Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Kenyan honor for Tito Jackson
Tito Jackson of Jackson 5 fame was awarded the
title of U.S. Ambassador to Kenya for the Jaramogi
Oginga Odinga Founchtion (J.O.O.F.) and Honorary
Citi/en of Kenya by Kenya's Rt. Hon. Prime Minister
Raila Amolo Odinga at the Intercontinental Hotel in
Century City, Calif, on April 16.
The ambassadorial ceremony marked the Kenyan
J. O.O.F Photo
Tito Jackson accepts the
honor in Century City, Calif.
Prime
Minister's
inaugural trip
to Los Angeles
and the launch
of the J.O.O.F.
in the United
States. In his
duties as
Ambassador,
Tito Jackson
will serve as a
national
spokesman for
J.O.O.F. and
work in collaboration with Kenyan Ambassador Dr.
Wenwa Akinyi Oranga along with the J.O.O.F. Board
of Directors to create and develop projects and events to
bring global awareness to the organization and its ini
tiative in Kenya.
"I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named
J.O.O.F. Ambassador and Honorary Citizen of Kenya
by Prime Minister Odinga," said Jackson. "I look for
ward to tackling the important issues of health and edu
cation in this east African country."
Jackson is poised to kick off his solo career this
summer w ith the upcoming release of the disc, "So Far
So Good"
For more information on Jackson, visit:
http://www.TitoJackson.com.
50 Cent explores his roots
Hip hop star 50 Cent will travel to the tiny town
of Edgefield, S.C. in search of his family's past in the
original VH1 Rock Doc "50 Cent: The Origin of Me
premiering Monday. May 23 at 9 p.m. on VH1 . During
an empowering and emotional voyage, 50 Cent crosses
state lines to tell a story of pain, bloodshed, and sur
vival.
" 50 Cent: The Origin of
Me" is the newest film in the
Emmy Award-winning VH1
Rock Doc franchise. VH1
Rock Docs are feature-length
diKumentarie^ that tell unique
stories of artists and music from
a wide range of genres, styles
and musical perspectives.
The birthplace of noted seg
regationist Strom Thurmond.
"Bloody Edgefield." as the town
50 Cent
was known, nears me scars ot a violent and racist past.
This is the town where 50 Cent - born Curtis Jackson
III - sets out to track his roots. With help from local
genealogists and census data? 50 manages to find his
great-great-great gran (Another Jane Jenkins, who lived
and worked as a slave in the mid-1800's.
Along the way, 50 also learns that in the years fol
lowing the Civil War. his ancestors faced the infamous
"Reikhirts." the precursors to the KKK, giving him a
new perspective on the violence he encountered as a
young man in Queens.
"50 Cent: The Origin of Me." will be available
online following the on-air premiere on May 23. For
more information on VH1 Rock Docs, go to
RockDocs.VH I .com.
Rebels using rap as
uprising's soundtrack in Libya
AJDABIYA, Libya (AP) - Libyan rebel fight
er Jaad Jumaa Hashmi cranks up the volume on his
pickup truck's stereo when he heads into battle against
Moammar Gadiafi's forces.
He looks for inspiration from a growing cade of
amateur rappers whose powerful songs have helped
define the revolution.
The music captures the anger and frustration young
Libyans feel at decades of repressive rule under
Madani, left, and
Faraway, record.
Gacfiafi. diving the
27-year-old Hashmi
forward even
though the heavy
machine gun bolted
on the back of his
truck ? and other
weapons in the
rebel arsenal ? are
no match for
Gadhafi 's heavy
artillery.
"It captures the
youths' guest for
freedom and a decent life and gives us motivation,"
Hashmi said as he sat in his truck on the outskirts of
the front line city of Ajdabiya. He was listening to
"Youth of the Revolution," which the rap group
Music Masters wrote just days after the uprising began
in mid-February.
"Moammar. get out. get out, game over! I'm a big,
big soldier!" sang 20-year-old Milad Faraway, who
started Music Masters with his friend and neighbor,
22-year-old Mohammed Madani, at the end of 2010.
Rather than grabbing kAK-47s and heading to the
front line with other rebels to fight Gadiafi's forces.
Faraway and Madani stayed in Benghazi, the de facto
capital of rebel -held eastern- Libya, and picked up a
microphone. w
"Everyone has his own way of fighting, and my
weapon is art." said Faraway, a geology student, dur
ing a recent recording session in a small room on the
fourth floor of an aging apartment building in down
town Benghazi. The room was equipped with little
more than a microphone, stereo and computer.
State adds
Civil War
markers
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
As the nation celebrates the 150th
anniversary of the Civil War, North
Carolina is one of the Southern states
kicking-up efforts to educate the public
about one of the ugliest chapters in the
country's history.
Burning bacon or a brieve, firing on
a church or scribbling in a courthouse,
moving toward or away from troop sup
plies, all are tales told on North
Carolina's most recently erected Civil
War Trails markers
(www.civilwartrails.oig).
The 12 newest markers are among
New Line Photo
Mike Epps and Ice Cube in "Friday After Next."
Epps, Underwood coming to G'Boro
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Mike Epps, the star of films like "Next
"Jumping The Broom," where Epps stars
with actresses Paula Patton and Angela
Bassett.
