So.....

Shout out to my brother from another mother, The MarXman, who play's anintegral role in Grae Entreprises event planning company. This info iscoming from The companies "GraeGram." For the people who want to mixcontribution with pleasure, this one's for you. The flyer's are attached;

"1. WEEN for Haiti: WATER and AID Collection Event

Katra Lounge - 217 Bowery

Tuesday, January 18th, 2010

The Women In Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN) presents WEEN forHaiti: A Water & Aid Collection Event

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 from 5-11 p.m.

Katra Lounge (217 Bowery Street), New York CityAll proceeds and water collected will go directly to Wyclef Jean’s YeleHaiti foundation & Doctors without Borders, the recipient of a Nobel PeacePrize in 1999.

“It is in times like these that our humanitarian strength is tested. Thiscatastrophe is a wake up call and it is our responsibility to tap into ourresources to support our sisters and brothers in Haiti. In the spirit of ourmission, WEEN members will join forces to help restore the lives of allaffected by this unfortunate disaster,” declared Valeisha Butterfield,Co-founder and Chair of WEEN, “this is one of many steps we are taking to doour part.”

HoneyMag.com (www.honeymag.com), the 2FiftySevenGroup, Lauren LakeEnterprises (www.laurenlake.com) , Grae Enterprises(www.GraeEnterprises.com<http://www.graeenterprises.com/>)and Beanpye (www.beanpye.com) are partnering companies that support WEEN’sglobal initiative to unify the world one step at a time. In addition, KatraLounge has graciously agreed to offer 10% of all bar profits to WEEN forHaiti.

Recognizing the state of the U.S. economy, WEEN encourages contributions bigor small. Regardless, all are encouraged to attend this important event andcontribute at least two gallons of water and the financial contribution theyare able.

For more on WEEN and to become a member today, please visitwww.weenonline.org

Yele Haiti (www.yele.org)

Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.com)

2. Hearts for HaitiInvites you to make a difference...

Arena Nightclub - 135 West 41st Street(b/t Broadway & 6th Ave)Wednesday, January 20th, 20107pm-Midnight

Open Bar 7-8:30pm by HennessyMusic by DJs Clue, D-Nice, Jon Quick, Kiss, Mick Boogie, M.O.S., Ted Smooth,Tony Touch

Downstairs in the carnivale lounge DJ Franky of the Untouchables playing thebest of Haitian Konpa & Zouk

Hearts for Haiti Host Committee: Andrea Price, Angela Yee, Arlene Pitterson,Blacklight Ent., Calcie Cooper, Demetria Lucas, Derrin Woodhouse, DJ BigDes, DJ CEO, DJ Cosi, DJ Herbert Holler, Dr. Lee Gause, Ed Freiberg, EdgarTaveras, Eric Soler, Esther-Mireya Tejeda, Fabrice Armand, Fred Cool Out,Gardy Guerrier, Gary Grant, Grae Enterprises, Hen Rock, J. Medina, JamesCruz, Joseph Solis, Kevin Powell, Kwame Jackson, L. Boogs, Laura Stylez, RedCarpet Entertainment, Liris Crosse, L-Mani V, Lola and Tom Patrick-Odeen ,Lord Sear, Marc Smooth, Marlene Taveras, MIH Icons, N3P Media, ObinnaOnyeagoro, Omar Hamilton, Paul Estevez, ParlourMagazine.com, PersaudBrothers, Raven Roman, Sacajawea Hall, Shane & Shawn Ward, Shawn Pecas, ShonMiller, Stone Jackson, Tia Walker, Tiza Alejandro, Tony Martinez, YardleyMesseroux

Minimum donation: $20. All additional amounts are welcomed

We also encourage all to bring one or more of the following items: Blankets,Nutritional bars/granola bars, solar flash lights, clothes, feminineproducts, shoes, candles/matches, medicine, first aid kit, and purificationtablets (to purify water for drinking)100% OF ALL MONETARY PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERSWITH A DESIGNATION TO THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORT & ALL CLOTHING ANDSUPPLY DONATIONS WILL BE DONATED TO YELE HAITI."

-Soon

Shoutouts to my colleague Alicia P. For this one. I don't know if this is true but if you are a subscriber of T-Mobile, I'd call 611 before calling Haiti. Please read below for more info;

"T-Mobile will be free until Jan 31 for all calls going to Haiti, pass along to anyone you know who is trying to reach people."

-SoonJames "SoSoon" Ganttwww.sosoonmusic.comwww.facebook.com/sosoonmusicwww.twitter.com/sirsosoon

Since this post is coming straight from my phone, I'll keep it brief. Shoutout to my homey Alicia for this one;

If you haven't already donated to the disaster in Haiti you can still do so by texting Haiti to 90999 for the Red Cross intl Relief Response Fund! Its $10 guys you won't miss it.

