roctrate inc

Willow Smith "Whip My Hair" Premiere (VIDEO)

rocta — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:57:14 GMT

FINALLY!!!!!! Willow Smith premieres her hit single "Whip My Hair!" The video was supposed to premiere tonite on BET's 106th and Park and the music video internet giant VEVO, but we got it early!

Super excited to see how a cute 9 year old whips her hair! So since we no longer have to wait until this evening to see how Willow whips it, here she is! The adorable 9 year old rocks wild colorful hair, glam costumes, of course whips her hair real good!

CHECK OUT WHIP MY HAIR VIDEO PREMIERE ON THE NEXT PAGE!

"Sneaker Friends 2010" Show In ATL

rocta — Sat, 15 May 2010 07:21:15 GMT

Nas & Damian Marley Interview With OKPTV

rocta — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:28:30 GMT

Message For The New Decade

rocta — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:54:26 GMT

Message For The New Decade

At the dawn of a new decade, we have arrived at a moment unlike any other in the history of our beautiful nation. We have endured the brutality of slavery, we have survived the pain of Jim Crow and we have overcome segregation to declare our dignity and equal rights. We witnessed and participated in one of the greatest achievements in the history of our country when we elected our first black president, Barack Obama. And here we stand, with great opportunity, this year, this decade, to once and for all, emancipate ourselves from the mental slavery that is limiting our society and our people from moving forward.

To remove these shackles forever, we must take advantage of the opportunities that we have created. To me, during segregation, the black community was strong, because we had black dentists, doctors, drug store owners, grocery store owners, and many other business leaders providing our community with care and services. Integration came and although it gave us much more freedom and liberty, it also presented new challenges that we continue to face. New cultural and entrepreneurial groups came into our communities and took over many of these businesses and destroyed potential economic opportunities. However, now more than ever, the 89% of this country that is not black, is thirsting to buy our products and follow our cultural lead. If we ignore this 89%, we will never be able to move forward. We should not limit ourselves to just interact and do business with each other. I don't want to address just 11% of the population. I want to speak to100% of America. If I had segregated myself and my businesses when I started Def Jam, then I never would have brought Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC to the Mud Club in the Village, which was a White club. Black people didn’t like rap music, they rejected it at first. It was the White press that made us popular…the first time I heard my record on the radio was in Amsterdam on a Dutch station! I say all this, not to criticize you, but to challenge you to recognize your power.

I am saddened by many of my peers who continue to perpetuate the notion that diversity is wrong. When black TV executives compare the multiracial programming I produce to "black” shows on their networks, it reminds me that we are also responsible for limiting ourselves. When online "black” gossip sites make an issue of inter-racial dating it exhibits our own responsibility for not progressing forward. If you only interact with "your group” in university or the work place, you not only do yourself and your company a disservice, you diminish the possibilities of a generation. We have nothing to fear from integration because our culture is the New American Mainstream, the entire world is embracing us. It’s our time to be open to the world. At this point in our history as a people, we must uplift each other and encourage each other to change how we see in the world. It is honest integration that the next generation is bringing and they are challenging the old guard to step down and stop their old ways. Similarly, too many mainstream companies today are limited by their inability to honestly integrate some of the most powerful American ideas because of their lack of diversity. To speak to the new America, you have to completely rethink your "diversity” approaches in an integrated, fast-forward way, or risk being overtaken by an unstoppable tide of demographic and cultural change.

So, as we enter this new decade, let’s practice loving everybody and everything. Let’s be proud of our diversity and make sure it means what the word actually is supposed to mean. Let us not be agents for others to co-opt, let us be the agents of change. It is the wisdom from having experience and inside perspective from the most important cultural phenomenon our country has ever seen that this new generation carries forward. And damn, it is exciting.

-Russell Simmons

Follow Russell on twitter @UncleRush

Keep Looking In The Mirror.

rocta — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:48:59 GMT

Keep Looking In The Mirror

Today we lost another young, talented, black man. Like so many men and women in this world, Chris Henry had seen his share of trouble and adversity...and just like so many other men and women in this world, he realized it’s never too late to turn your life around. How many more lives need to be lost before we realize that as good Christians (as many of us like to call ourselves), spiritual beings or just plain old good folks we need to STOP THE JUDGEMENT and try to lift each other up when we've fallen off the path.

