OUT 101

CHELLO! This is Ma’atology here again tryin to get into your e-vision with my e-words for ya e-thought. Well, this week has been dramatic on a local level especially last Saturday. Early that day, Ali Jones, the founder of Nelly's St. Lunatics crew (SEEN ABOVE THREE PICS SHOWING TASER SCARS AND BEING INTERVEIWED BY FOX 2’s APRIL SIMPSON ), was stunned with a Taser over 40 times by a suburban St. Louis police officer and arrested after a routine traffic stop. According to kmov.com,
The Hazelwood Police Department says Jones resisted arrest and kicked the arresting officer. Jones claims the officer stunned him numerous times without provocation. The officer says the rapper resisted arrest, kicked him and damaged his squad car. Police in this St. Louis suburb say they'll review the case — including looking at footage shot by the arresting officer's dashboard camera — to sort it out.

"My head's kind of spinning," Hazelwood police Capt. Greg Hall said Monday. "We have two very different explanations as to what happened." It began Saturday afternoon when Jones was pulled over after an officer allegedly observed him illegally backing up his Corvette at a traffic light to enter a left-turn lane. Officer James Taschner determined that Jones' driver's license had expired in 2001 and confirmed it with a dispatcher. Taschner apparently felt he had sufficient reason to handcuff the rapper instead of just issuing a ticket, Hall said. Officers can arrest drivers if they believe they won't make good on tickets.

Jones told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that despite the expired license, he had a permit to drive, and the state agreed. The Missouri Department of Revenue said Jones obtained a permit in the summer that lets him drive with another adult in the front seat. It wasn't clear whether Jones gave police the permit, and why the error was not caught in the radio check. Hall said it might have been an oversight.

Jones said he became angry after being cuffed. He was arrested and charged with third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and property damage. Jones said the white officer made several racial remarks during the traffic stop. He denied police reports that he resisted arrest or kicked the officer.

PSHEW!

This is Rodney King revisited up in the STL. This looks like this is going to get uglier than Aunt Easter for real. (Later in my report, I have an interview that Jones had done with Fox 2 reporter April Simpson about the matter). I heard on 100.3 The Beat when my boy Jessie Taylor, on the Dee Lee Morning Show that Jones was Tasered so many times that when he had gone to the hospital for his injuries he involuntarily relived his bodily waste functions (THAT’S TOO MUCH PLAYIN!!). But my thing is, Ali and the Lunatics are still planning on opening up the planned restaurant MACKS in the same district that ALI was tasered! If I was Ali, I would not patronize an area that does not patronize me. To still give business to a town that treats you like a bald head stepchild, is like saying, thank you for treating me like an inhuman.

But I digress….

Later on that Saturday, a bouncer at Club Formula in downtown STL got stabbed and killed. According to KMOV.com, the victim was Jerome Fowler. Witnesses say Fowler broke up a fight in the club, and was walking the suspect to a car, when the suspect stabbed the bouncer in the neck. Homicide detectives are still trying to confirm whether the two men knew each other. This is I’m sure will put a death knell on the latest black club causalities in the STL. I really hate this happened to this club cause the proprietors of this establishment Sonia Brascomb, Tony Thompson and Miss Kay are good people and for this to happen is definitely not good publicity for their burgeoning business.

In other local stuff, former NBA star and STL native Anthony Bonner was named the new coach to his alma mater Vashon High School replacing ousted veteran coach Floyd Irons. This should be interesting cause with Bonner, who is an All American of sorts, to step in as coach (As well as sports coordinator) when all the fire is up on the controversial firing of Irons, is definitely a political move to try and curb the city’s protest of Irons being fired (In other words, black for black) and with Bonner who was coached by Irons when he was at Vashon as well is, in a way, a passing of the burning torch…………………

Earlier on in the week, the Bushes (as in Dubya and Laura) were in the STL to help promote their various causes. Dubya for U.S. Senate candidate Jim Talent and Bush for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During Dubya’s speech a female protestor in the crowd raised her fist interrupting his speech and her stating for him to get our troops out of Iraq. He ignored the protester and security escorted her out of the venue. Laura addressed women about cancer at the Gateway Arch site which, later on, was lit up with pink lights to represent breast cancer awareness. I guess people breasts took over the Bushes speeches directly and indirectly to say the least........

Other local stuff that happened last Saturday was national radio syndicated talk show host and book author Michael Baisden “performed” his show at the Chase Park Plaza with the SOS band as the music group. I hear it was close to a 1,000 people up in there to see a Q&A, taped video segments about relationships and old school 80s band SOS Band. And people paid 25 and 50 bones for general and VIP to see this. Now I have no problem with a brotha getting his hustle on, but to charge that much for this seems a lil’ steep to me especially when you got veteran radio show host Tom Joyner comes through the chocolate cities with an entourage of people and entertainers and he does not charge a dime for his show. Ya feel me ? And, especially when Baisden didn’t charge anything when he came through the STL earlier this year at Broadway lights in Baden. Also at Chase at the same time of Baisden’s show, I heard that Nelly and some fundraiser I believe for his foundation, Fo Sho Fo Kids (so you know it was a whole lotta US up in the Chase!), and the National Association of Black Journalist had its annual awards show at Wash U.........................................

Nationally, the country celebrated the 300 million births in the US of A, but according to reports, the number wasn’t celebrated like the bicentennial due to the immigration problems. Anybody can read between the lines on this. I think Public Elementary said it best on their 1989 release, “Fear of a Black Planet.”

