5 Women Who Make It Happen at BlackPlanet

VIA EUR:

Radio One owner Cathy Hughes is trying hard to keep her company above water in the midst of this recession, having already cut folks’ pay by as much as 10 percent and reduced office hours at the company’s Maryland headquarters, reports Redding News.

“We are closing every other Friday,” Hughes told XM 169′s Joe Madison during a radio interview last week. “We’ve all taken three, five, seven or 10 percent pay cuts depending on what category your annual compensation was. We’ve voluntarily turned in vacation time, we furloughed and now we’re closing corporate – we’re closing Lanham – every other Friday to stay afloat.”

Hughes made her remarks while speaking out against Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, who is behind a bill requiring all radio stations to pay performance royalties to artists for playing their music, which Satellite radio currently does.

Radio observers say that the performance royalties may put a third of black-owned stations out of business.

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We have some very interesting discussions that go on here in the BlackPlanet universe. Some get us a laugh, others stir controversy, but all of it gets YOUR attention.

So, what is BlackPlanet to you?

The standards of this new age medium are being challenged and discussed in length. Our nation has even been challenged, so why miss out on the discussion?

As our universe continues to expand, now, more than ever, the word “open” isn’t some corny late-night joke exchanged at the club. Now, you can affect change more than ever before.

This short and simple rant is simply to say that BlackPlanet has the opportunity to affect change of its own. But it’s up to you, as much as it is our own responsibility, to bring ideas to the table that will result in The Urban Daily keeping you up-to-date with the hottest ish on the World Wide Web.

Want more Skin Deep? Want exclusive downloads to have for your iPod? Want us to share our thoughts on pop culture that is outside the proverbial box?

Well..

Speak on it in the comments section and let’s make a change we can all believe in! Don’t forget to check out our Urban Daily ‘Noisemakers’ gallery below:

A while ago we put up a gallery called the Top 10 Most Overrated MCs [click here to read] and we pissed a lot of y’all off with our selections. Listening to you, our readers, we took your suggestions and put your opinion together for BP’s Top 10 Most Overrated MCs list [click here to read].

That didn’t do much to calm your anger about ‘Pac being on the list and KING Magazine is adding fuel to the fire with their own ‘8 Rap Facts.’

Check out this excerpt below:

“Sure there is plenty of ‘real talk’ but few instances of mind-boggling verses or innovative flows. Can you honestly admit that he is a better rapper than, say, Big Pun?! Tupac is the epitome of conviction over diction.“

Now, maybe if you raise enough hell, KING will let BlackPlanet list its own ’8 Rap Facts.’ If you haven’t checked out our Top 10 Most Overrated MCs gallery, be sure to check it out below:

What are YOUR ’8 Rap Facts’?! Was KING right?! Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Last Christmas we gave you all a special Holiday treat for our Skin Deep series. Thousands of you responded to our Skin Deep iPod Touch contest showing our models a lot of love in the process!

After carefully sifting through all of the correct entries BlackPlanet member Karess-Diva was selected as the winner. Click her page below and leave her a message!

And make sure to click on the images below and check out the Skin Deep Galleries that helped make it happen!

Marie Foxfire

Shannon Janai

Chavon Staten

Sharon Divine

Yasmine

BlackPlanet beware! Asher Roth is coming for your favorite rappers top slot. On “Lark On My Go-Kart,” the new kid on the block goes in spitting some pretty clever lines for your lyricist lounge lovers out there!

Check out the video below:

(Shout out to Nah Right for the look…)

Questioning the state of hip-hop imagery in the BP news article “Rap and Hip-Hop: Modern day MINSTREL SHOWS in BLACK FACE!” the gauntlet has been thrown and debate has begun. What do you think? Join the discussion here.

Unsigned Hype is designed for unsigned artists in the BP Universe be it rappers, singers, musicians, and producers to network. Create a BP Artist Profile and then join the group here.

West Coasters beware! The weather is not your friend. With snow in Las Vegas, it’s only a matter of time before you’re the next on Mother Nature’s hit-list. But since we’re in list mode and preparing for Summer 2009, it’s only right to take a look at the next batch of exotic cars looking to help fuel our failing economy.

Check it out:

Universal is set to make a film based on the Bakugan anime and toy range, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio and Stuber Productions has made a deal with toy company Spin Masters that will bring an update of the cartoon show — which revolves around youngsters who do battle with the help of the titular creatures — for the big-screen.

