NITE OWL PULLS COUP, LANDS SPOT OPENING FOR THE ROOTS

Nite Owl Pulls Coup, Secures Opening Act for The Roots Concert at The Pageant March 22nd

The Residential Counselor at Youth in Need in St. Charles also has been selected for a taping of Charter Communications’ “The Set” March 9th

February 26th, 2007--St. Louis—St. Louis native and Select Records emcee Nite Owl continues his ascent up the hip-hop ledger with two up-coming shows—a live taping of Charter Communications’ “The Set” Friday, March 9th at the Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room and a slot as the official opening act for The Roots concert at The Pageant March 22nd.

The Radio One on-air personality’s appearance for The Set’s taping will include a live ten-piece band (drummer, bassist, keyboardist, guitar player, percussionist, trumpeter, two violinists, two cello players), two back-up singers and a deejay. Kansas City rap artist James Christos is scheduled as special guest.

A celebration is planned before and after the taping, which will run from 10-11 p.m. Some of the areas better deejays have signed on to spin throughout the night, including DJ Needles (from 9-10 p.m.), DJ Enoch (11-11:30), DJ Sno (11:30-12:15) and Nite Owl’s official tour deejay DJ K-Nine (12:15-1:00 a.m.). WHHL-FM Hot 104.1’s Craig Blac of the Hot Morning Show will introduce Nite Owl to the stage.

Duck Room doors open at 8 p.m. Admission for general public is $5.00 and area artists are invited out for a reduced rate. Charter will also conduct a pre-show interview with Nite Owl at 5:30 p.m. The interview footage will be intertwined with the concert footage during the editing phase of the program. Charter plans to air the thirty minute final product April 4th-8th on CCIN-TV, in which Nite Owl will becomes the first hip-hop artist to be featured on the show.

As for The Roots concert at The Pageant, it’s official—as in an official paying gig. Nite Owl submitted a press kit and promotional packet to The Roots’ tour handlers a few weeks ago and they were impressed enough to offer Nite Owl the only opening act invite of the night. Interestingly, both The Roots and Nite Owl are known for their musical inclinations toward live instruments and genre defying stage shows. Doors there open at 7:00 p.m., show starts at 8 and general admission is $25.00.

For more info on Nite Owl, visit www.selectrecordsonline.com or www.myspace.com/nitroowlious. For more info on “The Set” visit www.chartertv.com/theset.htm. For more on The Roots, check www.theroots.com or www.myspace.com/theroots.
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Media Contact:
IMP Public Relations
3425 Park Avenue
St. Louis, MO
314.448.1411

Bulldogs Advance to Texas

Bulldogs Advance in NAFL Playoffs with 12-0 victory over Kansas City Shockers

The minor league squad from St. Louis travel to Dallas, Tx Saturday for a rematch with the Dallas Diesel

The St. Louis Bulldogs minor league football team outlasted the Kansas City Shockers Saturday night 12-0 in a second round North American Football League playoff (NAFL) game in Excelsior Springs, MO. The Bulldogs, co-champions of the NAFL’s Missouri Division with the Shockers, advances to the Western Conference’s Southwest Region Championship game Saturday against the Dallas Diesel , a team that defeated the Bulldogs 14-7 at the end of 2006 pre-season play. Sumner High products Andre and Anthony Cooper lead the Bulldogs, with Andre Cooper throwing touchdown passes to tight end Wendell Mosley and Anthony Cooper. Defensively, the Bulldogs, who have given up just 57 points all season, pitched their third shutout of the season. The Bulldogs improved to 9-2, while the Shockers ended their season 8-3.

HairKutt; Riverfront Times Cover Story

Horse & Scissors

A heroin-addicted hairstylist guaranteed to scare SLIFF straight
By Mike Seely
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2005

