Blast from the past: M.Jackson vs. M. Jordan

Only a few days removed from the shocking news of Michael Jackson's death, radio station playlists and TV coverage are still devoting a great deal of time and attention to the pop icons music. 

Remember the song Jam from Jackson's 1991 album "Dangerous" ? The song had cameos from Kriss Kross, a verse from Heavy D, and more importantly Michael "His Airness" Jordan was featured alongside Jackson shooting hoops and dancing.

Never before had two powerhouses of sports and entertainment been featured together in a music video..

Here is some footage of Jackson talking about playing ball with Jordan & showing him some of his patented dance moves.

Nowadays, cameos such as the one Michael Jordan made are commonplace. Athletes frequently appear in music videos, and musicians frequently support athletes in the arenas (i.e. Jay-Z & LeBron James).

LeBron actually has a similar cameo to Michael Jordan in Jay-Z's new video for his single 'Death of Autotune.' People always say nothing is new under the sun. Michael Jackson was the first to feature a prominent athlete in his video over 15 years ago...The man truly was a pioneer.

Jay-Z: 'Death of Autotune' video (LeBron cameo @ 3:55)

College done the right way: A few websites to enhance your college experience

"I wanna go to college for the rest of my life

Sip Banker's Club and drink Miller Lite

On Thirsty Thursday and Tuesday Night Ice

And I can get pizza a dollar a slice.

So fill up my cup, let's get f*!#ed up

I'm next on the table, who want what?

I am champion at beer pong

Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon"

Asher Roth pretty much captured the essence of college with his hit song "I love College." 

If your college experience was anything like mine, then you look back fondly at the four years (or more in some cases) that you spent on campus. Learning about yourself, learning in the classroom, and learning about a variety of other topics...made college one of the most exciting, entertaining and challenging times of my life.

A few friends of mine from Syracuse have started websites and made it their business to make sure youngsters in college get the most out the university in addition to a diploma and a lot of debt.

The first site is Precioustimeny.com. My buddies Drew Greenfeld & Brad Wellen have brought the services of a high-end concierge service to college campuses. 

According to the website, Precious Time "is the ultimate concierge service for college students. We provide an array of accommodating luxuries that college students can utilize to improve their social and educational experience."

Need to order food and have it delivered? Need a tutor?  Precious Time has you covered. Precious Time just started an awesome blog recently called  "The Campus Socialite."One of my favorite blogs to read now, the Campus Socialite discusses all things college. Useful gadgets, easy ways to make money, good parties, funny college humor material etc etc. There is even a section devoted to the ladies called "Campus Diva." If you're in college and want to keep up with what's going on in the collegiate world, or you're a grad like me but love to reminisce, then Campus Socialite is a site you need to check out.

Next up is "The Orange Life.org." The Orange Life is more tailored to students in Central New York (Syracuse, Cornell, Ithaca, Colgate, Buffalo, Rochester etc.) Equipped with dining guides, fashion links, weather, sports, off-campus housing information, and an events calendar, The Orange Life is a one-stop shop for all things collegiate in CNY. 

If you're still in college, or a grad who likes to keep your finger on the pulse of college life then these are two sites that need to be in your rotation.

Asher said it best. "Man I love college!"

Bye Bye Iraq: US troops to withdraw within a matter of hours

Within a matter of hours, all of the 130,000 U.S. combat soldiers stationed in cities around Iraq will have vacated to bases outside of the cities. These actions are a result of an agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments as America slowly hands the reigns off to the Iraqi's as the rebuilding effort in that country continues. The agreement calls for all U.S. troops to leave the country by 2011. 

Six years after George W. Bush declared "mission accomplished" aboard the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, the United States is finally getting the hell out of dodge...but has the mission really been accomplished??

Remember this speech??

Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani to the Associated Press that when the sun rises on Tuesday  "Iraqi citizens will see no U.S. soldiers in their cities. They will see only Iraqi troops protecting them."

