The name was inspired from his own stature as well as from a character of a 1975 film ‘Let’s Do it Again.’ The tape was promoted by Mister Cee, a New York based DJ and was heard by the editor of ‘The Source.’ In March 1992 (@19), he was featured in the ‘Unsigned Hype’ column of ‘The Source,’ magazine. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by ‘Uptown Records’. In 1993, when Sean 'Puffy' Combs, a producer/A&R with ‘Uptown Records’ was fired, Biggie Smalls signed with Combs’ ‘Bad Boy Records.’ In August, 1993 (@21), he had his first child T’yanna.  To financially support his daughter, he continued to deal drugs. Also in 1993, he worked on the remix of Mary J. Blige’s ‘Real Love.’ While working for ‘Real Love,’ he used the pseudonym ‘The Notorious B.I.G.,’ the name he used for the rest of his career. He followed up with another remix of Blige's ‘What’s the 411’. He debuted as a solo artist in the 1993 film ‘Who’s the Man?’ with the single ‘Party and Bullshit.’ 56.    As a solo artist he hit the pop chart in August 1994 (@22) with ‘Juicy/Unbelievable.’ His debut album ‘Ready to Die’ was released in September, 1994, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance". "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards.  At a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the mainstream, this album became a huge success, making him a prominent figure in the East Coast hip hop scene. [Side Note: 2 months later in November, Tupac was shot five times in a NYC recording studio].  In July 1995 (@23), the cover of ‘The Source’ magazine featured him along with the caption ‘The King of New York Takes Over.’ 57.    Recording of his second album, ‘Life After Death,’  began in September 1995 but was interrupted due to injuries, hip hop disputes, and legal squabbles (much like his friend Tupac). He was in a car accident which hospitalized him for three months. He had to complete rehabilitation and was confined to a wheelchair for a period. The car accident had shattered his left leg and made him dependent on a cane. He was arrested outside a nightclub in Manhattan in March, 1996 (24), for manhandling and threatening to kill two of his fans who were seeking autographs, and again in the middle of the year, he was arrested from his home at Teaneck, New Jersey, for possessing weapons and drugs. On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he died six days later. Rumors of Biggie Smalls’ involvement in Shakur’s murder were doing the rounds and were reported immediately. In January 1997, he faced an order to pay 41k for a dispute that occurred in May 1995 where a concert promoter’s friend accused him and his entourage of beating him up. 58.    Death: In February 1997, he went to Los Angeles to promote his upcoming album ‘Life After Death’ which was scheduled for March 25th release. On March 7, 1997, he attended the 1997 ‘Soul Train Music Awards’ and presented an award to Toni Braxton. On March 8, he attended the after party at ‘Peterson Automotive Museum,’ hosted by ‘Quest Records’ and ‘Vibe’ magazine. While leaving the party, his truck stopped at a red light, and a black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside it. The Impala's driver, an unidentified African-American man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's car. Four bullets hit Wallace, and his entourage subsequently rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency procedures, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. He was 24 years old. 59.    16 days after his murder, his double disc album ‘Life After Death’ was released. The album peaked at No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts, ultimately went 11× Platinum, was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for its first single "Hypnotize", and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for its second single "Mo Money Mo Problems" at the 1998 Grammy Awards. In 2012, the album was ranked at No. 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Biggie has been described as ‘the savior of East Coast hip hop’ by some and ‘greatest rapper of all time’ by others. 60.    Tupac and Biggie Best Frenemies: Biggie's first single, “Party and Bulls**t” came out in 1993. By that year, Tupac was already a platinum-selling artist, so Biggie asked a drug dealer to introduce him to Tupac at a Los Angeles party, according to the book 'Original Gangstas...' by Ben Westhoff. An intern who worked with Biggie recalled the meeting. “'Pac walks into the kitchen and starts cooking for us. He's in the kitchen cooking some steaks,”.  “We were drinking and smoking and all of a sudden ‘Pac was like, ‘Yo, come get it.’ And we go into the kitchen and he had steaks, and French fries, and bread, and Kool Aid and we just sittin’ there eating and drinking and laughing...that's truly where Big and ‘Pac’s friendship started.” There was mutual respect between the two and Biggie would crash on Tupac’s couch when he was in California and Tupac would always stop by Biggie’s neighborhood when he was in New York. In essence, they were like any other pair of friends and both of them respected the other's talent. At the 1993 Budweiser Superfest at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, they freestyled together. Biggie often turned to Tupac for advice in the business, and even asked him to manage his career. But Tupac advised him to, "stay with Puff. He will make you a star.” 61.    The first big fallout happened when they were scheduled to work on a project together for another rapper, Little Shawn. Tupac arrived at Times Square’s Quad Recording Studios on November 30, 1994, and was getting ready to head upstairs to where Biggie and Combs were. But instead, Tupac was gunned down in the lobby and shot five times. Tupac reportedly believed that Biggie had prior knowledge of the attack and that he also knew who was behind it. "He really thought when he got shot the first time, not that Big set it up or anything, just Big didn't tell him who did it," Tupac's friend and Naughty by Nature frontman Treach told MTV News in June 2010. "In his heart, he was like, 'The homie knows who did it.' Biggie might have wanted to just stay out of it, like, 'I don't know nothing.' [Tupac] was like, 'Yo, man, just put your ear to the street. Let me know who hit me up.'" Despite Tupac's claims, Biggie remained adamant that he had been loyal to his friend. "Honestly, I didn't have no problem with [Tupac]," Biggie previously said. "I saw situations and how sh*t was going, and I tried to school [Tupac]. I was there when he bought his first Rolex, but I wasn't in the position to be rolling like that. I think Tupac felt more comfortable with the dudes he was hanging with because they had just as much money as him." 62.    Still, Tupac's suspicions were only heightened when Biggie released "Who Shot Ya?" a month after Tupac's attack. Biggie claimed that he wrote the song "way before Tupac got shot," but the rapper took it as Biggie's confession. "Even if that song ain't about it, you should be, like, 'I'm not putting it out, 'cause he might think it's about him,'" Tupac said in an interview with Vibe while incarcerated for an unrelated charge. 63.    When Tupac joined Death Row Records, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry was cemented. While Tupac was incarcerated for another incident, he came to believe Biggie knew about the attack ahead of time. The west coast rapper reached out to Suge Knight, who offered him a place on his Death Row Records roster. Tupac accepted, cementing the rivalry between Knight's label and Combs’ Bad Boy Records. “Any artist out there that wanna be an artist, stay a star, and won’t have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing—come to Death Row!” Knight proclaimed at that 1995 Source awards show. 64.    There was never proof that Biggie or Combs knew about the incident. But a couple of months later, Biggie’s B-side single was a track called “Who Shot Ya?” which led to Tupac’s response with the song, “Hit ‘Em Up.” In it, Tupac claimed he slept with Biggie’s wife, Faith Evans. According to Vibe, Evans denied the claim, saying, “That ain’t how I do business.” 65.    Open Comments: 66.    Question: What Notable deaths hit you pretty hard? [Aaliyh/Al Jarreau/Andre Harrell/Areatha Franklin/Bernie Mack/Bill Withers/Bob Marley/Chadwick Boseman/Diahann Carroll/Donny Hathaway/Eazy-E/Florence Ballard/Florence Griffith Joyner/Fred “Curly” Neal/Heavy D/Jam Master Jay/Jimi Hendrix/John Lewis/John Singleton/John Thompson/Kobe Bryant/Left Eye/Little Richard/Malcolm X/Martin Luther King, Jr./Micgael Jackson/Muhammad Ali/Mya Angelou/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Otis Redding/Prince/Sam Cooke/The Notorious B.I.G./Toni Morrrison/Tupac/Walter Payton/Whitney Houston] 67.    Music Scene: Black Songs from the top 40 68.    #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 69.    #4-"Un-Break My Heart", Toni Braxton 70.    #5- "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", Puff Daddy featuring Mase 71.    #6-"I Believe I Can Fly", R. Kelly 72.    #7-"Don't Let Go (Love)", En Vogue 73.    #8-"Return of the Mack", Mark Morrison 74.    #13- "For You I Will", Monica 75.    #14-"You Make Me Wanna...", Usher 76.    #16-"Nobody", Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage 77.    #20- "Mo Money Mo Problems", The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase 78.    #23-"No Diggity", Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 79.    #24-"I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", Rome 80.    #25-"Hypnotize", The Notorious B.I.G. 81.    #26-"Every Time I Close My Eyes", Babyface 82.    #27-"In My Bed", Dru Hill 83.    #30-"4 Seasons of Loneliness", Boyz II Men 84.    #31-"G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.", Changing Faces 85.    #32-"Honey", Mariah Carey 86.    #33-"I Believe in You and Me", Whitney Houston 87.    #34-"Da' Dip", Freak Nasty 88.    #37-"Cupid", 112 89.    Vote: 90.    Top RnB Albums 91.    Jan - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli 92.    Mar - Baduizm, Erykah Badu 93.    Mar - The Untouchable, Scarface 94.    Apr - Life After Death, The Notorious B.I.G. 95.    May - Share My World, Mary J. Blige 96.    Jun - God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation 97.    Jun - Wu-Tang Forever, Wu-Tang Clan 98.    Aug - Supa Dupa Fly, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott 99.    Aug - No Way Out, Puff Daddy and the Family 100.    Aug - The Art of War, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 101.    Sep - Ghetto D, Master P 102.    Oct - When Disaster Strikes, Busta Rhymes 103.    Oct - Evolution, Boyz II Men 104.    Nov - The Firm: The Album, The Firm feat. Nas, Foxy Brown, Nature and AZ 105.    Nov - Harlem World, Mase 106.    Nov - The 18th Letter, Rakim 107.    Nov - Unpredictable, Mystikal 108.    Dec - Live, Erykah Badu 109.    Dec - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac 110.    Vote: 111.    Music Scene: Erykah Badu, Queen of Neo-Soul 112.    Childhood & Early Years: Born as Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, TX. Her father spent a considerable period in jail, vanished altogether in 1975, and only returned twenty years later. Her mother, a much respected actress in the local theatre, raised the children with the help  of her own mother and her mother-in-law. Erica spent a lot of time with these ladies while her mother was busy on the stage. Erica was born the eldest of 3. Although they were comparatively poor Erica never realized that because everything was neat and clean. Despite the absence of her father, she had a very happy childhood, surrounded by uncles, aunts, grandmothers and cousins. Her mother imbibed in her daughters a love for music, playing the songs of Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to them. Erica inherited her mother’s artistic traits and a desire to perform. She would often sing in front of the mirror pretending that she was a background singer for Chaka Khan. She would also make her grandmother sit up and watch her while she sang, danced and acted. In 1975, Erica first appeared on stage, performing with her mother at Dallas Theatre Centre and by seven, she started learning to play the piano. Her favorite song was ‘The Greatest Love of All’. Another important aspect of her character was that from her childhood she loved to be in control of the situation around her. Therefore, when it was time for elementary schooling, she refused to continue her education there, mainly because she found that in school she was no longer in control. She began her formal education at a grade school, where her talent was quickly recognized. In her First Grade, she appeared in ‘Annie’, skipping and singing the song ‘Somebody Snitched On Me.’ During the summer vacations, she sang at the choir of the First Baptist Church, honing her choral skills.Along with acting and singing, little Erica also began to expand her cultural horizon, attending different festivals, especially Harambee Festival in South Dallas, slowly developing an interest in African culture and dress. The tall headgear she would wear one day originated from these visits. 113.    In 1980, she was enrolled in a dancing troupe. Later she also learned formal ballet. By 1982, she had also started rapping. When it was time to attend high school, she chose Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School, an arts-oriented magnet school. While studying there she rejected what she considered to be a slave name, changing the spelling of Erica to Erykah and replacing Wright with Badu. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at the Grambling State University, a historically black institution in Grambling, Louisiana, studying theatre until 1993. Thereafter, she returned to Dallas without completing her degree, mainly to concentrate on music. 114.    Career: In 1993, Erykah Badu started her career as a music teacher in Dallas. For a time, she also taught drama and dance at South Dallas Cultural Centre. To augment her income, she also served as waitress. She also formed a hip-hop duo with her cousin Robert Free Bradford, calling it ‘Erykah Free’. Very soon, they started going on musical tours and earning local opening slots. Her big chance came when in 1994 (@23), Erykah opened a show for D’Angelo. Through him, she caught the attention of Kedar Massenburg, an American record producer and founder of Kedar Entertainment. Impressed, he set her up to record a duet, ‘Your Precious Love' with D'Angelo. In 1995, she signed a contract with Kedar Entertainment and moved to Brooklyn. In January 1996, she made her debut with ‘On & On’, which remained at the number-one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. In 1996, Erykah also recorded her debut album, ‘Baduizm’. Released on February 11, 1997 by Kedar Records, The Grammy award-winning album received universal acclaim from critics, who not only praised the musical style of the album, but also her ‘artistic vision’, establishing her position as the torchbearer of soul music. Her next album, ‘Live’ was a live album released on November 18, 1997, barely a month after the release of its lead single, ‘Tyrone’. It was also a huge hit and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. While ‘Live’ was being recorded Badu was pregnant with her first child. After its release, she took some time off to raise her child, not returning until 1999. 115.    Open Comments: 116.    Question: What is neo-soul and why don’t I like it? 117.    Movie Scene:Eve’s Bayou, Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons; produced by Caldecot Chubb and Samuel L. Jackson - Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (Louis Batiste), Jurnee Smollett (Eve Batiste), Lynn Whitfield (Roz Batiste), Debbi Morgan (Mozelle Batiste Delacroix), Vondie Curtis Hall (Julian Grayraven), Meagan Good (Cisely Batiste) and Diahann Carroll (Elzora). 118.    Review #1: “...As these images unfold, we are drawn into the same process Eve has gone through: We, too, are trying to understand what happened in that summer of 1962, when Eve's handsome, dashing father--a doctor and womanizer--took one chance too many. And we want to understand what happened late one night between the father and Eve's older sister, in a moment that was over before it began. 119.    We want to know because the film makes it perfectly possible that there is more than one explanation; "Eve's Bayou" studies the way that dangerous emotions can build up until something happens that no one is responsible for and that can never be taken back. 120.    All of these moments unfold in a film of astonishing maturity and confidence; "Eve's Bayou," one of the very best films of the year, is the debut of its writer and director, Kasi Lemmons. She sets her story in Southern Gothic country, in the bayous and old Louisiana traditions that Tennessee Williams might have been familiar with, but in tone and style she earns comparison with the family dramas of Ingmar Bergman. That Lemmons can make a film this good on the first try is like a rebuke to established filmmakers..."Eve's Bayou" resonates in the memory. It called me back for a second and third viewing. If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention. For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams. - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times 121.    Review #2: Kasi Lemmons’ fluid, feminine, African-American, Southern-gothic narrative covers a tremendous amount of emotional territory with the most graceful of steps. Young Jurnee Smollett plays 10-year-old Eve, struggling to understand the womanizing of her adored daddy (Samuel L. Jackson in easy, sexy command) and the passions of her big sister; Debbi Morgan, in a blazing performance, plays Eve’s vibrant aunt, infused with good-witch spiritual powers. The film’s dream-state visual elegance is matched by a great soundtrack. Grade, A-. -  Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly 122.    