Grading the First Presidential Debate
By MARK HALPERIN / OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI (Sat Sep. 27, 10:20 AM ET)
John McCain
Substance: His arguments were hard to follow at the beginning, but he found his voice as the debate progressed, although he never seemed fully in control of his message. He had plenty to say about the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia, but often bogged down his own answers when trying to unfurl quips and soundbites. Stuck with bumper sticker slogans on the economy, and while he got a bit more detailed on foreign policy, he stayed at his usual level of abstraction. If he truly knows more about the world than Obama, he didn't show it in this debate.
Grade: B-
Style: Cluttered, jumpy, and often muddled. Frequent coughing early on helped neither his arguments nor his image. Jokes about being deaf and anecdotes about Normandy and George Shultz seemed ill-advised - even his pen was old. His presentation was further hindered by his wandering discussion of the differing heights of North and South Koreans and his angry assertion about how well he knows Henry Kissinger. Fell into the classic politician's trap of inserting familiar stump speech applause lines into debate responses - which only works if done with enthusiasm and clarity (and if received by applause - a big No-No in Lehrer's auditorium, which the audience obeyed seriously and silently). Keenly aware of the grand, grave occasion, McCain wavered between respectful and domineering, and ended up awkward and edgy.
Grade: C-
Offense: Emphasized his bread and butter issues of taxes and spending, and hit Obama on his failure to visit Iraq and his expressed willingness to meet with dictators. But while mocking his opponent on a few occasions, which reflected his acute disrespect for Obama, he did so in an insufficiently sharp and detailed manner - and unevenly worked elements of his rival's record into his attacks. Still he was utterly confident about his own experience, knowledge, and policies, even when tripped by his own tongue and distracted by the strains of debate practice. The main problem: Obama's obvious preparation and sharp answers contradicted McCain's frequent claims that the Democrat was uninformed and "didn't understand" key issues.
Grade: C+
Defense: He managed to ignore most of Obama's jibes, but was eventually baited into giving an extended answer about his policy differences with President Bush, after his opponent repeatedly mentioned McCain's regular support of Bush's budgets. Was visibly riled when clashing with Obama over a variety of issues, including Iraq, sanctions, and spending. He also chose to boast about Sarah Palin (although not by name) as his maverick partner, who, after her shaky week, may no longer be his ace in the hole.
Grade: B-
Overall: McCain was McCain - evocative, intense, and at times emotional, but also vague, elliptical, and atonal. Failed to deliver his "country first versus Obama first" message cleanly, even when offered several opportunities. Surprisingly, did not talk much about "change," virtually ceding the dominant issue of the race.
Overall grade: B-
(Read Mark Halperin's take on Barack Obama's performance)
Barack Obama
Substance: Quite manifestly immersed in the past, present, and future details of policy, and eager to express his views, which have been expanded, honed, and solidified during the last 18 months of hard campaigning. Still, he did avoid the nitty-gritty details of policy positions in favor of broad principles and references to working Americans, thereby not presenting the kind of specifics that some voters are waiting to hear from him.
Grade: B+
Style: Polished, confident, focused. Fully prepared, and able to convey a real depth of knowledge on nearly every issue. He was unhurried, and rarely lost his train of thought even when the debate wended and winded - and uttered far fewer of his trademark, distracting, "ums." At times, however, Obama revealed the level of his preparation by faltering over a rehearsed answer. He seemed to deliberately focus on the moderator and the home audience, with McCain as an afterthought - except when on the attack. Chose to avoid humor, for the most part, in favor of a stern demeanor, and in the process, came off as cool as a cucumber.
Grade: A
Offense: Linking McCain to Bush in his very first answer, he kept it up as his primary line of attack. Forcefully hit McCain for his early support of the Iraq War. Though he never drew blood, he did keep McCain a bit off balance, often with clever references to McCain's recent statements.
Grade: B
Defense: Had a reasonable answer for every charge that came his way - with little anger, bluster, or anxiety. Often interrupting McCain attacks with swift explanations and comebacks, he managed to spin accusations of being liberal as evidence of his relentless opposition to George Bush (in replies that were clearly planned). Offered a rather clumsy alternative to McCain's well-known, moving story of wearing the bracelet of a soldier lost in Iraq (a gift from the soldier's mother), with a story about a bracelet of his own. Fearless, without condescension, he attempted the gracious move of agreeing with or complimenting a McCain position, occasionally to his own detriment.