Many Iraqi's are ecstatic about this news, and a massive party has been planned on the banks of the Tigris river with performances by popular musicians and a fireworks show. The Iraqi government has declared June 30 a public holiday, "National Sovereignty Day."

The Iraqi government is confident that its forces can combat violence and militant uprisings. There are concerns that with the absence of U.S. troops violence will spike in Iraqi cities. More than 250 people have been killed in little over a week  by bombings.

Attention now shifts to the ongoing struggle to combat the Taliban in the mountainous, rugged terrain of Afghanistan. When you look back on the time our soldiers spent in Iraq, how do you feel? Do you think Iraq is better off now than it was in 2003? 2005? 2007? 

No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. Insurgent violence, IED's, and roadside bombs continue to take the lives of soldiers and civilians alike. There is still much unrest in Iraq and the rest of the region... 

I hope the outcome in Afghanistan will be different, and that we don't declare "mission accomplished" until the mission truly has been accomplished. Considering that troops have been there since 2001 and the Taliban's strength has not been lessened (in fact they seem to be making advances in some territories), suggests that it may take some time to reach a favorable outcome. 

Musicians tribute M. Jackson at this year's BET Awards

The BET Awards aired last night live from Los Angeles...Where do I start? I'm not going to share my personal views of the show, but know that overall they are not positive. The attire, the behavior, the performances, the acoustics, the speeches, the production value more closely resembled a high school talent show than a premier awards show on a reputable cable network.

So I guess I just shared my personal views, huh? Oh well.

Despite all of its failures, BET made a conscious effort to praise, tribute and pay homage to Michael Jackson's achievements and contributions to the music industry and I appreciate their effort in that regard. Putting forth the effort doesn't always yield positive results and that was the case last night. Many of the so-called "tributes" to MJ were nothing more than artists performing their hits in MJ inspired outfits. There were a handful of artists who performed some of Jackson's hits (none worth writing about) with the exception of Ne-Yo.

Ne-Yo performed "Lady in my life" and in my opinion was one of the few artists who actually did justice to a Michael Jackson song. If you missed the BET Awards, please do not feel bad as this video is one of the few highlights from three painful hours of live television.

Ne-Yo performing "Lady in my life":

"May God spare you no mercy": Bernie Madoff sentenced to 150 yrs in prison

The Bernie Madoff saga has come to an end as judge Denny Chin has sentenced Madoff to the maximum 150 years in prison for spearheading a Ponzi scheme that swindled $65 billion from investors. Madoff's lawyer asked for leniency and a 12 year sentence but was denied.

The sentencing is mostly symbolic as federal court rules require 80% of a sentence to be served before being eligible for parole. At 71, Madoff would be 191 before he would be eligible..

Madoff's sentencing brings closure to the debacle that has ruined to financial lives of over 1,000 people. Two investors have committed suicide after losing millions with Madoff. Countless others are still reeling after the nest eggs they thought were being protected by Madoff were only figments of their imagination. 

CNN has a nice timeline of events surrounding the case.

To date, Madoff has returned $1.2 billion and says he can recover up to $13.2 billion for investors. That still leaves almost $50 billion that cannot be recovered or accounted for. 

My heart goes out to the retirees and families who thought their money was safe in Bernie Madoff's hands. In the courtroom today, victims of Madoff's scheme spoke about crushed dreams and the devastation that has ensued in the aftermath of Madoff's scheme being exposed.

Madoff told the judge "I thought I could get out of it. The harder I tried to get out of it, the deeper the hole. I could not accept for once in my life I had failed. I was responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain. I am in torment....This is a horrible guilt to live with."

A horrible guilt to live with indeed. A guilt that he will now have to deal with as he spends the rest of his days on earth in federal prison.

Swag Award of the Week June 22-29

King has left the building. I'm sure most of you were as shocked as I when you found out about Michael Jackson's untimely death. There is no doubt that the megastar, pop icon, musical pioneer turned freak show in recent years had an effect on your life. His music is timeless and his dance moves were impeccable. 

