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http;//www,thecharlottepost.com 1D AktsI; Cf)arlotte ^URSDAY, APRIL 15, 2004 Tamia Tamia More Various producers Elektra Records ^ , Tamias third CD was delayed nearly a year because of health rea sons which Fm told have been treated. The single “Officially Missing You” was released in the fall but wasn’t well received. Pity. It’s a good song. Good best describes this CD. There’s nothing that knocks me out, but that’s how Tamia’s work affects me. But the more I listen, the more I like. “More” (which was titled “Still”) is a solid effort. There are some trendy tracks. “On My Way” finds Tamia cooing and oohing over a fairly generic hip-hop track with materialistic lyrics. It’s radio friendly as most Track Masters produc tions are, but a tad tepid. The title track is nearly a carbon copy, except the lyrics give the song more credence. But forget those songs. Tamia shines when you sings mid-tempo grooves and bal lads. “Officially Missing You” is both and shines like a dia mond among coals. “Still” is one of the better songs Jer maine Dupri has produced and written. “Questions” is typical R. Kelly, which has recently come to mean great (is this man on a roll or what?). And “Poetry” may be Tamia’s best vocal, perfor mance on this recording. If there is a gripe it’s that several of these songs have appeared somewhere else. “So Into You” is on a Fabolous CD and “(They Long To Be)Close To You” can be found on Gerald Levert’s lat est CD. That leaves 11 unheard songs, which could upset CD buyers who expect 17-20 songs on a disc Still, “More” is a fine effort. 'Ihmia’s voice is as arresting as ever and she’s picked good stuff to sing. If you’ve asked for more, you certainly have it now. Ratings Classic; ^ ^ j2 ^ ExceUent; ^ ^ Good Fair Why? No stars - A mess BET provides more ‘exposure’ for music videos Hip-hop stars like Cassidy's videos are played on BET’s late night show “Uncut. By Nekesa Mumbi-Moody THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - Given all the barely clad women that are booty-shaking, grinding and gyrating on BET during the day, it’s hard to believe things could get any vrilder after dark. But as the rap group Whodini once rhymed, “the freaks come out at night.” And on BET — already criticized for showing videos with a high T&A quotient — the videos become even more graphic during the wee morning hours on “BET Uncut.” While outright nudity is blurred out, the chps still contain enough sexual content to make R. Kelly blush. There’s Ludacris’ ‘3ooty Poppin’” video, featuring close-ups of jiggUng posterior as women take it all off in a strip club. And in Nelly’s “Tip Drill’ video, women shake so wildly that bikini bottoms pop off, and a posse of leering men grab various body parts. Later, the women simulate sex acts with themselves. “Everybody’s doing them. I think it’s a hellu va promotional tool,” said Luther “Luke” Campbell of 2 Live Crew fame, widely consid ered the godfather of scandalous music videos. “It gives an artist a chance to express them selves a httle bit more.” In the hip-hop world, sex has long been part of that expression. Campbell’s early ‘90s videos had bikinied women doing the butt-jig- gle when “dirty dancing” was considered shocking. Tupac Shakur’s “How Do You Want It” video in 1996 featured real pom stars (although they didn’t have sex on camera). And these days, everyone from Snoop Dogg to Lil’ Jon to G-Unit’s Lloyd Banks are promoting videos that are actually X-rated. Before, artists were mostly making sexually oriented material for the underground mar ket - providing them to strip clubs, or selling them as part of videos or DVDs. Now, they’re bringing them directly to television, through places like “BET Uncut’ and the Playboy net work. And more outlets are grovring for those who want to see more — or less — than a biki ni. “It’s almost like the other videos are like foreplay and the uncut videos are the act themselves,” says video director Nzingha Stewart, a woman who has directed clips for artists ranging from ODB to Common to Joss Stone. “We all want to see videos uncut,” says music producer Jermaine Dupri, who makes a cameo appearance in Nelly’s “Tip Drill.” “We hate making clean versions — I do. So “Uncut,’ they don’t let us play the lyrics, but they let us do videos however we want to do it, so, it’s another outlet for iis.” Exphcit videos aren’t exclusive to rap. There were topless women on Motley Crue’s 1987 video “Girls, Girls, Girls,” which was