And whats up with the report I heard that actor Wesley Snipes was indicted on eight counts of tax evasion for failing to pay nearly $12 million in taxes and failing to file tax returns for six years and that authorities could not locate him and that he may have exiled in Johannesburg, Africa ? What’s really going on? According to panachereport.com, Snipes could face up to 16 years in prison. I remember reporting on this allegation all the way in 2002 when I was a reporter at the ST. Louis American and compiling info about Snipes for Hot Sheet. Now apparently it’s true.

What’s up with the country will have a power shortage within a few years due to people using too much of it for their TVs and other electrical equipment. Can you imagine one day the country goes to a national blackout? All I have are two words “SUN POWER.” Then you got the Hawaii earthquake that caused some damage but no deaths, STL-bred comic and actor Cedric The entertainer hosted the Diddy “shameless’ Press Play CD plug on the Clear Channel Stations, deer season is upon us and as of this writing the St. Louis Cardinals needed to win game 7 with the Mets for a spot at the World Series with the Tigers….

This is also the 11th anniversary of the historic Million Man march in Washington D.C. I had the pleasure of being there for the festivities and, along with renowned poet Eugene B. Redmond and poet/educator Sherman Fowler helped to co-write a book chronicling that historical feat entitled, “Visible Glory: Million Man March” (published through SIUE in 1998) )…And lastly, Happy 80th B-day to rock and roll legend Chuck Berry . He’s still duck walkin and playin his guitar. I guess he will celebrate by having glasses of his own namesake wine that was recently merchandised across the country.

If you have bene reading my blog for the past few weeks, you know that I was preppin for the Marshall Faulk Annual fashion Show that was going to beheld at the Airport Marriott on …you guessed it Saturday, well the majority of this post will focus on the prep time and show time of this adventure:

Herre’s how it went down:

As you all know, last week I was preparing to rip the runway (and staging a comeback of sorts to the stage) with the annual Marshall Faulk benefit fashion show produced by DIVA Planning. The last thing I wrote about the prep HELL WEEK moments was when I had to go, on my blog deadline, to go to Demay Furr in South St. Louis to get fitted for a fur for the fashion show. And that’s wherr I’ll will begin…

Last Thursday, I got an email from Tracy from DIVA about going to Demay Fur to get fitted for a fur. I called her and told her I would be there to get it done (cause I’m a solder I told her. LOL) So, later that day, I drove to DemAy Furr, located on Cherokee in South ST. Louis. When I got there and parked, I walked up and saw the place looked like an old vintage furniture store. I walked up and saw that there was a black cat resting n the door mat (I though that this was very weird socially with Friday 13th coming up soon). When I opened the door, the cat walked in behind me.

I looked around and it looked like a shrine to yesteryear with old styled portraits (with the oval shaped picture frames) and cluttered furniture everywhere. I thought I had the wrong spot at first but when I walked to the back, I saw that I was in the right spot when I saw this sista trying to bargain with the salesman on a brown mid waist fur she tried on. There also was this elderly black lady in a wheelchair and a cane who looked very much like she was inattentive to the action that was happening. There also was a dog lying in the middle on a rug as well.

I stood there for a moment to soak in the moment when the black guy salesmen asked to help me and I told him that I was with the fashion show. He then asked, which one cause there are two that we are working with?” I said the Marshall Faulk one and he then told me to have a seat. So I sat in one of the vintage velvet chairs. As I was getting comfortable, the black cat jumped on my lap scaring the BESHITS out of me. I may have scared the cat as well because it clawed down to the floor. The sales guy told the cat to behave. The elderly lady look'd at me with no expression and then started singing some gospel song. I felt like I was in a time warp to the Civil Rights Movement days up in there for real. It was a strange moment.

So, when it was my turn to get fitted, he told me to take off my jacket so he can find me a fur. There were no furs that interested me (one was a brown short fur that didn’t fit me well). As I was getting fitted, there was this flamboyant brotha who came in and sat in the seat I had sat in. As I was getting helped, the guy told me they were going to have more furs Friday morning. He then wrote my name, weight and height and said they would take care if it.

A funny instance (literally) that happened there was when the sales guy asked for my height and age, I said 6 foot 1, 185 pounds and this other guy who was flamboyant said (like Antoine from In Living Color) “Mmm, I remember those days “ implying when he that weight I suppose, but I was like, to myself, ‘Okay, was that comment implying that he liked what he saw?” I am like a lion—you can look, but don’t touch, unless you wanna draw back a knub. LOL. The lady who owned the place, this white lady named Shirley rushed in and she was a taskmaster (ala Teaching Mrs. Tingle for real. LOL).

The salesman asked her when more furs were coming in and she walked to the phone to make a call and said very curtly, “They will be in tomorrow. Just put his name down and we’ll take care of it.’ There was no hi, how are you, thank you for your business. Nothin. So I knew right then and therre that she was definitely a case to deal with. So before I left, I asked Mr. Antoine if I could get my jacket from the chair that he was sitting on and he obliged and I said my goodbye. The salesman said “Good luck on the fashion show” and I said, Thank you (I wanted to say finally someone with some manners.)

The next day, last Friday, it was our last rehearsal until the Saturday show. But before I went to rehearsal, I had a Friday the 13th mishap that involved my almost catastrophe with my lips. Let me explain. I got up Friday morning, and fixed me some breakfast. One of the breakfast items was eggs and I nuked them in the microwave. So, when the breakfast was prepared, I got my plate and went into my den and started to watch some TV. I ran into the TV One on One special Kathy Hughes had when she was interviewing Natalie Cole. So I decided to check that out. Now mind you, every time, I nuke eggs in the microwave, I always get a fork and place holes in them check it cause a lot of times the eggs will explode after I cook them.

