The Jawn

the jawn MARCH 2003 VOL. 1

aaries

no longer the girls next door by holly mack-ward

WWW.SQUAREBIZ.ORG

contents the jawn was conceived, created and carried out by holly mack-ward, eve simonsen and stacey wilson.

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art direction; stacey wilson

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layout/design: ed crawford and james marable of phatboy media

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editorial; holly mack-ward eve simonsen

contributing writers: aine ardron-doley justin “soul-one” bedford deesha dyer bravette fleet rich medina d.r. parker ahmir “?uestlove” thompson patrick taylor contributing illustrator: saga contributing photographers: keith major austen e. mikulka

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“all eyes on hip-hop” a look at a new form of profiling the bottom line stuff we like the lowdown think from the mind of... poetix “down by the river” an update on the development of penn’s landing “sister act” aaries: no longer the girls next door so so fly artist’s way look photo spread

info The Jawn 421 N. 7th St., Ste. 204 Philadelphia, PA 19123 phone: 215.351.9853 fax: 215.351.0311 www.squarebiz.org Advertising: advertising@thejawn.org Editorial submissions and letters: editorial@thejawn.org Jawn and Bachelor submissions: jawnandbachelor@thejawn.org Off the Hook tips: offthehook@thejawn.org Closet Freak questions: closetfreak@thejawn.org

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Letters: Any letter we choose to run may be edited for space and/or clarity. Authors must sign their name for publication and include address and telephone number for verification. Letters may be mailed, faxed or emailed.

Submissions: We do not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. If you want manuscripts, photographs, artwork or any other unsolicited submission returned, please include a SASE. Jawn and Bachelor submissions: We do not assume responsibility for any correspondence received as a result of your appearance in The Jawn.

The Jawn is published by S.H.E. Media, LLC. Contents copyright © 2003 by The Jawn. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The Jawn is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

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listen cd reviews mixtape for the record watch picture this in stores now off the hook outer bounds jawn of the month eligible bachelor eat hungry yet? dessert divas restaurant listings events calendar our picks square-O-scopes closet freak find

letter from the editors Jawn. It’s a word you hear a lot in Philly, and pretty much only in Philly—it’s a word that makes our city unique. It became the concept for a line of T-shirts made by Squarebiz, the company behind events like Tastytreats and Illadelph Xperiment. Then, as Squarebiz expanded, The Jawn became the name of its online newsletter covering mostly events at first. Because of its straightfrom-the-heart nature, and the massive support we received, The Jawn continued to grow each month as we added more sections.

Every month it was updated, we’d nervously watch the hit counter on the site tick. In January–when it reached an all-time high–tears of appreciation were behind our eyes as we realized our vision was coming to life. Which brings us to where we are now. As you can see, The Jawn is now a real live arts and entertainment newspaper, complete with an events calendar, restaurant listings, album reviews—well, just read it. Starting May 1, The Jawn will become a monthly publication. In this issue, you can get a taste of what’s to come, and of course, you can always find us online at www.squarebiz.org.

In future issues, this page will be used to run letters from you. So by all means, write us. Let us know what you like, what you hate, what you think in general about The Jawn. Email us at editorial@thejawn.org, fax us at 215.351.0311 or drop a line to 421 N. 7th St., Ste. 204, Philadelphia, PA, 19123.

As always, happy reading! And we’ll see you in May.

in this issue You may know Deesha Dyer’s writing from her column, Vibin With Deesha, on Phillyhiphop.com. She also contributes to The Conductor music magazine and recently wrote an article for the Daily News on the 30th anniversary of Roe v.

Wade. The South Philly resident works at a commercial real estate company in Center City and does volunteer work with HIV/AIDS patients at ActionAIDS and at homeless shelters. Read her report on the Russell Simmons/Pepsi controversy in From the Mind Of... on page 8.

Hailing from the planet of North Philly, Justin “Soul-One” Bedford, when not writing for The Jawn (see The Bottom Line on page 5), splits his time between studying communications at Drexel University and doing wedding receptions, retirement parties and strictly bat mitzvahs. Concentrating mostly on AfricanAmerican issues and philosophy, he also dabbles in poetry, and has had his writing featured in Vibe magazine and Circlesinthesky.com. And, he adds, “I’m slim, trim, and also light-skinned, best believe Soul-One’s a virgin.” And there you have it.

Rich Medina is Philly’s Renaissance man. Primarily a DJ, he’s kept dancefloors sticky for years with parties like Afrorikan Vybe, Little Ricky’s and as one of the founders of the Remedy. He’s also an established poet and spoken-word artist, a producer (ever read Jill Scott’s liner notes?) and a former amateur basketball player. He has a column in The Fader, which bumps his hip factor up several notches. And now he has a column in The Jawn. Outer Bounds lets readers get a feel of what DJ life can be like on the road. Check out his debut on page 19.

From the West Side to G-Town, all-Philly girl Aine Ardon-Doley went from teaching little ones how to play tennis to writing and doing freelance PR work. A feisty Scorpio who’s determined to keep hip-hop in the local papers, the 26year-old created City Paper’s Beat Box column, and has since written for the Inky, URB and OneWorld, shot a photo for Rolling Stone and now has her Jawn premiere. Her four years of writing about her passions —music, dance, poetry, politics and basketball —have brought her to us, and her CD review on page 16.

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saga

alleyes on hip-hop

the newest form of profiling is aimed straight at the music industry by eve simonsen

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rying to pinpoint a single event that started the hip-hop profiling trend is a little fuzzy.

While there are a few who could take it all the way back to the deaths of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, some would say it was the disaster that took place at the 2000 Source Awards after police pulled the plug on the show due to fights backstage and in the auditorium. Still others might relate it to high-profile incidents like the shooting spree at a New York nightclub where a lateracquitted P. Diddy was arrested on weapons and assault charges, or the guilty charge of Jay-Z stabbing record producer Lance “Un” Rivera.

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Then there’s names like Suge Knight, Irv Gotti and, to bring it closer to home, Allen Iverson, whose controversial album and later domestic violence case turned into a monster media ordeal. The list of who in the hip-hop industry has paved the path toward the current level of profiling goes on and on.

More interesting than naming damn near everyone in hip-hop is looking at how far a specific form of profiling has gone, how far it will go and how it’s affected the hip-hop community.

While most of the political action began back in 2001, many people still may not know the extent of the who’s-watching-who game when they go out at night. The NYPD’s gang intelligence unit long ago began watching clubs frequented by celebrity artists—not just any artist, but specifically those in the hip-hop industry. In an interview with MTV News writer Brian Hiatt, NYPD spokesperson Sgt. Brian Burke is quoted as saying, “In an effort to ensure the safety of individuals in the music industry as well as other additional victims, we’ve initiated this effort.”

He went on to say that the “effort” is meant to protect rappers from becoming victims of crime as much as it is intended to prevent what police see as music industry-related violence. As of press time, Sgt. Burke had not responded to messages left by The Jawn inquiring about updates in their initiative.

Approximately one month after the announcement of the NYPD’s endeavor came yet another police official flailing over a slip of the tongue about

“keeping an eye” on the hip-hop community by profiling clubs and other public places frequented by those in the industry. That—coupled with Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s proposed Media Violence Labeling Act (which, among other things, would implicate not only artists but also record labels for putting out albums with a violent tone), an ongoing feat to put the neck of the First Amendment in a ringer—caused a justifiable amount of commotion, especially considering New York’s Hip-Hop Summit was only a month away at the time.

According to an online interview with the hip-hop world’s president, Russell Simmons, one of the most pressing topics at the Summit was discussing “Sen. Lieberman’s bill; we are going to discuss rap profiling and those are issues that we will have resolve for.”

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hile some may not want to see it, there is a flip side to this unconstitutional attack on hip-hop. The hard-to-swallow truth in all this is if said rappers, artists and musicians were not out there in the streets with guns (concurrently rapping about being in the streets with guns), there’d probably be fewer politicians and police eyeing the music industry. In fact, at one point Simmons himself leaned toward the opposing side and urged the hip-hop industry to watch what was being said on albums to avoid further political drama with cats like Lieberman.

On a local level, one would have to be blind not to notice the increased police action at high-profile hip-hop events like, say, Freeway’s recent appearance at Chrome Nightlife Arena compared to even a regular hip-hop night at the club. 103.9 The Beat’s DJ Excel, who often spins at Chrome, says that within hiphop events in general, “there’s just a nervousness about it.”

many people still may not know the extent of the who’s-watchingwho game when they go out at night.

Even with all the havoc that takes place at rock-nroll events, such as the onslaught of violence at last year’s Guns N’ Roses concerts, profiling has stuck to hip-hop. While profiling is a wrongful way to protect and serve, if the rap music industry wasn’t threaten-

ing lives, the cops would just have to resort to regular old racial profiling.

Considering the high-profile rap arrests that have taken place in Philly (Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Beanie Sigel), the number of big radio hip-hop events in nightclubs and the city’s reputation for employing racist and bullying police officers might lead you to wonder if our own police department has instituted similar efforts to the NYPD. According to Lt. John Neily, the Philadelphia Police Department does not have any NYPD-like efforts initiated flatly because, “We don’t profile.”

Neily continues, “we don’t really have a lot of rap shows in Philly. They’re mostly outside of the city, except maybe at the Spectrum every now and then— oh, and sometimes in Upper Darby.”

Huh? Wasn’t it just last month that 50 Cent, Freeway and Ja Rule all played shows within city limits? The lieutenant goes on to say, “Well, there was one time, about a year and a half ago, that the NYPD called to inform us that a gang-related, violent rap group was headed to Philly,” but he cannot to remember who. Neily also states that police don’t just show up at nightclubs or concerts on their own, but rather are requested to be there by the clubs themselves.

While Chrome manager John Hatzi says that “we have a great communication with the police,” and feels they’re never inappropriate, a former bouncer at a hip-hop oriented Delaware Ave. club who wishes to remain anonymous says quite the contrary.

After a few weeks of heavy-hitter hip-hop events, he claims, “The police strongly encouraged the head of security to have only one big hip-hop event a week.”

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he saddest part about all this is how it’s inadvertently affecting the average hip-hop head. Who wants to go to an event that’s swarming with cops before you even get within a block of the venue? And now with Lieberman in the running for president next year, don’t think for a second that all the bills to change our freedom of speech won’t be front and center on his agenda (despite his years of prattle about “citizenship, not censorship”), or that fewer police departments will receive instructions to avert their eyes from hip-hoprelated clubs or events.

So, by all means, continue to support hip-hop. Buy the albums, attend the concerts and speak your mind. Just know that somewhere, someone is watching.

the bottom line by justin “soul-one” bedford

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ave you ever wondered why your children don’t know what a cymbal sounds like, or the difference between a trumpet and a saxophone? Have you ever wondered why you don’t? Does it bother you that more than likely they cannot name two instruments found in a concert orchestra, a jazz ensemble or even in a duo? Does it bother you that you can’t? It should. It should bother you a lot.

The reason is that for the past 15 years or so, we as American citizens have systematically been robbed of our appreciation of art and music through statesponsored institutions commonly know as the public school system.

I attended Greenfield Elementary School here in Philadelphia way back in the eighties, and even then, it was one of the few public schools in the district that included art and music as part of its curriculum—and we’re talking grade school.

These days, it seems kids are hard-pressed to find schools that have a band, or instruments for that matter, much less music classes where they can learn to properly use them. And the sad part is that no one seems to care because no one is taught to. We aren’t educated to appreciate the value of music and art, because the powers that be (i.e., the government) don’t deem these esthetic disciplines necessary for our development.

But ask yourself, “Who are they to decide what is best for us?” The last time I checked out the Constitution, the first three words emblazoned in title script were “We The People,” not “We The Government.” I think a lot of us forget that sometimes.

We forget that it is we who pay the salaries of city, state and federal officials. It is we who elect those people under the premises of proper representation, and it is we who should decide what best benefits our families, our peace of mind and our children, especially when it comes to their total development.

It’s interesting that for all the concepts regarding education our country has adopted from the ancient Greeks, the most important one—the appreciation of life in the form of art and music—seems to have been totally disregarded.

Sure, we concentrate on science to develop a sense of nature, mathematics to develop logic, geography to develop a sense of location and direction, history to develop a contextual sense of belonging in time and even gym to develop our physical bodies. But what about the development of our minds, our sense of beauty?

When do we learn that? Where does that develop?

It should come as no surprise that art and music are the two most effective and creative ways to communicate any message to the vast majority of the public. One need only turn on the television to see what an impact hip-hop has had globally within the last 20 years. And they most certainly don’t teach you that in school.