Why are we all so quick to stop looking in the mirror at our own troubled lives...bad credit, lack of education or job skills, poor choices with the opposite sex, trying to live like Diddy when our homes are getting foreclosed, gossiping, jealous ranting or hating, or even not communicating with loved ones...its soooooo much easier to be obsessed with Tiger and Elin than dealing with our own troubled relationships...why get counseling for your daddy/mama/brother sister/relationship issues when we can hunt down a distraught woman and her 2 young children like animals??!! Why worry about how to pay for healthcare when we can laugh and joke about Lindsey Lohan. Journalists COULD do their jobs and sift through fact from what's in the National Inquirer but why when it’s sooooooo much easier to print lies/half truths or straight up fairy tales to sell newspapers or magazines...forget about journalistic integrity when you’ve got to compete with the internet...who needs truth and compassion when we can't wait for the next senseless tragedy or starlet scandal??!!

When will we come together and demand more from ourselves...more love and less hate...more fact finding than dirt digging...more lifting each other up and figuring out a way for life to improve than kicking people when they're down...hold yourself to the same high standards we set for people on TV that we'll never meet and don't put food on our tables...be the person you always wanted to be...I'd like to think we were all born inherently good and on occasion make mistakes...stop looking in your neighbor's backyard or Tigers’ or the girl who got the guy you liked or the dude who got the promotion you thought you deserved...we can only control ourselves...KEEP LOOKING IN THE MIRROR...that's where the answers are that can truly change your life. In fact, lemme get off this damn blackberry and help my niece figure out how we're gonna pay for college next year...tiger can't help me with that...that's all me :) peace and love and many blessings!!!

-Gabrielle

PS...my sister always says that bad things happen everyday to ppl all over the world...you don't own the rights to adversity...whatchu gonna do now??...u betta stop bitching and get to work on urself! Kinda harsh I know but those words got me through the worst times of my life...I'm sharing now with you guys! Happy holidays...spread the love...it will come back to you!

Charlie Last Name Wilson Says: Get Your Prostate Checked.

rocta — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:09:42 GMT

Charlie Last Name Wilson Says: Get Your Prostate Checked.

In the midst of a career comeback, Charlie Wilson, famed Gap Band frontman, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He battled back and is now a spokesperson for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Sitting down with Mark Anthony Neal of NewBlackMan, he discussed his experience and what men need to do with regard to prostate health:

"NBM: I read some information that said that before the age of 40, most men have a 1-in-10,000 chance of being diagnosed with Prostate cancer, but that that numbers increase to 1 in 38 between the ages of 40 and 59. In your case, was this something that you were thinking about? Were you getting exams? Or were you just doing "Charlie Wilson”?

Uncle Charlie: Naw, I wasn’t getting exams, although when I was a teenager I used to get those exams and I remember I used to hate it. As an adult I wouldn’t go to the doctor for those exams and I knew nothing about prostate cancer at all. All I knew is the exam shied me away from getting checked for anything.

NBM: That’s real, I imagine in the times that you’ve had to talk about prostate cancer have you had to deal with men who were a little skittish about having the exam because of previous experiences with it or fears of what it might be like?

Uncle Charlie: Yeah, I sit in on community panels and groups and a brother was like "tell us what really going on with it” and I really didn’t understand where he was coming from and I was like "dude it hurts like hell” and everybody started laughing. I got a chance to talk to a lot of guys and tell them "just got get a checkup” and one homeboy was like "man I don’t know…exit only, exit only” (laughter). But seriously, I found out last month about a case that was 27 years-old, that’s crazy."

Fellas, get checked. Pride isn't worth an early dirt nap.