A maroon van pulls up in front of Bryant "HairKutt" Johnson's home on an overcast Tuesday morning.
"Hey, Kutt," yells a large black man with bloodshot eyes and a runny nose, leaning out of the passenger's window. "I need my hair cut, man — open up!"
A shirtless HairKutt peeks out a second-floor curtain, eyeballs wide. He's been up watching Andy Griffith reruns — the way he starts his more productive workdays — but he's not ready to cut hair yet.
Five minutes pass before HairKutt emerges downstairs in a freshly pressed pair of khakis, a crisp crimson T-shirt, tan Timberland boots and (of course) perfect hair. He opens the front door and shoos away his pals, mumbling that they've probably just come from their drug dealer's house, even at this early hour.
HairKutt's phone is ringing off the hook: His partners want him to come over and cut their hair at ten bucks a trim. Today this is easier said than done. Kutt is sweating profusely and, in his words, "running around like a chicken with its head cut off."
"I'm kind of sick right now," he confesses in a high-pitched stutter.
Translation: He's fresh out of heroin.
When HairKutt's high, he's happy, relaxed and energetic — seemingly sober. But when he's off the drug, he's either agitated and disorganized or profoundly lethargic.
Now 36, Kutt took his virgin voyage with the opiate when he was fifteen, shortly after his grandmother died.
"He was very close to his grandma," his mother, Theresa, explains. "That was the first time he had to deal with death."
It also marked the last time HairKutt was clean for any significant stretch. That inaugural snort — Kutt doesn't use needles — morphed into a regular habit, which soon became an addiction. Heroin was and is a snap to obtain in the Johnsons' Buder Park neighborhood on the near south side (although the area is in the midst of an impressive residential transformation), and HairKutt was a preferred customer, especially after dropping out of high school to cut hair and put $100 to $200 a day up his nose.
"I saw the neighborhood I grew up in go from sugar to shit — not because of crack, but because of heroin," says Anthony "Lark" Dorsey, a boyhood friend who grew up down the street from HairKutt. "Heroin is a worse epidemic than they let people know about. I have a sister who's a cop on the south side, and she says it's on every corner. Crack brought some trouble, but every time there was a shooting, it was heroin."
"From Jefferson to Tower Grove, Chouteau to Chippewa, people deal heroin," says Theresa Johnson, who pronounces the word "harrow-wine," as do her two sons (her youngest, James Jr., a.k.a. "Baby," is 34). "On the north side it might be crack, but with my sons and their friends it was always heroin."
One of those friends was Curtis Elliott. Unlike HairKutt, Elliott never flirted with heroin. But his cousins did. Hell, just about everyone did. "People were bragging all the time about getting their nod on," says Elliott, now 39 and working as a real estate agent and living in Florissant. "It was the shit to do. Black people — we take the shit and go all out. We want to graduate, not stay in first grade, know what I'm saying?"
It was one of Elliott's cousins who introduced HairKutt to the drug. Which is why Elliott, to this day, feels a measure of responsibility for his friend's struggles. And which goes some way toward explaining why Elliott, Lark Dorsey and another acquaintance, Maurice "Reese" Bradley, persuaded HairKutt to take a ten-hour drive with them to a cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains, where HairKutt would sweat, writhe, moan, bleed, crap and puke his way toward a cold-turkey cure attempt in February of 2002.
Elliott brought along a camcorder and kept it rolling through five days and nights, during which HairKutt made a half-assed escape attempt and ended up in a Tennessee emergency room, dehydrated as a prune.
In the fall of 2002, Elliott contacted Ben Scholle, an assistant communications professor in charge of the video and television program at Lindenwood University, Elliott's St. Charles alma mater.

Hip-Hop Happenings

Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. continues independent grind, but for how long?

The rapper voted RFT's Best Hip-Hop Artist of 2005 entertained music executives from Universal Music Group this past weekend.

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R, the self proclaimed People's Champ of St. Louis, has shifted gears fast forward in pursuit of his major label aspirations. The dred-locked emcee, known for his profanity free lyrics, capped last week off by entertaining record executives from industry heavyweight Universal Music Group. The executives were in town to scout Spaide, among others, and were treated to a round of great music, courtesy of Spaide himself.
Spaide kicked off the weekend early, performing live at Nimmy Russell's Beautiful People's Club concert at Toxic last Thursday (Nov. 3rd), and followed the gig Friday night with an inspired performance at the newly crowned Arena Club (formerly the Limelight and the Animal House) in North St. Louis County. The concert at the Arena was geared toward the teenage crowd and including performances by Riverfront Records/Capitol Records’ Ruka Puff and The Label/Asylum/Warner Brothers’ rapper Potzee. Unsigned rapper Baby Huey, who was featured in The Source Magazine awhile back, also performed.
The show at the Arena was witnessed by the Universal execs, from their perched backstage. The execs were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Spaide followers and left with an "Always" t-shirt from the Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. camp. “Always” is the name of Spaide's lead single that has been picking up quality spins at KATZ's 100. 3 The Beat in recent weeks.
An accompany video for the single will be released before the year is out, as will Spaide's new album This Herre City, pending any major developments with the Universal conglomerate. The rapper is represented locally by music imprint Hassle Life, Inc.

