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Hip-hop and justice: Culture carries the spirit of protest, 50 years and counting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — In the early days of hip-hop, plugging turntables into a light post and converting an outdoor basketball court into a discotheque may have seemed like a simple invitation to party.A closer look scene revealed the truth: Hip-hop was a response to social and economic injustice in disregarded neighborhoods, a showcase of joy, ingenuity and innovation despite a lack of wealth and resources.The music emanating from the DJ’s equipment might tell partiers to “move your feet,” and in the very next set, tell them to “fight the power.”Hip-hop has been an integral part of social and racial justice movements. It’s also been scrutinized by law enforcement and political groups because of their belief that hip-hop and its artists’ encourage violent criminality.Whether a warning, a demand or an affirmation, hip-hop culture and, especially, rap music have been mediums for holding the powerful accountable, for delivering lyrical indictments against systemic injustice. Hip-...

Women battle misogyny to send hip-hop spinning in a new direction

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Rasheeda Frost’s decades-long relationship with hip-hop started in 1981. She was a curious, energetic kindergartener — eager to touch and explore anything put in front of her.Rasheeda remembered her mother presenting her with a huge, white box — it was a record player that she would continuously spin, not knowing what its purpose was. Then, she said, her mom gave her a record with a colorful cornucopia printed in the middle: The Sugarhill Gang. “She must’ve just known hip-hop was embedded in me at such a young age,” the MTV “Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta” reality star said.The then 5-year-old would dance until she couldn’t anymore. “I played that record until I tore it up and scratched up the record.”Frost fell in love with hip-hop. Lyrics, music videos, and magazine covers display a genre that is male-centered and male-dominated. Despite this challenge, Frost took her passion a step further and joined the ranks of female rappers and emcees who battled misogynoir, sexism,...

Niger’s military junta digs in with cabinet appointments and rejects talks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — The military junta that seized power in Niger two weeks ago has appointed new cabinet ministers and barred most international meditators from the country as it works to entrench itself in power.The junta’s leaders named a new prime minister Monday, in what analysts described as an attempt to show that they’re serious about governing the West Africa country.They refused to admit mediation teams that were meant to arrive Tuesday, sent by the United Nations, the African Union, and West African regional bloc ECOWAS. The junta cited “evident reasons of security in this atmosphere of menace,” according to a letter seen by The Associated Press. ECOWAS had threatened to use military force if the junta didn’t reinstate the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday, a deadline that the junta ignored and which passed without action from ECOWAS. The military leaders chose civilian economist Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as prime minister. Zeine is a former mi...

How hip-hop went from being shunned by big business to multimillion-dollar collabs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The signs of hip-hop’s influence are everywhere — from Pharrell Williams becoming Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director to billion-dollar brands like Dr. Dre’s Beats headphones and retail mainstays like Diddy’s Sean John and Jay-Z’s Rocawear. It didn’t start out that way. The music genre germinated 50 years ago as an escape from the poverty and violence of New York City’s most distressed borough, the Bronx, where few wanted to invest in its businesses or its people. Out of that adversity blossomed an authentic style of expression, one that connected with the city’s underserved Black and Latino teens and young adults, and filtered through to graffiti, dance and fashion. As hip-hop spread throughout New York, so did a culture.“Hip-hop goes beyond the music,” said C. Keith Harrison, a professor and founding director for the University of Central Florida’s Business of Hip-Hop Innovation & Creative Industries certificate program. “Hip-hop always kn...

Eritrea’s repressive government criticizes exiles who attack overseas festivals as ‘asylum scum’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Flaming cars, violent clashes, dozens of people detained. As one of the world’s most repressive countries marks 30 years of independence, festivals held by Eritrea’s diaspora in Europe and North America have been attacked by exiles whom the regime dismisses as “asylum scum.”People who fled the Horn of Africa nation say the violence against festivals in Germany, Sweden and Canada are protests against a repressive government that’s been described as the “North Korea of Africa.” Some allege that proceeds from festivals might support the government.Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Eritrea over the years, many setting off into the deserts of Sudan and then North Africa in attempts to reach Europe. President Isaias Afwerki, 77, has led Eritrea since it won independence from Ethiopia in a long guerrilla war. There have been no elections. There’s no free press. Exit visas are required. Many young people are forced into military service with no end ...

