Outside 16

What it is outside people! This is your entertainment commentator, Ma'atology here. All right let's get like diarrhea and go!

Well, this is the weekend where I find out whether I win or not at the Regional Emmy Awards Ceremony that will take place this Saturday at the Hyatt Regency near Union Station. I was nominated for being talent and writer for the Renee Marie piece I had done on Charter Communications last October (I can't believe its been a year already) on the now defunct local cable show REEL Entertainment. I am hopeful that I win, but it's all reassuring for my confidence as a broadcast journalism. Not too many brothers from East Boogie get a chance to hob nob with regional media people and have the possiblility of winning an Emmy. When I told people that I was nominated for an Emmy, the range of repsonses go from disbelief to a congrats with an disbelievable grin. Sometimes it's even hard for me to fathom, but with anything I do, I put my best forward. But with any awards competition, there is polictics involved. In my case, if it wasnt for my former colleague Pete Foggy (who is nominated with me a producer of the Marie piece), I would have been SOL. Charter did not contact me to even tell me I was even nominated. What's up with that? True, I no longer work with them and according to them, I did not fit in their niche and needed training, I should have at least been told that I was nominated. But it is all good, I was able to get a free ticket thanks to Foggy and I will wear my opera coat and bushy Afro and act as though I was supposed to be there. And if I win, I will definitely give my thoughts on how I made it up to the podium. But I digress...Last Friday I attended three functions back to back (seems like old times when I was at the American). First, I attended a play called the Taffetas, a musical about a quartet of sisters from a small town in the 1950's who make their TV debut on DUmont; SPotlight On Music. I peeped it out at the Lemming Aramada, a rathskeller of a place in downtown Belleville that was suited for plays such as this. It was pleasant. The actresses in the play remind you of the Andrew Sisters--sweet, innocent, big grins and eyes, wearing taffeta hoop skirts (thats how they got their name), bobby socks and Shirley Temple shoes. they sang a lot of the Top 10 hits of the 1950s like Mr Sandman, Dedicated to the One I Love, and Mr. Lee. I am a sucker for nostalgia, and this one definitley brought it back--of course back in the 1950s WE were Jim Crowed and trying to get civil rights, but it was an interesting reflection of how TV used to be for those who had the luxury of having a TV. The play plays out until Nov 12. Then I met my buddy Kam at Cafe Eau where the Ralph Butler band performed everything from country, to reggae to rock. It was extremeley packe dup in there, mainly becasue it was too cold to chill outside. Soon after, me and Kam rolled to Toxic to check out rapper Webbie, the 19-year-old from Baton Rouge to perform cuts from his CD Savage Life. I was on the media list (thanks Renee!) and was able to get Kam inside too. It was 20 bones to get up in there and it wa spacked up in there. Not as packed as Ebony Eyez' Cd release party (mainly because EE's was free), but it was just as ghettofabulous. Anyway, before Webbie got on stage, they had artsist and many activitie sgoing on. Hosted by Isis Jones, the artsis who performed prior to Web were All Stars feat. Jus Blac (who performed at Ebony Eyez; party and the same LIke WO-URRRRRRR song) and Da Camp. When they performed they had over 20 people in their camp who were just on stage. What is up with that? Does it take that many people in to represnet and support the artists? And why was D-St. Louis formerly Mr. American Idol contestant and East Boogian D Andre Perriman up there? Is it that serious to get attantion sir? Anyway, the real action happened when it was announced they were having a bad bitch contest in conjuction with Webbie's hit song Bad Bitch. I had a beef with this. Now, the same sisters who say they get pissed if guys call sistas bitches, then turn around and have a bad bitch contest? Hmmm. Well, the sisters who got up there were from the Brooklyn ILL club Bottoms Up where the sistas take it all off. Well, on the Louie side, that is a no-no, but it didnt stop them from getting their twirk on. About 10 sisters from Bottoms Up got on stage, and some started dropping it like it was hot, grinding the floor and even two sisters started toingue kissing each other. I was getting a eye-on myself. LOL. But the trip part about it was fellas throwing dollas, coins, fliers and plastic cups on stage. One of the male hosts, a light skinned cat from the new 95.5 (his name slips me now), was calling the sistas bitches and hoes and I was like degradation at its best. I was getting disgusted by the whole scenario. By the time, Webbie came out (which was close to 2 am), with a Henny bottle in his hand and his constant pulling up of his knee-length jeans each time they fell exposing his bloomers, I heard him flow two songs (neither was Gimme Dat or Bad Bitch) roll out. The crowd was swelling, people were pushing toward the front where Kam and I were and I knew it was time to go (of course, a fight ensued after we left). Now granted, I have no problem with freedom of expression and all and if sisters want to gyrate and dance sexually that's all on them, but the atmosphere of brothas who are drunk , high and their libido is stronger than a panther, there is a guarantee that trouble with cops will take place (and it did). I do not feel comfortable going to a hip-hop concert event and people in the club disrespects a black establishment. I am sure Toxic owner Reno is concerned about thsi because, as many times there have been police coming to Toxic (as well as Plush) becasue of hip-hoppers and thundercats trying to tear the club up, that it will get harder for him to stay open. Come on STL, let's try and behave ourselves when it comes to going to hip-hop events. Act accordingly. Dont tear up your brother's backyard and expecting for noone to clean it up because you all will be the main ones screaming that there is nothing to do in the STL. Oh and speaking of clubs, I hear Club Velvet is closing its doors this coming up Sunday becasue tehy lost their license. Hmm, I wonder what is up with that? Too much Xtacy I reckon? Hmmm.
BTW, In the house at Toxic were Cory Spinks, NOIZE City Girls (who were mistaken as BOTTOMS UP girls) and Darryl Williams...

On Saturday, I went to the gym at Ballys in Clayton to work on my swole on, then later that day, I went to some of the Book fair outside of the Muny in Forest Park. It was OK. I met Joy Ward who gave me info to do the story about the book fair (you can check it out at www.westendword.com) and heard a few of the readers including JK Dennis (thanks for the book 9 Lessons for a Meaningful Life and I will definitley get with you on interviewing you). They had vendors, food booths and BOOK-TV Van was there to tape the event. It wasnt much of a crowd the time I got there because it was getting cold. Joiy invited me to dinner afterward with her and some of their lit friends, but I declined. I hate I missed it cause I dont miss out on opportunities like that. Oh well. Later that night, I went to Club Dreams to patronize Maurice G (Thanks for calling me Michael Jackson, too. LOL). It wasnt a big crowd (Jamelle and her girls were passing around Halloween necklaces that lit up AND I got a biz card from a barber named Brutus who was pubbing his shop, Grand Center Barber Shop), but I guess it takes a minute to reestablish a black club when the more popular Club Seven is literally right behind you. Keep your head up Maurice and keep doing what you are doing.