A few weeks back I wrote about Jackson's announcement that he was planning a world tour that was set to begin sometime this year. Fans now will not get that opportunity to see Jackson on stage again. Jackson's death reminds us how precious life is, and not even the most accomplished entertainers and celebrities are exempt. 

MJ will truly be missed. He touched many lives during his career. Fans from Beijing to Baltimore are still coming to grips with the harsh reality that Jackson is no longer with us. R.I.P Mike.

Millionaire auctions off his wealthy lifestyle...seriously

Andrew Paul an English commodities trader is giving aspiring millionaires a shot to win his lavish lifestyle. For £20 pounds or $30 US dollars, fans can enter a drawing to win his $1.8 million home in the English countryside, Aston Martin sports car and boat. 

Paul, a recent divorcee is auctioning off his lifestyle because he wants to spend more time with his young son.

The auction has one stipulation..200,000 tickets must be sold, which could raise £4 milllion for Andrew. If 150,000 tickets are sold, the winner gets a cash prize and Andrew keeps all of his possessions. 

So Andrew wins regardless. You can win his old stuff, but with the money he makes from ticket sales, he probably has another estate, yacht and sports car lined up somewhere else. If enough tickets aren't sold, Andrew will give the winner a little cash and keep most of it along with his stuff.

Auctioning off your stuff, most of which depreciates in value and essentially paying for newer stuff through the money you made when you got rid of your old stuff...BRILLIANT!! Good luck Andrew.

You can check out more details at winanewlife.com.

Swag Award of the Week June 16-21

I know I'm a tad later than usual with the Swag Award this week, but for days nothing really struck me enough as "swag-worthy" for a bit. Maybe my news/blog/entertainment/etc. etc. consumption levels were down. Maybe it was because my personal swag levels weren't at all-time highs. Who knows? We all have those weeks. Long story short, after watching this situation develop over the last few days I think the Iranian citizens are more than deserving of this weeks award. 

A few days back, I blogged about the Iranians using social media to send out images of the protests despite attempts by the government to deny such actions. The situation has grown from bad to worse. It has been announced that recorded votes from 50 cities were tarnished, accounting  for more than 3 million fraudulent votes. 

Fraudulent votes..sounds a lot the 2000 election here in the states do you think? Despite the fraudulent votes, the Guardian Council(read about this group if you're sure what they're about) maintains that the results are legitimate and that the 3 million votes were not enough to change the outcome. 

The citizens are outraged, and rightfully so. There are a few other concerns the people of Iran have regarding the elections however.

An excerpt from NY Times:

How did the government manage to count enough of the 40 million paper ballots to be able to announce results within two hours of the polls closing? How is it that Mr. Ahmadinejad’s margin of victory remained constant throughout the ballot count? Why did the government order polls closed at 10 p.m. when they often stay open until midnight for presidential races? Why were some ballot boxes sealed before candidates’ inspectors could validate they were empty? Why were votes counted centrally, by the Interior Ministry, instead of locally, as in the past? Why did some polling places lock their doors at 6 p.m. after running out of ballots?

A lot of concerns, valid ones at that don't you think? The death toll stands at 17, the Iranian government continues to go forward with the results as they are and the outrage continues around the country. Iran's reputation in the world has been bruised as a result of this ordeal and Britain has expelled two Iranian diplomats in response to the Iranian government expelling two British diplomats days earlier. 

The odds certainly seemed stacked against the people, but they continue to draw attention to the situation despite the governments attempts to quash it. Keep fighting the good fight, the end result may be a favorable one..a fair one at least.

Boy survives alone in woods thanks to TV show

It began as an average family hike through the Utah wilderness. Fifteen members of the Wynne family were hiking along in Utah when the group stopped to tighten a saddle on one of its horses. The family looked up and noticed that 9 year-old Grayson had disappeared.

