The Source

-by Charles “CZA” Sweet II

            You know her from Sirius Radio’s “Cipha Sounds Effect” morning show. What you don’t know is that behind the angelic voice and scathing remarks she has had more of an influence on hip hop than the majority of rappers in it. Look in the rolodex of your favorite rapper and you might just recognize the name, and if you don’t, be sure to recognize the talent. Don’t let the soft voice fool you; this lady’s about her business because this is more than music.

Q. Tell us about how you got to where you are today.

A. I believe it was a combination of skill and luck. I interned for Wu-Tang Management and TVT records amongst others and when I finished school, I went to work for Wu-Tang Management and during that time, I actually had Eminem open up for Wu-Tang at a show in Staten Island and so that’s how I met his manager, Paul Rosenberg. Ever since then, we’ve been cool and he hired me to work at the clothing line and then he hired me to work at the radio station. I didn’t have any experience doing radio but they figured they would give me a try because I had a lot of connections in the industry. They thought I had a good personality and sometimes it’s hard to hire someone who’s already in radio because they have a set way of thinking and he [Paul Rosenberg] was like, “We’re going to mold her.” to fit the position that they wanted me in. Then they gave me the big speech about me being all sensitive and touchy about things. Even now people are sensitive and touchy about everything when it comes to like race and women. It’s at a really different climate right now. They thought I was going to take offense to every little thing, but I’m not like that. I think a lot of times people say things that they think would shock me but nothing really shocks me, so it’s funny to me. Trust me; I can come back even harder. I appreciate the fact that women who listen to the show like me because they think I represent for the ladies. When people say something that they think would offend me, I’ll just turn it around and make them look and sound stupid.

Q. What do you see yourself doing post-Shade 45? What’s next for you?

A. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Doing my blog on Myspace has helped me out a lot so I would say that it has helped me out a lot that I can express myself that way and people will go and read it and leave feedback. It helped me realize that whatever I want to do, I have a built-in audience already for that. I want to write a book, and when I do, I know that there will be people who’ll know about it and I can promote all over Sirius. I have to take advantage of that. That’s my goal for the year, to write a book. A book like The Devil Wears Prada, I read that book and I feel like I could write a book better than that if I sat down and put my head into it.

Q. Would you ever do regular radio?

A. (Pause) Yeah. I would think so. I mean, there’s more money because we don’t have commercials, but with regular radio you get the benefits right away. People know you locally. With Sirius it’s different because it’s all spread out internationally. It’s not very often that I go somewhere and someone knows who I am. I appreciate satellite radio, and some people who do regular radio say that they couldn’t see me doing regular radio because I don’t watch what I say. I’m kind of an uncensored person and there are a lot more restrictions and regulations on standard radio. I might get fired, but I’d definitely try it.

Q. You have double duty as you do another show—supposedly a more risqué one. Tell us about that.

A. I have a show on Monday nights, it’s a female show—really a sex show and we interview people and get all into their personal lives. It’s me and Mia Rose, the music editor over at XXL. It’s called “Lip Service” and we really get the dirty, deep secrets out of people.

Q. Who have you had on the show?

A. We’ve had Gloria Velez, Carl Thomas, Tony Yayo and a whole bunch of other people. What makes our show different is that we have a bartender—Stoli sponsors it and everybody gets drunk. We had Nas’ baby mama on there, Carmen Bryan. Swizz Beats, Paul Wall, you know, just a whole mix of different people from different areas of the entertainment world.

Q. Hear any really crazy stories on the show?

A. Paul Wall. (laughs) He told us about how he jerks off all the time on the road, so much so that he got the name Jackmaster P. It’s some funny S—. He said he does it like 15 times a day. We had a dominatrix on one day and a guy got butt a—naked in the studio and she whipped him. She even put clothes pins on his testicles! It was so funny. We had callers that said they were into it. We had Fabolous on, and what we’ll do is bring in a couple King magazine girls or some video chicks and make them feel awkward. Gloria Velez told us about some of the things she would do to guys and we called up Joe Budden and we’d ask him how she was in bed and he wouldn’t answer. He was trying to be all cool but we could tell he was sweating bullets.

Q. Do you stream the show anywhere or is it subscription only?

A. We sometimes post up clips of the show on the Lip Service myspace page and we change it every week. Speaking of which, check me out at www.myspace.com/angelayee

Written by Dasan Ahanu
How often have you watched a music video and wondered where did that dance come from? Been at the club and left watching as a song comes on and everyone but you begins doing their version of the latest steps? You don’t have to feel left out anymore. MTV premiered “Dances From Tha Hood” on Sunday, June 17, 2007 @ 8:00pm. “Dances From Tha Hood” is hosted by dancer and choreographer TWEETIE and Executive produced by Sway Calloway, Sean Lee, Dave Sirulnick and Ocean MacAdams. A half-hour hip-hop special, it mixes the energetic vibe of a straight up basement dance party with fun instructional segments and user-generated videos of kids at home trying the latest hip-hop dances themselves.  

