Why are y’all tripping on Eddie Murphy? The man is a pioneer. As you can see in the video below (thanks to that hilarious little bunny over at http://crunktastical.blogspot.com), Eddie was the first to use those women Halle Berry hired to be her “friends” out in LA awhile back. Obviously, those “friends” are Eddie’s since they sing back up for him. Tell me these women are not the same and I say you need a punch in the eye:
AND Eddie, dressed in his Harlem Nights aka Atlantic City Poker Dealer outfit, obviously is the first to castrate himself in order to sing like Prince and Michael Jackson. That’s sacrafice. What do you do for your art? Have you gone ball-less today?
I really like that he also used Danity Kane as his band. I knew them girls was older than they said. Paperbag waist denim will give you up EVERYTIME!
Lastly, Johnny Gill in the denims is doing some moves. You thought Prince Charles and Camilla were secret lovers for a long time. Ha! Obviously Eddie and Johnny share something special, crotch cutting nut-hugging pants.
Now, listen to Eddie very carefully, Metro Hos. He asked for your mouth, not your feet. I don’t blame him. Boomerang toes are played.
For the record, I don’t want none of y’alls mouth on me. Don’t know you.
Okay lately I have been staring at myself in the head and realizing that it’s quite possible I could be a failure. You must understand that, like most of you, I had big dreams for myself as a kid. I was going to be a rockstar Toni Morrison, a character out of a Gayl Jones novel, a descendent of Nona Hendrix. Words were going to pour out of my mouth like cherries from that lady’s mouth in “The Witches of Eastwick.” I was going to crap stories.
As evident by time and life (not the books you can buy from TV), I have evidently gone the way of the safe samurai. I am an office worker. Now, being an executive assistant is hard. I’ve done it most of my adult working life. I’ve worked with some crazies (they tend to be loaded, powerful and come from high level familes–I will NOT name names) and some GREAT human beings (current boss included as well as the fabulous Diane Fusilli at M.Boothe and Associates anad all of my peeps from Sundance Channel — Stuart Benson, Rob Sussman, etc). I’ve traveled a little. I am Anne Hathaway in “Devil Wears Prada” without the drama or the meanness. The work is just that hard.
But it’s not what I dreamed of.
It’s never too late. I don’t necessarily think you can’t work and be a writer. There is a misconception about that. Human beings have been multitasking for millions of years. Not effectively multi-tasking is where you hit a snag. You have to write to be a writer and you’ll never get so big that you won’t need to sharpen your skills.
My point to this post is this: I need more discipline to call myself an artist. I think we are missing that nowadays. Yeah, it’s cool you can pick up a DV cam and shoot your own movie but, if kidnapped and held hostage, could you watch your movie over and over and over again? It’s also cool that your boy has a studio and you laid down some beats you “borrowed” from Pharrell and Mahalia Jackson but did you do it because it was dope or because you tried to increase your numbers on MySpace? Okay, you sent your manuscript to Cafe Press and it came back all shiny with its well drawn out ghetto art cover but have you really thought about why I should read it?
Where’s the woodshed in our creative process? At which point does the jury in our head get to review material before we unleash it to the public? Perhaps it’s a symptom that I think is common nowadays, particularly for myself. I don’t think enough before I say something. Are we not thinking enough before our art says something? You don’t have to go to a ritzy school in order to think out your own meaning. You can have a Master’s Degree from Me, Myself and I University and it will work just as well.
As Yaze says, sometimes the world needs more plumbers and everybody can’t be the just the artist.
Normally I say this is a ramble but what it really is a real release on what I thought I should be and acceptance at this point for what I am. I am in progress. My writing is always in progress. It will be what it is. I’m gonna step to the side and stop measuring my “success” against other people’s success and quick fixes.
If you’re feeling this post, pop on over to a website that will let you grab Hugh Prather’s “Notes On Myself.” It will change your life in an hour (if you read that pace).
Please come support this amazing feat for my girl, Jessica Care Moore-Poole, the publisher of this amazing book by Danny Simmons. This is truly a remarkable collection!
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jessica Moore-Poole
Moore Black Press
404.752.0450
mooreblackpress@yahoo.com
www.mooreblackpress.com
Debra Williams
Diamond & Company Public Relations
212.247.3692
debra@diamondandcompany.com
Independent Publishing Power House Moore Black Press
and Entertainment Mogul Russell Simmons
to Celebrate the Launch of HBO Def Poetry Jam Co-Creator
Danny Simmons’ Collection of Poetry and Paintings at Exclusive Release Party
January 9, 2007, NEW YORK (MBP) — Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Moore Black Press, one of the most vibrant book publishers of our time, has added acclaimed visual artist and HBO Def Poetry Jam Co-Creator, Danny Simmons to its notable list of authors with the release of I Dreamed My People Were Calling But I Couldn’t Find My Way Home. Moore Black Press Founder and CEO Jessica Care Moore-Poole and entrepreneur Russell Simmons, will host the official book release party on January 17, 2007 from 7:00 -9:00 pm at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Café, located at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn.
