History
Russell Simmons On Snoop Dogg’s GGN Network (Video)
January 10, 2014
Russell Simmons joins Snoop Dogg on GGN. The Godfather and The DoggFather. Talking about the early days of Hip-Hop culture, about that green (*cough* you know Uncle Rush got down back in the day)… and Snoop tries some “green” eating: a vegan pastrami sandwich.
Posted in Comedy, Hip-Hop, History, Series, Videos | 
Tags: GGN, GGN Network, Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg | 
No Comments »
Barry White Speaking On What He Knows Best: Making Love (Video)
January 10, 2014
Not sure if you remember where you were when The Maestro, Barry White, passed from this realm… but if you love good ‘love’ music, you gotta miss his music!
“When a man’s making love, the last thing he thinks about is war.”
– Barry White
That’s right. Check out the Blank on Blank by PBS animation of audio of an interview by Joe Smith, during the writing of Off the Record (April 3, 1987; Los Angeles, California, USA). Dope content. A lot to think about and enjoy in this one.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, R&B, Series, Soul, Videos | Tags: Barry White, Barry White on Making Love, Blank on Blank, PBS, PBS Digital Studios | No Comments »
Muhammad Ali Goes To Mars (Video)
December 17, 2013
Nobody does it like ‘The Greatest of All Time’ … then, now, in the ring, on the radio, on Earth, on Mars… Great PBS ‘Blank on Blank’ episode, with less animation but still an animated ‘guest’ in Muhammad Ali. And that whole ‘Mars match’ in this lost interview… was off the top of his head, with a girl in his lap! Talk about freestyling!
Posted in Animation, History, Series, Sports, Videos | Tags: Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali Goes to Mars, The Lost Interview | No Comments »
James Brown Knew How The World Worked (Video)
December 16, 2013
Another great PBS ‘Blank on Blank’ episode. This one features animation of an interview with the ‘hardest working man in show business’… the late great Soul Brother #1, James Brown! An artist known to speak on politics and civil rights, he also had a thing or two to say about late President Ronald Reagan. Watch. Very interesting.
Posted in Animation, Celebrity, History, Radio, Series, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, James Brown, James Brown on Conviction, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Respect & Reagan | No Comments »
50 Cent Speaks On The Changing Music & Business Climate, Kendrick Lamar, & His Upcoming ‘Animal Ambition’ Project
December 14, 2013
Seven minutes 50 Cent frankly speaking on his current non-music moves, on Kendrick Lamar, on Kanye West’s rants, and on his forthcoming mixtape “Animal Ambition” and more.
PBS: ‘Blank on Blank’ Presents Wilt Chamberlain Sharing Some Tall Tales And Little Known Truths (Video)
December 13, 2013
“Today when you see someone close to my size… you think ‘dollar signs’…And they don’t think ‘circus freak’…”
– Wilt Chamberlain
Y’all know the stories about basketball legend and ladies’ man Wilt Chamberlain (yup, ladies love Wilt’s “stilt”)… obviously that ‘freak’ thing worked for him off-court, too (nah… it’s his sensitivity). Another great episode ‘Blank on Blank’ by PBS Digital Studios. Insightful while staying light and entertaining.
Posted in Animation, History, Sports, Television, Videos | Tags: PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Wilt Chamberlain, Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales | Blank on Blank | No Comments »
PBS: ‘Blank on Blank’ Presents Tupac On Life And Death (Video)
December 12, 2013
“I feel like a tragic hero in a Shakespeare play.”
– Tupac Shakur
Interviewed by Benjamin Svetkey in March 1994, the recording of Tupac’s candid comments was put to good use here; bringing life to the PBS ‘Blank on Blank’ animation. Something about the cartoon images moving, speaking in the video. Just watch and experience and learn from Tupac once more; no 3D technology required.
Posted in Animation, Hip-Hop, History, Television, Videos | Tags: Blank on Blank, PBS, PBS Digital Studios, Tupac Shakur, Tupac Shakur on Life and Death | No Comments »
Jean Grae Speaks On The Importance Of Nelson Mandela (Video)
December 12, 2013
Reminiscent and reflective, Capetown (South Africa) born emcee Jean Grae aka ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Superhero’ urges anyone who does not know something about the late great Nelson Mandela to look him up online, learn something, and share what was learned. Mandela was too important to her South African heritage… too important to the world to do any less. Hear what Grae has to say in the Revolt TV clip above.
LIVESTREAM: Nelson Mandela Memorial Service In Johannesburg, South Africa (Video)
December 10, 2013
Posted in Cover Story, History, News, Politics, Videos | Tags: Africa, Johannesburg, Madiba, Memorial Service, Nelson Mandela | No Comments »
Busta Rhymes Speaks On The Making Of “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See†(Video)
December 3, 2013
A bit of Hip-Hop history above. Complex’s latest episode of Magnum Opus features Busta Rhymes speaking on the making of his Golden Era classic “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.†In the vid also: the song’s producer Shamello, Talib Kweli, Dante Ross, Miss Info, among others.
Kanye West Stops By Sway In The Morning To Talk About A Life Without Boundaries (Video)
November 27, 2013
“Willy Wonka didn’t stop making chocolate because he started making other things… People want to marginalize me from the top all the way to the bottom…It’s people who just want to hear the music that are like ‘don’t work on nothing else ’cause we love your music so much’…”
– Kanye West on ‘Sway In The Morning’
The “Yeezus” Tour is Kanye’s demo tape… his stage play… movie. And that’s just the musical expansion. Above: Kanye West talks to Sway In The Morning about the music, his mentors, his messages, fashion and more.