TWEETIE has worked with with the likes of Jay Z, Destiny’s Child, N’Sync, Mya and Angie Martinez, just to name a few. She is a dance instructor at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Peridance Center. A native of the Bronx, TWEETIE used her experience at the Fiorella LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and as part of All Stars Talent Show Network to catapult her to success. She can also be seen as a featured dancer in the Stride Gum Campaign and also appearing in the NIKE Women spring/summer collection and in the new IPOD commercial featuring Wynton Marsalis. Recently capturing national attention on the Oprah Winfrey Show teaching Gayle, Oprah, and the audience the latest dance moves, TWEETIE has prepared herself for her second major project with MTV. I was excited to talk to TWEETIE about her new opportunity.

I first wanted to ask you how did the show came about? I know you previously completed a short series of the same name for MTV mobile media, and I wanted to find out how that translated into the half hour show?

Hmmm, well Oprah helped. It was really great because it actually gave them push to say that I think we can really turn this into a show. That was really good. Working with Sway, who is my executive producer, and Sean Lee, they really realized that this girl is really good. I think they saw the Oprah show as well and they were accepting that we really needed to do this. I think that is what MTV were looking for because they kinda don’t have a show like this. Basically, I’m giving them that street credibility that I think MTV needs. That’s what I’m coming in on.

I wanted to ask you about that appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. How was the experience? Going from having Gayle King in your class to having an opportunity to be on the show, how was that as far as opening up doors for you?

Oh my God, first of all that was amazing. I need to thank Gayle I don’t know how many times. That was really overnight. She came to my class that Monday at Alvin Ailey (American Dance Theatre) and by that Saturday I got an email asking me to be on the show. Ever since then it’s been non-stop love. People stop me in the street. They try to do the old man, which is one of the dances I taught on the show. They stop me on the train and they just smile at me on the train. I have a tattoo of a tweetie bird on my arm so they point at it and they go, “That’s tweetie, I know how to do the old man!” I mean, I went to McDonalds and it was really really late at night. It was like 11:30 or 12 at night because you know those fries, they be calling. Right. This lady and her daughter, she said that, “I just finished talking about you like a block away” and she seemed so emotional and so happy about it. I’m proud that it brought a lot of opportunity, but I also realize it wasn’t just me on that stage. It was me and the whole community, it was me and anybody who ever dreamed of being on the Oprah show or just talking to her. They felt like a part of them was on that stage with me and if that’s the feeling I give off, that’s amazing. I’m gonna try and continue to do that.

Speaking about the idea of the community being on stage with you. I know part of the show allows viewers to send in tapes of them doing the dance steps. How important was that element allowing the opportunity for viewers to be a part of the show?

Well, because I am an instructor and a choreographer I know they are going to want to know if they are even doing them right, to know if they have a chance to get seen. I think it’s a good idea because I need them to interact with me also. I can personally go online and comment on them. I’m a teacher and I want to know if they are getting it in. I really need to see it. It’s not like it’s a gimmick, I really enjoy going online and seeing kids or anyone put videos up on the site. It’s almost like I’m teaching class, even though they aren’t in the same room as me. You know, I still teach my classes and it’s good to know I can give off a feeling that will make them try it after watching the show and put it on the site. It feels good to have that interaction with people.

There has been some criticism of some of today’s dances. Some even calling it modern day buffoonery. How do you feel about the steps folks are coming up with and the negative connotations given to some of today’s dances?

A lot of the stuff may have a little something new added to it, they feel like their creating something new, but it’s recycled from when Hip Hop first started. One of the moves they have is called the freak nasty, but back then it was called the renaissance. So to me it feels like ok we’re doing this again and they may have added a little arms or a little something else, but you know I’m cool wit it. Some people may not agree wit it, but I’m like it’s what we used to do back then so what’s wrong with that. There’s nothing wrong with them doing it again. There’s nothing wrong with having the music with it. Almost every song has a dance to it. Every single song and back then, when Hip Hop first started, you’d hear Biz Markie and you did the Biz. Right. When you heard certain songs you did certain moves. Doug E. Fresh, even he had his own dance going. Everybody knew the Doug E. I enjoy it. A lot of folks may not feel like it’s creative, but there are a lot of other things out there these kids could be doing. Instead they’re dancing and if that’s going to keep them out of trouble, then I’m wit that. I’m going to keep on supporting it. I love it.