Grade: A-
Overall: Went for a solid, consistent performance to introduce himself to the country. He did not seem nervous, tentative, or intimidated by the event, and avoided mistakes from his weak debate performances during nomination season (a professorial tone and long winded answers). Standing comfortably on the stage with his rival, he showed he belonged - evocative of Reagan, circa 1980. He was so confident by the end that he reminded his biggest audience yet that his father was from Kenya. Two more performances like that and he will be very tough to beat on Election Day.
Overall grade: A-
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Take Note....
DeSean Jackson has got to be THE most unselfish player in the NFL. Who else would run all the way to the endzone only to drop the ball at the 1 in hopes that one of his team mates would pick it up and take it in for the glory?! Unfortunately, none of his team mates would step up to the plate. Actually, not a player on either team would take that glory away from Jackson. So, there on a hot night in Dallas, the ball stood still, on the 1 yard line. At first there was disbelief as to what had happened, but upon further review it was clear, Jackson simply wasn't ready to score. No one was.
When DeSean spoke with ESPN reporter, Mike Wilbon, Jackson had this to say, "Sure it would have been a great touchdown, but I just wasn't ready. You know like when your at Subway and your lookin at all those veggies and someone behind you is like, Hey man hurry up and getcho' veggies!, and you're like, Hey man, I'm not ready! It was kinda like that. Anyway, I put tha ball down, but no one wanted it. So, after the play I was like fuck it, and went to the bathroom to take a shit and drink a Sobe Life Water." Mr. Wilbon did not have a follow up question.
- j
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sacrilegious
I-M PISSED OFF!
You know ... I am so sick of front runners. I have met sooo many Patriots fans over the last couple of years. I have seen Yankees fans recently jump ship only to say that they never really liked the Yankees then they go running over to Boston. I have had CLEVELAND people actually tell me that they would be Browns fans if the Browns knew how to win, but since they don't they've decided that they would be Steelers fans.
W T F ? What does this speak about a person's character? What does it say when a person can't stand behind someone or something or some group going through tough times. Some people would say - "These people are smart, they are winners." Personally, I wonder how these people feel about themselves when they lose. It's sickening and it makes me want to throw up.
I have been a Browns fan since I was a kid growing up in Copley, OH. I have stood by them through their worst years and have never thought once about jumping ship. When I moved to Philly I started liking the Eagles as well. I told myself that it was okay to have an AFC team and an NFC team in hopes that one day they would play each other in the Superbowl. (yeah I know it's a long shot) I have stood by the Eagles in their toughest times with no thoughts of jumping ship.
Enough about me because it's obvious that I have a spine... one of the few from Ohio who do. I consider myself a winner! Should I not because I think this way?
You know, I have never seen a state so ashamed of itself. Ohio people have zero state pride. I'm calling the whole state out!!!! How many of you would really be Buckeyes fans if they sucked?
FRONT RUNNERS!!!!
I don't know. What do I know? Wait, maybe I'm behind the game. Maybe I should be a front runner too! Maybe I should throw anyone who I've ever stood by that has a rough patch in life to the side and just give up on em! That's ethical right? RIGHT?! After all, arguably one of our greatest athletes ever already has. I wonder if he's really a Cavs fan at all?
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Say goodbye to LeBron, Cleveland
Posted by Jamey Codding (09/10/2008 @ 2:21 pm)
Braylon Edwards speaketh the truth:
“LeBron (James) isn’t a Cleveland guy. LeBron only plays for the Cavaliers, and who knows if he even likes the Cavaliers? He doesn’t like the Indians. He doesn’t like the Browns.”
The Browns receiver made his comments after LeBron James hung out on the Dallas sidelines during pregame warmups prior to the Cowboys/Browns game Sunday afternoon, hugging Terrell Owens and Adam “Don’t Call Me Pacman” Jones, chatting with owner Jerry Jones, and wearing a Yankees cap.
Of course, it was a Yankees cap that first had people questioning LeBron’s loyalty to his hometown. As a (tortured) Cleveland fan, I was pretty fired up when LeBron wore a Yankees hat to Jacobs Field for the Indians’ opening playoff game against the Yanks last year:
Cleveland is most definitely a football city, but LeBron is without question the face of Cleveland sports right now. That doesn’t mean that he has to root for every Cleveland sports franchise, but he crossed the line when he wore a Yankees hat to the game last night. That’d be like David Ortiz donning a Peyton Manning jersey during a Colts/Pats game in New England or, even worse, Tom Brady wearing a Yankees hat to a Sox/Yankees game at Fenway. You just don’t do it.