Grayson, unaware that the family had stopped continued along the trail and eventually made his way onto a smaller, less noticeable trail. Once Grayson realized that he had been separated from his family he turned to his "training," skills he picked up through watching Bear Grylls on Discovery's 'Man vs. Wild.' Grayson ripped up pieces of his yellow raincoat and tied them to trees to help rescuers find him. It helped, because he was safely rescued 18 hours later.

On the show, Grylls, an ex-British Special Forces member and the youngest Brit to climb Mt. Everest shares survival tips with viewers should they ever find themselves stranded or lost in the wild (i.e. when you get separated from your family on a hiking trip). Grylls is notorious for going through extreme measures to preserve his life, and eating just about anything he can find for nourishment...like tarantulas.

Thankfully this story has a happy ending. Who says you can't learn anything by watching TV?

Quality Beats: The Ecstatic

Mos Def is back at it. His newest release 'The Ecstatic' hit stores last week, and it's definitely worth a listen. Most fans of Mos didn't enjoy his 2006 release, 'True Magic,' but this album is a refreshing reminder of Mos Def's talent and skills that captivated music fans back in the days when he and Talib Kweli formed the duo of Black Star. Solid production, thought-provoking lyrics, and guest appearances by Talib Kweli & Slick Rick make The Ecstatic a solid release. Take a listen if you haven't heard it already.

Social media: reporting the news in ways traditional outlets can't

We all know that athletes, celebrities and the 18-32 demographic are huge proponents of social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter & Myspace. These websites are so prevalent in our lives today, that it is almost hard to imagine what life was like before the invention of the "tweet."

There's nothing like reconnecting with your kindergarten crush 18 years later on Facebook to find out she's married with 3 kids at the age of 24, or "tweeting" about the wonderful burger and shake you had for lunch.  

Often times, social media outlets serve a greater purpose and have proven to be valuable resources during breaking news events, providing real-time, raw eyewitness accounts that traditional media outlets sometimes cannot provide. CNN is notorious for its user-generated content called "i-reports." CNN host Rick Sanchez calls his daily show "a national conversation," and he reads and responds to viewers comments through various social media outlets and uses those responses as talking points for his show.

In Iran, protests and violence have filled the streets in the aftermath of the that country's disputed presidential elections. Iranians have been organizing protests and sending photos and video to other media agencies around the world through Facebook & Twitter despite attempts to block such communication by the Iranian government. Cell phone service & text messages have already been severely crippled, but the effectiveness of the Iranian messages and images via Facebook and Twitter cannot be overstated.

The messages have been so effective, that the U.S. government sent a message to Twitter yesterday, asking them to delay their scheduled site maintenance because it would have occurred during a key time in Iran when people were actively "tweeting," posting videos and links. Twitter agreed and delayed the maintenance. 

Youtube has also been instrumental for Iranians, and users like "iranbefree.com" regularly post videos of the chaos surrounding the protests.

Videos like this one:

The Iranian government has forbidden all journalists from reporting on the protests without permission, severely crippling their effectiveness. The abundance of reporting by Iranians has filled this void, and the methods through which they are sending out their messages is changing foreign diplomacy and news gathering as we speak.

There is an ongoing debate about the effectiveness and necessity of using social media outlets to report and gather news. A great majority of tweets, links, and status updates are nonsensical, irrelevant posts, but that should not devalue the importance of these outlets during breaking news events. We've seen how these outlets, when used for meaningful purposes can provide access and insights that bonafide journalists are prohibited from capturing.

If you devalue the importance of social media then think about this... What if detainees at Abu Gharib in Iraq and Guantanamo could tweet, send facebook updates, and post videos about their time in prison? What do you think the response would have been from the U.S. and other nations around the world?? Something to think about...

Speaking of Rick Sanchez, here is a segment from one of his shows debating the effectiveness/necessity of social media in the news gathering process:

Pat Tomasulo: Sports reporter/ A**hole...watch the video

Taking candy from a baby ranks pretty high on the list of things you don't do unless you're a bad person. I think dunking on a toddler on television should be on the list too after watching this video.

