Monday, February 26, 2007
When Music Was Music
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Say it Black.Com Loves The Movie "Brown Sugar"
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Being Tyler Perry
Perry Talks to 'Nightline' About His Past, Present and Future
By VICKI MABREY and TARANA HARRIS
Feb. 21, 2007— - At 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing well over 200 pounds, Tyler Perry is an imposing bear of a man. But when we first met him in Atlanta last week, he was speaking in a woman's voice. Disconcerting? A little. Funny? Absolutely.
It was Tyler Perry channeling Madea, the tough-love, no-nonsense, gun-toting grandmother character that's made him famous. The cast and crew at the newly opened Tyler Perry Studios were on set, blocking out scenes from his latest venture -- a sitcom called "House of Payne," which was scheduled to start shooting the following day.
During a break in the rehearsal, Perry sat on the sitcom's living room sofa and told us Madea is just dropping by to help get the sitcom off the ground.
"She's only going to be in three or four episodes," he said. "Unless it's not going well, in which case she may be showing up a lot more," he laughed.
Behind the cordiality and humor, there's a mind constantly at work. Perry is a triple, quadruple, quintuple threat: an actor/director/playwright/producer/author. He is always busy, constantly on the move, notices everything, even down to the smallest detail.
He has to -- he's responsible for hundreds of employees and a multimillion dollar empire. And it's all riding on him.
Being Tyler Perry
"Being Tyler Perry means a lot of things," he told us. Everything from janitor to boss.
"Sometimes it gets overwhelming," he admits, … "because I realize that there are so many people depending on me from day to day, so I'm up at 5:30, working out every morning, making sure my health is right, making sure I can manage and making sure that the 200 or so people that are working for me can feed their families."
Quite a difference for a guy who 15 years ago was working at a variety of uninspiring jobs, trying to figure out what to do with his life. When a friend read some things he'd written to get over feelings of anger toward a father that Perry had described as abusive, he suggested that Perry had actually written a play. Thus, the playwright was born.
Perry used his life savings to staging his plays in empty theaters, only to find himself broke, living in a pay-by-the-week motel and even his car for a short time, until he discovered his core audience: black church women. Once he ignited that previously untapped theater audience, his career soared.
He recently opened his third film, "Daddy's Little Girls," about a father who fights for custody of his three daughters.
"I had a friend who's a great father. He has three girls he loves to death and he was always on the phone. And I thought he was talking to some woman and he was talking to his kids. And I thought, man, the world needs to see this. We're talked about, as African-American men, as being deadbeats and not great fathers and terrible husbands. I wanted to show that you can … really be a good father."
Lately, his audiences have begun to change. It's no longer just women. There are more men in the seats. And more white faces among the black faces.
A Universal Story
"I'm not surprised," Perry said, "because I've always thought I was just telling a universal story. For years we as African-American people have had to go to the movies and never see our faces, so I just thought what does this mean: cross over? If you can cross over one way can't you cross over the other way too? So I just thought if I stayed true to what I was doing, audiences -- no matter what race -- would find it and appreciate it."
He's got a schedule of touring plays, films and TV shows worked out through 2009, possibly into 2010. He remains driven even with millions in the bank, and he has just opened a 75,000 square foot studio so he can shoot all his projects in his beloved adopted home, Atlanta.
"Even at this age, I worry about having to go back to my parents house for some reason," Perry told us, "as well as I remember being in school and getting straight A's and not getting attention, and getting straight F's and not getting any attention, and so I think I've learned how to rechannel my own energy to drive myself in the things that I do to make sure that things are successful."
And how successful is he? According to figures his company has compiled, his plays have grossed $100 million since 1998. He structured a deal with TBS for his new sit-com "House of Payne" that will generate $200 million in revenue.
According to independent tallies, Perry's first two movies -- "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and "Madea's Family Reunion" -- made for about $5 million and $6 million each, and grossed about $110 million at the box office.
