The World From GeminEyes: 2012

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Kendrick Lamar: good kid, m.A.A.d. city

As a Hip-Hop fan born in ’87, along with others fan born in the late eighties, we all grew up listening to music from the likes of Nas, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Scarface, 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, etc. These were the figures in music that older peers told us would teach us the groundwork of this art form. This was “real Hip-Hop”.

Unfortunately for us, while these artists did create epic pieces, it was only when we were older that we could truly understand exactly what type of impact they had made. Along with this, we could only reflect on the past, but didn't have champion MCs of our own that could speak through our lenses and tell stories we could

50 Cent Paid $75,000 For One Word

original story posted March 29, 2010

Hate him or love him, one thing that can be said about Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is the fact that the rapper has become his own enterprise and knows how to generate money from any direction he chooses.

Recently, Jackson appeared at a British club, a new nightspot called Bamboo in Liverpool, England. Clearly a fan of his image, the men behind the scenes offered the rapper an array of goodies to persuade him to appear such as free champagne along with two women that would

original story posted November 4, 2009

The day of reckoning is slowly approaching for convicted John Allen Muhammad, 48, as he is scheduled to be executed November 10.

On October 27, a Virginia correction official announced that Muhammad would die by way of lethal injection, but now there's a chance that it might not happen and that he might just have to do life in prison.

After asking for clemency last month from Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, attorneys have now made the motion to file for an appeal to remove the death penalty Tuesday.

Muhammad is known publicly as the Beltway sniper, a.k.a the D.C. Sniper, who was responsible for the killing of

original story posted November 5, 2009

2009 has been a hectic year for most, but the pain and suffering endured in the McNair family is one that may never heal.

Although time may not be able to mask the murder of former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair, his son has found a means to deal with everything.

Resorting to football as an outlet, Steve McNair, Jr, a wide receiver for Oak Grove High School, has used his talent for the sport to his full advantage in regards to recruitment.

It has all clearly paid off now as the young athlete has made the decision to attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

Speaking with The Hattiesburg American, McNair confirmed his choice.

“I just wanted to

Original Story Posted March 23, 2010

JoellOrtiz E1 is f**king cockblocking us from doing something monumental for our fans and our careers. I don't give a f**k who gets mad. It's the truth.

As reported earlier, ¼ of Slaughterhoouse, Joell Ortiz, has become very vocal as it pertains to his situation with his record label, E1 Entertainment.

Making claims that the label wanted Ortiz to build his buzz through creating

Update: Mef Says Blame it on the Marijuana

original story posted October 7, 2009

Although Shyne may still be dealing with the unnecessary politics that is the United States of America and their treatment of immigration, rapper Method Man was able to make a quick route in and out of court.

After reports stated that the rapper voluntarily turned himself into authorities for charges of tax evasion Monday, the rapper was released as he waits for his next court appearance which should be some time around December.

"Taxes are a burden that all citizens share in a civil society, whether you're

original story posted June 29, 2009

90's rapper-turned-reality TV star Coolio, 45, whose government name is Artis Leon Ivey, Jr., plead guilty June 26 after being charged with possession of cocaine.

The rapper is known best for his hits in the mid-1990's which included “Gangsta's Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.”

The charges come from an incident on March 6th when he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, where cocaine was found inside a luggage during a search by authorities. Along with possession of cocaine, Coolio made matters worse by resisting arrest and getting a charge of

original story posted August 31, 2009

The body count has reached 8 as of Sunday as another person has died from an attack at a Georgia mobile home in Brunswick. This victim was one of the two that were hospitalized after being discovered alongside seven other bodies within the same house on Saturday morning, according to Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering.

Michael Toler, 19, was the resident of the home and was also the first body to be identified by authorities. So far no information has been disclosed as to how the eight were killed as the ninth has been taken to a hospital in Savannah.

Clearly, all leads must be turning up with nothing as the search has made police resort to a new means by offering

Mississippi Placing Civil Rights History in Curriculum

original story posted August 27, 2009

The state of Mississippi has extensive background and brutal history as it pertains to the days of the Civil Rights movement. From bombings to beatings to the Ku Klux Klan, there has been a long rap sheet of occurrences. It is with this that ignited the idea as the state is preparing to test a program that will teach students of the history starting from kindergarten and stretching all the way to high school.

