We Make Us Better… Spread Love, It’s the Brooklyn Way.

 

On yesterday, the NY Daily News featured the men of We Make Us Better, a campaign started in Bed-Stuy to actively support, unite and empower the Black community.  I first heard about We Make Us Better from Richard Beavers, owner of the House of Art gallery on Lewis & Macon in Bed-Stuy.  Check out the article below.  For more information on We Make Us Better email: WeMakeUsBetter@gmail.com

Group of Bed-Stuy men, We Make Us Better, escorts pedestrians in wake of robberies (NY Daily News)

After a spate of recent muggings and robberies, a group of 20 Bedford-Stuyvesant men started escorting people home as they got off the train and are walking through the neighborhood reaching out to young men.

“We’re not the Guardian Angels, we’re not armed,” said Kareem Varlack, 35, a field technician for Verizon and a founding member of the group We Make Us Better.

“We’re about encouraging males to be involved, because you don’t see men in their 20s, 30s and 40s involved in the community anymore, so we’re trying to bridge that gap.”

Once a week – on random evenings – the men walk subway riders home from the Utica Ave. train station. They also sponsored a neighborhood outreach walk earlier this month, stopping to talk to young men hanging out on the corners.

Click Here to Read More

Brooklyn’s Finest? Rep. Anthony Weiner Calls Out Republicans As Being Corrupt and Owned by Insurance Companies

Love his energy today, but is this really gonna change anything tomorrow.

RELIEF FOR HAITI @ THE HOUSE OF ART (BROOKLYN, NY)

ATTENTION: NEW YORKERS AND BROOKLYN RESIDENTS

THE HOUSE OF ART GALLERY IN BROOKLYN IS ACCEPTING CANNED FOODS, CLOTHING, WATER, OR MONETARY DONATIONS FOR HAITI.

ALL DONATIONS WILL BE GIVEN TO THE YELE HAITI ORGANIZATION (YELE.ORG).

House of Art
373 Lewis Avenue
(corner of Macon & Lewis Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY 11233
347 663-8195

The country of Haiti has been devastated by an Earthquake.  Our brothers and sisters need our support, prayers and help more than anything during this crisis.  Beginning today anyone can drop off canned goods, clothing, water or monetary donations.  All donations will be given to the Yele Haiti Organization.

Here we go again : Foxy Brown Sex Tape Released to the Web

Depending on how many hits this get, I can tell if you guys are still interested in this type of stuff along with the daily stuff we post on this blog.

Well here we have rapper Foxy Brown (who has not had a hit in ages) in a clip of a sex tape supposedly let loose by Maino. Full version is sure to be released in 5,4,3,. Hit the jump to see her in all her glory!

[video] MAINO- If Tomorrow Comes Trailer

June 30th is quickly approaching and hopefully the streets are mobilizing to give homie the final push needed to show NY can support one of its own. The rest of the country already seems convinced, so lets hope tomorrow comes.

[video] MC Lyte- BROOKLYN

How could we not post this? BK ALL DAY!! From the Stuy to C.I., from the Bush to the Ville…and we ain’t talkin’ the “new” Brooklyn neither!!

[video] “Up Close & Personal” Season 2

Shout out to the Exec on this one. Season One was inspiring, Season Two should be a cliffhanger leading up to the highly anticipated release of Maino’s album this summer.

Jay Z-(Brooklyn Go Hard) Rocawear Commercial

more about “Jay Z-(Brooklyn Go Hard) Rocawear Com…“, posted with vodpod

Lil’ Kim’s Tax Records Emerge, Rapper Racked Up Nearly $1Mil In Debt

via SOHH

Lil’ Kim‘s $979,090 tax debt records have reportedly emerged, detailing each payment she currently owes including both state and federal taxes.                                                                             

The Brooklyn, New York rapper’s files stem from 2004 tax issues.

The state of New York filed a $12,599 tax warrant on April 26, 2008, in the New York County Clerk’s office. The IRS filed a $50,464 lien on Sept. 5, 2007, in the Bergen (N.J.) County Clerk’s office. The IRS filed a $67,509 lien on May 14, 2007, in Bergen County. The state of California filed a $4,089 lien on Sept. 16, 2005, in Sacramento County Court. The IRS filed a $232,348 lien on Aug. 16, 2005, in New Jersey. The state of New Jersey filed a $51,471 lien on Aug. 11, 2005, in New Jersey State Superior Court. The state of New Jersey filed a $77,939 lien on Dec. 9, 2004, in New Jersey Superior Court. The IRS filed a $482,671 lien on Feb. 19, 2004, in New Jersey. (Detroit News)

Despite being featured on reality television shows and releasing an album in 2005, Kim has still faced finanical troubles.

