November 2008 #227

BIGGER. BETTER. BOLDER. WE’RE BLESSING YOU WITH AN

EARLY PREVIEW OF THE SOURCE, REDESIGNED & REMIXED!

ON NEWSSTANDS EVERYWHERE OCT. 27th!

THE BIBLE OF HIP-HOP

MUSIC, CULTURE & POLITICS

FACE-OFF

McCAIN

VS OBAMA

HIP-HOPINSIDE IRAQSOLDIERS’ STORIES

NFLREPORT

GOTVGET OUT

THE VOTE

THE YOUTH SPEAK!

CAN

FELONSVOTE?

THE

SOURCE

VOTER’S GUIDE

RE-ENTRYLIFE AFTER

PRISON

DIDDYWYCLEF

COMMON

ICE CUBE

YOUNG JEEZY

ANDRE 3000

IMMORTAL

TECHNIQUE

DADDY YANKEE

MOS DEF

LUPE FIASCO

KRS-ONE

E-40

TheUpgrade

SALUTE TO THE

TROOPS

NOVEMBER 2008 ISSUE 227

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44 THE SOURCE VOTER’S GUIDENeed to get up to speed on where the candidates stand on certain issues? The Source presents our first-ever voter’s guide to prep you before you head to the polls.

46GOTV (GET OUT ThE VOTE): ThE yOUTh SpEak!The youth are coming out in record numbers to participate in this historic election. Hear our youth speak!

50hIp-hOp STaND Up!With the election quickly approaching, the Hip-Hop community seems ready to make a difference. Read up on the views of artists, politicians and community leaders who are taking Nov. 4 very seriously.

56FaCE-OFFBarack Obama vs. John McCain. There can be only one. Who will you ride with on Election Day?

60 hIp-hOp INSIDE IRaQWitness the words from the war zone as some of Hip-Hop’s bravest describe life onthe frontline, while R&B singer Avant hits the ground for a military base tour.

66 RE-ENTRy: LIFE aFTER pRISON The Source questions what life will be like for the 700,000-plus inmates cominghome from prison this year.

68 CaN FELONS VOTE?The Source digs in and the answer has never been made any clearer.

TOGETHER WE ARE “THE SOURCE” OF CHANGE —L LONDELL MCMILLAN

JAMISON ON THE ROLAND

NOVEMBER 2008 ISSUE 227

10 MIND SET

12 VOICEMaIL

15 IkE VS. kaTRINaDid we learn our lesson in New Orleans or did we just have more time to protect Texas?

16 MUSICDJ Revolution, DJ Red Alert, Termanology, The Knux, B-Real, Arabian Prince, LMFAO, Will Roush, Nipsey Hu$$le, Yo, Chuck!

21 STyLEBig Sean, Obama T-shirts, 35 Years of Fila, Walé Adeyemi, New Era, D. Woods of Danity Kane, Headlines

28 hOLLywOOD Tristan Wilds, Naturi Naughton, Omar Benson Miller, Keke Palmer, Jackie Long, Brandon T. Jackson, Laz Alonzo

30 aRTS & CULTURE Shepard Fairey

31 INTERNaTIONaL The Canadian Music Scene: Belly, KardinalOffishall, K-OS, Sokrates

32 TEChNOLOGy DJs get their high tech on.

33 aUTOMOTIVE 2009 Nissan Maxima, Maybach 62,Can-Am Spyder, Bugatti Veyron

34 BUSINESS $700 Billion Bailout, Steve Rifkind,On the Rise, Investing, Peer-to-Peer Lending

38 pOLITICS Diddy Watch, Paraphernalia at the Polls, Rock The Vote

40 hEaLTh The Ills of fried food

41 TRaVELDubai, United Arab Emirates

42 NEw ORLEaNS SaINTS LB JONaThaN VILMa

72 FLy LIkE US

78 RECORD REpORTIndependent’s Day, Hip-Hop Quotable, Tale of the Tape, Drop Date, Alternatives, Hot Tracks, Rhyme & Reason, Playlist