Do you see this show leading to new opportunities? Seeing the success that you’ve had from Oprah to MTV do you think this show will open up new doors for dancers and choreographers?

Definitely. I definitely see more dance shows coming out but with more street credibility. There are dance shows out now but what we see on TV other people see it and are like that’s not what we’re doing in the hood. It’s stuff they’ve seen before in videos and they’re looking at it like we don’t do that anymore. I think there are going to be a lot more dance shows but with that raw essence of what Hip Hop music and Hip Hop culture is. If it opens up a door for someone else then so be it because this what we live, this is how we live. We eat, live, and breathe this all day every day. I think with this show, “Dances From Tha Hood”, it gives people a look at Hip Hop that’s not so negative. It can be made to be so negative and about these chics shakin their butts and it’s not about that. It’s for everybody. It’s for guys, girls, it’s positive, it’s for having a good time, and it’s a house party. I remember when house parties were about having fun, not about getting drunk, broken and everything. We’re just here to dance and it’s about who’s getting it in the best. I’m really feeling like a lot of dancers and choreographers have a great opportunity and you know what, I’m even willing to bring them on my show. Let them get their shine on. I’m all love to all birds.

Aight, now I see that you’ve studied multiple forms of dance. I also see that on the show you will be having different celebrities break down the dances in their videos. Is that variety and the breadth of movements that can be put together something that you are trying to highlight on the show?

Definitely. The artists that we have on the show will be breaking down their stuff to me. I love talking with the different artists because you get their opinions, their visuals as far as their concepts. I was out with Lil Mama and it’s just crazy because she’s doing the lip-gloss dance and she’s really like, “this is how it’s really done, you gotta rock wit it”. Then she’s got a new video with Avril Levigne coming out. They got a dance for that. I’m like wait a minute you got Avril Levigne to dance? So she showed me a little sumptin and they got a little exclusive dance going on with that. It’s interesting to see the artist doing their own dance to their own song. You get to see another personality from them because you always see them rhyming or singing, but don’t always get to see them get in there and get down. That’s funny to me and I enjoy it.

It’s interesting to me to see that you got started in an after-school dance program. I know a lot of people are trying to encourage more youth to get involved in the arts. I am wondering what’s your opinion on that and how your show could inspire more support for young people to dance?

Well, when I dance I call it dancing from around the way and around the block, but there is this great program called the all-star talent show network. I definitely grew up in that. We competed in it and it’s for dancers, singers, people that write poetry, people that play instruments, people that rhyme. I think more programs need to open up to the arts because it’s just not enough out there. If we can do anything to keep these focused and give them that support system, I mean it helped me a lot especially with school. Not only did I have a dance group in the talent show network I had one in my high school that we started. Even after we finished high school we continued that there and I don’t think people realize that’s a domino effect. So in these communities if you build these kids and keep their minds focused then soon they will pass that on. So when people watch my show and it gives kids a reason to feel encouraged, motivated, or their creativity just explodes through the brain I’m all for it. I hope to one day have my own dancing school and I know a lot of dancers say that, but I want to see an all Hip Hop dancing school. Usually at dancing schools you have ballet, modern, and jazz. Now I’m all for technique, I took technique in school, but I want an all Hip Hop school.

As a successful woman in Hip Hop and a woman who has a concern for the image of women in Hip Hop, how was it negotiating this opportunity and making it happen?

I definitely felt like my image was very important. I didn’t want to come out and feel like okay I’m this female and I need to show this, that, and a third. I didn’t want to have to do that. I wanted people to recognize me as a black woman of today and that yes I can handle this position and handle it professionally. Because sometimes they think she had to do certain things to get in that position and No I didn’t. I need them to know that I have skills and I need other females to see that you don’t have to take that role where you have to degrade yourself. We can make on TV to and you don’t have to lose yourself within this industry. So many females lose themselves because they feel the pressure of men or that if I do this, that, and a third I’ll get to a, b, or c. Or that they try to skip a, b, and c, and jump to q, r, and s. You know what? I had to work to get here and it’s possible. I come from the hood, I come from the Bronx and I’m still working hard at it. Hopefully it will change women who are 21 and older. Hopefully, this will motivate females who may not have a job, who have kids and are struggling, females who are going through some things, running away from home, or getting abused. Hopefully, watching my show will motivate them and make them feel a little better about themselves because for me music is my outlet. Whenever I’m going through something I turn on the music and let that negative energy out. So by watching my show, I’m hoping they can do the same thing.

