Jay Electronica's Travel To The Middle East

Lupe Fiasco on The O'Reilly Factor [Video]

Sunday Matinee: Blitz The Ambassador – Native Sun [Short Film]

For those who don't know, Blitz also has a album out with the same name. Make sure you grab it HERE (if you still like vinyl like myself go HERE) after you watch this.

Tight Jeans: The Short Film [Video]

Its always great to see YEBIES across the global creating and producing amazing products that get embraced not by our community but by those who don't always understand our story. This short film by Destiny Ekaragha of the UK is a great example of this. Winner of The London Rushes Soho Film Festival Awards for Best Newcomer in 2009, Tight Jeans was Ekaragha's debut film.

TIGHT JEANS is a light comedy that touches on modern attitudes towards other cultures. It explores the ignorance we tend to have of one another, sometimes without even realising it.
Three black teenagers are becoming frustrated while waiting for their friend. A young white lad walks past wearing super tight jeans. The boys look on until one of them asks the pivotal question, "How can a man wear jeans that tight?" This sparks a hilarious debate about race and culture.

Accolades:

• Selected and granted funding as one of the 6 short films to represent Lewisham, Southwark & Lambeth Film and Arts Councils in association with Film London.
• Premiered at and was voted Best Short Film at the Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival by the Observer newspaper.
• Won Best Newcomer Award at The London Rushes Soho Film Festival 2009,
• Runner up status at the Buffalo San Black and Asian Film Festival 2008
• Official Selection at The Pan African Film Festival 2009 in Los Angeles,
• Africa in the Picture Film Festival in Amsterdam
• The Athens 15th International Film Festival.
• In March 2009 TIGHT JEANS was chosen as the download film of the month by The BFI for their members.

TIBH:The Death of Kwame Nkrumah

On this date in 1971 the great African leader Kwame Nkrumah left us to be with the ancestors. While alive Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana. He was one of the biggest supporters of Pan-Africanism and was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity(OAU). Kwame was a great leader for the people of Ghana and shining example for leaders of the newly independent African nations. His pro-Africa stance came at a cost as outside forces in 1966 would help overthrow his government in a military coup. He lived in exile in Conakry, Guinea, as the guest of President Ahmed Sékou Touré for the remainder of his life.

TIBH: South Africa's First Real Election

On this date in 1994, South Africa held its first ever all-race elections. This was a historic moment for a country that had been so deeply rooted in apartheid for so many years. The election of Nelson Mandela caused the nation to truly start the process of becoming a unified. This new leadership ushered in a chance of a new harmonious country and started the removal of the thick overcast of racial tension that had hovered over the land for decades.

Blitz The Ambassador – Native Sun [Preview Video]

Listen/Download: Dear Africa feat. Les Nubians

Today In Black History: Joseph Jenkins Roberts

On this date in 1809 Joseph Jenkins Roberts was born in Petersburg, Virginia, the son of free "Blacks" whose heritage was more than seven-eighths white. Roberts was a Black nationalist during slavery who would go on to become the first president of Liberia from 1848-56. At the age of 20, he immigrated to Liberia with his mother and younger brothers became a merchant, and also an unofficial aide to the white governor of the colony, Thomas H. Buchanan, a member of the American Colonization Society, which sought the return of American freedmen to Africa. On Buchanan’s death in 1842, Roberts was appointed the first Black governor of the colony.

From 1856, he served as president of the new Liberia College and, during a prolonged financial crisis, served again as president of the republic from 1872 to 1876. Joseph Roberts died February 24, 1876 in Monrovia, Liberia.

Fighting Continues In Ivory Coast

Forces backing Alassane Ouattara continue to attack loyalist to disputed President Laurent Gbagbo in Abijan, the former capital of Ivory Coast. Gbagbo still refuses to step down although Outttara is widely recognised as the winner of last year's election throughout the country and world. More than 370,000 have also fled their homes in Abidjan and there are more than 450,000 overall refuges across the country. Ouattara has gone to fellow west coast nation Nigeria to get help ousting his rival. Former rebel forces who support Ouattara still control the north while most of the army remains loyal to Gbagbo. The 9,000 UN peacekeepers who are in the country can not end the violence and the fighting has caused more than 70,000 civilians have crossed into neighbouring Liberia.

Related: UN fears civil war is engulfing Ivory Coast [Video]

Today In Black History: Nelson Mandela

On this date in 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison in Paarl. The event was broadcasted live all over the world. In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.

Happy Independence Day Grenada

On this date in 1974 Grenada achieved independence from Great Britain. They were lead by Premier Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, who would go on to become the first Prime Minister of Grenada.

Nas & Damian Marley "Patience" [Video]

Nas and Damian have put out a video for "Patience", the latest single off their 2010 project Distant Relatives. I waited for months for this album and I can say it lived up to 3/4 of the hype. This is a nice video concept for one of my favorite songs on the album. For those who don't know, this song uses a sample from the great blind Malian couple Amadou and Mariam's song "Sabali".  I hope we can get Nas's Lost Tapes Pt 2 sometime in the near future from LA Reid Def Jam.