Bond No. 9 Launches “Brooklyn” Fragrance

You smell me?

via Highsnobiety

High end fragrance makers Bond No. 9 introduce their new Brooklyn Fragrance this month. The unisex fragrance comes in a new bottle design, which marks a first in the history of Bond No. 9 – they have directly applied the design onto the bottle.

“With the words BROOKLYN and BOND NO. 9 spelled out in a vivid array of colors, this is an example of contemporary street art with a message. In fact, the dynamic lettering transcends the Bond No. 9 centerpiece token logo it’s meant to be enclosed in—and almost seems to take off beyond the curved and angled shape of the bottle itself.”

The fragrance is now available at the Bond No. 9 store in New York and at Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide. A more detailed look at the bottle follows after the jump.

[video] Zab Judah Does the “Brooklyn Shake”[throwback]

Ah man, we all remember this. The fight that let all the steam out of Zab Judah’s career…um, before Mayweather finished him off. I’m from Brooklyn though, so back then it was kind of sacrilegious to laugh out loud at this, but now I’m LMAO!

 

 

Nu Boutique Hotel Opens in Brooklyn

The Nu Hotel is billed as Downtown Brooklyn’s first boutique hotel. The 93-room, newly built hotel was designed by Datumzero Design Office and has guest rooms in three styles, the Nu Standard, the Nu Friends Suite, and the Nu Urban Suite.

The Nu Friends Suites are equipped with bunk beds and modular furniture and Nu Urban Suites feature a cozy bed niche with leather surroundings, a sitting area and custom hammocks. Rooms have cork flooring, organic bedding materials and custom furnishings crafted from FSC- certified, sustainably harvested teak wood. Rooms also include 32″ flat-screen televisions with “jack packs” to dock audio, video and computer electronics and complementary wifi access.

KRS-ONE, DJ Premier To Headline BK Hip Hop Festival

The headliners of the Main Performance Day of the 2008 Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival have finally been announced. Legendary MC KRS ONE and DJ Premier will be leading the charge this year on July 12th along with Brooklyn’s own Buckshot.

KRS ONE is widely recognized as one of the greatest MC’s of all time with a career spanning over two decades. From ‘Criminal Minded’ to ‘Edutainment’ to ‘Return Of The Boom Bap’ KRS has delivered hit after genre defining hit. Also known as ‘The Teacha’ KRS has served as Hip-Hop’s conscious and intellectual barometer while earning respect from every corner of the Hip-Hop Nation. This summer KRS will be re-launching the Stop The Violence Movement, his initiative to combat inner city violence. Brooklyn Bodega and The Brooklyn Hip- Hop Festival will also be working with the Stop The Violence Movement on their Summer calendar.

MTV’s ‘The Real World’ Meets the Real World, Shoots in Brooklyn..

Source: NYT,MICHAEL WILSON

Okay folks they will not be shooting in Bed Stuy (which is actually middle class), or East New York(home of Uncle Murda), or any neighborhood where there are thugs on the corner. But they will be in the borough of Bklyn which is a a good dose of reality wherever you go. MTV producers will have their hands full when shooting starts sometime this Summer:

The structure of “The Real World” has not changed over 20 seasons: seven strangers are selected to live together, and all manner of racial prejudice, fighting and unrequited love ensue. The network plans to show the Brooklyn season in January. Shooting begins this summer, though Mr. Johnston would not say when.

“Generally we don’t like to announce where we are,” said Jim Johnston, an executive producer, who said that the show was scouting several Brooklyn locations and that nothing was final. “We like to work in complete anonymity when we can.”

“It’s less safe, I feel,” said Bruce Wallace, standing on Willoughby and sounding world-weary at age 19, but just a tyke when “The Real World” went on the air in 1992. “They could get mugged out here.”

The possible location was first reported on May 17 in the Brooklyn Paper. MTV, the network that produces the show, would not confirm the BellTel Lofts, site of the former New York Telephone Company on Bridge Street, as its chosen shooting location.

Full story here..

“Tyson” Recieves Standing ‘O’ @ Cannes Film Festival

While the media was stroking Indiana Jones, the “People’s Champ” went unmentioned in the US press

A brutally frank, no-holds barred documentary about the life of former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson won standing ovations from critics and audiences at the Cannes film festival last night.