Not Seeking Approval
Only once during our interview did he express anger, and that was at the black theater elite, some of who have dismissed his work.
"My work has been frowned upon by a lot of the African-American theater companies. But I think my shows, because they generate so much income, that they could actually finance some of the other shows, some of the August Wilson shows, some of the great playwrights of our time." As well as introduce his audience to a different type of theater experience, he said.
But he's not seeking the validation of anyone except his fans. They know what they're getting when they go see a Tyler Perry production. After all, it's more than just his name -- it's his brand.
"For me the Tyler Perry brand is good family wholesome entertainment. It's things you can take your entire family to," he said. "It's about life lessons, it's faith based, it's about God, it's about love, it's about hope, forgiveness, all of those things encompass and make up a brand."
"Daddy's Little Girls," Tyler Perry's latest, has scored big at the box office since its Valentine's Day release, hauling in $18.6 million last weekend. Distributed by Lionsgate, the film cost less than $10 million to make.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
There is Nothing Like the Black Church!
A Chain or a Crown?
Guest Columnist,
Pastor Stephen F.Smith
Sure House Church, Inc.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Most Popular Moment in Black Television History
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Frankie Beverly is Great?
Is Holiness an Option in Today's Black Church?
Guest Columnist,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith
Sure House Church, Inc.
Sure House Church, Inc.
How to Speak Pentecostal
Speaking Pentecostal
Anointing:Used to describe any non-regular emotion (crying in the middle of a song when you forget the words, telling the church off (particularly when its over tithes and offering), doing the Olympic shout around the church (first one that hits the wall gets a white hanky tied around their neck!) ( I won't lie...I have ran around my church a coupla times....shoot it felt good!)
Trick of the Enemy:Used to describe anything that happens because you didn't do what you were supposed to, like your car getting repossessed cause you didn't pay the note, lights getting shut off cause you quit work to go on tour with the pastors choir, or your child repeating the first grade cause he missed the whole second semester to go on a 90 day/90 night fast and consecration. (The Enemy done played some tricks on me )
*Of course, we know there is grace*
Rhema Word:Any message from an out-of-town pastor or evangelist. (Yeah ...I love them)
Prophetic Word:Same message from that out-of-town pastor, delivered 5 decibels louder, while the congregation is standing. Quiet organ music optional, but works better with silence. (Def with the music)
Carnal:Used to describe a saint who goes to the movies. This term doesn't apply if you rent the same movie from Blockbuster. ( I saw a couple from church at the movies and they looked like deer in some headlights....I know they didnt want to see me LOL)
Didn't God Move?:What saints say after a long service where the pastor doesn't preach and they just shout the whole service. (Sholl is right!!! Love that)
Unlock Your Blessing: What preachers say after they've finished preaching, and they say you must give $50 to "unlock your blessing." For a more dramatic effect, this offering can be started at $1,000 and worked down to $25. ( You ain't never lie)
He'll Do It If You Let Him (followed by inaudible tongues): Round one of shouting; will begin in 5 minutes. Organist Get Ready ( I'm getting ready too LOL)
We Got To Move On: What the preacher says when he wants shout time to start up again. Organist, turn up the volume on the Leslie. (HMM)
We Have Time for One More Testimony: Not really, we're just waiting on the pastor to come into service. If you're called on during this one, when you hear clapping, just stop talking, cause the pastor has walked in and people are no longer interested in what God did for you. (I fell out on this one...cause I've seen it happen and I thought the same thing)
We Can Never Pay for the Word: Get your checkbook out, the auction will begin momentarily! This phrase always comes before the offering is taken for the guest speaker. ( They do say that)
God Has Been Dealing with Me on Some Issues: I'm still doing what I was doing before I got saved, only now I just put in an extra $5 in my offering when I do it. (Oh my goodness)
Is He Worthy?: Of course He is; why ask a question like that. (Exactly)
Let Us Go To God in Our Own Way: This is what you say when they ask you to pray in church and you don't know what to say.
Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready!!!: Don't really know what this one means, but if you're not careful, a shout could break out when you say it. It must be said three times to have real impact.
I Can't Get No Help: Preachers say this when no one says amen in the spot they thought would get a lot of amens.
I'm Blessed and Highly Favored: Said when a fellow saint asks "how are you?" Memo to saints: you CAN be saved and answer "fine" when someone asks how are you.
Where The Spirit of The Lord is, There is liberty: Whenever you want to disrupt service and holler out when it's quiet, use this statement to justify your behavior.
Get Ready To Go To The Next Level: This means the church will be hosting another revival in a few months.
Stand To Your Feet: This gives the illusion that the preacher is finished, but be prepared to stand up for at least 1/2 hour. May be cut to 15 minutes if the organist starts playing softly.
Give God a Shabach: Scream to the top of your lungs. Some church members may blow whistles and wave flags as well.
Every Head Bowed, Every Eye Closed: Quick! Everyone look around to see who's getting saved again this week.
Secular: Any person, place, object or event that's not in the church.
The "Yes Lord" Song: Signals the official end to shout time. Anyone still shouting when this song is over is considered to be "in self".
In Self: Used to describe someone who acts alone in church. For example, someone who is shouting alone. Add two more people to this display and its called...
In The Spirit: When three people are doing the same thing in a church service at the same time.
Prayer Partner: Phone buddy. 5 minutes of prayer, 1 hour of church gossiping.
(definitions also apply to COGIC, Charismatic and most anything seen on TBN... not that there's anything wrong with that! ;)
You Might be Ghetto If ?
The post below is crazy! This was posted by others, but I had to post this. There are just some qualities, behaviors, and traditions that are specific to our ethnicity! Despite some of the things below, I Tremendously Love Our People! I am proud to be Black!
You put sugar on your frosted flakes.
Your kids were in your wedding.
You call your mama by her first name.
You iron dirty clothes.
You wear house shoes to the grocery store.
You're nineteen and you just met your father.
Your mom does your hair in the kitchen.
You put on panty-hose instead of shaving your legs.
You buy clothes for a party and return them to the store the next day.
Your first name begins with Ta', La', or Sha' and your brother's name begins with De' or Le
You think putting batteries in the refrigerator recharges them.
You yell "Pookie or Poochie" in your house and five people turn around.
If you say AXE instead of ASK
Your kids are older than your girlfriend
Your shoes cost more than your car
Your uncle sleeps in the Kitchen.
You bring the shopping cart from the super market home full of groceries.
Listen to Boom box on the porch (Stoop) and watch people walk by.
If your child's birthday party includes a barbeque, a game of dominoes, and a Spades Tournament.
Your screen door doesn't have a screen
You wear work clothes because you think they are fashionable. (Leave the Dickies Alone!!!)
Turning up the heat means turning on another burner on the stove.
All of your drinking glasses used to be jelly jars.
Your furniture is covered in plastic.
You refer to the refrigerator as the icebox.
The back of your toilet is always off and you have to manually flush it.
You have more than ten uses for Vaseline and one of them is shoe polish.
You don't think of yourself as clean unless you have a splash of baby powder all over your chest, back and neck (ladies you know where you put the powder…)
The heels of your feet look like you've been kickin' flour. (lightly battered or a gymnast chalked up)
You use black eyeliner for your lips.
Your lipstick matches your clothes.
Your boy wears white socks with sandals or house slippers outside.
Your car cost more than your house but you don't have any Auto Insurance
You live in you momma's basement and you're 42 years old…and you still get women to come to yo momma's house for the nasty…..Ladies what's up with that?
Nobody has known your real name for 20 years including your cousins, neighbors, and boss cause everybody has been calling you Peaches since 3rd grade.