Well, I did that, but when I took a bite in some of the eggs, the eggs explode din my mouth. Yes, as in BOOM! I quickly spat it out and suddenly my bottom lip started to get numb. OH SHIT I said to myself. So I ran to the frig and got some butter and immediately rubbed my lip with it cause it was starting to get painful. I looked in the mirror and saw that my lip was swelling. This was great. One day before the show and my lip was gonna look like I have been kissing a curling iron. Then, the pain started to get even worse. So I got some ice from the freezer and started rubbing it on my bottom lip. I was panicking for real. Did I fuck my lip up to the point where I had to cancel doing the show! I said to myself.

So when the ice subsided the pain I looked at it in the mirror and it didn’t look too bad. If it was first degree burns, the meat on my lip would have come loose like taffy. So I was lucky. I saw that I had some Neosporin in my medicine cabinet and I started putting it on my lip. A few hours later, I looked at it and I saw that the lower left of my bottom left was swollen, but not that much discolored. So, I said I would put more ice on it to shrink the swelling. Well, I put too much ice on it and created two small holes on my lip. OH NO. There was no way I was gonna go out with my lip looking like a pepperoni pizza! So I played NIP TUCK on my lip by tearing of the rest of the skin that was split hoping that blood would not appear (I know its getting disgusting), but I was able to match the redness with the rest of my lip and put the cream on it so it wouldn’t scar too badly.

Later that evening, I was off to rehearsal. It was held at DePaul Hospital May Center in one of its multipurpose rooms and I must say the anxiety with err’body was turned up more than your jam on the radio. Therre was tension with various ‘non-consensus” changes that were made, designer’s outfits not being there, people not showing up for final rehearsal, models being replaced in different scenes and final ticket business matters taking place. But from my experience with stage stuff, when there chaos, what is to follow is order. That is just the law of nature, so I was not totally getting bonked out with last minute drama. The only setback to me was we had to go back to DemAy Fur the day of the show to get the furs before we got to the Airport Marriott for dress rehearsal at 3 p.m.

On Saturday, the day of the show, I took care of some last minute running around stuff before I got to the fur place. One was going to the gas station and picking me up a can of malt liquor that was 8 percent proof. I stuck it in my thermal bag cause I knew it was going to be a long day (I wished I woulda had a spliff if ya feel me. LOL). So I got to the fur place and that same black cat was there (I was about to kick it for giving me such “bad” luck with my lip. LOL).

So, I got there and the same sales guy greeted me and I told him I as here to get fitted for a fur. He had three left and one was this baaaaaad dark fur with silver shimmering ends to it. It was cold blooded (I have a pic of it on OUT 100). I looked at it in the three-way mirror and he told me, “Go ahead and walk to the mirror. It won’t bite.” It fit a little long in the sleeves, but I didn’t care. This coat was gonna be hot to death with my black ensem of black pants and a black and silver Batman shirt. Come to find out I was one the last one to pick out a fur (that was my good luck working for me). So they said they would bring the furs to the event before the show started (I’ll get to that later).
So after the 5 minute fitting, I drove to the Airport Marriott and got there about 2 p.m.. I got my suitcases and bags out the car and proceeded to go to the front desk of the hotel. I walked up and the sista working up front who told me already where to go (I must have looked like a model already without the drag on. LOL). So I walked down the hall and made a right and walked to one of the salon rooms and saw Tracy. She had a puzzled look on her face and said, “You're supposed to be here at 3 p.m.” I said I knew that, but I want to prep myself for the show.”

So I took my stuff backstage and set up my clothes and shoes based on which scenes I were in. Meanwhile, DIVA were doing last minute decorations and getting the stage area together for the show which was going to begin at 8 p.m. I was the only model who showed up for dress rehearsal at 3 p.m. (which meant the actual rehearsal would be much much later.) Meanwhile, one of the designers, Chris Dinkins (VERALLI) walked up to me and asked, “Do you know if they are bringin a steam iron?” I looked at him and just said, “I don’t know who they is. I’m just here.”
Dinkins then asked if anyone from his camp come to rehearsal last night. I said NO. I was confused with his question. I thought he said did anyone bring the designs for us to wear. I corrected myself and said YES, but as far as the designs, NO. He said that the designs were on their way. (I knew right then that the drama was about to unfold, it was straight Project Runway—STl Style.LOL)

Also interesting was the freaky deekiness that would come from some of the crew. Dinkins said to one of the DiVA crew that they couldn’t stop him from going to the female backstage room to “see some things.” Then one of the DIVA girls walked into the men backstage room and said to me, “Don’t get naked yet.” Too much playing for real. For the next hour, it was hurry up and wait for everything. So what I did was study the fashion script I wrote up, what clothes I was wearing, how I was going to get out of them for the next scene, and medicated my lips with burn cream (which looked much better). Tracy came backstage and I said to her I was glad I brought a hand mirror (there was no long mirror for the guys!). She said, "Yes, you got to be prepared.”Huh? We had to look our sexy best so, I went into sergeant mode in trying to get a mirror.

Meanwhile, some of the models were coming through like Roger Walsh and Andre. When a hotel helper came backstage, I asked him, “Do you have a long mirror?” He said jokingly, “Do you think I would have a mirror the way I look?” CLASSIC. He said he would see what he could do (We got the mirror thanks to me) they were ready to do rehearsal. Then, I was wondering if we were going to get any makeup put on us. I waited around for that, but notta on the makeup. I didn’t trip off of it but something told me to pack some for the guys, but a genius can’t think of everything. LOL. Then, there was a large pad on an easel with makers so I took the initiative to write down all the scenes and hipped the brotahs to the scenes and the clothes for each scene (DIVA came through and gave us scripts posted backstage too) I also found interesting was the DIVA crew girls and some of the female models who had to cross our dressing room to get to the female dressing room and vice versa were embarrassed cause they saw up in our underwear (One female model covered her face saying, “I’m so sorry I’m comin through.” That’s too much playin!)

