Kisha's Monday Reality TV Recap

BBWLA
Jackie is preparing for fashion week and she's on cloud nine but its short lived because she's obsessed over Laura when she knows damn well she doesn't like her.

Brooke got the King cover but Draya is being a little bit of a hater when there's no need. The editor was unprofessional by discussing Draya without her being there to defend herself but other than that Draya needs to get over it and be a friend all the way or not at all.

Laura is on some meds cause she's actually being nice...

Bambi is not a rapper but we all can dream right?!?!

Gloria.....blah blah blah

Malaysia...(Insert yawn here)


TI & Tiny
Shikana is a HOT mess and very disrespectful. She's Tiny's hair dresser but she is jealous of Tiny or so it seems. I enjoy this show but the highlight is TI with his parenting and the Major's unexpected comic relief.


Marrying The Game
I'm trying y'all but this is a hard show for me. Game means well but it's just unfair to Tiffany has to do it all.

Shopping Addiction
It's always to tune in each week to watch but tonight I'm just like wow are these people that damn self absorbed that they don't see how their shopping is ruining their lives?!?!?! It's just sad! #EndOfStory


Kisha Green is a author who has a passion for writing and sharing her witty personality with many through social media. For more info about Kisha, visit her website www.divabooksinconline.com and you can also follow her on Twitter @KishaGreen

[Series Trailer] – The Rapper – Premieres Sunday

The Rapper — set in the digital-age, chronicles the story of three young men who attempt to overcome the of lack of support, lack of resources, lack of finances, and the pressures of street life, in order to see their dreams of making it in the hip hop industry come true.

Written and directed by Los Angeles native Vincent LaMotte, and shot by acclaimed Cinematographer Alex Santana, The Rapper’s raw and gritty tale of the road less traveled to superstardom is sure to create a cult following, with outstanding visuals, and great story writing. Series Premieres Sunday August 12 on The Black Urban Times and The17Films. I am very excited about this show and what it has to offer to the Hip Hop genre.

If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” the words of Fredrick Douglass are no more present in the life of one Michael Rashaun Tate, a twenty year old aspiring hip hop artist. Born in the city of Inglewood, California to a single mother (Keisha Lawrence), Michael was raised in the midst of the golden era of hip hop, from his first time hearing the sounds of Snoop Doggy Dogg’s “Doggystyle” album, Michael has been drawn into hip hop. He along with his childhood friends Terrence and Vincent, began writing rhymes in middle school, perfecting their crafts in high school, in the process becoming respectable emcees school wide, however, that respect only got them so far, once graduation came, also came real life, and the thought of being a hip hop superstar took the backseat to a 9-5, bills, and parents who preached responsibility instead of chasing unobtainable dreams. With the pressures of providing for their families, they turn to the streets, hustling trying to help their families maintain above water, all the while chasing the dream of becoming hip hop super stars. In the entertainment industry, we always see the finished product, the glitz, the glamor, the fame, hardly ever do we see the road less traveled, the journey to get to the top, The Rapper chronicles the story of three young men who attempt to overcome the of lack of support, lack of resources, lack of finances, and the pressures of street life, in order to see their dreams of making it in the hip hop industry come true.

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• [Series Trailer] - The Rapper - Premieres Sunday (perrybearmc.com)

Book Review "Queen Pin"

 Queen Pin by Jemeker Thompson-Hairston and David Ritz

Reviewed by A. Jarrell Hayes

In life, people are what they do. The way a person can change who they are is to change what they do. Not just career-wise, but in their actions and thoughts.

In Jemeker Thompson-Hairston’s memoir Queen Pin (written with David Ritz), the reader is taken through Jemeker’s change from drug dealer to Christian evangelist. The earliest scene is of Jemeker and her family being evicted when she’s eight, and how she moves from Los Angeles, California to the Deep South to live with her grandmother. In the Mississippi, Jemeker is shown the value of family loyalty, and that violence can solve problems with and instill obedience in other people. From one of her aunts, Jemeker is exposed to “the Game” – the one boys and girls play with one another – and how to “play” men while they think they are playing her.

Jemeker uses those lessons to get what she wants: men, money, clothes; anything. Throughout the book, she is shown as a fiercely determined and loyal person; emotional at times, which is at odds with her cold and calculating exterior.

Jemeker returns to L.A. as a teenager, where she falls in love with and marries Daff, a weed dealer. They have a child together, and work on building their drug empire. Under Jemeker’s suggestion, the two expand their territory and start selling cocaine.

Eventually Jemeker’s life is drastically changed for the worse. She falls deeper into her addiction for money, expensive clothes and jewelry, and the fast-paced life of a dealer. Even after establishing a successful and legitimate business – an excuse to get out the drug game – Jemeker didn’t let go. She becomes a hollow shell; the love for her child wasn’t enough to have her give up the men and money she enjoyed – she has her son stay with her mother while she spends time in other states building her empire.