Being the biggest media/corporation/propaganda machine itself, our government understands that he who controls the media controls the people (e.g., post-9/11 news coverage—“code orange,” anyone?) and in turn, he who controls art and music controls the creativity and expressive freedoms of the people.

That’s why it is so very important for we, the people, to demand that art and music be instilled in our children’s education so that they can be informed, autonomous critics of what they consider artistically acceptable, instead of being hapless victims of the status quo.

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Part of being a responsible parent is recognizing what will not only benefit our children directly but, through them, society as a whole. To that end, I leave you with a quote from the ancient Greeks on the importance of life and art: “Vitae brevis, Ars Longa.” (Oh yeah…you must look that one up. Peace.)

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There are those in the advertising and music industries who recognize the power and influence art and music have on the masses, and they capitalize on it unbeknownst to the rest of society. It’s the industries’ best way to say shit, promote shit and sell shit, and they don’t have to deal with an artistically intelligent or sophisticated population. If there is no way for the public to know they’re being robbed of the arts, and if they receive no training, then there is no reason for them to think twice.

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stuff we like

made in the usa

swap meet

mr. bubbles

There are just so many reasons why Kelis is cool in our book. First of all, she’s responsible for the hook of the century—c’mon now, you know this one: “I hate you so much right now.” Then there’s her looks.

Who couldn’t dig a girl who’s not only totally cute, but has a funky weird style and rainbow-colored curls?

But mostly, we’re crazy about her because of her last album, Wanderland (Virgin). Never released in the U.S. (we’re assuming because her first album did so well overseas and not here), her follow-up to Kaleidoscope has a distinct sound, partly due to the fact that the Neptunes produced the entire thing.

(Which makes it even harder to understand why label execs felt no one in the States would buy it.) “Young, Fresh and New” is probably the most N.E.R.D.ish, production-wise, so expect your head to start bobbing from the first beat. On “Popular Thug” featuring Pusha T from the Clipse, she lets the boys know where she’s coming from with lines like, “I would’ve never talked to you if I’d only known you was a popular thug.” “Daddy” is damn close to radio-sounding, but in a good way, and also features another Clipse member, Malice. Both “Mr. U.F.O. Man” and “Little Suzie” take a more social/spiritual/political stance, and even though they’re deep in thought, they ride daydreamy, funky beats. Kelis has proven to be a multifaceted artist, and the more folks in her own country support her, the better the chance her next album won’t skip us completely. You can find Wanderland in the import section at most record stores, or online at www.amazon.com.

In a perfect world, everything would be on a barter system. CD stores are aware of this; that’s why even chains like Coconuts have pretty sizable used sections. But outside of that market, it’s pretty hard to find stores that will give you their goods for your old stuff rather than your dollars. Which is why we love the Book Trader on South Street. You know the storefront (right on the corner of Fifth Street across from the Gap), but have you ever actually gone in?

Not only do they have enough books to put most neighborhood libraries to shame, they also sell/trade used posters, records and CDs. And that’s just on the first floor. Go upstairs and you’ll get sucked into an endless room full of—what else?—tons more books, complete with a huge window seat facing the corner. The best part is that you can spend hours up there flipping through cookbooks, photo collections, The Joy of Sex, whatever, and no one will kick you out. Bring in enough books to build up a nice size credit and you won’t have to spend a penny. A recent trip there racked up a good half-dozen paperbacks— including Toni Morrison’s Beloved, The Color of Water by James McBride and Iguana Dreams, a beautiful collection of short stories by Latino authors—and two CDs, Ananda Project’s Release and the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack. (Okay, so that one’s not so great, but you gotta complete the Prince collection.) See—South Street is good for more than just getting sneakers, getting numbers or getting drunk. The Book Trader, 501 South St. 215.925.1219.

With all the extra snow we’ve had dumped on us over the last month or so, we could all use a little BYOB in our lives. But not the kind you’re probably thinking of. That acronym has a new meaning with Philadelphia Hot Tub Rentals around—bringing your own bubbles is now an option for partygoers and warm water-mongers alike. Thanks to entrepreneur Evan Weiss, you can chill out in hot suds anywhere and anytime you want. Offering six-and-a-half-foot mobile tubs (that size seats six to eight bodies, depending on “how close you are with your friends,” says Weiss) anywhere in the tristate area, Weiss will bring them to your doorstep morning, noon, night; rain, snow or shine. He’s even delivered tubs to the deck of a boat down the shore, to a tailgate party at an Eagles game and to various nightclubs around the city. Of course, the tubs are good for more than just group settings—a couple can skip the gross-out germ factor of places like the Inn of the Dove and go straight sex den at home. The way we see it, though, the more the merrier—we’re thinking block party. And the best part about the whole thing is that you don’t have to do a thing. Weiss tows it in, fills it up and leaves you for up to three days to do whatever you please. The even better part? It only costs customers $275 for all of the above (friends and drinks not included). To make a reservation, go to www.philadelphiahottubrentals.com or call 215.843.3950.

kelis

the book trader

philadelphia hot tub rentals

25th hour

echo chic

journale.com

time after time

round two

kodak moments

We probably all gave up on the idea of Spike Lee ever getting recognized by the Academy a long time ago. Of course, the whole Oscars thing is political and money-driven and all that. And Lee has said more than once that he doesn’t care about winning awards. But we’ve just got to bitch for a minute about the fact that 25th Hour was completely overlooked by this year’s Oscar nominations. There was a lot of good stuff released in 2002, so the competition was tough. But 25th Hour isn’t just one of the best Spike Lee Joints ever, it was one of the best of the year, period. No, it’s not perfect—there are a couple requisite bang-you-over-the-head-with-symbolism scenes—but the heart-wrenching storyline, amazingly real dialogue and top-of-the-line acting more than make up for it. Really, the category where the film’s absence stings the most is Best Actor. Yes, Adrien Brody was phenomenal in The Pianist and Daniel Day-Lewis stole the show in Gangs of New York. But what about Edward Norton? He’s always been good, as anyone who saw Fight Club or American History X can attest to. But here he takes it to the next level, bringing the deeply flawed hero Monty Brogan to life like Nicolas Cage only wishes he could. It’s a shame—Norton truly deserves, if not to win, to at least be acknowledged. Maybe next time he should work with Scorsese. Call Moviefone (215.222.FILM) right now and try to catch 25th Hour while it’s still playing in a theater somewhere.

When it comes to fashion, Philadelphia is a city that specializes in small boutiques as opposed to big designer flagship stores. We don’t have a Prada store downtown, or even a Neiman’s, but we’ve got Joan Shepp and Boyd’s. There’s no Sephora or Henri Bendel, but there’s Francis Jerome and Bluemercury. The latest addition to the Center City boutique cluster is Echo Chic, the women’s clothing store formerly situated at Third and South. Store owner Jennifer Ramsay—who’s a stylist (both wardrobe and interior) and designer—has packed up and moved shop, expanding to two floors and now featuring an upstairs with just vintage stuff. Ramsay has styled for celebs like Eve, Charli Baltimore, Pink and Rah Digga, which gives you a glimpse of her eclectic taste. The new store still carries her namesake Echo Chic line and other cutting-edge designers like Mimi Turner, along with an expanded collection of more established names, from Miss Sixty and XOXO to Marc Jacobs and Christian Dior. Even with its pristine white walls, the soft lighting and genuinely friendly staff make the store super-inviting, and the funky vintage furniture from Ramsay and her husband Schoolly D’s collection add to the comfort. For those of us who mostly stick to H&M and Daffy’s, it’s nice to be able to shop at a boutique that carries clothing you can actually afford. Echo Chic, 1700 Sansom St. 215.569.9555. www.echochic.com.

Sure, art museums can be great fun. By the time you find the exhibit you’re looking for it’s closed. Or the sugar-fueled field trip of 10-year-olds who somehow all seem to step on at least one of your toes at some point. Or the annoying tour guides who won’t let you skip what you don’t want to see, only to rush you through the stuff you do. To find all the oohs and aahs that live in a museum without any of the extra grief, try Musarium—an online magazine featuring multimedia works by some of the world’s greatest photographers. The site features different galleries, or stories, like Phillip Jones Griffiths’ “Vietnam Inc.,” an eye-opening photo-documentary of the war in Vietnam. Or witness the humbling “Without Sanctuary: Photographs and Postcards of Lynching in America,” a magnificently haunting work collected and narrated by James Allen. The Flash movie version takes you through a soulless finger’s 81 clicks of a camera capturing a sickening and compelling time in our country’s history. Will Yurman’s “The Network” delicately takes you through the lives of 13 brain tumor survivors. On the lighter side, flip through “Spring Break,” 20 years of Daytona Beach during spring break season. Have a knack for photography yourself? Put together a collection of photos and tell your own story. To experience Musarium, go to www.journale.com.

in

out

only in philly

non-smoking restaurants

non-smoking bars

non-smoking outrage

fake millionaires

fake boobs

Old City

Biker Boyz

the Vespa craze

4-wheeling down Broad Street

arm-toning

tummy-flattening

are you kidding?

Norah Jones' Grammys

Alicia Keys' Grammys

Naseem King

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the lowdown

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poetix Na`Tural © 2003

think

by d.r. parker

deesha dyer

from the mind of...

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t seems like every time you turn around, hip-hop culture finds its way into the media. From news of pioneers passing to headlines about artists taking a stand for social and political justice, it appears every angle is covered. One of the latest issues is a controversy that began when PepsiCo, Inc., pulled hip-hop entertainer Ludacris’ advertisement because of raunchy and explicit lyrics in his music. They replaced it with a commercial featuring the Osbournes, who are known for verbally and physically using vulgarity of all kind. This outraged and confused many in the hip-hop community, including Def Jam founder Russell Simmons.

When Simmons called for a boycott of PepsiCo. and its products, it seemed no one was shocked.

But there was some surprise at the outcome. To avoid the boycott, Pepsi agreed to a multi-year, multimillion-dollar partnership with the Ludacris Foundation to support music and arts programming within nonprofit organizations serving the needs of disadvantaged youth. Simmons also asked for the reinstatement of the Ludacris commercial and a public apology. To date, neither has happened.

While the money deal was enough to temporarily cancel the boycott, members of the hip-hop community don’t believe this settlement has benefited the culture. Philadelphia hip-hop activist Docta Shock says it’s far from over. “The money hurts more than it helps; it just shows that [the hip-hop community] can be bought out.”

The opinion expressed by Shock is valid, and shared by others in the local hip-hop scene, including Ill Vibe Collective DJ Phillee Blunt. “It means that people have their price to shut their mouths.”

Many feel this issue goes deeper than the Ludacris and Pepsi situation. Those who support Simmons and the boycott are concerned with the way corporations and media outlets use hip-hop culture for capital gain. From shoe manufacturers to alcoholic beverages, it seems hip-hop is constantly setting trends. But some are asking when the corporations are going to give back to these neighborhoods. “This free advertising has to stop,” adds Shock. “We allow them to abuse us.”

Not everyone sees Simmons’ actions negatively.

Philadelphia promoter Tim Savage says, “Although I believe he wouldn’t have done this if it weren’t a Def Jam artist, it was an amazing thing for hip-hop.” A high percentage of those asked agreed with Savage. He elaborates, “Simmons has handled this in the right way, and I’m proud of him.”

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Philly MC Side Effect sees the overall outcome as a step forward for the urban community. “The money went towards a positive thing, therefore it wasn’t a waste.”

Regardless of the opposing opinions within the hip-hop community, all agree that having a powerful voice for the culture is necessary. The battle between Pepsi and Simmons ended smoothly, but not before the hip-hop masses took notice. The situation has been an eye-opener to the possibility of what could happen if we stood together behind an issue and demanded respect. It makes you question how deeply you believe in your cause. Or more importantly, how deeply you believe in hip-hop culture.

If you’d like to contribute to From the Mind Of..., hit us up at editorial@thejawn.org.