During a broadcast, WGN Sports reporter Pat Tomasulo on a road trip of some sort was giving a report from some family's driveway. Pat and a little boy were playing some ball when Pat decides to step things up a notch. Pat proceeds to put his low post most moves on a three year old, back him down to the hoop a-la Shaq, spin around and dunk over him...on TV no less.

As if the dunk weren't enough, Pat then proceeds to talk trash to the kid telling him, "you don't bring any of that in my house!" at which point the little guy breaks out in tears. 

Pat responds by saying "kids are soft these days and need to be toughened up."

What an a**hole! 

The GOP still doesn't get it..

A few months back I wrote a post on mixed messages the GOP was sending. This was right around the time Michael Steele, chair of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal were all vying to emerge as the prominent voice of the Republican Party in the post-Bush era. In that post, Michael Steele acknowledged that the GOP has alienated key demographics (younger & more colorful) that voted in favor of President Obama and ultimately won him the election.

Here we are three months later, and it appears as if not much has changed within the party. In a recent survey 47% of those surveyed still could not come up with a name of the party's leader. In addition to still not having a spokesperson and a vision, it also appears as if some members of the the party are still committed to mocking President Obama and making racially insensitive remarks...the exact actions that contradict Michael Steele's hopes of a "hip-hop" makeover to attract those younger, more colorful demographics I spoke about earlier.

This latest fiasco comes out of Tennessee and it involves another email that was never intended to be seen by someone who saw it and the subsequent backlash over the remarks. Sherri Goforth, aide to Sen. Diane Black sent an email out to fellow senators and aides titled "Historical Keepsake Photo" that contained a collage of all U.S. presidents. The image of President Obama was a little off however, as Barack's photo was simply a black square with two oversized eyes...(see photo at the top).

Goforth apologized not for the hurtful nature of the email, but sending it to the wrong people.

“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button,” Goforth said. “I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”

Sen. Black has not terminated her aide, but instead issued a written and verbal reprimand...The GOP cannot possibly expect to woo minorities and more open-minded young people on a large scale when images such as these keep surfacing. Judging by Goforth's apology, not for creating the email but for sending it to the wrong people, it appears as if not much of an effort is truly being made.

A look back at New York's subways

John Travolta and Denzel Washington thrilled audiences this weekend, as their remake of the 1974 hit 'The Taking of the Pelham 1,2,3' hit theaters. Back in '74 when the original film came out, New York subways were a much different place than they are now. Nowadays, rats, crowded trains and the occasional beggar are among the least desirable elements of the city's subways. Back then, rats were a welcome sight compared to the muggers and other vagrants who frequently preyed on subway passengers.   

TheDailyBeast.com recently published an interview and photographs from John Conn. Conn photographed the subways in the early 80's and captured them in all of their dirty, decrepit "glory." If you happen live in New York, be thankful these aren't the conditions you face as you travel around the city in 2009. 

I have included a few photos below, but click HERE for the full gallery and interview.

Swag Award of the Week June 8-15

Behind every great team, lies a great coach. The general, the director, the puppeteer. The person who develops the plan of action, pulls the strings and puts the pieces together in order to achieve maximum results.

With the Los Angeles Lakers' series clinching victory over Orlando, Phil Jackson etched his name in the annals of sports becoming the only coach in NBA history to win 10 titles. Think about that...10 titles. That's a championship for each finger. Pretty impressive.

There is no question that Jackson is a great coach. He won six titles in Chicago with the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. He won three in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. And the win last night ensures that he will go down as one of, if not the best coach to ever step onto the hardwood.

What I like most about Phil is his demeanor; his 'swag' if you will. Even in defeat, Phil Jackson remains collected, always composed and never flustered. Many coaches around the league let their emotions get the best of them. Not Jackson. 