No Luv Entertainment Set To Release 3 EP's before year is out

The label wants to release genre specific extra long plays to attract more fans to it's sound dubbed 'Gangsta Gutta Music'

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--No Luv Entertainment, a label former Riverfront Times music editor Jordan Harper tabbed as the "post Nelly sound of St. Louis hip-hop" has announced the planned release of three extra long plays before the year 2005 is out.
According to label head, 7even Figgas, the company plans to release genre specific EP's geared toward the "streets", the strip clubs and college radio.
"What we've learned from our two prior releases (2004's Gangsta Gutta and this year's 90 Days of Hell) is that we have to expand our audience and take a more grassroots approach into attracting fans," 7even Figgas said. "We are going to put out genre specific concept albums with no more than six or seven songs on them to give fans a chance to hear our music without being overwhelmed with a lot of material. By spoon-feeding them the material, we're hoping to create an hunger for more, which will allow us to push units in for our releases in 2006."
The plan now is to release the street oriented album No Luv Entertainment/Renegade Productions Presents... The River City Bandits...Robbing Peter to Pay Paul by The River City Bandits.
The River City Bandits, 7even Figgas said, is a combination of No Luv artists and affiliates who have banned together under one group name to push the label forward. The crew will record the three albums under the RCB name.
"We have a unique sound," 7even Figgas said about No Luv's approach to music, dubbed "Gangsta Gutta Music" by No Luv themselves. Gangsta gutta' music, 7even Figgas said, is an emerging genre that combines West Coast gangster bravado and Bay Area mob music with Down South crunk music, Midwest Swing party music and East Coast grittiness.
Aggressive in it's approach, gangsta gutta music eschews the bang bang shoot 'em up of gangster rap for a more realistic approach of being from 'the gutta'. "To best bring out that sound, we need everyone associated with our label to combine their talent, resources and energy to promote that sound."
The second release will take a page from the Mike Jones book of marketing and aim straight for shake joint patrons and their employees, err, dancers. The EP, entitled Throw Dat Azz Back, will serve as an anthem for those of who frequent the various adult entertainment centers throughout the United States.
The last of the three EP's will be the seven song party themed Crash Da Party. The concept album will focus on the joys of having a good party come to a crashing end by a few undesirables, ala The River City Bandits. That release will be aimed at the college radio crowd, 7even Figgas said, as No Luv is in preliminary plans to schedule a college spring tour in 2006 throughout the Midwest region and down South.

Hip-Hop Happenings

Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. continues independent grind, but for how long?

The rapper voted RFT's Best Hip-Hop Artist of 2005 entertained music executives from Universal Music Group this past weekend.

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R, the self proclaimed People's Champ of St. Louis, has shifted gears fast forward in pursuit of his major label aspirations. The dred-locked emcee, known for his profanity free lyrics, capped last week off by entertaining record executives from industry heavyweight Universal Music Group. The executives were in town to scout Spaide, among others, and were treated to a round of great music, courtesy of Spaide himself.
Spaide kicked off the weekend early, performing live at Nimmy Russell's Beautiful People's Club concert at Toxic last Thursday (Nov. 3rd), and followed the gig Friday night with an inspired performance at the newly crowned Arena Club (formerly the Limelight and the Animal House) in North St. Louis County. The concert at the Arena was geared toward the teenage crowd and including performances by Riverfront Records/Capitol Records’ Ruka Puff and The Label/Asylum/Warner Brothers’ rapper Potzee. Unsigned rapper Baby Huey, who was featured in The Source Magazine awhile back, also performed.
The show at the Arena was witnessed by the Universal execs, from their perched backstage. The execs were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Spaide followers and left with an "Always" t-shirt from the Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. camp. “Always” is the name of Spaide's lead single that has been picking up quality spins at KATZ's 100. 3 The Beat in recent weeks.
An accompany video for the single will be released before the year is out, as will Spaide's new album This Herre City, pending any major developments with the Universal conglomerate. The rapper is represented locally by music imprint Hassle Life, Inc.