Such a program will immortalize Mississippi, in a sense, as it will be the first state to provide instruction and teachings of the Civil Rights history for students in grades K-12, according to the Education Commission of the States. As of now, the idea has struck the interest of four school systems as they have asked to be

original story posted August 21, 2009

Desperate times have called for desperate measures and some people will go through extremes in order to accomplish a goal. In the case of Clark Atlanta University alumni, Terrance Wyatt, he has decided to place stock in himself as he places himself on eBay and selling himself for $10,000.

Such a drastic move seems to have come from a man that may have felt that his back was firmly pressed against the wall as he was eighteen credits shorts of graduating and was one that was not privileged to receive an abundant amount of financial aid along with the university not being the place to look for in terms of receiving the necessary funds. At this point it seems as though Wyatt, 23, has looked to all of his resources and this is the last option he feel has been presented with.

As far as the actual ad that he presented to potential buyers, which has since been pulled by eBay, Wyatt

Original story posted August 21, 2009

In trying to survive during such harsh times, it has become necessary to take particular measures. For historically black college universities, the struggle has led one to provide higher education through means of online classes.

Morris Brown, once an acclaimed faction of the Atlanta University Center, which includes the likes of Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College, has been going through trials ever since losing its accreditation in 2002 and has held on tight to stay afloat. A solution for now has been for the school to launch

original story posted August 18, 2009

Since the controversial arrest of the astute Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Sgt. James Crowley has made friends with the spotlight. In his latest stint with the lights, camera and action, Crowley received a standing ovation from thousands of police officers Monday when he made the opening speech of a five-day Fraternal Order of Police convention.

According to the Associated Press, more than police officers stood and applauded Crowley when he spoke at the Long Beach Convention Center. When he wrapped up his opening statements, his fellow officers stood and approached him for pictures as he left the stage.

"The past month has been very difficult for my family, my friends and my colleagues back in Cambridge, and it's no exaggeration to say that

General Baker Presented With Political Leadership Award

Original story posted August 19, 2009

General Thurbert Baker, Georgia attorney, has left his footprint in history as the National Bar Association presented him with its first annual Barack Obama Political Leadership Award during its 84th annual meeting that was held in San Diego, California.

Baker was also awarded for his prestige as he was recognized for his achievements as a public servant as well as an elected official.

The award was given to Baker by Rodney G. Moore who was the former president of the NBA as well as the current president, Mavis Theassa Thompson.

Along with the award, Baker has etched himself in time as he is Georgia's first

original story posted August 19, 2009

Funerals are a sad enough occasion, but it is tragic when certain mishaps go on. In South Philadelphia, a funeral was suppose to take place Tuesday for Kenneth Monroe Roberts, but the family would come to realize the fact that the body inside the casket was not Roberts and had been mixed up with another man.

Roberts was 80-years-old and was an army veteran. His funeral was set to take place at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church on South Broad Street.

The horrifying part to the story is that the funeral home tried to assure the family that the body was actually their loved one, although anyone should easily be able to recognize someone that they've known for a lifetime.

"They kept trying to tell us that it was him and I knew it wasn't him

original story posted August 13, 2009

Donte Stallworth, who recently served 30 days for DUI Manslaughter, was suspended indefinitely from the NFL and now will not be receiving pay for the 2009 season. The call was made as the league stated that the player violated the NFL's personal conduct policy and its substance abuse policy.

His case stems back to March 14 when he hit and killed a man, Mario Reyes, with his car as he was driving under the influence in Miami. In terms of his return to the field, the league has stated that he should be reinstated in February 2010 after the Super Bowl.

Stallworth should be content with the suspension as the manslaughter case has caught some convicts with 10 years. His punishment may not be over, however, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

original story posted August 11, 2009

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John Kennedy and the founder or the Special Olympics died today. Shirver was 88.