A celebrated poet, artist and novelist, NY native Danny Simmons is committed to supporting and perpetuating a genuine appreciation for the arts. He founded the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, along with his brothers; Russell and Run DMC’s Joseph (Rev Run) Simmons. I Dreamed My People Were Calling But I Couldn’t Find My Way Home The Poetry and Paintings of Danny Simmons will be available for purchase and signing during the celebration.
At the heart of this powerful collection of poems and paintings are the stories Simmons tells from his easel with raw, glaring imagery. “The bright colors of his collages provide a contrast to the relentlessly grim portrayals of a society where people are jailed at birth,” proclaims enowned author, Ishmael Reed. “He is able to create beauty from rubbish.”
The official Media Call will take place at 6:30 pm inside the BAM Café lobby prior to the launch party at 7 pm. To obtain official VIP/Media Credentials contact Debra Williams at 212-247-3692 or email request to debra@diamondandcompany.com.
Moore Black Press Publishing Inc. was founded by Apollo legend, Jessica Care Moore in 1997 to celebrate and publish emerging black poets and writers. Dedicated to the tradition of African American literature, MBP established itself as a literary force in the publishing community.
Visit www.mooreblackpress.com to learn more or to purchase I Dreamed My People Were Calling But I Couldn’t Find My Way Home The Poetry and Paintings of Danny Simmons. The book is also available at www.amazon.com and in stores nationwide ($30 US/ISBN: 0-9658303-1-0). Contact Moore Black Press at 404.752.0450 or PO Box 10545, Atlanta, GA 30320.
ABOUT DANNY SIMMONS
Danny Simmons is an accomplished artist, widely exhibited both domestically and internationally and in world-renowned collections including those of Deutsche and Chase banks.
An activist and community leader, Simmons serves on the boards of prominent cultural and learning institutions including the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn Public Library. The acclaimed poet is the co-creator of the award-winning HBO series, Def Poetry Jam and author of the novel, Three Days as the Crow Flies published by Atria Books.
Simmons is the owner of both the Rush Gallery in Chelsea, NY and the Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn, that exhibit the works and projects from less conventional and under represented artists. Committed to supporting and perpetuating a genuine appreciation for the arts, Danny Simmons founded the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, along with his brothers; entrepreneur, Russell Simmons and Run DMC’s Joseph (Rev. Run) Simmons.
ABOUT MOORE BLACK PRESS
Moore Black Press Publishing Inc. was founded by Apollo legend, Jessica Care Moore in 1997 to celebrate and publish emerging black poets and writers. Dedicated to the tradition of African American literature, MBP established itself as a literary force in the publishing community. Moore Black Press is home to internationally acclaimed authors Saul Williams, (The Seventh Octave), asha bandele, (The Subtle Art of Breathing), Etan Thomas (More Than an Athlete), Ras Baraka (Black Girls Learn Love Hard), and Jessica Care Moore (The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth and The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto).
In 2007, Moore Black Press expanded to include Mo’ Black Records, with the CEO’s husband, hit songwriter and music producer, Kenyatta Poole. In the spring, Moore Black Press will also release Jessica Care Moore-Poole’s anticipated third book, God is Not an American.
www.mooreblackpress.com
New Films From Nigeria, Chad, Morocco, South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Congo, Mali, and Rwanda to Be Featured
Los Angeles, CA - January 8, 2007 - GOING INTO EXILE, a South African documentary by filmmaker Peter Se-Puma tells the story of one of the most memorable photos of the 20th Century, the body of young Hector Peterson being carried after the Soweto Uprising. Unknown to many, the first to die in that history-altering event was Hastings Ndhlovu, brother of current Los Angeles South African Consul General Jeanette Ndhlovu. In the film, she and her two sisters discuss how his death and the ensuing government harassment affected their family well as the physical and emotional strains of their decisions to go into exile. GOING INTO EXILE is among the films from Africa featured in the 15th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) at the AMC Magic Johnson Theatres being held February 8-19. PAFF is the largest festival of African and African American films in the United States showcasing over 100 films as well as a world-class art exhibition showcasing work from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the South Pacific and Canada to illustrate the diversity and complexity of people of African descent.
The Sierra Leone film MAN DEM NOR GLADY’O (THE PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY) presents a a graphic view of Sierra Leone and exposes how the mineral wealth of this poor West African country has been exploited by foreigners and corrupt politicians.