Anyway, around 5 ish, most of the models got there and it wasn’t a dress rehearsal cause most of our clothes from K&G (like the casual, suit and tux) and the furs didn’t arrive yet. So, we just rehearsed the choreography and walkway moves and get accustomed to the stage. The scenes were:

The Opening Scene—Fall into Crème (The Temptations—the men in cream outfits (PIC SEEN ABOVE) and black hats and the women in crème walking off to Beyonce’s “Déjà vu”)

The Casual Scene (music Mary J Bilge’s Not Enough Cryin) as the models came out in threes and walk one by one and doing the meet in the middle and turn. I was to wear an Ecko pants and jeans and brown shades.

The Bus Stop Scene (the best group scene in my opinion) where some were standing on stage wearing business attire (I was to wear a Steve Harvey Suit) and some sitting (music was Gwen Stefani's Rich Girl) as we walked down the runway and the people seated changing poses.

The Accessory Scene (Music: Bandi bandi –Zap Mama and Erykah Badu that was also used for the DIVA dancers routine) as the girls modeled hats and jewelry and the guys modeled fur.

Designers Row Scene featuring the designers Well, I was to wear two outfits. One from Veralli (I’ll explain what happened to this outfit this later) and one outfit of Sparkle of Fancy O which was an Asian style satin brown baggy outfit with an blousy short sleeved shirt that fastened at the collar bone and half my chest was out.

The Evening Scene—We in tuxes and being romantic men to the women who wore sexy gowns. (My MY MY -Johnny Gill was the song used) Tuxes by K&G.

The Finale—Our own OUT Of THE BOX designs. (Ring The Alarm song by Beyonce was used) I was to wear my long black opera coat, some African appliqué jeans, some platform shoes, a tie and black apple hat and Bono style shades.

It was around 7:30 or so when we practiced the walk-back--out after the finale scene and I felt someone tap me on the back and it Charles Kelly, an East Boogie photographer who I hooked up to take snaps of the show. I was relieved he was able to show up because I knew I would have some shots to show you all. Meanwhile, when we got backstage and our nerves were at end cause of the rest of out clothes did not arrive yet. Suddenly, the people with our clothes showed up from K&G and Demay Fur came a half hour before show time. You should have seen us scurrying to put out clothes in order for the show. Can you say CRUNCH time?So we gathered in the middle of backstage and err’body said a prayer from the crew, to the African dancers to the models. We clapped and shouted it up and told everyone to have a good show. Me and the boyz even did a Tempts forever frat handshake as well. LOL)

THEN IT WAS SHOWTIME!

The show, hosted by Majic 104.9 personality Bj the DJ, started at 8 p.m. and it was time to do the damn thing. Marshall Faulk was there and it was about 60 or so people (it was a sit down dinner setting) The backstage drama was of course drama as I rushed in an out of clothes (The hardest change was going form casual to business attire with the Steve Harvey suit, tie, belt, glasses and all. I was dressing so fast that the flap that closes the pants with a button was hanging below my belt! LOL) I was helping brothas with cufflinks, ties, handing them my belts , shades and hats to wear. I was definitely in sergeant mode. LOL.

One dramatic moment occurred backstage when I was supposed to wear two outfits from two different designers. One fancy O design and one Veralli. Well, I worked the Fancy O Asian outfit barefoot(I even did a karate kick on stage. LOL) and I was running backstage to put on the Veralli designed by Dinkins (He was brother who showed up to one of our rehearsals with his football uniform still on. LOL) and I had it on a chair, so when I took off the Fancy O outfit, Veralli’s outfit was gone from the chair!. So there I was, raising my voice like a crazy lunatic, asking where the outfit was and I was standing there in my skin tight black swim trunks on. So, Dinkins searched for it and told me that one of the models was wearing it. CLASSIC.

A funny moment happened duding the Evening scene as I was dancing with two of the ladies in the scene and one mumbled in my ear, “Okay let me go.”

The best moment for me was the finale when we modeled whatever we wanted to wear from our closet and that it was too be OUT of the BOX, an outfit you wouldn’t wear on the street. So me and this brotha named Andre Brady (who is a model vet in the STl area for more than 20 years) planned this Matrix choreography during our rehearsal and put final touches to it. The scenario would be he walk out to the end of the stage and I walk to the T- of the stage. I ha don my opera coat duds and Andre wore a long black leather jacket, a black scarf, shades and jeans as we did a battling Matrix dual. I spun my opera coat and we twirled his coat. We met in the center, bumped shoulders and did the Matrix move. The crowd loved it!

Afterward, we were told to stick around as we were told to go back out on stage, walk down the runway, down the steps and begin the After Party on the dance floor. When I got on stage I started doing some the Chicken Noodle Soup dance, walked down the runway and got on the dance floors we started getting our dance on. We got a the Soul Train line going and I did the sideway dance with my arms going back and forth.

I noticed a couple of people who were there during Intermission and afterwards including Local entertainment producer April Spencer (who said that she was laughing at me while I was on stage. LOl) and my next door neighbor, Jerron Hicks. We also ate a lavish buffet during intermission and had sub sandwiches backstage (along with my malt liquor can. LOL) When we walked backstage again, we were given Celebowl sweatshirts, the event that Faulk, Nelly and Rams player Torry Holt had earlier this year. That was a nice touch especially with us donating our time for the show and to top off a rollercoaster ride of a show that was thrilling, scary, and well, dramatic.LOL

The DIVA models that turned it out were: Donnita Anderson, Erica Barnes, Beverly Bevineau, Andre Brady, Paris Caldwell, Amanda Daniels, Demon, Avery Grinston (nice wig during the finale. LOL), Jon-Erickque, Lady, Ms. Morado, Ms. Toya, Nia Neely, Crystal Penelton, Ebonie Reed, Troy Stevens (who is also our stage manager), Renata Walsh, Roger Walsh (Renata’s father), Sophia Willoughby, Whitney Witherspoon, Courtney Woods and YOURS TRULY.

