outside five

Hello Outside People! This is Maatology here. Trying to give you the skinny, the 411., the 911, on what Ive been up to since the last time we rapped. Well, first off let me say thanks to those who have been checking out my blog. Its been a road to toll to try and promote this new concept of my writing career and I tell you, just like a seed to water. It needs to grow for change to occur. OK enough with my little words of affirmation--on with the skinny.
This past Wednesday, I was at the John Legend/Common.Dela Soul concert at The Pageant and I must say, I had a kewl time there. Everybody did their thing. The best I thought was Common. He is definitely an entertainer. He has a presence and star quality that is just burning to shine. I saw him a couple of years ago when he came with The Roots when his critically acclaimed CD Electric Circus was happening. The concert he did this time around was actually the same kind of concert where Kool cigarettes sponsored different eclectic R&B/hip hop acts a and packaged them with a DJ (This time around it was DJ JS-1) spinning old school hip hop and R&B for the 18-25 crowd who were not around when peeps like AL Green, and Isleys were the ish. Although John Legend was headlining this tour, Common had the most energy with his. My boy jumped the stage side to side and even did some break dancing on the stage. HE also brought on a sista on stage named Grace from Hazel wood and gave her a bump and grind basement party dance that I;m sure had her underwear drenched (EUUUUUUUH). He also talked about how people though he lost his hip hop roots when he was messing around with boho-queen Erykah Badu and his response to those peeps weer: Fucc them! I heard that. John legend was cool. When I saw him at the Fox with Alicia Keys, he was more behind the piano singing. This time around he was trying to dance a little bit and even walked into the mosh pit and sang. He seemed to be stiff shirted to me (he used to be a music teacher) and with him relating to the crowd on a personal level like that was interesting (remember Alicia Keys use to be stuck the piano until someone told her she was sexy enough to shake her azz to the crowd). De LA Soul was the weakest--not untalented, but just in their performance. They are more recoding artist than performers. They do not have much showmanship, but the cuts they performed from Three Feet High to Grind State had the range of fans bopping their headz. There was even a surprise performance by Dres from Black Sheep during De AL Soul's performance and when he spat The Choice is Yours. It was all over. Next thing you know, it became the Black Sheep show. But the real highlight was Rahzel, formerly of the Roots, who is the reigning beat box champion doing his thing beat boxing the instruments and some vocals on some old school and new school hip-hop records. One in a particular was the Art of Noize's old school groove Moments in Love. It was too much playing. He even did Jesus Walks, the beat and the chorus all at one time! I think he had another voice box somewhere hiding in his pocket for real. Overall, the show was tight. A little long (about 4 hours) especially on a weekday, and when John legend hit the stage after 11 p.m. people were either looking at their dials or hitting the door. But his set was cool, classy and when he sand Ordinary People, it was the pinnacle. When he hit his encore, it was still entertaining, but people, like myself, was ready to roll. But let me tell you, before I left out, I saw this threesome couple--two black guys and one white girl in an oreo sandwich grip. She was sin between the two guys--one in front of her and one in back, and one of the guys was gripping the other guys legs to get a firm squeeze of the female! I was like, this is TOO MUCH PLAYING. Talk about CREAM!. They must ve had too many comp drinks from the comp tickets Kool were passing out for those who purchase cigarettes for the evening. Oh and the guy who pushed me to the side near the railings cause he couldn't see--gets no Love. It was already crowded and he was going to do that,. I was about to BUST HIM UP, but I said No I didn't want to be escorted out of the spot. In the house were Vanita Applebum, Maurice (Invisible Man), Renee Thomas Woods, Joel King, Christiaan Coffield, Bill Beene.Last Friday, my boy Carlos M, the model man of the minute invited me to cover Unique fashions' lingerie fashion show, the fashions were designed by Tamara Jordan. The show took place at the Comfort Zone, a hole in the wall, bar/club in North County. I got up in there and the show was suppose to start at 4 p.m. , but I was two hours to early (No surprise). Then, I discovered, Tamara wanted me to take some shots of the event for them. I was not really all that prepared to take so many shots (I only brought my snap-snap for about maybe 24 shots). But I was a trooper and deiced to go ahead. The show was mega-hot. All kind of lingerie--men and woman--from Asian style, French maid outfits, Egyptian style attire, psychedelic garb. Although some of the models were a little short, my girl Jamelle, was giving you straight up Tyra Banks model, and wen Carlos and this other choc late brotha cam, out in just briefs, the sistas in the audience were howling. One girl said: I have never seen underwear worn that good! It was definitely hot up in there. Then I heard some people left cause they thought the show was disgusting. What is wrong with modeling underwear and lingerie? Its not like they don't see it at Frederic ks of Hollywood or not wear it all when they are re with their men? Come on people, it was snot that serious. Its lingerie, not hell and damnation. They had one singer who sang