83 VIDEO GaMESDead Space, Little Big Planet, NBA 2K9, Ultimate Band, Socom

84 MIxED MEDIa

85 LIVE ON STaGEConsequence: G.O.O.D. Music Showcase

86 pROFILELudacris

96 INSpIRaTIONAndré 3000

I AM CHANGE: JEEZY REGAINS HIS RIGHT TO VOTE

Words IKENNA OKPALA

AUTOMOBILE

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2009 MAXIMA The 2009 Nissan Maxima is definitely taking afford-able sports cars to a new level. Only a few rides can claim prestigious design while maintain-ing schematic integrity like the ’09 Maxima. In fact, this five-star rated, four-door vehicle is a superior whip ready to conquer the pavement. Equipped with a 290 horsepower, V-6 engine and designed with a special “D-platform,” the ’09 Maxima delivers quick acceleration and precision control. The interior looks like a cockpit with a dazzling, sleek layout of plush leather seat-ing, which is pure comfort. It also features a smaller steering wheel for easier maneuvering, a music box that stores thousands of your favorite tunes, voice-activated GPS, Bluetooth connectivity and a push-to-start-engine key—all for the low starting price of $29,000.

CAN-AM SPYDERBuilt for any concrete jungle, the Can-Am Spyder Roadster is quickly crawling into a neighborhood near you. One part sports car and one part motorcycle, this three-wheeled low rider has an open-air structure that allows for a breath of fresh air to the cranium while speeding through life, and reveals features only thought possible on a car. One of the most sought after rides on the market, the Roadster

seamlessly weaves state of the art technology that governs the maneuverability and smooth riding via a Rotax 990 V-twin engine and a SE5 (electronic five-speed) transmission. The frame of the Can-Am Spyder is built with superior SST (Surrounding Spar Technology), which consists of a steel center beam encompassing the engine. It can also sense its surroundings using multiple

control units that monitor wheel slippage and security encoded informa-tion. Getting behind the wheel of this machine will have you cruising the open roads aimlessly, barely affected by the skyrocketing gas prices.

MAYBACH 62The 2008 Maybach 62 is a car fit only for a Hip-Hop mogul. Priced at $477,000 this luxury ride is any car enthusiast’s wet dream. This Mercedes four-door sedan is easily customizable with feature-enriched options that are comparable to accessoriz-ing a personal yacht or jet. The Maybach 62 is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, 604-horse-power, V12, turbo-charged engine, but the automatic transmission with overdrive comes standard with this whip. And good luck spotting one of these bad boys

on the road, as only 10,000 were manufactured world-wide.

BUGATTI VEYRONThe Bugatti Veyron is in a class all its own. Tying as

one of the fastest, “street-legal” cars in the world, this whip reaches velocities of 252 mph and easily reaches 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The Bugatti competes with the likes of the ever popular Lamborghini McLaren F1, which is most noted for being one of the fastest and most durable cars ever manufactured. But when this futuristic steel machine hits the street with its sleek outer-body design and astonishing interior, the control and acceleration are like none other. The volkswagen-made Veyron also features a 16 cylinder engine that is distinguishably W-shaped and creates 922 lb. of torque at only 2,200

rpm. The exterior is beautifully

two-toned with contrasting ellipses that create an illusion of shifting colors

Check out the new whips that will make

your head spin.Need for speed, the Can-Am Spyder.

BUGATTI VEYRON

09 MAXIMA

MAYBACH 62

DIMEPIECE

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INTERVIEW BRENT WOODIE IMAGE ARI MICHAELSON STYLING NIKI SCHWAN@LAURA STARR HAIR LARRY SIMS@EXCLUSIVE ARTIST MANAGEMENT MAKE-UP DENIKA@MARGARET MALDONADO

hen you’re in a group, it is very difficult to set yourself apart from the collective. For former

Danity Kane member D. Woods, appearing left and right on popular blogs and magazines with and without other members was effort-less. So don’t let this bad girl fool you. She’s totally focused on expanding her own career with an upcoming role in the movie The Jump Off and a workout DVD titled, Crunk Abs.Your photo shoot was themed

around your alter ego. What are some of your other sides?I’m a bit of a chameleon. People have seen me as one way with Danity Kane, so I like to use photo shoots to show other sides of me.We got to see the party girl in the last season of Making the Band. If you’re in the club, how should a guy approach you?He has to meet me on the dance floor [laughs]. I don’t go to the club to be posted up. Once the music starts going and I start feeling good, I’m hitting the dance floor and he has to be able to keep up.In order to be a good dancer you have to be in great shape. Can you give us some insight to Crunk Abs?The workout DVD is going to be a series called, Fine for the Summertime, to target different parts of the body. The first will be Crunk Abs. It’s for the ladies who want [a six-pack] for their bikini and for the fellas that want to take their shirts off. Do you have any parting words for the people out there?Yes, there’s more than meets the eyes [laughs].