On Sunday, I checked out my buddy Joel King's two one-act plays that he wrote, Me, Don and the Psychiatrist and Meeting in the Ekders Circle. It was a stage reading of the two plays at COCA. It was close to 60 people who witnessed the plays and King asked for us to write down our opinions and feedback on them. The two plays are hilarious! Me, Don and the Psychiatrist is about a married couple who go to a psychistrist to seek help for her man's philandering and hyper sex drive. Shawn Guy (who is looking good these days with her slim and trim self) played the girl, Sadie and Kevin Rolston played Don (the name of the white guy who played the psychiatrist slips me now). I enjoyed this. It was daring and ballsey with the language (Don calls his penis a "Pilates stick" and when she had to pee she sad that her "little girl has to go spit") told from the woman's point of view. It started off with her soliloquy about her problem about going to the shrink, afterward, the play went from action to soliloquy getting the audience involved in her struggle (even had the women in the audience raise their hands after a question about men was raised by Guy's character). It would have been nice to also get Don's point of view, but all along, it was an interesting take about sex, and relationships. Now the second one , Meeting in the Elder's Circle was high-falutin satire on the black church. It tells the story about a lady named Magdelene played by Tann Moore (who toe up thsi role) who stirs up mess talking about people while church service is going on. Picture Tyler Perry's Ma Dea and you have Magdelene but only sexier. I along with audience were rolling all through ths play. I cannot imagine cursing that goe son at a church, but the blaspheme nature of the piece was refreshing and gave interesting commentary about how UnChristian like people are in church. And the cast of characters were just as hilarious. You had a assistant pastor played Sammuel George, who could not read and the only word he knew was THEE (one instance his wife in the play used a walkie talkie devise to read him his sermon to him through hsi earpiece--HILARIOUS), another was a pleasantly plump sister played by Cody Aaron who thought of nothing but food and reminded herself of that everytime she spoke a sentence that may had a reference to food. The other cast memebrs include Olivia Neal as a transsexual. One big laugh came when a white actress in tha play gets in a fight with Magdeline and called her a bitch. I lost it. You talk about FUNNY. This play I definitely can see playing at the same circuits as Tyler Perry's. Add in some famous R&b singers and B-black actors and Joel is on his way. I am very proud of Joel. He used to be in a few of the plays I wrote and directed (mainly the Dutchman in 2002) and he has definitely becoem one of the movers and shakers in the performing arts community in the STL. In the house were J Samuel Davis (WHAT THE DEVIL!!!), Greg Carr, George Best of the Network Group(who helped finance Joel's plays) and on videocamera was Mariah Richardson.
Oh, Greg Carr is having auditions for singers and actors for his play, "Johnnie Taylor is Gone" Dec 2 and 3. For more info call him at 314-323-4053.


My Talk It Up Tv Show is soon to come to life. I am looking at next month for teh shows to be taped. I am working with business partner and producer Tia Hodges on it. And pseaking of Tia, her son, Blake Harris, who is a senior at Priory, spoke to 200+ at the regional meeting of Sigma Pi Phi professional fraternity last Saturday night at the Millenium Hotel. Bill Young, Pres and CEO of Buford, Dickson, Harper & Sparrow invited him and said he was "Phenomenal and beyond Stupendous and Perfect," and that Blake got a standing ovation. You go, Blake. You are definitely going places. For a young man at 17 to be very mature for his age, he is definitely going to be one of the pillars of the 21st century!

Well that is it for now. Next time, I will tell you about my invading the Emmy Awards. I am also going to see the play Luv at Broadcast Center for the Arts, possible J Nicks' party to celebrate his being on Rap City at TOXIC (here we go again) and Philly neo soul singer and songwriter at the 5 Spot at the History Musuem. Until next time, see ya outside!

OUTSIDE 15

Wassup outsiders, this is your 411er ma'atology here. Well things were a little slow this past weekend. I didnt too much. My big report was going to be on the Millions More Movement in Washington DC but for some reason I didnt feel it this year for going to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of the Million MAn MArch. I attended the one 10 years ago and let me tell you, it was definitely visible glory (as a matter of fact, visible glory is the title of book I co-write with former colleagues Eugene B. Redmond and Sherman Fowler in 1998--you can reach the SIUe English Dept for a copy if you want to peep it out!). I was geared to go the day after I saw Farrakhan in St. Louis at the Orpheum, three weeks ago, but I just didnt feel the momentum of going (The wedge issue this time around was the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and tragedy and how USA did not respond quick enough to the victims). I saw some of the live telecast on C-SPAN last Saturday where all of the black dignarities from Jesse Jackson to Cornell West got their time to shine on the Capitol Mall podium about what is needed for black people. From what I gathered, they had a big turnout, but I gues now that I am 10 years older and a lot more wiser, I think the reason why I didn't go was because it is time for action. Yes, it is a movement, a spiritual movement , that connects all black people across the world and a March to Washington is just face value, now its time for action.... In the meantime, I went to a couple of events that were more arts driven. Saturday afternoon, I audioned for an action play in St. Charles that looks pretty good as far as getting a part in it. DAC Productions was holding the auditions for two major motion pictures to be filmed in St. Louis next month. I was auditioning fo rteh film, BUDDY GUARD - this film is about Louis Mckenny a 36 year old man with the mind of a child. And Steven Rike his reluctant and want to be body gaurd. Steven and Louis are thrown together through a series of events. Now they must work together and learn from each other in order to survive. This film has been called an Action, comedy drama. I did a 2 minute monologue from my prologue of play I helpe dto produce and direct called MANALOGUE, about four black men for the East ST. Louis and I acted out all four parts, the hip-hop thug, the buppy, the pimp and the war war vet. I got mad claps for it and I read from the script (that had some typos in teh script BTW) and was asked if I was available next month, the Saturday After Thanksgiving. They said they would give me a call this week, so I will keep you posted on this (AND ITS A PAID GIG, TOO). That nite, I attended the opening of a small play called Trois Jeux Corts (That's three short plays in French) that I reveiwed for KDHX Radio (I t aired this past Wednesday on 88.1). It was a hodge podge of three stories about a man who needed purpose in life called All Trains West Have Passed, a doe-eyed teen who travels to Ruby , Arizona to meet her boyfriend and his off the wall commune before she heads west to school called Ruby Arizona, and a story about a heating and cooling guy who is secretly a SUperHero, the Emerald Sting, who fights off zombie sand hsi secret hideway his in his basement called Sequential heart. I liek dthe Woody Allenesque feel of each play. From improv, to farce, to existentialism (Mmm, hows that for a word). I saw it at Tin Ceiling, locate don teh corner of Cherokkee and Compton in South St. LOuis. Its a hole in teh wall, that seats about 50 and it is definitely an off-Fox Theatre production. I love little theatres like that because actors and plyawrights can produce whatever they want and not have to worry about advertisers having to tell them what they will sponsor in order for a theater company or production to hit the stage. Speaking of theatre, it was good to se ethatteh late August Wilson had a theater renamed in his honor in Virginia. That was really outstanding. He was definitely a pioneer in the live arts and the first to have his decade cycle of plays about black life and the first black to be honored with a theater in his name. His works from Ma Raineys Black Btoom to Fences to Jitney will live on in infamy....this past Wednesday I went to the grand opening of the Black rep's new office facility located at 1717 Olive Street. It is very roomy and spacey and much needed. They were housed at the Health District across from the Fox Theatre. They also had free food (salmon, stuffed mushrooms) and alcohol (wone and beer) and gift bags for its patrons. Black rep Touring Company also did a little song excerpt from their upcoming traveling season for thsoe in attendance. In the house were Ron Himes, Katrina (former Partline sista), Fire Chief Sherman George, Rudy Nickens, Corneulis Davis, Kevin Rolston, Marsha Cann, Starsky Wilson, and Simcah... Oh, Kam was out of town this past week visiting his hometwon of Omaha to celebrate his 28th, H-B-day bruh man. Also that nite, I went to the crib to check out Noah's Arc, the season premiere of the drama series that aired on the LOGO Network. If youre not familiar, Noah's Arc is a story about four black gay guys who deal with life, love and friendship in the heart of Los Angeles. Its actually quite good. Its kind of like Queer as Folk meets SOul Food. Good acting, believable characters. I read on bet.com that the producer of that show Patrick Ian Polk is calling Kanye West's record label Rocka a Fella homophobic because they turned down Polk's request of using Kanye's music in the show. What is really going on? It is 2005 and black people, of all people, should not be trying to discriminate. We have so much other stuff to deal with like racism, unemloyment, inner city crime and health issues. Let's not advocate hate and celebrate our people of all hues, religoius beliefs and sexual prefernces and images. What were Rock aFeklla peopel afraid of--getting outed? Hmmmm.

Anyway, that is it for me. This week, I will attend soem of the Book Fair at the Muny, attend another play called Taffetas at the Broadway Center for teh Arts in Belleville, and Joel King's stage reading at COCA and anything else that may happen in between that I am allowed to report. Oh and the CARDS put up a good fight. Good luck next year in the new stadium.

outside 14

Que Pasa! Hotep! Hola! and Hip Hip Hello! This is Ma'atology back at ya with another week of my adventures on the town in the L.O.U. Last weekend was pretty fruitful, lot's of action. So like a rabbit in spring, let's hop to it...Last Friday, I checked out two events. First up was local actress/spoken word artist Erica Sutherlin who did her thing at the Vaughan Cultural Center. She had a spoken word and music concert there(sponsored by First Civilizations) where she was featured as a poet as well as an actress in a 15 minute film starring her that was shown prior to her performance. The film was called "Beautiful Hands." It was directed by KDHX's Mariah Richardson about a sister who tries to find her self worth through sex until she runs across a man at the libaray(played by Black Rep actor Kevin Rolston) who tries to love her without sex. The film was refreshing. It kind of reminded me of Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have it," but with a more sensitive touch to it in regards to how the female is portrayed (one scene where Erica is nude--not visible on camera-- and caresses her body is quite sensual and tastefully done). Although the film has some distractions (audio dubs were slightly off), the film made a statement about how important it is for us to learn how to love ourselves, not expecting it from someone else. The film was shot in the Delmar Loop area and it was nice to see the local flava represented in the film. After the film presentation, Erica and her background singers, Steel Waters(who was off the chain!!!!), performed before about 80 people. The band that played with her, come to find out had only played with them that day! Wow talk about TALENT. Anyway, the hour long concert reminded me of the Sugar Water Festival earlier thsi year, very neo soulish, Jill Scottish, India Arieish with some great song interpretation through movement by Erica. And Erica (who has slimmed down very nicely these days) is extremely taleneted as a performance artist and poet. She is also very metaphysical. One song in particular she sand in dedication to the black man and one line she spoke was: "I want to wash your feet with my hair." Whoa! I was not expected that! That is a very deep line, Biblical and spritual. It had teh crowd howling. There was also an impromtu moment where the band played a bluesy riff and Erica and her girls psang a blues verse about the woman inside of them. It was hot! her backgrounbd singers KILT that. Most of the songs performed dealt with self-love and one song in particular I truly loved was, "Human Experience" where she said "you are put on earth just for a human experince, we are between worlds. Then she talked about chakras (very Erykah Baduish). I tell ya, it was definitely a spiritually cleansing experience. In the house were Tiffany Graham, Ira B.Jones, Black Rep's Eric Conners and Cody Aaron(and speaking of Black rep, I decided to give you all a pic from the past--the picture you saw before you read this far is of me with former Black rep intern/actress Chanai Hardy at last years' Woody Awards at the Grandel Theatre. I was sportin' mini Afro puffs back then) ...Later that night I went to Coffee Cartel to get me something to eat.I picked up some nachos with quaccamoli. Talk about good when your hungry. So I ate that, talked to my buddy Joel King about his projects and was about to leave out. After I opened the door, I didnt relaize the high concrete step leading down at the exit and stumbled, nealrly falling. I managed to keep my balance and the couple who saw me in my walking dilemma just smiled and felt my embarrassment. You know us black guys when we almost fall, we have to play it off as though we tried to do it. Just when I was getting over that and walking to my car that was parked next to the Drunken Fish Restaurant, I get a call from X-Jam saying that he saw me almost fall. And I asked did everybidy on the lower are aof the restaurant see me and he just laughed. Oh well, so much for that. So I drove to Cafe Eau to kill some time becasue I was meeting Kam at First Friday later on. He was a particpating in a fashion show/private party put on by the Cardinal owner's wife on Washington and said that he was able to get us on the VIP list at First Friday that was going to be held at Club Seven. I was able to get a good parking space across from Cafe Eau and started walkingtoward it and heard someone say, "I guess someone is going into Cafe Eau." It was Christiaan and his buddy Brian outside chilling. So I decided to join them inside. While inside, there was a white 80's cover band trying to sing "Billie Jean." It was a train wreck that kept on wreckin. Then they started playing 80s tunes during their intermission like, "She Works Hard for the Money," and "Take on Me." The rest of the night the band sang other 80s tunes, one being "Walk Like An Egyptian." There was a lot of alums from Mizzou up in there. I dont know what was the occasion but they were in the house. Meanwhile, we left around 11sih and I headed to Club Seven to meet up with Kam. I was able to escape the line outside becasue of Kam's connecst with a few sistas that were in the same fashion show he was in, but when it came to the VIp list, well that was another story. We were not on it. Supposedly Brandon had put us on alist, but it wasnt the official list--it was the list from a bartendar he knew. So there we were stading in teh lobby area waiting. Kam calling Brandon seeing what was up. One of the security guys had told teh sista collecting money that we were cool to go in, but the phone call to Brandon messed us up. Oh well. Kam paid our way and we proceeded on to the event. It was pretty much the same routine, Needles on the 1s and 2s, people standing around, people dancing, people talking ( I ran into FF fighter Keith Harris who was in a dapper suit this time. I shook his hand. I was gonna tease him and say, "Don't hit me." But I decided against that). It was packed and FF people made more money as always ($15 bones to get in). In the house were D'Anthony (from Ballys), Lester, and Tiffany Graham (were you following me? LOL).

