"JESUS IS REAL"

Another late night. Eye just came up to my studio to work, after watching Ol' Dirty Bastard: A.K.A. Dirt McGrit: Free to Be Dirty: Live. It was so heavily edited. But still, it was worth the watch. It's ODB!

When eye seen ODB live & in the flesh back in '95, he looked like a hologram. This was when fame was poppin' heavy for the Wu. ODB was popular, he was wild, & he was see-thru. Fo' real. It seemed as though eye was looking right through him even though he was clearly standing there. The energy made goosebumps. But at the same time it was like once our eyes met, my energy charged like flicking a light switch. As eye recount, the memory feels fresh.

Well, once my light came on all composure went out the roof (we were at an open-air venue in Miami) & eye started trippin'. It took every restraint technique inside to keep my excitement contained to a light jump up & down. Eye was buggin' at the fact that he was standing squarely behind me. Eye was spooked at the fact that he was already looking at me when eye turned around. A friend of mine was standing to my right, so my writehand uninvoluntarily tugged at the shoulder of his shirt, while screaming at the top of my whisper," Ol' Dirty is behind us!"

Just to be sure that my mind had not gotten ahead of me and assumed that Dirty was sharing space with me & not someone who looked a lot like Dirty, eye snatched my neck around again. This time hoping to avoid his face, eye planned to glance intently & then chill. Calm down. Get over it.

To my surprise, once my neck hit 90 degrees, eye could see from the corner that he was still looking at me. So eye got bold & tilted my head until we connected. He then brought up his left arm over head- bottle of Vodka in hand - & turned the liquor bottle upside down. He swallowed like no liquid had wet his throat in hours.

Eye could see at that moment that he was not of this place for sure. His presence dominated the whole space. Eye was not even about to consider entering his world. Not even for a second. Not even to say, "Peace."

"Peace" would have been universal. That is precisely how to go about juxtaposing this macrocosm. "Peace" would have been understood. To recognize the God in OBD was to simply acknowledge his presence. Words can be superfluous in divine space. Na' Mean?

As eye peeped the footage tonight, it felt like he was standing right behind me, still. It has been repeated over & over that he was real live with it. It is my testimony that he lives. May peace be upon, Russell Jones.

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THE PERFECT BREAKFAST-DINNER SNACK

1/2 cup of raisin bran
1/2 cup of granola(of your choice)

1 Tablespoon of raisins

4 strawberries (cut)

1 rounded tablespoon of brown sugar

3/4 cups of chocolate rice milk

Choose your favorite bowl. In your bowl, first, pour the bran. Then the granola. Add the strawberries, followed by the raisins. Top with the brown sugar. Pour milk last (duh!).

Ideally, these items would be organic. In this case, the cereal & the milk are certified. For a special touch, warm the milk. Mmm!!!

Eye came up with this last night when eye realized that eye had not yet eaten dinner, but my cravings kept leading me to sweet sugary snacks. Visions of donuts, cakes, and pies had inundated to the point where eye wanted nothing to do with good, healthy vittles. Eye even went so far as to leave the house in search of a pleasing treat, but my conscious got the best of me & eye returned home with a carton of sale strawberries & appetite was for something nasty, right?

By the time eye got back to the crib not only had my craving intensified,but the hunger had evolved into borderline starvation. Not since early afternoon had my schedule opened up enough for me to sit down with food. Besides a few peanuts here & there, not a morsel. My stomach was getting pissed & my Gastritis was going off. And at once..the lightbulb moment - which would suit all of my carnal, nutritional & digestive needs collectively.

The Perfect Breakfast-Dinner Snack!!! And it was too delicious!

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***IN THE KNOW EDITORIAL***

With no further delay, we are finally occupying space in your inbox. Though the listings were posted on the site at our typical Sunday evening publishing deadline,the Monday mailing was unable to go out on time due to unforeseen circumstances.

Please enjoy the review of Hustle and Flow in this issue, as well as the offeringsof your respective communities. Remember to stay cool. Work hard to keep your cool.And be out and about in the scene to inflate your cool factor.

If you have never read Richard Majors book, Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Men in America, then do yourself a favor and purchase it or request it from your local library. Majors offers a very insightful perspective regarding the macho-bravado that has saturated the attitudes of the young males across this country – most recently the Hiphop generation.

We thank you for your constant support. Until next time...

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So yesterday marked the purchase of my third cellular telephone in less than 18 months. And though this last one was practically a trade-out rather than a true "buy, it trips me out to finally sniff out their tactics for getting us back into the store. It is at those times that the hope is that we act on impulse & allow our money to spend itself.

