March 2008

  • Conversation Builds Vocabulary

    This was an idea thrown out there during a recent workshop I took on Supporting Adolescent Reading. As soon as I heard the presenter say, “Conversation builds vocabulary,” I knew she had something there. I have known this all along, although I have never really thought about it. I have never spoken down to children […]


  • A Brief History of Hip-Hop Part 10 – The Production

    Read The Introduction, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Rap songs started out simply enough. It was what the DJs had available. They had record players and they had plenty of records. That was all that was needed, at the start. DJs could extend the break of the record to make a repetitive loop of one part of a song. In […]


  • A Brief History of Hip-Hop Part 9 – The Turntable as an Instrument

    Read The Introduction, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Hip-hop started with the DJ. This is a point that I cannot emphasize enough. From the very first block parties, DJs used record players in very creative ways. They didn’t merely play a record for people to dance to. They mixed up two […]


  • The Key to Good Production

    The key to good hip-hop is this – the music and lyrics need to work together. They need to enhance each other like a movie script and an actor. A script is great by itself but it doesn’t truly come alive until it is produced. Rap music goes way beyond beats and lyrics when it […]


  • Simplicity Needs to be Taught

    The simple things in life need to be taught and understood. We have forgotten a lot of the simple things. We think simple doesn’t need an explanation, so we say nothing. Why waste our breath? Everyone knows, for a while, but then we forget. We’ve forgotten more than we know. Some cultures are dying out. […]


  • Everything is Story

    If someone were to give me a test of my life, I think I would fail it. I can’t remember a lot of things that I probably should be able to. I’m often surprised when family members recall an event. I have to get them to explain in further. Sometimes this helps and I remember […]


  • A Brief History of Hip-Hop – Rap Gets Political

    Read The Introduction, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 In the late 1980s, we saw a shift in the lyrical content of rap songs. This new style is referred to as political rap. The emcees started to talk about real life issues. Chuck D, of the legendary group Public Enemy once referred to rap music as “the Black people’s CNN.” His […]


  • A Brief History of Hip-Hop – Part 7 Break Dancing

    Read The Introduction, Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 In 1962 James Brown recorded his historic Live at the Appolo. His sound and performance really introduced a new form of dancing. In 1969 he recorded two songs that have had quite a lasting influence on hip hop culture; Sex Machine and Funky Drummer. His records emphasized the break down, the part […]


  • Don’t trust this blogger!

    I’ve just been spammed in my comments. Someone sent me two links and when I clicked on either of them I got a pop-up window saying that my computer is infected. I think that this blogger is just selling software but I do not know. I’ve deleted the comment and thought I should give you […]


  • Come to Grips

    People look, search, inventconceal, hide, denyflaunt, show, tryany excuse, chance, or opportunitythey get, or come toI say this like I’m detached, separate, alone, but I’m one, twojust a number in a cacophonous crowdOne moment trying to hide, blend in, disappearThe next shouting loud,“I’m here!”“See me!”“Take notice!”cause I noticed you My search is understated becauseI believe […]