At the time, what irked me most wasn’t that LeBron wore the hat to the game, but that he taunted the fans — who are, of course, his fans during basketball season — by holding the hat above his head and egging on the crowd. It was an immature and classless move, and at the time I said that it spoke very poorly of his so-called loyalties to his hometown.
And now this.
As I mentioned previously, athletes are fans too, and they can root for whomever they want. I’m not ragging on LeBron for being a Cowboys fan or a Yankees fan or even a Bulls fan, all of whom he rooted for as a kid growing up in Akron. I do think it’s fair to call him a frontrunner, since all three of those teams were winning titles back then, but that’s not the point.
In fact, LeBron choosing to publicize his allegiances in front of Cleveland fans and, in the Indians/Yankees case, even taunting the fans in the process, isn’t even the point anymore. The point now, as Braylon Edwards pointed out, is simple: LeBron James isn’t a Cleveland guy. And that’s very bad news for the Cavaliers and their fans.
LeBron can opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season, at which point the Cavaliers will be able to offer the star forward more money than any other team in the league. That may sound like a big advantage for the Cavs, and maybe it will prove to be. But working against Cleveland is the fact that LeBron’s contract with Nike will reportedly pay him more if he moves to a larger market like New York or LA. Maybe that’s just a rumor, because I haven’t found any concrete numbers on this, but it’s a widely reported rumor that LeBron has never bothered to shoot down. Add on top of that the fact that LeBron would make even more money in endorsements playing in a big city while also inflating his already enormous worldwide popularity, and however many more millions the Cavaliers can offer LeBron will look like chump change in the final equation.
And then, of course, there’s LeBron’s buddy Jay-Z, who just happens to be part owner of the New Jersey Nets. The Nets just happened to shed a bunch of salary by trading Richard Jefferson this offseason. They also just happen to be planning to move to Brooklyn and open a brand new arena in 2010. And Brooklyn just happens to be LeBron’s “favorite borough” in his favorite city of New York.
Throughout all of this city-wide “will he stay or will he go?” fretting, the one ace the fans thought they had up their sleeve was the fact that LeBron was a hometown guy who actually wanted to stay in Cleveland. Well, I’m not buying it, and neither is Braylon Edwards:
“He’s a guy from Akron who likes everybody but his hometown. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it is what it is, and he is who he is. You know, it’s LeBron.”
Preach on, Braylon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Browns Videos ... Check out the Braylon interview
Are there any real champions left?
FURIOUS!
I-M
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Lock 3 Live
Lock 3 Live experienced Hip Hop in its purest form for the first time this weekend. Here is the article written up on Ohio.com about its success! Visit Ohio.com! Also, big ups to Ace Boogie from Akron who performed in the concert. Mad Love! 4 Pillars! Visit: http://www.myspace.com/nappygrooves and http://www.myspace.com/meccamediainc for more on Ace Boogie.
Malcolm X Abram: Lock 3 Live season closing with a bang
Sharp Dressed Man, Rock Bottom to perform on Friday; hip-hop rules Saturday with legends, area talent
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
POSTED: 12:32 a.m. EDT, Sep 04, 2008
All my old(er)-school hip-hop heads say ''Ho-oh!''
This weekend is the closer for Akron's 2008 Lock 3 Live concert season. It begins with beards and Texas Boogie and ends with a human beatbox and hip-hop bang.
On Friday, WONE's Rock the Lock series closes with Rock Bottom, a local party/cover band that will be playing its final gig ever. The evening's headliner is another tribute band called Sharp Dressed Man, a tribute to ZZ Top. Members are from Austin, Texas, and they've got beards, sharp suits and a supercool drum kit with lighted ZZ Top logos on the kick-drum heads, so you know they're serious about their Southern fried boogie woogie.
On Saturday, the season's final concert will be the first Akron Hip-Hop Showcase. Designed to be a family affair that bridges the generation gap between older hip-hop heads tired of gangsta cliches, odes to strippers and lists of material possessions and younger rap fans who may not know there are alternatives to the aforementioned.
The concert has an early start time of 3 p.m. and will feature a mix of area talent, up-and-comers and a couple of bona fide legends.
