SLUM VILLAGE LIVE ON HIP HOP TODAY RED CUP RADIO AT 2 PM EST TENACITYRADIO.COM

Tune in tomorrow www.tenacityradio.com @2pm est to Hip Hop Today Red Cup as Slum Village will stop by to promote their new album "Evolution" which is in stores now.


Chances are, if you are anywhere near the Detroit music scene, you have heard of the influential hip hop trio that makes up Slum Village. The group was founded in the early 90′s by 3 childhood friends: Baatin, T3, rapper and producer J Dilla, who all grew up together in the Conant Gardens neighborhood of Detroit, MI. After leaving Pershing High School, the trio began to forge a path into the Detroit underground hip hop scene and quickly found themselves steadily gaining popularity, where they originally went by the name Ssenepod.

With a growing momentum now cemented in the underground, the group took on a forward trajectory toward bigger and better things, and in 1991 changed their name to Slum Village. J Dilla joined the production team known as The Ummah, which produced the two last A Tribe Called Quest studio albums, as well as hits for a number of R&B and hip hop musicians, and in 1996, they recorded their first album Vol. 1″ , recorded in Dillas basement and RJ Rice Studios, it was critically acclaimed in the Detroit underground scene. It later found its way into the hands of A Tribe Called Quest’s own Q-Tip, who played it for some of hip hop’s elite, such as Busta Rhymes, Questlove, and D’angelo. This fruitful alliance led to an opening gig for A Tribe Called Quest on their Farewell tour in 1998.



Slum Village landed their first record deal in 1998 with Barak/AM records. Due to label politics, the group was forced to release their album “Best Kept Secret” under the alias J-88,. Their now classic record, “Fantastic, Vol. 2″ was also in production, but was not officially released until 2000 through Barak/GoodVibe Records. “Fantastic Vol. 2″ was dubbed an immediate classic from fans and industry tastemakers. This album featured an A list line up including Busta Rhymes, Common, D’angelo, Jazzy Jeff, Pete Rock, Kurupt, and Q-Tip who passed the torch to Slum Village on the record “Hold Tight”. On the heels of this record release followed a tour with The Roots on the Okay Players tour/D’angelo Voodoo tour.



In 2001, while sitting down to discuss future plans, J Dilla made the decision to leave the group to pursue his solo career, citing the group was well established enough to move on without him. With J Dilla still around helping Young RJ with production, Baatin and T3 started work on their next album “Trinity” through Barak/Capital Records, featuring Elzhi on 6 of the tracks. This album would feature their first commercial single “Tainted” which ft an unknown Dwele, also disco and the remix produced by Timberland. Slum was presented with their headlining opportunity on the Family Tree tour, featuring Phife from A Tribe Called Quest.

In 2002, Dirty District, a compilation of songs by Detroit rappers largely produced by T3 and Young RJ, was released. The group then became a duo consisting of T3 and Elzhi, Baatin became sick touring shortly before the release of their 2004 album, Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit) and departed to seek treatment. The album included the hit single, “Selfish”, produced by Kanye West and featuring John Legend. The song samples a part of the intro to the hit song “Call Me” by Aretha Franklin. After parting ways with Capitol Records in 2005, they released Prequel to a Classic, a mixtape of mostly previously unreleased material, Slum went back into the studio to record the self-titled album Slum Village, with production from Young RJ and Black Milk. Following the album’s release, they went on tour with Shady Aftermath group, D12.

Tragedy struck in 2006 in the form of the loss of founding member J Dilla, to lupus, which put the group on a 4 year hiatus. In 2009, T3 reunited Baatin with the group, brought in Illa J (of Yancey Boys fame and J Dilla’s brother), and along with Young RJ, RJ Rice and Elzhi, started production on their next album, Villa Manifesto. Slum Village went back on the road as a trio including Baatin. Later in 2009 , Slum village performed at Rock the Bells as a trio consisting of T3 , Elzhi and Baatin, with the latter still coping with bipolar schizophrenia making him unable to travel when the tour continued into Canada that year. While T3 and Elzhi performed the Canadian shows, tragedy struck for a second time, claiming Baatin that summer at home in Detroit, his death was felt deeply throughout the Detroit Hip Hop scene.



In 2010, the album “Villa Manifesto” was released under Ne’astra/Koch Records, featuring the late Baatin. By that time Elzhi had decided to move on and focus on pursuing his own solo career. Even though the group has suffered many heartaches and member changes, Slum Village always finds a way to reinvent themselves. At present, the evolution of Slum Village continues with a reinvigorated energy, with founding member T3 holding down the legacy , and grammy nominated producer Young RJ and Illa j, the young prodigy at his side. Slum Village has a new mixtape “Dirty Slums”, presented by DJ Mick Boogie, featuring artists such as Big Sean, Rapper Big Pooh, De La Soul, Focus, Skyzoo, Phonte, and Phife,after 100,000+downloads and rave reviews, the group released an official full length album and are planning on a sequel …As the industry changes, so has Slum Village, and yet and still while some think SV may have crashed and burned, they just keep coming up like the rising phoenix.