POSTSCRIPT: I talked with DIVA co-founder Gina Covington on the phone and she said that Marshall Faulks; assistant said that this years show was the best one so far. She also said that she was going to informed us when to come through one day all of us to see the video of the show that was video taped.

FOR MORE PICS OF THE FASHION SHOW GO TO OUT 100.

On Sunday, I checked out the private party to celebrate the first year of Copia Winery and Bar on 1122 Washington. I got an invite from Synergy (and sponsored by Budweiser Select) who usually put on some of the hottest private parties in the STL (one was the Nelly black and White Ball this past summer at the Contemporary Art Museum). It was hosted by hunky Rams player Will Witherspoon (SEEN IN ABOVE PIC GETTING HIS PARTY ON) So, I called my VIP buddies Kameron and Christian to invite them, and they agreed to meet me up there for the event.

I got there about 7 ish (it started at 6). Christian met me at Copia as we waited on Kameron to call to see when he was on his way. Meanwhile, one guy who was standing next to one of the bouncer guys (Brian Stemmons) walked back into Copia’s and came back out with a small plate of ribs. Yes, ribs, and asked us did we want any. What tha? To offer his ribs to us well, was, GHETTO.
Anyway, it was going on 7:30 and there was no answer from Kameron. I didn’t know what was going on so I told Brian to put Kameron’s name on the list as me and Christian walked in to enjoy the festivities as the mixed crowd watched the Cardinals game at the front bar and drinking free Budweiser Select (which was as cold as Antartica. LOL) .

For the free buffet, they had a food spread that was cool which comprised of ribs, salmon, matza balls (man soul food and Jewish food in the same place, how kosher! LOL), and quiche pie. In the back of the establishment they had a huge bar area where they had the Cardinals game playing on two large opposite screens, and this dessert area that had wine bottles next to the deserts and firewood burning in the middle of the centerpiece.


Meanwhile, DJ Andrew Mullins was spinning on the 1s and 2s some creative jams (like Men without Hats’ 1980s gem, “Safety dance’ mixed with Jay Z). Me and Christian met up with this local actor, this Asian guy named Alex (who is now dubbed max a character produced by Budweiser select) as we walked to the dining area and got some grub. We sat down and St. Louis American’s Bill Beene joined us as we talked about how the STL needs more private events like this.



I walked off to take more pics and they had a small fashion show done through Play Boutique that was okay. ring all of this there were cheers from the TV screen as the Cardinals hit home runs (but would lose the game in the end). Meanwhile the man of the hour, Will Witherspoon, dressed very causally, was surrounded by a bevy of females (mostly white) who all were doing Tequila shots at the bar (the shots weren’t all that was going to be going down.LOL)

Then around 9ish I get a text from Kameron saying he was son his way. Well I was relieved that nothing didn’t happen cause it wasn’t like Kameron to be late for something that’s a special event (I was inviting him t celebrate his 29th B-day this past weekend too). So when Kameron showed up and he was about to give me some dap but I acted like my hand was paralyzed, jokingly to let him know about his being late and not calling anybody. He informed me that he had a b-day present that was waiting for him at the crib. He didn’t get into detail but I could just imagine what present would make someone be 2 hours late. LOL.

As I was mingling, this short white lady walked up to me as I was taking notes of the scene and asked me, “Why are the models here fat?” I looked at her as though she stole my pen and just shrugged my shoulders. Then one of the models from the Play Boutique, who looked like John Forsythe from Dynasty, saw me and I looked at him and nodded my head. Then he said, “Yeah, you look good, too.” Whoa! What was in those free Budweiser Select drinks?

Anyway, me, Kameron and Christian left out around 10ish and I overheard Leonard Little in the hallway with his buddies screaming out “Man, we need to go somewhere and get your party on, KNow what I mean.” Mmm, I guess. He of all people need to slow down cause we already know how he get when he parties too hard.

In the house were Nelly manager T-Luv model Jamele, fashion designer Skylar, rapper Black SPADE, Robert Kirk, Keith Harris, KSDK’s Jeff Small, St. Louis Post’s Kevin Johnson and Debra Bass, rapper Choa Choa tai, Mo Spoon, Miranda Witherspoon, Janitra Miss Sept Eye candy, Pinnacle’s Crystal Allen, bouncer Al Wade and Anthony Beasley.

After the party, I went to the pepper Lounge on 20th to catch the rest of the party. Most people who were at the Copia party arrived at Pepper Lounge (including Kameron and his buddy Brandon). I got there about 11or so and waited around for the crowd to come through ( What was up with the bouncer up front saying when he saw T-Luv and after he passed him, “Isn’t he the guy who hit his wife with a purse?” CLASSIC)

The drama that occurred while I was there (you know me and drama are married. LOL) When the rush of people got there and went up in VIPs with Will Witherspoon, I decided to follow the lead of the people. So people were going up to VIP and the bouncer gave people wristbands. Well, I got up there and got a wristband and just chilled a bit with will and his party.

So I chilled (didn’t take any snaps thank goodness. I’ll explain as you read along) and saw Witherspoon and Leonard Little getting their drink and feel on with the females and hanging with their buddies and male and female groupies looking on. It was about 20 minute later, the bouncer flashed his light in my face as a brotha whispered in his ear an pointed at me. OH SHIT, I said to myself.