Nigeria’s THE NARROW PATH by filmmaker Tunde Kelani tells the story of a young woman chooses between suitors. But a haunting experience, family expectations, and culture turn her wedding night into a nightmare.
In the Congolese film PIÈCES D’IDENTITÉS the former king of Bakongo goes to Belgium in search of his daughter. His daughter, the princess, has a job as a nightclub dancer. With a view of Europe from the African perspective, identity, disillusionment and separation are the themes of this sobering detective comedy.
Rag and Tag were inseparable until Social Services sends Rag away. A decade later Tag is finishing law school but is having difficulty finding a firm willing to hire him. Meanwhile, Rag returns to London and finds his old friend. Their lives have changed, but their friendship is more intense, complex and confusing in the Nigerian film RAG TAG by filmmaker Adaora Nwandu.
In the Moroccan film ZAÏNA: RIDER OF THE ATLAS, an 11-year-old girl meets her real father for the first time after her mother’s death. Fleeing from her obsessed stepfather, whom she believes caused her mother’s death, the girl and her father travel to Marrakech where her father, a horseman, plans to participate in the most prestigious horse-race of North Africa. Pursued by her stepfather, the girl and her father slowly begin to create a bond that will get them through the hardships that lay both ahead and behind them. A beautifully told adventure film of love and determination that will cause the entire family to cheer!
Also from Morocco, DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES) is a powerful award- winning film which unveils the little known World War II story of African infantrymen in the liberation of Italy and France. Algeria’s official submission to the 2006 Academy Awards.
Mali shines with BAMAKO produced by and featuring Danny Glover. In the courtyard, a trial against the World Bank and the IMF has been taken up by African spokesmen. Amidst the testimonies exploring the policies that create economic havoc for Africa, life goes on.
Additional festival highlights include the Opening Night Gala featuring Ambassador Andrew Young’s RWANDA RISING, Night of Tribute, Centerpiece and Closing Night film screenings and parties. The PAFF also holds special activities for children in its 2-day Children’s Fest, a multiple day StudentFest for middle and high-school students, Spokenword Festivals and panels for emerging and experienced filmmakers.
The 15th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), will take place Thursday, February 8 through Monday, February 19 at the Magic Johnson AMC Theatres and the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Highlights of the 2007 festival include the star-studded red carpet Opening Night Gala to be held in Hollywood at the Director’s Guild of America on February 8 hosted by acclaimed actor and filmmaker Forest Whitaker. Known for showcasing new films first, past festival features have included box office and award-winning hits: Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Love Jones, Redemption, Love & Basketball, Crazy As Hell, Kingdom Come, The Brothers, Gridlock’d, and last year’s Academy Award® winner for Best Foreign Film, Tsotsi.
Each year the PAFF presents over one hundred (100) quality films from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the South Pacific and Canada, all showcasing the diversity and complexity of people of African descent.
PAFF will also present one of America’s largest fine art shows featuring prominent and emerging Black artists and fine craftspeople. This year’s featured artist is the world acclaimed Charles Bibbs. Other events include the PAFF StudentFest, Children’s Festival, and Spokenword Festival.
The PAFF attracts an audience of over 40,000 people to the films and over 150,000 attendees to the arts show. The PAFF is recognized throughout the world as America’s premiere Black film festival. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.paff.org or call (323) 295-1706.
The Pan African Film and Arts Festival was founded in 1992 as a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural and racial tolerance and understanding through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression. It is the PAFF’s goal to present and showcase a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. The PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
The 2007 PAFF is sponsored in part by: AMC Theatres, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Union Bank of California, Target, South African Airways, Our Weekly Newspaper, The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and Courvoisier.
Today I got an IM from my buddy Pierre Bennu (www.exittheapple.com - don’t act like I didn’t already tell you about him) that literally took my breath away.
People.
One of the most important times of my life, along with many many many others (namely Jessica Care Moore-Poole, Mos Def, Saul Williams, Sarah Jones and EVERYBODY who was at 50 Franklin WHOODY WHOO!) is captured via Pierre’s brain. Okay. Get ready. This video literally makes me tear up because of that time and how it raised me. How energy raised me. I would say poetry but it was bigger than that. I’m not sure if you can see that in the footage but it was never just about words. It was the energy behind them. I know I sound like a hippy cook but it’s totally true. Ask anybody you see on the screen below and they might be able to tell you. But the older we all get, the more I feel like time is so magical. Maybe we should listen to our parents when they talk about the “good old days”.
These are my good old days. Well, not just mine. A bunch of us.
Oh, and by the way, Pierre is going to be making this bigger so if you have some footage or fliers or whatever to contribute, hit me up and I’ll put you in touch.
Enjoy.