Thursday 5/8 9pm est Rafiya Brings World Music To The Lovejones Experience With Goddess Jones

Rafiya comes to The Lovejones Experience with Goddess Jones  to talk the human experience in her music and international soul music aficionados.

Rafiya was born in Los Angeles to Congolese parents. Due to her father's career, she traveled extensively during her formative years: living in Congo(Democratic Republic), the Cape Verde Islands, Benin, Senegal, Guinea, Barbados and Ivory Coast. She moved to Philadelphia in 2001 to attend Temple University where she double majored in Sociology and Spanish, and graduated in 2006 with honors. While attending school full-time in the aforementioned nations, Rayifa found time to work with local artists, absorbing their techniques and wisdom all the while enriching her sounds. She has worked with Oscar Kidjo, recorded in Youssou N'Dour's studio and toured France and North Africa with French rap star, Mokobe. Every passing collaboration, studio session and performance strengthened her ever-present belief that she would be spending her life making music; making people smile, dance and think. Rafiya released her "Amazing" debut in 2010 to great acclaim from domestic and international soul music aficionados. She premiered a sing which celebrates her African heritage, "Where I'm Form," in May 2012 and is back with a new song "My Number" which will establish her as the next major artist. Her new album is scheduled for release in the summer of 2014. Rafiya writes and sings about the human experience in French and English but regardless of your native tongue her passion translates itself in the melody. Parlez-vous Rafiya?


Check out Rafiya's single "My Number"

Goddess Jones Mother's Day Show Thursday 5/8 8pm est www.tenacityradio.com

Don't miss Goddess Jones Mother's Day Show with Chris Coffman, he is the  CEO of Helping Hands For Single Moms . Mother Helping Hands for Single Moms is a community-based nonprofit that assists impoverished single mom families while the moms are pursuing a college education and financial independence.

There 10 Year Community Impact
• 300 -plus single mom families assisted since 2001
• 80% of our full scholarship clients have graduated or are currently enrolled
• 62 single mom families currently receive benefits
• 3.2 cumulative average GPA achieved by Helping Hands moms since 2007
• $45,600 – the starting average career salary of Helping Hands graduates

He dream to assist low-income single moms with obtaining a college education was born in a most unusual way.   In 2001, Chris Coffman was in his twentieth year of serving as a minister.  Mr. Coffman was active in a local ministerial alliance when the group decided to become more engaged in serving the needs of the local community.  It was decided that each pastor would be assigned an area to drive and look for potential needs.

It was on a warm spring morning when Mr. Coffman set out with a quick prayer.  He hadn’t driven far when he was startled by a young boy, approximately 5 years old, walking alone on the sidewalk of a busy street.  Mr. Coffman pulled alongside him and told the boy to meet him at the next corner and that the boy could not be out alone.  A woman in a passing car also pulled in.  Mr. Coffman and the woman, led by the boy, proceeded to walk him home.  When they arrived at an old dilapidated house, they knocked and a young girl – perhaps 10 years old – answered.  Observing the wide-eyed look on her face, Mr. Coffman asked her if this was her brother.  She said yes.  A second question followed “Are you supposed to be watching him?”  ”Yes.” As she opened the door to let her brother in, Mr. Coffman asked “Is your mother or father here?”  She answered, “Just my mother lives here and she is asleep.”

They left the boy in his sister’s care and headed back to their vehicles.  Suddenly Mr. Coffman remembered the task he was pursuing before he was interrupted.  He was looking for needs in the community!  Mr. Coffman had no idea where that short drive would take him.  The dream of helping low-income single moms attend college was born in the days following that fortuitous journey.

Helping Hands for Single Moms is a community based nonprofit that is led by people of faith.  Our task is to serve single mom college student families.  We deliver community based services and the beliefs – or absence of belief – of clients are fully respected.   Today Mr. Coffman is the Executive Director of Helping Hands for Single Moms.

Goddess Jones Talks To Co-Director/Producer Tracy Heather Strain On The Lorriane Hansberry Documentary Tonight 9pm est

A groundbreaking artist and a committed activists during her short life, has not received the recognition that she deserves. Until now, in the works is the first feature-length documentary on Lorriane Hansberry. The documentary will take you on a journey through Lorraine Hansberry's intense and eventful life to tell a story of one woman, from a young age, was compelled to fight against injustice of all kinds, ultimately choosing art-the theater specifically-as her chief vehicle to tell the stories of struggle and injustice in America at that time.  


