Priority Records Straight West Coastin' For 25th Anniversary! The West Coast Blueprint Available NOW!

Priority Records and Snoop Dogg Reconnect The West with   The West Coast Blueprint!   In commemoration of Priority's silver anniversary, Creative Chairman Snoop Dogg has compiled 16 classic tracks from the Priority Records catalog for the Snoop Dogg Presents: The West Coast Blueprint, which also features a new recording by Snoop featuring The Hustle Boyz of Ice Cube's classic "Check Yo Self."  Snoop has also hand-picked three classic albums to be reissued today including Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It, EPMD's Strictly Business and Master P's Ghetto D.       "You will hear how many different facets of hip-hop Priority had a hand in.  Fans who might not have heard these records in a long time.  I know they're going to love hearing them again," says Snoop.  "And the youngsters who've never heard of them before, it's an important education.  See?  Learning can be fun." Snoop Dogg Presents: The West Coast Blueprint features classic tracks from West coast rap legends like N.W.A, Yo-Yo, Ice Cube, and Mack 10, as well as crucial but lesser-known artists including King Tee and Ras Kass. The compilation showcases the diversity of sounds and styles within the now universally-known gangsta rap aesthetic. "Priority's always been associated with the west coast," explains Snoop, "but now with the power of EMI behind it, we can take this international." Snoop Dogg Presents: The West Coast Blueprint (CD, digital) 1.  Introduction to The West Coast Blueprint 2.  Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It    3.  King Tee - Act A Fool    4.  The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better   5.  Low Profile - Pay Ya Dues 6.  Kid Frost - La Raza   7.  Interlude 8.  N.W.A - Alwayz Into Somethin'   9.  Yo-Yo featuring Ice Cube - You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo   10. Ice Cube featuring Das EFX - Check Yo Self   [Album Version] 11. Rappin' 4-Tay - Playaz Club 12. Interlude 13. Mack 10 - Foe Life   14. Luniz - I Got 5 On It 15. Ras Kass - The Evil That Men Do 16. Westside Connection - Gangstas Make The World Go Round    17. Ant Banks featuring Too $hort, 2Pac & MC Breed - 4 Tha Hustlas    18. Mack 10 featuring Tha Dogg Pound - Nothin’ But The Cavi Hit   19. Snoop Dogg featuring Sylk E. Fine & Suga Free - Trust Me 20. Check Yo Self Interlude 21. Snoop Dogg featuring The Hustle Boyz - Check Yo Self (Snoop Dogg G-Mix) [NEW RECORDING]

Cop The West Coast Blueprint and All Uncut Snoop Dogg Approved Albums!     Make sure you purchase your copy of Snoop Dogg Presents: The West Coast Blueprint, Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz-It, EPMD's Strictly Business and Master P's Ghetto D today via Amazon or iTunes!! Click below now!