Made by director James Toback, Tyson tracks the boxer’s career from his days as a teenage thief and drug dealer in Brooklyn to undisputed champion, and his dramatic fall from grace to incarceration for rape.

CLICK [HERE] for full story
CLICK [HERE] for related post

[video] Sha Stimuli- LOOK AT ME

I been hearing about brother man for ages so its a delight to finally hear a banger that matches up to the hype, plus my dude Theron directed the vid! Brooklyn, stand up!

[Editorial] A Day In Brooklyn

Petting Zoo by J Rowe

MURAKAMI Magic Mushroom 2 by J Rowe

VICTORY by J Rowe

MURAKAMI Magic Mushroom by J Rowe

VICTORY by J Rowe

Young Man (Rodin) by J Rowe

By PMoor

Yesterday I managed to pull myself away from the computer and make my rounds in the world, like when my namesake Morpheus jumps into the Matrix. What I found was surprising to say the least. Brooklyn is undergoing a transformation right before our eyes and as entrepreneurs we’re focused on getting in where we can fit in. At the end of the day Jay-Z and Bruce Ratner will change the landscape of what we now know to be Brooklyn forever just like Harlem will be transformed into something that is less cultural but more business. And you know how the old adage goes, “when you can’t beat ‘em you better join ‘em” (I can only vouch for what’s going on in Brooklyn, I can’t vouch for the BS taking place Uptown).

So, me and my mentor, Jacqueline Rowe held meetings this afternoon with some good folks from BUILD (Brooklyn United For Innovative Local Development) to see how we can inject ourselves into the future because its all about the future, my friends. Then we made our way up Flatbush Avenue taking note of all the landmark businesses we used to frequent that are now displaying “OUT OF BUSINESS” signs in their windows. While the point wasn’t lost on me that this may be as a result of the Nets Arena coming to town what resonated even more louder in my mind is that in this changing dynamic you gotta play to win, because one thing is certain, “Change Gon’ Come.”

Store Owner Puts Teen in Critical Condition with Hammer….

Source: Breibart via CBS 2 News

A Bklyn store owner is being charged with 1st. degree Felony assault for hitting a teen he suspected of stealing with a hammer. The teen now in critical condition has not yet been charged in the case.

Click here for video report…

CAVLAR GUNNED DOWN IN THE STREETS Of BK-RIP

Word coming out of Brooklyn is that it may have lost another one of its home breed rappers. Reports are saying that a 30 year old man to be killed in a Downtown Brooklyn shootout may have been Brooklyn rapper Cavlar. News 12 Brooklyn are reporting the story and showing the deceased victim’s car (a maroon color Jaquar that looks like similiar to Cavlar’s vehicle. There are “RIP” comments appearing on his Myspace at presstime. Story DEVELOPING…

Update :
The above story has been confirmed and we welcome comments from you guys on the situation, just please stay away from saying that Uncle Murda had something to do with this case. Though they had some previous beef there is no evidence linking him to this case.

New Dedication Video from BronxRap

Footage of CAVLAR embroiled in a beef with Uncle Murda..

Chuck Not Finished With Tupac Shooting

Source: EURWEB 

CLICK[ HERE ]VIDEO

LA Times reporter Chuck Phillips who set a new firestorm of press with his recent article about the shooting Tupac Shakur at Quad Studios. The article stated that associates of Sean “Puffy” Combs organized the ambush on Tupac and that he and Biggie Smalls knew of its occurence a week prior. Chuck has given a new interview which he feels that these murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur would be solved if it were “Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie”. Click here for interview

Chuck says Puffy and Biggie knew about Pac Ambush

In what seems to be the hot topic in the blogsphere, LA Times writer Chuck Phillips claims to have unearthed evidence that Puffy and Biggie knew about the hit on Tupac Shakur in Quad Studios, that left him shot five times. He says that this was all orchestrated by Czar entertainment CEO Jimmy Rosemond.

Read the full article here

Both Puffy and Rosemond have released statements denying any involvement.

Brooklyn Rapper Snags Role in B.I.G Movie “Notorious”

 

Brooklyn rapper Gravy has snagged the role of Christopher Wallace aka Notorious B.I.G. The rapper is due to star with Angela Basset who plays his mother. I must say Fendi and Gravy predicted this a very long time ago in one of their popular The Come Up DVD’s. I filmed Gravy years ago and was supposed to work with Fendi. Things never materialized but  I can do nothing but wish them well.

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