Last Saturday was the Mike Epps/Charlie Murphy SOLD OUT concert held at The Fox(Over 4,000 showed up!). One of my guilty pleasures is people watching, and seeing what they got on, and I must say, gold shiney lame' things must be in these days. I saw one sista who had on some shiney gold lame' boots that look like staright out of Labelle in the 70s. There are also many of you sistas who are overweight and wearing too tight clothes. Now mind you, ain't nothin wrong with being a little plump, but to accentuate it with jeans, or dresses that are too tight to mention, is crimeful! Oh, let me tell what I had on--I had on a brown suede pimp hat, brown suede jacket, wine color shirt, light tan James Evans courderoy pants and brown leather showes. I was not playing, Okay? Anyway, I had an extra ticket and no one was able to go or had other plans so I called my boy Kam and he bit. He was running late, so I went on and went inside the theater, holding his ticket at the Box Office. Okay, first off I was pissed because the seat I was given was BB, which is lower balcony, the end seat next to the isle and far back. I requested closer seats, but they said becasue it was sold out, they couldnt do it (MMMMHMMMM). Next up, Kam called my celly and said that they didnt have the ticket I left for him at will call. I specifically put his name on the enveleope and for some reason the people working will call had a bout of amnesia for a minute until they found the ticket. then, my former colleague Dunkor Imani aka Mutwazse, sat next to me and I was like, "My guest will be sitting there soon." We was looking puzzled becuase he said his ticket had the next seat next to mine. So, he moved up one row next to his lady and said that if no one is sitting in the seat that he was about to move to, he would sit there. .I was like this is going to be interesting (and why was there a brotha sitting in the center area a few rows behind me, get up and screamed out to someone he knew a few rows up on the right hand side of him? My People!!!). Well, when Kam arrived, the house lights were down (the show shated about 20 minutes late) and Comic View comic Kenny Howell decided to warm up the crowd (Who put him on the bill?). So when Kam arrived, he sat a row ahead of me next to Dunkor's lady. I was like Huh? So I reached over and tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if I could see his ticket and it had Row AA. Row AA! I was given non-consecutive row tickets! What kind of ish is that! Now if I had taken a female to this and we were on a hot date and maybe wanted to do some footsy or wootsy, I woudl have to imagine doing it cause we wouldnt have been sitting together. That was fucced up. In the meantime, Kenny Howell, who reminds me of Ralph Kramden with a foul mouth was downright Def Comedy Jam raw. He started talking about not knowing what to do if a woman started sucking on his titties and stucking their finger up his arse and choking a woman legally when you are about to orgasm. he was funny, but just too vulgar with it. There was one joke that I thought was funny was when he said that back where he is from they called Chinese food places there exact him. He said here people call them Chinamen. When his lady said that she was going to go to the chinamen, he said, the hell you going to fucc some chinamen. That was funny. He did about 15 minutes and said that he was selling his DVD "From Projects to the Ghetto" before the bootleggers bootleg his bootleg. That was also funny. So the host of the show was Comic View comedienne Dominique (which is an added touch to have a female host an all-male comedy show). She was ghetto funny. The way she talk is even funny, broken English and a lazy tongue. Priceless. she talked about gettin high (as they all do), how black folks need to get health insurance, stop giving baby's Tylenol, but the funny bit she had had to do with how she was over her neighbors house, gettin high and saw her neighbor on America's Most wanted." her expressions and mannerisms trying to get out of house was side splittingly funny (I saw her on ths flick "30 years to life" where she was playing someone auditioning for a independent film, BTW). She did about 15 minutes and introduced Charlie Murphy. The vibe was up for him because of his tremendous popularity from the Dave Chappelle Show (which is no longer happening :0( and the classic yet infamous Rick James True Hollywood Story bit from that show. ) Well, he got on stage, the crowd was amped shouting out CHARLIE MURPHY, the ladies gave him catcalls, and he started his routine and--he fell flat! He started off OK talking about how airlines are trying to make people feel safer by taking his tweezers and so forth, then all of a sudden, the sound person accidentally turned n some music during hie routine. OMEN #1. He then said, "Wassup sound man, I thought this was a high class joint." OUCH. And after that it went downhill, he started talking about the best way to handle Osama is capturing his niece (who he said was phyne) up at Columbia U in NYC and have Bishop Don Juan to sell her ass and record a video to Osama saying if he continues to terrorize, Don Juan was going to have his niece work for him. And just when he was about to get down into that joke, a sew peopel started saying, BOO! Oh no! I was like that didnt happen. yes it did. He tried to brush it off and continue his routine, but the BOOs started getting stringer and louder by many people in the crowd, some tried to clap it off, but to no avail. He tried to redeem himself by attacking back to the booers, but he was not successful. Some were even calling him Charlie Wilson. That was funny. He tried to say that the check is cut so they could boo all they want--and they did. he tried to continue on withteh Rick James/darkness bit that killed slightly, then he asked the crowd, "Do you know what a cake party is?" Then there were more BOOs. During this time, I sank in my seat. I was embarrassed for him. Then he was like, "okay, I'm going to flip the script. He raised the mike, made it fall to the stage floor, flip two birds with both hands and said, "FUCC YOu!" Then left the stage and of course more boos ensued. I could not believe that happened. St. Louis clowned. I dont think he was on stage barely 20 minutes. I think Charlie is more of a storyteller than a comedian, I mean he is a comedy writer and you can tell. He is not a seasoned comedian, like, say, his brother Eddie. It's all in teh delivery and you gotta know how to handle hecklers in teh audience. That could have helpe dhim, but oh well, he got paid--I guess. To curb things, Dominique came back on stage and was like, "I dont know why they brought me back out here, like I'm Betty wright, the Clean Up Woman or something." That killed. She was like it ain't easy getting up on here. The crowd bust out laughing. It was now about 9:15 pm and they took a 30 minute intermission. When the house lights went up, all cell phones were pressed on TALK so they can tell whomever they were talking to what just happened. To much playing! About 30 minutes later, the show was back on. Dominique came back out and cracked a few more jokes, her famous one being when her boyfriend gets 50 years in prison and she was summone dto the witness stand and her only asnwer to the question was, "Not to my recollection." That was classic. Then, she introduce dteh man of hour, Mister Mike Epps. There were shouts, yelps and screams and did his famous 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 sing song" and told people that if they didnt know where that cam efrom they got to get cable. The audience cracked up. Then, it was off to the races, his style of humor is liek a brotha on teh street playing the dozens and saying the first thing that comes to his head, but its scripted. True genius (now I see why he is pinned to play Richard Pryor in a film) he talked about pimps hitting hoes with snowballs (the crowd also kept calling him DAY DAy, his character from Next Friday and Friday After Next), niggaz dating sistas is like dating parole officers,don;t get caught jacking off by your lady, James Brown going to jail with a pussy mouth, Matha Stweart going to jail (he calle dher a cookbook bitch), the Ed Bradley interview with Michael Jackson ("it was doo-doo everywhere" that was funny), how a ghetto kid would steal animals from Never Never land, the repurcusions from picking up a 15 year old girl from the club, when a cop stop you (Police say, "Why didnt you stop?" epps said, "cause I didnt see you."). then he stoped and said, "Ya'll want jokes back to back--damn!" More laughter. At this point I was howling from laughing rolling jumping up and down in my seat. He also talked being the only senior in high school who stayed in the same room all period. He also imitated Judge Joe Brown and Montell Williams and Bobby Brown's big stomach on Being Bobby Brown Tv show. He also talked about Hurricane Katrina ("it had to be a blakc girl 's name to caus eall this")But the funniest part of the show (which is an understatement) was when he wa simitating when a brothas dicc gets hard and his lady prmises to give him some punanny, but falls asleep on him and how he tries to poke her butt to get her to wake up. PRICELESS. Then the classic moment came when Epps said that St.Louis now they are cold, and he was referring to the police, but someone said, "yeah, tell that to Charlie Murphy." Everyone cracked up including Epps. And the jokes kept on and on and then after he talked about ghetto folks wearing penny loafers with footies with balls on the end of them, he said, "Thank you, Good night." Wow talk about a drive by ending. But his show overall was good. An hour non-stop of funny. Dominique came back out with a dead mike, had to go backstage to get another mike to announce that Epps would be signing T-shirts in the lobby and that the afterparty would be at Club PUSH. Then STL corrected her and said PLUSH. Then, she said, "Alright, damn, Plush, Ya'll know I;m from out of town." As soon as kam and I walked to the crowded lobby, Epps ran into the lobby, as ladies started screaming. He proceeded to sign autographs. When I got outside in front of the Fox, KennyHowell was selling his DVD on the streets like he had a peddler's license. The cops were parked on the curb as well waiting for something to happen that resembled anywhere near black skin. It was too much playing. I called Maurice G and told him I was coming out of the comedy show and would check out his club Dreams. I was not feeling Plush, but of course everyone was there. I dropped off Kam to his car and went to Dreams. Right before I hit the door, Maurice G asked me how wa steh comedy show and told him what happened and he asked me did Kenny Howell mention to the crowd to come to Club Dreams. I said NOPE. He said I wasnt the only one who told him that. He then said that he hasnt going to be paid either, I guess Howell was supposed to drop the club to the Fox crowd and get paid for the endorsement. It woudl have made sense for peopel to go to Dreams cause it was much closer to the Fox, just a few blocks east of Grand on the lower end of Washington). Anyway, I got up there, met Kam there (who was meeting his lady from Indiana at Dremas who drove to the Lou to meet him) and the crowd was sparse. I would say about 30 or so was there. Queen Isis Jones hosted the night (which was the debut of Sophisticated Saturdays wheer everyine gets in teh club free until 10 p.m.) They had this dee-jay there, his name slips me, but he had one-leg, with a crutches resting next to the turnatbles. He was OK. But some of his mixes were nasty. I was like he spinning on the 1s and 2s like he had one-hand! Kam cracked up. I stayed for about an hour or so, I was able to meet Kam's lady, greeted her and split about 1 in the morn. . I drove toward Plush to see the action and saw that there was no one outside hanging. That was odd. I saw a big charter bus on the curb (was probably Epps' or Domique's) and down where Drury Inn Hotel was, I saw a line of police cars waiting for something to happen. I was like, I dont need to be at a functionwhere there is more than one police car around (The incident that happend at Toxic last weke at Ebony Eyez' Cd release party was a wake up call itself). So I just turned my 2005 Spectra around and hit 64 going east back to the crib.