Ambitions and Horizones

rocta — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:12:54 GMT

Ambitions and Horizones

Different people have different levels of Ambition.Ask one person where they want to end up and the'll tell you they want to be the head of Microsoft.Ask another one and the'll tell you they want to be an Office orderly or a cook.Now before you frown at my rather sharp comparison,I want you to get acquainted with the fact that a person can only be ambitious to the limits the've been exposed to.A person's idea of success is usually linked to someone they look up to.If the most succesful person you know owns a Toyota,it's only natural that you'll tie the words " Toyota" and "Success" together.That is as far as you've seen,as far as you've been exposed to! I've read through stories of many people who you'd normally call big,and i usually hear it in many lyrics of famous musicians,"who knew I'd come this far?" Ask Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey,R.Kelly and many others if they ever thought they could get as big as they are today? Most of them will say "No!".All the same they made it to where they are today and the fact that they never thought they would reach thier current state is of no significance right now,they are there and that's it!
Have you ever looked at the Horizone?it's the furthest you can see at a given moment!The closer you move towards it,though you do not realise it,the further it moves from you,or in other terms "expands" as they love to say "expand your horizons...blah blah blah!" I have no clue what your horizone is and if I wasn't so secretive,I'd probably tell you mine!Some of us see ourselves 20 or so years from now as presidents,others as heads of the board,nurses,bussinessmen,grocery store owners,housewives and so on.And who said it's wrong to see yourself as a president,housewife or whatever?That is your Horizone,it's as far as you see.Maybe others have one bigger or smaller than yours but it's your horizone,your aim,your purpose and it's yours! be proud of it and if someone doesn't like it then they can break a leg!
Now if you didn't know,here it is,I'll break it down for you:it is impossible to reach the horizone! As a matter of fact it impossible for it to seem any closer to you than it is! If this doesn't seem clear to you,just wait for the sunset from a clear spot,as the sun starts setting run towards it's direction and see if you'll get any closer to it...you won't! However you will have taken some steps foward and you will not be in the position you were before!And there it is my dear friend:with each step you take to your current dream,you expand your possibilities! Dreams remain dreams.the only difference in reaching them is they lead to more dreams!Gates released windows 95 - good.95 lead to 96 then 97....now we have windows 7 and who says it's the end of it? 50 cent went from music to acting to clothes,drinks and who says it's the end of it?
I don't know how big your horizone is but i can tell you how to expand it;work towards your current goal,don't despise it or overate it!fry the fish you have on your pan now instead of sitting and watching it burn because of wishing you had bigger ones.Work with what you have now to achieve your current goals instead of setting new goals withuot achieving lesser ones.There's a verse in the bible that says wisdom stands out calling where everybody can see her and when I think of it,it's really true:nature shows us the simplest but most vital bits of how to go about life:a child must crawl before they walk.
Even the most succesful person on earth will not tell you:"Ok man,I've finished,I've done it all!I have no more goals!"He is constantly looking at his horizone,moving towards it in a desparate attempt to reach it but he cant even get closer to it by even the smallest unit of length measurement known to man.However with each step he moves foward sometimes not even realising that he has reached even further than he had wanted or anticipated............The horizone can not be reached or gotten closer to but with each step you take towards it,it expands.Want to expand your horizone?move toward it and you'll hit points in your life you never even thought you would.

by Chalomba Chitanika.

Jena 6 Teen Gets Chance to Turn It Around

rocta — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:32:53 GMT

Jena 6 Teen Gets Chance to Turn It Around

Being accused of attemped murder has a funny way of turning someone's life around. In Jesse Ray Beard's case, one of the teens accused in the Jena 6 case, his turn was for the better thanks, in large part, to the lawyer who represented him, Howard Alan. From CNN:

Beard, 18, now interns at a New York law firm as he prepares for his senior year next month at Canterbury School, a Connecticut prep academy where Beard is highly regarded among peers and teachers.

"I didn't change the way I act. I didn't do nothing different. It was just that I was at Canterbury instead of Jena," he said. "It was like Jena was out to get me -- and not just me, but other people, too."

If not for the controversy surrounding the Jena Six and the palpable racial tension in the Louisiana town, Beard never would have met the attorney who changed the course of Beard's life by removing him from everything he knew.

...

Howard said his first impression of Beard -- that he had "tremendous character, tremendous resilience and tremendous potential" -- was so strong he invited the teen to live with his family in New England.

It's been a tidal shift, Beard said, moving from a Louisiana town of 3,000 to Bedford, New York, a well-to-do city of 18,000 situated an hour north of the Big Apple.

The biggest shock? "Where I'm from in Jena, I think the only time it snowed is when I was 6, and it was like 1 inch."