So I did the whole innocent routine, pointing to myself and looking around wondering who they were talking to. I showed them my bracelet from afar, but the bouncer still motioned for me to come hither. So I walked over and he tried taking of my bracelet. He got frustrated trying to take it off with the white sticky part and just grabbed it from both sides and tore it off and saying, “I gave you a bracelet.” I didn’t trip. I didn’t cause e a fuss. It wasn’t that serious to me. It was just some good fodder for my site. Godo thing I didn’t take snaps cause I would have gotten what Ali got in Hazelwood, for real. LOL

But seriously, here we go again. What is VIP for real? I stress, St. Louis is funny when it come to VIP and from what I saw, there were only friends of friends of friends of Will Witherspoon that was up in there (like Skylar??? Come on now). So, I walked around and when I saw Kameron and Brandon, we stood together watching the party people do their thing. I looked at my watch at it was around 12;30 am and I had to vamp to get to the Water Fountain. I was working the late shift. So I changed my club clothes in the car and vamped into my security uniform and drove to the gig and got there on time on the dot.

FOR MORE PICS OF THE COPIA PARTY, GO TO OUT 100

MA’ATIDBITZ . I’ll be going to check out the play, Man of her Dreams at the Fox this Friday. I will give you the report of the show next week…..I had to fire someone at the w=Water Geyser this week. It wasn’t fun, but it was for the best of the company …..I got invites to two parties--the 20th Anniversary Celebration of my former literary organization Eugene B, Redmond Writers’ Club and a VIP Halloween party at Drunken Fish at Westport. I’ll give you the skinny of these events next week.

GORDON-BITZ. GORDON CHAMBERS, FRANK MCCOMB, AND DONNIE LIVE IN ATLANTA! Friday, October 20, 2006Doors open 8:00, Showtime 9:00 PM Location: Atlanta Live/Dekalb Event Center 3595 Clairmont Road Atlanta, GA 30319 Price: $25 or $40 including dinner For more info and reservations: Kris Van Buren (404) 982-0898 or kdvanburen@comcast.net To pick up Gordon’s CD Introducing...Gordon Chambers, it available at http://gordonchambers.com/shop.php.

STLKTIDBITZ. The following is an interview that rapper Ali (Jones) had done with Fox 2 reporter April Simpson Tuesday inside the bar and grill restaurant MACKS that he and fellow St. Lunatics are the owners of in the town in question, Hazelwood. This is the second interview April did with Ali. The first being his discussion of what happened and that he got advice from this attorney as far as what he can say and he wasn’t for sure if the Hazelwood police may have destroyed the audio and video tape of the incident.

The following is the second interview:

April: We spoke with you in the last half hour about the incident in general. What has been the impact with you physically?

Ali: Just irritation on my back …problems laying down at night….get a jumping feeling in my body just from the Tasering over and over and over again…my heart jumps sometimes and I work out a lot, I go to Gold’s Gym and I work out, I run, so, it’s not like I’m out of shape…It feels kind of itchy…feels like I’m jumpy every now and then….just irritation from laying down, in the shower…I got a headache a couple of times. I rarely get headaches, but now I seem to get headaches….just sleeping at night in general, like the last couple of nights, I’ve been thinking about it, just thinking about it a lot …I‘ve been getting some rest. It’s not like I’ve been up all night crying or anything. It’s just been on my mind a lot.

April: And you have the wounds, can we see the wounds

(Ali proceeds to turn around to the camera and lift up his shirt to show the camera the scars from the tasering)

April: You were able to determine how many times you were tasered by your wife counting the wounds on your back.

Ali: Yeah.

April: So are they starting to heal now?

Ali: Yep.

April: What do they feel like now?

Ali: Just irritation on my back…It feels like when you fall and scrape your knee as a kid. It feels like rubbing your shirt against that. It’s not like excruciating pain or anything. All that pain is basically over. But it's just the burning and all …this area here. This was repeated and repeated. When you see those little dots that was a tasering. You got one there. One there. One. That’s; not one tasering, that's over and over and over again. On the top here…it’s tasering up there. It was just him repeating over and over again with me in handcuffs and he trying to find a good spot and this is my most yelled spot…Like every time he hit here, I tried t yell real loud. He just kept going to that spot over and over.

April: We do wanna get the other side. We spoke to (Hazelwood Police Chief) Greg Hall with the Hazelwood police department and here is what he had to say…

(From the B-Roll)

Hall: The police officer continued to ask him you gotta stop. You gotta stop . I’m gonna pull over and I’m gonna get you back in your seat belt. So when he opened the door, he opened the door and this Mister Jones was laid down in the seat and kicked the officer in the groin and in his thigh.

Ali: I’m upset!. As a man, violated. I never assaulted him…I didn’t do it!

(Back to Live Interview)

April: Again police here in Hazelwood say they are conducting a routine investigation to see if the officers use of force was excessive….

As I wrote earlier, this is going to get ugly. And with Ali being a celebrity, the subject of police brutality will be front page conversation. What do y’all think? Was excessive force used? Do you think Ali is telling the truth? Do you think the police are lying? Email me at let me know (My email is at the end of this post).

IN other STL TIDBITZ........... Congrats to my buddy Robin Kason, a fitness trainer at Bally Total fitness and his own company, C3 Fitness who landed the gig as celebrity fit club trainer for the Dee Lee Morning Show on 100.3 The Beat. He will have that gig for six weeks as people get trained compete for prizes……………..I heard from a source that a film about the St. Louis/East St. Louis drug war is about to roll pretty soon in the St. Louis area. I hear that auditions were done at Club Dreams and the title of the film is called, “trade.” I will keep you posted on further details.

