I heard Mary J. Blige's latest song on the way in to the office this morning and of course I was hooked instantly.  I knew that Angel would have the goods on her site and she's got the single "I Am" up for your listening pleasure. Listen to "I Am" now at Concrete Loop Mary J's "Stronger" keeps getting pushed back, but it's now slated to hit stores on December 22nd.

Is Ludacris the leader we've been looking for? Chris Bridges a.k.a Ludacris is offering a refreshing image for an art form that has seemed to lose its way over the last decade.  This past weekend he made the circuit, promoting his foundation and asking for a new look at philanthropic leadership.  This 4 1/2 minute video is worth the time. Good Look Luda.

A few months back a friend of mine sent me a text to ask if I was listening to the Rickey Smiley Morning Show.  He said they were talking about some bill making its way through Congress that might cause black radio to go out of business.  I tuned in to some of their discussion, but ended up going to my computer to really do some research on HR 848 also known as the Performance Rights Act of 2009, which was the topic of discussion. Check the initial Dallas South post on HR 848 from May 13, 2009 So to the best that I could tell, it seemed like the Rep. John Conyers sponsored legislation is intended to help artists obtain royalties for music played over terrestrial radio.  I noticed that my local Congresswoman (Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson) was a co-sponsor of the bill so I immediately called her office to get their take.  They were doing their own research so I didn't get anything from them that morning.  Congresswoman Johnson later withdrew her support of the bill. Click here to view House Performance Rights Act - HR 848. I didn't see what was so bad with Conyers efforts and why it was such ...

(Thanks in advance for your help Fam...Shawn P.) Dallas South News has launched a campaign to gain 100 new members before the end of the day on Friday. As most of you know, our mission is to utilize technology, social media, and journalistic principles to empower and inform underserved communities.  We are a nonprofit news organization that relies in part on contributions from our readers to help us cover important stories as they pertain to Southern Dallas. [caption id="attachment_714" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Carla Lacy interviews Carlton Cooper with Jerome Sheffield on the Camera"][/caption] This week we look to add 100 names to our current list of supporters.  We ask that anyone reading this post visit our Donation Page and join our cause by making a secure online contribution. While details of our membership plan are being worked out, those who sign up prior to Friday will receive free admission (first come first serve) to our initial "Meet the Editor" event next month (Guest to be announced soon). You may also mail a check payable to Dallas South News to our newsroom at 1409 S. Lamar Ave., Suite 609 Dallas, TX  75215.  No amount is too small (or too large). [caption id="attachment_716" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="DSN Intern ...

This is a message that was sent to friends from Andreas Hale, former Executive Editor of Music of BET.com.  I am posting this message with his permission.  Hat tip to Paul Porter of www.IndustryEars.com. To friends, colleagues and those that should know, As of today (September 8, 2009) I am no longer the Executive Editor of Music at BET.com. Upon entering the position at BET I said that I needed one year to see what really went on inside the belly of the beast. I needed 365 days to sleep with the enemy and infiltrate the system. One year to see if they REALLY wanted change at BET. As someone who has been critical of BET for many years, it surprised many that I would leave my post at HipHopDX last year to take a position at BET. But it was an opportunity I absolutely had to take. I could no longer be critical of this company without accepting the opportunity to change it when given. Although I was hired to bring about change, I was systematically shut down. I wasn’t hired to make noise, I was hired to be silenced. The truth of the matter is that everything that you thought was wrong with ...

BY GENMA HOLMES After watching the coverage of Michael Jackson, I noticed many similarities and differences between the AEG and BET televised events. Both are companies that are in the business of staging concerts, television productions and are part of larger conglomerates. BET targets African-American between the ages 18-34 as their marketing base. AEG developed and operates the $150 million official U.S. Olympic Training Facility. AEG, which was heavily invested in the Michael Jackson upcoming tour, is part of AEG Live. The AEG brand includes managing sport arenas around the world, merchandising, and corporate sponsorship and marketing. BET is part of Viacom which includes VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon, CMT and Comedy Central to name a few. Anyone in the entertainment industry would recognize the power of three short letters, BET or AEG, which employ thousands. That would include camera operators, sound engineers, set designers, travel agents and key board operators. Both entities have contact to talented artists worldwide and can sermon them at a moment’s notice. AEG’s commitment to excellence was evident in the production of MJ’s home going ceremony. From the details of the printed program to the orchestrated performances of the stars, their desire to ensure MJ’s messages of empowerment, hope, humanitarian endeavors, and ...

Here's a video a put together with a couple of clips from my radio appearance with my pastor, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III on Freddy Haynes Unscripted this past Sunday.  I appreciate the invite, it was a fun evening and I hope to be invited back in the future.

During the BET Awards Sunday before last, there was an unexpected social networking trend that developed.  On Twitter, the BET Awards began to move up the list of trending topics.   This traffic was driven by African-Americans, which were moved by the passing of the King of Pop.   Some Twitter users began to question why Michael Jackson was such a hot topic, and why so much was being made of Michael Jackson's death. Then there was Tuesday.  I watched the events on T.V. and CNN Live, and socialized with friends on Tweet Deck and Facebook.  Every Black person that I have spoken with was watching the Michael Jackson Memorial, and so were most other Americans. One of my wife's white Facebook Friends made an interesting observation: "All of my black friends' status updates are about Michael Jackson, and for my white friends it's just another day."  I saw the same thing as one friend would write "I'm holding back tears," and another would say "I'm headed to the beach." For many African-Americans, Wednesday was like attending the funeral/homegoing ceremony of an uncle or cousin.  In my own family there have been times where we've had to put aside differences and squabbles to give ...

A member of the Dallas South Family won 2 tickets to the Michael Jackson Memorial in L.A. He wasn't going to be able to make it, so he was able to his tickets to Paulette McCowan and her daughter who were featured on CBS 11 on Sunday. Jerry Smith, leader of Operation BLACC at Friendship-West, got in contact with Ms. McCowan late Sunday night. True to the man of faith that he is, Jerry looked to share his blessing with someone else. I applaud Jerry for helping this family fulfill a dream, as they were both portrayed on CBS 11 as fans of Jackson's music.  The hope of the Jackson family was that fans like the McCowans are able to pay tribute to The King of Pop.  Great Job Jerry.

By Genma Holmes of Genma Speaks Watching movies and barbecuing is how my family spends most Sunday afternoons. This past Sunday, I broke a cardinal rule and watched the BET Awards for the first time. My kids convinced me that it would be great since it was billed as a tribute to Michael Jackson and his humanitarian endeavors. However, the show that was promoted was not the show I watched. The BET Awards was a chaotic three hour black-a-thon fiasco. How things begin is an indication of where things will end. Watching CNN’s anchorman Don Lemon giving shouts out on the red carpet was the start of the calamity that went downhill fast. To add to the circus atmosphere that was forming outside, Joe Jackson, MJ’s father and belt wielding former manager, was on the red carpet promoting his new record label. Huh? I know grief is expressed in different ways but this was a drastic departure from tears and sadness that is normally shown. He sounded more like an old school promoter for Denise LaSalle than a father who had lost a son two days prior. But what do I know. I never watched the show and I did not know if this ...