MDMA Cobain is back from hibernating under a rock and ready to give us his best and very long overdue radio voice with his new podcast #CutThaCheck. His show is bigger, better and brighter this time as MDMA Cobain provides us with new talent from artists in the DMV and more music by the most talented of Baltimore’s barrel.
MDMA Cobain, better known as Frank the host of this quite swanky show, gives us the jewels with his first podcast from his new series with co-host RonRoc, music producer of the MDMA Lifestyle Brand. In this interview, we become familiar with Baltimore Blogger Shae McCoy, hip-hop duo HollidayShellz, and MDMA Lifestyle artist Relloe1489.
What keeps me so intrigued with MDMA Cobain’s branding techniques is his unique parodies that come along with the show. During #CutThaCheck, we hear a parody about a woman who is “Clique Bait,”which is a female who’s been around town if you catch my drift. Usually the music shared on Frank’s podcasts are artist’s originals, but you’ll hear the occasional Juicy J, Project Pat or rapidly emerging Flatbush Zombies via the podcast, as well.
So what do you think about this new local show? We surely hope to hear and see more from the MDMA Lifestyle brand. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
For you to keep up with the MDMA Lifestyle music follow their soundcloud, here.
At 11:30 AM, the rally outside of the convention was scheduled to begin and was reported by news outlets such as Fox 45 News and WJZ CBS Baltimore. Though Trump was not expected to speak during the convention until 1 PM, all the action took place on public property in front of the National Guard Convention.
Across from Pratt Street on the opposite side of the Convention Center stood the Trump Supporters with their vote Trump and “Make America Great Again” signs. There they stood, a group of majority white-collared professionals sprinkled in with a few ignorant rednecks who arrived in a white and blue school bus, foreign to natives of the city. Adjacent to their street corner of choice at the intersection of Charles and Pratt Street, stood the hopeful and high-spirited protesters with their many signs expressing their freedoms of speech.
For a total of four hours, the groups battled to get their points across. Trump supporters reciting policies that Trump promises to implement once in the office while protesters chant “Fuck Trump.” The atmosphere was at odds.
For the most part, the rally held Monday morning was peaceful. But as expected, there were Trump supporters who became too passionate and chose to resort to violence to get their message across. One supporter hopped on his bicycle riding at full speed towards the protesters in hopes his salivating mouth would gain its relief, as he aimed halt spit in the direction of a protester’s face. He did not succeed. Baltimore City police officers intervened pulling the Trump supporter away from the crowd.
The heat was on the moment protesters viewed police officers protecting the supporters instead of being the protectors of everyone. Even while Trump supporters aggressively wiggled their way towards protesters, Baltimore police continued to remind the day’s freedom fighters to remain calm and away from the Trump supporters. Frustrated by this, the majority of Protesters left the opposing corner of Charles and Pratt to be on the same side of the street where Trump Supporters stood.
For the remainder of the event, a political whirlwind rested between Bank of America and Baltimore Convention Center until crowds died down. Trump was never spotted.
Donald Trump did not speak publicly to crowds outside the convention center. But he was spotted in Dundalk Baltimore, MD on social media.
How do you think Donald Trump should have responded to the rally that took place outside of the Baltimore Convention Center? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Today’s YTube Alert is a viral video that most of you might have already viewed on Facebook. This is the full video of Elizabeth and Sabrina from the Lizzy Wurst YouTube Channel eating the world’s hottest pepper.
I don’t know where this phase of completing challenges to post for people to watch online came from. But as far as I can remember, it’s been the craze since 2014. Even I have taken the time to complete a challenge to bring awareness towards a deserving issue. Associate editor of Doc’s Castle Media and author of Hide and I’ll Seek Blog Series Kendyl Walker challenged me to the Ice Bucket Challenge in respects of those who are battling for a cure for ALS.
These challenges are very fun to do and it’s a great way to get a message across for important topics. But some challenges can go too far and could cause serious harm if people aren’t careful with what they’re doing. I’ll never forget when the fire challenge suddenly became the craze on the Internet.
This week I spotted a video going viral of two young girls completing a challenge to try the world’s hottest pepper. The world’s hottest pepper is the Carolina Reaper Pepper. It originated in Rock hill, South Carolina and was named the world’s hottest pepper August 7, 2013 by Guinness World Record.