Blow out Afros—Braids and Locs nappy Knotty Balding Bushwicks cross my paths a lot You got brown painted lips from the spark of an EL half closed eyelids from that smell it makes your steps stum-mmble off that ole Na`Tural speech slowed and body loosely clothed to fit in that spliff it got your mind open and your rhyme flowin cuz you are now on a lift, knowledge in the verbs power in the herbs cuz this is that ole Na`Tural Shit I can come to you in your dreams and have your wondering about my tasks You feel me touch you it seems and still doubt the success of my craft While a natural born woman descended from the ancestors of God is who I be so please excuse me... as I begin ... to extract from even the evilest of men a lightening rod—a hot blinding stick—that strengthens me when I’m sick shall be used to give life to my roll as I inhale the embers of my muse so I can look into my third and explore my soul for the story of Genesis—where God is—Chango and Isis Conception begins to breed 360 degrees of creation, then divided to leave three days of meditation another three days to factor the stars of our constellation and the last day begins the first night a new beginning befriending all that is pure and all that is Na`Tural My return from the Nocturnal slaps me boldface but dares not to disgrace what I believe in as even I walk as the goddess Shiva... with this power at my fingertips, leaving the ground rumbling beneath my hips—steps; where eagles glide on the currents of my last breath and as I exist into the earth I breathe to spring forth mountains and bleed streams; making celestial incisions sneezing stars to illuminate your visions which walk and guide you from the day, back into the nocturnal where dimensions con-vexes and envelops you into ALL that is Na`Tural

D.R. Parker—commonly known as Ryva—is a poet, spoken-word artist and the host of Black Lily.

down by the river what's going to happen to penn's landing? by patrick taylor

revive a flagging city. Maybe that goal hasn't been reached—particularly since a few blocks away, decay still reigns supreme. But with the latest round of talk about the potential of Penn's Landing, there's hope that action will breed success.

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ayor Street is now taking a crack at the issue, and the next few months could make or break the future of Philly's most tempting waterfront development opportunities.

Just a quick look across the river toward Camden makes Penn’s Landing look like diddly-squat.

When the Simon plans fell through last year, Street said he still believed the location could become an attraction to rival Baltimore's Inner Harbor, which attracts 12 to 15 million visitors each year.

Only in Philly: From Roman tourist attractions to monster ferris wheels, Penn’s Landing could become home to, well, just about anything.

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aybe, just maybe, it'll all fall into place this time around. Our story is a long and winding one that centers around the little sliver of riverside real estate from Market to Walnut called Penn's Landing.

It was born in '73 when the city finished a landfill project in the shadows of the Ben Franklin Bridge along the Delaware. The hope way back then was to build a 50-story hotel and office building that would proudly stand between a pair of tall apartment towers and a mall. Penn's Landing, the thought went, was to become a brand-new tourist attraction that would generate money hand over fist.

By the time the eighties rolled around, a new plan emerged that would've brought a top-notch amphitheater for concerts and festivals to that very same 13-acre plot. When nothing happened—again—critics started claiming the site was cursed.

But just a quick look across the river toward Camden makes it look like diddly-squat. While everything seems destined to start and stall on the Pennsylvania side, the Jersey side has seen a $60 million aquarium open in recent years, along with the Tweeter Center, the Camden Riversharks baseball stadium and the Battleship New Jersey Museum.

If that's not enough to speak to the potential of riverside development, a new IMAX theater is slated for the near future. So too are a $30 million aquarium expansion and a $60 million renovation project that will see the old Nipper Building become classy loft housing—with sweet views of the Philly skyline.

Attracting about 2 million people a year, the Camden waterfront has been viewed as a way to

Bart Blatstein, who's working to push Northern Liberties in the way of an artist community, has publicized his proposal to turn Penn's Landing into a European-themed marketplace based on the Spanish Steps in Rome. With restaurants, shops, apartments and offices, his plan covers just about everything people want to see on the site.

Then Daniel Keating, who brought the Hyatt to Penn's Landing, has proposed a plan that would see a mammoth ferris wheel with spacious glassenclosed compartments as the centerpiece of a site that would also house restaurants, an indoor water park and a concert pavilion smaller than the one across the river. Old-school streetcars would haul visitors from Old City and Independence Hall across 95, which has always seemed to keep people away. Also in the running are the developers who concocted the Fremont Street Experience that turned a fading part of Las Vegas into an attraction worth visiting.

City officials are expected to whittle the list of possible plans down at some point this month. The town meeting-style City Council sessions have continued to bring input from the public, and things seem to be inching forward. After 20 years of waiting and seeing, it may finally be do-or-die time for Penn's Landing.

We'll know soon enough.

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That didn't stop former Mayor Ed Rendell from believing the nineties was the time for Penn's Landing to shine. In 1997 he brought Indianapolis developer Mel Simon on board, and again the ideas were grandiose. The $300 million plan had an 18screen theater and a Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant built in part of a massive entertainment complex to be known as Comcast Pier.

N

ow that you're up to speed on the past, let's talk about the present, because it's here-wego-again time. Even driving by at 50 miles an hour, it's easy to see that little has changed in the three decades since the landfill project. Sure, there's the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia hotel. And Dave and Buster's. And the new Irish Memorial National Monument. And a new high-class riverfront condo building in the works.

Independence Harbor is what they'd call it, and for months now they've been seeking input from developers—and the public—to figure out just how they could do it. With several public hearings already held, city officials are now mulling proposals from nine developers who hope to get the contract to take Penn's Landing and make it theirs.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

But alas, the dream died within a matter of months when developers realized they just couldn't make that location work; the little matter of I-95 cutting the spot off from the rest of the city seemed insurmountable.

Catch the trend yet? Yup, those plans evaporated late last year as well, leaving many wondering whether anything will ever happen to make Penn's Landing the attraction city officials always hoped it would become.

With an aerial tram expected to span the river, connecting Philly to Camden, some hope that beefing up attractions on Penn's Landing and marketing it along with Camden, Old City and Independence Mall is the answer.

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

keith major

sister act

soul-singing duo aaries take center stage with the upcoming release of their debut album, always remember

by holly mack-ward

E

ven though they're twins it's not too hard to tell them apart. Ayana and Ayinke Hipps—better known as the singing duo AAries—are a lot different from one another. Ayana (four minutes older) is more reserved; she enters situations with a serious approach and thinks everything out, speaking in carefully crafted sentences. Ayinke is the outgoing one—she talks louder, makes lots of jokes and uses gestures, facial expressions and different voices to get her point across.

Growing up in Arlington, Va. (just outside of D.C.), the Hipps twins spent a good part of their childhood surrounded by music. Their father had been a musician; at home, they listened to his record collection, which "went from Stevie Wonder to Lionel Richie to the Doobie Brothers and then Jimi Hendrix. My father was diverse into music," says Ayinke.

Ayana adds, "My mom never really listened to the radio or records, but she cultivated the music thing by giving us the chance to sing in the church choir and keeping us in there even when we didn't want to be."

Being twins and all, they also have a whole lot in common. Of course, their stunning beauty is the most obvious similarity: perfectly Unseparated from birth: Twins Ayana and Ayinke clear, glowing brown stay together through the sounds of music. skin; chiseled cheek bones; and big, genuine smiles. They have a funky bohemian style that's not at all forced. They're both very warm, and they laugh constantly. They each have the assertiveness of an older sibling in charge and the confidence of a girl who knows her big sister's got her back. They have the wisdom of a 50-yearold woman (that's how many total years they've lived) and the innocence of a preteen girl (they've had to split each of those years equally). They both have the selfassurance of a singer who came up in the Baptist church and the guts of a kid whose parents always told her she could do anyTheir mother is also the one who signed thing she wanted. And they both have the them up for classical voice lessons, which they giddy, relaxed vibe of someone who's worked both hated. Of course, they see the value of her ass off to become a star and sees that it's that training now, and they almost wish she'd about to happen. been more persistent about making them learn to play the piano she bought for them. "If she Aries—whose debut album, Always had made me do that," jokes Ayinke, "I'd probRemember (Mama's Boys/Atlantic), ably be Alicia Keys." drops this month—got their big break

A

they were in college, they'd often go to Philly to visit their older brother Jerome (who simply goes by Hipps). He and Mike McArthur had started a company called Mama's Boys, which managed an up-and-coming singer known as Musiq Soulchild. One of Hipps' associates, John Barber, invited AAries to sing at Blue Funk, the huge talent showcase/open mic that's played host to performers like Kindred and Faith Evans.

"I was like, 'Sing in a club? Are you crazy?'"

Ayinke remembers.

"That was a whole different world for us," says Ayana. "My mom was like, 'School and church, school and church.' So the only place I'd sung was at the altar and in plays."

"And at church, nobody boos you," Ayinke says. "You could be the worst singer, but somebody's going to give you some love."

Naturally, that first performance—where they sang Stevie Wonder's "All Is Fair in Love"—went just fine, and Ayana says, "It got better every time we got onstage. We just had to get used to that type of environment."

And used to it they got. They soon met Andre Harris, who was working as a producer at A Touch of Jazz at the time, and he took them to the studio. (Ayinke: "I tell Dre, 'For that I will shout you out for the rest of my life.'") It was there that they met Carvin Haggins, one third of CarMuI (pronounced "karma"), the songwriting/production team consisting of Haggins, Musiq and Ivan Barias.

You could say the rest is history—AAries worked on Musiq's album and went on tour with him; Ayana became the "Girl Next Door"; they performed at gigs like Black Lily, the Philly All-

Just as Musiq is constantly drawing comparisons to Stevie Wonder, his former backup singers bring to mind some of the women who sang with the musical legend.

By the time they left Arlington for college, they'd been singing long enough to know they wanted—and were good enough—to do it professionally. At Lehigh University (in nearby Bethlehem, Pa.), Ayana studied international business and Ayinke majored in sociology, but all the while they stayed artistic, doing plays and musicals and singing in the church choir.

At times it was difficult to juggle it all, and "it took a lot of missing homecomings at school," says Ayinke. "I mean, who cares now? But back then, that was your world."

"It took a lot of sacrifice," Ayana says. "I'm just glad we stuck to it."

Having family in the biz didn't hurt. While

Star Concert and on their own Courvoisier-7 City Tour—but that would imply some sort of closure. Really, though, things have only just begun to jump off for AAries.

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hich brings us to the album. Always Remember, whose title refers to drawing from past experiences and basically "remembering what got us here," is a collection of straight-up soul songs all with the same timeless quality. Smooth, string-heavy, live-instrument-driven grooves back up the kind of buttery harmonies that can only come from siblings. The first single, "Friends to Lovers," follows CarMuI's successful formula used

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doing vocals for Musiq Soulchild on his multiplatinum breakthrough album Aijuswanaseing (Def Soul). And just as Musiq is constantly drawing comparisons to Stevie Wonder, his former backup singers bring to mind some of the women who sang with the musical legend. Like Deniece Williams, their delivery is sweet and straightforward. Like Minnie Riperton (whose "Baby This Love" AAries covers on the album), their classical training has taught them to use their voices as instruments. Like Syreeta— who played a key role in the development of Wonder's artistry—they've proven themselves as songwriters as well as vocalists. And like all three, their voices were too strong to merely coo harmonies from the side of the stage.

for Musiq hits like "Girl Next Door" and "Halfcrazy": a plot-driven story line told through a simple, catchy melody sung over a midtempo rhythm—sweet, raw and sultry all at the same time.

Not counting the Minnie Riperton cover, AAries wrote or co-wrote with CarMuI every song on the album except one. "Most of the time I have to have my fingers in my songs," says Ayinke. "But when I heard this one I was like, 'It's okay if I didn't write this song—I need this song in my life.'" That ballad, "Truly Yours," was penned by Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry and produced by dynamic duo Andre Harris and Vidal Davis (the same team behind Michael Jackson's "Butterflies").

The title track was one of several produced

by Chicago's Xtreme, who's worked with Jay-Z, DMX and Jaheim. The CarMuI-produced "Eventhough" has hip-hop leanings, melding the "Vivrant Thing" beat with the "Streets Is Watchin'" melody, to surprisingly good results.

And "Where I'm From," an ode to AAries' past, features D.C.'s Rare Essence adding some go-go to the mix.

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

As far as production goes, "we had input on every single song," says Ayana. "We worked with Musiq on his first album and assisted with his second one, and that's when we started recording our album, so it was just second nature." The relaxed, supportive vibe at Home Cookin' Studios (the Delaware Ave. space that serves as Mama's Boys and CarMuI headquarters) made it easy for everyone to work together. "We're like a family," says Ayinke.

"We feel comfortable in the space."

"Carvin's like an older brother to us," agrees Ayana. "The friendship we developed jelled into a good writing relationship."

T

hat supportiveness no doubt stems from the sisters' songwriting method, which they both refer to as a "natural process."

Ayana says, "Sometimes she'll come up with a concept, and from that I have an idea of how I want it to go and she has a [different] idea, but somehow our ideas will mesh.

Like one song, 'Untrue': We were in different cities when we wrote it, but somehow it came together—it just meshed."

“one thing we try to give off in our music is the relationship we have with each other.”