...

The Howards say Beard meshes seamlessly. Though he struggled with the curriculum at Canterbury -- a Catholic school in New Milford boasting a six-to-one student-teacher ratio -- he is seeing tutors and showing improvements.

He spent the summer helping attorneys at Howard's firm prepare for court cases and looks forward to his senior year as a three-sport athlete.

Head football coach Ken Parson said he "can't wait to unleash" the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Beard.

Beard is a candidate for team captain, Parson said, and the coach hopes Beard's leadership and "quiet confidence" will draw recruiters from Division I schools. Division II schools are already snooping around, he said.

"When he gets going, he's like a freight train. He's also got the softest pair of hands you could ever imagine on a high school football player and can make moves in the field like Barry Sanders," Parson said, invoking the Detroit Lions' legendary running back.

Though football, baseball and basketball are his preferred sports, Beard has picked up lacrosse from playing with Howard's sons -- Nick, 14, and Tommy, 11 -- and tennis from playing with Howard's daughter, Jessie, 17. She said his tennis skills are "ridiculous."

Other fresh experiences include snowboarding in Utah, surfing in Long Island, visiting the Hamptons and attending baseball games at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

Around the house, he's a big brother, said Howard, whose children welcomed Beard immediately.

"My kids were the ones who said, 'If it means getting out of Jena, let him stay here,' " Howard said. "My 14-year-old son said, 'He can share my room,' and he doesn't even let his 11-year-old brother in his room."

Beard is prone to the same gaffes as any teenager, Jessie said, giggling as she recalled a time he replaced a box of snacks in the cabinet after finishing the last one. Her mother, Patti, left the box on his sneakers with a note: "Would you like more of these?"

"He's just another member of the family," Jessie said. "Now, when people ask me how many brothers I have, I say three, not two."

Beard said he could never be proud of his involvement with the Jena Six, but he believes God put him through tribulations to deliver him to a better place.

"I'm not glad it happened, but I'm glad I came to a good family," he said.

Beard's mother, Stella, is a "remarkable woman," Howard said, but Beard didn't have much supervision at home. Howard thought to himself in 2008, "It's not just enough to keep the kid out of jail one time because the system is stacked against him."

Five of the Jena Six had already made tracks -- to Texas, to Georgia, to other parts of Louisiana -- but Beard had nowhere to go. That he was on house arrest for another juvenile offense confounded matters.

"I promise you I will get you out of Jena, whatever it takes," Howard told Beard. "You promise me that you'll hang in there, keep doing what you're doing, going to school and keep out of trouble."

Beard's mother made "the ultimate sacrifice," allowing Howard to pursue guardianship and ferry her son 1,500 miles to New England. She put aside Jena Six donations to help Howard pay Canterbury's $40,000-a-year tuition, he said. She declined to be interviewed."

Why black people shouldn’t depend on melanin for skin cancer immunity.

rocta — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:56:17 GMT

Black Don't Crack? Think Again.

Why black people shouldn’t depend on melanin for skin cancer immunity.

I went to see the dermatologist to have a “mole” on my face checked. No big deal; I’d had it a long time. But over the past six months it had changed a bit, so after slicing it off the dermatologist had it routinely biopsied. Imagine my surprise when the doctor personally called to inform me that my mole was actually a sun sarcoma containing suspicious cells—this, when another dermatologist a few years ago barely gave it a second look.

My new doctor made it clear that I needed to come in sooner rather than later for treatment. Whoa, suspicious cells. Were they wearing ninja hoodies and meeting in secret to engage in terrorist activities? Kind of. They were basal cells that, if left untreated, would likely grow into a much more serious issue—like skin cancer.

Now, African Americans are pretty far down on the list of skin cancer candidates. Still, we shouldn’t count on our melanin for immunity. Granted, the rates in which we get infected are definitely lower than that of other populations. Perhaps because of that, we often don’t bother to get suspicious growths checked. And when we finally do make it to the dermatologist, if the diagnosis is cancer, it’s more advanced—and often more deadly. To prevent that from happening, it behooves us all to brush up on the facts about our skin, the sun and cancer.