In the video, Elizabeth and Sabrina each take a bite of the raw pepper and immediately catch the shock of a lifetime. It may be a shock that they surely regretted.
If you haven’t checked out this funny channel, you’re missing out. These girls spend their days completing many challenges. I think their challenge to take on the Carolina Reaper is their funniest video, yet.
What was the crazy challenge you watched on YouTube? Comment them below.
The Bmore Beat Club lit the corner of Charles Street and North Avenue over the weekend with their 2nd Annual Celebration at The Ynot Lot. Hundreds gathered at the lot participating in festival activities by watching producers, rappers, and MC’s collaborate in a hip-hop experience unique to Baltimore’s Art Scene.
Bmore Beat Club is an open mic organized by The Lineup Room with a purpose of bridging relationships between MCs and producers. It’s not your commonly found Open Mic in Baltimore, either. At BBC, producers bring their best compositions to the forefront while rappers reveal their true lyricism in collaboration with producer’s beats. Everything is done on stage in front hip-hop fans. This unique experience takes you back to a time when hip-hop was first birthed in New York City, but BBC delivers with its own Bmore twist.
Over the weekend, locals made cameo appearances in celebration of BBC’s second year running. Baltimore artists such as DDM, Icon Tha God, Chase Ultra, Doowy Lloh, Donnie Breeze, and many more graced Ynot’s corner with a fiery presence and lots of thriving energy. The night’s turnout was beyond what was expected, and the crowd welcomed the raw talent with love and respect.
It was just a tiny hump during the show, but The Lineup Room continued to prevail. There were miniature electrical malfunctions that may have stolen 10 minutes of the festival’s time. But evening’s innovators turned downtime into time travel, as rappers quickly formed a circle center of the crowd sparking an old school cypher. It was a spectacular save, and the night was at hip-hop’s original state, once again.
At that moment, the turn-up became real and electrifying performances of talent from different corners of the city showed everyone what they had to offer. In seeing all the positivity, there was no doubt the open mic was a success.
The Lineup Room awarded the winner of the open mic with an EP record deal, 100 CDs, music video, and public relations services. A great package for the determined and goal-driven recording artist.
The open mic ended promptly at 11 PM, but the celebration was far from over. Bmore Beat Club after party was held at The Crown, just 3 doors down from The Ynot Lot. So event-goers could mingle some more and not make huge commutes outside of the Station North art grounds.
Each year, Writers in Baltimore School recruit middle and high school students into a one- week summer reading and writing program to help promote proficient reading and writing skills within Baltimore City Urban youth. To end their annual closing ceremony this year, the student’s mentors and writing coaches encouraged students to read projects they worked on throughout the summer to their family and friends a Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse on North Avenue.
Students took turns performing front and center at Red Emma’s mic to recite their best work on various topics. Beautiful and thought-provoking pieces on subjects such as love, respect, and inspiration. Some students even opened up to sharing their thoughts on deeper topics like heartbreak, death, and injustice. These youngsters showed their versatility with words.
The students of Writers in Baltimore School let their listeners in on what’s happening in their heads. While listening to this talented group’s thoughts, I had to take a step back and admire what these kids were contributing. As adults, we can easily overlook what these students care about. We forget that the decisions that our society makes affects them, as well. Hearing the stories and poems of how these students felt about their communities and culture stuck with me.
Our children’s future matters. They’re our decision-makers for how we will live later down the line. So what happens in our society should make enough sense for them to understand because they live in cohabitation with the rest of us. I sometimes wonder how these kids end up getting the short end of the stick from the adults who make the decisions for them? To think when we make decisions to discontinue grading homework in our Baltimore County Schools or when we abolish after school programs and recreational centers because of lack of funding, how it can do more harm, than good. Writers In Baltimore School programs bring us back full circle in reminding us that the youth is who matters.