No Luv Entertainment Set To Release 3 EP's before year is out

The label wants to release genre specific extra long plays to attract more fans to it's sound dubbed 'Gangsta Gutta Music'

November 7th, 2005--St. Louis, Missouri--No Luv Entertainment, a label former Riverfront Times music editor Jordan Harper tabbed as the "post Nelly sound of St. Louis hip-hop" has announced the planned release of three extra long plays before the year 2005 is out.
According to label head, 7even Figgas, the company plans to release genre specific EP's geared toward the "streets", the strip clubs and college radio.
"What we've learned from our two prior releases (2004's Gangsta Gutta and this year's 90 Days of Hell) is that we have to expand our audience and take a more grassroots approach into attracting fans," 7even Figgas said. "We are going to put out genre specific concept albums with no more than six or seven songs on them to give fans a chance to hear our music without being overwhelmed with a lot of material. By spoon-feeding them the material, we're hoping to create an hunger for more, which will allow us to push units in for our releases in 2006."
The plan now is to release the street oriented album No Luv Entertainment/Renegade Productions Presents... The River City Bandits...Robbing Peter to Pay Paul by The River City Bandits.
The River City Bandits, 7even Figgas said, is a combination of No Luv artists and affiliates who have banned together under one group name to push the label forward. The crew will record the three albums under the RCB name.
"We have a unique sound," 7even Figgas said about No Luv's approach to music, dubbed "Gangsta Gutta Music" by No Luv themselves. Gangsta gutta' music, 7even Figgas said, is an emerging genre that combines West Coast gangster bravado and Bay Area mob music with Down South crunk music, Midwest Swing party music and East Coast grittiness.
Aggressive in it's approach, gangsta gutta music eschews the bang bang shoot 'em up of gangster rap for a more realistic approach of being from 'the gutta'. "To best bring out that sound, we need everyone associated with our label to combine their talent, resources and energy to promote that sound."
The second release will take a page from the Mike Jones book of marketing and aim straight for shake joint patrons and their employees, err, dancers. The EP, entitled Throw Dat Azz Back, will serve as an anthem for those of who frequent the various adult entertainment centers throughout the United States.
The last of the three EP's will be the seven song party themed Crash Da Party. The concept album will focus on the joys of having a good party come to a crashing end by a few undesirables, ala The River City Bandits. That release will be aimed at the college radio crowd, 7even Figgas said, as No Luv is in preliminary plans to schedule a college spring tour in 2006 throughout the Midwest region and down South.

3 Stars For HairKutt

Independent Filmmaker Garners Three Stars From Boston Globe

Renowned film critic Ty Burr says HairKutt “falls between the cracks of public service and reality TV”; awards the film three stars

November 9th--St. Louis, Missouri--Independent filmmaker Curtis Elliott said he was completely stunned when he found out renowned Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr rated Elliott’s documentary HairKutt three stars (out of a possible four) in the Globe’s November 4th issue. Elliott, who traveled to Boston for the film’s one week run at the Somerville Theatre November 4th-10th, said the distinction is totally humbling.

“Here we are, four guys (Elliott, Anthony “Lark” Davis, Maurice “Reese” Bradley, and the film’s heroin addicted subject Bryant “HairKutt” Johnson) from St. Louis, with nothing but a few cameras and a lot of hope and prayer, with three stars from the Boston Globe,” Elliott said about the acclaimed critique. “I mean, only about five percent of major motion pictures are even reviewed by the Globe, and here we are with three stars. Amazing.”

In his review of the film, Burr said the strength of the award winning film “is the grainy handheld footage of Johnson undergoing a week of cold turkey,” adding “this may be the best ''scared straight" material a cocky kid will ever see: night-time video of a man tossing in pain, and retching, retching, retching.”

Burr, praising the film’s anti-drug message, also mentioned the three men’s willingness to come together to help “HairKutt” kick a terrible habit, resonates throughout the film, offering the following analysis: “the parts that work: the street-level memories of growing up in an urban neighborhood where drugs were literally available on every corner, and the despairing fall-out years later…The people who need to see this movie need to see it when they're young.”

Elliott said his plans now are to focus on the St. Louis International Film Festival’s November 15th screening of HairKutt, where the film is up for several awards, and getting the film shown to today’s youth of the nation.