Born in Brookline, Massachusetts on July 10, 1921, Shriver took her chance to stand out from her siblings John, Robert and Edward Kennedy by establishing the Special Olympics which started in the confines of her backyard back in 1962. What began in the back of the house branched out and exploded into an event that has 3.1 million participants comprised of people with mental disabilities and has created 228 programs in 170 nations, according to the Special Olympics. The first event officially launched in Chicago in 1968.

Shriver has been known for helping the unfortunate outside of this event as she was an advocate for

original story posted August 10, 2009

Most people in jail try to tell the tale that they were wrongfully imprisoned and they are actually innocent of their crime. To the outside eye, most of the time it comes off as bull, but there are certain instances where men, especially Black men, are raped by the system and thrown into the system unjustly.

Another man was freed from his sentence after spending 23 years in prison for a charge of kidnapping and rape. DNA testing has proved to be more effect than Maury telling a man that the baby is not his as the results provided an opening that would give doubt that the man committed the crime and was released on bond Friday.

Ernest Sonnier, 46, has spent half of his life behind the prison walls after he was convicted of

original story posted August 6, 2009

Ladies and gentleman, if anyone was unaware or under a rock, it must be stated to the people of America that the country is in a recession. For those seniors turning their tassels and celebrating the fact that they have finally graduated college, it might have been the wrong time to enter the real world folks.

A little piece of knowledge to keep embedded in the young minds that recently graduated is the fact that they are about to face the highest unemployment rate in 25 years. This transition in the country heavily impacts the generation of tomorrow as they will be challenged by record student loan debt, expensive health insurance costs and an average of $4,100 in credit card debt.

Trust and believe that mommy and daddy will definitely be taking the pacifier away and cutting that umbilical cord for good once those bills start to roll in. All those times of saying “I can't wait till

original story posted August 5, 2009

Tuesday, Damario Ware, 20, turned himself into the Fulton County District Attorney's office, according to police spokesman Officer James Polite. Ware is being charged with the shooting death of boxer Vernon Forrest and will appear in court today.

Ware is one of four suspects that Police are currently after in the murder of Vernon Forrest. Surveillance tapes obtained from an apartment building have aided authorities in trying to solve the case. Ware has been deemed as the person responsible for the robbery, but they are still on the hunt for the shooter.

Forrest, 38, was gunned down July 25, while at a

Black Workers Yell Racism at Philly Transfer Station

original story posted August 3, 2009

Philadelphia is the stage where two Black employees have stated that were victims of harassment, humiliation and discrimination by their supervisor for decades while working for a waste transfer plant. These acts have resulted in the workers acquiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit against the city.

Compensation for the suit for the workers, Gibson Trowery and Leslie Young, had stated that not only do they seek something for monetary damages, but they are also pushing that their superintendent be relieved of his position and dismissed from the job.

The superintendent that is under fire for being so harsh towards the colored skin is John Gill of the Northwest Transfer Station. Spanning back to 1996, Black workers were apparent of the fact that their superintendent had some type of favoritism towards the white workers

original story Posted August 4, 2009

Another racially-driven act resulted in a house being set aflame as a man admitted that he set the home of a woman ablaze because she had Black visitors.

Occurring in Charleston, West Virginia, Daryl Lee Fierce, 71, pleaded guilty in April to charges of civil rights violations when he decided to use the element of fire as a means of intimidation, but was absent from his sentencing hearing in federal court last Thursday. Fierce was on the verge of facing 10 years in prison along with a possible $250,000 fine.

Further investigation found Fierce with a gunshot wound to the abdomen at a motel

original story posted July 30, 2009

A resolution was approved by Congress on Wednesday that is urging to give a pardon to Jack Johnson for being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for having romantic ties with a Caucasian woman. To school young thundercats out there that are unaware, Johnson was the first Black heavyweight boxing champion.

In 1913, Johnson was the victim as he was convicted of violating the Mann Act, an act that made it illegal to transport women across state boundary lines for immoral purposes. Upon conviction, Johnson fled the country for an unknown amount of time but made an agreement, years later, to return to the U.S. and serve a jail sentence that would last for 10 months.