Writer’s In Baltimore’s mission as stated on their Facebook page states:
“WBS seeks to provide middle school students with a vibrant environment for literary development through in-school, afterschool, and summer creative writing workshops taught by Baltimore writers and college students. Compared to higher income peers, the reading assessment scores of low-income Baltimore students drop significantly between grades 5-8. WBS believes that by supplementing low-income students’ middle school language arts learning with an intensive program in literary reading and creative writing, these students can enter high school with a renewed interest in literature. WBS steps in where the traditional language arts classroom falls short by giving students a smaller, more participatory setting to hone reading and writing skills.”
It could be cliché for me to say this quote, but I can wholeheartedly attest there is truth behind the phrase, “Reading is fundamental.” Reading can take a person places they’ve never been. It can make people experience things they’ve never done, and provide opportunities once someone unlocks knowledge from the pages read. While listening to the students talk of the summer books they read, and of the short stories and poems they wrote, I learned what each individual had experienced personally. I believed their summer classes changed them in a way that helped them grow. The experience was fundamental.
Writers In Baltimore Schools hold a variety of workshops; in-school, after school, song-writing, and theater themes. Would you say programs like WBS are helping our community and youth? Share your thoughts below.
Self-starter journalists from around the Baltimore and DC Metropolitan area came together for a 3-day weekend conference to share knowledge and resources at the first annual When The Press Link Up event at the University of District of Columbia in Washington, DC. The event was held as a networking gathering for underground media to come together and share tips for how they create content, share stories, and build a brand following.
The event was hosted and organized by journalist and owner of PRWiz, LLC, Mindy Jo. According to the event’s website:
“The purpose for When the Press Link Up is for aspiring and current social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to gather, network, and engage in dialogue. An opportunity to learn new techniques through educational workshops, awhile enhancing current creative content productions. The goal of When the Press Link Up is to establish a scholarship fund to aid Media Arts students in the United States, along with assisting Teach for Madagascar nonprofit education program.”
The conference was a very resourceful opportunity that Doc’s Castle Media took part in. I was the welcomer for Saturday’s festivities. So I opened the event greeting everyone and sharing my thoughts on the current climate in Baltimore since the death of Freddie Gray, and since charges been dropped in his case in late July. I also shared a few words about Baltimore’s new addition to police brutality victimization, Korryn Gaines.
Attending When The Press Link Up was an eye-opening experience. It brought me to the realization that though we all come from different places, there are similar problems occurring in our neighborhoods. We must work together to try to report a truth that will bring positive change. Most journalists in attendance were chasing stories off pure passion and weren’t getting compensated for any of it. That tells me most journalists that attended are like me. It’s good to know that I’m not the lone wolf working to make a change simply through writing about it. There are more people willing to go above and beyond to share all sides of a story, rather than the side that’ll gain profit.
Events like When The Press Link Up brings us together to brainstorm ways of resolving community issues. Days prior to the conference, a victim of police brutality Korryn Gaines was killed in Baltimore County, Maryland. During When The Press Link Up, underground media discussed meetup spots in Baltimore where they could get involved with what was happening to help her family and friends protect her story. Most importantly, the journalist discussed how to listen out for clues to tackle stories by large media outlets who provide us with information. We learned to determine the difference between having information fed through mass media to represent “fact” versus being shared to form an opinion within the community. We networked and congregated on our perceptions of what we believed to be true journalism. The event seemed to have met its mission purpose.
I was a little disappointed in the turnout. There weren’t enough people there that registered for the conference who wasn’t already a creator or entrepreneur of their own brand. Everyone I met already knew the basics of building a social media brand. Similar to my early years of blogging when I saw nothing but the performers in venues with a small audience, the conference room that housed When The Press Link Up was as deserted as open mic night at local Baltimore arts venue on Charles Street The Depot. Yet again, I was at another event where there’s a lack of support from the community? It did nothing but bring my frustrations towards a society that does not support what’s going on around them because of their lack of community awareness. It’s always the events that have the potential to bring societal change that gets overlooked.
According to PRWiz, LLC, this will not be the only time When The Press Link Up will happen. The event will be held again in the future for more media entrepreneurs to share their experience in media. I hope that I’ll be invited to the next one, and there’ll be a larger audience yearning to gain new knowledge of what it takes to be an underground social media journalist.
Do you follow any social media journalist on your social media sites? List a few that you know in the comments below.