Donwill Last.fm/Presents interview

Wordsmith - The Vintage Vault Mixtape

COAST 2 COAST MIXTAPES, FROSTWIRE, REFINED HYPE & DJ BOOTH PRESENTS: WORDSMITH - THE VINTAGE VAULT MIXTAPE MIXED BY DJ YKCOR, DJ NOMINAL HOSTED BY DJ AMES WORDSMITH - THE VINTAGE VAULT MIXTAPE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THIS MIXTAPE FOR FREE! TRACK LIST: Wordsmith x DJ Ykcor x DJ Ames Intro Coming of Age (Produced by Professa) Leap of Faith (Produced by J. Stillton) Great Escape Feat. Black Knight & Kontact (Produced by Capish) Ladder of Success Remix Feat. Kontact & Black Knight, Junclassic, RatheMC & Soulstice (Produced by Street Level) The Making of Senor Wordsmith (Produced by Strada) An Indecent Time w/ Siyam & Augustus the Mac (Produced by Siyam) Slanguistics (Produced by Strada) Coming for the Top Spot Feat. Kontact & Black Knight, Cyrano, Braille, Gripz, Laelo Hood, Lef, Steadfast, E-Major, Sir Aah, Genesis Elijah, Manny Moscow & Junclassic (Produced by Stealf) The Daily Word 2006-2009 Edition (Produced by Capish & WDZ) March Madness (Produced by Strada) Space Age Rock (Produced by Strada) Special Request Feat. Kimia Collins (Produced by Rednaz Beats) International Incense Feat. Kontact & Black Knight, Whitefolkz & Manny Moscow (Produced by Cash Flow) Bonus-Dreamchild (Produced by Professa) After releasing "Leap of Faith" (Produced by J. Stillton), "Slanguistics" (Produced by Strada), "The Making of Senor Wordsmith" (Produced by Strada) and "Coming for the Top Spot" over the past month and half, Wordsmith is ready to unlock his vault of vintage music for the world to hear. Consisting of tracks that has been locked up since 2003, Word is giving away the last of his old material in the '00. With sponsorship from Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes, Refined Hype, DJ Booth and Frostwire, the music will be reaching audiences in the US and abroad equally. For the first time ever Wordsmith's station "REVOLT RADIO" will be debuting a BRAND NEW SITE designed by NU Revolution Entertainment Web Designer Nick Dyer, while hosting a LIVE STREAM of "The Vintage Vault Mixtape" for a week. Mixed/blended by NU Revolution DeeJays "DJ Ykcor" (Fleet DJ's/Coast 2 Coast DJ's) and "DJ Nominal," (Revolt Radio Music Director) UK Mixtape master "DJ Ames" lends some overseas flavor by hosting the entire project. Production on the mixtape stays in house with Strada, Professa, Capish, and Street Level lending some heat, while UK super producer "Stealf" contributes a track as well. Features include NU Revolution Camp Super group "Kontact & Black Knight," Soulstice, Junclassic, Cyrano, Whitefolkz, RatheMC, Braille, Steadfast, Sir Aah, Laelo Hood and more, while UK underground stars Manny Mascow & Genesis Elijah lend some international vocals. Don't forget your 20% discount off of "VINTAGE CLOTHING LIMITED" gear when you download "The Vintage Vault Mixtape" as well. Once you had enough of the mixtape set your sets on the feature presentation,"VINTAGE EXPERIENCE," hitting ITUNES and all online outlets March 30TH, 2010. Get your popcorn ready for what Wordsmith calls a "Movie on Wax," STAY TUNED!!!!! HTTP://WWW.WORDSMITHMUSIC.COM HTTP://MYSPACE.COM/CLASSICWORDSMITHMUSIC HTTP://WWW.TWITTER.COM/WORDSMITHMUSIC HTTP://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WORDSMITH HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WORDSMITH42

American Women in Radio and Television Announces Gracie National Award Winners

American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT) is pleased to announce the 2010 winners of the 35th Annual Gracie Awards. National award winners will be presented at a black-tie Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Local market, public and student award winners will be announced later this week. After more than three decades in New York, the Gracies will be delivering its message of empowerment to a Los Angeles audience when the Gracie Awards go Hollywood.

From Drew Barrymore to Selena Gomez and Gayle King to Martha Stewart; from CNN Presents: Black in America to CBS News Evening with Kate Couric, The Gracies each year recognize exemplary programming created for women, by women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment, as well as individuals who have made contributions to the industry. The awards program also encourages the realistic and multifaceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs.

In addition to the above, each year the Gracies Gala attracts the best and brightest in all aspects of the media. This year’s national winners include: WeTV’s Adoption Diaries, Lifetime/Drop Dead Diva’s Brooke Elliott, The CW’s Gossip Girl, CNBC’s Melissa Lee, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, Sony Picture/TNT/Hawthorne’s Jada Pinkett Smith, Sirius/XM’s Barbara Walters, ABC Family/Secret Life of the American Teenager’s Shailene Woodley, and Nickelodeon’s Wonder Pets —represent a broad cross-section of outstanding actors, anchors, stories and programs. (See accompanying pages for full release of winners.)