Last Sunday, I checked out the return of the 5 Spot, the concert venue that showcases local talent. Its been a few months since the last 5 Spot used to go down at Hard Rock Cafe (it was at the Vault on various nighst as well). I hear the breakdown had to do with someone gettin greedy with the money and not paying their bills. Anyway, the brand new season of the 5 Spot took place at Club Dreams where it originally began when Dreams was called The Kastle. Hosted by Queen Isis Jones, It was a nice crowd. This time around, they started at 8 p.m. and they made an effort to start it earlier cause it used to go down around 10 p.m. and the Spot would let out close to midnite and that wa stoo much playing for those who had to get up the next morning for work. I went with Tiffani Blackmore (the sista that I took a picture with in an ealier blog site on here) and I'm sure the whispers were on as to who she was and who was she to me. She is a beautiful coca brown , tall sista with a dreaded Afro , who is very New York . You will probably see a lot of her with me I'll just put it that way. Oh, my style that night was all black and white, I had on a black scarf wrap (like Music Soulchild), a long white shirt with flappy cuffs, a long black letaher jacket, a balck vest buttoned at the top, black pint striped pants and black combat boots. Anyway, the local artsist featured were poetess Tikki (who had two creative poems one called "No Ordinary Woman"--the ongoing refrain was''ordinary women are like unicorns" and "My Apologies' Her dedication to the black man that wa srefreshing and not black male bashing) and Tamika Damn ('nee jackson), the sista who sang her butt off in Ron Himes' Black rep musical Tell Me Something Good last fall. She has a very angelic voice ala Deneice Williams and a warm spirit. She and her three background female singers along with the band Level Ground started their set with the Jacksons' Heartbreak Hotel (I love thsi song--gotteh 45 when I was 11 years old) then she took us on a heartbreaking journey (oh-oh drama). But she was nt bashing or anything. She started doing tribute sto some of her fave artsist including Deneice Williams' "Free" (sounde djust likeher) and Isley Brothers' "Footsteps". She also shared with the audienc etaht her first attemot at singng wa swhen Natalie Cole's song, "Our Love" wa son teh air. She said her mother said she sang a high note when she was in teh car seat and knew right then , she had a singer on her hands. She sang an original song called, "Sunday I Dont Love You," produced by local producer James Glasco (whom she hoped was in the audience to thank him for his genius--he was a no show), She also covered, Faith's "Mesmerzied" that was off the chain. Some rapper name Vandalism vamped with her on a number (it was hard to hear him), but I guess he had a flow (what happened Aaron Foster? You were supposed to dance with her, you just handed Vandalism a mike--what wa sreally going on?) Before her last number, the Isley's "Livin for the Love of You" she said that she has been in the Lou for three years and the people that she has met are like family to her including Glasco, Ron Himes and her background singers (who refused to sing solo during the featured solo moment of the show) model Lynette Daniels (who shared a B-day with Tamika on taht day), Renee Lunceford (who also was in Tell Me Something Good) and her blood sister Angela Crayton. She then topped off her show saying that her singing is a gift from God and that she was put here to share her gift and that people should do the same (that caused some nice applause). Then she was like, if you have breath in your body, anyone can sing. I don;t know about that part. They can probably spit notes, but if if thsoe notes are in key is another story, Some folks just better be gald tehy have breath in their body--PERIOD. The show lasted about an hour and later, DJ Nappy Needles was spinning old school ,new school and reggae for the party people. In the house were Ron Himes, 5 Spot developer Harry Colbert, Kevin Johnson (oops sorry for swiping your reserved sofa!), Vanita Applebum, Coco Soul, Christiaan Cofield, Tiffany Graham (still following me?), Melvin Moore, Hipster's Keenan Harris and Rolling Out's Khalil.

Well that is it for me. Oh and before I go, the ghetto sista with the yellow and red hair I saw while checking my email at the SWIC Library this past Tuesday who was biting and chewing hard candy like a cow and throwing her books and purse on the desk as though she lost something and talking to herself, gets the DA (Dumb Ass)award.... Hollabackboi get that shoulder better! Try not to lift so many weights at the gym next time around big man! Oh, GO CARDS!