Everything that happens has a reason and a cause. That’s why I won’t knock the knowledge I’ve learned since the death of Korrynn Gaines, the 23-year black woman who was gunned down by police officers earlier this August in front of her 5-year-old son and the comfort of her own home.
Photo From Korryn Gaines Social Account
Since Korrynn’s death, there’s are numerous questions about what truly happened during her 6-hour standoff with the Baltimore County Police Department. For several days, the general public was left in the dark about whether the police kicked her apartment door in while entering her apartment or if they obtained a key, and questions on whether she fired her shotgun at police first or if the police did.
Hearing so many questions regarding this shooting can make someone question if the people we put our trust in to protect and serve us are really honest in their dealings. It caused me to do a little more research about policy.
Previous to Korrynn’s most recent encounter with the Baltimore County Police Department, there was another incident with county police in March. The police interrogated the Korryn for 20 minutes for driving around with cardboard tags instead of Maryland state tags on her car. When asked to provide documentation for her vehicle, she repeatedly refused to present her driver’s license, tags, and registration. Some articles on the Internet state Korryn was pulled over while practicing sovereign law. Take a look at this footage as she refused to provide identification for police officers in March while she was pulled over for a traffic violation.
Delegation of Authority: What does it mean?
Like many of us that have a growing curiosity for something we desperately want an answer to, I went to YouTube for a quick definition. I came across a lot of videos that gave good definitions. But there was one particular journalist named Andrew Westmoreland who gave me the best explanation to what delegation of authority meant in the sense of its use in law enforcement. I also found websites that further explained how it is used to delegate orders to people of the law. Though I can’t say what Westmoreland is saying is the fact, he does make a few valid points that I cannot look past, like people not being aware of their laws and policies as it relates to current events with cases about police brutality.
With Korryn Gaines, lots of people may have jumped to conclusions too quickly about her character by saying she’s crazy or mental. There is obviously something more. According to what is observed in her encounter with the addition to learning more about delegation of authority, Korryn had a genuine concern about how she dealt with law enforcers. She was a smart and strong-willed woman. She truly stuck to what she believed was her due to rights. To her, there is a correct way of doing things. She literally died for what she believed.
Would you believe Korryn’s notion to ask the police for delegation of authority was justified after watching journalists explain what it means? Leave your comments below.
America is in chaos with continuous brews of police brutality cases arising throughout the country. With two newly found communities added to the growing list, Baton Rouge, Missouri, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, I would highly suggest our American government consider finding SOLUTIONS to our countries problems now.
Who likes waking up to someone getting shot multiple times on a live stream through Facebook? Not I.
I’m sure many people did not elect to have that option when choosing to sign up for Facebook or Twitter. But as technology has a plethora of triumphs to be proud of, blatant murder witnessed by the eyes of billions of people on more than numerous occasions should not be one of them.
In Baltimore, another city to fall victim to police brutality has taken another hit. Late July, the highest-ranking police officer to be charged in relation to the death of Freddie Gray was found NOT guilty of charges. Not too long afterward, the judge ordered that all further trials in his case be dropped. That news does not fall pleasantly amongst native Baltimore citizens ears as Freddie Gray’s death was ruled as a homicide, and of all officers to be tried, none have been convicted of criminal charges.
Some people feel overwhelmed with current events, which brings me to share five ways of protecting your mental during times of racial unrest. The Internet, which was once a place of leisure, has become a place I now take breaks from; a place I have to escape every once in a while because of its censorship towards black people’s death sentences. As a young black woman, I can share with you a few things that help me remain level headed when stories, like Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philandro Castile, and more recently Korynn Gaines strike our media. These are things I’ve got in the habit of doing since the death of Trayvon Martin. Will my list grow longer? Who knows but hopefully I can help the next black person feel better when it comes to these incidents.
One: Sign out of your social media accounts.
First advice I can give you to help protect your mental is to unplug from your social media pages. Those negatively charged digital words that appear on your screens are not worth you draining any of the positive energy you may already have to carry on with your day.
Facebook is the ultimate boxing match for even the most simple and childish debates. If you don’t believe racism exist, you have never read any of the comments on most posts that go viral. Next time you watch a video on Facebook, visit the comment section. Count how many trolls appear down its list. Sometimes even reading those negative comments from the trolls can get your blood boiling.