Coaches on the professional level have a lot of variables to deal with in order to achieve success. Pressure from ownership, fans expectations, overly-critical journalists, over-paid players and the egos that come with their salaries. Let's not forget the X's & O's of the game as well. For his entire career, Jackson has somehow managed to put all of that noise behind he and his players to make beautiful music on the court. Speaking of beautiful music...10 titles has a nice ring to it don't you think? RESPECT.

HONORABLE MENTION:

As much as I despise the University of Connecticut in all things athletic, objectivity is important at BDumasonline.com and I must give credit where it is due.

Jim Calhoun, head coach of the UCONN Huskies was cycling in his charity bike race this weekend. Around the 50 mile marker out of 67, Calhoun hit a pothole, fell off his bike and broke five ribs.. Calhoun was not deterred, as he biked at 16 more miles to the finish with broken ribs. Upon crossing the finish line, Calhoun collapsed and was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries. He has already been released from the hospital. 

A few things here:

A. I'm not even sure if I can bike 67 miles in one day

B. I definitely can't bike 16 miles with 5 broken ribs

C. Jim Calhoun is 67 and he biked 16 miles with 5 broken ribs

D. Damn! That's impressive!

Much like Phil Jackson in the pro ranks, Jim Calhoun by most accounts is one of the best coaches in college. His 805 wins puts him at #6 all-time and second among active coaches. Calhoun has already been inducted into the NCAA hall of fame and I'm sure his efforts today will earn him even more respect from his players and fellow coaches. Get well soon coach.

Six Flags files for bankruptcy

The auto giants aren't the only ones that have been hit by the recession. Six Flags, the Amusement park giant that has provided me with so many memorable moments over the years has filed for bankruptcy.

Mark Shapiro, CEO of Six flags says filing for Chapter 11 will not affect any of the the company's parks in the U.S and Mexico, but will help the company restructure $2.8 billion in debt.

I haven't been to Six Flags in years, and apparently they could have used the business. I remember pounding cokes at 10am to save money on tickets. My friends and I used to have a system for the coasters. Ride the popular ones early before the crowds pick up, hit the water rides in the middle of the day to cool down, and then more coaster action to finish the day. Funnel cakes and cotton candy were also thrown into the equation at some point. We didn't mess around. I miss those times.

I hope Six Flags can weather the storm. I can't imagine what growing up would be like for any kid without trips to the amusement park. 

T-Pain's chain...

He can't be serious... T-Pain introduced his chain to the world last weekend at the Summerjam concert in New York. Worth over $400K, adorned with 197 carats of diamonds and weighing 7.5 pounds, T-Pain's "Big Ass Chain" is exactly that. 

I cannot think of a more frivolous way to spend money than on a big ass chain that actually says "Big Ass Chain." I am in sheer disbelief over this one. I like jewelry as much as the next man, but all in good taste. You can overdo anything...They used to put "big ass chains" on my people hundreds of years ago, but for different reasons. I guess Mr. Pain forgot that fact. He should be ashamed of himself.

Xbox unveils new motion-detection software at E3 convention

XBOX debuted its 'Project Natal' motion-detection system at the E3 video game conference last week, and it was the most talked about event of the entire conference. Microsoft claims Project Natal will revolutionize the video game industry.

Project Natal can best be described as a step up from the Nintendo Wii model where a motion sensor detects movements and simulates them in video games. All of this is done with out a controller (i.e. in a racing game, you put your hands in the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions, press your right foot towards the floor for the gas pedal and your left for the break, and the game simulates those movements in the cockpit of your car).

Microsoft was not alone however, as Sony introduced its own motion-detecting wand which is eerily similar to Nintendo's Wii controller. Both Project Natal and Sony's controller are set to hit markets in 2010.

Some could see these releases as Sony & Microsoft attempting to catch up in sales with Nintendo's wildly popular Wii console which sold 50 million consoles worldwide. Xbox is a distant second with 30 million. 

Nintendo said they experimented with the same technology Sony & Microsoft are just catching on to three years ago, but opted against it because the technology of the wand yielded better results.