-SoonJames "SoSoon" Ganttwww.sosoonmusic.comwww.facebook.com/sosoonmusicwww.twitter.com/sirsosoon

Berleen Joseph, the President of the Haitian Club at Hunter College as well as good friend of mine sent a message out to several of her fellow colleagues with some good resources that you can use to help:

International Medical Corps
https://www.imcworldwide.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=878

Yele Haiti
www.yele.org

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=a8712721ea326210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

CARE
www.care.org

United Nations World Food Programme
https://www.wfp.org/donate/haiti

World Concern
http://www.worldconcern.org/disasters/haiti-flooding.htm

Save The Children
https://secure.savethechildren.org/01/web_e_haiti_earthquake_10?source=sp_dnbutton_pg

UNICEF USA
http://www.unicefusa.org/

Mercy Corps
http://www.mercycorps.org/

Operation Blessing International
http://www.ob.org/_programs/disaster/disaster_index.asp

Operation USA
http://www.opusa.org/

Doctors Without Borders
https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197&hbc=1&__utma=1.4511329561380197400.1263393043.1263393043.1263393043.1&__utmb=1.1.10.1263393043&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1263393043.1.1.utmcsr=cnn.com%7Cutmccn=(referral)%7Cutmcmd=referral%7Cutmcct=/specials/2007/impact/&__utmv=-&__utmk=106653315

-Soon

I have many friends and colleagues who are of Haitian descent...I feel for you and your families. This is a clip that I found on YouTube giving a summary of what has happened as well as things to come;

Tracy Reines, the director of response operations for the American Red Cross mentions during the clip that there are resources available for the people of Haiti in neighboring Dominica Republic, which concerns me. I know just from things I've seen and heard that Dominicans and Haitians. So while I am making this clip available, I'm not sure if Red Cross is the way to go if you intend on supporting the people of Haiti. Of course, this is just an opinion. Whatever you do, please do something.

-Soon

Soon will be here, in support of the homey Wordspit! I may even make a cameo appearance on stage.

-Soon

CLICK THE ABOVE LINK TO DOWNLOAD "SAY SUPERMAN" FOR FREE!!!

I remember t'was about a year ago when I was at a spot downtown Manhattan where the homey Final OutlaW put on a pretty dope show which featured the likes of Khalil Kash, Prezzure and Top Dolla Raz amongst others. During kalil Kash's set, he brought out the gentleman you see in the photo above; home of Hip Hop's next up, YC the Cynic. With a few 16's under his belt, and trademark smile, he amazed the audience with what seemed to be mere ease.

I've gotten to know YC a little bit over the last year and not only is he down to earth, but he's down for the cause-as long as it has to do with upward mobility for his culture, community and his art.

YC seems to be taking off at a very rapid pace, with co-signs from Pharoahe Monch, an appearance on Lupe Fiasco's blog, and Chaundon of the Justice League, who will be presenting his "Your Welcome" mixtape which is slated for release later this month, YC's Hip Hop future is bright.

Click the picture above (if you haven't already) to get YC's 1st single, "Say Superman."

You already know you have my support fam!

-Soon

I wanted to bring attention to a documentary entitled This is Hip Hop that my brother The MarXman put me onto. Anna Ericson and Andrea Berglund, two women from Stockholm, Sweden journeyed to NYC to get a feel for how we on the East Coast define Hip Hop. Shout outs to the many familiar faces that were apart of this project; 

The MarXman

Charlotte Mishell

Homeboy Sandman

Ravage a.k.a Mecca Godzilla

Baron from Red Clay

As The MarXman explained it to me, they get funding for everytime this clip is watched so I hope that you will take the time to click on the above link to give Anna and Andrea that extra hand of help.

-Soon

I was on Twitter yesterday, and one of the trends was #09memories. I would have to say one of my biggest memories is having the pleasure of getting to know Operation Industry Shut Down aka O.I.S.D. These five emcees from NY have been making a name for themselves on the scene since earlier this year. I feel like anytime I've had the opportunity to get out to a show, they're wright there, usually on the bill! They have this young, old school type of energy that reverberates in their music and live performances, and if the Leaders of the True School album is anything like Get Stupid, Sidekicks and Flykicks, or any of the songs I've seen them perform, expect some classic samples with a new school twist to it!!!

If you can tell from my last sentence, I have yet to listen to the Leaders of the True School album, but based on what I already know about O.I.S.D, I'm willing to write about them before my initial listening, with 100% certainty that it will be a bangA!!!!

Enjoy

-Soon

We know that Hip Hop is one of the most commercially used genre's of music PERIOD!!!! Whether you love it or hate it, you hope that at the bare minimum it's done tastefully. It also doesn't hurt when you have some personal connection to something, or someone who is apart of it. That being said I wanted to bring your attention to two of the most Hip Hop using brands out there; Nike and Sprite. They've both recently released their new line of advertisements geared towards the urban community.

Nike took the Kobe and Lebron puppets and added a Christmas theme to it, with KRS-One Claus and Blitzen Fiasco!!! If you didn't get it, KRS-One is rapping as St. Nick, and Blitzen the reindeer, AKA Lupe Fiasco is calling out Santa, Lebron and Kobe! I think the thing that impressed me the most is the fact that the lyrics were not sugar coated! This 3 part series of commercials are by far the closest you can get to having a genuine feeling of a vintage battle. I also appreciate the fact that the concept creators bridged the gap between the old and new school of Hip Hop by casting the teacher KRS-One and Lupe.

Sprite, who for as long as I can remember has had their hands in urban advertising is using Spoken Word to boaster their new campaign for the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Shout out to Kessed (Urban Word) and Marcus, both repping NYC. Checkout the videos below.

-Soon