Signing offline is easier said than done since Facebook has permanently made homage in our lives. It gives us our daily news, connects us to our loved ones, and provides us with our entertainment. But to protect our mental health, I deem it necessary to sign off for maybe just a few hours as we focus on searching for a better way to live in peace while we find solutions for injustices. When debates turn into hateful slurs, time to turn off your screens. That is not loving.
Two: Allow yourself time to be angry only for the day. Then be constructive with your energy when the time calls for it to be useful.
I don’t want to promote anger that could fuel more hate. But when I feel defeated by something like this, which is larger than I am, I allow myself to release any demons that are inside me at the time.
When all charges were dropped in the case of Freddie Gray, I was pissed. Though majority of my emotions could be labeled as sadness and disappointment, sitting in one spot crying and shaking my head at what I don’t understand countless times can easily turn into anger and insanity because of it’s frequency. I’m exhausted there isn’t any accountability for any of the cases around our country involving brutal police actions. Gray wasn’t the first or second to be killed by police. His number is unknown and that is a problem.
For families to be left without explanations and ignored by a government meant to serve them, there should be no expectation from any authority to expect these families to let whatever happened just go. This is the same for every citizen that can relate to feeling hurt by these cases. Expecting anyone to ignore what happened and to let these victims’ murderers get away without any ounce of blame is the biggest slap in the face known to humankind. I give you the permission to be mad, but not for long. After you mope around in your grief enough, you gather your thoughts and fight back!
Three: Get creative.
Many ways you can fight back against police brutality is by turning your anger into something beautiful and fighting a negative with a positive.
During times like these, new artists are born. History has proven that issues like these are windows to large movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Panther Movement, and today, Black Lives Matter. Over the weekend, the Korryn Gaines Pop Art Show, an art exhibit organized by Karl Keels, best known as Karlito Freeze of Strong Way Radio, and Milly Vanderwood of Give & Take: An Artistic Experience has open doors for many pro-black artists to show their love and support for beautiful and powerful black women who stood for everything that she believed in. Proceeds from the show were donated to Korryn Gaines’ family.
Photo of Korryn Gaines
Getting creative can be the medicine not only to your needs but it can heal onlookers as well. People who can relate to what you create make themselves available to support when they feel a passion behind your cause. That’s why your anger has to be embraced. It is the passion to drive the change this nation needs.
Four: Find people who share the same interests and think like you.
This fourth tip, I cannot say more than enough. Associating with people who do not relate to who you are can be draining. Their negativity is distracting and can hold a person back from being the best person they can be. To get out of these ruts we must rise out of these dark rabbit holes and find people who can be that medicine to our depression.
Many African American organizations, like Hands Up United, the Black Women in Sisterhood for Action (BISA), and the National Action Network, were formed by people who think the same as their peers. These organizers come together because they were affected by inequality, social injustice, and systemic racism in some way. They work as a family and strategically towards saving their communities. Each group’s mission is to create a better future for minorities in hopes of stopping injustices. This week there’s a similar discussion being formed to talk about the injustices that occurred towards Korryn Gaines.
Once you’ve found people who you share common interests and goals, they’ll become the people that’ll be your support system through making a change in your life and community. When multiple minds come together for a better purpose, great outcomes are its results. In the 1960s, black people united to get the civil rights act passed. Today, black people come together to rise above other civil issues, as well. It’s the circle of life.
Five: Realize that showing support for a fellow brother or sister can be the start to change.
What’s currently happening in the black community can be traced back to the idea that blacks lack support for one another. There is a divide in the black community that Black people must overcome. Racism is the root of that divide. The only way to overcome that obstacle is by acknowledging racism to be that the true reason and to unite through supporting one another.
People all over the country are experiencing the same struggles. We see this all over the news. Lots of people are in their moment of adversity. Times have shown during moments of adversity, black people undergo a period of liberation and develop a “new hope.” When things get tough, they march, sing, worship, and praise together. Often in their hour of liberation, change is adopted. Great things happen and the world’s burdens don’t seem so bad. If all this goes on from adversity, we already know that supporting one another is a huge factor in helping create change. Let’s take that step to make a difference.
