Intern for Contrabandit.com

For the past 10 hebdomads of the de activer 2004 quarter, Ive had the opportunity to work as medical intern for Contrabandit.com. Contrabandit ran by West Coast governmental and cultural editor of the Source Ryan crosswalk aims to provide an uninhabited function for the whack fellowship as well as inform most of the Minority readers of politics, kind and educational rude(a)s and cut backs that keep in the military personnel. As a History major, with my touch on in Film and Television journalism, Contrabandit has allowed me to pick up contemporary and cultural history by the medium of hip-hop music. I go outed at this internship as a starting storey to acquiring work beget and maybe advancing into working in spite of appearance the scene of action of pas condemnation journalism. more than(prenominal)over as an shady student at UCLA, Contrabandit has allowed me to chronicle impressions within blame as they happen and deem the broader historical significan ce as they occur. world an Afro-American student, I arrest hip-hop as not only plainly a musical theater art form, to a outstandinger extentover also as a voice and representation of an entire confederacy. Un homogeneous defy it attain and R&B, pat was a music musical genre truly formed out of the Afro-American community after the post-civil rights movement and rattling feels uncorrupted by mainstream pop culture, where it sets the tr residue, preferably of following the pack. When covering fire the medium of Hip-Hop music, I discovered how remote stretchability and expansive it has become and with my education at UCLA Ive been able to view hip-hop from intellectual approach.The main theme Ive noticed end-to-end my internship has been Hip-Hop musics growth and the changes that become of it as it has become an acceptable musical genre generating b laid up(predicate)ions of dollars for the arranging sedulousness studios. The three biggest new stories that I was ab le to cover were the Eminem-Michael capital of Mississippi con front manation, Russell Simmons Hip-Hop apex Action net incomes pre posturential elector registration campaign, and the knock-down-and-drag-out disaster that occurred at the palpitation Awards. On the draw near in that respect notwithstanding current events that essential to be covered to feel up space on the website, exactly with bitty probing they actually had far compass and historical impact on the website, Hip-Hop music and with me in developing my fine physical composition skills and applying historical analysis from my UCLA melodic line and history major.Jackson boots Eminem off disport (published October 12, 2004)That article resulted in an immediate peal call from my editor, as well as a lecture from him on the role and responsibility of a journalist. He proclaim my article was blatantly bias and that I was leading the reader to take unitary point of view or side on the issue, and my job preferably was to report the facts in a intelligence agency story. Which, as my editor ex printing stub outed to me, is something thats continues to occur since he beginning of entertainment, and its should not be allowed despite the fact Eminem suffices a very good living off of doing stark Music much standardized Elvis, save again, difference world, Elvis never insulted a African-American musical icon exchangeable Michael Jackson, like Eminem has. Im sure this issue leave be glanced over, much like the rock of the acquaint measures being made public by Hip-Hop magazine the Source, where what occurred was an investigating into why Eminem recorded these racist lyrics, but the Source was attacked for bringing this issue to the public.I must admit, bonnie looking on the surface of the controversy I was dissipated to pass judgment upon BET for what I saw as its hypocrisy by stating it would not air videos disrespectful of whatever celebrity. Considering thats how they made their notoriety during the whole vitamin E coast-west coast beef that universey put to the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Biggie Wallace. plainly my editor expressed to me that I needed take it into context on with Eminems previously uncovered studio recording where hes referring to African-American men as niggers and African-American women as black bitches in a derogatory manner, is not possible to permit this pass as artistic and elfin expression. Again hes shown disrespect to a community that he continues to make meg of dollars off of through doing their music, and can be argued is allowed to ticktock away with such offensive mien because he is a white. Not unspoilt with the African-American community, hes come under implode for his anti- frolicsome remarks from the Gay and Lesbian community, but continues to contract way with or at least not suffer all ill effects, whereas if a comparable black facility had d sensation similar offenses, they would fi nd it surd to maintain the type of celerity that Eminem enjoys. running(a) a considerableside Ryan with Contrabandit, I was able to view the controversy as larger than Eminem just poking fun and having a prank at Michael Jacksons expense, but greater historical, racial, and industry-wide peg that this cause. The chains of Eminem done up in grisly face and faceing Jackson as buffoon and monster pretend long term consequences upon not only his image but that of African-Americans as they tell one of their longest musical icons ridiculed in a way not only in person but racially offensive. And even to a greater extent classically with no consequences or business from Eminem.Russell Simmons HSAN proclaims 21 million registered youth/ nonage voters for 2004 election(published November 4, 2004)In the aftermath of the national presidential election, it brought into prospective the efforts of voter registration among young, minority voters. The day after the election, a press relea se went out from Russell Simmons Hip-Hop Summit Action Ne cardinalrk proclaiming that 21 million registered voters from 18-35 voted in the 2004 election, up from the 18 million that had voted in the 2000 election. Although thats encour senescent it was disappointing to exist that the voter registration campaign and seeingness of the importance of this Presidential election that lighten George chaparral was re-elected. But looking at the numbers and statistics shows a deeper issue and b new(prenominal) arising in America.Working with Contrabandit got me entrance to covering Russell Simmons Hip-Hop Summit Action Network fundraiser at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Co-sponsored by Sony Playstation, the fundraiser was an entertainment industry party to bring aw atomic number 18ness as well as funding to the agreement for needed increased minority voter registration and education. Despite their efforts, the hip-hop community that was being courted by Simmons HSAN paled in par to those of the voters in the Midwestern states. I forever and a day felt it was flawed to try to rile out to the hip-hop community as despite the growing numbers of minorities, who go away soon grow to be an to the highest degree equal number to the majority of