UNTIL NEXT TIME, SEE YA OUTSIDE!

outside 13

Hiya outside people, this is your beat reporter ma'atology here. I been to a lot of stuff this past week so like a rabbit let's hop to it....Last Thursday, I attended the Roberts Brothers' UPN Fall Party at the Orpheum Theater. It was to celebrate the the new fall season of local and national shows. Hundreds of the Roberts Brothers' clients attended this invited only shindig (can you say NET WORK!) and the motif was a Circus Du Soilee (they changed the last part to SOIREE--That was cute) kind of feel. They had rope climbers, fire eaters and the whole nine. They even had sisters in body paint and weraing barely anything to the imagination (Talk about bare necessities!) It was a nice touch. It was hosted by Mike Roberts' brood--Mike Jr (who needs a personality!!!) and Jeannie Roberts, who have their own entertainment talk show on UPN 46(They were taping some live interviews at the spot, too. I have yet to see their show cause I'm busy gettin my party on) that air at 10pm on Saturday nite (must be nice to have a rich daddy to give you an opportunity to have your own show). I hear that the show will be syndicated pretty soon. The Roberts wore ringmaster suits and top hats when they addressed teh crowd and told them that they are opening another UPn station in Columbia, Mo. pretty soon and that the new lofts across from the WS Hotel are open for those to rent. I guess I'll just take out my last two dollars and get to applying for those! But I kid, I kid. Anyway, the soiree was very nice. They had a booth where people can get their pic taken for FREE and they had jumbo shrimp, teriyaki chicken, free drinks and a dessert tray. Afterward, they had teh stage area set for people to get there paty on with a discoesque dee-jay space booth whose booth was sky high (picture the booth on the flick, "Thank God Its Friday"). Most people talked and ate, but I must say, when the Roberts Brothers throw on a party, you best believe I am there. In the house were Tavia Evans, Bill Beene, Daniel Brown, Ali Mosier, Maurice Meredith, Eric Rhone, Monica Butler, P Dub and Virvus Jones...

Saturday afternoon was Part One of Taste of St. Louis, an outside venue that took up 9th and 11th streets near Market in downtown St., Louis. It was definitely a taste--if you had some cash to taste. No freebeies here. Anyway, I got a chance to taste of few things. It was more than 30 vendore to choose from from Murphy Lees veggie resturant Good For You cafe to the St. Louis Bread Company. They also had planty of Southern Comfort booths for people to get drunk off of (they sponsored for teh most part the concert shows that took place). I tried out the cocount shrimp at Red Moon and some crawfish pasta at Monarchs, a new dining place that is located on Manchester near Big Bend. The pasta was off the chain I must say. I then walked around and saw that they had artist booths set up for people to various sculpures, face paintings, live drawings(CBABI was in teh house doing his thing) , and body art. I then walked over to teh littel area where they had a cook off for the Bets Chef. Zip Rzeppa hosted this (Remeber him from back in teh Channel 2 Days when he had the Zippo Awards). No freebeies, but it was cool seeing teh chefs getting their cook on. I had one strange occurrence during my frist day there. Thsi drunken white man with yellow teeth walked up on me and said, "Hi.: Now, you know to confront a black man like that and not kno wthem can mean trouble. But I playe dit off and said hi back to him. Then he said. "They should have this festival more often." Then grinned from ear to ear. All I could do was look at his teeth and wanted to say badly "Do you kno wthe way to a tooth brush?"I gave him a MODICUM of a smiel and just said, "Yeah." and walked off. Maybe it was my muscle shirt that got him to talk to me. Who knows. I stayed there for about a couple of hours and left (I found out the Neville Bros. were going on at 9 pm and I couldnt stay that long to see them) cause I wanted to get ready for Boy George who was coming throgh The Formula for its grand opening. They have been teasing this for the past three months with sneak previews and such, but that night was the night of their opening. So I called up my party crew, Christiaan and Kam and let them know I was going there . I got there about 11 pm and it was a nice crowd. Picture Queer as Folk meets CLub 54 and who have the type of people up in there. With an icon like Boy George, he is going to draw a very diverse crowd. They also had a live model billboard set up where teh models modleed clothes and stood like mannequines. that was a creative touch, The designs were provided by SKYLAR, most of the attire was 80s punk rock fashions--Madonna, Boogaloo Shrimp-breakin' chic I call it (Jamelle and Brandon were two of the 15 or so models who were live mannequins). Some of the VIps up in there were Marquecia Meadows, Bill Beene, Monica, Kevin Johnson, and Brian. So we were waiting....and waiting....and waiting for teh Boyster to appear. In the meantime, the club just swelled with people . It had to have been over 800 up in there waiting to catch a glimpse of him. As we waited, the crowd srted to get queerer and queerer. It was one white guy who dressed as though he could have been Elvira or Stevie Nicks' brother , wearing a gypsy-like knee length black dress (Oh and Andrea Hayes who was doing the bartending up in there now she was not playing when she wore a leotard w/nude stockings up in there showing what her mamma gave her!) . There was also a white lady who dressed as though he could have been Elvis younger brother with teh sideburns and everything. But thats not the half of it, they got so buckwild up in there, some same sex couples started kisisng each other up in there. WHOA #1, then this black guy walks up to his white guy, grabs the white guy's shoulders from behind and simulated thrusting into his backside. NOW THAT WAS TOO MUCH PLAYING to the point that some peopel I knew left out cause of the occurrence. Good thing I am open minded to all kinds of persuasions and proclivities, cause I would have joined the ones who left out after seeing that. Anyway, it was around 1 in teh morn when the Boy finally came through and you definitely heard the change in the crowd when he did show up. They screamed and cheered as though they saw God himself. He had on a black thing-a-ma-jig and wore his hair platinum blonde and had on red lmascara on his eyes. I was even gettin into his vibe. I mean Boy George is an icon and he paved the way for people to be themsleves and be accepted in the mainstream for his art and singing. He got on the 1s and 2s and strated spinning jams for the crowd and drinking shots, thats all he did. He didnt sing or anything like that (a disappointment), but the crowd didnt seem to care just as long as they saw him there. I stayed for about abother 20 minutes and rolled off to teh East Side for a minute to Club Illusion to get some of that good ghetto chicken cause a brotha was starved. Then, I rolled back to the west side to check out the latter part of Toxic where they had Roots drummer Quest Love spinning on the 1s and 2s for the club crowd. It was cool, but when I got here , the crowd was dispanding, but I did get my two-club pop on though....


