I feel pretty confident when I make the claim Soul Train > any other urban music related TV program. Sure Yo! MTV Raps and and the original Rap City are worthy contenders, but any show that pretty much touted every major musical figure of the 70′s and 80′s is going to win out by default. Turns out, ‘the house that Don built’ is finally getting the chance to bring its story to the big screen. Read the rest of this entry »

Shawna Michelle, It’s Too Small Because It’s Too Big

Why would Billy Mays Have Taken Three Different Painkillers? [Slate]

10 Things Children Can Get Away With That Adults Can’t [HMJ]

Making the Band’s Sara Stokes Arrested For Domestic Abuse [Miss Info]

Nike Air Max LeBron VII Performance Review [Nice Kicks]

Bald Chicks: Hot or Not? [Getback]

Simmons Jewelry Co. Creates Sponge Bob Jewelry Line [TLD]

Soulja Boy’s Bad Financial Advice [Black Voices]

Classic Clips From Every Movie Directed by John Hughes [Unreality]

7 Of The Largest Drug Busts In History [Kilos & Grams]

Jermaine Jackson Catches A Hit Off A Bat…And It Wasn’t Joe Jackson’s! [Broken Cool]

Cop A TSS Shirt & The Shipping’s On Us [TSS]

TSS on Twitter: TSS Crew | JohnGotty™ | Beware | Contra™ | Darius Sinclair™ | David D. |P. |Devin Chanda |Jesse H. | K1ng | MZ | TC

The recent dust-up between Joe or Liza Rios has taken attention away from Christopher Rios and the mark he managed to leave behind in only five years of work.

With that in mind, focus your attention above @ the official trailer of the upcoming, Vlad Yudin-directed documentary, releasing on 9.15.09. Read the rest of this entry »

For as much as I want to hate “House Party,” every part of my being harbors it as one of the greatest pieces of cinematic work ever. Read the rest of this entry »

You needn’t go see Obsessed tonight at your local cineplex. I’ll tell you what happens without seeing it… Read the rest of this entry »

Have any of you seen this abomination of a movie?

Now I would never get up and go watch this movie. My IQ has more than two digits and I remember what happened in 1994. That memory haunts me every night before I sleep, word to the tears on my pillow.

My problem though is that I love my little sisters. And they love Street Fighter, more so, they love Chun-Li. Now they are 20 and 16; definitely old enough to go to the movies on their own. But I don’t trust these penis-bearing, hormonally-charged youths that walk around the malls at night these days. So Heckler, Koch and myself accompanied them for a late night screening of the aforementioned excuse of a movie. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a couple of days since I said “to hell with it” and caught the midnight showing of Watchmen on a school night. I sat through almost three hours of a flick that I knew would not be as good as the ground-breaking graphic novel. Still this belief hasn’t stopped me from jizzing in my pants every time I saw a Watchmen trailer.

Watchmen is a movie that seems absolutely impossible to make: A film adapted from a 12-issues series that is so full of emotion and important details that any omission can send a die-hard fan into a frenzy. So Zack Snyder decided to direct a near-verbatim translation of the movie full of some of the same dialogue, screen shots and plot points.

Visually, the movie bounces off the screen with bright colors and breath-taking precision. The setting—an alternative 1985 where Richard Nixon is President on the brink of nuclear holocaust—is straight from the pages of the graphic novel, with exact panels transcribed to the screen.

Anyone who saw Zach Snyder’s handling of Read the rest of this entry »

“Who Will Watch The Watchers?”

I will.

The only contention now is whether to hit the neighborhood spot tonight, or to wait for the IMAX experience. I’ll probably do both. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s readily apparent that I get all types of emails & material in my inbox. Those messages often include actual personal emails from friends & acquaintances, i.e. people I like receiving emails from. Well, Suave sent this one and, even though I’ve seen the movie more than enough, some of these stumped me. Therefore, I ask for your help in completing the “Coming To America Quiz.”

1. What is Akeem’s full name?

2. “My name is Peaches…” what is her sister’s name?