recently featured on an imcensored rock videos DVD from Interscope. Madonna’s “Erotica” video from 1992 featured the singer completely naked, obscured only by strategically placed black bars. (MTV played it, but only in the early morning horns.) But the videos on “BET’s Uncut” make Madonna seem as tame as Clay Aiken. They typically feature full-figured black women du ly dancing at a frenetic pace. Close- ups are reserved not for faces, but for volup tuous posteriors. In Nelly’s video, he svripes a credit card between a women’s buttocks. Even Big Boi of OutKast - an avid strip- Please see BET/2D Short-film festival brings reel drama at Afro Center Driving Fish By Artellia Burch anellia.burch@thecharlottepost.com “Reel Soul” a bi-monthly short film festival, intends to bring the drama to the Afin-American Cidtinal Center Friday for two shows. The films - “Driving Fish” and “Next Thesday” - will bring something different to the event yet the pieces aU omo have one common ingredient: drama. This month’s event is called “Save The Drama,” which “Reel Soul” producer Dennis Darrell says he picked the name for a reason. “This event will showcase different dramas about black life,” he said. “There are four new films that are making their premieres in Char lotte. We have ‘Driving Fish,’ that’s about a yoimg girl that grows up without her father. The films show what happens to her because of it. “Next Tuesday is about a father and his son. I can’t wait for the dia logue after this film. Some brothers are going to have some moments. “Scratches’” is incredible. I can’t wait to show this film. It is for every player and every person show has been played. It’s funny but it’s deep. It shows how this per son became a player.” A unique part of “Reel Soul” is the orga nizers give the audience an opportunity to talk and share their views on each film. Darrell says he believes the combination is spe cial to film lovers. “We have good films and even greater dia logue,” he said. “Sometimes I forget parts of the movies but I always remember what was said. The dialogue makes it more than a film event it makes it a happening.” “Reel Soul” will be held Friday at the Afro-Ameri can Cultural Center. Where’s the party? By Chens F. Hodges FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST Want to know where the parties are? Just ask your CUZN, Cuzncity.com that is. The website, which is a por tal to upscale entertainment in the Queen City, is the brain child of 28-year-old Dare Odugbesan. ‘We try to bring quality entertainment to Charlotte,” he said. Cuzncity began as an email list in 2001. But Odugbesan wasn’t touting the usual “grown and sexy” parties that most night clubs advertise every week. Cuzncity has sponsored net working parties at Latorre in uptown Charlotte, worked with Focus on Future Leader’s voter registration drive and brought soul acts like Alicia Keyes, Bilal and Dwele to intimate settings at an affordable price. According to the wehsite,. Cuzncit/s mission is to enrich the entertainment scene with events of sub stance and culture. Odugbesan says Cuzncity attracts both older and younger people with the events they sponsor. “We directly interact with our customers,” he said. ‘We find out what people want and give them a chance to log on to the website and find some thing they are interested in.” Cuzncity plans parties other events, then targets the upwardly mobile urban pro fessionals by sending e-vites to their inboxes. Odugbesan said Cuzncity is aU about having fun, and it’s not just limited to Charlotte. The Nigerian native works with a team of 12 other peo ple, including four in Char lotte and some in Afnca. “This is global,” he said. Cuzncity is more than just advertisement for parties. According to the website, Cuzncity is a full service entertainment company. The company promotes club events, film festivals, themed getaways and celebrity sport ing events. The company had its offi cial website launch party last month, bringing Cuzncity to the forefront of the Charlotte nightlife scene. Beanie Sigel Rapper pleads to drag, gun charges THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHILADELPHIA - Beanie Sigel, a Philadelphia rapper who was a protege of rap superstar Jay-Z, pleaded guilty last Thursday to feder al drug and weapons charges. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Sigel faces about three years in prison when he is sentenced July 8, authori ties said. Please see BEANIE/3D
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