named Elijah who was about no more than 18 who gave some voice. He said he was going to the ATl to record his debut CD. Much Love to you. On Friday, I went to First Friday at Westin Hotel on Spruce in downtown STL. And all I can say is they should not have it there anymore. The two areas that were reserved for us were too small (we might as well been as Club Seven) and the drinks were too high (&.25 for a martini, 6.75 for a mixed drink, beer was 4.25--the biggest seller of the night). They had two sides of different music going on. The lobby was poppin old school hip hop and the main room, Where Charlie Chan was, was spinning the usual hip-hop stuff, but the speakers in ether were WEAK, You had to be near r the dance floor to really hear the music. I did not care for this month's event.On Saturday, I attended two functions: Peses Boutique Polo Party in the Loop area and Mya's concert at Toxic. Christiaan and I Hung out a little bit at Peses and it was OK. We got there about 9 p.m. and it was 5 bone to get up in there. It was giving you NY a little bit. You looked at some of the makeshift designs on polo shirts and spraypainted sneaks. But the free alcohol was NASTEE--Kool aid mixed with Vodkas. That was a NO-NO. I ha maybe two, but it was worse than drinking Listerine. YUCK/. I stayed for about an hour and said PEACE to Christiaan and jetted to Club Toxic to check out the Mya concert--so IO thought. The concert was still going on--but it started at 2 a.m! Now what;s really going on. She was there around midnite or so, but I guess Toxic owners were waiting until a crowd got there (most of them were at Plush next door), but I was like this is tool ate to be trying to have concert. She stayed in the DJ booth for a minute, then she came down (she sis prettier in person), and started mingling with the patrons befire she performed for about 20 minutes. She sand her hits (Ghetto Superstar, Fallen, My Love is Like Wo) and shook and bent her ARSE to the crowd and that was that. I jetted about 2:30 a.m. to meet up with Carlos and his crew (who left Toxic early and didnt see the Mya concert)at Pepper Lounge, but when I got there , they were gone (Did you know they charge 5 bone to get in Pepper Lounge on Saturday whereas on Sunday its free?). I stayed there for a hot second and left to meet Carlos and his crew at the Penthouse on the East Side (all I can tell you about that spot is it is definitely a Player;s Club atmosphere just with white people) and some of the female strippers became really friendly with one of the females in Carlos' crew. That's all I can tell you on that one before i get myself in trouble.Last Sunday, I checked out Hustle and Flow , the new movie starring Terrence Howard as a Memphis pimp going through a midlife crisis and tries one more time to make it--as a rapper. The story was so-so, but it was Terrence Howards' compelling performance that brightens up this movie (kind of like what Jaime Foxx did with Ray). This is definitely a Oscar worthy performance for Howard (and deservingly so), Taraji Henson as one of his girls, also did her thing also. before I Go, my buddy Toriano, wanted me to let ya'll know about a film he;s having screened at the Black Expo this year:
HairKutt chosen to screen at Missouri Black Expo> August 20th and 21st > > August 8th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri—Refusing to> surrender the momentum gained from winning two> separate awards for his griping documentary about> the ill effects of heroin abuse, filmmaker Curtis> Elliott has partnered with the Missouri Black Expo> to screen the film during MBE’s annual event at> America’s Center August 20th and 21st. Show times> are 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30 P.M. each day, with a> special screening at 2:00 P.M. Saturday August 20th> for Teen Summit participants only.> > The film, HairKutt, was recently awarded Best> Feature Documentary by the St. Louis Gateway Film> Critic’s Association at the Cinema St. Louis> Filmmaker’s Showcase at the Tivoli Theatre July 21st> . That award was the second for HairKutt, having won> Best Social Documentary at the New York> International Independent Film and Video Festival in> Los Angeles in March.> > HairKutt is the Reel Life story of three friends who> take their lifelong friend, Bryant “HairKutt”> Johnson, a heroin addict of more than 15 years, to> the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee in the hopes of> curing him from the throes of his addiction. > > The documentary takes many twists and turns as> “HairKutt” becomes so debilitated from the> withdrawal of the poisonous drug that he attempts to> walk away from the rented cabin used as a drug rehab> facility. His destination? A return to the streets> of St. Louis (more than a ten hour drive away) and> the source of his addiction: heroin.> > Coaxed back to the cabin by his friends,> “HairKutt” is eventually rushed to a rural Tennessee> hospital in the hopes of saving his life. Is the> hospital trip a death bed for “HairKutt” or a> springboard for a new life free from the drug that> has dominated his teen and adult years? The story> climaxes more than two years later with a tell-all> truth about the fateful trip and “HairKutt’s” final> condition.> > Elliott has scheduled four live remote broadcasts> with Clear Channel’s 100.3 The Beat on-air> personality Tossin’ Ted to sell advance tickets to> the 2005 Missouri Black Expo. A list of the> locations with times and dates of the remotes> accompany this release.> > > > For more information contact: Reel Life Films> > Toriano Porter 11430 Bellefontaine Rd. > > > St. Louis, MO 63136 > > > 314.395.2342/314.680.6542>
Well, until the next time, see ya outside.