Alice In Wonderland Meets Three Six Mafia

While surfing YouTube looking for a Three 6 Mafia track to groove to this morning, I came across this CRAZY video. It was created by a University of South Florida student as a class project. I must say the clip is pretty entertaining, and if you are wondering she did recieve an A.

Paul Dateh

In the age of MySpace and YouTube, a multi-million dollar industry is sinking into the ground as record labels can no longer state that they are the only path to fame. These days, it is all about self-commodification, and if you think you’re the next Rihanna then the test of your ability doesn’t come in the form of a producer stamping YES or NO on your career potential. The test of your ability is measured in Youtube video hits, and for one musician from Los Angeles, California, the numbers don’t lie. His video "Hip Hop Violin with Inka One" has already received over three million hits, and he has been rated #8 as the ‘Most Linked Video’ on the web. Paul Dateh’s sound is totally unique, mixing his classical violin background with his college Jazz voice training and a love for hip hop into something that no one can really describe other than "the next Miri Ben-Ari". I became a Paul Dateh fan after hearing a few of his songs online, as I’m always fascinated by those who can take two seemingly opposite genres of music and fuse them together. I guess after watching those Youtube videos a few times, his face and his music stayed in my mind.

Paul’s love of hip-hop has certainly shaped his musical style. Drawing from influences like A Tribe Called Quest, Atmosphere, and Blueprint – the latter being a group he just came back from a European tour with - he’s hoping to collaborate with more DJs and artists in the years to come. For now, he’s busy working on his first album, which is amazing considering the publicity he has gotten without having made a record yet. And in this case, Paul is continuing to do things his way.

With DJ Johnny Juice behind the mixing and producer Oren Yoel spearheading one of the tracks, there is certainly an anticipation buzz among Paul’s 6,000 YouTube subscribers and even beyond the online world. With free publicity like this, Paul isn’t necessarily looking for, or needing, a record label backing.

Paul’s a firm believer in making his music available to anyone who wants to access it. He stated in an interview with Trace Magazine "If you really like my music, but for some reason you can’t pay for it, I’m not going to punish you for that. But if you want to buy a CD, I’m not going to punish you either! Buy my CD and take it home!" The inner workings of the music industry are shifting at lightning speed, so there is no telling when record labels, along with cassette tapes and CDs, might become a thing of the past. All I know is, if something is genuinely good, like Paul Dateh’s fierce violin skill and songwriting ability, people are going to love it regardless of whether it’s on a Columbia Records vinyl or downloadable on Fairtilizer. In any case, if you want to check out Paul’s stuff, hit up Pauldateh.com for upcoming shows and more info on his new EP releas

BET (Buffoon Entertainment Television)

When I turn on the to BET nowadays this is what comes to mind. A modern day minstrel show full of Coons and Buffoons, and it seems that BET doesn't mind with the current lineup of new shows scheduled to air. (e.g. Tiny & Toya and Frankie & Neffie). What happen to the old BET? I remember Teen Summit with Ananda Lewis; BET is also where I also saw my first greek stepshow.

BET did not air Coretta Scott King’s funeral on it’s station. BET claimed it wanted to offer viewers a different kind of experience by posting a live webcast on it’s website of the funeral where viewers could access it "at work, at home, traveling, and at school". Likewise, the four major networks; NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX all broadcast their own live webcasts on their respective websites. But these stations as well broadcast the funeral on television. C-SPAN and CNN also aired the funeral live.

This reason alone proves that BET is the epitome of trash on television. And not to equate the struggle of blacks with Coretta Scott King, but there would be no BET without her. BET felt that viewers would prefer to watch women shaking their rumps in music videos rather than some funeral for a beloved civil rights leader.

BET is not black entertainment television. It does not represent the views and ideals of the millions of Blacks in the United States collectively. The station has no right to such a name as it falsely identifies itself with Black people as a whole.

BET also has a constant habit of dumbing down its viewers. In 2004 BET refused to play the music video Shopping Bags (She Got from You)", claiming that De La Soul was no longer relevant to their audience. BET remained unyielding and in 2005 gave North Carolina group Little Brother, the same dubious honor, this time citing their reason for not playing the video to "Lovin' It" as it being "too intelligent for their audience". The network, however, relented upon this decision some several months afterwards.

BET supports the miseducation of the African-American. Every show that could have provided real and legitimate positive inspiration in a person’s life has been removed(unless it is a gospel show). Teen Summit which dealt with teens’ and their everyday issues was killed. ‘BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley’ was likewise murdered. BET is more interested in shows that show lite pornography.

BET is at the head of these modern day minstrel shows. There must be a demand on the part of Black-Americans for better programming on BET. We need more shows that accurately depict the state of Blacks in America. Blacks must not be complacent with the garbage that currently is broadcast daily into their homes. A network that claims to be for Blacks and reflect their lifestyles has to be something that everyone can be proud of. It has to be actively working to disprove the many negative stereotypes that currently exist against Blacks. As it stands, BET is an embarrassment to Black America. There must be a movement of Black people, and others, that lets those in charge of BET know that we are unsatisfied with the quality of programming that currently airs on their station. Until then, BET will continue to be an embarrassment to Black America.