Skin Cancer 101

The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which is sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and accounts for more than 90 percent of all skin cancers in the United States. It affects the cells that line the deepest layer of the epidermis. It’s typically a slow-growing cancer that seldom spreads to other parts of the body.

Squamous cell carcinoma arises in the cells that make up the skin’s uppermost layers and can occur on all parts of the body, including mucous membranes and genitals. It rarely spreads but does so more often than basal cell carcinoma.

Actinic keratoses are precancerous growths, usually caused by sun exposure. They typically look like red, scaly spots and may later develop a hard, wart-like surface. If untreated, about 1 percent develops into squamous cell carcinoma.

Skin cancer is found mainly on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun—the head, face, neck, hands and arms—but it can occur anywhere. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. But artificial sources of UV radiation, like sunlamps and tanning booths, can also cause skin cancer. And there are other risk factors, like having burns or scars on the skin, a weakened immune system, previous exposure to radiation therapy and chronic skin diseases such as lupus.

Early Detection Is the Key to Survival

With any type of skin cancer or precancerous condition, early detection and treatment is critical because those abnormal cells can invade and destroy nearby tissue.

The first line of defense is to know your own body intimately so you you’ll be aware when something changes. Every six months, give yourself a full body exam, or have your partner check you out. Who better than your significant other to tell you that cute little heart-shaped mole on your butt is no longer so cute or so little? The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin, especially a new growth, or a sore that doesn’t heal. It may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale or waxy lump. It also may appear as a firm red lump that might bleed or develop a crust.

When checking moles, use the ABCDE’s of warning signs:

Asymmetry: When half of the mole does not match the other half in size.

Border: When the edges or borders of a mole are irregular, blurry and jagged.

Color: When the color of a mole is not the same. Normal spots are usually one color. A mole with more than one hue is suspicious.

Diameter: When the diameter of the mole in question is larger than the size of a normal pencil eraser.

Elevation: When part of the mole is raised or becomes elevated from the rest of the skin on the mole.

Treatment

Treatment for skin cancer and precancerous skin lesions varies, depending on the size, type, depth and location of the area. Sometimes the initial biopsy removes the entire growth and no further treatment is necessary. In my case, some of the precancerous cells remained after the excision so the doctor opted for cryosurgery. She used what looked liked a small blowtorch. Instead of a shooting out a flame, though, it shot a blast of liquid nitrogen that essentially froze the cells to death. A similar treatment is laser therapy, which uses a precise, intense beam of light to vaporize the growths. The abnormal cells can also be destroyed with topical chemotherapy medications—creams or lotions containing anti-cancer agents that are applied directly to the skin. And if surgery isn’t an option, radiation is used to destroy the cells.

Prevention

Most skin cancer can be prevented, so follow these tips to decrease your chances of getting skin cancer. The tips also help prevent wrinkles … uh, not that I’m worried about that.

Wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Check the label and make sure it says “broad spectrum,” so it will protect from both UVA (long-wave ultraviolet rays) and UVB (short-wave ultraviolet rays).

Reapply sunscreen. You should re-lube every two to three hours while in the sun and after swimming or sweating.

Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

Stay out of the midday sun (from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon), which is the strongest; if you must be outdoors, seek some shade.

Familiarize yourself with your skin. Get a thorough exam every six months.

So I learned my lesson. I still spend the majority of my waking hours outdoors, but now I don’t set foot outside the house without slathering on the sweat-proof, practically bulletproof, active-sport, 30-plus SPF sunscreen. And after what I’ve been through, I’ll be checking in with my dermatologist every six months—to make sure those suspicious cells aren’t planning another uprising.

Alicia Villarosa is a regular contributor to The Root

Contemporary Gospel Music

rocta — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:59:55 GMT

Contemporary Gospel Music

Ok so what is gospel music to begin with? Well am glad you asked. The definition of gospel is good news. So if this is gospel music, then what is this good news music we so love to talk about. Am sure a lot of people would agree with me that music has the power to transform you from that lonely state and those estranged feelings to that vibrant self you love. But what is it then about gospel music that makes it special. Tell you what, before we can even delve into all that good stuff, I would first want submit to you that I am a firm believer in the power of words, and a big component of music is words. That’s why it matters to me what those lyrics are saying to me.