She takes a chance to see her son during his sixth grade graduation ceremony, and is arrested by the FBI in front of him. Jemeker is sentenced to fifteen years in prison. She’s a woman used to being in control, and getting acclimated to the lock-down and dehumanizing routine of prison takes time for her to learn. She soon learns to do her time, and she grows closer to God, and comes closer to finding the peace and compassion she’s searched for in her life.

Queen Pin is written in a clear and concise manner, excellent in its non-flashy prose. And, honestly, it doesn’t need to be flashy; the story itself is compelling enough. For anybody who enjoys reading urban literature novels about drug dealers, this is the book for you: a real-life story of a woman finding redemption from her life of crime.

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Los Angeles Police Chief To Resign

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, who instituted vast reforms of the city’s department during a seven-year tenure, is stepping down, the president of the City Council said Wednesday.
Councilman Eric Garcetti said Bratton disclosed his surprise decision Wednesday in a private meeting.
The department said Bratton planned a midday news conference with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Bratton was stepping down to head a private security firm, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site, quoting unnamed sources.
Bratton's decision comes just weeks after a judge released the department from eight years of oversight by the U.S. Department of Justice, which had alleged a long pattern of abuse.
Under Bratton, Los Angeles also has seen declining crime rates since 2003. Garcetti said the city's residents are safer than they've been in "half a lifetime."
Last month, after a federal judge lifted a consent decree between Los Angeles and the Justice Department, Bratton declared that his police force had become "a leader in creating positive change."
Bratton was picked to lead the Los Angeles department in 2002 after heading police forces in New York City and Boston.

Oldest Living Woman Celebrates Birthday!

Gertrude Baines, left, poses with her pastor Warren Smith, left, as she celebrates her 115th birthday on Monday, April 6, 2009, at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles. Guinness World Records on Monday presented Baines with a certificate naming her the oldest person living.

Patrick Swayze checks into hospital with pneumonia

By DERRIK J. LANG
LOS ANGELES - Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital for observation after contracting pneumonia, A&E President Abbe Raven announced Friday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.
Swayze was scheduled to appear to discuss his upcoming drama "The Beast."
Robert DeBitetto, A&E's programming senior vice president, explained his absence.
"Patrick has asked that I tell you that this morning he checked himself into the hospital for observation," said DeBitetto. "Chemotherapy can take its toll on the immune system, and illnesses are a part of that. Patrick wishes me to tell you that he's very sorry he cannot attend, but plans to get back to promoting `The Beast' soon." Click here For The Full Story

Spokesman: Officer in subway shooting has resigned

(CNN) -- The officer involved in a New Year's Day shooting that left a passenger dead in a crowded Oakland, California, subway station resigned Wednesday, a Bay Area Rapid Transit spokesman said. BART spokesman Linton Johnson said in a statement that the officer's attorney and his union representative submitted the resignation at a meeting Wednesday morning with BART police investigators. The officer was going to be at the meeting but did not show up, Johnson said.
The resignation was effective immediately.
Shortly before the funeral for the passenger, 22-year-old Oscar Grant, Johnson said the officer had received death threats.
View Video below - shows officer shoot Grant in back as another officer kneels on him

The BART officer fatally shot Grant in the back after he and some friends were pulled from a train car following a report of an altercation, according to a BART statement. On Tuesday, attorney John Burris filed a $25 million claim with BART in which he identified the officer as Johannes Mehserle. Several local media outlets had already identified the officer.
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FORMER President Corazon Aquino {Left}, now 76, in a 2008 photo (courtesy of inquirer.net) announcing that she was living with colon cancer.

Alicia Cruz

Senior writer

theblackurbantimes.com
AP Wire - Relatives of former President of the Philippine Islands, Corazon "Cory" Aquino including her elder brother Don Pedro Cojuangco, were injured in a car accident in the los Angeles, California area on New Year's day. Aquino's spokeswoman Deedee Siytangco said a trailer truck hit Cojuangco's car on a major thoroughfare in California. She said details of the accident remain sketchy, only adding that 11 vehicles were involved in the accident. Cojuangco's daughters-in-law are still in the hospital, but are not suffering from life threatening injuries. Cojuangco's wife has a ruptured spleen, punctured lungs and bruises as a result of the 11-car collision. Don Pedro Cojuangco is the former president and chief operating officer of First United Bank, now the United Coconut Planters Bank. For those of you unfamiliar with Cora Aquino, she is the widow of the assassinated former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., She currently resides in the Philippines with her family.

{Left} Undated photo of Corazon Aquino during her tenure as President of the Philippine Islands