Damage ControlNo one can stop the multi-talented D. Woods from taking over R&B and Hollywood.

DANITY’S FORMER DANGER GIRL, D. WOODS.

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he Source: The New York Giants were the surprise winner of last season’s Super Bowl. What do you see from

them this season?Jonathan Vilma: The biggest thing about winning a championship is that a team could win one of two ways. They either become compla-cent or they build that confidence as a unit to expect success. I think it was a big confidence boost for them to know that they can play with the best and beat the best. They’re going to have a lot of confidence moving into this season.What about the New England Patriots, who had arguably the best regular sea-son of all-time in 2007, but then lost the Super Bowl and also lost several players in free agency this off-season. What do you see for them this season?The same things that really help them could be the same things that really hurt them. When you have older guys on the team, you have a lot of vet-eran leadership and experience and that always helps, especially at crunch time. At the same time that age can hurt you when you have a more ath-letic team, a faster team that you’re going against. They’re going to need some guys to step up. Now with the injury to Tom Brady, I think long term they’re still going to be a very good team. They’re still going to be fighting for the playoffs and fight-ing for their division title, but I don’t think it’ll be 14-and-2 anymore. I think they’ll be the No. 2 team and not the No. 1 team without Tom Brady and we’ll just leave it at that. When people change teams, there’s often talk about a change in culture. What is the difference between your old team, the New York Jets, and your new one, the Saints?[Jets Head Coach Eric] Mangini likes the control. He likes to know everything that’s going on with his team, his players, on and off the field. That’s good if you want to control your team and you want to know everything that’s going on with your guys. Then you have a coach like [the Saints’] Sean Payton who lets you be you, be a professional, go out there and handle your business on the field. As long as you come on time and you do what you’re supposed to do as a football player, a professional, you’re cool.

Speaking of the Jets, they now have Brett Favre and got rid of longtime QB Chad Pennington. How will that impact them this season?I think it will ultimately work out the best for them. With Brett, you’ve got a proven winner, a proven veteran. No knock on Chad, because Chad was my quarterback for four years and I thought the world of him.On your own team, Reggie Bush is hav-ing a big year. Why do you think Reggie is having such a good season so far? I think this year Reggie is doing a lot better because for one we’re using him a lot more. I think we’re

using him in all facets of the game whether it’s outside, passing, running the ball. I think he’s doing better because we’re giving the ball to him and letting him do what he does. We’re using him a lot better as a team. That’s why he’s play-ing a lot better.What team do you think may surprise people in 2008?The Dolphins. You can’t get any worse than they did last year, other than one more loss. It looks like they have a chip on their shoulder. They just acquired Chad Pennington, and I know he’s excited to get another shot. But after the first three games of the season, one of the biggest surprises would be Buffalo

doing really well. They’re winning close games. Aside from that, you’ve got a lot of teams that you thought would’ve won, and they’re losing right now, like Cincinatti and Cleveland. They’re really strug-gling to find a victory. Who else do you think may make a sur-

prising drop off this year?Dallas. The only reason I go with Dallas is that they’ve had some outside distrac-

tions, especially doing that HBO series [Hard Knocks: Training Camp With

The Dallas Cowboys], which they might be doing all season. If you don’t know how to control the media, you could let it become a distrac-tion. Then you start losing games that you should win.

What running back are you looking to face towards the end of the schedule and why? I’m not putting myself out there because I’m right at the back of it. You don’t want to give them a little

trash talk and then you need to give yourself extra motiva-

tion to go out there and give it to them. So I’m going to leave that one alone.What do you make of the talk of the difference between the AFC and NFC?About two years ago, that might have been a true statement. Now, I think it’s really evening out, espe-cially when you have the Giants winning the Super Bowl. A lot more of the veteran, proven teams are in the AFC, but there are a bunch of up-and-coming, talented teams in the NFC.