Brands, boundaries, borders… they do NOT fit Ye. Don’t try it! Try to follow the conversation though. Interesting insights from the man and mogul about music and much more.
Word to the wise: Adjust your ‘focus’ around the 14-minute mark so you can understand how things go OFF THE RAIL! The brothers work it out though. Just don’t try to turn up on Sway either. Just saying Ye.
Think that’s something? Check out the Power 105 Breakfast Club appearance (after the jump).
History: Harry Belafonte On JFK (Video)
November 25, 2013
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Film and civil rights figure Harry Belafonte in an honest, reflective discussion about the late great U.S. President John F. Kennedy (JFK). Being a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Belafonte met JFK as he was campaigning to become U.S. President… who initially came to court the Black vote as a purely political maneuver; not because he truly understood or wanted to help Black folk overcome.
“When I met with John, I was quite taken by the fact that he knew so little about the black community. He knew the headlines of the day, but he wasn’t really anywhere nuanced or detailed on the depth of Black anguish or what our struggle’s really about.â€
– Harry Belafonte To NBC News Correspondent Tom Brokaw
As we reflect on the 50th Anniversary of his assassination, The Huffington Post did an insightful piece – putting JFK, his effect in [Black] history, and history’s effect on the President. The piece declared, among other things, that the Black struggle for Civil Rights would not have been successful had JFK not died like he did, how he did, when he did.
Politics: Matt Damon Says We Need To Stop Being So ‘Obedient’ (Video)
November 23, 2013
That’s it! Blockbuster movie star and humanitarian Jason Borne Matt Damon is sick and tired of putting up with this political bullsh!t… and he wants you to revolt, too. Actually, Matt has been walking his talk for a long while – tasking satellites to get eyes on tragedies in Darfur when nations (including the U.S.) would not… taking President Obama to task when he was dragging his feet… Of course, Matt isn’t the only one who has called for revolution…
“Our problem is not Civil Disobedience, it is Civil Obedience!â€
– Matt Damon, quoting Howard Zinn (November 1970)
Rare Notorious B.I.G. Documentary (Video)
November 19, 2013
Rare 1995 documentary put together by UK Channel 4′s Passengers program about the Notorious B.I.G. Must watch (runtime: 15 minutes).
Method Man Returns To Staten Island, Park Hill Projects, & The Beginnings Of The Wu-Tang Clan (Video)
November 13, 2013
Y’all were this close to getting ‘Panty Raider’ Man up in the Wu Tang Clan. Great video by Grantland on Method’s reflections on the Wu way back when. It’s been 20 years since “Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers” man. Wow.
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Videos | Tags: GRANTLAND, Method Man, Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang Clan | No Comments »
PBS: See The Largest Racist Memorabilia Collection In The United States (Video)
November 12, 2013
Racist images in the Jim Crow era were used as propaganda to send messages that demeaned African Americans and legitimized violence against them. A visit to the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University in Michigan—home to the largest collection of racist memorabilia in the country—reveals racist memorabilia and messages in all forms, from kitchen utensils to postcards featuring images of public whippings. Among the museum’s collection is a row of caricatures—the Pickaninny, the Tom, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the Jezebel, the savage.
Every piece in the collection had a dual purpose: Reflect existing attitudes toward Black people AND shape future attitudes toward them.
Learn more in Making a Way Out of No Way, episode four of the six-part series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Episode four premieres on PBS this evening (November 12, 2013, 8-9 pm ET).
Reunited: The Cast of Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” Celebrates Nearly 25 Years Since The Movie’s Release (Video)
November 4, 2013
Above, Robin Roberts anchors ABC’s Good Morning America segment noting the coming 25th Anniversary of the release of the iconic Spike Lee joint “Do The Right Thing.” More footage after the jump… including Spike’s fiery rant in part 2.
Posted in Film, Hip-Hop, History, Television, Videos | Tags: 25 years, Do the Right Thing, GMA, Good Morning America, Spike Lee | 1 Comment »
DJ Scratch Speaks On Early Days Touring With Run DMC & Friendship With Jam Master Jay (Video)
October 31, 2013
Yesterday, October 30th, marked the 13 year anniversary of the passing of the legendary Jam Master Jay of Run DMC. The people at FUSE TV caught up with iconic turntablist DJ Scratch speak upon the early days of touring with Public Enemy & Run DMC while developing a friendship with Jam Master Jay.
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Videos | Tags: DJ, DJ Culture, dj scratch, Fuse, Jam Master Jay, Run Dmc | No Comments »
Classic Clips: Ice-T Speaks On His Early Relationship With Eminem & The Rise Of The Internet (Video)
October 28, 2013
This sounded like it was recorded at low volume, but turn it up a bit and really listen. This is a historical gem. Footage of a 1999 interview of Ice-T by Julio G of KDAY. He spoke on his history (getting into Hip-Hop, bonds with artists including early ties with Eminem), on his rock group Body Count, on a string of albums (starting in 1982), and more. Great viewing!
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Videos | Tags: Eminem, Ice T, Ice-T Talks Early Relationship With Eminem | No Comments »
PBS: Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’ (Documentary Preview)
October 26, 2013
PBS’ preview for its Jimi Hendrix documentary featuring archival performance footage and interviews with Hendrix and musicians on his showmanship. The film will be from PBS’ American Masters series. Director Bob Smeaton also mixes in Hendrix’s own commentary. The late rock icon Hendrix would have been 70 years old this year.
Posted in Film, History, Rock, Videos | Tags: American Masters, Hear My Train A Comin, Jimi Hendrix, PBS | No Comments »