EVENT-IDBITZ. National Black MBA, St. Louis Chapter, 13th Annual Job Fair, Oct. 19, 2006, 8:30am-4pm, @ America's Center, 701 Convention Plaza, St. Louis……………..

GNHPAC presents The Man of Her Dreams live at the Fox Theatre starring Clifton Powell (from the movie Ray), Christophger Williams, Jackee (from “Sister Sister” & “227”), the soulful Shirley Murdock, Keshia Knight Pulliam (from “The Cosby Show”) and comedian Buddy Lewis. The show runs Thursday, October 19–Sunday, October 22 for 6 performances. Prices range from $26.50 - $39.00 depending on performance date and time (Tickets for The Man of Her Dreams are on sale now at the Fox Theatre Box Office and MetroTix outlets. To charge by phone call MetroTix at 314/534-1111 or online at www.metrotix.com. Special prices for groups of 15 or more, call 314/535-2900.

Dance St. Louis presents Tony Award winning tap dancer SAVION GLOVER in CLASSICAL SAVION, Oct 20-21 @ 8pm @ Touhill Performing Arts Center. To purchase tickets call 314.534.6622.

A New Sound of Gospel" with Michael Rainer and the Soul Rebels at the Vaughn Cultural Center insiod eteh Urban League at 3701 Grandel Sqaure , Friday. Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. FREE. Seats and first come, first serve. For mro einfo call 314/615-3624.

CHRISTOPHE GRAFFITTI FASHION SHOW, NOV 26. featuring entertainment by 2003 Americna Idol winner/ Grammy Award nominee Ruben Studdard. The show will be at the Historic 555 Washington Ave. , St. Louis. Tickets are $35 general, $50 VIP. $5.00 off on pre-sale tickets up thru October 31, 2006. Fopr ticket info call 314/749-1995, 618-917-1225 or go to
cristophegraffitti@yahoo.com



On the East Boogie side, the Emerson Park and James E Williams Statue Fundraising Committee presents its annual picnic for the reckoning of a statue for East St. Louis’ first black mayor, James E Williams. The picnic will take place at Emerson Park in East St. Louis, Saturday, Oct. 21 starting at 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. $10 Donation. For more information call 618/874-8451 or 618/920-8344 and tell them that you saw it here at this website.

Drumvoices Festival of Arts celebrating the 20th b-day of the Eugene B Redmond Writers’ Club, Oct 24-27. Oct. 24 is a Katherine Dunham Literary Tribute at 12:30 at the Dunham Hall Theater at SIUE (FREE) and a reading by Indianapolis Poet Laureate Mari Evans in the Mississippi-Illinois Room at SIUE at & p.m. (FREE). On Oct. 25 the EBR Writer’s Club will have a 20th B-Day reception at the Missouri History Museum, located at Lindell and DeBaliviere, at 7p.m. (Invite only); On Oct. 26 there will be a poetry reading by former California Poet laureate Quincy troupe at the Dunham Hall Theatre at SIUE at 12:30 p.m. (FREE), Poet K Curtis Lyle opens and The club will have a b-day and awards banquet at the casino Queen Hotel ballroom at 7 p.m. (tickets are 30 dollars) , for tickets and information call 618-650-3991 or eredmon@siue.edu

YWCA Racial Justice Series--Oct 25 with lecturer Rochelle L. Griffin on dating and the Young Black Woman's Cultural views of abuse at the YWCA Phyliss Wheatley heritage Center , 2711 Locust. FREE and Open to the public

4246 Fashion Show, Friday, Oct 27 at 4246 McPherson, doors open at 6 p.m., Show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $290 ADV and $25 at the door, For more info and advance tickets call 618-741-9952.

CLUB KYO is having a Halloween party, Halos and Horns on 10 p.m., Oct 28. See ONGOING EVENTZ and go to KYO’s website for more details.

WSIE. 88.7 FM presents JOEY DEFRANCESCO TRIO with special guest BOBBY HUTCHERSON, Sat. Nov 4 @ 8pm @ The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd. For tickets call metrotix at 314/534-1111 or visit www.sheldonconcerthall.org


If you’re in Los Angeles, London Moore Productions presents RING THE ALARM FASHION & HAIR SHOW FRIDAY OCT 20TH, 2006, DOORS OPEN AT 9:30PM. FASHION SHOW STARTS AT 11PM CLUB TOUCH Inside the Loggia located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd (Hollywood & highland) Special VIP Guest Entrance *Located on Hollywood Blvd next to Banana Republic* As a guest of London Moore’s VIP list you get Complimentary Admission to RING THE ALARM FASHION SHOW AND AFTER PARTY at the infamous Club Touch inside the Loggia located on 6801 Hollywood Blvd (on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Highland) Hollywood, CA. (VIP Guestlist Closes at 11pm) Table Reservations available upon request!! Email us your RSVP selectiveviplist@yahoo.com

Art INK presents "A Time For Expression: The Moment of Truth" a theatrical synopsis, Sun. Oct. 29, 2006 @ the Hilton, St. Louis Airport. Admission 10 dollars, reception at 6 p.m. show at 7 p.m. Call 314.974.5315 or 314.960.7894 for more info.
Local socialite Sharee Galvin gave sent me these event-tidbitz for those who wanna check out:

TUESDAY NIGHTS- THE FILTER BAR WITH Sharee Galvin AND BIG TAH. Two for one drinks all night long- 5 dollar cover after 8pm( 5-11) ; CLUB DREAMS HAS 2$ TUESDAY FOR THE NIGHT OWLS FREE TIL MIDNIGHT

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS- STARTING NEXT WEEK "LYRICS OF THE LOU" AT THE FILTER BAR 309-13 BELT@PERSHING

For any info on these events email sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