No script writers are yet on board, but apparently the studio is hoping to create a story based on the Bakugan universe that will “translate into an all-ages action-adventure movie.”

Beginning Thanksgiving night and airing on four consecutive nights starting Sunday, Nov. 30, TV One will premiere the series of one-hour biography specials that celebrate the lives and careers of four of those accomplished artists or groups who deserved – but didn’t make – the transition to superstardom.

The first episode explores the rise and fall of DeBarge, the family supergroup of the ‘80s that was poised to take the music industry baton from the Jackson 5. Sure, who worked with El DeBarge on the Quincy Jones track “Secret Garden” considered this particular story as close to home.

“I think the most important thing was the validity of the story. I think they nailed it on the head in terms of sticking to the truth,” Sure said. “The only thing that I would have a problem with is if the story was inaccurate. They were pretty much accurate and sticking to the story and talking to the family and getting it straight from the horses mouth.”

Sure explained that he was able to see some of the footage gathered by the show’s producers. He said that it was something that was really close to home in regard to being passionate about music and dealing with the industry – “as a big monster.” That connection and that fact that he’d only be a part of the project if it was an honest portrayal, and he guaranteed that there were no “inside sources” involved in the Unsung episodes.

“This is actually the family and friends and the artists themselves speaking on behalf of what their story is so that you have an accurate description of what transpired,” he said. “This particular series is the exception to the rule. ‘Unsung’ can now be that catapulting step that will depict the truth and let you walk through that journey with them about how it all went down. The most surprising thing that I learned was that when Motown signed the whole DeBarge family, it was almost a business transaction to transgress out of the Jacksons into the DeBarges.”

Sure agreed that Motown saw DeBarge as being potentially bigger than the Jacksons in part because of their look.

“The record labels were looking for that crossover potential to bring the urban to the mainstream by the light-skinned thing. When you think about it, it was ridiculous. At the same time, marketers would do anything to market their artist and they were trying to be ahead of the game,” he reported.

Following behind older brothers, Bobby and Tommy who led the R&B group Switch, the group, made up of younger siblings El, Bunny, Mark, Randy, and James, became one of the most popular groups on the label’s roster. Unfortunately for the talented fivesome, they also followed in their older brothers’ footsteps and got mixed up in drugs – with the exception of El, who took the lead in the group, and drugs played a major part in the group’s eventual downfall. On the other hand, as recent news reports have informed, El also succumbed to drugs as well and is currently serving time behind bars

The series also takes a look at the story of legendary soul man Donny Hathaway, powerhouse Phyllis Hyman, and gospel stars The Clark Sisters.

“It’s more of an interesting play for me because it was learning the facts about things that you’ve heard in the past, but also learning about these iconic lives that either were gone much too soon or are still going through things,” Sure said. “To me there’s a fine line between genius and crazy and sometimes you don’t know which way it will steer you.”

“I was thrilled. It was an honor for me to try to interpolate the producer’s vision, specifically with the Donny Hathaway piece; it’s just absolutely brilliant,” Sure said. “So just understanding the story and just going through, as the vocalist, you somewhat get lost in the story and you become part of the story. That’s what I tried to do in terms of doing the voice over. To just become the narrator of those feelings that are being portrayed on the screen. Hopefully I did my job.”

Unsung debuts Thursday, Thanksgiving night on TV One at 7 pm ET. Meanwhile, Al B. Sure is working a number of jobs including his #1 urban AC radio show in Los Angeles and his HD Radio show “Slow Jams.” The ‘80s R&B star – who secured his own hits like “Nite & Day” and as a writer and producer, introduced the group Jodeci and singers Tevin Campbell, Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case, and Usher to the music scene – Sure is also involved in a few ventures with a large holding company that is developing a major resort in Mexico at the tip of the Sea of Cortez, a new album called “Honey, I’m Home” and is working on his autobiography From Mt. Vernon to the Moon and Back.

Speaking of Hancock, check out his BlackPlanet page for details on his DVD giveaway. Become his friend because you don’t want to be on his bad side.

The Fans of Ole Skool group on BlackPlanet features over 12,000 members to share your love of classic R&B music with. The pre-selected tunes are also relaxing. Whether you are old school or new you can still find where your favorite samples come from. I hope to see you there.