The Compass 8
Elizabeth City, NC
May 6, 2006
Senior Edition
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American Author: 5 Stars
Photo courtesy of Fireside
By Tashonda
Harney
Editor-at-
Large
Fantasia
Barrino began
singing at the
prodigious age
of five before
small
audiences at
her church in
Highpoint,
North
Carolina.
Music has
been her main
source of joy
ever since she
toured with
her mother,
father and
brothers all
around the
South,
recorded two
gospel albums
with her family, and at the
age of 19 became an
American Idol winner. Her
first album. Free Yourself,
was released on November
23, 2004. In Life is Not a
Fairy Tale, Fantasia Barrino
shares her fascinating and
compelling personal story
and turns her struggles and
success into life lessons.
With her sassy, self-
confident style. Fantasia
has worked through many
mistakes to develop a keep-
it-real, down-to-earth
wisdom. After a childhood
anchored by family, church
and gospel music, Fantasia
fell into the common
teenage trap of trying to
grow up too quickly. At the
age of 17, she found herself
quitting school, pregnant
and in an abusive
^clationshig^Tho^
could have surrendered to
such hardships. Fantasia
persevered. She
rediscovered her faith in
God and in herself,
promising to work hard to
create a better life not only
for her daughter, but
because she deserved one.
Fantasia’s book shares the
mottos of faith and strength
that helped her to find her
way off of the unfortunate
path that she had taken and
on to one of unlimited
potential and success.
Fantasia’s book offers many
life lessons such as,
learning who your Mends
are, learning from mistakes,
never giving up, and most
importantly keeping it real
always. I recommend this
book to anyone and
excellent page-turner. 5/5
stars"
D12 Rapper Proof Killed in Detroit
Courtesy of
Philly.com
Rapper Proof of the rap
group D12, one of the key
figures on the Detroit hip-hop
scene, was fatally shot Tuesday
morning at a Detroit after-hours
club, pohce said.
Proof, whose real name
is Deshaun Holton, was dead on
arrival at St. John Conner Creek
hospital in Detroit, according to
a spokeswoman for St. John
Health System. He was 32.
Proof was among the
most pivotal players in Detroit
hip-hop, and revered as one of
the battle rappers in the city —
the man who would handle
anyone who dared to challenge
him in a war of words.
He befriended Eminem
long before he was a household
name, and was a nearly constant
presence as the rapper rose to
superstardom — including as the
best man at his January wedding.
Proof was fnends with
many of the top hip-hop DJs, radio
personalities, rappers and
D12 Rapper Deshaun “Proof” Holton AP Photo
producers in Detroit. A number of
them were planning to gather with
his family, including Eminem,
Obie Trice and Marv Won from the
Detroit group the Fat Killahz.
Police were called to the
shootings around 5 a.m., following
reports of a fight
and shots fired.
The shooting
occurred at a club
called C.C.C. In
the mid-’90s.
Proof’s Saturday
afternoons were
spent hosting rap
battles at the
famed Hip Hop
Shop, a role that
would be
fictionalized by
actor Mekhi
Phifer in 8 Mile,
the Hollywood
blockbuster film
in which Proof
also played a bit
part.
Proof was a
steady hand for
Detroit’s then up-and-coming hip-
hop scene. It was his idea to
assemble a collection of Detroit’s
best hip-hop talent and call it D12.
It was his hand that helped push ^
Eminem to become one of the
world’s biggest pop stars.
including serving as his on-stage
hype man on concert tours.
After the release of 8
Mile, when battle rap was gaining
newfound commercial exposure.
Proof was hired to host a national
search for the next best battle
rapper by Showtime Networks.
In Detroit, he hosted
Fight Club, a rap competition near
his Iron Fist Records. There,
Detroit hip-hop elite would gather
and listen as up-and-comers would
verbally duke it out, hoping to
become as big as Proof, Eminem
or other Detroit hip-hop comrades.
In January, he served as
best man in Eminem’s wedding,
giving a poignant toast about how
it’s important to marry your best
friend. D12 was scheduled to
begin recording its third album this
month.
The Memorial service
took place on Wenesday April 19.
This is the second shooting
involving Eminem’s entourage in
three months. Obie Trice was shot
and wounded New Year’s Eve
while driving along the Lodge
Freeway.