Can anybody watch the show and start trying the steps you break down? Does the average person need to be in any special kind of shape?

Nah, Nah, this is for any and everybody. Anybody who has the courage to get up and get it in, let’s do it. Just like I got on Oprah’s show and you saw all those people get up in that audience and they were trying it, if they can do it you can do it to. There is no disclaimer or anything like that whatsoever. This is for any and everybody. This is for my aunt who is 67 years old and saying I need to teach her some steps. This is for the cops outside on the corner. This is for the messenger tired of taking them packages to the MTV office. This is for everybody. This is for soccer moms, agents who have clients, everybody babes.

Now how many shows in the series?

In the mobile series or the TV show?

 In the TV show? 

Oh, I can’t really give out that information. You just have to watch and see.

It looks like the mobile series is continuing also. Now where is the mobile series available?

It’s linked up with all mobile carriers and MTV on demand. You can definitely download that.

 Now is there anything else you want the public to know about yourself and the show?

That I’m from the Bronx and I want to give a shoutout to anybody from the Bronx. Also I want to send shoutouts to the people that I’ve worked with like LL, Fergie, Ciara, and Mya. You can check me out in the new Mya video. The show airs Sunday June 17^th at 8:00pm. I’m excited. I want to thank everyone who has supported me including MTV, my family, and my friends. Oh, and you will still see me in the clubs getting it in.

You can find out more about TWEETIE at www.myspace.com/birddance2. You can also visit the show’s website, www.dancesfromthahood.mtv.com. Be sure to check out the show and support TWEETIE as she teaches the world how to get it in.

Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Little Brother, as a group, is the closest to a living question as the world has ever seen. Are they from the south or east coast? Are they ever going commercial? Is 9^th Wonder still cool with the group? The Durham, North Carolinians have an answer finally—shut up and enjoy the music. With their newest album Getback coming soon, Big Pooh took a break from their mega-busy touring schedule to talk about what’s going on with the group right now and more. Oh, and for the record, no, there aren’t any questions about 9^th. Still there? Read on, you’ll be glad you did.

Q. Pooh, what’s popular, homie? We’re going to jump right into the thick of things. LB has so much interaction with the fans, unlike the majority of the artists in hip hop. Why do you think that is so important?

A. We wanted to create a kinship with our fans, because, at the end of the day there are about a million different rappers that they could spend their hard-earned money on and just come home with a record. We think that if the people got to know us—not the “rap” us but the real us, they would see that we’re not some jewelry clad over oiled up nursery rhymers trying to sell them on beats and hooks. We like to give something that will stick to their ribs and their hearts. We’ve got a segment we do on Myspace called “Real Rap with Little Brother”. There’s going to be more of them, but we’ve just been a little lazy lately. We’ll have some showing us traveling over in the U.S., probably get a couple while we’re in the studio and whatnot. Really we just wanted to put this out there to the fans so that they’ll be like, “They’re just like me!” It’s another way to connect with people.

Q. Chris “Play” Martin (of Kid N’ Play fame) was quoted as saying that the gangs in Durham could easily rival that of a Los Angeles or a Brooklyn. What do you think?

A. It can. It most definitely can because most people get it misconstrued because they’re thinking, “It ain’t no hard n*ggas or projects down here in the south.” That gang culture is everywhere, they got gangs here, they got projects here, and everything that is anywhere else is here. Its parts of town where you know, you go down there and they know you don’t have any business down there, you’re going to have a problem. It’s very much like any city in America and you can’t get away from it. It’s very few cities that don’t have any impoverished areas. Durham falls into the category of a city like any other.

Q. Props on the song from the soundtrack on that DVD Little Brother had featuring Big Daddy Kane. What was the event like?

A. Thanks, man that was the guys who put the movie together hooked that up. That was something that we enjoyed doing and 1. that was for the city in which we all reside and 2. it was a chance to work with a legend, someone that we looked up to, Big Daddy Kane. We actually had to re shoot because something happened to the footage on the first one. During the first go around, it was exactly how it looked: a big party, a cookout. They had meat on the grill and a DJ spinning, people playing basketball, it was good. Remember that scene in “Menace 2 Society” when they were out there grilling and dude got the girl’s phone number? That was what it was. When he had to redo it, we just ran through the same scenes in different locations. It was hard to recreate that mood, but we did it. The city of Durham was out.