The resolution has stated that Johnson, although his life has passed, should receive a pardon due to the fact that his reputation

original story posted march 30, 2010

Riding on the train established through the features on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2, Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have always been the most prominent figures within the Wu Tang camp.

Since the beginning stages of the Clan, these three have essentially stood beyond most of their other members, maybe outside of GZA.

With the train wreck that came from 8 Diagrams, there has been a void in regards to the future of the W, but these three rappers are willing to carry the flag high with their collaborative effort Wu Massacre.

From the jump, the rappers look to rekindle the magic from their rookie years with

original story posted July 31, 2009

Presented by President Barack Obama, civil rights leader Joseph Echols Lowery will be awarded with the Medal of Freedom which is America's grandest award that can be awarded to a civilian. The announcement was made Thursday amongst a list of 16 others that were chosen to receive such grand recognition this year. August 12 will be when the medal is presented to Lowery at the White House.

Lowery can place his name amongst other great leaders in America that have received such an accolade with people like Martin Luther King, Jr., former President Jimmy Carter and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.

Obama and Lowery have crossed paths before as they met back in 2007 in Selma at the 42nd anniversary of the “Bloody

original story posted december 07, 2009

When 2003 came so did the infectious sound that was “Grindin” from the rap duo known as the Clipse. Not since Raekwon has an artist been able to weave such intricate coke tales, and Virginia bred two rappers that

From the success of Lord Willin’, shady business within the record labels put a halt onto their second offering. Having to wait until 2006 to release the follow up Hell Hath No Fury, the brothers were evidently upset with their situation and made a transition to a darker sound which reverberated their particular opinion.

Now with the third offering, Til The Casket Drops, the two come together again to feed their sound to the masses. Life has left them with bruises and scars physically, emotionally and mentally and this album serves as an outlet to celebrate crossing the finish line, but being aware of

original story posted July 29, 2009

Michael Bullard and Richard Armstrong have been convicted on charges of a federal hate crime as well as conspiracy and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison each. The crime is related to an incident in July 2008 where they assaulted an African-American man.

According to District Attorney's Office, the men were convicted last Wednesday by a jury in Boise, Idaho. The third suspect, James Whitewater, who was also involved in the incident last year, chose the route of pleading guilty before the trial commenced and even testified against the other defendants. According to Deputy U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson, the lead prosecutor, Whitewater fully snitched on his co-horts and gave a detailed description of

original story posted march 19, 2010

While his Wu Tang brethen Method Man and Raekwon returned to create sequels to their 90s albums Blackout! and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ghost pushes the envelope forward and takes a sidestep to his usual formula.

Generally known for weaving intricate street tales, the Staten Island native has also shown his admiration for the opposite sex and his overall love for women. Maybe coming as a result of growing older, the rapper takes a mature approach in presenting his latest.

“Do Over” shows the rapper feeling the after effects of living a negative life and how it has affected his significant other. Finally returning to reality to what he has put her through

original story posted July 29, 2009

In Mobile, Alabama, a man was pepper sprayed and tasered by police after they were unsuccessful in trying to make him voluntarily come out of the restroom of a Dollar General store last Friday, according to authorities. The kicker is the fact that the man had his own problems as he was deaf and mentally disabled.

Antonio Love, 37, the man in the bathroom, had to be moved out of the restroom by authorities with force as he was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a police officer. After police came to the realization that Love was actually disabled, but still proceeded to take him into custody and jail, the incident has been placed under investigation according to Police Department spokesman Christopher Levy. He added that the police that placed him in custody had found

original story posted July 29, 2009

Randy Ray Richardson was sentenced on Monday to serve two years in prison with the charges being stealing the house of a dying woman. Richardson is a former Multnomah County, Oregon prosecutor.

The background spans all the way back to August 2006 when Richardson along with Eric Joe Penn persuaded a woman to sign over her North Portland house over to Penn weeks before she died. The woman, Margaret Patton, 73, was on medication and was also dealing with brain cancer when they had her sign over her $224,500 home.