"Or,” Ayinke breaks in, “I could be driving and it comes to me and I'm like, 'Yo, that's a good song.' So I'll go home and start playing with the thought, then Yana comes home and I'll feed it to her. Sometimes she likes it; sometimes she doesn't. If she doesn't like it, I'll be like, 'Fine, I'll just do it by myself,'" she

laughs. "We both do that. Sometimes I'll love her ideas; sometimes I won't. But keep rolling with your idea, don't let me stop you."

"That's one thing we try to give off in our music too, the relationship we have with each other," says Ayana. "You can definitely see that when we perform as well. And like how she's a little bit more hype in life, onstage she takes the calm role. And then I'm the hypeman."

"It's so crazy," agrees Ayinke, "we switch roles onstage."

"It's been like that since the beginning.

Yinke was the mouthy one—people would be like, 'Don't mess with Ayinke 'cause she's crazy.' And I'm just chillin'. Then we'd get in church, and she'd be all smooth with it, and here I am with this boisterous voice. I think it was because in life, I was quiet and didn't really have a voice, so it was like, 'When I perform I'm gonna have a voice.'"

"It's like I'm an egg," says Ayinke. "I'm perceived to be very hard, but really inside I'm soft as an egg. So when I'm on the spot and people are looking at me, I feel like my soul is really naked. That's how it is onstage."

There's that crazy twin trait again—what makes Ayana and Ayinke different is also what makes them similar. The important thing is that they know it, and they know that their unique relationship—the familiarity, the trust, the built-in support system—will only help their career. And above all, they know that whatever happens, they're in it together.

so so fly

queen for a day

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hen clothing designer Alia Abd'Allah was 12, her mother gave her a sewing machine. She tried to use it, couldn't figure it out, got frustrated, put it on a shelf and left it there for six years. In the meantime, she got a job as a salesclerk at Contemporary Couture, local designer Lamar Johnson's shop at 247 Market St. The 16-year-old Abd’Allah would watch her co-workers making clothing and, like she says, "If you're around something long enough you're going to pick it up." So she began to hand-sew stuff here and there; she'd put together a shirt, "something real rinky-dink" to wear to parties, and would always get compliments. The more she made, the better she got; she learned to use her sewing machine, started making her own designs and came up with the name Jezzabelle.

Inspired by the biblical adulteress, the women's clothing line plays on temptation and sexiness. If Abd’Allah made it, it's probably going to show some skin or fit tight—in a tasteful way, of course—but these are clothes for going out. She works a lot with leather and likes to get creative, whether working with paints on fabric or even gluing seashells on a bathing suit. Her artistic background is the foundation when it comes to her ideas. But most of her inspiration comes from simply going to the store and picking out fabric. "And sometimes," she says, "I can't sleep at night because I brainstorm. All these ideas come to my head, then I want to go to sleep but I can't."

At this point, 21-year-old Abd’Allah is not actively selling any of the Jezzabelle items; they're mostly sample pieces. In fact, most of the line, which mainly consists of tops and dresses, was made two years ago. Because she's not trendy, though, they haven't gone out of style. And she's not in a rush—“Since this is my hobby," she says, "I want to keep it simple." Which may someday mean opening her own boutique rather than sell her designs to other stores. If she does decide to pursue fashion design as a career, she wants it to be "big enough to make money but not have too many pieces—nothing mass-produced."

For now, Abd’Allah still works one day a week at Contemporary Couture, only these days she's in the back of the store, sketching out women's clothing and working on original designs like a two-piece prom dress she made for her sister's friend. And while she certainly could be headed toward success, she's not planning to stay in fashion for the rest of her life—when she's older she wants to teach art to young kids. "But this is what I enjoy for the moment," she says. "So this is what I'm going to do right now."

—Holly Mack-Ward

artist’s way

the suitest thing

O

ne rude awakening artist Andrea Chung had moving from the East to West Coast is the surprising conservatism in the art world. A recent implant to Southern Cali from Brooklyn, Chung found her first home to hang her work—a black-owned hair salon— and within days was asked to remove a piece. "The owners loved it at first, but then called me two days later and said I had to take it off the wall because a breast was showing." (Imagine anyone in Philly asking to see a little less boob.) Despite the somewhat anal response she's received so far, she still has high hopes for her watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings.

As for her immediate future, "I'm trying to put a show together out here—we'll see," she says.

The 24-year-old is a Houston native but spent the last seven years as an artist in New York. A former Parsons School of Design student, she also studied at the Lorenzo Medici Institute of Art in Florence for a summer. This, she says, led her into "developing a strong conceptual sense of composition," a skill she has since mastered. Her work floats around from portraits of folks she admires, like Brick City MC Flo Brown and Tracy of Jazzyfatnastees, to intense and sensitive personal moments. Giggling, she says, "Everything is pretty narcissistic."

Not all Chung’s work focuses on other faces—she's got some pretty insightful pieces about personal experiences as well. Like Hope, for instance: Yes, that's Black Thought's face across from hers, but the piece isn't about him at all; he simply agreed to let her use his image. Without the slightest hesitation, she explains its meaning. "It's about abortion. It's amazing how many girls have been through this, yet it's something we're not supposed to talk about." The piece is a haunting battle of urgent emotions, incorporating phrases like "unexpected," "I use to love her" and "I wanted our child." Unwavering, Chung looks at that part of her past as "a learning experience. It happened and I'm not ashamed of it."

Between her strong feminine stance and her peaceful demeanor, the world could definitely use a few more Andrea Chungs. The newest project she's taken on is creating propaganda posters for antiwar organization The Committee to Help Unsell the War (www.whodies.com). In this Web-savvy world we live in, the fact that she's on the other side of the country shouldn't stop art lovers from keeping an eye on what she's doing—or purchasing her work, for that matter. Originals run anywhere from $500 to $1,000; 20-by-24-inch prints are around $150. Get to know Andrea Chung and her work at www.suite17d.com.

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—Eve Simonsen

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

Back in 1999, she inadvertently found Okayplayer.com and met the Roots' Black Thought during an internship at Sony. Drawn in by the OKP community, she found herself attending nearly every Black Lily in NYC because she was so inspired by the performers. She was soon being asked to sit onstage during the shows to draw. The paintings of Black Lily performers, the Roots and Common were well-received by their subjects, and her name quickly became known among artists and musicians. Most recently, she had the opportunity to hand-deliver a portrait she'd done of Erykah Badu, who was ever so grateful. "I was so nervous," says Chung, "but she loved it."

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org photos by stacey wilson

look

collage spread

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

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Pos and Trugoy of De La Soul, the Bahamadia joint—but by the end of the 22 tracks, a hip-hop purist may find them too few and far between.

(Holly Mack-Ward)

jay-j and miguel migs

listen king britt adventures in lo-fi bbe/rapster As good as the series has been so far, the Beat Generation albums haven't necessarily taken full advantage of the artistic freedom the project allows. Given the fact that some of the best producers in the business are given free reign to make any album they want, the results have mostly fallen on the safe side. The same can't be said for King Britt's Adventures in LoFi; while it's not a perfect album, he's clearly pushing the boundaries, testing his own limits and entering new territory. What Britt describes as an allhip-hop album (debatable) starts off very promising—a gorgeously groovy intro is followed by Rich Medina's "Planetary Analysis," which proves spoken word still has something to say. Bahamadia is better than ever on "Transcend," and the fun "Spaces" features Quasimoto sounding like a tripped-out, heliumsucking Eminem. From there follows a mix of traditional hip-hop ("Rise and Vibe" featuring Dice Raw), experimental cosmic grooves ("Che Sara Sara" featuring Miss Saigon) and thoroughly Britt-ish dance tracks ("Love's Time" featuring Lady Alma). Much like on his last album, Re-Members Only (Ovum), the high points here come in the form of straight-up hip-hop—"Caught Out (There)" featuring Capitol A, the Great Skate remix of "Cobbs Creek" featuring

in the house: west coast sessions defected uk In a world where “house” music has taken so many turns that to hear the real deal one must search high and low, it’s refreshing to pop in a disc that looks promising, and then find that it’s just what you’re looking for. Such is the case with West Coast Sessions. A close relative, conceptually, of BBE’s Beat Generation series, the Defected label has released its first album of the In the House series. And who better to feature on the debut than homies Jay-J and Miguel Migs? The two-disc, 22-track album is nothing short of danceable, laced with soft soul and strong vocals. Due to a sound that’s a little more East Coast-friendly, Jay’s crack at Sessions is a touch more pungent than his partner’s. (After all, it was Jay and Chris Lum’s remix of Jill Scott’s “He Loves Me” that was just nominated for a Grammy.) Your ears will thank you from the beginning, starting with Louie Vega and Jay Sealee’s “Diamond Life,” not to mention “Gonna Get By” by the Groove Junkies featuring Indeya. But the song that makes Jay-J worthy of being a presidential candidate is the sweet and groovy rendition of Manijama’s “No No No.” While it’s difficult to match that one, don’t get it twisted— Migs’ disc is well worth the listen too. He chose wisely with “Changes,” Sandy Rivera’s sexy joint featuring Haze. Another smooth move is his selfproduced “Dubplate Sessions,” an upbeat mix of electronic sounds and Rastafari voiceovers. The two artists balance each other out well and make the sundry West Coast Sessions an enjoyable trip.

(Eve Simonsen)

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

mixtape

by the legendary

dj cash money

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ms. Dynamite, “Dy-na-mi-tee” (Universal) 50 Cent, “In Da Club” (Interscope) Freeway, “Alright” (Def Jam) Lil’ Kim, “The Jump Off” (Atlantic) Clipse, "Ma, I Don't Love Her" (Arista)

6. Gangstarr, “Skills” (Virgin) 7. Nas, “Made You Look” remix (Sony) 8. Sean Paul, “Get Busy” (Atlantic) 9. Elephant Man, “Look” (Greensleeves) 10. TKO, “Kingdom Come” (Perris)

50 cent get rich or die tryin’ shady/aftermath/interscope 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ has been out for a minute now, but he’s still top o’ the charts—the first thing you hear on the radio in the morning and the last thing at night. Bare-chested with a rippled torso of Tupac-ian proportions, 50 stands behind the bullet-shattered glass of his album cover, poised to take listeners deep within the growling belly of gangsta rap. Strutting nobly over sinister beats fit to bump from the hoopty to the Escalade to the Bentley, the South Jamaica Queens MC proves his hype worthy. Over flighty keys, “Many Men (Wish Death)” opens to the tune of gunshots as 50 reminisces on how he almost bit the dust: “At night I talk to God/ But he don’t say nothing back/ I know he protected me but I still stay with my gat/ In my nightmares niggas keep pulling teks on me.” Nine shots later, 50 stays true to his original “How to Rob” form, stomping on Ja Rule/Murder Inc. with the super-diss “Back Down,” while taking aim at the crown on “High All the Time”: “There’s no competition, it’s just me/ 50 Cent, muthafucka, I’m hot on these streets/ If David could go against Goliath with a stone/ I can go at Nas and Jigga, both for the throne.” As 50 spins countless tales of bullet-proof vests and hollow tips with his trademark NY-meets-Dirty South drawl, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is the first fruitful solo product of the Em/Dre powerhouse. After proclaiming himself the underground king over much gun click-clacking, 50’s ultra-hyped debut is as fresh and as gangsta as it wants to be. (Aine Ardron-Doley)

ibrahim ferrer buenos hermanos nonesuch Latin music has always been praised for its richness, purity and brilliant instrumentation.

But with the recent craze of fluff-saturated pop-Latin tunes, there hasn’t been a breath of fresh air since the Buena Vista Social Club graced our ears in ’97. From that project emerged the next Latin phenomenon— not a young heartthrob gyrating his bum, but 70year-old Cuban sensation Ibrahim Ferrer. Sporting his trademark Kangol hat, he wowed the masses with his astounding performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards, displaying an undying youth and charismatic vocals as he performed songs from Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer (Nonesuch). Now, the highly anticipated follow-up, Buenos Hermanos, showcases an even more powerful voice. With the help of a stellar band and the return of acclaimed producer Ry Cooder, Hermanos presents a more eloquent, energetic and emotionally powerful side of Ferrer. In songs like the title track and “La Musica Cubana,” a more assured Ferrer hits notes like someone much younger. “Oye el Consejo” and “Hay que Entrarle a Palos a Ese” show his playful side, while songs like the mellow “Naufragio” and the sorrowful “Fuiste Cruel” bring tears to your eyes. Other highlights include the lively “Guaguanco Callejero,” the soft jazz of “Perfume de Gardenias” and the festive opener, “Boquinene.” Whether or not you understand Spanish, the strength, passion and emotion of this album can’t be denied. (Bravette Fleet)

for the record Lots of new releases for March, so let’s get right to it.