Among the local cats featured will be Cleveland's Poetic Republic, a six-man crew whose lyrics and beats recall the smooth jazz-inflected grooves of the mid-'90s era from groups such as Black Star, Slum Village and the Roots. The group — Rembrandt, Ahp Qwes, DJ Ceven, Asante, Angelo and Frank Soul — is nominated for a 2008 Ohio hip-hop award for best group.
They don't bother much with champagne popping or ho hopping (hey, that rhymes!) instead rhyming about their lyrical skills, underdogs of the world and love (as opposed to lust).
Also from the local talent pool is Akron's own poet/rapper/producer Ace Boogie. I've seen him perform several times and he never disappoints, always bringing a lot of energy, positive vibes and usually some live musicians.
Boogie is a blue-collar rapper bringing some social consciousness to his lyrics as well as a basic desire to rock the party.
Also from Akron is Random X & Cap C, a duo that deftly works the old braggadocio style of street-corner battle rappers.
Straight outta D.C. comes the Low Budget collective featuring Kev Brown, Kenn Starr and producer Oddisee, who is connected to turntable legend DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production company that helped launch Jill Scott.
Also from the nation's capital is rapper/educator Asheru, who provides the theme for the animated series The Boondocks and is a co-founder of the Hip Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P), which uses hip-hop in schools to help make reading interesting and culturally relevant for at-risk youth.
In addition to the Saturday gig, Asheru — aka Gabriel Benn — will be giving a teacher's symposium along with Hip-Hop Showcase sponsors Keepers of the Art Inc. from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Gardner Student Center at the University of Akron. Benn will present a H.E.L.P. curriculum and stress culturally relevant education. The symposium is open to all social workers and area teachers.
The afternoon's headliners are hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, who both as a team and as solo artists have given hip-hop several of its established classics including The Show, La-Di-Da-Di, Keep Risin' to the Top, Mona Lisa and the heavily imitated cautionary tale Children's Story.
Fresh, whose beatboxing skills (along with the deceased Buff ''The Human Beatbox'' of the Fatboys) are still a template for all that followed (yeah, Justin Timberlake, too) is the self proclaimed ''Greatest Entertainer.'' He brings that old-school, party-rocking vibe with lots of audience call and response and participation. Expect to throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.
Holding down the grooves between acts will be Cleveland's world traveling DJ Mick Boogie and Akron B-Boy veterans Illstyle Rockers, which will offer back breaking and acrobatic break dancing.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
All my old(er)-school hip-hop heads say ''Ho-oh!''
This weekend is the closer for Akron's 2008 Lock 3 Live concert season. It begins with beards and Texas Boogie and ends with a human beatbox and hip-hop bang.
On Friday, WONE's Rock the Lock series closes with Rock Bottom, a local party/cover band that will be playing its final gig ever. The evening's headliner is another tribute band called Sharp Dressed Man, a tribute to ZZ Top. Members are from Austin, Texas, and they've got beards, sharp suits and a supercool drum kit with lighted ZZ Top logos on the kick-drum heads, so you know they're serious about their Southern fried boogie woogie.
On Saturday, the season's final concert will be the first Akron Hip-Hop Showcase. Designed to be a family affair that bridges the generation gap between older hip-hop heads tired of gangsta cliches, odes to strippers and lists of material possessions and younger rap fans who may not know there are alternatives to the aforementioned.
The concert has an early start time of 3 p.m. and will feature a mix of area talent, up-and-comers and a couple of bona fide legends.
Among the local cats featured will be Cleveland's Poetic Republic, a six-man crew whose lyrics and beats recall the smooth jazz-inflected grooves of the mid-'90s era from groups such as Black Star, Slum Village and the Roots. The group — Rembrandt, Ahp Qwes, DJ Ceven, Asante, Angelo and Frank Soul — is nominated for a 2008 Ohio hip-hop award for best group.
They don't bother much with champagne popping or ho hopping (hey, that rhymes!) instead rhyming about their lyrical skills, underdogs of the world and love (as opposed to lust).
Also from the local talent pool is Akron's own poet/rapper/producer Ace Boogie. I've seen him perform several times and he never disappoints, always bringing a lot of energy, positive vibes and usually some live musicians.
Boogie is a blue-collar rapper bringing some social consciousness to his lyrics as well as a basic desire to rock the party.
Also from Akron is Random X & Cap C, a duo that deftly works the old braggadocio style of street-corner battle rappers.