Freshly minted New Orleans Saints LB Jonathan Vilma offers his take on the compelling storylines for the 2008 NFL sea-son.

WORDS SHAINA MOSKOWITZ

A lot more of the veteran,

proven teams are in the AFC,but there are a bunch of up-and-coming,

talented teams in the NFC.

THE SAINTS HABITUAL LINE-STEPPER, JONATHAN VILMA.

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BUMRUSH THE SHOW CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN...

T H E S O U R C E . C O M __ 0000__ T H E S O U R C E . C O M

THE SOURCE: MAJOR HIP-HOP ACTS SUCH AS LUDACRIS AND JAY-Z HAVE PUBLICLY TONED DOWN THEIR SUPPORT OF SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IN FEAR THAT IT MAY HURT HIS CAMPAIGN. DO YOU FEEL THAT IS A WISE DECISION BY HIP-HOP’S LEADERS?

RENEE BEST, 18, FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; STUDYING FILM Yes and no. Yes, because I know that he needs a lot of white votes and not a lot of white people are very fond of Hip-Hop. But then no because they’re trying to get Black people to vote, so to tone it down kind of [means] toning down the need to vote, too.

GREG BARNES, 21, FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY I feel that it’s a wise decision on the behalf of the Hip-Hop community because the Hip-Hop community can be a little abrasive at times and a lot of what is said can hurt Obama’s campaign and steer people away from making the right decision.

JOE FURLONG, 22, FROM ALBANY, NEW YORK; STUDYING JAZZ PERFORMANCENo, it’s not necessarily a wise decision because I believe that if they believe in the campaign strongly, then they should project themselves in such a way just as they have with their music. And I think that [their decision to tone it down] might kind of take away from their credibility.

ANDREW MINEO, 20, FROM SYRACUSE, NEW YORK; STUDYING AUDIO TECHNOLOGY, SOUND DESIGN AND MUSIC The artists and Obama are probably concerned about the negative Hip-Hop image—secularized by the rest of the world as being all about weed, hoes, cars and clothes—and that it will be associated with Barack Obama if they’re more vocal about their opinions. And [that] it may look more like a circus promotion as opposed to a legit endorsement.

MAYOLA CHARLES, 19, FROM NEW YORK; STUDYING INTERNATIONAL STUDIES/INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS We all know that Hip-Hop is generalized and seen the way it is unfortunately. I’m a die-hard Hip-Hop fan, but for them to say, “Let him do his thing, let him be in the limelight, let him shine,” I think was a good idea.

BRITTANY LUCAS, 18, FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; STUDYING BIOMEDICAL STUDIESI don’t think that it’s a wise decision because it shows people that we’re not

united as Americans. And by them not standing up and supporting who they want and supporting change, it’s showing everyone that we’re cowards.

RICH FLOW, 18, FROM THE BRONX, NEW YORK; STUDYING PRE-NURSINGThey’re just trying to get the youth, us, to vote.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE HIP-HOP PLAYING IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION? IN THE FUTURE OF POLITICS?

JAMES FRANCOIS, 24, FROM GHANA; STUDYING BUSINESS MANAGEMENTFour years ago, I did not care who was president. So if Ludacris or Jay-Z are saying that Barack is for us as a people, they’re telling us that it’s important to vote and they’re trying to pass on some knowledge to us, then I feel like that is an important statement.

DIANDRA GALLANT, 19, FROM BALDWIN, NEW YORK; STUDYING TO BE A PHYSICIAN’S ASSISTANT Hip-Hop always had a message behind it. So it always had a role; we don’t just listen to booty rap.

ERNEST PIERRE-LOUIS, 19, FROM HAITI; STUDYING BIOMEDICAL STUDIES It’s a positive role because a lot of artsts such as Ludacris have made songs in support of Obama’s campaign.

RENEE BEST I see it playing a big role because a lot of people are actually listening to it [the songs about Obama]. People are actually paying more attention to politics.

WHAT CHANGE WOULD YOU EXPECT TO SEE IF BARACK OBAMA WINS THE ELECTION?