2011 African Journalist Awards

CNN International and MultiChoice have officially launched the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2011 Awards. The winners of these annual Awards will be announced at a gala ceremony to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in June 2011.



This year, the competition will recognise excellence in the following categories:

• Arts & Culture Award
• Digital Journalism Award
• Economics & Business Award
• Environment Award
• Free Press Africa Award
• The HIV/AIDS Reporting Award
• Mohamed Amin Photographic Award
• MSD Health & Medical Award
• Print General News Award
• Radio General News Award
• Sport Award
• Television Features Award
• Television News Bulletin Award
• Tourism Award
• Francophone General News Awards
• Portuguese Language General News Award

Yellow Fever Outbreak In Uganda

Yellow fever has killed over 40 people in the African country of Uganda and has many more around the country ill. The disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes has first detected in the nine northern districts of Uganda. Yellow fever vaccines are currently being imported into the country to try to contain the outbreak.

Haiti Is Still The Same Almost A Year Later

Jean-Max Bellerive the Prime Minister of Haiti has been frustrated and upset that the international community has not been allowing his country to play a more significant role in its own reconstruction from last January's earthquake. Because most of the aid and relief money for the disaster is from outside of the country, Bellerive is having a tough time controlling how funds are being allocated. The minister said that about 20% of the aid pledged had been received. The country is still far from being restored and has more than one million Haitians living in camps around the country. With NGOs controlling most of the outside money, there will continue to be a battle on the most effective way rebuild the nation.

Nigeria Reaches Settlement On Dick Cheney Bribery Case

Nigeria's anti-corruption police has dropped charges against the former US vice-president, Dick Cheney, over a multimillion-dollar bribery case after the energy firm Halliburton agreed to pay up to 250 million in fines. The charges which were filed Dec. 7 center around Cheney's activities as the chief executive of Halliburton and its one-time subsidiary KBR before he became the vice president in 2001. Last year both companies pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices act by paying more than $180 million in bribes to Nigerian officials prior to 2007. The companies were fined $579 million, the largest fine ever paid under the act.

Today In Black History: Ralph J. Bunche

On this date in 1950 Ralph Johnson Bunche became the first Black person awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Bunche was the UN's chief mediator at the time and was crucial in the Arab-Israeli conflict and helping reach the 1949 Armistice Agreements. Bunche also chaired the Department of Political Science at Howard University from 1928 until 1950.

The African Union Suspends Ivory Coast

The African Union (AU) has suspended the membership of Ivory Coast today. AU official Ramtane Lamamra said Ivory Coast would remain suspended until opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara "takes over" from Laurent Gbagbo. The UN Security Council earlier said Mr. Ouattara had won last week's poll. However, Mr. Gbagbo who is backed by the army is defying international pressure and continuing to cling to power.Mr. Ouattara was declared the winner of last Sunday's run-off poll by the country's independent electoral body, but this was overturned by the Constitutional Council. This is the second suspension the country is under as the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) also suspended Ivory Coast earlier this week. Both candidates have been sworn in as president of the republic.

2 Men Claiming To Be President In Ivory Coast

In the West African country of Ivory Coast the two remaining candidates for the office of president are claiming to be the nation's next president. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Ivory Coast this morning on an emergency mission as Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara both claim to be president of the country. Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo defied most of the international appeal for him to step aside and was sworn in Saturday as the new president in a formal ceremony inside the presidential palace that was live on television. Less than an hour-and-a-half later, his rival, Alassane Ouattara, told reporters that he had also taken the oath of office and asked Prime Minister Soro Guillaume to form a new government.

On Friday, The Constitutional Council declared Gbagbo the winner contradicting earlier results from the Independent Electoral Commission which handed Ouattara the victory with 54.1% of the vote.
The Constitutional Council said Gbagbo had won the election with 51.45% of the vote to Ouattara's 48.55%. It tossed out votes it said were marred by fraud in northern regions that were considered Ouattara strongholds.

Today In Black History: The Berlin Conference

On this date in 1884 The Berlin Conference began. It was convened to set up the rules of the Scramble for Africa. The Conference allowed the leaders to create a method of dividing the continent of Africa between the European powers of the time. No Africans were in attendance of this meeting. With this conference they ensured that the division of Africa would take place without war among the European powers. Through the Berlin Act, the European powers justified dividing a continent among themselves without considering the desires of the indigenous peoples of the continent.

Major colonial holdings included:

• Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies and almost succeeded though their control of Egypt, Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan), Uganda, Kenya (British East Africa), South Africa, and Zambia, Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), and Botswana. The British also controlled Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).

• France took much of western Africa, from Mauritania to Chad (French West Africa) and Gabon and the Republic of Congo (French Equatorial Africa).

• Belgium and King Leopold II controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo (Belgian Congo).

• Portugal took Mozambique in the east and Angola in the west.

• Italy's holdings were Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.

• Germany took Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa).

• Spain claimed the smallest territory - Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).