On Sunday, I checked out the second part of Taste of ST. Louis, where the Roots were performing. My boy Kam was able to join me for this. It was rough trying to find a parking spot (I got lucky Saturday finding a free parking meter spot on Pine STreet) but I managed to find one (I had to go on Tucker to get some gas becaus ei ran out trying to find a parking space) on 8th and Locust at a parking lot and walked aboiut six blocks headed South. It was straight New York walkin for real, but it was worth it. No way I was paying 10 bones for a parking space near where all the Baseball cardinal games were playing(those were the Days!) . Anyway, I got there about 5 p.m., got me some Funky Chicken at the Top of the Riverfront booth, got a southern comfort slushie, met up with Kam and we walked near the front of the stage to get a good view of the Roots when they came out (they were scheduled at 6pm but we had to wait about another half hour cause the event holders wanted to wait until the Cardinals game let out to more folks up in there--I GUESS) . As we waited, DJ Rob Swift of the X-ecutioners was gettin his mix on on the 1s and 2s of hip-hop form old and new. When the Roots came, it was nothin but a hodge podge of rock, hip-hop, jazz and everything in between (even using beats from other peopels joints like Ameries' One Thing and Ying Yang's Wait ). They even did snippets of other poeple's joints like Talib's Get By, Ray Charles' What Id Say and LL's "I need Love.". The band members are way too talented, espcecilaly the bass and lead gutiarists who was givving you serious Stanley Clarke and Jimi hendrix respectively and of course Questlove the drummer, doing his thing all the time. . I nearly lost my white cowboy hat I was wearing from bopping my head to the non stop groove. They played about a 90 minute set. Jay Z is smart for signing them to Def Jam. They definitely need a record boost in their careers. They are too talented just to be a concert band. They need to sell some records, for real. We chilled around and heard DJ Rob Swift of the X-ecutioners do his thing on the 1s and 2s he was cuttin everything from Public Enemy, to Blck Rob to Pac. After that, Me and Kam saw some familiar faces (it was more blacks on Sunday than on Saturday BTW), like Christiaan, Kevin Johnson, Coco Soul and Brian, then we walked around a bit, sat on a tabel and people watched (I saw Wiley Price and Mary Winbush all snugly,hmmm, must be love) As we people watched, the rock group Live was about to perform. Meanwhile, me and Kam were having a discussion about 2Pac and what was the name of his CD that had the cut Dear Mama on it. We mangled our brains trying to figure it out (It wasnt 2pacalypse, or All Eyez on Me) and for the next few minutes tried to find someone who can help us out on our dilemma. As thsi was going on, there were two white couples next to us who were playing invisible football (don't ask), but Kam said to me, "Is that some money own there next to them?" I said yes, and started to strategize as far as how was I going to step my foot on it and get it, by the time I contemplated the move, someone nearby picked it up. DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMN! Oh well, so kam saw this younger cat in nappy braids and cap who was wearing some headphones and asked him if he was a 2 pac fan and he was like, mos def, and he asked him what was pac's CD that had Dear Mama on it and he was like, "Well, you know 2pac had a lot of Cds out" (I'm like uh, that was not the question.) Then the brotha gave us this long drawn out speech about after 2pac died, rap started getting wack and who was the best locla rapper out there. I tuned him out after that and he told us he would be back. By the tiem, he left, Kam said, "Me Against the World." That was right. I hate to think about stuff that I cant think of at teh time, and think about it and get the right answer to something when you dont have to think about it anymore. Meanwhile rock group Live was performing (that cleared away the black folks of course). Anyway, by the time, we got the right answer, the youngster came back and asked if he had change for the bus. RULE #1, dont spend all your money at an event, and dont have money to get back home. HELLO!!! Soon after that, Kam and I rolled out....

This past Monday i was an invited to a media only CD listening party at the Empire Room at the Chase Park Plaza to celebrate the release of local female rapper Ebony Eyez' debut CD, Seven Day Cycle that is dropping in stores Oct 14(That is her on the pic you see in the upper right hand corner of my blog. I took a sexy pic with her at the media party, that I hope to get uploaded within the following days. Hurry up Chantal! LOL) Anyway, it was an intimate setting, with free martinis, crab cakes and shrimp. The ople invited were schmoozing and getting acquainted. It started around 6:30 p.m., but I goit there about 7:30 p.m. cause I was just coming back from the gym and got the call from Terri about thsi earlier that morning. When I showed up, EE was not there. She had to make her grand entrance. As we waited, the VIps were in the house. They were the Post's Kevin Johnson(I TOLD YOU I WASNT GONNA TELL. LOL) , Chantal of inbox, Khalil of Rolling Out, Reno of Toxic, Mike Roberts Jr, Track Boyz' Capo, Katie Duke, Monica, and STL videoman Dana Christian (Youknow you got some LOOOOOOOOOOOONG-----dreads.) But the questions on peoples' lips were where is local producer James Glasco and, STL American's Bill Beene. Well Glasco is one of those brothers who do music for the love and not for the fame. I like cats like him. I wisjh many people in the biz were like him (KEEP SELLING THEM HOUSES MAN! LOL) . As far as Bill Beene, well, according to Delores Shante's Partyline this week, EE did not give the American love when it came to getting them a CD for review. And you know what that means--I knwo from experience that if yoy dis the American who gave you your start, you will get dissed right back. So, that's probably why he was a no show. So, when EE arrived, she was gracious to everybody (her boyfriend also came-a light skinned brother who looke dmuch younger than her) As the evening progressed, I had the opportunity to interview EE about her careeer that was videotaped by Dana (Who knows where you will find it aired, I'll keep you posted) . It was all impromptu, but the professional I am, I winged it. So e hsta in some comfy sofa chairs and got to talking.

The following is my transcript of what that interview consisted of:

Ma'at: So, the new CD, talk a little bit about that.

EE: I'm signed to Trackboyz' Capitol Records, I had a year to work on the album and the name of the CD is Seven Day Cycle. I picked that name for a few reasons, it was seven years to finally get to this point, you know what I'm saying and I listen to the album, it's kind of like I'm telling how a woman's work is never done. Seven days a week we're always grinding, whether we 're at home, stay at home mom, working on a nine to five, just grinding, seven days, a continuous cycle. The Track Boyz did the majority of the production, we got a few guys from St. Louis, DJ Beats, Lil Ben and a guy out of L.A. Other than that, I tried to keep it within the family and it turned out good, real hot. This is my baby (laughs)...

Ma'at: The first single, "In Ya Face." You talked a little bit about that in the recent RFT (Riverfront Times ) article , talk a little bit about that single.

EE: "In Ya Face" wasent meant to be taken so literally. Some people were like OH MY GOD, WHAT IS SHE SAYINgG. It was more of those situations where after myself and a lot of other women I know one too many times, guys were coming up who wanted us to bend over , drop it here, and do that, so this guy was like ,"Let me see you bend over." I was like, "Bend over?" I said, "Okay, well let me put my ass in your face." And I was like, HMMM, you know what I'm saying, so I told the Trackboyz the idea, and you know we made the record and put it out in the clubs and see what people thought of it and it ended up catching like wildfire and made a video for it [which was filmed at the City Museum earlier this year , BTW]

Ma'at: Did you write any of songs on the CD?

EE: I write everything. Everything I say, I write. I will say, the Track Boyz, some of the hooks we did collaborate on.

Ma'at: Whats your favorite song on the CD?

EE: Right now its my second single, "Take Me Back."

Ma'at: A plug ofr the second single (laughs)

EE: Definitely (laughs) "Take me Back "is the one right now. We just shot the video in Atlanta, everybody be on the look out for that one real soon.

Ma'at: With you being the first female rapper in the STL, do you find your self in any kind of pressure?

EE:I dont think the pressure is on me. If there is any pressure, it's gotta be on someone else. Right now, I'm just riding it out, grinding, working hard, and everyone seem to be very responsive to it. So, I'm just hoping to do well enough to open the doors for other females from St. Louis to follow. Its time for the ladies to be heard.

Ma'at : Whats next up for you?

EE: Next up, we are trying to get on tour with Jeezy, TI, and Paul Wall, trying to be the opening act for that. So I'm keeping fingers crossed on that. I'm working on my mixtape right now and get that out in the streets and I'm trying to write movie scripts.