MAYOLA CHARLES I foresee a change in the African-American community nationwide and in the eyes of everyone internationally. A belief in the government would come back to the African-American community. I think it will open up our eyes a little bit more like, “Alright. Let’s vote!”

DIANDRA GALLANTI expect to see a lot of change: People that don’t have health care will get health care and the situation with the jobs will get better. Personally, I have health care but if my father didn’t have a job, I wouldn’t. And I have a few friends who

The Source gathered students from various CUNY schools throughout New York City to talk about the upcoming election, their hopes for the future and the role Hip-Hop is play-ing in getting young people to vote. INTERVIEW BY KIARA GILLETTE

ANKIT TAMAKUWALA

RICH FLOW

DIANDRA GALLANT BENJAMIN LAWTONJOSEPH FURLONG

MAYOLA CHARLES

ERNEST PIERRE-LOUIS

JOJO

RENEE BEST

T H E S O U R C E . C O M __ 00

“It’s important that we build communities, as American communities, to the standards that every single person has equal opportunities. It has nothing to do with race. And if we harp on that, shame on us.”

—Will.I.Am

The 2008 presidential election may very well be the most important election of our lifetime. Like Hip-Hop, this idea of “change” speaks to us all. It’s no wonder why our community, the current cultivators of Hip-Hop culture, fully embraced this notion early on. To inspire and engage a massive voter turn-out in America, The Source has collected notable quotes from some of your favorite Hip-Hop artists, activists and entrepre-neurs.

“We’ve gonethrough a lot in these last eight

years. Dealing with all this war and

negativity, we need a change”—SNOOP

00__ T H E S O U R C E . C O M

WILL.I.AM BELIEVES WE CAN DAVID BANNER, RUSSELL SIMMONS, SNOOP DOGG AND T.I. STAND COMMITTED

Face Off

00__ T H E S O U R C E . C O M T H E S O U R C E . C O M __ 00

BARACK OBAMA

rom Harvard University to the hoods all across America (and beyond), Barack Obama has created a new and exciting enthu-

siasm for politics. His expressions, deliberately crafted and artfully articulated, resonate as an ode of sorts to the growing mass of disciples that have come to view him as a new age deliverer of all things inspirational.

Barack Obama will be the first to tell you he’s no messiah, but he readily embraces his role as a vessel of hope that extends far beyond all the modern day trials and tribu-lations we all ultimately seem to bear.

That hope clearly springs eternal amid the swelling crowds of thousands that turn out on the regular in search of upliftment and enlightenment from his powerfully radiant reflections. But if nothing else, the last eight years have convinced us that sustained hope for the masses and politics can make for strange bedfellows.

Even for the likes of Barack Obama, the most practical of questions becomes what an administration under his stewardship would mean for a nation that now so peril-ously teeters on the brink?

For the Hip-Hop community, it also means wondering how his candidacy could “change” life for those from our hood.

“Obama is the beginning of Black people not having excuses no more,” says David Banner. “We can’t blame it on the man because the man is about to be a Black man. So this is our opportunity to squash all excuses and stand up and work harder. If this man gets in office, it’s time for us to stand up and work harder because now the opportunity and spotlight is on us.”

Diddy agrees: “Not just as a Black man but as an American, Senator Obama becom-ing the Democratic nominee for president is history in the making and proof that we do live in the greatest country in the world!”

Indeed, Obama’s platform is firmly con-structed around a reinvestment in people. It seeks a restoration of the human spirit in the form of new opportunities and chances to fulfill life dreams for the hard working and industrious. The platform thrives on strength derived from a system that genu-inely seeks to educate all of its young and earnestly care for each of its seniors. Yet there remains the question, which we must demand from both candidates, on how to best deal with those incorrectly and WRITER_GLENN MINNIS

SENATORS JOHN MCCAIN AND BARACK OBAMA HAVE

BEEN DEBATING THE ISSUES ALL YEAR. YET, WITH THE

END FINALLY IN SIGHT AND BOTH MEN FIRMLY SET ON

BECOMING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

THE SOURCE ASKS, “WHO WILL TAKE THE FINISH LINE?”