“HairKutt is a realistic view of the harm substance abuse can cause to not only the addict, but to family and friends as well,” Elliott said. “I think this film can be an important tool in the fight to deter drug abuse here in North America and I’m looking for support to get this documentary in the hands of the people who need to see it most--our children.”

HairKutt is a sixty minute, award winning documentary about four friends from St. Louis, MO who travel to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee in the hopes of curing one of them from the throes of heroin addiction. The story evolves around Bryant “HairKutt” Johnson, a heroin addict of more than 15 years.

The documentary takes many twists and turns as “HairKutt” becomes so debilitated from the withdrawal of the poisonous drug that he walks away from the rented cabin used as a drug rehab facility to return to the streets of St. Louis (more than a ten hour drive away) and the source of his addiction: heroin.

Coaxed back to the cabin by his friends, “HairKutt” is eventually rushed to a rural Tennessee hospital after severe life-threatening vomiting episodes. Is the hospital trip a death bed for “HairKutt” or a springboard for a new life free from the drug that has dominated his teen and adult years? The story climaxes more than a year and a half later with a tell-all truth about the fateful trip and “HairKutt’s” final condition.

HairKutt made its’ St. Louis debut in front of a crowd of over 700 at the famed Tivoli Theater in the University City, (MO) Loop on May 12th, 2005. The film has garnered two awards in 2005: Best Social Documentary at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles (March, 2005) and Best Documentary Feature at Cinema St. Louis’ Independent Filmmaker’s Showcase in July.

For more info or the view movie trailer, please visit www.itstoughtogetoffdrugs.com or Google Search keyword: HairKutt or contact Curtis Elliott at 314.324.5435 or 314.395.2342 or mrfixitfast6@msn.com.

Boston area critics on HairKutt

“Hairkutt illustrates the horrors of detoxification, succeeds at communicating a resonant anti-drug message…so real that at times it can be painful to watch.”--Deirdre Fulton, Boston Phoenix

“Hairkutt is more effective than any anti-drug public service announcement.”--Tenley Woodman, Boston Herald

“The amateur, home-video feel of (HairKutt) works to enhance the gritty reality of withdrawal and the frustrating affects of addiction on loved ones…worth seeing if only to finally have a realistic portrayal of love amongst men of color, an image that is quite rare in pop culture.”--Vidya Rao, Boston Bay State Banner

“With its gripping scenes, social message and night-vision camerawork, this documentary is interesting to watch and viewers will come away a bit more knowledgeable about heroin.”---Rao again

HairKutt

Award Winning Documentary to Screen at University of Utah’s Post Theatre during National Drug Awareness Month

Independent filmmaker Curtis Elliot plans to discuss award winning documentary about the ill effects of heroin abuse in Salt Lake City October 21st

October 7th, 2005—St. Louis, MO—In conjunction with National Drug Awareness Month, independent filmmaker Curtis Elliott plans to visit the St. Lake City area October 21st with his It’s Tough To Get Off Drugs anti-drug campaign. The basis of the campaign is the award winning documentary HairKutt. The film will screen Friday, October 21st at the University of Utah’s Post Theatre at 2:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. The 2:00 screening is for media, police and treatment center personnel only, while the other two screenings are open to the public.

To date, HairKutt has been booked to screen at not only the Post Theatre but also at the Roxy Theatre in LaSalle, Illinois on Sunday, October 23rd in select public school districts throughout the country during Red Ribbon Week October 23-31 and at Boston's Somerville Theatre November 4th-11th.

HairKutt is a sixty minute, award winning documentary about four friends from St. Louis, MO who travel to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee in the hopes of curing one of them from the throes of heroin addiction. The Reel Life story evolves around Bryant “HairKutt” Johnson, a heroin addict of more than 15 years. The documentary takes many twists and turns as “HairKutt” becomes so debilitated from the withdrawal of the poisonous drug that he walks away from the rented cabin used as a drug rehab facility to return to the streets of St. Louis (more than a ten hour drive away) and the source of his addiction: heroin.

Coaxed back to the cabin by his friends, “HairKutt” is eventually rushed to a rural Tennessee hospital after severe life-threatening vomiting episodes. Is the hospital trip a death bed for “HairKutt” or a springboard for a new life free from the drug that has dominated his teen and adult years? The story climaxes more than a year and a half later with a tell-all truth about the fateful trip and “HairKutt’s” final condition.