If "mybabyfavah" or "mybabymovah" is the name of your significant other…you might be ghetto.
If you own more than one pair of gold shoes…you might be ghetto.
If you have the gold lipstick to go with those gold shoes…you might be ghetto.
If your grandmother is under 40 years old…you might be ghetto.
If you have a brother or cousin named "stink", "man" or "boo"…you might be ghetto.
If you find yourself in a physical confrontation because someone stepped on your sneakers…you might be ghetto.
If your 4 yeard old can't talk, but can do the "tootsie roll"…you might be ghetto.
If you constantly use *69 on your telephone and you say, "Did you just call here?"…you might be ghetto.
If you name your child after a character on the Young and the Restless…you might be ghetto.
If you do not have a job, but your hair and nails are done on a weekly basis…you might be ghetto.
If you believe that the words mother and father have the letter "v" in their spelling…you might be ghetto.
If "arts and crafts aids" (such as spray paint, glue, and glitter) are hair products to you…you might be ghetto.
Your grandma has gray Shirley Temple curls.
You buy kids' social security numbers to get a larger income tax return check.
You're a dark-skinned woman, but you dye your hair blond because you think it makes you look lighter.
You are at the Maxwell concert, but your lights are turned off.
You can't answer a question without phrases from a rap song. (ex: "Mr. Johnson, are you ready for your interview?" answer "I love it when you call me Mr. John-son, throw your hands in the air…"
You still don't know what Y2K stands for, but you bought a bunch of water and batteries.
When you are at the bus stop and hear loud music, you start jammin'.
You don't have a job because you are "in the studio."
You and your friends say "AAAAAAAAA!" when you hear a song that you like.
You are scared to use the phone during a storm, because you think that electricity is going to come through the line.
You are doing the butterfly and your 2 year old child is raising the roof saying, "Go Angie, get busy!"
You shake sunflower seeds in your fist.
You think you're intelligent by mentioning your "comprutah" skills
You still grease your scalp with Vaseline.
You refer to the Wayans Brothers as the Way-Nans.
Your grandma told you that you were related to the ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Jackson family or Thomas Jefferson.
You don't come to work on your birthday.
You have the bootleg cable man's number in your wallet.
You dig in your ears with bobby pins.
You have to wait on your settlement to make a purchase.
You make that irritating scratching-the-inside-of-your-throat noise.
You thought "Belly" was great Black Cinema.
You buy jewelry at the train station.
You still wear pom-pom footies.
You don't know whether you have a checking or savings account, because you refer to it as a "bankin' account."
You live in the projects but you only wear Versace.
You coordinate the color of your clothes down to the underwear and tennis shoes.
You don't eat pork, but you drink forties and smoke cigarettes.
You keep used grease in a can on the stove.
You say, "lightskin-ded, skreet, vomick, frew, baffroom, ambalams, and rockweiler."
Every time you hear a song, you do the routine from the video.
You wash plasticware.
You always use the suffix "nem" when talking about your mama.
You say "finna" and "cain't".
You don't wash your hair because you think dirty hair grows faster.
You have a technique to starting up your car.
You can't eat anything without sauce. (honey mustard, hotsauce, ketchup…)
You say your grandma is Indian even though her name is Jessie Mae Jackson.
You refer to diabetes as 'SUGAR'
You consider 'clubbing' as a monthly expense
You have at least 1 relative who will always have a jheri curl
You have mothers who can use curse words and religion ALL IN ONE SENTENCE. i.e. Lord, give me strength because I'm bout to knock the sh– out of this child!
You remember historical moments by R&B hit singles such as COMPUTER LOVE, KEITH SWEAT'S MAKE IT LAST FOREVER, ETC
You swear that the Korean lady at the flea market gives them the best deals!
You have at least 1 uncle that "almost went pro" playing basketball
You spend the insurance money on everything EXCEPT getting the dent fixed.