Straight outta D.C. comes the Low Budget collective featuring Kev Brown, Kenn Starr and producer Oddisee, who is connected to turntable legend DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production company that helped launch Jill Scott.
Also from the nation's capital is rapper/educator Asheru, who provides the theme for the animated series The Boondocks and is a co-founder of the Hip Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P), which uses hip-hop in schools to help make reading interesting and culturally relevant for at-risk youth.
In addition to the Saturday gig, Asheru — aka Gabriel Benn — will be giving a teacher's symposium along with Hip-Hop Showcase sponsors Keepers of the Art Inc. from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Gardner Student Center at the University of Akron. Benn will present a H.E.L.P. curriculum and stress culturally relevant education. The symposium is open to all social workers and area teachers.
The afternoon's headliners are hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, who both as a team and as solo artists have given hip-hop several of its established classics including The Show, La-Di-Da-Di, Keep Risin' to the Top, Mona Lisa and the heavily imitated cautionary tale Children's Story.
Fresh, whose beatboxing skills (along with the deceased Buff ''The Human Beatbox'' of the Fatboys) are still a template for all that followed (yeah, Justin Timberlake, too) is the self proclaimed ''Greatest Entertainer.'' He brings that old-school, party-rocking vibe with lots of audience call and response and participation. Expect to throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.
Holding down the grooves between acts will be Cleveland's world traveling DJ Mick Boogie and Akron B-Boy veterans Illstyle Rockers, which will offer back breaking and acrobatic break dancing.
Malcolm X Abram: Lock 3 Live season closing with a bang
Sharp Dressed Man, Rock Bottom to perform on Friday; hip-hop rules Saturday with legends, area talent
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
POSTED: 12:32 a.m. EDT, Sep 04, 2008
All my old(er)-school hip-hop heads say ''Ho-oh!''
This weekend is the closer for Akron's 2008 Lock 3 Live concert season. It begins with beards and Texas Boogie and ends with a human beatbox and hip-hop bang.
On Friday, WONE's Rock the Lock series closes with Rock Bottom, a local party/cover band that will be playing its final gig ever. The evening's headliner is another tribute band called Sharp Dressed Man, a tribute to ZZ Top. Members are from Austin, Texas, and they've got beards, sharp suits and a supercool drum kit with lighted ZZ Top logos on the kick-drum heads, so you know they're serious about their Southern fried boogie woogie.
On Saturday, the season's final concert will be the first Akron Hip-Hop Showcase. Designed to be a family affair that bridges the generation gap between older hip-hop heads tired of gangsta cliches, odes to strippers and lists of material possessions and younger rap fans who may not know there are alternatives to the aforementioned.
The concert has an early start time of 3 p.m. and will feature a mix of area talent, up-and-comers and a couple of bona fide legends.
Among the local cats featured will be Cleveland's Poetic Republic, a six-man crew whose lyrics and beats recall the smooth jazz-inflected grooves of the mid-'90s era from groups such as Black Star, Slum Village and the Roots. The group — Rembrandt, Ahp Qwes, DJ Ceven, Asante, Angelo and Frank Soul — is nominated for a 2008 Ohio hip-hop award for best group.
They don't bother much with champagne popping or ho hopping (hey, that rhymes!) instead rhyming about their lyrical skills, underdogs of the world and love (as opposed to lust).
Also from the local talent pool is Akron's own poet/rapper/producer Ace Boogie. I've seen him perform several times and he never disappoints, always bringing a lot of energy, positive vibes and usually some live musicians.
Boogie is a blue-collar rapper bringing some social consciousness to his lyrics as well as a basic desire to rock the party.
Also from Akron is Random X & Cap C, a duo that deftly works the old braggadocio style of street-corner battle rappers.
Straight outta D.C. comes the Low Budget collective featuring Kev Brown, Kenn Starr and producer Oddisee, who is connected to turntable legend DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production company that helped launch Jill Scott.
Also from the nation's capital is rapper/educator Asheru, who provides the theme for the animated series The Boondocks and is a co-founder of the Hip Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P), which uses hip-hop in schools to help make reading interesting and culturally relevant for at-risk youth.
In addition to the Saturday gig, Asheru — aka Gabriel Benn — will be giving a teacher's symposium along with Hip-Hop Showcase sponsors Keepers of the Art Inc. from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Gardner Student Center at the University of Akron. Benn will present a H.E.L.P. curriculum and stress culturally relevant education. The symposium is open to all social workers and area teachers.