“The power of this year’s Gracie Award winners showcase how vital a role women in the industry continue to have,” stated 2010 Chair of AWRT, Sylvia Strobel, Esq. “We look forward to honoring these deserving programs and individuals. We’re also delighted to have Dove and the Campaign for Real Beauty return as the Gracies’ 2010 title sponsor.”

The Gracies are presented by the Foundation of AWRT, the philanthropic arm of AWRT, which supports educational programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public and women in the media. The Gracie Awards, established in 1975, honor programming and individuals of the highest caliber in all facets of radio, television, cable and web-based media, including news, drama, comedy, commercials, public service, documentary and sports.

For more details on the Gracies Gala including tickets information, go to the Gracies website - www.thegracies.org.

Supporting the Gracies is synonymous with supporting women’s achievements in all facets of media and entertainment. Reserve your table and demonstrate your commitment to the Foundation of AWRT, a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Sponsored tables are available ranging from $7,500 to $20,000. For more information, please contact AWRT at (703) 506-3290.

For more information about the Gracie Awards, please visit www.thegracies.org.

2010 Gracie Awards ~ National Award Winners
(In Alphabetical Order)


30 Rock
Outstanding Comedy
NBC

Adoption Diaries
Outstanding Reality Show
Wetv

Amy Poehler for The Mighty B!
Outstanding Producer - Entertainment
Nickelodeon

Andrea Mitchell
Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent
NBC News

Barbara Walters - Here's Barbara
Outstanding Talk Show - Entertainment/Information
Sirius XM Radio

Brenda Breslauer
Outstanding Producer - News
NOW on PBS

Brooke Elliott in Drop Dead Diva
Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Comedy Series
Lifetime Networks

Cami McCormick
Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent
CBS Radio News

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric: Death of Walter Cronkite
Outstanding Breaking News Coverage
CBS News

CNN Presents - Black in America
Outstanding Documentary
CNN

Culturetopia Podcast
Outstanding Podcast
NPR

Drew Barrymore in Grey Gardens
Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Special
HBO

Drug Addiction and Misery Increase in Afghanistan
Outstanding Series
NPR

Fight with Style Breast Cancer PSA
Outstanding Public Service Announcement
The Style Network

Gayle King in The Gayle King Show
Outstanding Host - Entertainment/Information
Oprah Radio

Georgia O'Keeffe
Outstanding Portrait/Biography
Sony Pictures Television/Lifetime Networks

Glenn Close in Damages
Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama Series or Special
Sony Pictures Television/FX

Gossip Girl
Outstanding Drama
The CW

Half the Xinjiang Sky
Outstanding Web site - News
Radio Free Asia

Her Story
Outstanding Sports Program
ESPN

Irene Taylor Brodsky for The Final Inch
Outstanding Director - News
HBO

Jada Pinkett Smith for Hawthorne
Outstanding Producer - Entertainment
Sony Pictures Television/TNT

Janelle Haskell
Outstanding Producer - Entertainment
AARP

Jessica Yellin - Political Women
Outstanding Hard News Feature
CNN

Katie Jacobs for House
Outstanding Director - Entertainment
FOX

Kick Like A Girl
Outstanding Children/Adolescent Non-Animated Program
HBO

Laura McKenzie’s Traveler: Vietnam
Outstanding Magazine
Associated Television International

Larry King Live - Interview with Katherine Callaway Hall
Outstanding Talk Show - News
CNN

Lockup Special Investigation – Lake County Juvenile Justice
Outstanding Series
MSNBC

Martha Stewart in The Martha Stewart Show
Outstanding Host - Entertainment/Information
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Productions

Meet the Press - A Woman's Nation
Outstanding Interview Program or Feature
NBC News

Melissa Lee
Outstanding Host - News
CNBC

Niecy Nash in Reno 911
Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series
Comedy Central

Peri Gilpin in Make It or Break It
Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series
ABC Family

Police Women of Broward County
Outstanding Commercial
TLC

Ramona Meets Jimmy Carter
Outstanding Comedy
Greater Media Charlotte

Rape in America: Justice Denied
Outstanding Investigative Program or Feature
CBS News