Friday" and "Friday Alter Next,
is bringing his comedy tour,
"Mike Epps & Friends," to
Greensboro. He will be joined by
funny woman Sheryl Underwood.
The show will come to the
Greensboro Coliseum at 8 p.m.
on Saturday, May 7. The tour is
hitting 30 cities throughout the
country, including Epps' home
town, Indianapolis.
Epps began crisscrossing the
country, just as his new comedy
special - "Mike Epps presents:
it fc* .1
Underwood
Underwood has appeared in
films like "I Got the Hook Up" and
"Beauty Shop." Most recently, she
served as the host of Martin
Lawrence presents "1st Amendment
Stand-Up" TV series on the STARZ
network. Currently, Underwood is
a weekly contributor and guest host
on "The Steve Harvey Morning
Show" and also hosts "The Sheryl
Underwood Show" on Jamie Foxx's
"The Foxxhole" heard on SIRIUS
I06/XM 149. Underwood also cur
rently serves as the 23rd
nearly 200
in the state,
and part of a
network
including
Maryland.
Virginia.,
West
Virginia and
Tennessee.
The signs,
adorned with
a red bugle
under blue
Civil War
Trails letter
ing. can lead
history buffs
on a motor
tour across
me state ana region, i ne latest attentions
are in Alamance, Cabarrus,
Cumberland, Duplin and Gates coun
ties. and contribute to the observance of
the sesquicentennial of the Civil War
(www.nccivilwarl50.com).
Before going off to war, members of
the Gates County militia signed their
names on a second-floor wall of the
courthouse in Gatesville. The signatures
are still visible today.
In March 1863, Union forces burned
the Confederate armory at Kenansville,
emptied a safe of Confederate money
and. more importantly, destroyed two
miles of track of the Wilmington and
Weldon Railroad, cutting supply lines
to Confederate forces in Virginia. The
Federal troops destroyed other supplies
and burned a bam containing hundreds of
pounds of bacon, leaving an aroma for
days.
The congregation of Freedom's Hill
Wesleyan Methodist Church was among
the most outspoken of southern aboli
tionist groups. Active with the
Underground Railroad, the church stated
that no Christian could hold slaves.
Proslavery mobs attacked the congrega
tion, and small arms were fired at the
Alamance County church. Vigilantes
See Markers on A9
LIVE trom Club Nokia - hit the airwaves
on Showtime in February.
Most recently, Epps has appeared in the
film "Lottery Ticket" and joined forces with
Snoop Dogg to release "Imagine That!" a
first of its kind hip-hop comedy show fea
turing live musical performances. Up next is
the Mother's Day Weekend release of
International Grand Basileus (President) of
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Tickets prices begin at $39.50, plus
applicable taxes and fees, and are available at
all Ticketmaster outlets, the Coliseum
Complex ticket office, online at
Ticketmaster.com or at 1-800-745-3000.
Good Fortune
Marsha McCain, a cook from Reidsville, and her daughters, Leslie and
Lisa, are all smiles after McCain won $100,000 in the N.C. Education
Lottery's Mega Bucks scratch-off game. McCain won $68,001 after taxes
and plans to pay some hills and make the money last as long as possi
ble. "I'm going to get hack on my feet, buy some land and continue to
work," she said.
Local film
set to premiere
CHRONICLI S I \I F RKPORT
"Brother's Keeper," a movie
recently filmed in Burlington in
association with Elon University,
will have its world premiere on
Saturday. April 30.
The free premiere will start at
7 p.m. at The Lamb's Chapel,
Muller
250 Roxboro
St., in Haw
River.
Written,
produced and
directed by
Cornelius
Muller, the
film stars
many mem
bers of
Winston
Salem-based Carolina Actors
Group, where actor Burgess
Jenkins teaches acting courses.
Jenkins, whose acting credits
include "One Tree Hill" and
"Remember the Titans," served as
a film consultant and was on set
during filming to offer his sup
port.
"Brother's Keeper," based on
real life events, tells the story of
a religious man whose brother
commits a vicious crime. The
man deals with his brother's
actions while also trying to bring
healing and forgiveness to the
family of his brother's victim.
Muller is an Eton alumnus
and Triad businessman. He says
he made the film to give audi
ences a story that would both
make them think and inspire
them.
Elon University Associate
Provost Connie Book got behind
the project early. She made it
possible for the production crew
from Elon to see the project
through. Book's husband,
Dewayne, a well known local
doctor who is currently continu
ing his studies in music at Elon.
has created an original souncftrack
for the film.
BET Photo
Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the
2011 BET Upfront presentation.
BET to add another
original series this fall
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Coming off of the success of its best year ever in 2010,
BET Networks announced a brand new slate of programming
for its BET and CENTRIC networks last week at its 2011
Upfront presentation at the Best Buy Theater in New York.
BET will continue its focus on original-scripted content
with a new sitcom. "Reed Between the Lines," starring
Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Ross plays
psychologist Carla, while Warner plays her husband, Alex,
an English professor. The couple's hands are beyond full par
enting teenage twins and an outspoken 7-year-old daughter.
"Reed Between The Lines" is scheduled to premiere in
October.
The Network also announced the new scripted web origi
See BET on A9