Patton's home would be recovered by family, but her granddaughter reported that many special items

original story posted July 30, 2009

This can be ranked as the fail of the day and maybe even the fail of the week. Fox News Channel commentator Glenn Beck has stated that he believes that President Barack Obama is a racist. Yes, a president that is half Black and White is a racist according to Beck.

On Tuesday, Beck was featured on the morning show, “Fox & Friends,” where he stated that the case of Henry Louis Gates Jr. exposed Obama's internal issue with the White population. By calling the actions of the authorities ignorant, Beck felt as though Obama was showing signs of his internal mentality. In the interview he stated clearly that Obama has, “a deep-seated hatred for White people or the White culture.”

Although he acknowledged that most of Obama's administration is composed of White faces, he responded by saying that he doesn't not like White people, he just has

original story posted July 27, 2009

As Michael Vick continues to be hounded for his actions that landed him behind prison, he can find an unlikely friend in Terrell Owens who has defended the former Falcons quarterback since being released from prison.

The former Cowboy, Eagle and even 49er is usually known for going against his teammates which is evident from the three teams just listed that he was not able to leave from on good terms.

Owens has stated that Vick deserves to have a second chance and wants him to be reinstated. He added that it would only serve as throwing dirt in a wound by making him remain on suspension. After a camp practice Sunday with the Bills, Owens cited NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's treatment of Vick as being unfair to the player. Owens has even taken it a step further by trying to

original story posted July 22, 2009

New Orleans former city technology chief was fired from City Hall, according to a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin. The former chief named Anthony Jones was responsible for overseeing the crime camera program of the city.

This would serve as the final nail in the coffin for Jones who was already serving a 120-day suspension that started March 18. The suspension was a result of Jones filing false invoices to hide the fact that the camera program was showing a steep increase in the costs. Along with this, he intentionally violated contract requirements and accepted plane tickets to an out-of-state conference from a contractor that earned millions on the camera project.

These reports can be credited to recent audits that went on to discover that

Original story posted august 10, 2009

Written on paper, this looks to be the ultimate offering for fans. Four MCs that have all proven themselves to be formidable lyricists have joined forces on a single project. Everything on paper doesn’t always translate once the work is put in and the material begins to come together.

Slaughterhouse, however, is a movement that has continued to stick with each release they have dropped starting from Halfway House and giving birth to gems such as “Move On” and “Fight Club” and have left listeners salivating uncontrollably. It has been a while since four rappers were all on the same level in terms of talent and it may seem that the piece has been found as to what the game has been missing.

In interviews building up to the release of their album, it has been strongly affirmed that this album was not made for

original story posted September 09, 2009

14 years ago, while New York had a tight headlock on rap, Wu Tang’s own Raekwon blew everything in the game out of the water with his debut release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Dubbed The Purple Tape, the album has been deemed a classic in all standards when it came to Mafia rap. The slower production and the use of horns and strings played the album out like the soundtrack for an Italian Mafia flick.

The only problem with delivering a classic right out the gate is making sure the following project is able to live up to its predecessor.

Unfortunately for Rae, two albums in the form of Immobilarity and The Lex Diamond Story couldn’t hold a candle to what he was able to build in 1995. It seemed as though the rapper might have dug himself far too deep, but what better way to top something than

original story posted march 08, 2010

Since cutting his braids prior to Release Therapy, Disturbing the Peace leader Ludacris has looked to establish himself as a lyricist, feeling that he has been underestimated since he first debuted back in 2000.

Showing his lyrical abilities in Theatre of The Mind, along with countless verse stealing performances on other rapper’s records, Luda looks to pit his skills against the opposite gender with Battle Of The Sexes.

With Shawna being subbed out for the season, the rapper reached out to other female rappers to give them a chance, as the population in Hip-Hop is close to zero, to show and prove themselves in a genre dominated by men.

Opening in true Luda fashion

original story posted July 23, 2009

Ruled Wednesday by a New York judge, the city has been informally charged with discriminating against minorities when it comes to hiring firefighters. As it stands now, the department's work force is comprised of a mere 10% of Blacks and Hispanics.