Goddess Jones will talk to Co-Director/ Producer Tracy Heather Strain on the life of Lorriane Hansberry and give a insight on the progression of this important documentary that is long overdue. Don't miss this important Dialogue

The McDonald's Baby Talk To Goddess Jones Tonight Night 8pm est

Don't miss The The LoveJones Experience w/ Goddess Jones with Goddess Jones tonight at 8pm est as David Volk better known as "The McDonald Baby," will talk about his story and  mission to locate his birth-mother.

David was inspired by Katheryn Deprill's story and he decided to post his abandonment story on Facebook. On December 20th 1977, David was abandoned inside a McDonalds shortly after he was born.   He was found in a plastic bag with his umbilical cord attached, indicating he was only hours old.  The restaurant was located at 915 18th Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. David forgives his birth-mother and just want to get know her.    




Watch His Story

Silent no more

Silent No More: Mental Health Month

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with a colleague who I had not seen for five years. We had a lot of catching up to do as we shared our ministries. He was surprised to learn that I was no longer serving a church, but that I had started a ministry to create resources to help reduce the stigma of mental illness in our faith communities.

There was a pause in our conversation. He said, "I have been struggling with depression for almost a year but haven't told anyone in my congregation."

I related how I kept my illness a secret from my congregation for two years, how my family and I suffered in silence and how sharing my story opened the door to move the community to begin to create a caring congregation.

My colleague was not ready to share his illness, but he wanted to know how to begin to talk about mental illness in his congregation. I suggested that he simply include "persons living with mental illness and their families" in his pastoral prayer next Sunday.

The following Monday I received a call from my colleague saying that, to his amazement, three parishioners had come up to him to share their experiences with serious mental illness. He said, "I didn't think anyone in my congregation had a mental illness."

I encouraged him, when he was comfortable, to share his story with the congregation. I also shared ways that he can begin to educate others about mental illness.

May is Mental Health Month and has provided an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health issues for more than 50 years.

Mental Health America launched Mental Health Week, which eventually became May is Mental Health Month, in 1949. Each May, Americans recognize Mental Health Month with events and activities in communities across the country. The theme for Mental Health Month this year is "Get Connected" to emphasize the important role of social relationships in protecting and improving mental health and building resiliency. Many organizations, including NAMI, engage in efforts to promote Mental Health Month.

There are now designated times in May for groups to raise awareness and advocate for improvements in research, prevention and treatment on specific mental health issues. The first week in May, for example, has been designated as Children's Mental Health Week. But the specific times are not as important as educating about all mental illnesses any time of the year.

Mental Health Ministries is featuring several downloadable resources that may be helpful in your planning. Many of our free print resources are available in Spanish. In addition, these resources are available on the NAMI FaithNet Web site, www.nami.org/faithnet in the resources section.

I pray for the time when individuals and families with a loved one living with a mental illness will be silent no more.

~ Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder

Mental Health Awareness

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 01, 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2014

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Despite great strides in our understanding of mental illness and vast improvements in the dialogue surrounding it, too many still suffer in silence. Tens of millions of Americans face mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. During National Mental Health Awareness Month, we reaffirm our commitment to building our understanding of mental illness, increasing access to treatment, and ensuring those who are struggling to know they are not alone.

Over the course of a year, one in five adults will experience a mental illness, yet less than half will receive treatment. Because this is unacceptable, my Administration is fighting to make mental health care more accessible than ever. Through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we are extending mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protections to over 60 million Americans. Because of the ACA, insurers can no longer deny coverage or charge patients more due to pre-existing health conditions, including mental illness. The ACA also requires health plans to cover recommended preventive services like depression screening and behavioral assessments at no out-of-pocket cost. And under this law, we are expanding services for mental health and substance use disorder at community health centers across the country.

My Administration is also investing in programs that promote mental health among young people. We secured new funding to train teachers to identify and respond to mental illness and to train thousands of additional mental health professionals to serve students. And because it is our sacred obligation to give our veterans the support they have earned, we have increased the number of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health providers, enhanced VA partnerships with community providers, and improved Government coordination on research efforts.

We too often think about mental health differently from other forms of health. Yet like any disease, mental illnesses can be treated -- and without help, they can grow worse. That is why we must build an open dialogue that encourages support and respect for those struggling with mental illness. To learn how you can get involved, visit www.MentalHealth.gov. Those seeking immediate help should call 1-800-662-HELP. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also offers immediate assistance for all Americans, including service members and veterans, at 1-800-273-TALK.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2014 as National Mental Health Awareness Month. I call upon citizens, government agencies, organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise mental health awareness and continue helping Americans live longer, healthier lives.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA