Documentary Review: B.U.R.N.S.

September 6, 2010 [09:33 am](unsignedthemagazine.com) -- An acknowledged tastemaker, risk taker and entertainment industry shaker, Washington DC’s Kenny Burns has spent years perfecting his craft in the spotlight and behind the scenes as a self-proclaimed “Lifestyle Specialist,” but few know of the twists and turns that have led to his expertise. This will change once his self-produced film, B.U.R.N.S., The Documentary, is viewed, because it offers an educational and illuminating glimpse into the hard work required to become part of, as well as stay in, the glamorous world of show business.

Kenny Burns, the subject of B.U.R.N.S. (he configured an acronym of his name to form a motto, ‘be ultimately realistic and never sell out’), is a Washington, D.C. native who started earning his rep as a college student in Atlanta in the early 1990’s, organizing parties that brought some of the newest and hottest talent in R&B and hip-hop down South (Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G.) while helping others to become best-sellers as a promoter with Rowdy Records, MonarcC Music (Maroon Entertainment) and most prominently at Roc-A-Fella Records, grooming artists such as Nicole Wray, Young Gunz, Samantha Ronson and Kanye West. As if those accomplishments weren’t enough, Mr. Burns also joined two friends and created an upscale men’s fashion line, Ryan Kenny, which boasted high-profile clients like Usher, Common and Jay-Z and single-handedly brought about the era of tailored button-down shirts. His latest achievement is AXE, which he's helped to propel into the one of the most recognized male grooming products in the world.

It would’ve been very easy for B.U.R.N.S. to play as a pretentious, name-dropping and ego-stroking love fest, but instead, the 37-year-old shares the painful moments behind his success, such as the soul-stealing element of the biz (“pressure can turn coal into diamonds, but it can also shatter one into a million pieces”), his disagreements with Damon Dash and P-Diddy and the loss of long-time friend and fellow music executive, Shakir Stewart, who became the Executive Vice President of Def Jam and brought a wealth of talent to the label until his shocking suicide in 2008. Throughout the documentary, vintage clips of past and present superstars are interspersed with nuggets of observations and advice along the way, one of the most surprising is his belief in a long-rumored secret society that seems to hand-pick people for success in the ‘dysfunctional’ field (Freemasons? Illuminatis?), only to tear them apart once they get there.

Running at a just-right 40 minutes long, B.U.R.N.S is a must-see for entrepreneurs, entertainment aficionados and anyone with a dream of making the intangible a reality. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch a fascinating film about this self-created, one-man movement!0 Comments

Neighborhood early-voting sites open in District

September 5, 2010 [01:29 pm](washingtonpost.com) -- Thousands of District voters have already cast early ballots in this year's primaries, as two well-financed mayoral campaigns have begun scouring the city for votes.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and his chief rival, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D), crisscrossed the District on Saturday, attending community events and visiting the city's four satellite early-voting sites.

Polls have been open at the downtown headquarters of the Board of Elections and Ethics since Monday; more than 3,400 votes were cast there through Friday. But Saturday represented the first time that District voters could cast early ballots in their neighborhoods -- at Chevy Chase Community Center in Ward 3, Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Ward 5, Hine Junior High School in Ward 6, and the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Ward 8.

On Saturday, more than 3,300 voters showed up to vote. An additional 4,000 have requested mail ballots.

All early-voting sites are closed Sunday, but will reopen for the Monday holiday and remain open through Sept. 11. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The One Judiciary Square site will also be open on Monday, Sept. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Saturday's debut was a test of a networked electronic poll-book system that updates almost instantaneously to prevent voters from casting multiple ballots. The elections board did not report any problems with the technology, but polling was marred by an allegation of vote-buying.

A Gray campaign poll watcher working at the Turkey Thicket recreation center said she questioned a young Fenty supporter who told her he was paid $100 to vote.

The man's name and his picture were given to election officials, who said they would refer the matter to federal prosecutors if an initial investigation indicated it was warranted. The Fenty campaign had no comment on the allegation.

In another incident, a voter said that he had been able to cast a Democratic ballot even though he was a registered Republican. David E. Hrdy said a poll worker at Hine mistakenly selected a Democratic ballot on the electronic voting machines. He voted the ballot, selecting Fenty.

Fenty had petitioned the election board last month to allow independent voters to cast primary ballots; the board did not approve the request. "If they let this happen, they might as well allow a same-day [party] switch," said Hrdy, a Lincoln Park resident who said that he was not aware that he was given a real ballot.

Board spokeswoman Alysoun McLaughlin confirmed that Hrdy had checked in as a Republican, but could not confirm that he had voted a Democratic ballot until the Hine early-voting polls close on Sept. 11.

The leading campaigns cited each other for crossing electioneering lines, although McLaughlin said there was no wrongdoing on either side.

Fenty campaigns with Rhee
Fenty started his day in friendly territory, rallying voters near the Chevy Chase early-voting site before polls opened at 8:30. The event marked Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's first appearance at a major campaign event on his behalf, acting as a marquee draw for parents, children in tow, at the Broad Branch Market.

Fenty trails Gray by double digits among Democrats in a Washington Post poll. Last week, Gray picked up the endorsement of Ward 3 council member Mary M. Cheh, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Fenty has centered his reelection bid on a promise to retain Rhee as chancellor. Gray has refused to say whether he would retain Rhee as chancellor if he is elected.

Rhee, limited in her political activity by a federal law, told the crowd that she was speaking as a "private citizen."

"What I want to be very, very clear about is that the work is not done yet," Rhee said. "The only way we are going to continue the progress we've seen is to reelect this man here."

Taking a cue from Fenty's campaign message, Rhee acknowledged that Fenty has made mistakes. "He owns those mistakes and is committed to moving forward," Rhee said.

Erik Kvalsik, a Fenty supporter with 7-year-old twins at Lafayette Elementary School, said improvements in schools were not the only reasons to vote for Fenty. "It's citywide progress," he said. "I hate to see it interrupted."

Rhee said in an interview that she would continue to campaign for the mayor as needed on weekends and after work. During the interview, a woman interrupted and said, "I want you to be on the ballot."

Across the city at Hine, about a dozen voters had lined up when polls opened. Most said they were voting for Gray.

"I'm here to make sure that the present mayor isn't the future mayor," said Peggy Hardy, a teacher and Ward 7 resident. "I'm tired of one segment of the people getting all the attention."

Later in the day, as neighborhood residents began to stream into Eastern Market and the adjacent flea market, the polls swelled with Fenty voters.

Leslie Eagle, a Capitol Hill resident, said she was concerned by polls that showed Fenty trailing Gray. "I really felt I needed to vote for him," she said. "I'm worried about him."

Arriving from Chevy Chase, which saw the highest number of votes (1,140) Saturday, Fenty addressed supporters in a brief rally at Seventh and C streets SE, less than a block from Hine.

Rhee joined Fenty with her daughters, although she kept to the side of the rally and did not address the crowd. Several other Fenty administration officials, including his chief of staff and directors of parks and recreation, health care finance and mental health attended the event.

'Fenty's got to go'
At another polling place, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Congress Heights, Fenty voters were harder to come by.

Bernadine Thomas, a Washington Highlands resident, came to the polls with her neighbor Isabelle Jenkins. Both said they voted for Gray. "Fenty's got to go. I think there's a lot of stuff up his sleeve, to be honest with you," Thomas said.

Each campaign engaged a fleet of minivans to shuttle workers to the polls. Fenty workers kept detailed "passenger manifests" with voter addresses and phone numbers as the vans arrived and departed the polling place.

Phinis Jones, the Fenty campaign's Ward 8 coordinator, said the campaign had delivered two busloads of voters in the morning. "We're just going out to neighborhoods and getting those people who don't traditionally vote to come to the polls," he said, citing ex-offenders and residents of public housing.

Fenty said early voting "is priming the pump" for an Election Day victory by helping to boost turnout.

But Gray disputed that early voting would be the main factor. "I think there's going to be good turnout in this election anyway because it's hotly contested," he said.

0 Comments

Washington Redskins 2010: 10 preseason questions answered

September 4, 2010 [09:47 am](washingtonpost.com) -- The Redskins' roster shrinks to 53 players Saturday. Dallas week formally begins Sunday. And the Mike Shanahan Era enters the regular season next weekend.

With the preseason finished, players might seem more familiar with the schemes and the coaches more comfortable with their personnel. But that wasn't necessarily the case five weeks ago. When the Redskins reported for training camp, much of what we had were questions. Looking back over our top questions at the start of training camp, this preseason did provide several important answers for the Redskins.

1

Will disgruntled, all-pro defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth report to camp in shape after skipping all but one day of Coach Mike Shanahan's first offseason program?

Verdict: Haynesworth was the story line that would not go away. He created national news from the start of training camp until the end of the preseason.

He reported to camp noticeably trimmer than he was in 2009 - about 35 pounds lighter - but he failed Shanahan's conditioning test and couldn't practice for the first nine days of training camp. He finally passed the test but was relegated to the second string for the duration of the preseason.

Haynesworth was then sidelined at the end of camp with what sources said was a bout of rhabdomyolysis, and he criticized the coach through the media for minimizing his condition.

The icy relationship between Haynesworth and Shanahan seemed to thaw late in preseason. Haynesworth took some snaps with the starters, lining up at both nose tackle and defensive end. He had his lone start of the preseason Thursday at Arizona, and was on the field for 49 of the team's 55 defensive plays.

Shanahan told reporters Haynesworth played so much because "he's got to get in football shape."

Haynesworth may not have been pleased. "I have no comment," he said as a reporter approached him in the locker room.

Bottom line: The Redskins are a better team with Haynesworth playing on the defensive line. Regardless of his feelings for Shanahan, he apparently now likes the defensive scheme. If the preseason is any indication, he could be a big player for the Redskins this year - but also a big distraction.

2

Will left tackle Trent Williams report to camp on time and how quickly will he develop over the course of training camp?

Verdict: Williams missed only one day of camp, agreeing to a deal worth $60 million over six years that included more than $36.5 million guaranteed. Coaches were glad he didn't miss any more time because, as a rookie learning one of the most important positions on the field, he couldn't really afford to.

Coaches and teammates have raved about Williams's progress - especially his quick feet - but he struggled when he faced a formidable pass rusher in Baltimore's Terrell Suggs in the second preseason game.

Bottom line: Chris Samuels held down the left tackle job for 10 years. Williams might prove to a be Pro Bowl-caliber replacement, but he played only one season on the left side in college and it might not be fair to expect him to fill Samuels's shoes overnight.

3

Which Pro Bowl runner on the roster - Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson or Willie Parker - will emerge as the team's top back?

Verdict: Portis began training camp as the favorite and seemed to build on his lead with each passing day.

Portis reported to camp in shape - noticeably slimmed down from last season - and did everything asked of him. He enters the regular season excited to be back in the offense that produced the two best seasons of his career.

Johnson, meanwhile, also impressed throughout camp, likely earning his way onto the 53-man roster during practices. It was Parker who noted early in camp that there "probably can't be enough room for all of us," and he's probably the most likely of the three to be released.

Bottom line: Showing good practice speed is one thing, but 29-year-old Portis and 30-year-old Johnson, both of whom have a long line of doubters, need to show that their best years aren't behind them.

4

Will Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly finally emerge as an impact No. 2 wide receiver this season?

Verdict:Um, No.

Perhaps the two biggest disappointments of camp were the pair of receivers who seemed to have so much promise when they were drafted in 2008. With a strained hamstring at the outset of camp, Kelly struggled to get on the practice field and was placed on season-ending injured reserve this week. His future with the organization is up in the air.

With a hole in the starting lineup ripe for the taking, Thomas failed to show coaches that he's half the receiver he thinks he is. He didn't take the field as a receiver in the team's third preseason game and apparently is still struggling with the new offense. He caught four passes for 34 yards in Thursday's game.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb has had some troubles of his own adjusting to Kyle Shanahan's system and would benefit from an athletic receiver who can stretch the field. Anthony Armstrong, an undrafted free agent, appears to be a better option than either Kelly or Thomas.

Bottom line: If Kelly can't get healthy and Thomas can't get focused, the early jewels of the 2008 draft class both could be non-factors under Shanahan.

5

With last year's specialists all chased from the roster, who will anchor the Redskins' special teams?

Verdict: Coaches are pretty happy with most of the players who stepped up during training camp. Punter Josh Bidwell has shown no ill effects from the hip injury that sidelined him for all of 2009, and kicker Graham Gano finished the preseason 5 for 7 on field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder against Arizona on Thursday.

"Graham's shown improvement in practice, he's shown improvement in games," special teams coordinator Danny Smith said. "That's what gives him the opportunity to be a good player. I think he's going to be a good player in this league."

Long snapper Nick Sundberg was an early concern, but he showed marked improvement later in camp.

The Redskins gave a variety of players a chance to return punts and kickoffs during the preseason. Though Phillip Buchanon and Devin Thomas are listed atop the depth chart, coaches feel they have a few options, including rookies Brandon Banks and Terrence Austin, and might not decide on their regular season returners until next week.

Bottom line: Last season yielded few highlights on special teams, and while there's still some uncertainty in the return game, the options on the table are capable of providing more of a spark than Redskins fans are used to.

6

How much of an upgrade - if any - is provided by the new faces on the offensive line?

Verdict: Compared with last season's woeful and injury-riddled offensive line, this year's group might already need a Hogs-esque nickname. The bar was not set high by last year's unit.

Jammal Brown is playing right tackle for the first time since 2005, and he's still adjusting his technique. And free agent acquisition Artis Hicks has struggled at times in the preseason. But as a group, the line shows more promise than it has in recent years.

The group has done few favors for Redskins tailbacks in the run game, but pass blocking has looked better. They'll need to do better in pressure situations, though.

Bottom line: As with most teams, keeping everyone healthy will be crucial. Depth is a big concern, because there's a significant drop-off after the first five.

7

How will the Redskins involve both tight ends, Chris Cooley and Fred Davis, in the offense?

Verdict:Very liberally.

Without many proven options at the wide receiver position and with a quarterback whose accuracy is better on short routes, the Redskins will lean heavily on their two pass-catching tight ends.

While the running game is a signature of Mike Shanahan's offenses, his son, Kyle, the Redskins' offensive coordinator, likes tinkering with the scheme to aid his receivers. Cooley and Davis should benefit, and they could spend considerable time on the field together. They've run one play in practice, apparently dubbed "Tiger," that calls for both tight ends to start on either side of the quarterback in the backfield. One runs a route, and the other stays behind to block.

Bottom line: Cooley is the preseason favorite to lead the Redskins in receptions this season.

8

Will Reed Doughty, Chris Horton or Kareem Moore start at safety?

Verdict: Moore had the lead on the free safety job in the offseason and didn't loosen his grip for a single day during training camp - until he got hurt.

A knee injury suffered Aug. 21 against Baltimore required arthroscopic surgery. Moore will miss at least the first two games of the regular season. It's a big loss, not only because Moore was one of the top performers in training camp, but also because he was the only natural free safety on the roster.

In his absence, Doughty and Horton moved over from the strong safety position, and Doughty likely will get the nod at free safety to start the season.

Bottom line: Coaches say the safety positions are a bit interchangeable, but losing Moore might have been the low point of the preseason.

9

Who will start opposite Brian Orakpo at the other outside linebacker spot in the Redskins' new 3-4 alignment?

Verdict: This was considered a fierce position battle at the outset of camp, but the depth chart never changed. Andre Carter began the preseason as the starting linebacker and he'll likely get the nod over Lorenzo Alexander when the regular season opens next weekend.

That's not to say Alexander had a bad preseason. He's atop the depth chart in a pair of nickel packages, will continue to be a key player on special teams and will see plenty of time at linebacker.

But coaches like Carter's ability to rush the edge and feel the 3-4 scheme could help him match last year's total of 11 sacks.

Bottom line: Redskins coaches like both their options, but while Carter has good instincts for the quarterback, he can be a liability in coverage at times.

10

Will Santana Moss be punished for his involvement with a Canadian doctor accused of administering human growth hormone to athletes?

Verdict: It does not appear any sanctions are imminent.

The Redskins' 10th-year receiver was treated by Anthony Galea, who was charged in May with smuggling and distributing human growth hormone. But when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited Redskins Park on Aug. 4, he did not meet with Moss and did not appear to be in a hurry to hand down any sort of punishment.

"I don't make those determinations," Goodell said. "I like to know the facts first."

The commissioner apparently is waiting for the criminal case to proceed. Mike Shanahan has said he does not expect Moss to face any punishment once all the facts are known.

"We're following it," Goodell said. "It's obviously part of an overall criminal investigation [that] we obviously are cooperating with and following very closely. Certainly when a determination is made, we'll determine our next steps."

Bottom line: If more news surfaces midseason, the Redskins can't afford to lose their most reliable receiver for any period of time.0 Comments

Marvin Gaye Park in NE has neighbors reclaiming their sense of community

September 4, 2010 [08:35 am](washingtonpost.com) -- A young girl glides back and forth on a swing, her legs dangling in the warm breeze. Two boys chase each other while another scurries up a domed metal climber.

Jonnesha Thompson, 21, stands close by, tracking her children's every move.

This spot was once nicknamed "Needle Park," because intravenous drug users tossed their empties here. A year ago, yellow, purple and green swings and jungle gyms were installed here atop a brown rubber ground cover.

Now the playground, in Marvin Gaye Park in Northeast Washington, attracts a steady stream of children. Nearby crime has dropped. Next door, H.D. Woodson Senior High School is undergoing a total makeover and new townhouses are under construction.

Mothers like Thompson are feeling safe enough to bring their children there to play. But when one of her sons wandered beyond the gated circle, she quickly scooped him up.

Things are changing, but Thompson remains wary.

"I don't go over there at all," she said, looking beyond the playground.

* * *

It was called Needle Park for a reason.

When the 1.6-mile-long stretch of grass and woods -- formerly called Watts Branch Park, for the stream running through it -- was turned over to the District in the 1970s, it quickly became an open-air heroin market.

Wendy Thornton, 52, was a regular visitor when she moved to the neighborhood 15 years ago. "I took my kids to school, I would get drugs," she said. "If I didn't have money to get drugs, then I would get alcohol."

Thornton cleaned up five years ago, and so have parts of the park.

In 2001, the nonprofit group Washington Parks & People partnered with the District for a massive cleanup. In the continuing effort, volunteers have hauled away at least 40,000 bags of garbage, 14,000 hypodermic needles and 89 abandoned vehicles.

Millions of dollars have been spent on shrubs, trees, lighting, a trail, an amphitheater, stream restoration and the playground. Two new sections of the park opened in June. In 2006, it was renamed Marvin Gaye Park, for the soul singer who grew up six blocks away.

Groups involved with the park, including the National Recreation and Park Association, are studying the impact of the investment and plan to publish a report this fall. A preliminary review, however, shows that 50 to 70 children play for about 25 minutes daily when the weather is nice and that most live within a 10-minute walk.

"It's a success story in the aspect of we're getting kids outside that didn't have a place to go," said Barbara Tulipane, chief executive officer of the park association.

"They are getting active," she added. "There is a sense of community starting to build."

In nearby neighborhoods in Northeast, 90 percent of the heads of households are single African American women. The median annual income for full-time work is $19,200.

Nearby streets are lined with gas stations, churches, abandoned buildings, and fast-food and liquor stores. There are no major grocery stores in the immediate area.

And neighbors said that the park is still used for drug deals. In May, a girl punctured her foot on a needle and a man was shot in the head while bicycling through the park.

Still, Robert Contee, commander of the police district that includes the park, stationed officers nearby all summer, and crime dropped 52 percent between May and August compared with the same period last year. "Some of the crimes that would happen in the park several years ago, we're seeing less and less of that," he said.

Inching back outside
Autumn Saxton-Ross works at the Riverside community center across the street from the playground.

Since she started there last May as an assistant director in charge of health programs, the number of children going to the community center has grown from 15 to about 50 each month.

The increase is partly due to the playground, whose users often drift over to get a drink of water. They stay, said Saxton-Ross, 33, for such things as bike repairs, beat poetry sessions, tree planting, cooking classes and a farmers market.

"For so long, people went inside to keep safe," she said. "It's going to take a while to get them to come back outside."

The park and playground, she said, are just initial steps in an uphill battle to counter deeply ingrained fears of the park.

"We focus on physical changes, but if people are still in a downtrodden mind state, it doesn't make a difference if something's pretty," she said.

As she spoke, a bulldozer rumbled at the Woodson construction site. The renovation is one of several projects under the District's New Communities Initiative, designed to revitalize Lincoln Heights and other low-income neighborhoods.

This fall, city officials will open 26 mixed-income housing units nearby. And the city is negotiating a deal for retail and office units on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue.

But experts caution that development projects, including parks and playgrounds, are not cure-alls for blighted areas.

"A park can be a vehicle for creating social organization and community," said Gregory D. Squires, a professor at George Washington University who studies urban growth and inequality. "If it doesn't catalyze something else, it's not going to be a great contribution to the neighborhood."

'For children only'
At the playground on a recent Friday, a dozen neighborhood boys and girls teased each other before hopping on the swings and jungle gyms, shrieking with laughter.

One of them, a 14-year-old boy, stayed on the periphery of the circle, eyeing them and the passersby beyond the fence. He nodded toward a man shuffling up the road. "See that guy?" the boy whispered. "He go around here," he said, "smoking weed, stealing cars, selling drugs. I don't talk to him."

The playground is a reprieve. Leaving it, the boy said, means encountering "people doing stuff that's a bad influence."

On the other side of the fence, farther down Division Avenue, Robert Price, 56, stepped out of the PreventionWorks! van with a bag of new syringes.

He has used drugs for 35 years and meets the nonprofit group's van there on Fridays to exchange dirty needles for clean ones.

Price has seen many people shoot up in the park. But when asked about the playground, he said adamantly: "That's for children only. We enforce that rule. If you're going to use drugs, you go home and stay away from the playground."0 Comments

RAtheMC featured on NecoleBitchie.com

September 3, 2010 [03:32 pm](dmvixen.com) -- Nearly a decade ago Washington, DC Rapper/Singer RAtheMC began her undefeatable Journey into music. After completing three successful mixtapes, earning a 2009 MTV VMA Breakout Artist Nomination and sharing tour dates alongside mainstream recording artists Wale, The Clipse and Hip-Hop Pioneers Kurtis Blow and Afrika Bambaataa, the journey for RAtheMC seems to be at a monumental point.



Being a female rapper in this male dominated musical genre RAtheMC has managed to go up against some of the most notable rap male competitors while respectfully paving own her lane. On the outside she is seen as a fashion forward, beautiful young woman, but on the inside lays a highly intelligent, socially conscious young woman on a mission. That mission being to be an influence to the youth and speak for and to the voiceless. Wanting to inspire and uplift women through music similar to the way she was inspired by Hip Hop Legend Lauryn Hill; “When Lauryn left there was a void and there’s a lot of women who want to be inspired, [who] love music want to get through things that they’re going through in everyday life in relationships and family, so I want to speak to that crowd, especially to young women.” Influencing young women is just one of her soon-to-be accomplished goals but certainly isn’t the only one.

Two other missions that RAtheMC is seeking to complete are to force her sound of music to a mainstream audience and bring her DMV home to the musical forefront. “What I want to try to do is force the type of music that I make, which I think has more of an organic feel, into radio. I’m kind of taking the same lyrical approach and just getting records that are more melodic.” Besides finishing up her debut album and influencing the youth, RAtheMC can be seen enjoying her “living in the moment” summer as her career reaches new heights. This summer she was featured along with music’s “It Boy” Drake and other emerging musical artists in Sprite’s “The Spark” National Marketing Campaign.

The journey for RAtheMC has had its array of moments from being celebratory, disappointing and conquering but she seems to be loving and learning from every moment of it.0 Comments

MIXTAPE REVIEW: RAtheMC - Heart of a Champion

September 3, 2010 [03:26 pm](tgrionline.com) -- Next to Phil Ade, RAtheMC is the brightest rising star in the DMV hip-hop scene. She rocked the stage at last October's All Killer No Filler and her Twitter-themed mixtape Trending Topic was one of the best local releases in 2009. Since then, she's been steady grinding, prepping Heart of a Champion, backed by AB the Producer.

Download RAtheMC - Heart of a Champion

Heart of a Champion showcases the same talent and range as Trending Topic. Ra's flow continues to sharpen, and in the Age of Drake, her self-sung hooks are a well-executed necessity. Tracks by AB the Producer are clean soundscapes for Ra to perform over, never repetitive in tone or style. Throughout the tape, samples pay tribute to Ra's forebears: Sade's "Love is Stronger than Pride" on "Pretend" and Lauryn Hill's "The Sweetest Thing" on "Intoxicated."

Ra references DMV leaders Wale, Tabi Bonney and XO; the latter appears on the sweeping "So Gone So Long." Throughout the tape, on songs like "One Shot" and "Heart of a Champion," Ra proves she is focused on one thing: following in their footsteps - and going farther. After Ms. Hill's bewildering performance at this weekend's Rock the Bells, it's clear that the crown is ready to be passed. So why not to RAtheMC?

COP THIS MIXTAPE0 Comments

James J. Lee's hostage standoff at Discovery was grueling time for officials

September 3, 2010 [08:25 am](washingtonpost.com) -- From the early stages of Wednesday's hostage standoff in Silver Spring, tactical officers had positioned themselves to shoot James J. Lee. The big fear: Doing so would set off explosives attached to his body and kill his three hostages.

"It looks like he's got a dead-man's switch," a bomb-squad member said into his radio, part of the stream of information being sent into a command bus 700 feet away.

"Frazier, he's got a dead-man's switch," Assistant Montgomery Police Chief Drew Tracy said inside the bus. "What do you think about this pin?"

"That must be a positive safety," responded Battalion Fire Chief Kevin Frazier, an explosives expert. "He's using it as a safety."

The snippet of conversation, recalled by both men yesterday, was part of the intense, split-second decisions made over nearly four hours Wednesday. Commanders, snipers and bomb experts had to account for a children's nursery on the floors above the suspect, had to evacuate the building through an opposite corner, had to figure out Lee's explosives -- all while trying to learn who he was and see into this mind, according to interviews with seven law enforcement officials who were inside the bus.