There was an agreement across the board between U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis and the Department of Justice citing that these minority workers were unjustly blackballed during firefighter recruitment exams. The delegation was also joined by a group of Black firefighters that felt a sense of inequality during these exams in 1999 and 2002.

Garaufis stated that the exams were used by the city in order to

Black Man Dressed In KKK Outfit At City Council Meeting

Original story posted July 17, 2009

A man entered a City Council meeting dressed in a white robe and hood which resembled the suit of a Ku Klux Klan member on Wednesday. Upon request he refused to remove his attire before stepping up to speak.

The person behind the mask was African American male Michael Hunt and this would mark the second day that he arrived to the meeting in the apparel. Hunt had submitted a card in order to speak during the standard public comment period and was called to the podium by the presiding officer, Dennis Zine.

Zine asked Hunt to remove the hood before speaking and told him that he could not be heard by the council, but he refused and stated that his First Amendment rights allowed him to

original story posted July 17, 2009

Retired astronaut and Marines general Charles Bolden, 62, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as the administrator of NASA as the space agency celebrates the anniversary of when man first stepped on the moon. This will also mark the first time that an African American was chief of the U.S. space agency.

He will be the 12th NASA administrator since the agency was initially established in 1958 and will take the position that was held by engineer and scientist Michael Griffin prior to Bolden.

Veteran aerospace businesswoman Lori Garver will assume the role as deputy administrator. Garver, 48, was the lead civil space policy advisor to President Obama's presidential campaign. Prior to this she served as associate administrator from 1998 to 2001.

News of the confirmation of Bolden was announced shortly after the launch of

original story posted July 20, 2009

To settle lawsuits made by African American workers, Eastman Kodak Co. has agreed to pay $21.4 million. The two suits stem from allegations of race discrimination as it pertained to pay and promotion.

Currently the settlement must be given the final approval by a judge to end the pending lawsuits against the company. Although the settlement was made, Kodak still holds that the company has committed nothing wrong.

Kodak spokesman Christopher has stated that the company has reached an agreement with the workers to not publicly discuss the settlement awaiting approval and it is a representation of a resolution of mutual interest.

The first suit stretches back to

original story posted July 20, 2009

Former NFL player Travis Henry was sentences to three years in prison last Wednesday on charges of financing a drug ring that circulated cocaine between Colorado and Montana. Henry formerly played as a running back for the Denver Broncos.

His initial sentencing could have seen Henry behind bars for 10 years to life as well as having to forfeit $4 million in fines. The fine was waived by the judge because Henry would not be able to afford the proposed amount.

Last October Henry was arrested by federal drug agents and he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to

original story posted October 22, 2009

“The stuff I'm doing makes the mixtapes sound wack.”

J. Cole's rise in the Hip-Hop industry has been chronicled through his mixtape series. With “The Come Up,” the North Carolina native put his foot in the door and threw his voice in the air to see if it would carry and it must have worked as he caught the attention of Jay-Z.

Most recently he dropped “The Warm Up” which showcased a glimpse of things to come now that he was back behind Roc Nation. The tape also sparked one of his favorite verses to date on the track “The Badness.”

Before stepping up to the stage in Seattle, Cole was able to have a sit down during an interview and speak more about having the dream fulfilled when he joined forces with Hov.

“I think every up and coming rapper is usually like

original story posted July 21, 2009

The Bay State Banner, Boston, Massachusetts' only Black-owned newspaper, will be taking necessary measures to ensure that the weekly publication does not suffer the fate of many other print businesses that have been shut down.

This publication has served as a vital source for news for the African American community that resides in Boston as its contents are generally geared towards the interest of that particular group. The focus provides coverage on the social, political and economic condition of African American people. It is an independent newspaper that initially surfaced in 1965 by Melvin B. Miller.

According to a recent audit, The Banner has a print circulation of nearly 34,000 and has a readership close to 150,000.

The recession has continued to rear its ugly head and took its toll on The Bay State Banner. As advertising revenue was starting

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