The film won Best Social Documentary at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles in March 2005 and Best Documentary Feature at Cinema St. Louis' Independent Filmmakers Showcase in July. The film also screened at the Missouri Black Expo in August and at the Father Support Center’s Fifth Annual Fatherhood Initiative Conference at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in June. The film made its’ St. Louis debut in front of a crowd of 700 at the famed Tivoli Theater in the University City, (MO) Loop on May 12th, 2005.

For more info or the view movie trailer, please visit www.itstoughtogetoffdrugs.com or Google Search keyword: HairKutt or contact Curtis Elliott at 314.324.5435 or 314.395.2342 or mrfixitfast6@msn.com.

Da People's Champ Voted Best Hip-Hop Artist by RFT

2005: Music
Best Hip-Hop Artist
Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R.

With his big braids and big smile, Spaide is everywhere -- car shows, clubs, picnics, even orphanages. His ubiquitous street team is composed of eight women, ages seventeen to twenty-one, and their daughters, and they hand out swag galore at these events -- everything from Spaide CDs to Spaide towels. Spaide's yet to break out on a national level, though his single, "Always," gets play on a handful of mainstream radio stations around the nation. It's the Lou where big Spaide gets his love -- well, here and Boonville, where he played to a bar full of bikers earlier this year on a bill with Ruka Puff. "Our crews were the only black people there," recalls Spaide. But it was all good. "They clapped for us at the end!" See, even leathered classic-rock fans can't help but fall under the spell of "Da People's Champ." Maybe it's because he doesn't go in much for profanity or samples. Maybe it's because he's got a track with Juvenile. Or maybe it's because he's -- sorry Spaide! -- so damn cute.



riverfronttimes.com | Originally Published: September 29, 2005

City of No Luv

The City of NoLuv, nee inner-city St. Louis, MO, is a heartless place where rogue villains roam, rogue cops jack, head bussers are plentiful and cap peelers are quick to exercise their state right to carry. On the flip side, the Show Me State's signature city also possess a vibrant social life complete with big houses, fancy cars, flashy duds, popping nightclubs and an abundance of booze, bud and cash flow.

RADAR STATION
In-Town Sounds
We're cleaning off our desk for another local CD roundup
By Jordan Harper
Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2005

90 Days of Hell, NoLuv Entertainment
Noluv Entertainment makes the Wu-Tang Clan look puny. Their label sampler 90 Days of Hell features Bam-Bam, Looney Low, Blacc Magicc, K-9ine, Lil Jazz...I could keep going. The club banger "Jump" goes on for eight minutes in order to get ten rappers and singers on the track. Likewise, 90 Days is overstuffed at two 70-minute discs. But if you're willing to wade through the filler, you'll get a chance to hear the post-Nelly sounds of St. Louis hip-hop. While the production is a little muddy, songs like "Chinky Eyes" (I know, I know) by the STL Rydaz and Magicc's "Donkey Kong" are tremendous fun. Magicc's track is all video-game beeps and references, including the chorus "We're Donkey Kongin' haters." I don't know what it means, but I like it. If Noluv can show a little restraint on their next release, they might make a big mark on the Lou.

Da People's Champ

Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R, Da People's Champ Mix CD (http://www.spaideripper.com/). Spaide's manager, BoOo (don't ask), says that Corey Spinks plans to come out to "The Champ is Here" -- this album's first track -- at upcoming fights. Whether or not this is true, much of the disc has a rousing, "Eye of the Tiger" feel. Half of the album, and many of its best tracks, are freestyles. So while the beats on this "mix CD" aren't original, Spaide's talents definitely are.

Spaide W.H.I.N.E.R.

Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:09 AM CDT

My boy Toriano Porter has been bringing it with some hip-hop coverage in the dirty old Whirl. On a good week, when Tori is in the Whirl and Kevin Johnson at the Post isn't stuck covering some puffy-headed pop music, along with our Grapevine and Kim Hudson in the Argus, the scene is almost getting the coverage it deserves. But this week Tori let old Spaide R.I.P.P.E.R. make a little bit of a fool out of himself. Seems like Spaide got a spin in Memphis and that made him think St. Louis radio owes him free breakfast, lunch and dinner, with room service for all meals and a free bottle of Champagne, not to mention a foot massage and a chocolate mint under his pillow. "I'm getting spins here, but I need that all day, everyday type of love," Spaide told Toriano and Tori told us. "I need my [nasty word, but he meant "music"] programmed into the computer so when they're just letting that [same nasty word] play, my song is steady popping up." Come on, now, brother. Nobody owes you nothing. If the point is you got to pay to play on commercial radio, all D. Shante can say is, "No [nasty word], Sherlock!" But you ain't gonna whine and change it, so what's the point? And so what if you got played in Memphis, but not here. Ever think there's a whole lot more hot hip-hop happening here in the Lou? It should be harder to get played here than in Memphis. To tell ya the truth, though Spaide can spit and he gets some hot beats to spit to, he is nowhere near the front of the line for local talent, just in case commercial radio should open its airwaves tomorrow to who actually deserves the spins, not who has a radio advance man with some money and lapdances to throw around and buy his spins.

St. Louis Bulldogs

Baring their fangs

Mike ElderOf the Suburban Journals

Hazelwood-Bridgeton Journal

The St. Louis Bulldogs minor league football squad might be the best professional team in the area that nobody knows about.The Bulldogs, who are coached by Greg Moore and feature many players from the North County area, have an incredible 124-49 (71-percent) in the 13-year history of the program."We've done well over the years," said Moore.Indeed they have. The Bulldogs, who compete in the North American Football league, have won two league championships, five division titles and two conference crowns.
"We don't have a problem getting to the playoffs," said Moore, whose program has qualfied for post-season play 12 straight years.The Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them if they're going to extend their season this year, however. They fell to 1-2 after dropping a 28-0 decision to the Nashville Storm at home Saturday."We're still going to make it," said Moore, whose team also lost 18-14 to the Kansas Kaos and won a 49-6 decision over the Lincoln (Neb.) Renegades. "We have to win the rest of our games but we're very capable. We're even capable of beating the team we lost to."The Bulldogs, who play in the Missouri Division, are led offensively by a host of players with North County ties including Ritenour graduates Willie Harris and Wendell Mosley.Harris, a former receiver converted to quarterback, had completed 23 of 43 passes for 398 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games."So far I've been pleased with his play," said Moore of Harris. "He's not real tall, though, so we have to roll him out a lot. Our line is pretty big. We average like 6-4 or 6-5 and 340 or 350 pounds."Mosley is one of Harris' favorite targets. He had eight receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown after two games."As a seasoned veteran he's excellent," said Moore of Mosley. "He's a smaller tight end but he's very elusive."Moore said his talented offensive line features some players from the area including Stan Johnson, who graduated from Maplewood High but now lives in North County, Deyon Smith (Sumner) and Rodney Hamell (Berkeley).Damien Wilson, who also lives in North County, is the team's top kick returner. He's returned two kickoffs for 111 yards and one touchdown."He's one of our up and coming young men," said Moore.Marvin Blake, a running back who lives in North County, is the team's leading rusher. He's run 14 times for 147 yards and four touchdowns.Other players outside the area who are mainstays on the team include running back Corey Taylor, who was a star at University City High, free safety Toriano Porter (Eureka/CMSU) and Fred Robinson, a 6-5, 290 defensive end from Peoria."He's our defensive leader," said Moore of Robinson. "He always draws a double team."The Bulldogs, who are playing their home games at Cardinal Ritter High's football field at Vandeventer and Delmar, are averaging between 300 to 500 spectators a game, Moore said."It could be better," he said. "But it's been pretty warm lately. We have our faithful who, no matter what, they are there."Moore has had a hard time focusing on his beloved coaching hobby. Also the police chief of Northwoods, Moore and his officers were responsible for brokering the surrender of murder suspect Kevin Johnson to St. Louis County police recently. Johnson, who was wanted for the murder of Kirkwood police officer Sgt. William McEntee, had been on the loose since the incident July 5.In addition, Moore's daughter, Allison, was involved in a serious car accident recently."She's resting at home with a broken femor," said Moore. "We're praying that everything turns out alright. She's blessed to be alive."The Bulldogs will be back in action this Saturday at home against the Show-Me Spirit, another St. Louis area minor league team. Game time is 7:30 p.m.