Ma'at:I hear that a lot from you in other publications.

EE:(excitingly) Yeah, that where I'm ultimatly gonna be the big picture for me.

Ma;at: What kind of scripts do you write?

EE: Comedy. Me and a friend of mine, who I used to rap with, we used to be in a group called Nassir[sic], me and her been vibing a lot lately , so trying to make that happen eventually, but I got of work to do, definitely an amateur right now and I don't mind admitting it.

Ma'at: The name Ebony Eyez, how did you come up with that?

EE:My real name is Ebony and when I was small, it used to be a nickname and I used to be in a rap group when I was like 10 or 11, and Double E was my name back then and it stood for Ebony Eyez, so I just decided to adopt it when I started taking rap very seriously.

Ma'at: What do you se eyourself 10 years from now, still in the business?

EE:Ten years from now, that's a hard one to say , but I knwo I'd definitely have a couple of books out, movie scripts, trying to get everyone on the big screen and see my name on the credits, you know, written by Ebony Eyez, that's my ultimate goal at this moment.

After that, I continued mingling and Kevin Johnson gave me some scoop on coemdian Mike Epps' personlaity. He interviewed him for a preview story about him coming to the Lou with Charlie Murphy at the Fox this coming up Staurday and Kev was telling me he asked him about being comfortable as a sidekick in the flicks he has acted in with Ice Cube and Cedric and Kev said britha went ballistic and said that is NOt a sidekick and he shared equal billing just like them. I was like what wassup with Epps? It was Cube who gave him his start and no one knew who he was before until "Next Friday" came out? What was he tripping off of?. Then Kev told that he said that he did not care for "The Honeymooners" cause the flick did not represent black folks and he had nothing to do with the creative process of the flick. Well, yeah, to a certain degree. For one the film was mostly shot in IRELAND, where there are NO black folks that I no of are on the Census Bureau register. But Kev said his attitude was very arrogant and that is unfortunate becasue he seeme dto be easy going, but I guess with fame, thats what happens. We'll see how well he does when he portrays Richard Pryor and see how comfy when he is doing a MAJOR LEAD ROLE of a legend and there's no sidekick to fall back on. Uh-huh. Good thing Charlie Murphy is humble. Its good and that will take him very far cause he's been at iut for years, longer than Epps and he is able to embrace his fame and run with it Anyway, I stayed for a another hour or so and left out. I tried to slip through Mike Jones' Football Watch PArty that was happening at Cafe Eau, but they was not letting me in regardless if I was press or not. I didnt sweat it and just bounced.

This past Tuesday was PArt Two of Ebony Eyez' CD party, this time it was for the public, and it was FREE at Toxic. And when I say free I mean Free, (well the drinks were not free). And the thug critters were out and about in there. Packed like Neo Ice Cream in a carton. Kam and I rolled up in there, all up in the spotlights standing on the raised paltform on the edge where the VIp seats were so people can see us as they pass by (All I had to drink was a Corona, can you beleive it!!!!). I was being super sexy that night. I had on thsi tight brown butterfly collar short sleeve shirt half buttoned down showing my chestes and these African custom made jeans that had everybody talking. Well, I have to be Ma'at, regardless if every1ne else was wearing thug gear. Anyway, up in the place where I saw my braidstylist Lily, and she commeneted and told me that I was just showing too much chest. Hmm, I must have got her WUH going. LOl. Anyway, Kam and I walked upstairs to teh VIP area where I saw Kevin Johnson, Coco Soul, Chingy and his enterouge (who arrived after 1 am) , Thompson, Chocolate Tai, Blu Bolden, Dana Christian, and Isis Jones to name a few. As we chilled and talked, ate mostocooli and spicy and fried wings, the performances of the night finally got going around 1:30 in the morn. Toxic kills me with this late late night concert stuff. I guess the stragtegy is, keep people there as long as possible, hostage, get it packed as much as possible and then give them a show. Thats all fine, but during the weekday is not cute. Oh some HPNOTIQ girls (one being Miss model Jamelle) were passing out blue glow sticks for people to purchase HPNOTIQ, but all I saw were peopel putting the sticks in their mouths, hands and over their ear. But gettin back to this late late night performance stuff over the weeday, folks gotta make some scratch, Okay. Anyway, they had some opening acts including King Jacob, and The All Stars feat. Potzee (Thier song that had them rapping a screeching car sound was hilarious to me) . then Ebony Eyez graced stage. this sista had on a tight leather jumpsuit with designer boots with rainbow trimmings on them. She definitely looked like a star. She performed snippets off her CD (Oh DJ AJ and Charlie Chan did their thing on the 1s and 2s all nite BTW). For some reason, fellas did not feel her. They nodded their heads, but that was it. The sistas were into her cause well she was speaking to them. As she performed, this sista walked up behind me and said she couldnt see downstairs where teh stage was. I was leaning on the railing and chilling. She said if she could squeeze in between Kam and I and, I said sure. Then she started grinding her pelvis on my backside. I was like now, if I did this to her, she would sport lumps on my skull. Ya feel me. But I let her do whateva. Getting back to Eyez, when she performed In YA Face, the place just went crazy. That explosive beat is infectuous and definitely should have been a #1 hit on the charts nationwide for real (it barely squeaked into the Billboard R&B 100 charts so I hear). Then Eyez just went bananas and started to nino poppin at the last instrumental break of her song. The crowd went even crazier from her dance moves (She kept cussin up a storm too saying how hot she u was--as in swaetin, dabbin her grill with a towel). She definitely knows how to rock the house and her voice is definietly distinctive--kind of reminds me of MC Lyte back in her day and littel bot of Lil Kim, too. Before she left the stage she said that STL needs to support Stl rappers cause they are working hard trying to make a name for STL, then she said that we nee dto support artsist who come from STl like Nelly, Chingy, J-Kwon, Penelope, Potzee, All Stars, King Jacob, St. Lunatics (She forgot to mention P-Dub, Hmmm) that got a generous amount of applause. Soon after she and her enetrouge walked upstairs to VIP and girlfriends hair was sweated out, looking liek a wet poodle and she was fussin with somebody in VIP asking them why didnt they come downstairs and rocked the house with her. I grabbed the lower part of her arm, but her attention was on whomever she was speaking too. Oh well, so much for media courtesy. Around this time, it was nearly 3 am and peopel were leaving out. Kam and I split. I just had a feeling all nite that something wa sabout to go down. It was too many Thug roaches for something not to go down. By the time I got to my car. there were more than 10 police cars racing to get to Toxic. Come to find out someone was fighting up in there, but by the time, the cops got there, the fighting stopped. They must have been waiting in the bushes for something to happen up in there. Thats why I dont like going to clubs where there is a very young urban ghetto scene. Someone has to act crazy (But then again the scuffle at Seven a couple of weeks ago with GROWN Up Keith Harris caught everyone by surprise). But overall, it was great turnout for STL, and with it being free to get in, paid by Eyez, did help matters and the support just as much.

Well, I know this was a bit much, but as popular as the site is gettin', I gotta maintain. Up next, the Mike Epps/Charlie Murphy comedy show at the Fox, and the return of 5 spot at Club Dreams (formerly Kastle) and any thing else that will come up. Until next time, see ya outside!



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