Lachrisa Crenshaw would like to invite you ladies(an open minded brothas) to a special spa pamper session so you can try out her Warm Spirit's newest healing based products and luxury treats just in time for the holidays. Please come out to Divoll Branch Library this Saturday Oct. 21, 2006 at 10-11:30am on 4234 N. Grand. For more info call, Lachrisa at (314)401-0710 or lachrisa_crenshaw@sbcglobal.net. Her product line can be viewed at http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit



AUDITION-BITZ. The St. Louis Black Repertory Company will hold auditions for its 2006/2007 main stage season on Saturday, October 21, 2006, 1PM. – 7PM Equity actors will be seen between 1p.m. and 2p.m. by appointment only at the Black Rep’s offices, 1717 Olive Street, 4th Floor. Appointments will be taken beginning Monday, September 11, 2006. Call (314) 534 – 3807 to schedule. Actors should prepare 2 contemporary contrasting monologues, or 1 contemporary monologue and an ac cappella song. Please bring two (2) 8.5” X 11” updated professional black and white headshots with resumes attached securely on the back. Available Roles include: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Crossin’ Over, Gem of the Ocean, The Dance on Widow’s Row, Guys and Dolls

Webster University is having an Open Casting Call for Multiple Short FilmsMen and Women (Boys and Girls) Ages 12 and up. All ethnicities. Saturday, October 2811 AM - 5 PM at the Sverdrup building Room 101 Webster University, 8300 Big Bend At Big Bend and Edgar Road CONTACT: directing06.webster@gmail.com No film experience necessary. Headshots and Monologues accepted but not required. Get the chance to work with a professional crew and build your resume!


Cerberus Inc is looking for book cover models from romance to sci-fi to fantasy. The shoots are TFP or TFCD for submissions to these publishers.
Male types: Ranging from Rugged and muscular to sensitive and lean.
Height 5' 8" or taller, weight proportionate to height. Ability to act always
a plus. Female types: Ranging from sophisticated to wicked. Height 5'6" or
taller , weight proportionate to height. Ability to act always a plus. Previous work can be seen at: http://cerberusinc.com/ Weekend shoots. Contact with photos or webpage url at: cerberusinc@hotmail.com

ONGOING-BITZ. For any of your photography needs, check out my boy Charles Kelley of Metro East ,Pacesetters for a deal. Hit him up at charleskel@sbcglobal.net
.

Check out blog www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentric literary activities for the family and youngsters.

My boy Kameron Holbert has a new monthly column on sports messages on local magazine Uptown (www.uptownstl.com).. He has also copped a gig doing profressional messages at Stress Free Fridays at various venues in the ST. Louis area. For an appt. or when he is scheduled to do messages atteh next Stress Free Fridays, call 314/477-3427 or email him at mrholbert@yahoo.com

For body painting , makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at jessicadana.com or go to myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics, go to www.stlouis-online.com.

Collective Catering (collectivecatering@yahoo.com
located at 4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

KDHX Radio’s Chuck Lavazzi has a hot new podcast called STAGE LEFT which he talks about CD reviews, news and interviews from theworld of stage, screen, cabaret and related places. The latest episode is now on line. Go to it directly at http://tinyurl.com/zrqd7,via the Stage Left blog at http://stageleft-stlouis.blogspot.com,via the Stage Left web site at http://www.stageleft.org,or via iTunes Music Store; just go to the Podcast area and search for Stage Left.

Former 100.3 The Beat personalities Big Sexy Kool DJ Kaos and Sylli Asz is doin it up on You Tube these days hosting their hilarious STL reality Internet series, the Janky Show. To check it out, go to www.youtube.com and type in “The Janky Show”!....

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist. The Flow; Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htmor go to his myspace page enochisreal.

Show Me Entertainment presents Industry Nights, a networking party for artists, entertainers, models, actors, painters, dancers, entertainment lawyers, managers, etc. every Wednesday night at the Lindbergh Bistro located inside the Airport Plaza inn at I-70 and Lindbergh. 18 Y.O. to enter. 21 Y.O. and up to Drink. Admission FREE. For more info, contact Terrence Smith at 314/713-3793, or tsmith@showme1.com orwww.showme1.com

Local movie screener and TV programmer James Thomas has two hot shows on the new CW Channel 11 with his shows “First Look” about upcoming movies in theaters, Thursday morning at 2:30 am and Hot Videos, Friday mornings at 3 a.m. For more info, email him attdjoo7@sbcglobal.net

Theatre advisor L.A. Barge has a new book on CD that he is selling called, “Choosing the Right Mate Before the First Date.” For more info call 314/5331639 or email him atdreamscope921@hotmail.com

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot new website where people can send their professional music videos films to get exposed. It is www.spitflix.com. Peep it out!

KYO (pronounced KEE-O) continues "Redefining the Art of Dining & Nightlife" with a fresh weekly lineup that promises to quench your thirst for drink and dance. So "Be Fashionably Elite" with a smile and let KYO claim your evening from 5pm till 3am in the morning. For more info go to http://www.kyostl.com/newsletter.htm


Well, that be it, folks. If ya got anything for me to pub, OR KNOW ANYONE WHO IS A REAL HOTTIE? IF SO, E-MAIL ME THEIR NAME, THEIR OCCUPATION AND WHY DO YOU THINK THEY ARE A HOTTIE (IN 100 WORDS OR LESS), I AND I WILL FEATURE THEM IN AN UPCOMING FEATURE CALLED, OUT TOWN HOTTIEZ. JUST MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT THEM TO LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE SELECTING THEM AND THAT THEY SEND ME A PIC OF THEMSELVES TO MY E-MAIL at maatspear@yahoo.com!