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SHAWN YEAGER

RANK: SPC (Specialist) Age: 21

I was born and raised in New Jersey. My favorite group is the Dip Set. While I’m here in Iraq, I like to sit

and write rhymes and would love to make it in the Hip-Hop industry. Hip-Hop music motivates me at work and relieves the stress of my deployment. It’s my out-let down here. And when I get out of the Army, I plan on pursuing my music one day down the line.

JASON “J-KIDD” JACKSON

RANK: SPC (Specialist) Age: 24

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and for as long as I can remember, music has always been

my therapy. From writing songs or just playing some of my favorite artists like Jay-Z and Lupe [Fiasco], it keeps me motivated when I’m feeling down. Before I joined the army, I would look around my community, and see a lot of people getting killed or going to jail. So I decided to go active to better my chances for success and to get money for school. If it wasn’t for music, I don’t think that I would’ve made it through the last 15 months because being in Iraq for that long is not only dangerous, but

it’s also very stressful. I plan to use the GI Bill to get a degree in accounting at the University of Illinois at Chicago [when I get back]. [And then] I hope to focus more on starting my own record label and living out my dream of becom-ing a rapper and CEO.

LAWRENCE CLINTON BUSHRANK: SFC (Sergeant First

Class) Age: 39

M y name is Lawrence Clinton Bush Jr., born July 6, 1969. Growing up

in Cleveland, Ohio, my mother would buy an album every payday and we would sit and listen to the latest songs. There were times when my friends and I would go to the Kinsman Bar and Grill and watch the Kinsman jazz band rehearse until it was late. Those experi-ences exposed me to many genres of music.

With over 16 years of service in the US military, Hip-Hop and its culture influ-ences me in many ways. Everyone has a story to tell and if I could, I would have a worldwide listening party.

During my first Iraq tour, I would listen to artists like DMX or “Rock Box” by Run-DMC to get hyped before a mission. For this Iraq tour, I use Hip-Hop to remind me that after this 15-month tour, I will be able to sit back in privacy and listen to my music freely.

I have been working with Kim Page of Str8uptalented.com, a website for art-ists looking to jump start a career in entertainment. Once my Army career is over, I will be venturing into the world of Hip-Hop full-time, so be on the look out!

JERMAINE GOODMANRANK: 1LT (First

Lieutenant) Age: 24

I ’m a 24 year-old talented singer/songwriter/musician from Gates County, North Carolina, who

is currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I began my musical career in my local church choir. I joined the US Army where I excelled in three consecutive Military Idol Competitions—in 2006 at Fort Leonard Wood, runner up; in 2007 at Vilseck, German Rose Barracks, first place win-ner; and in 2008 in Mosul, Iraq, second place winner. I now live in Vilseck, Germany, and have performed anywhere there is a microphone and a piano avail-able to me.

As a soldier in Iraq, you really do not have a lot of space. Usually, there are four-man rooms and our commanders attempt to shove eight people in them at times! Nevertheless, for 15 entire months I managed to set up 2x keyboards, a USB microphone, a laptop and another computer screen, all on top of my wall

While we are thankful to those that protect and serve, we are also inspired by their commitment to life, liberty and love of Hip-Hop.COMPILED BY AIMSTAR & SFC LAWRENCE C. BUSH

A REAL AMERICAN HERO.

FIGHT MUSIC.

AMBITIONS OF A RIDER.

HEAVY METAL ARTIST.

GRINDING IT OUT.

et’s stop the rumors, confusion and poli-tricks and get clarity, focus and direction on the right to vote for American citizens who have had run-ins with the criminal jus-tice system. Hundreds of thousands of people

in the United States are eligible to vote, but many do not even know they are eligible. Who are these individuals and why are they being misled? Many have been incarcerated at one point in their lives. This group includes people who are currently incar-cerated, on probation, on parole or have completed probation or parole.

To fully understand this issue, one must first understand that election laws vary by state. In addition, since voter eligibility requirements also vary, misinformation and confusion exists

about felony disenfranchisement laws—laws that strip the right to vote from certain persons convicted of certain felonies. While some government officials in charge of running elections do not even know the rules (in New York, for example, some county election officials did not know persons on probation were eli-gible to vote), the problem also rests in the fact that the penal code varies from state to state. Furthermore, states may use the same terms to describe voting rules and eligibility, but the terms may have different meanings from state to state and/or be used to articulate different things.