3. Who is Dottie?

4. Who falls down the stairs and farts?

5. In the Miss Black Awareness Pageant, how many women are wearing a thong bikini? Read the rest of this entry »

“On your mark. Get set…” Read the rest of this entry »

Doesn’t look half bad, huh? Read the rest of this entry »

Words By David D.

On paper, The Wackness sounds like it should be a terrible movie.

The film is an ode to Hip-Hop and features a mostly all-white, middle-class set of characters. It stars Ben Kingsley (known for playing serious roles like Gandhi) as a drugged out lunatic. Method Man is a patois-speaking drug dealer. And one of the Olsen twins is in it. But somehow director Jonathan Levine has managed to create a charming, hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking film about the search for companionship while dealing with personal demons…and being really high. Read the rest of this entry »

This isn’t really my cup of lemonade.

But as I sit here sorting through my Google Reader & inbox, debating which piece will write itself over the next two hours I figure this would be a good filler piece for some of you. Apparently this has been out for a minute but *spoiler alert* it’s the first few minutes of the film. *spoiler alert* Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Contraâ„¢

Mos is having one hell of a week.

First, there was news of his forthcoming album The Ecstatic that seems to have gotten the green light. Then there was the announcement of the Reflection Eternal & Black Star reunions that clearly bought glee to many a fan across the globe. Speaking of reunions and green lights, The Brazilian Job is also finally underway, and Mos is still co-starring in it. Mr. Dante Smith also rocked Carnegie Hall with Jay Electronica and went further to share the stage with the legendary Gil Scott Heron.

Life seemed like it couldn’t get better for M.Deffer.

Until Alana Wyatt(Smith), Mos’ (ex) wife decided to release a book about…well, their (past) relationship.

I’ll give Alana the benefit of the doubt and avoid obliterating her person/character. But, Ms. Wyatt, a few words of cautionary advice, if I may:

1. When you’re resume reads “7th grade drop out,” “video girl” and “former stripper”, you are already fighting an uphill battle in terms of credibility, so do not adopt (or straight swagger-jack), the Karrine Steffans approach. You are not an author. This will not end well for you.

2. When trying to prove that you have been abused in a relationship, avoid listing people you cheated with during this same relationship. Also avoid bragging about how many other men you could (not) have listed as well. Read the rest of this entry »

No, Mars.

According to Variety, Spike Lee is set to direct a Mike documentary that I, for one, might not be watching.

I know Spike is going to do the movie justice, but I fear how I’ll feel about the Man, the Myth, the Legend when I walk away. I already get a little disheartened to see the superhero looking old and out of shape, so what will he be reduced to when we see all the grit between the wrinkles? I’m not sure ‘70s and ‘80s babies need to see him looking regular. Magic Johnson looks reeeeeeal normal these days; has he not lost a bit of that short-shorts-era sheen?

While I’ve seen some limited ESPN clips of his life, I appreciate that I never personally seen Barry Sanders –- ever. Although I’d like him to answer my eternal question of “What the fuck?” it only makes him more of an enigma wrapped within a mystery that he doesn’t come around. I can make up endless stories about how Barry lives his day-to-day (which I envision is something to the effect of he wakes up cradling a football, then spends the rest of his time toying with the idea of coming back for one last hoo-rah with the Lions, wherein he’d win his ring and simultaneously save the city of Detroit from financial and political destitution.)

All that poster-dunk Michael-ness might be washed away if we get to see too much of him now. There’s going to have to be an arch to the story and it can’t all be pretty. Spike is going to have to take it there. He’s going to have to go beyond Hanes, Bugs Bunny and divorce. I’m sure it get’s uglier… I’m just not sure I want to know.

Spike Lee Sets Michael Jordan Film [Variety]

Stray Shots

Herb_Mcgruff-The_Demo_EP-Vinyl-2008

Luther Vandross – Love Luther (4 Discs)

Saul_Williams-Saul_Williams_(Aust._Edition)-2004

A+-Latch-Key_Child-1996

Marvin Gaye – What’s Goin On

N*E*R*D – Live @ Austin, TX (2008)

Mase_Presents_Harlem_World-The_Movement-Retail-1999

Mase-Welcome_Back-2004

Stray Shots