These five steps have brought me closer to a reality that many other black Americans are experiencing, as well. It’s time to stop encouraging the hate by continuously condoning it and not doing anything about it. To relieve our stress from all these killings we need to first stop accepting it when we watch it. We have to turn the computer off the next time we watch someone die. With fewer views, I believe there will be less for us to see. We need to put things in place to replace those images, and we have to stick together so it can all work. This can be achieved by considering these five tips.
So what do you say? Would you agree that these five tips can be the start of a cultural healing? Leave your comments below.
Title: Free Comic Book Day: Go Visit Collectors Corner Now! (A #DCM Recap)
Feel free to enjoy this lovely surprise every year and partake in the festivities of Free Comic Book day with Collectors Corner.
Each year comic book stores throughout the state of Maryland participate in the largest celebration for comic book fans in the mid atlantic region. Free Comic Book Day is a day dedicated to the celebration of the illustrators and writers who give us the best pieces of their imagination.
This weekend I grabbed me a plethora of free books. I already read them all, and proclaimed my favorite to be Bob’s Burgers out of the bunch. That was predestined, of course. I swear I’m glued to the screen each chance I get to watch the Bob’s Burgers television series. To hear that there was a comic book simply sealed the deal.
Bob Burgers 2016 Free Comic Book
As I learned about Free Comic Book Day at the very last-minute, I’m glad I crawled out of bed that Saturday morning because I witness a special part of each comic book’s universe in the span of an hour. My comic knowledge excelled from knowing about only two universes to now knowing of eight. I use to think there was only Marvel and DC. Now I can categorize characters into universes such as Springfield, MacFarlane, Tintin, and Hanna-Barbera. I always could, but now I know I can.
Collectors Corner is an awesome store to venture to if you want to literally feel like you are a part of a new world. The store is set up into sections, where a customer can easily find their favorite world to get lost in. Apparently, I got lost eyeing the Pop Collector Vinyl figures section, astonished by the fact a John Oliver, host of HBO comic review series “Last Week Tonight,” has an official Pop figure.
The event also sponsored tickets to see the new Captain America film Civil War. The first 100 people to arrive at 9 am for the event were giving free tickets to see the movie.
Every person in attendance received five free comic books, and if you didn’t want to accept the comics offer specified for the day, Collectors Corner managed to rally up some classics. Lines grew very long circling the entire store, as the most important offer available was of twenty comic books given to the ultimate lovers of comics.
I am not ashamed to say I did not get in that line
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People also took the time to dress up as their favorite superheroes and villains.
Free Comic Book Day 2016 was the 15th annual event. With all those years to attest, I’m certain they’ll be yet another great Free Comic Book Day in 2017.
Who’s your favorite comic book character? Leave a comment below.
It was around this time a year ago when Black Baltimore Youth decided to take a stand against social injustice as a result of death to Baltimore native Freddie Gray. One year ago, the city was at unrest as media from around the world had their cameras focused on the city’s reaction.
2015 Baltimore Uprising Protest
First at an uproar, then later turned uplifting, the riots became like a light switch flicked on gaining the attention of billions. Baltimore had all eyes on them as its citizens showed the world what’s truly happening in the city while public officials, like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings – Blake, left the citizens with “space to destroy.” Many have wondered would it be this be time for a revolution; will there be a change in the fight against systematic racism?
During the 2015 Baltimore Uprising Protests, people gathered at the historical intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue with a mission to show whoever watching the truth. Hundreds of people met with the same purpose against police brutality and social injustices. It was in front of the burning CVS Pharmacy, we designated a landmark for many of the Uprising’s protests. On the corner of Penn North Station, a revolution was sparked but is the flame for Black deliverance still lit?
A year later, there still remains an urgent call of attention to those same social injustices. Every day, there are signs that let people in on these still prevalent social needs. There are activists continuing on the search for ways to fight for funding towards a corrupt Baltimore City education system. By December of 2015, crime rates skyrocketed way past the usual records leading to more than 300 homicidal deaths throughout the year. There remain blocks-upon-blocks of vacant homes untouched since the riots in Baltimore during 1968. The homeless continue to be pushed out of tourists friendly areas in shame to prevent an unwelcoming presence for visitors. The city is the same.