Kindred, Surrender to Love (Hidden Beach): They told us it was coming out last month, now it’s “definitely” set for a March release—after literally years of waiting, this is starting to get ridiculous. If you want to start a letterwriting campaign to the label, we’re not gonna stop you. ... Lil’ Kim, La Bella Mafia (Atlantic): Call her what you want, but the girl kills it on the new stuff we’ve heard so far. Working with some of the best producers out there— Timbaland, Scott Storch, Kanye West—should help too. ... Various Artists, The Detroit Experiment (Ropeadope/Atlantic): Superstar DJ Carl Craig and superstar producer Karriem Riggins honchoed this project, which brings together some of Motor City’s best and brightest from jazz to hip-hop to techno. ...

Also on Ropeadope (one of our favorite labels) this month is Charlie Hunter’s Right Now Move, on which he showcases his eight-string guitar skills. ...

Les Nubians, One Step Forward (Higher Octave/ Virgin): Their sophomore release is going to make them known as more than just “those French chicks who sing that Sade song.” ...

Blackstreet, Level II (DreamWorks): No more drama

for Teddy Riley and the boys—the original “No Diggity” lineup is back in action with a new album featuring Mystikal, Erick Sermon and Mobb Deep’s Havoc. ... P’Taah, Staring at the Sun (Ubiquity): Chris Brann’s other project (not Wamdue or Ananda) is a crazy mix of funky house/broken beat/organic percussion, and according to the label, this second album is about 70 percent uptempo and 30 percent chill-out. ... Hootie and the Blowfish, Hootie and the Blowfish (Atlantic): It’s been years since we heard a Hootie joke. But with the release of Darius Rucker and company’s comeback album, the ridicule shouldn’t follow far behind. ... 702, Star (Motown): The trio behind “Where My Girls At?” and one of Missy’s best songs ever, “Beep Me 911,” release their first record in four years. ... Thicke, Cherry Blue Skies (Interscope): As much as blue-eyed soul crooners aspire to be like Jamiroquai, they just never quite get there. Message to Robin Thicke: Remember Remy Shand? Exactly. ... Boozoo Bajou, Juke Joint (Stereo Deluxe): For this mix, downtempo master Boozoo Bajou gathered songs by Groove Armada, John Lee Hooker, Terry Callier and Gregory Isaacs. ... Jody Watley, Midnight Lounge (Shanachie): Oldhead Shalamar fans and Euro clubkids alike are biting their nails in anticipation of the new album from Miss Watley. ... Fabolous, Street Dreams (Elektra): Getting the release date for this album pushed back could be real bad for Fabolous—when’s the last time you heard him on the radio? ... Chico DeBarge, Free (In the Paint/Koch): He must have a complex about never being part of

the group, because Chico is the only DeBarge still trying to make records. ... Supernatural, The Lost Freestyle Files (Babygrande): Hailed as the best freestyle MC in the world by more than one person, Supernatural releases his second longplayer after a decade. ... DJ Spooky, Dubtometry (Thirsty Ear): Yes, we know Spooky is pretentious. But here he’s remixed by Mad Professor, Lee “Scratch” Perry and J-Live, so it’s definitely worth taking a listen. ... Father MC, My (Empire Musicwerks): The poor man’s Big Daddy Kane had hits like “Treat Them Like They Want to Be Treated” and “One Night Stand”—but come on now, that was the early ’90s. ...

And keep your eye out for a couple notable reissues: The Police catalog gets the “digitally remastered” treatment—don’t sleep; joints like Synchronicity and Outlandos D’Amour (A&M) prove there really was a time when Sting was the furthest thing from lame. ...

And finally, for all you DJs out there, the entire Back to Mine series is being released on LP this month.

Disclaimer: Release dates are in effect as of press time.

Since album release dates change constantly, some of the above-listed may not, in fact, come out this month.

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watch picture this

?uestlove gets real with the reel by ahmir thompson

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hile sugarplum dreams have insomniac tykes all tossing and turning over the new Harry Potter offering next year, I’m still catching up on the first one offered in 2001. Same with that Lord of the Rings flick. I don’t do tristate cinemaplexes. (Remember when the Delaware Ave. United Artist theater wasn’t the “ghetto” theater?)

I’ll do the occasional art-house film if I suspect its Criterion Collection edition won’t hit TLA until fall 2005.

Constantly being on the road, the name of the game is passing time. There are hours upon hours upon hours in between our shows when I’m able to get up to speed in the cinema world. Over the last 10 years, there’s little I haven’t viewed—so thank the lawd for TV shows reissued on DVD. Nothing says loving like the entire Malcolm in the Middle ½ ) on a boring nine-hour trek from Atlanta to Ohio. Even a show as ordinary as the first season of Mad About You ( ½ ) can reek of enjoyable as I go through ( my Homeresque journey from Chicago to Denver (22 hours, y’all). Speaking of Homer, no television series is a finer example of what I look forward to in a DVD reissue than ). Having already digested most of these episodes when they were broadcast on TV, I’m more interested in the the first and second seasons of The Simpsons ( method of the madness—much to the chagrin of my shipmates, I’m a sucker for a good commentary. Which makes landmark series like The Jeffersons ( ), Sanford and Son ( ½ ) and Good Times ( ½ ) a little uninteresting because none of them offers as much as even a featurette or documentary on the historical importance of the show. If the cast and crew can bash each other and the writers on The E! True Hollywood Story or a VH1 TV Guide special, then surely someone could’ve gotten Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley to narrate the first season of their mighty show.

But the hands-down winner of the bunch belongs to the realest network out there: HBO. If only they’d offer a complete retrospective of the classic Tracey Takes On.... The ½; third season ), Sex and the City (first and second seaones they did release are the best that TV has to offer. The Sopranos ( first and second seasons ; third ½ ), The Larry Sanders Show ( ), Oz ( first season ; second season ½ ); tour manager Keith Mack’s personal fave, Band of sons Brothers ( ); and the show I can’t believe I slept on during its run, Mr. Show ( ½ )—all offer great commentary and featurettes and all are just great shows.

And there you have it—reviews from the bus on the Phrenology tour. Keep the classics alive (next up: the long-lost Fat Albert retrospective—a show and I’ve yet to take the discs outta the plastic). This is your road dog ?uesto and I’m out!

The ?lassic

Word up! Repeats well worth it

Hmmm, not bad

Lawd, this must be the bottom of the pile

Scrabble, anyone?

in stores now

new to dvd this month

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

3/4

1984: The classic tale of the "future" gets hightech treatment—just because you're paranoid don't mean they're not after you.

Nixon: Anthony Hopkins stars in what is perhaps the most bloated Oliver Stone picture ever.

The Osbournes—The First Season: The other cable series featuring expletive-laced family drama gets its turn at Blockbuster.

3/11

3/18 I-Spy: Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson must’ve had a lot of credit card debt when they signed on to this one.

Bounce: Behind the Velvet Rope: This indie documentary examines nightlife through the eyes of the guys at the door.

The Money Pit: Remember when Tom Hanks was funny?

My Life as a Dog: If you dug The Cider House Rules or Chocolat, check out this one from director Lasse Hallström's preEnglish days.

A Low Down Dirty Shame: Luckily for Keenen Ivory Wayans, this one got lost somewhere between I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Scary Movie.

Swimfan: Just when you think teenybopper movies are getting better (She's All That, Bring It On, O), someone goes and makes a movie like Swimfan.

3/25 8 Mile: And you thought the battle scene in Saving Private Ryan was good.

Reservoir Dogs: Anyone who ever questioned the Tarantino hype obviously never saw this bloody,

gutsy brainteaser.

Personal Velocity: Three Portraits: You've probably never even heard of one of last year's best movies.

Maid in Manhattan: It managed to hold the No. 1 spot at the box office for a couple weeks—even though we still haven't come across anyone who's seen it.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: Before Toy Story, before Pixar, before all this computer animation stuff, there was Roger Rabbit.

Friday After Next: Even the 10 people who found Next Friday funny didn't waste their money on this one.

Jackass: The Movie: Johnny Knoxville and the boys have come so far since the first Jackass episode aired. It almost brings a tear to the eye.

off the hook

W

ell folks, this month is when a big chunk of the Philly DJ/nightlife scene packs its bags and heads south. The Winter Music Conference in Miami has gotten ridiculous—in both a good and bad way— as more and more people partake in the debauchery each year. There’s a ton of Philly parties; here’s a partial list: Tayyib of Axis Music Group is honchoing a couple biggies—Vikter Duplaix’s (somewhat belated) album release party with Vik and “special guests” spinning, and a little something called The Future with Vik again, Jazzy Jeff, Spinna, King Britt, Rich Medina, Charlie Dark, Pete from BBE and a live set by Spacek. Britt, who’s going to be extra-busy promoting his new album (the release party here takes place Fri., March 14, at the Five Spot; see our review on page 16), will also do his thing at parties alongside Marques Wyatt and Mark Farina and at the Salem party with De La Soul; wrapping things up Friday night is the 101 Magazine/Paperstreet party co-hosted by Jack Boogi And speaking of Axis, we can’t divulge the details at the moment, but they just signed a record deal with Sony Music More so every day, seems like Philly’s the place to be. 50 Cent is using our lovely city to shoot a video this month. And in February he was here for a show at Transit Nightclub, which was the same night he was supposed to lay a freestyle down on a track for Bubba Chuck (aka Allen Iverson) but never showed The newest Philadelphia transplants? Les Nubians. Sisters Helene and Celia Faussart will settle in their new digs after a busy month promoting their new album, One Step Forward (Higher Octave/Virgin), on a 10-city concert tour. (By the way, they play their new hometown Mon., March 10, at the TLA.) Back to video shoots and things: Philly-now-L.A. b-girl Lady Jules (of Rennie Harris PureMovement) has been making herself known on the West Coast. Recently she’s been featured spinning on her head and stuff in Nas’ “I Can” video, a national Jolly Rancher commercial and as J.Lo’s body double in her “I’m Glad” video Be on the lookout for Allentown MC Konstant. He was a 2002 Phillyhiphop.com Awards nominee for Independent Album of the Year and Independent Artist of the Year; recently dropped his debut album, The Foundation; has a new one coming out this summer entitled Free Agent on his own label, Moving Target Entertainment; and just signed a soundtrack deal for not one but two films. Whew. Makes us tired just thinking about what one of his days must be like. Check him out at his official site, www.konstantonline.com Has anyone else been wondering what ever happened to Lorne? For starters, he’s the resident DJ Wednesday nights at L’Etage, the newish bar/too-cool-to-call-it-a-lounge above Beau Monde that’s friggin’ beautiful. Also keeping him busy is the EP he’s been working on with Cozmic Cat and Jon Gill, From Philly With Love, an independent release set to hit the streets this month Rumor has it that the Third Street space that’s been consistently tainted since Revival shut its doors (Wichita/Upstage, Life, Static) is about to embark on yet another slightly terrifying venture—it’ll soon become Coyote Ugly. Details are scarce, but it’s reported that a corporate account has come in and made the purchase. At this time, we can’t think of anything positive to come from Ugly (aside from a Tyra Banks guest appearance—if you can call that positive) Spring 2003 (whenever that is) is when Cybelle launches its new site at Cybellegear.com. The urban-girl company sells T-shirts and other fly gear like tote bags and DJ slipmats and supports female DJs, b-girls and chick-type ish in general After hosting the Roots’ afterparty here in Philly (see page 22), it’s a jet set for DJ Mike Nyce and Squarebiz as they join hands with BBE for the Brit version of Tastytreats at London’s Plastic People Are you or someone you know a blabbermouth? Send gossip truth and tips to offthehook@thejawn.org.

jawn of the month Name: Alani Age and sign: 22; Gemini (but it doesn’t mean I’m two-faced) Where are you from? Philly! More specifically, East Mt. Airy What’s your day job? Environmental research assistant Hobbies: Swimming, cooking, rock climbing, doing crossword puzzles Summer or winter: Summer Movie of the moment: The Matrix—it’s all about God and spirituality. And The Majestic. Jim Carrey’s the man.

What you look for in a dude: First and foremost, someone who’s comfortable with me being me. Sense of humor is key. Gotta be conscious and somewhat opinionated.

A recent graduate of Cornell University, Alani says she’s very happy to be back in Philly. She’s currently in a transition period— that is, trying to figure out what it is she wants to do. Going back to school for something in freshwater management is in her near future. She’s an avid environmentalist and loves to voice her opinion—as she says, “If you’re gonna get into a debate with me, be prepared to be in it for a while; I don’t back down from arguments easily.” To reach Alani, send your emails to jawnandbachelor@thejawn.org.

