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Arts & Entertainment Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons speaks at NAACP convention HOUSTON - Russell Simmons, founder of the rap music company Def Jam Records and president of Rush Communications, serv ed as keynote speaker at the Youth Freedom Fund Dinner at the 93rd Annual Convention of the National Association for the P I,,,, Advancement of Colored Pennle (NAACP) rjn Houston. - Sim mons spoke on July 9. "Everything that is being done in this country that is good and progressive is being done by young people," said Simmons in speaking on the struggle of civil rights. Simmons, a native New Yorker, produces such top-selling . acts as Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Ja Rule. Jay-Z. Ashanti. Ludacris. and Method Nfen. His multimil lion dollar company is one of the largest black-owned companies in the world and includes such holdings as Phat Farm clothes and the television shows "Def Come dy Jam" and "Def Poetry Jam." Kweisi Mfume, NAACP president and CEO. said. "Hip-hop is the force that drives popular culture and a medium that has a tremendous impact on our youth. Simmons, one of the recording industry's top executives, shares the NAACP's mission to empower young people by making them more aware of the social and political issues most affecting them. It's not business; it's aware ness. We are proud that Simmons spoke at this year's convention and look forward to our continued partner ship with him." Mfume serves on the nine-member board of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network chaired by Simmons. The Summit Action Network is a year-old coalition of rap stars, record company executives, civil rights and com munity organizations. It is the first of its kind to receive national attention for exploring the relationship between hip-hop and politics, starting youth chapters nationwide, and partnering with the NAACP to launch an upcoming "rap the vote" media campaign. "I don't think I have ever spoken in front of so many young people in suits." Simmons said. Simmons SECCA to present first-ever Jennings retrospective The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art will present Health. Happiness, and Metempsychosis: The Art of James Harold Jennings July 20 through Sept. 28. This first-ever retrospective of the leg endary North Carolina artist brings his work into con text in two worlds that need not be viewed as sepa rate. those of contemporary art and those of self taught art. Evidence of African and Southern Black American cultures as well as Aboriginal and Native American influences can also be seen in Jennings' work. The reclusive Jennings lived and worked in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. His colorful con structions and hand-built environments were-sought by private collectors and museums from many parts of the United States. Operating out of a school bus studio not very far from Winston-Salem, the artist fashioned a huge series of connected painted wooden structures which were topped by small vividly paint ed sculptures of all kinds. He claimed that all of the work was inspired by electroencephalography and metempsychosis - the transmigration of souls. The exhibition was organized by SECCA Senior Curator David J. Brown and features contributions from Tom Patterson. North American editor of Raw Vision magazine: Ray Kass, artist and founder of The Mountain Lake Workshop: George Jacobs, one of the first dealers to exhibit Jennings' work; and Roger Manley. a curator, photographer and writer who spe cializes in the art of self-taught artists around the world. An opening reception will be held on Friday. July 19. from 7-9 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. ArtTalks in conjunction with the exhi bition be held Aug. 22 at 7 pm. For more information call (336) 725-1904 or visit www.secca.org. Spritual Dance Camp planned The Association of Rhythmic Talent will present Summer Spiritual Dance Camp 2(X)2. This two-week Dance Intensive will be held July 22 through Aug. 2. The camp will be held on the beautiful campus of Winston Salem State University in the Anderson Conference Center's Dillard Auditorium. Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Instruction will be delivered through participation, demonstrations, lec ture. and performance. To conclude the Summer Dance Camp, participants will perform in a dance recital Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. in the Kenneth R. Williams Auditorium. (No registration fee.) Contact Angela Peterson-Beatty at 336-777-0989 for tuition informa tion. The Institute of Divine Arts is offering scholar ships to the Summer Spiritual Dance Camp. To qual ify, candidates must submit the following items to Angela Peterson-Beatty by July 22 at 9 a.m.. for on site registration. All prospective scholarship recipi ents must contact Beatty to reserve their space at the Summer Spiritual Dante Camp 2002. See below for scholarship requirements. ? Letter of recommendation from pastor, dance instructor, or parent/guardian. ? One-page narrative from student describing his/her desire to perform, and areas he/she would like to improve. ? Performance solo student will perform during opening session on Day I. July 22. to kick off Dance Intensive. Camp Lo hits high with disc BY WALI PITT CHRONICLE INTERN It was 1996 when Camp Lo released "Uptown Saturday Night" to much heralded success. The single "Luchini" became a timeless classic, and for Dyna mite (formally known as Cniba) and Emerald Suede, "Luchini" was "fallin' from the sky." After Profile Records stopped producing rap music, it was sold to Arista Records. The duo felt confined by Arista's barriers and felt that the label wanted to change every aspect of their music, including their beats, hooks, and lyrics. They finished Gout their contract and moved on to another label, which ultimately did not work out. Now the emcees are produc ing their own music and their first independent album, "Let's Do It Again." It might not be to the cal iber of their first album but the album "does It again" in terms of lyrical skill and unique sound. The album, which was record ed at North Carolina's Now City Recordings, features an updated sound, possibly to fit in with the times. This seems apparent by their new shined-up image, which is a far cry from the funky '70s attire they donned for "Uptown Saturday Night." The first single. "Glow," is an infectious dance-floor hit that to the average music listener sounds like the typical hip-hop banter of girls, ice. money, and alcohol. However, according to Dynamite, "Glow" is a spontaneous natural high that comes about when something moves your soul." I don't know about moving your soul, but if you like to nod your head and sing along with a dope hook. "Glow" is for you. The album doesn't have many weak spots, but the songs of interest are the title track. "Let's Do It Again"; the soulful cipher smoker "8 Moons Ago"; and the final track, "Sky Box," Throughout the entire CD you will find good beats and lyrics, but nothing is as timeless as "Luchini." which would be hard to duplicate. Even through label changes, name changes, and image changes, the soulful '70s inspired "Camp Lo" sound still "glows" to provide fans with a well-above-average album to enjoy. Q f ile Photo Dynamite (Chiba) and Emerald Suede of Camp to. Walter Mosley revives Easy Rawlins BY RHONDA SHAFNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ' if NEW YORK - When Walter Mosley's family would gather on Fri day and Saturday nights, the stories would start. "My father." the author said, "was by far the best storyteller on both sides of the family." And tht way Leroy Mosley told stones, many about growing up black in the segregated South, was what made the young Walter "love story telling" and made him want to become a storyteller himself. Mosley, 50. is considered one of this country's pre-eminent mystery writers. He has also written science fiction, literary fiction and one nonfic tion book ? 14 books altogether that have been translated into more than 20 languages. His most recent book. "Bad Boy Brawly Brown." is the seventh in his well-known Easy Rawlins detective series. This one begins in 1964, three months after the Kennedy assassina tion. "The Negroes are getting anxious for some changes," explains one white character. They want to end de facto segregation, they want better jobs, and they want the same kind of treatment that white war veterans get when they come home from a war. It's a time when civil rights work ers are being killed and black radical groups like the novel's Utban Revolu tionary Party are beginning to organ ize. Brawly Brown, one of the Revo lutionary Party's main supporters, is 23. but as a no-nonsense rooming house owner declares, "he's a boy boastin' he's a man while (his mother is) washin' the ... stains outta his drawers." Like most mothers. Brawly's wants her son "outta this safe." and she enlists the help of Easy, who is known to "trade in favors" for people when they can't go to the authorities. Dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee. Mosley lcx?ks quite the New Yorker - smooth and very cool. A best-selling writer, he is hardly unfa miliar with long interviews. Not want ing to be encumbered with a rrticro phone. he quickly locates a roll of toi let paper and secures the microphone inside of that. He sits at the head of a long con ference table in an almost empty rcx)m he calls his office. The only other piece of furniture is a leather chaise lounge, off in a comer. He says he uses the large- room - with a freshly polished wood floor and five floor-to ceiling windows - for book parties and meetings. Sometimes he brings his laptop in to write. The only sound in the room is the loud air conditioner. Moslev enjoys talking about his father, to whom he was very close. See Mosley on C8 KRT Photo Author Walter Mosley is one of a few black mystery writers. He writes the songs Damon Elliott V I Son of pop legend has hot music and film projects with Destiny's Child, Pink and Mya SPKC1AI TO THI CHRONK I I Damon Elliott knows a thing or two about dhas. - His mom is one: Dionnc Warwick. So it should come as no surprise that the producer-songwriter is making a name for him self by creating music for some of the top female artists in popular music today. What is unusual is that not only is Elliott involved w ith some of the Warwick St Songs on C8 Reynolda House to host local jazz singer 1 Cle Thompson MM C1AI rOjIII CHRONIC! I Reynolda House. Museum of American Art will con clude its "Summertime" music series with a perform ance by jazz vocalist Cle Thompson on July 20 at 8 p.m. The concert will take place outdoors on the lawn, and jazz enthusiasts are invit ed to bring lawn chairs and blankets for an evening of cool music in an informal set ting. Although she hails from Chicago. Thompson has sung in clubs from New York to Los Angeles, where she has worked with award-winning film composer Elmer Bern stein. Locally she has per formed in the Fourth Street Jazz Festival in Winston Salem. The Day in the Park Festival in High Point, and this spring she was featured in the 2002 Piedmont Jazz festi val. On the radio, she can be heard on WFDD's Jazz Place and on WSNC. Thompson's music is both a reflection of her urban back ground and life's ups and downs, soaring with emotion, intensity and artistry. She sings the "classics." lush bal lads. jazz standards, the bossas and the blues, with purity and honesty tKJft make them her own. Included in her repertoire are original songs, created out of her own trials and adventures, treated with the same integrity and good humor. For information, call 725 5325 or visit the Web site at w w w.reynoldahouse.org. Cost of the concert is $8. $5 for students and seniors, free for children under 12.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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July 18, 2002, edition 1
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