The afternoon's headliners are hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, who both as a team and as solo artists have given hip-hop several of its established classics including The Show, La-Di-Da-Di, Keep Risin' to the Top, Mona Lisa and the heavily imitated cautionary tale Children's Story.
Fresh, whose beatboxing skills (along with the deceased Buff ''The Human Beatbox'' of the Fatboys) are still a template for all that followed (yeah, Justin Timberlake, too) is the self proclaimed ''Greatest Entertainer.'' He brings that old-school, party-rocking vibe with lots of audience call and response and participation. Expect to throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.
Holding down the grooves between acts will be Cleveland's world traveling DJ Mick Boogie and Akron B-Boy veterans Illstyle Rockers, which will offer back breaking and acrobatic break dancing.
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
All my old(er)-school hip-hop heads say ''Ho-oh!''
This weekend is the closer for Akron's 2008 Lock 3 Live concert season. It begins with beards and Texas Boogie and ends with a human beatbox and hip-hop bang.
On Friday, WONE's Rock the Lock series closes with Rock Bottom, a local party/cover band that will be playing its final gig ever. The evening's headliner is another tribute band called Sharp Dressed Man, a tribute to ZZ Top. Members are from Austin, Texas, and they've got beards, sharp suits and a supercool drum kit with lighted ZZ Top logos on the kick-drum heads, so you know they're serious about their Southern fried boogie woogie.
On Saturday, the season's final concert will be the first Akron Hip-Hop Showcase. Designed to be a family affair that bridges the generation gap between older hip-hop heads tired of gangsta cliches, odes to strippers and lists of material possessions and younger rap fans who may not know there are alternatives to the aforementioned.
The concert has an early start time of 3 p.m. and will feature a mix of area talent, up-and-comers and a couple of bona fide legends.
Among the local cats featured will be Cleveland's Poetic Republic, a six-man crew whose lyrics and beats recall the smooth jazz-inflected grooves of the mid-'90s era from groups such as Black Star, Slum Village and the Roots. The group — Rembrandt, Ahp Qwes, DJ Ceven, Asante, Angelo and Frank Soul — is nominated for a 2008 Ohio hip-hop award for best group.
They don't bother much with champagne popping or ho hopping (hey, that rhymes!) instead rhyming about their lyrical skills, underdogs of the world and love (as opposed to lust).
Also from the local talent pool is Akron's own poet/rapper/producer Ace Boogie. I've seen him perform several times and he never disappoints, always bringing a lot of energy, positive vibes and usually some live musicians.
Boogie is a blue-collar rapper bringing some social consciousness to his lyrics as well as a basic desire to rock the party.
Also from Akron is Random X & Cap C, a duo that deftly works the old braggadocio style of street-corner battle rappers.
Straight outta D.C. comes the Low Budget collective featuring Kev Brown, Kenn Starr and producer Oddisee, who is connected to turntable legend DJ Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production company that helped launch Jill Scott.
Also from the nation's capital is rapper/educator Asheru, who provides the theme for the animated series The Boondocks and is a co-founder of the Hip Hop Educational Literacy Program (H.E.L.P), which uses hip-hop in schools to help make reading interesting and culturally relevant for at-risk youth.
In addition to the Saturday gig, Asheru — aka Gabriel Benn — will be giving a teacher's symposium along with Hip-Hop Showcase sponsors Keepers of the Art Inc. from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Gardner Student Center at the University of Akron. Benn will present a H.E.L.P. curriculum and stress culturally relevant education. The symposium is open to all social workers and area teachers.
The afternoon's headliners are hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, who both as a team and as solo artists have given hip-hop several of its established classics including The Show, La-Di-Da-Di, Keep Risin' to the Top, Mona Lisa and the heavily imitated cautionary tale Children's Story.
Fresh, whose beatboxing skills (along with the deceased Buff ''The Human Beatbox'' of the Fatboys) are still a template for all that followed (yeah, Justin Timberlake, too) is the self proclaimed ''Greatest Entertainer.'' He brings that old-school, party-rocking vibe with lots of audience call and response and participation. Expect to throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.
Holding down the grooves between acts will be Cleveland's world traveling DJ Mick Boogie and Akron B-Boy veterans Illstyle Rockers, which will offer back breaking and acrobatic break dancing.
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