Name: Christian Age and sign: 28; Cancer Where are you from? Camden, N.J. What do you do? Recording engineer Dogs or cats? Dogs (Boxers) Favorite hangout spot: Tastytreats (at Fluid on Saturdays) Song of the moment: “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones What do you look for in a jawn? A sense of style, a little bit of attitude and a lot of humor. Someone who is grounded and leveled, with a dash of spice. I’m Latin–it’s a must.

Aside from his career, Christian loves anything that involves music and is a bass player who frequents jazz clubs. A former Marine, he’s traveled extensively throughout Europe, and says he would like to visit there again. As far as dislikes go, rude and ignorant people are high up on his list, but his one true hate in life is music videos that overuse the words “Cristal” and “bling bling.” You can contact Christian at templelife@yahoo.com.

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If you’d like to be featured as a Jawn or Bachelor, please send a photo and contact info to jawnandbachelor@thejawn.org.

“T

he road” is a glossary term artists use to refer to traveling. It fuels many of our incomes, but like any other job, it can indeed suck, and you can suck at “the road” too.

My man Walking Bear, who has road managed me on hundreds of trips, can attest to the fact that sometimes the road does suck, especially after our Germany tour in 1999. For a month, we dragged around a body bag stuffed with clothing, as well as three large flight cases full of records.

After three weeks in Germany, we were booked at Apricot Jam in London. We funded our own ground transport, so we took a sleeper bus from Berlin to Calais, France, where we’d then take a ferry to the U.K. 23 hours and 57 cultures worth of breath, farts and body odor later, we arrived in Calais.

Immediately upon our arrival at customs, two French policemen with the biggest guns I’ve ever seen boarded the bus and patrolled the aisle. Then they made the driver empty the cargo bay. When they got to my bags, they had the bus driver get me so they could do a search.

I opened them, they looked, they saw my records, I closed the cases, we got back on the bus. When we got to the passport counter, I immediately got pulled out of line by the two officers. Then I met the biggest bitch in customs history.

“Who are you and what is your business in the U.K.?”

“I am a touring artist, and I’m visiting a friend in London for a few days.”

I showed her my passport and German work visa, thinking I would be in the clear.

“Do you have working papers for your work in London?”

“No, ’cause I’m not working while I’m in London.”

Even the French police officers knew I was full of shit.

She looked at me like I had a dick on my head then went into an office for about an hour. Walking Bear and I were shitting our sweatpants. If we didn’t have all those records, could we have slid through? The wackest fact of the day was that the answer was yes.

She came back, called my U.K. connect right in front of my face and said, “Due to the inability to provide a proper work visa for entry to the U.K., your friend Mr. Medina will not be visiting you in England.”

They turned us over to the Calais police department, and when an officer who spoke English finally arrived, we were told we had to go to Paris in order to get back to Germany. Paris was a three-hour ride, and we had to make our own way to the terminal to make the last train.

We hopped on the first bus we saw, hoping to find someone who understood English to guide us to the proper train. Unfortunately, the only thing worse than the trip itself was our complete lack of understanding of French language and culture—so no dice on the communications.

Luckily, we saw the terminal and screamed for the bus driver to stop. We scrambled into the station to find that our train was leaving in three minutes. No tickets, 50 francs and an air cast on my ankle. Somehow we jumped down an entire flight of stairs and wiggled into the train just as the doors closed. Finally, on our way to somewhere we were allowed to go. 40 hours, no gig, no sleep, no showers, no more loot and eight more hours till Berlin.

We paid for our tickets on the train and slept the entire ride back to Paris.

Moral of the story? Bring only what you need and have your paperwork together or your dream trip just may end up a nightmare. And it would be your own fault.

Yeah, sometimes the road can really suck.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

eligible bachelor

outer bounds

by rich medina

restaurant listings

eat hungry yet?

ADEN 614 N. 2nd St. 215.627.9844 This cozy Mediterranean spot specializes in Middle Eastern favorites and fresh whole fish.

BUDDAKAN 325 Chestnut St. 215.574.9440 www.buddakan.com Dinner is family-style with a pan-Asian flair in a dramatic, bustling setting.

ALMA DE CUBA 1623 Walnut St. 215.988.1799 www.almadecubarestaurant.com A sleek dining room is the home for Douglas Rodriguez-designed Latin dishes and frothy Cuban cocktails.

THE CAPITAL GRILLE Broad and Chestnut sts. 215.545.9588 www.thecapitalgrille.com A well-appointed steakhouse featuring fine cuts and an impressive wine list.

AVENUE B Broad and Spruce sts. 215.790.0705 Italian cuisine is given contemporary flourishes in a luxurious complex next to the Kimmel Center.

THE BLUE ANGEL 706 Chestnut St. 215.925.6889 www.blueangelbistro.com This modern bistro serves simple, wellcrafted French cuisine.

BLUE IN GREEN 719 Sansom St. 215.923.6883 7 N. 3rd St. 215.928.5880 Fresh ingredients make standard fare like omelettes stand out at this upscale, New York-style diner.

BLUEZETTE 246 Market St. 215.627.3866 www.bluezette.com Soul food is taken to the next level at Delilah Winder's blue-hued eatery.

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BRASIL'S 112 Chestnut St. 215.413.1700 High-quality classics like salmon and mashed potatoes are made even more enjoyable by the classy, romantic vibe.

Loie, Avram Hornick’s (Soma, Lucy’s) new Center City restaurant/lounge, serves up swanky eats designed by chef Jeremy Duclut (formerly of Le BecFin) in a moderately upscale setting. For starters, slurp down the French onion soup, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, try the warm goat cheese and roasted beet salad. As an entree, indulge in the mushroom fettuccini (made with super-fat homemade noodles) or the filet mignon au poivre, which comes with vampire-killing garlic spinach. On the lighter side, you can’t go wrong with the seared Atlantic salmon on a bed of bangin’ mini-me lentils. The nightly DJs and pool table (yay!) in the back might make you want to skip dessert and go straight into party mode. 128 S. 19th St. 215.568.0808. www.loieonline.info.

CHEF ABU'S KITCHEN 500 N. 9th St. 215.235.0935 Authentic African and Caribbean grub is served up diner-style in this Northern Liberties eatery.

CHLOE 232 Arch St. 215.629.2337 This intimate BYO serves exquisitely crafted continental fare.

CIBUCÁN 2025 Sansom St. 215.231.9895 www.cibucan.com An eclectic mix of Latin American cuisine is served tapas-style at this chill Center City spot.

THE CONTINENTAL 2nd and Market sts. 215.923.6069 www.continentalmartinibar.com The martinis are the thing in this upscale tapas restaurant outfitted in neo-fifties fashions.

CUBA LIBRE 10 S. 2nd St. 215.627.0666 www.cubalibrerestaurant.com At this nightlife favorite, the stage is set in mid-century Havana for modern-day Cuban delicacies and cocktails.

DAHLAK 4708 Baltimore Ave. 215.726.6464 West Philly's most popular Ethiopian restaurant doubles as a neighborhood bar.

DENIM 1712 Walnut St. 215.735.6700 www.denimlounge.com An upscale and sexy addition to the Center City area, this lounge/restaurant features six entrees each night, a raw bar and the best churros around.

DJANGO 526 S. 4th St. 215.922.7151 Inventive fare drawing from the best of local ingredients makes this BYO a city treasure.

EL AZTECA II 714 Chestnut St. 215.733.0895 One of the only authentic Mexican restaurants in town, this offshoot of the original El Azteca in the Northeast is convenient, cheap and good.

EL VIEJO SAN JUAN 3rd and Girard sts. 215.922.2376 This bar/restaurant/art gallery serves Puerto Rican goodies like tostones, mofongo and roast pork, as well as a wide range of rums.

ERNESTO'S 1521 CAFE 1521 Spruce St. 215.546.1521 The spare interior of this restored townhouse gives way to the lively flavors of its wellcrafted Italian food.

FEZ 620 S. 2nd St. 215.925.5367 www.fezrestaurant.com At this Moroccan eatery modeled after the inside of a genie's bottle, you can't go wrong with the spicy chicken and olives followed by an apple tobacco-filled hooka and, on weekends, a belly dancer or two.

FILO'S 408 S. 2nd St. 215.238.0151 Taking a step up from typical bar food, this cozy lounge offers everything from french fries to prime rib, served late-night seven days a week.

FORK 306 Market St. 215.625.9425 www.forkrestaurant.com One of Old City's oldest is known for its nouveau continental food and excellent service.

GENJI 1720 Sansom St. 215.564.1720 4002 Spruce St. 215.387.1583 www.genjionline.com The best sushi in town—served at a fair price—is available at two locations.

GOJJO 4540 Baltimore Ave. 215.386.1444 You can play pool upstairs or catch a Sixers game at the bar if you're not there for the full Ethiopian/Eritrean menu.

JAMAICAN JERK HUT 1436 South St. 215.545.8644 This intimate BYO serves Caribbean treats like fresh ginger beer, curry goat and rum cake.

THE LATEST DISH 613 S. 4th St. 215.629.0565 Small plates of creative cuisine are presented to the sounds of nightly DJs. LE CASTAGNE 1920 Chestnut St. 215.751.9913 www.lecastagne.com Beautifully presented cross-regional Italian food is delivered by a warmly elegant waitstaff.

MS. TOOTSIE'S 1314 South St. 215.731.9045 Authentic soul food, including fried chicken, succotash and sweet tea, is served in a charming atmosphere.

SAMOSA 1214 Walnut St. 215.545.7776 It's buffet only at this vegetarian Indian spot—always fresh, always cheap, always good.

MIXTO 1141-43 Pine St. 215.592.0363 Tierra Colombiana’s Center City spin-off serves up South American fusion breakfast, lunch and dinner.

N. 3RD 801 N. 3rd St. 215.413.3666 Exposed brick walls and the most comforting of comfort food make this No Libs restaurant/neighborhood bar feel like a second home.

SAVANNAH 1836 Callowhill St. 215.557.9533 Soul food that's dressed up and ready for a night on the town. If you're still into Cosmos, we hear they've got good ones.

MONK'S CAFE 264 S. 16th St. 215.545.7005 www.monkscafe.com This often-crowded Belgian eatery has an unprecedented array of beers, sandwiches and mussels.

MORE THAN JUST ICE CREAM 1119 Locust St. 215.574.0586 Big is in with the famous 6-inch-tall apple pie (topped with a giant scoop of vanilla) and before-dessert stuff like monster-sized turkey burgers.

MORIMOTO 723 Chestnut St. 215.413.9070 www.morimotorestaurant.com The Iron Chef whips up oyster foie gras and green tea noodles, but a sushi bar is available for the less adventurous.

MORNING GLORY DINER 735 S. 10th St. 215.413.3999 Bring something to read while you stand in the endless line—it's a small price to pay for the best breakfast in town.

¡PASION! 211 S. 15th St. 215.875.9895 www.pasionrestaurant.com This award-winning upscale spot is known for its for ceviche, Chilean wine and empanadas.

SILK CITY DINER 5th and Spring Garden sts. 215.592.8838 The old-fashioned diner next to the club of the same name serves 24-hour breakfast (weekends only) and a famous chocolate bread pudding.

PENANG 117 N. 10th St. 215.413.2531 The open kitchen turns out Malaysian specialties like chicken with mangos and spicy calamari in record numbers.

SOUTH STREET SOUVLAKI 507-509 South St. 215.925.3026 Greek goodies like spanikopita, hummus and rice pudding are available sit-down or takeout.

POD 3636 Sansom St. 215.387.1803 www.podrestaurant.com Step into the future for Japanese cuisine and neon-colored drinks served on a space-age conveyor belt.

STANDARD TAP 901 N. 2nd St. 215.238.0630 www.standardtap.com The "bar food" at this homey spot rises above its reputation with organic salads, changing entrees and outstanding burgers.

SAINT JACK'S 45 S. 3rd St. 215.238.9353 Serving up Asian and American favorites, Saint Jack's is one of the few places left in Old City where you could wear your pajamas and nobody would care.