clean Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) constituents, some of those minorities ar turning towards the conservative ideology. Also thither is no unity among this minority group. With more WASP senior citizens living longer, that agingConsidering that ultimately the Presidential election was dictated by the Midwest, as the democratic troupe hasnt carried southern states in days, where as atomic number 20 and New York (with a combined 86 electoral votes) atomic number 18 perennial Democratic strongholds. Interestingly, the Midwest won the election for Bush and to me it was a shame that the backlash of risible marriages and abortion (as reported by intelligence operation affiliates as the determining reason for voting for Bush ) were more important than the situation in Iraq, terrorism, and the turbulent economy. I never ask to question anyones beliefs or morals, but gay marriages and abortion should be an individuals choice.Most important to take from this election is hopefully maintaining the interest of registered voters beyond this Presidential election, as there are more issues that will trick up within the coming years forwards the 2008 election. In California on the ballot was the repealing of Proposition 187, the 3 strikes law. I take in the spirit of 3 strikes, incarcerating repeat fiery offenders from 25 to life sentence in jails, but continually in the years since passage as laws, umteen triad strike offenders have been non- gaga repeat offenders. or so argue the old adage dont empower the crime, wont do the time, but theres a bigger issue of privatized prisons making hundreds of millions of dollars off the incarceration of young prisoners and the prison system being made up of predom inately African-American and Latino men. Conservative republican fan creation are carrying the votes.Melee breaks out at the Vibe Awards(published November 17,2004)Lastly there was the violent altercation that occurred at the, the Vibe appoints On November 16. During the four hour taping inner the hangar at the Santa Monica Airport an casualty broke as Quincy Jones and Snoop Dogg were presenting an acquaint to Hip-Hop producer Dr. Dre. An unidentified man attacked Dr. Dre, who was later assaulted y several members of his suite and left him stabbed, later identified as rapper Young Buck by authorities. With the Vibe honours, it is yet another black eye on Hip-Hop as well as on black-themed award shows. The incident alone wont spell the end of Hip-Hop or these musical award shows, but my over all positioning is the necessity of these award shows.Within the entertainment industry its become a joke that there are too many awards shows. Yet when it comes to black themed award sho ws, they are usually relegated to lesser channels like UPN and BET, and more often than not are taped delayed events. Such events as the NAACP flesh Awards, BET Awards, Soul admit Awards and Soul Train Lady of Soul, Vibe Awards, and the Source Awards all fall into this category. And incidents like this further perpetuate the stereotypes of the safety issue that constantly trouble hip-hop events. surprisingly events like the Rock the Bells concerts a week earlier at Anaheim Stadium that I covered for Contrabandit(and the Source)doesnt garner the positive press as when chaos ensues at televised events. At that event, despite some illegal medicate use, the show went off without any violent altercation or incident, in front of a mostly respective(a) White, Latino, and Asiatic audience. Myself being the only amazed at this diversity and more so shows how far hip-hop music and their artist have developed with such a diverse crowd and the artist being so comfortable in front of them. But dealing with the coverage of black themed awards shows their two sides to the competition. Those that feel that its alright that the awards shows are tape delayed and marginally watched by non-blacks because its for Blacks and its outgo that we have a awards show tape delayed hence none at all. As a matter of fact, the NAACP dubs its one-year awards Black Americas answer to the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Pulitzer, as it continues to recognise overlook performances by African-American entertainers that the mainstream Hollywood community pass over. But on the other hand there is the argument that by not being a live broadcast somehow relegates it as meaningless shows that dont really count.For starters, with most of the united States having access to the numerous channels open through cable and satellite boob tube, and at least 5-10 music themed channels, viewing music, movie house and television entertainers is a lot more accessible then in any era prior to the 1990s. B efore then, it was elevated being able to view entertainers out of doors of movies, therefore making movie and television award shows the only place to see them. Likewise for most, seeing their favorite musical artist perform live at awards show provided a free experience to catch them execute if they were unable to go to a concert to see them performing and this is remembering that MTV didnt debut till 25 years ago in 1981. But with the emergence of MTV, BET, VH1, and even E, it has provided a near 24 hour access to view these entertainers and even more so, know them beyond their music or the characters they portray on screen and films. Awards was more than just a shadow of honoring actors and musician, but that rare opportunity to view them live and has human.Speaking with my editor Ryan, he allowed me to go further with this topic and try to leave our readers some prospective and insight cornerstone awards show and why they exist. Working for the Source, he gave me some ins ide information intimately the motives behind events such as the Vibe, Source, BET, and blockbuster Awards shows MONEY By organizing one awards event for on night, the sponsorship and advertising for the event generates more money in one night then the magazines do for the entire year. up to now the awards presentations are staged, as more then likely the winner is determined by the artist that will appear, more than who deserves to win. When you look at the BET, Source, and Vibe awards, what they provide great revenue and backlash towards to the mainstream (white) award show are not able to decently honor the hip-hop artists that were annually disregarded for their work. Honestly for the most part the Grammys and American Music Awards do base their nomination, and Im sure, there awards recipient on mainstream success. But whereas the NAACP Image awards and Soul Train music awards were created to make up for these lack honors to Black performers, these proliferation of the othe r awards show, seems to be purely done as promotion.The experience that I take from my time working with Contrabandit, has been invaluable in applying the classroom knowledge I acquired from UCLA towards real world situations. Without the historical significance and ramification of events as they occurred and relating them to past events, I would not have been able to elaborate upon them in my writing for the website or convey the importance to my audience at the site.