"We had quick information on the person, quick intel," Tracy said Thursday. "His value of life was very low. He didn't value his life or others' lives."

Also Thursday, new details emerged about the ongoing investigation and Lee's bizarre past.

Bomb squad members searched Lee's home in Wheaton and found four additional explosive devices. Police also announced that Lee's gun found inside the Discovery Communications headquarters building was a starter pistol.

In 2003, according to court records, Lee was sentenced to 18 months in prison for trying to smuggle an illegal immigrant into the United States. In recent years, however, Lee had taken to calling for "stopping all immigration pollution."

By 2008, he had moved to the D.C. area. That year, he launched a protest outside the Discovery building, earning him a short jail stay for disorderly conduct.

He returned about 1 p.m. Wednesday, walking into the building's large lobby, a room with glass on three sides, looking out onto sidewalks bustling with lunchtime pedestrians. He was armed with what looked like a gun and a contraption on his back. He took three men hostage, including a security guard positioned at a welcome desk.

It was a surreal setting. The lobby is designed to entertain visitors, with an exact replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Discovery employees call him "Stan," named after Stan Sacrison, who discovered the creature. A Triceratops sculpture sits nearby, as does a kinetic sculpture with moving gears and balls sliding down tracks.

Federal, state and local law enforcement converged quickly on the building. Montgomery police parked their command bus on a quiet side street one block to the south. They began taking reports from officers who got close to the lobby or watched the building's surveillance camera feeds.

One of their first decisions: Evacuate a day-care center of about 100 children, ranging from infants to 5-year-olds. The children were taken out a door on the far side of the building and shooed into a McDonald's. More than 1,500 workers also were evacuated from the building.

Tactical teams, composed of SWAT officers and a bomb expert, moved in. They had been training together more regularly over the past year, a recognition that guns and bombs have gone hand-in-hand in recent high-profile cases.

Some of them got inside the Discovery building without Lee's knowledge. Others positioned themselves just outside the lobby's glass walls, taking cover behind landscaping structures, peering through binoculars.

There were compelling reasons to move in on Lee, authorities say. He repeatedly said he was willing to kill himself and take the hostages with him. There were boxes near him that the bomb technicians worried were something he brought in.

The shooting experts relied on the bomb experts trying to figure out what he had. At times, Lee removed a pin from a hand-held device, which looked like a detonator, and held it in what one officer described as a "death grip." Then he'd put the pin back and move the device to his other hand.

A contraption on his back included propane cylinders and pipe bombs.

"He was making gestures as if he was attempting to set off bombs," recalled Montgomery County state's attorney John McCarthy. "A lot of really tough tactical decisions were being made."

All the while, three hostages were lying on the ground nearby.

Taking in reports over the radio, Frazier -- the explosives unit chief -- drew sketches while inside command bus. "If he lets go," he remembered telling others. "Yes, potentially, the device could go off."

"Without a doubt that was a major concern," recalled Capt. Darryl McSwain, commander of the police department's Special Operations Division.

As it turned out, the contraption was determined to be lethal: The tanks held propane, and the pipe bombs contained shotgun shells that could have acted like shrapnel.

As Wednesday dragged on, there was a general feeling on the bus that time was on their side. Hostage negotiators spoke to Lee from a sectioned-off area of the command center, so Lee couldn't hear background noises. Officers ate granola bars and gulped down bottles of water.

From the lobby, Lee told negotiators that he wanted to air grievances during a Discovery channel program. The negotiators told him they'd talk to the people at Discovery. They tried to humanize the hostages, who Lee referred to as "parasites" at one point.

As much as they tried to control the operation, though, it was the actions inside the lobby that prompted them to move just before 5 p.m. According to McCarthy and others, two of the hostages appeared to try to make a run for the door. Tactical officers on the other side of a wall heard a "pop," ran around the wall and saw Lee with a gun his hand. At least two of them fired.0 Comments