SUSANNA FOO 1512 Walnut St. 215.545.2666 www.susannafoo.com Foo's famed restaurant serves elegant, French-inspired Chinese food.

dessert divas mass a-peel So esthetically pleasing you want to just move in and call it home, Lemongrass kind of feels like one of those spas with aromatic lemongrass-tainted air, only for your taste buds. It’s also one of those places you walk into and wonder where you are, because it just doesn’t feel like Philly. Could be due to the overwhelming Penn faculty-type crowd, but it’s just so cute, and the food is just so good, you’re only aware of the scholarly vibe for about point two seconds. With deep rosecolored walls, authentic beaded works of art and a Thai-only waitstaff, this West banana rama Philly restaurant has rich and soothing desserts that will satisfy any palette. As far as those go, it’s very banana-friendly, but non-eaters of the yellow fruit have a few options to choose from as well. Assuming you are on the banana’s side, try it fried—a dish we now refer to as the chimp’s wet dream.

Chunks of softened banana are dipped in a light rice flour and coconut batter, deep-fried and served with a finger-lickin’ good vanilla custard sauce. But if you’ve got plenty of room in your belly, go for one of the bigger treats. Final Fantasy is a layered chocolate mousse cake, with intermittent linings of various chocolates, from milk to dark. Banana Rama is the Lemongrass version of the original split, with tropical ice creams—coconut, ginger and mango—nestling between a strawberry sauce and chocolate one, topped with the usual (whipped cream and slivered almonds) and decorated with a strawberries-andcream pirouette cookie. Even though it’s wonderfully delicious and fun as a whole, that damn cookie steals the Rama show. The last thing we divulged in was the strangestsounding, but turned out to be the most bangin’ yet—the mango with sticky rice. Sounds a little funny, right? Here’s the whole picture: half of the ripest mango imaginable conveniently sliced into bite-size pieces lying atop a bed of sticky rice, drowned in sweet coconut milk and sprinkled with sesame seeds, of all things. It’s the most interesting, most simple, and one of Thailand’s most traditional desserts. We’re definitely adding it to our list of all-time things that make us go “yum.” Lemongrass, 3626-30 Lancaster Ave. 215.222.8042. Lunch is served Monday thru Friday from 11:30am-2pm; dinner is Sunday thru Thursday from 5-9pm; Fridays and Saturdays until 10pm.

TASTE O' HOME 6045 Baltimore Ave. 215.472.8553 Tucked in the far west corner of the city, this old trolley stop is now an inexpensive home to all the tastes of Jamaica.

TAVERN ON GREEN 2047 Green St. 215.235.6767 This cute Fairmount cafe comes complete with outdoor seating for days when the sun is shining.

TEQUILA'S 1602 Locust St. 215.546.0181 www.tequilasphilly.com The beautiful, always-crowded Tequila's serves a mole matched only by its margaritas.

VIETNAM 221 N. 11th St. 215.592.1163 www.eatatvietnam.com Inexpensive Vietnamese delights like Pho and beef in sate sauce arrive almost before you order them.

WARMDADDY'S 4 S. Front St. 215.627.2500 www.warmdaddys.com Crispy-fried Southern food is served alongside a series of live blues performances.

WHITE DOG CAFE 3420 Sansom St. 215.386.9224 www.whitedog.com This Nouveau-American has both a creative menu and a commitment to progressive politics and activism.

ZANZIBAR BLUE Broad and Walnut sts. (inside the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue Hotel). 215.732.4500 www.zanzibarblue.com An upscale Southern and Caribbean menu is complemented by nightly live jazz.

ZÓCALO 3600 Lancaster Ave. 215.895.0139 www.ucnet.com/zocalo Stylish contemporary Mexican food is served up in a pleasant atmosphere in University City.

ZORBA'S 2230 Fairmount Ave. 215.978.5990 www.zorbastavern.com The most authentic Greek food in Philly, presented taverna-style with daily seafood specials.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

JONES 700 Chestnut St. 215.223.5663 www.jones-restaurant.com Comfort food like meatloaf and mac and cheese makes the rounds at this retro-styled emporium of kitsch.

MEXICAN POST 104 Chestnut St. 215.923.5233 Packed to the gills on the weekends, this casual spot is visited for its margaritas as much as its enchiladas.

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march events venues aqualounge 323 w. girard ave. 215.769.5114 beyond 8th and callowhill sts. 215.925.1900 www.welcometobeyond.com brasil's 112 chestnut st. 215.413.1700 club flow 700 n. delaware ave. 215.923.0504 denim 1712 walnut st. 215.735.6700 www.denimlounge.com eighth floor 800 n. delaware ave. 215.922.1000 www.eighthfloor.com electric factory 421 n. 7th st. 215.336.2000 www.cc.com filo's 408 s. 2nd st. 215.238.0151 first unitarian church 22nd and chestnut sts. www.r5productions.com five spot 5 s. bank st. 215.574.0070 www.thefivespot.com fluid 613 s. 4th st. 215.629.0565 www.fluidnightclub.com lafayette college william center for the arts, hamilton and high sts. 610.330.5000 www.lafayette.edu la tazza 108 chestnut st. 215.922.7322 liquid blue 622 s. 6th st. 215.351.9001 loie 128 s. 19th st. 215.568.0808 m lounge 126 chestnut st. 215.923.8266 malokai's 218 south st. 215.829.8940 north by northwest 7165 germantown ave.

215.248.1000. www.nxnwphl.com the north star 27th and poplar sts. 215.922.6888 www.northstarbar.com painted bride arts center 230 vine st.

215.925.9914. www.paintedbride.org 700 club 700 n. 2nd st. 215.413.3181 silk city 5th and spring garden sts. 215.592.8838 saint jack's 45 s. 3rd st. 215.238.9353 savannah 1836 callowhill st. 215.557.9533

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soma 33 s. 3rd st. 215.873.0222 the tla 334 south st. 215.336.2000. www.cc.com tower theatre 69th and ludlow sts. 215.336.2000. www.cc.com

saturday

sunday

1

Tastytreats at Fluid 10pm-2am. $7 before midnight; $10 after ?uestlove and Mike Nyce spin hip-hop, classics and the occasional slow jam while the jawns whet your appetite with Tastykakes and $2 drink specials www.squarebiz.org

The Great White Hype at Filo’s 10pm-2am. $5 DJ Train spinnin’ house upstairs; basement-style hip-hop downstairs with Adam Bomb and $2 drafts www.squarebiz.org Bodyrock at Aqualounge 10pm-2am. $6 The Ill Vibe Collective with special guest DJ D.P. Common, Gangstarr, Talib Kweli and Floetry at the Electric Factory 8pm. $29.50 in advance; $33 at the door www.goodiegoodie.com

2

Soul Travelin’ at Loie 10pm-2am. Free Joey Blanco and Brendan do their thang www.soultravelers.net Sundays at Denim 10pm-2am. Free DJ Mike Nyce spins funk, soul and classics in a sexy upscale lounge setting www.denimlounge.com Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie 11am-3pm. Free DJ Jugo spins while you get your grub on

The Remedy at Fluid 10pm-2am. $7 The oldest-running hip-hop party around with Cosmo Baker and guests remedy215@aol.com

3

Higher Education at Liquid Blue 10pm-2am. Free Dstar, Stef Ta Taz and Saint B spin “intelligent” hip-hop, abstract and trip-hop Big Daddy Kane, Killah Priest and Tangled Thoughts at the TLA 9pm. $10 in advance; $15 at the door House for the Divas at Loie 10pm-2am. Free 611 DJ Carl Michaels gets loose AvenueZero Mid-Atlantic Slam at Warmdaddy’s 8-11pm. $10 to slam; $8 to witness Round 3 features Slam champion the Dutch Master and an open mic www.phyreneyce.com

Major Taylor at Loie 10pm-2am. Free Party jams all through the night

Unplugged at Beyond 8pm-2am. $10 Experience the new sound of Philly...unplugged

Cozmic Cat at Soma 10pm-2am. Free The Cozmic one spins party jams Lorne at Denim 10pm-2am. Free The British one spins classics and house

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William Cepeda and Grupo Afro Boricua at the Painted Bride Art Center 7pm and 9pm. $25; $12 for members Live performance by a 13-piece Afro-Puerto Rican musical group

Marinate at Filo’s Soul Travelin’ at Loie

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Sundays at Denim

Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie 11am-3pm. Free DJ Jugo spins while you get your grub on

Little Ricky’s at Silk City 10pm-2am. $5 Rich Medina brings his NYC original home; hosted by Daniel “Gravy” Thomas

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Les Nubians at the TLA 8pm. $15 in advance; $17 at the door

Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie

The Remedy at Fluid

Tastytreats at Fluid

Higher Education at Liquid Blue

The Great White Hype at Filo’s with DJ Excel

Unplugged at Beyond

Lorne at Denim Major Taylor at Loie The Roots and Cody ChesnuTT (see Our Picks, p. 24)

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The Official Roots Afterparty at Fluid 10pm-2am. $7 before midnight; $10 after DJs Mike Nyce and ?uestlove do their thang www.squarebiz.org

Marinate at Filo’s Soul Travelin’ at Loie

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Sundays at Denim

The Remedy at Fluid Higher Education at Liquid Blue

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Unplugged at Beyond

Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie

Friends for Life Tour at the Trocadero Theatre 8pm. $28 Featuring Buju Banton, Townhall, DJ Kenny Meez and others The Great White Hype at Filo’s with Ced-One Lorne at Denim Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie Major Taylor at Loie Sweet Tooth at Fluid 10pm-2am. $10 before midnight; $12 after Da Beatminerz featuring Evil Dee, Mr Walt and Butta L and Mike Nyce get down and dirty at this monthly addition to Tastytreats www.squarebiz.org

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Ladyfest (see Our Picks, p. 24) Marinate at Filo’s

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The Remedy at Fluid Higher Education at Liquid Blue

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Unplugged at Beyond

Soul Travelin’ at Loie Sundays at Denim

trocadero theatre 1003 arch st. 215.922.6888 www.thetroc.com

Ladyfest (see Our Picks, p. 24) The Great White Hype at Filo’s with DJ Kwestion Lorne at Denim Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie Major Taylor at Loie

ulana’s 2nd and bainbridge sts. 215.922.4152

Tastytreats at Fluid with L-Boogie

university of the arts 211 s. broad st.

215.717.6000 www.uarts.edu

The Great White Hype at Filo’s with DJ Kwestion

warmdaddy's front and market sts. 215.627.2500. www.warmdaddys.com

Marinate at Filo’s 10pm-2am. $5 Reggae sounds with Kenny Meez

monday

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Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie

Lorne at Denim

Hip-Hop Funkshop at University of the Arts 11am-6pm. $60-$120 Six dance classes with Mr. Wiggles of the Electric Boogaloos; Stretch, Moncell and Terry; and Aleksa funkimojo@aol.com

Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie

Marinate at Filo’s

Major Taylor at Loie

Soul Travelin’ at Loie Sundays at Denim Brunch With Bossa Beats at Loie

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The Remedy at Fluid Higher Education at Liquid Blue Unplugged at Beyond

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tuesday

wednesday

4

Babygrande Single Release Party at Silk City 9pm-2am. $10; $7 with flier Featuring Jedi Mind Tricks and Outerspace with DJ Jay-Ski on the ones and twos www.babygrande.com

thursday

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Wild Card at Saint Jack’s 9pm-2am. Free DJ Imri Jonas and friends bring the finest in break beats and future funk

friday

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Oneness at Silk City 10pm-2am. $5 Reggae, reggae and more reggae with Solomonic and Liondub Sound Systems www.worshiprecs.com

Afrorikan Vybe at Fluid 10pm-2am. $10 The monthly jam with Rich Medina, Dennis Perez and special guest DJ Pope

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Black Lily at the Five Spot (upstairs) 10pm-2am. $5 for ladies; $10 for dudes The world-renowned female open-mic night

Everything at Savannah 9pm-2am. Free DJs Edwin and June Lopez get down with, well, a bit of everything

Phat Jazzy Grooves at Soma 10pm-2am. Free Cozmic Cat goes out of this world

Nod at Ulana’s 10pm-2am. Free for ladies; $5 for dudes Heavy-duty hip-hop with DJs Chaseskillz, Exion, EDK, Jack Horner and Decypher

History at M Lounge Brendan and Kenny Meez on the ones and twos 10pm-2am. Free www.soultravelers.net

The Flavor at Club Flow 9pm-2am. $10 Hip-hop sounds courtesy of DJ Miz

In the Pocket at Filo’s 10pm-2am. Free Joey Blanco and Train go crate-diggin’

Koop at North by Northwest 10pm. $12 in advance; $14 at the door

Wednesdays at Soma 10pm-2am. Free DJ Jugo spinnin’ bossa breaks, house, trip-hop and jazzy breaks

Finger Lickin’ at 700 Club 10pm-2am. Free Cosmo Baker spins raw soul, real funk, 45s and other obscurities remedy215@aol.com

Breakthru at Loie 10pm-2am. Free Lil’ Dave spins it all: hip-hop, classics, funk and soul www.illvibe.net Heavy at Soma 10pm-2am. Free Rob Paine and Willyum get deep with downtempo and house www.worshiprecs.com Boom Bap at Liquid Blue 10pm-2am. Free Hip-hop with DJs Low Budget and Major Taylor

History at M Lounge

Cozmic Cat at Loie 5-8pm; 10pm-2am. Free Soulglow at Liquid Blue Jazz grooves and beats during happy hour; house, 10pm-2am. Free Willyum and Sean O’Neal drop deep and soulful house hip-hop and soul for the late night

Benja Styles at Denim 10pm-2am. Free Funk and ‘80s classics Latin Night at Brasil’s 9pm-2am. Free before 10pm; $5 after Guest DJs spin all types of Latin sounds

Cozmic Cat at Denim 10pm-2am. Free Acid-jazz and hip-hop

Black Lily at The Five Spot (upstairs)

House Party at Loie 10pm-2am. Free Lee Jones spins club classics

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Breakthru at Loie

Cinema: Salon at Warmdaddy’s (see Our Picks, p. 24) Wild Card at Saint Jack’s

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Everything at Savannah

Heavy at Soma

The Flavor at Club Flow

Boom Bap at Liquid Blue

Wednesdays at Soma

Cozmic Cat at Denim

House Party at Loie

Latin Night at Brasil’s

History at M Lounge

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Breakthru at Loie Heavy at Soma Boom Bap at Liquid Blue Cozmic Cat at Denim

Version Sound at Silk City 9pm-2am. $3 Bilwa and Rascal Intl. spin roots, reggae and dub

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Black Lily at The Five Spot (upstairs)

Breakthru at Loie Heavy at Soma Boom Bap at Liquid Blue Cozmic Cat at Denim

Late Night at Loie 10pm-2am. Free Southern-fried funk and hip-hop with Botany 500

Cosmo at Denim 10pm-2am. Free Spinnin’ good old hip-hop

Latin Night at the Five Spot 9pm-2am. $5 The Latin Playboys perform live

Latin Night at Eighth Floor 8pm-2am. Free before 9pm; $5-$12 after DJ Jonathon Rivas and Jose spin salsa and merengue

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Hold On, Slow Down at North by Northwest 9pm. $8 donation Ropeadope presents a benefit for the Brandywine Peace Community featuring Ursula Rucker, Rich Medina, Ill Vibe Collective and Subtle Ground

King Britt CD Release Party at the Five Spot 10pm-2am. $5 Britt and Rob Life spin with special guest DJ Statik; live appearances by Dice Raw, Miss Saigon and others

The Unity Movement at Malokai’s 9pm-2am. $7 A monthly mix of live performances hosted by Rafik www.theunitymovement.com

Antibalas and Sola at the North Star 10pm. $13

Macy Gray at the TLA 9pm. $25

Worship Fridays at Filo’s Benja Styles at Soma Cosmo at Denim

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Ladyfest (see Our Picks, p. 24) Worship Fridays at Filo’s

Wild Card at Saint Jack’s Everything at Savannah

Phat Jazzy Grooves at Soma

Cosmo at Denim

The Flavor at Club Flow

In the Pocket at Filo’s

Latin Night at Eighth Floor

Wednesdays at Soma

Finger Lickin’ at 700 Club Soulglow at Liquid Blue Happy Hour at Loie Late Night at Loie Latin Night at the Five Spot

Beat Society at the Five Spot (upstairs) 10pm-2am. $5 Special guest producers making beats live www.soulspazm.com

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Phat Jazzy Grooves at Soma Oasis at M Lounge

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21

Benja Styles at Soma

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Worship Fridays at Filo’s Benja Styles at Soma

Facing Mekka at Lafayette College (See Our Picks, p. 24)

In the Pocket at Filo’s

Cosmo at Denim

Finger Lickin’ at 700 Club

Latin Night at Eighth Floor

Wild Card at Saint Jack’s

Soulglow at Liquid Blue

Everything at Savannah

Happy Hour at Loie

The Flavor at Club Flow Wednesdays at Soma Latin Night at Brasil’s

Late Night at Loie

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Latin Night at the Five Spot

23

Descriptions of weekly events run in the first week’s listing.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

History at M Lounge

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Benja Styles at Soma 10pm-2am. Free Classic soul and hip-hop for the masses

Ladyfest (see Our Picks, p. 24)

House Party at Loie Benja Styles at Denim Latin Night at Brasil’s Facing Mekka at Lafayette College (See Our Picks, p. 24)

Happy Hour at Loie 5-8pm. Free Nice and easy sounds by Joey Blanco

Phat Jazzy Grooves at Soma In the Pocket at Filo’s Finger Lickin’ at 700 Club Happy Hour at Loie Latin Night at the Five Spot

Benja Styles at Denim

Black Lily at The Five Spot (upstairs)

Worship Fridays at Filo’s 10pm-2am. $5 DJ Rob Paine and company spin roots and dub reggae www.worshiprecs.com

our picks austen e. mikulka

long program of shorts from around the world, and Philadelphia Stories, a collection of locally made documentaries, feature films, shorts, animation—you name it—all with our fair city as the common thread. Since those of us who have good enough reception to tune in Channel 35 only seem to catch it during weekendmorning broadcasts of Indian music videos and Polish news shows, it’s good to have another chance to catch some top-notch local films. Wed., March 12, 8pm. $7. Warmdaddy’s, Front and Market sts. 215.627.2500. www.warmdaddys.com.

the roots and cody chesnutt Hey kids, it’s the Phrenology tour! The Square Roots are back home, baby, and they’re gonna bring it to you live, North Seventh Street-style. At this point we’ve all seen enough Roots shows to send each of their kids to college, but this particular concert is pretty huge. For one thing, Phrenology just may prove to be their best album—if not, it’s easily their ballsiest—so the set list is sure to be bangin’. And if joints like “Thought @ Work” and “Water” aren’t enough, there’s “The Seed (2.0),” their genre-busting collabo with Cody ChesnuTT, who just so happens to be the opening act. Expect much dopeness. Sat., March 15, 8:30pm. $27.50 in advance; $30 at the door. Electric Factory, 7th and Willow sts. 215.336.2000. www.cc.com.

facing mekka

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

It’s no secret that Rennie Harris has played a major role in putting Philly on the dance map. With Rome & Jewels, Illadelph Legends and his PureMovement repertory pieces, he’s shown the world a different view of dance—namely, his view. He stunned his audiences with R&J, a smooth hodgepodge of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Broadway’s West Side Story and his own experiences done hip-hop-style. Now he’s about to take the audience into an even deeper realm with his latest work, Facing Mekka. Metaphorically, the work starts off where R&J ends (when Rome crosses into the afterlife), takes onlookers through the transitions that Harris went through while creating the piece, and includes a solo performance, “Lorenzo’s Oil,” by the master himself. And in keeping with Harris’ mission to bring the best to the eye, mind and soul, the show features a cast of 17, live percussion and multimedia images. Yeah, it’s a little way out of the city, but it’ll be well worth the trek. Tues., March 25 and Wed., March 26, 8pm. $18. Lafayette College, William Center for the Arts Hamilton and High sts., Easton, Pa. 215.382.8191. www.puremovement.net.

cinema: salon On the second Wednesday of each month, Warmdaddy’s turns from a blues club to an avant-garde film house. Well, sort of. That’s when Cinema: Salon, a monthly independent film event, takes over the space, screening shorts previously aired on WYBE. The public television station has been key in bringing high-quality indie film into our lives with series like Through the Lens, an hour-

ladyfest Just because Ladyfest is about, produced by and features nothing but women, don’t think for a second that any man, alien or household pet, for that matter, won’t have a frickin’ blast at this four-day-long event. The international arts and culture festival is a little different each time; in every city it travels to it’s created by the collective minds of about 50 female organizers from that area. The list of workshops, dance and musical performances, film screenings, art showings and girly gatherings happening in Philly is so extensive it almost makes you dizzy— the best thing to do is go to the Ladyfest website and see for yourself. Just to give you an idea of a few names involved: Bahamadia, Ursula Rucker, Flo Brown, Myra Byzell, Cozmic Cat, Montazh and Cynthia Mason. Wow is about all we can say. Thurs., March 20, thru Sun., March 23. For a full list of events, times, prices and locations, check www.ladyfestphilly.org.

square-O-scopes

madam eve ning reads the stars

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Good thing this is the City of Brotherly Love—it's gonna take a lot for you not to knock out your siblings this month.

If you're an only child, be careful not to abuse any dogs, cats or goldfish living under your roof.

Anger management, anyone?

Aries (March 21-April 19): Friends and money are what's important to you right now. If you just have money, throw a big party with lots of free stuff and strippers, and soon you will have friends.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): You've been sleeping around entirely too much. Promising career changes are about to occur, but if you don't keep your pants on, you could find yourself in as awkward a position as a one-legged flamingo trying to stand on the other leg.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): Less is more. In between black and white is gray. Heat rises and cold settles. What goes up must come down. Sneeze while peeing and you'll most definitely fart.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): Get your head out of the sand, crabby. The sky is blue and the air is clean (well, at least somewhere). Lady Luck will be by your side this month, and it would really suck to know you missed her because you forgot to look up.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):Just like your personality, extremities lead you through this month. Go ahead and get your roar on—you're gonna make more money than ever, probably buy a phat crib in the burbs, blah, blah, blah. But nothing stays golden forever. I'll talk to you next month when you're falling apart.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Expect the unexpected, especially at the workplace. At least once over the next few weeks, on dress-down Friday your male boss may come in dressed like a woman. And look better than you.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Act on impulse and you may find yourself wading in a pool of money off the coast of Malaysia. Which is good except for that goddamn malaria. Eh, you win some, you lose some.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Look here, control freak—it's humanly impossible to be right 100 percent of the time.

March should be relatively painless as long as you're able to let someone else take a stab at ruling the universe.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're being a typical goat so far this year: pessimistic and prudent, stable and calm.

Go where the grass is greener. Let loose a little. Nobody in your life will be mad if you wake up one morning hungover, tattooed and in Mexico.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your social-butterfly status is about to do its annual break-out-from-the-cocoon thing, which could make March rather interesting. Just don't be a big-head and do something stupid like act on a sudden desire to be retro and shave a Nike swoosh in your head.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Changes are occurring in the career zone. Things may be unclear till mid-month, but hang in there. As long as you keep your ears more open than your mouth, you'll be in a better position to succeed than a porn star with four boobs.

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find

closet freak Dear Closet Freak: My boyfriend has been asking me to bring another female into our bed and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Do I do it and try to be open-minded and share something like that with him or do I keep worrying about why not to do it and why it's wrong?

—Menacing Menage-a-Trois Menage: Girl, don't they all want that? You definitely need to weigh it all out because it depends on your relationship. I've been in your situation and I did it. It takes a strong relationship and a lot of communication between the two of you. Set boundaries with what you're comfortable and uncomfortable with. Talk it out and make it clear. It can be a great thing for the two of you to experience together—just be sure it's something you want, and only do it if you're ready. He should love you regardless.

Dear Closet Freak: My girl cheated on me last month. We broke up but are now trying to work things out. We slept together last week for the first time since the breakup— unprotected. Now I can't get it off my mind that she may have caught something and passed it on to me. How do I handle this?

—Praying I Don't Have a Disease Praying: First and foremost, go get a checkup. Secondly, wrap it up, man! Especially after knowing she's been out and about with hers. That's how you deal with that part of your situation. But can you handle trusting her again? That's going to be the most difficult part. Can you get past the fact that she's been with someone else? It's tricky because you weren't technically together when she bopped another, so it shouldn't matter, but in most cases it does. My advice: Communicate with her about everything.

It's the only way she can help you work through it. Good luck!

Dear Closet Freak: I'm a 22-year-old female who recently got married. My husband suddenly wants to go shopping for sex toys. We've never used them before so I'm kind of nervous. Any suggestions?

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march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

—Terrified of Dildos Terrified: Buy, buy, buy! I'm definitely a huge fan of toys. There are so many things you can bring into your situation to enhance what's already wonderful. Go to the store together and decide what's best for both of you. Toys range from a feather for teasing and tickling to bigger and better devices that can make even a lonely night without him pleasurable. I suggest you go online first (try www.sexuality.org or www.libida.org) to learn more about them and to find what's best for you. I say go for it, without a doubt. It seems intimidating at first but I promise you'll thank me later.

Got questions for Closet Freak? Send them to closetfreak@thejawn.org.

march 2003 l the jawn l www.squarebiz.org

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