Well, having intense training in car sales works to my favor in standing firmly on the ducketts that eye came in to spend (this last case=nothing) during these random service visits. No waivering here. In fact, it usually turns out that eye part with less.

What does frustrate is the inability to transfer anything other than the "Contacts". It would seem that ALL information would tranfer from phone to phone digitally. To lose timeless candid portraits over & over due to an internal malfunction gets to be old after a while.

The number remains the same. My phone is working wonderfully. Eye need to create my own background. The little boy jumping on the beach reflects nothing about my true self. Not on this day anyway.

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TO BLOG OR NOT TO

It is my intention to post here each & every day. But no matter my honest intention, the day does not always seem to allow time for me to communicate with you. Know that even in my absence, you are on my mind. Eye take into consideration those of you who grace this space with your presence on a regular basis. Eye do not take your time & thought for granted. It's just that this lifestyle is hectic beyond belief, so many a night eye prepare to rest burdened that eye have not reached out to you - my loyal supporters. Please forgive my slackness. "Charge it to my head & not my heart."

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SISTERLY & BROTHERLY LOVE

Count reported a successful show at the Knitting Factory in NYC on Saturday as a guest of Jneiro Jarel. He is now back in Philly (one of my childhood stomps) to do more recording for a collab with Bro. Jarel.

Hmmm...wonder whatever became of my collection of keys to the Philly zoo. Eye must have collected nearly a dozen. If my memory serves me right, there was a machine just beyond the entrance that we would feed a couple of quarters in exchange for a big plastic key.

My journey to Memphis was much better than expected. It was a pleasantly fruitful visit. Not that eye did not expect it to be a great time, but it was certainly a most bountiful experience.

More after some shut-eye...

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OLD VS. YOUNG

It is not like me to fall so hard for the commercial garbage/babbage, but eye tell no lie when it come to Robert Kelly. This new series, "Trapped in the Closet"...it is me who is trapped in my computer watching the video over & over.

This project is one of the most brilliant invention of the video itself. Pure emotion! Eye can hardly post for watching the video

In Part 4 R. Kelly mentions that he "turned Some music on." That has me wondering if he is listening to our "Some Music". If that's the case then maybe we can come up on some of those dividends. Wonder if it is the mix CD or the instrumental collection.

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IN THE KNOW
July 11, 2005-July 24, 2005

***EDITORIAL***

Peace, people.

Hopefully you all are embellishing the summer by taking advantage of the offerings in your respective communities. This issue is jam-packed with interesting things to do, adventurous places to go and spectacular people to see.

Let us keep at the forefronts of our minds those who have recently transitioned from this space. We send our prayers out to the family & friends of amazing vocalist/arranger Luther Vandross –peace be upon him. Luther truly lived as a “Superstar” who touched the lives of musicians & music-lovers alike.

We also take this moment to remember a few of the key In The Know supporters who have returned to the essence over the past few years: Angela Bevens, Tonya “Dayo”Bailey, Katrina “K-Luv” Lewis & Athan Gibbs. If you are not familiar with these names then use the internet to do the history. All of these spirits were great vessels in the advancement of Black artists & professionals, alike. We send love to their families, who are still learning to cope with the absence.

We also want to recognize the legacy of Prince Lij Tafari Makonnen, more commonly known as Emperor Haile Selassie I. The impact that Selassie’s reign in Ethiopian has had on Afrikans worldwide is of high remark. In 1963, Selassie gave a speech before the UN that would later serve as the lyrics to one of Bob Marley’s most timely tunes, “War”.

Ironically enough, Selassie’s birth date (July 23) is immediately followed by the birthday of Marley’s mother, Cedella (July 24), which is followed by the birth date of Rita Marley (July 25). Following is an original tribute piece, in honor:


23 July-25 July Gregorian

Powerful roots energy undercurrents
Ras Tafari, Elder Cedella & heiress
Queenie Marley came to be inherent
Mystic streaming across the earth black
Eye presence seen within the trinity
Lots of lovin’ from Nesta thrown aback
Powerful roots energy undercurrents
Mystic streaming across the earth black
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Enjoy the outings! Be safe.

Oriana lee
Editor-in-Chief
orianalee@writehanded.com

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RATTLE TAT TAT

Back in the saddle. Not much time for chattle. Eye belong to no time. It should be a crime to love stuff. After a week of fluff, eye have had enough. The grind is reality. The me in u the u in true the p is free to be. Back in the saddle.

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