Review #3: First and best, it's got a rip-roaring story. It sweeps you along, borne effortlessly by believable if flawed characters, as it flows toward the inevitable tragedy. But it's also got a heart: It watches as a child harsh of judgment learns that judgment is too easy a posture for the world, and it's best to love with compassion. - Stephen Hunter, Washington Post 123.    Review #4: “You don't have to believe in magic to be gripped by the psychic forces that the characters' sorcery unleashes. Sibling rivalry, sexual jealousy and anxiety are all feelings that, when heated to the boiling point, have incendiary, semi magical powers. And as the psychosexual forces that bind but also threaten the Batiste family heat up, you can feel the lid about to blow. Every element of the film -- from the turbulent, stormy performances to the rich cinematography (which includes black-and-white computer-enhanced dream sequences) to the setting itself, in which the thick layers of hanging moss over muddy water seem to drip with sexual intrigue and secrecy -- merges to create an atmosphere of extraordinary erotic tension and anxiety. 124.    At the center of it all, exuding a dangerous magnetism, is Jackson's Louis, a swashbuckling, flashing-eyed, slightly oily lightning rod of a charmer whose charisma conveys a warning electric buzz. Jackson has never played a character quite this avid. And in a performance that requires him to infuse the role of perfect father and dream lover with a demonic charge, Jackson makes Louis at once irresistibly lovable and slightly terrifying. - Stephen Holden, New York Times 125.    Open Comments: 126.    Question: Are our family dynamics still suffering, internally, from the legacy of slavery or we closer to moving past it. 127.    TV Scene: “Miss Evers’ Boys”: Powerful, haunting and artfully mounted, “Miss Evers’ Boys” is a docudrama of uncommon quality and clarity. The acting is exceptional, the characters vivid, the presentation balanced. Original films for television rarely aim so high as does this HBO NYC production...And cinematographically, it is a revelation, with director of photography Donald M. Morgan lending the production a strikingly dingy, washed-out look that blends perfectly with the piece’s bleak sensibility. The story as told here centers on nurse Eunice Evers (a dynamic, layered performance from Alfre Woodard). Evers went to work at Alabama’s Tuskegee Hospital in 1932 to assist a certain Dr. Brodus (brilliant work from Joe Morton) in caring for poor black men (sharecroppers mostly) who have been stricken with syphilis. Enter Dr. Douglas (Craig Sheffer), a white doctor who brings with him a fully funded program to treat syphilis at the hospital, offering free treatment to any man who tests positive for the disease. A few months pass before Brodus travels to Washington to meet with Douglas and a government panel of doctors who tell him the funding for treatment has dried up. However, money is available for a study of the syphilitic African-American men. The catch: They can receive no medical treatment initially as a way to establish whether syphilis affects blacks and whites differently. Brodus initially is outraged, but acquiesces in the belief the study will disprove the racist notion of physiological inferiority in blacks. Evers also reluctantly follows along, lying to the men while giving them only vitamins, tonics and liniment rubs. But as the months turn into years, it becomes clear that the afflicted men will never receive treatment. Only with their deaths is the study of how the disease runs its course made complete and viable….[the movie] switches gears during its second hour to become an examination of Evers’ gut-wrenching moral ambiguity in sticking around to help perpetrate this ghastly fraud over 40 years. Woodard movingly conveys the conflict weighing down Evers’ guilt-riddled soul, giving a profound resonance to the disturbing ethical questions raised by her dedication in the name of lending the men comfort and a form of loving (if deliberately ineffectual) care….the overall tone and tenor of “Miss Evers’ Boys” is one of subtle brilliance, bolstered by an exquisitely detailed period sheen that screams excellence. After it’s over, you sit disbelieving that such an inhumane, insidious experiment designed to reduce black men to the level of laboratory animals could ever have been conducted in the United States of America — much less gone undetected until 25 years ago. It went far beyond mere institutional racism. It was pure evil. — Ray Richmond Vanity Fair 128.    Open Comments: 129.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1997?

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