There have been reports that Project Natal is not without flaws, and has struggled at times to recognize the movements of players with darker complexions... Video game profiling?  What is the world coming to LOL? Microsoft maintains that this is not an issue and their system recognizes all complexions and body types.

It remains to be seen what effect these new technologies from Sony and Microsoft will have on sales, but it is obvious that both are trying to break away from the controller-based experience of yesteryear to provide a more interactive experience for gamers.  

Herschel Walker to begin MMA fighting career

That's right. According to Sports Illustrated's own Peter King, Herschel Walker has announced his plans to enter the realm of mixed martial arts this fall. 

The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner has been incorporating martial arts into his training regimen for nearly 30 years. Despite his age (47), Herschel Walker is a beast, and he's been training with martial arts probably longer than his competition has been alive. I pity the fool who steps in the ring with him. Would you want to step into a cage with minimal padding and maximum pain with this man?

Why does Zak Morris still look 16???

In case you missed it, Mark Paul-Gosselaar appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. Fallon is attempting to get commitments from all the old cast members for a Saved By the Bell reunion show in the near future.

Dude still looks like he did in the 90's.. How has he maintained his boyish good looks over the last decade and a half? In addition to introducing us the the wonders of the cell phone, has Zack Morris also found the fountain of youth? Does he take botox? I guess we'll never know. There's cool, and then there's Zack Morris status.. 

Here's the segment:

Racism? DJ Jazzy Jeff Kicked off stage in Kansas City

I have to thank my good friend Nick Wright out in Kansas City for making me aware of this one. Nick hosts a talk show out in KC, mostly commenting on sports topics, and occasionally addressing larger social and/or political issues. Check him out at 610sports.com.

Such was the case today as Nick devoted a portion of his show to an event that occurred over the weekend that has KC up in arms. DJ Jazzy Jeff was performing at KC's downtown entertainment district Saturday night. For those who may not be aware, it was Will Smith AKA The Fresh Prince & Jeff Townes AKA DJ Jazzy Jeff who won the very first rap Grammy Award for their hit 'Parents Just Don't Understand' in 1989. Jazzy Jeff is a hip hop pioneer.

Saturday night after only 30 minutes, Jazzy Jeff ended his set and walked off stage. Read all about the incident here.

Jeff claims he was kicked off stage for playing hip-hop.. There are also reports that his "hype man" was forming gang signs on stage while attempting to liven up the crowd. Jazzy Jeff says they were asked to play Top 40 hits or leave, despite the fact Jeff says his set included T.I. & Rihanna's hit 'Live Your Life,' Kanye West's 'The Good Life,' and other chart-toppers. 

Jon Stephens, the president of the Power & Light District where the concert was held maintains that Jeff & Co. were asked to leave because their levels were too high and risked damaging the speaker equipment...

My buddy Nick spoke with Stephens this morning and got his take on the situation:

WW- 06-08-09 Segment 6

What's Wright with Nick Wright

The KC P&L district is an urban redevelopment financed by taxpayers, and there has been a great deal of public outrage regarding the districts policies since it opened last spring. Most of the outrage stems from what are perceived as racial undertones through the dress code policy and lack of venues that cater to minority clientele, despite the fact that 30% of the city's population is black. 

Kansas City is also home to the American Jazz Museum & The Negro Leagues Museum, but the newly opened development where Jazzy Jeff was asked to leave does not have one venue that features blues, jazz or hip hop amongst its over 40 establishments. 

KC P&L's dress code policy. What do you think?

Here is a news story on KCP&L's controversial dress code. 

I was not in attendance Saturday, nor do I live in Kansas City. I am though good friends with Nick who was born, raised and now works there. Through Nick, I have learned that KC is notorious for frail race relations. KCP&L may have had the best of intentions last weekend, but the dress code policy, its lack of business that cater to minorities, and its treatment of a hip hop legend send an entirely different message...