Let’s compare New York to Michigan and Pennsylvania: In New York, a person on probation is eligible to vote, but a person on parole is not. Yet in a number of other states, like Michigan and Pennsylvania, persons on probation and persons on parole are eligible to vote. To top it off, officials in charge of running elections are often not focused on the details of the law in order to answer questions correctly every time. Either way, it is up to you to know your rights, to not be deterred by misinformed elec-tion office staff and to register to vote if you are eligible. Know

The New Era Self-Empowerment Initiative: Whether incarcerated or not, know your rights before Election Day because you may be eligible to vote and not know it.

T H E S O U R C E . C O M __ 6300__ T H E S O U R C E . C O M

DID YOU KNOW?Two states permit inmates to vote—Maine and Vermont.Only nine states completely disenfranchise certain categories of ex-offenders—Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee and Wyoming.

WRITERS: CARLA SMALL & L. LONDELL MCMILLAN

CAN I REGISTER TO VOTE IF I AM...? SEE CHART NEXT PAGE

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LUDACRISAs one of the most consistent, yet slept on MCs in the business, Ludacris is poised once again to earn his keep. But will Luda be able to shift public attention away from the hype and back to his music?

0 0 _ T H E S O U R C E . C O M

he non-stop wind and rain sweeping over Manhattan hasn’t dampened the spirits of the Thursday night crowd at Tribeca

Cinemas. But the energy was amplified by the presence of one of Hip-Hop’s finest stars. Ludacris is in the building and on the eve of the release of his sixth studio album, Theater of the Mind, the formally fro’d star of stage, screen and sidewalk is in the DJ booth above the crowd of the club/movie theater. He’s rock-

ing a white thermal, dark blue jeans and a plaid vest to preview his new album, short film and video for the hungry NYC audience.

It’s about time that an audience has acknowl-edged one of the most commercially consistent and lyrically active MCs in the game. Despite millions of albums sold and constant collabs smashed, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges is often over-looked on many “who’s hot” lists.

Luda thinks he’s a victim of his own creativity. “Being a very visual artist as far as the videos

and adding comedy,” he says in a lounge behind the theater, “people tend to overlook some of the things you say.”

Unfortunately, everybody listened when a pro-Obama freestyle caught the ears of Luda’s favorite antagonist Bill O’Reilly, who in turn blasted Luda, accusing him of hurting Obama’s campaign. But as anyone in tune with the culture knows, politicking is a regular thing in Hip-Hop. Luda was simply speaking to his constituents. “I was just trying to get a certain amount of people who aren’t involved in the political process involved,” he says, unshaken. He continues jokingly, “It was the first mixtape that got to the government.” Luda, who has already cast his vote via absentee ballot, has been more politically active than ever lately, including a pet TV project on the environment. “I have a daugh-ter,” he says, while pausing for emphasis. “Once you have children you don’t just think about your own life, you start thinking about [the] generations to come.” And while encouraging others to let their voices be heard, he has no plans to let the critics, who requested his silence during the controversy, hush his own.

“I’m an artist. At the end of the day, I’ll con-tinue speaking my mind,” he says as the crowd gathers. “I mean, I try to do the right thing, of course, but artistry is about being truthful. Not everybody agrees with the truth and not every-body thinks that you being truthful is good.” He leans into the recorder for emphasis, “Even though some people may not agree with what my truth is, they gotta respect it. If they don’t, they just don’t understand where I’m coming from or what I’ve been through.”

With two movies, Max Payne and RockNRolla due out in October, Shawnna’s Battle Of the Sexes album planned and albums from DTP’s I-20, Playaz Circle and Willy Northpole in the works, Luda’s far more concerned with the results of his actions than the perceptions of them. “So some people might consider me good and some might consider me bad,” he says as he’s preparing to leave through the eager crowd outside. “It all depends on the person you ask. I just want to be perceived as an artist on all lev-els. Don’t start no shit, won’t be no shit.”—MC HHHHH

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COP IT!

THANK YOUTHE POLITICS ISSUE

ON NEWSSTANDS 10. 27. 08

THE BIBLE OF HIP-HOP

MUSIC, CULTURE & POLITICS

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