Q. What do you think is Little Brother’s niche? How do they fit in the current state of hip hop?

A. I think we on the line between what people consider underground and what people consider commercial. I truly believe our music works in either group that you want to put it in. We just haven’t been afforded the opportunity to branch out there like that. It’s crazy because it’s like, no matter what walk of life someone’s from, whether they’re a d-boy or a doctor or a single mother, when they hear our music for the first time, very few people say, “Oh, this is whack.” What they usually say is, “Yo, that’s some real sh*t right there.” Our music, I think, because it hasn’t really been played on the radio, and our videos refused on that one station, we haven’t had that outlet for our music to really get out there and give people a sense of what we’re all about. If all you do is read what some critic says or read some review about Little Brother, you would believe we’re some underground group that’s talking about saving the Earth when that isn’t who we are. We aim to make real music, real records. That’s it.

Check out Little Brother on tour now and at http://www.myspace.com/littlebrother 

-by Charles “CZA” Sweet II

            There is a definite art form to DJing. One of the essential components of hip hop since its inception, the DJ was often the party starter, the hype man (or woman) and the best source of information as to the after party. Throughout history, no one has commanded as much respect and appreciation than the DJ, an ideal well in practice today. A prime example of what DJing is, and what it ultimately is supposed to be is DJ Mary Jane. Hailing from London, England, Mary found herself in the middle of a sonic revolution in the Drum N Bass clubs. This passion moved her to Miami where she began playing in South Beach’s most renowned hot spots and garnered a strong following that followed her westward to Los Angeles where she took up residence. Since then she has worked with such people as NBA’s own Dale Davis and has DJ’ed a large number of celebrity outings. These are the words of a DJ on the move…catch up.

Q. How did you get on the scene?

A. Basically, my best friend in England was already on the scene; already playing out and we would do a party or something and I would always get on the tables. She saw that I had an interest in this for real, so she bought me my first two records. She showed me the basics, and I fell in love with it. House music is really different than hip hop, being that there are 8 beats to the bar, you know, pretty standard stuff. Hip hop is such an unorthodox music, where you could have one track playing really slow, and the next being Outkast fast. I got into it and played some spots in London, and then decided to take the next step for my career and came out to the U.S. like 4 and half years ago. Miami is where my career really took off, you know, where it started happening at.

Q. Tell us about the Miami scene.

A. I think the first club I played at was a gay club, and I was ripping it there. After that, I played all over the place. Really all night lounges and the like. People there are so animated. So alive. I can’t really explain in words the atmosphere there. You go outside and the air is crackling with electricity. They PARTY down there, go all the way out. The clubs are open a lot later, and I find that it’s harder to get that whole vibe going in L.A. because the clubs close so early. I used to get there at 10 and go on at 11 and you could start building up the crowd there. By the end of the set, the crowd is so wild that you can’t help but feel the groove and the vibe. In Miami, you could just get wasted and because it’s such a small area, you don’t have to worry about getting cuffed by the police. You can usually walk home. In L.A., the clubs are so spread out and the people live so far away that you see cruisers just sitting outside the clubs waiting for people. There’s a lot of drama out here, as well. Promoters are scared to play some records because they’re afraid of rioting. It’s a good scene, but I preferred playing in Miami. Not living there. I mean, it’s cool for networking but I don’t like the fact that I worked in most of the hot clubs and when I wasn’t working, there wasn’t a lot of options for me to go out and party because it would be like me going back to work! You end up staying out till six in the morning and it was that crazy lifestyle that I couldn’t handle anymore.

Q. What do you think of the mixtape scene?

A. Mixtapes are an east coast thing, I think, and it’s really important to the trade of DJing. I like [DJ] Vlad; he’s doing his thing with the mash-ups and DJ Ski is holding it down out here. I’ve wanted to do another, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. K. Foxx got me into it, but time permits wouldn’t let me. I’m trying to focus on acting right now as well and I hope to have another residency in a club in L.A. by next week.

Q. What’s going on with the acting thing?

A. I’ve been trying to really get into it ever since I came down here. My friend is a really good agent and I’m going to go at it full blast. There’s so much money in acting. Three Six Mafia is acting and I want to do it too. They’re crazy and they’re show is crazy too.

Q. What do you think of all these new DUI cases going on in Hollywood?

A. I don’t know. People like Lindsay Lohan should know better. Especially like at the end of the month when the police are trying to reach their quota, they’ll just wait outside of the clubs and pick up these dumb asses as they come out. I’m like, “Why don’t you get a driver?”

Q. Is there anything you want to let your fans know about you in closing?

A. I’m a crazy bitch? (laughs) No, just kidding. Keep looking out for me on the screen and the scene. Don’t drink and drive. Seriously. These tickets are ridiculous! Hit me up at http://www.myspace.com/djmaryj