You refer to your dresser as "the bureau"
You wear any of the following: Brute, Hai Karate, Jean Nate, Old Spice, Chloe, English Leather, Charlie, Faberge'
You use Tussy deodorant
You dry-clean your washable clothing (e.g. Jeans, t-shirts, baseball jersey, etc.) but you still take 10 garbage bags full of clothes to the Laundromat.
You refer to the Laundromat as the "wash house"
You go to the beauty shop for a press and curl (men & women)
You've ever waited several hours in a salon to get your hair done and you had an appointment
Your daughter is under sixteen and has extensions
You perm your five-year-old's hair
You have to put a towel on your furniture so that your curl activator won't stain it
You refer to the hair at the nape of your neck as your "kitchen"
You still think there's such a thing as "good" and "bad" hair
you use but mispronounce these words:
skrimps or strimps - shrimp (note: there is no "s" on the end)
pacific vs. specific (note: these are not interchangeable. In order to determine which is appropriate, listen to clues to such references to large bodies of water, as opposed to body of water)
skreet – street
look dead - looked
member - of or pertaining to a recollection (e.g. ya'll member the time…?)
spisketti - spaghetti
zinc - sink
alblums - what we used before CD's
showliz - that sure is
wayment - wait a minute
You Know You're A Ghetto Christian If . . .
You lie on an application to get a job and then get up and testify that "God
made a way out of no way!"
You get mad at a visitor and call them out for sitting in YOUR seat.
You tell the preacher to baptize you from the neck down because you just got your hair done!
You take 2 hours to get ready for church, get there late, and leave early!
You open your Bible and you cough from the dust that flies out.
Your wedding song is 'Secret Lovers'.
You say aliens abducted you, but the Lord set you free.
You do not lift your hand during worship because your acrylic nail is broken.
The only time you like to sing in the choir is when they let you sing "your" song.
You do not tithe because you say, "the preacher might be crooked and stealing the Lord's money, so I don't want to give it to him"
After you've done wrong and someone has rebuked you, you don't repent but say, "Well the Lord knows my heart."
You have ever said, "show me in the Bible where it says, thou shall not smoke".
Your favorite part of the service is the benediction.
Your pickup line to all the single women in church is "the Bible says, greet one another with a holy kiss".
You thought "the Gospel" was a concert.
You overheard someone say, "We got fed today at service" and you asked if they served chicken.
You think "The Trinity" is a new female gospel group.
You just got finished smoking on the outside of the church and then try to lead a song, get choked up, holding your throat and say to the congregation, "The devil don't want me to sing this song."
The only scripture you know is, "Jesus wept."
Every church auxiliary has fried chicken dinners for sale as a fund raiser.
You know you attend a ghetto church when they stop worship to announce someone parked in the pastor's spot and they are currently being towed
You can learn the latest dances from your church choir
The offering plate at your church goes around five times
The person doing the opening prayer lists all the Greek and Hebrew names for God.
Either the bride or groom sings a solo to each other, or both
Nobody in the wedding can really fit in their dresses, including the bride
The reception meal was cooked by the bride's mother.
There are more people in the wedding than there are in the audience
Everybody's exes were invited because they're all remarried to somebody else in the family
Your wedding dress is also a maternity dress
Your wedding march is actually a march
You sing ghetto wedding songs: "Always & forever" "I'll always love you" "You and I" "wind beneath my wings" "Here and now" "Ribbon in the sky" "always"
The deceased and his widow are wearing matching outfits
Someone tries to climb inside the coffin
More than one person thinks that she is the current spouse of the deceased
The majority of the flowers at the burial site are plastic and are taken back the following day
The service lasts for half a day
Polaroid shots are being taken of the deceased
No one knew the deceased by his real name ("who's Ravon Williams, III? I thought his name was Bookie")
Most of the mourners comment that the deceased didn't look that good when he was alive
You just get out of church praising the Lord and get into a fist fight in the parking lot.