Perseid meteor shower to peak over Austin this weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - One of the year's biggest meteor showers will providing a show for those celebrating Pride downtown this Saturday night. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every July and August. This year, the celestial event will occur on Saturday, August 12th, wrapping up on the morning of August 13th."Most of the things that we see in the form of meteors in the Earth's atmosphere are basically sand sized to small, small pebbles size," said Anita Cochran, Assistant Director at the University of Texas' McDonald Observatory.During the peak of the meteor shower, 90-to-100 meteors can be spotted every hour, said Lara Eakins, Senior Program Coordinator at UT's Department of Astronomy."Generally speaking, you kind of want to face yourself sort of northeast, because that's where the meteors will appear to come from," Eakins said. She also recommends going to see the meteor shower after midnight. Meteor showers over Texas; how these light shows dazzle every year What is the Perseid Meteor...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Should You Help Catch A Shoplifter?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Eric. Here's his email: Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. This happened to me last weekend and after talking it over with my wife, she thought it would be a good dilemma for your show. Over the weekend, I went to a local drugstore I go to all the time. I was looking at sale items on an endcap near the front of the store when I heard someone yell, “Hey! Stop him!” I looked up the aisle and there was a guy running straight at me. We locked eyes for a second and I probably could have tackled him, but I didn’t. I let him run by. The manager came down the aisle and yelled at me for not stopping the guy. First, the guy could have had a knife. I thought most employees were trained not to physically detain shoplifters, so I don’t know why the manager was mad. It wasn’t coming out of his pocket. But second, the guy had a bag of diapers under his arm. Felt wrong t...

UAlbany women's basketball announces 2023-24 schedule

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) - The University at Albany women’s basketball team has officially released its 2022-23 schedule. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “We are thrilled to introduce our new home court, the Broadview Center, to family, fans, and opponents,” said head coach Colleen Mullen. “By design, we have compiled one of the most competitive and exciting non-conference slates in my tenure. In addition to playing veteran and talented programs, like crosstown rival Siena, we will also face championship level Power-5 and mid-major programs. This includes two top A10 performers from last season in UMass and Fordham and women’s basketball powerhouse, Stanford. Our league has experience, depth, and parody from top to bottom. We anticipate every game to be a battle and want our players to feel confident and prepared to compete for a championship in March.”The schedule consists of 13 non-conference games with six home games before confe...

UAlbany men's basketball releases 2023-24 schedule

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) – The University at Albany men's basketball team has officially released its 2023-24 non-conference schedule. In addition, the America East today announced its conference schedule for all member institutions. UAlbany's 2023-24 schedule consists of 15 non-conference games and 16 America East matchups. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "The 2023-24 campaign is a special season for our program as we take the floor on the region's premiere sporting venue, the newly renovated Broadview Center," said Head Coach Dwayne Killings. "Our team is ready to be challenged by schools representing the Atlantic 10, American, and Big East conferences. The excitement is building on Western Ave as we get ready to kick off a transformational season for our program, institution, and community." The Great Danes start the season with four road matchups, taking on UMass, Columbia, Seton Hall, and Quinnipiac before facing off against I-...

Ask Amy: “Handy” overnights don’t go over well

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:19 GMT

Dear Amy: My 26-year-old son has been dating a girl for more than two years.We all get along really well.My husband and I recently moved two hours away and have stayed at their apartment approximately five times over the past eight months.We only stay one night and usually take them out to dinner or have other fun activities with them while visiting.One time, we were there to see other friends, but staying with them was still handy because they keep an eye on our dogs.My son doesn’t mind at all, as he has told us.I recently found out his girlfriend does mind, and has told him that we abuse their hospitality and that she doesn’t feel comfortable in her own home when we’re there (although she has no problem accepting free meals/drinks from us).My son recently tried to break up with her (before this situation arose), but she talked him out of it.I’m so distraught and hurt. I no longer feel comfortable staying there. Nor do I feel comfortable having her stay at our hom...