Riders, Friends, Rivals
Outstanding Online Video
NBCOlympics.com

Robin Meade in Morning Express with Robin Meade
Outstanding Anchor - News or News Magazine
HLN

Selena Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place
Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Comedy Series
Disney Channel

Shailene Woodley in Secret Life of an American Teenager
Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Drama Series
ABC Family

Sharon Gless in Burn Notice
Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series
USA Network

Sherri Shepherd in Sherri
Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series
Lifetime Networks

Show 256
Outstanding Magazine
World Vision Report

Southland
Outstanding Drama
Warner Brothers Television/TNT

Sunday Morning - Table for One
Outstanding Soft News Feature
CBS News

The Dr. Oz Show
Outstanding Talk Show - Entertainment/Information
ZoCo Productions

The Science of Spirituality
Outstanding Documentary
NPR

The Wonder Pets
Outstanding Children/Adolescent Animated Program
Nickelodeon/Little Airplane Productions

Unlikely Refugees
Outstanding Hard News Feature
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

Wanda Sykes: I'ma Be Me
Outstanding Special or Variety
HBO

www.drphil.com (The Dr. Phil Show)
Outstanding Web site -Information/Entertainment
Dr. Phil Show / CBS Television Distribution


About AWRT: The year 2010 marks the 59th Anniversary of American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT), the longest established professional association dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment. AWRT carries forth its mission by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to its members and the industry at large. Founded in 1951, AWRT works to improve the quality of electronic media; promote the entry, development and advancement of women in the field; foster communication and idea exchange; and give back to the community we serve.

About The Foundation of AWRT: The Foundation of AWRT is the philanthropic arm of American Women in Radio & Television, supporting educational programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Foundation of AWRT has created partnerships and joint-initiatives with the National Middle School Association, the Emma Bowen Foundation, the American Red Cross and other organizations that are philosophically aligned with the mission of the Foundation of AWRT. The Foundation supports several public service campaigns, including most recently AWRT Empowering America, which pays tribute to many of America’s most pioneering and inspiring women. Through this initiative, the Foundation of AWRT has adopted needy urban middle schools around the country and provided educational donations derived from collateral based on the Empowering America program. The Foundation also produces nationally acclaimed recognition programs, including the Gracie Awards®, a live gala that honors exemplary programming created for, by and about women.

Monica - Everything To Me

Combat Jack and Antonio Fargas Rap Hip Hop

Antonio Fargas & Combat Jack Discuss Hip Hop from Yves Salomon on Vimeo.

Rise Again - Official Video - Shaggy, Sean Paul/Kingston, Tessanne Chin, Alison Hinds, Etana etc

Canibus "Only Slaves D.R.E.A.M"

New Memoir of a Woman's Journey Through Colorful History

TAKE A LONG LOOK BACK AT A SIMPLE AND REWARDING LIFE OF THE PAST

-- New book is an insightful memoir of one woman's journey through colorful history --

Bookcover

Philadelphia, PA (BlackNews.com) -- From the author of Let Me Tell You What Mama Said comes another insightful book that takes readers back to the simple and gratifying days of the yesteryears. In Take It from the Top, a new book released through Xlibris, author Terri Lyons continues the insightful journey of her mother throughout the changes in American society and history.

Let Me Tell You What Mama Said chronicles her mother's life from World War II when she first arrived in North Philly, met her husband, bought their first home, until they began their life together with music. A sequel to this book, Take It from the Top is the author's inspiring memoir where she reflects and relives her life as carved by her family's colorful past filled with love and music. It tells stories from the incredible decade of the 60s. Filled with memories that captures the fascinating era, it takes readers back to the time when people ate home cooked food and took a nap to cure their maladies, when turning to each other-not pills and electronics-is the remedy to life's trials and tribulations, and when having common sense mattered and foolishness simply wasn't tolerated.

With informative facts and insightful anecdotes, Take It from the Top provides tales from where a journey continues and where a new one begins. For more information on this book, log onto www.terrilyonsbooks.com

About the Author
Terri E. Lyons was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended Philadelphia public and private schools, and is a graduate of Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Lyons' passion for jazz and oldies are from her parents who were bandleaders from the early sixties, and her passion for history came from numerous Sunday dinners with her elderly family. Their wisdom revealed itself over time. Owning her history and hungry for more, Lyons began to look further into history. She began with her mother's life and continued her exciting expedition through the 60s. Her influences are James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison.

About The Book
Take It from the Top by Terri Lyons
Publication Date: September 2009
Trade Paperback; $20.00; 73 pages; 978-1-4415-5094-1
Trade Hardback; $15.00; 73 pages; 978-1-4415-5095-8

Shyheim, Ty Nitty (Infamous Mobb), CRIPPLED, Fed-Up & Bankroll - Givin Up (prod by Shroom)

WEB SITE PUBLISHES 2010 LISTING OF REAL BUSINESS GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Nationwide -- The National Institute of Small Business Grants, a leading global resource for business funding, has published their annual 2010 listing of business grant opportunities. The extensive listing is available online at www.BusinessGrants.org, and is free to the public.

Nike, Microsoft, Intuit, Pepsi, MillerCoors, and IBM are just a few of the companies listed who have programs that are designed to give business grants away this year. Organizations include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dayton Foundation, IFA Educational Foundation and the PepsiCo Foundation. Government agencies include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FTA (Federal Transit Administration), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and more.

A business grant is a unique form of funding whereas cash awards are given to entrepreneurs and business owners when they qualify for the specified guidelines. There is typically no expectation of repayment. Such grants are given away by major corporations for charity and public relations purposes, but are also given away by non-profits and government agencies to help rebuild or strengthen small business communities.

Because the Internet is saturated with so much fraudulent information pertaining to business grants, BusinessGrants.org was launched in 2008 as the official online resource for real and legit funding opportunities. The site reports on all avenues of business funding, and features exclusive and original news, tips, videos, and a daily blog.

The site also has a Twitter account (www.twitter.com/bizgrants) and a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/businessgrants) to support their social media outreach.

For more details, visit:
www.BusinessGrants.org

K-Beta - Come Closer (feat. Mina)

Roc-A-Fella Insider: Choke No Joke Breaks His Silence (Part 1 of 7)

5Ft (Black Moon), Fed-Up & Crippled - Man Down

Author Terrance Dean Serves it "Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend" in New Column

Author Terrance Dean Gives it to Us "Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend" In New Column on Interactive One's HelloBeautiful.com

New York - When ESSENCE Magazine best-selling author Terrance Dean speaks, everyone listens! Perhaps his explosive memoir, Hiding In Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry - from Music to Hollywood (Atria/ Simon and Schuster May 2008) had something to do with it. Terrance tore the lid off the down low culture within the testosterone-driven world of Hip Hop, when he revealed a new dimension in a world notorious for its larger-than-life masculine swagger. Bravely unmasking the deep secrets of a prominent gay sub-culture within not only the entertainment community, but within the confines of Hip Hop, Hiding in Hip Hop became the runaway, most talked about, most Googled book sensation of the year. Well Terrance Dean is back! Friday, February 12, 2010 will mark his debut as a contributing columnist/blogger on the Black Planet site "Hello Beautiful" at www.HelloBeautiful.com with a regular feature entitled, "Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend," also the title of his new highly anticipated advice book due out later this year from Agate/Bolden Books. Via "Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend" Terrance will give advice served with a mix of sass, wit, and humor to the thousands of women who write in seeking answers to everything from love, relationships, career, and family. The column will also enlist real-life personal stories, entertainment news, contests, and a sexy man of the week pictorial. "From 'Will and Grace' to 'Sex in the City' to the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' it is commonly known and accepted that a girl's real best friend is a gay man. Well for those not lucky enough to know one personally, here I am! I will be the one to tell it to the ladies straight, no chaser, about life, love, relationships, and everything in between. I am so grateful to Hello Beautiful.com for having the vision to provide me and their readers with this wonderful opportunity," shares Dean. Always writing, Dean's Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend - Who Else Is Going To Tell You The Truth About Work, Relationships, and Having a Fabulous Life! will be released with Agate/Bolden Books in October 2010. In addition, Dean conceived the idea and concept for a tribute book, Visible Lives: Three Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris, for his dear friend and mentor, New York Times best-selling author, the late E. Lynn Harris. Visible Lives is being released with Kensington/Dafina Books in May 2010. It is an anthology in which Dean enlisted fellow authors Stanley Bennett Clay and James Earl Hardy to write novellas in tribute to E. Lynn Harris who died in July 2009. "I wanted to create a project that honored and paid homage to one of the greatest black gay fiction writers of our time," said Dean. Author, speaker, educator and now advice columnist, Detroit native, Terrance Dean continues to make waves as an advocate for change and empowerment. Having come to terms with himself in a homophobic culture he has positioned himself as a vanguard in hip hop, always pushing the envelope. Dean has worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years with heavy hitters such as Spike Lee, Rob Reiner, Keenan Ivory Wayans, and Anjelica Houston. Dean also worked with MTV Networks helping to produce live award shows and events including MTV Video Music Awards, Movie Awards, Hip Hop Honors, Rock Honors, Sports & Music Festival, and Choose or Lose. He is the founder/creator of Men's Empowerment, Inc. and co-creator of The Gathering of Men with Adeyemi Bandele, husband and spiritual partner of Iyanla Vanzant. He is also the author of Reclaim Your Power! A 30-Day Guide to Hope, Healing and Inspiration for Men of Color (Random House/Villard - May 2003). "There needs to be a continuum of open dialogue within the Black community, particularly within the Hip-Hop community. I am here. Let it begin with me," expresses Dean. "Straight, From Your Gay Best Friend" on the Hello Beautiful portal will be a wonderful extension of a much needed conversation." Hello Beautiful.com (www.hellobeautiful.com) is one of Interactive One's suite of sites targeting the African American audience. Hello Beautiful.com is a fun mix of fashion, beauty, entertainment and relationship talk carefully curated for the new urban woman. Check the column at http://hellobeautiful.com/author/terrancedean/ and send your your queries for the column to Terrance Dean at girlworkonyou@aol.com.

NOTED BLACK DIRECTOR CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT CREATES DAZZLING 75TH ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION OF GEORGE GERSHWIN'S PORGY AND BESS

It is fitting that the historic 75th anniversary tour of Porgy and Bess should kick off during Black History Month as this masterpiece was at the forefront of audience desegregation. In 1935, the original cast refused to go on at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, unless the performers' family and friends could come to see them. Few operas have generated the controversy and acclaim that has surrounded Porgy and Bess, and few have equaled Porgy in affording a stepping stone to fame for black artists. Among the many distinguished names associated with the Porgy and Bess are Leontyne Price, Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Maya Angelou, Sammy Davis, Jr., William Warfield, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Diahann Carroll, Miles Davis, Kathleen Battle and Audra MacDonald. Most recently, Fantasia's extraordinary rendition of "Summertime" was proclaimed to be one of the best performances in the history of American Idol.

Directed by acclaimed black director Charles Randolph Wright (Preaching to the Choir, Mama I Want to Sing) and co-presented by black Broadway producer Willette Murphy Klausner (Three Mo' Tenors and Kat and the Kings),this production, probably for the first time, is interpreted from the perspective of the black experience.

Porgy and Bess was the first classical work to include the jazz rhythms and melodic twists that Gershwin learned during his many visits to Harlem. Using this music as the basis for his opera, he took jazz, a musical style developed in the black community, and raised it to the level of European music - which at the time was the standard for all that was serious, sophisticated and enduring.

In the traditional telling, Porgy is a victim - a cripple who is taken advantage of by Bess, an opportunist and woman of loose morals. This anniversary production sees Porgy as man whose self-worth and human dignity grow through the love of a woman - a love that gives him the courage to leave the comfort of a world he knows in pursuit of the woman who loved him. The character of Porgy is much closer to that in Dubose Heyward's book on which the opera is based. Porgy, at the story's open, believes that God made him a cripple and meant for him to be lonely. As Bess enters Porgy's life, he grows as a man and he, for the first time, engages with the world around him.

Director Wright was particularly concerned with how the characters were dressed. Although the setting is a poor area of Charleston and the characters are from the laboring class, Wright was curious why the costuming usually consisted of burlap and tatters.

"I am descended from the types of people represented in this opera" says Wright, himself a native of South Carolina. Searching through family photos from the era and South Carolina museum archives, he saw that no matter how impoverished, blacks took pride in how they dressed.

According to producer Michael Capasso, "In terms of American opera, there's Porgy and Bess -- and then there's everything else." When he first heard the opera at the Houston Opera's 1976 staging in honor of the bicentennial, he was "overwhelmed by the grandeur and the glory of the music the overall greatness of the piece." Capasso, founder of the Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York City, goes on to say "Opera fans go see Porgy and Bess because they know it's an amazing production. And people who are into musicals like it because, in their mind, it's almost like a Broadway show".

According to Ms Klausner, the 75th anniversary production of Porgy and Bess will tell the story in the way in which it was meant to be told. Capasso and Klausner agree with director Randolph-Wright that this production of Porgy and Bess will "build up the community". The audience will experience the passion, perseverance, originality and pride in the lives of the Catfish Row inhabitants.

The production kicks off February 18 at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert, Ohio. Complete tour schedule is attached.

The following is the schedule for the 2010 tour of Porgy & Bess (theater and ticket information TBA):

February 18: Van Wert, OH
February 19-21: Columbus, OH
February 23: Portsmouth, OH
February 24: Cincinnati, OH
February 26-27: Overland Park, KS
March 2-4: Fort Worth, TX
March 5: San Antonio, TX
March 6: Galveston, TX
March 7-8: Lafayette, LA
March 9: Oxford, MS
March 12: Jacksonville, FL
March 14: Miami, FL
March 15: Sarasota, FL
March 16: Lakeland, FL
March 17: Melbourne, FL
March 19: Columbus, GA
March 20: Asheville, NC
March 21: Greensboro, NC
March 22-23: Lexington, VA
March 25: New Brunswick, NJ
March 26: Greenvale, NY
March 27-28: Worcester, MA
April 1: Burlington, VT
April 2: Portland, ME
May 13-15: Charlotte, NC
June 4-6: Boston, MA
June 8-13: Hartford, CT

Mysonne - Let Me Tell You

Skee.TV Presents: Cypress Hill - It Ain't Nothin' - Official Music Video HD / HQ

Tech9ne talks K.O.D., emotional darkness, being hip-hop's #1 independent, & winning a Woodie Award!

DJ KAY SLAY CO-SIGNS TY FYFFE AS OFFICIAL HOST OF THE RAW N' UNCUT COMPILATION

DJ KAY SLAY CO-SIGNS SUPER PRODUCER TY FYFFE AS THE OFFICIAL HOST OF THE RAW N' UNCUT COMPILATION Super Producer Ty Fyffe has worked with a barrage of A List artists from 50 Cent to Nas and Busta Rhymes to produce some of the hottest tracks to date. He recently launched Raw N' Uncut, a global viral competition that has the streets and the online scene buzzing. Momentum is running high as inquiries from aspiring artist all over the globe are pouring in. Ty Fyffe has teamed up with the one and only DJ Kay Slay who is the official host of the Raw N' Uncut compilation. Kay Slay's "More Than A DJ" Album is available and in stores TODAY! Check out what Kay Slay had to say about Raw N' Uncut: http://www.vimeo.com/9316105 It's not too late to get involved! Visit www.tyfyffe.com for more information and to register for the Raw N' Uncut contest. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

'Free Ya Mind' Webisode 1

"We The People" Trailer