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November 9, 1995 AUGUSTA FOCUS
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Funny Business
Eddie Griffin, Simply MARVAIous to bring
truth and laughter to audiences at Bell
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By Rhonda Y. Maree
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
‘éw\\fi“? or Eddie Griffin, it
;\%‘l &+ was a dare from a
& < cousin.
§§§ §f For Simply
i MARVAIous, it was
a stunt by a coworker.
Although neither orchestrat
ed their debuts, both of these
comedians aroused hard-to
please audiences tostanding ova
tions their first times on a stage.
Until 1989, Griffin’s audience
was limited to friends who had
gotten used to him making them
laugh.
“The street lamps were my
stage lights and the stop sign
was my microphone,” said the
single Kansas City native who
now lives in Los Angeles.
This is how every true comedi
an grows up, Griffin said.
“You get a reputation for being
anutatschool,anutonthejob—
for being a nut wherever you go,”
said the 27-year-old who once
took up ballet but retired his
tights because he got tired of
stretching.
Describing his act as a lesson
in “urban anthropology,” Mr.
Griffin said his audience will get
truth and laughter at the Nov.
11 show at the Bell Auditorium.
Griffin said he hits hard from
the stage, but people shouldn’t
Return of Cypress Hill and the Temple of Boom
“. .. open up the mind/See deep
inside/Tell me what you find,” goes
thechant whichopensCypressHill’s
eagerly-awaited third Ruff House/
Columbia album, 111 (Temples of
Boom), and the music that follows
does just that. From the anthemic
first single “Throw Your Set in the
Air” to the funerary rhyme trip-hop
of “Boom Biddy Bye Bye,” the
dancehall toasting that punctuates
“Make a Move” and the psychedelic
noirof ‘Killa Hill,” Cypress Hill takes
hip-hop to places it’s never been
before.
“The big thing we did different
thisyear fromlastyear wastake our
time,” says beatmaster/producer
Muggs. “We thought things out
more rather than just doing it.”
Cypress Hill hasn't lightened up
or sold out. Their lyrics now are as
deep asthey always have been dark
and display a bitter, hard-won vul
nerability and reflectiveness. They
don’t celebrate “the bud” lyrically so
be afraid to sit up close.
“People ain’t paying S2O to get
talked about,” he said.
Shortly after making a name
for himself on the comedy cir
cuit, Griffin arrived on the big
screen scene, a transition he said
*cLife is all about acting.
Success depends on whether
you write your own script or
play by somebody else’s seript.”
-Eddie Griffin
came easily because everyone
acts regularly.
“When you go on a job inter
view, you'reacting,” he said. “Life
is all about acting. Success de
pends on whether you write your
own script or play by somebody
else’s script.”
His movie credits include Me
teor Man, The Five Heartbeats,
The Last Boy Scout,Jason’s Lyr
ic and The Walking Dead. His
next film project is the semi-au
tobiographical Blue Light.
Although he has refused offers
for four years to do a television
sitcom, Griffin will shoot a pilot
in February for a show on which
he will have creative control.
Like Griffin, Simply
MARVAIous, who goes by Sim-
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much here, preferring to make you
feel its effects with a spacey, muted,
atmospheric sonic undertow.
Vibe Magazine says: “Musically,
Cypress Hill 111 is a return to the
ominous, ambience and adrenaline
pumpin’ beats that made the trio’s
self-titled 1991 debut a classic.”
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ply, has a raw humor that is
deeply rooted in truth.
She touches on politics and
relationships, lecturing relent
lessly with such lines as “The
Lord said to bear fruit, not a
tree.”
The 42-year-old Louisiana na
tive said, “You're going to laugh
and learn something at my show.”
While working a state govern
ment job as a claims processor,
Simply did her first show in 1988
at the encouragement and ma
nipulation of a coworker.
An instant success, she got of
fers from across the country to
perform. Two weeks after mov
ing to Los Angeles in 1991 to be
in the heart of entertainment,
she got a movie deal with funny
man Martin Lawrence.
She went on to be the only
black woman besides Whoopi
Goldberg to have her own HBO
special. After a personal phone
call from Def Comedy Jam’s
founder Russell Simmons, Sim-
The album’s title comes from a
combination of the group’s love for
the combination of chronic and mu
sic. The “Temple” refers to the re
cording studioand theirbodies, both
holy places as far as Cypress Hill is
concerned. Atmospheric, languid,
spacey rap noirs like “Killafornia”
art music - literature theatre
ply appeared on the highly ac
claimed show.
“I was shaking like a leafon a
tree,” she said between coughs
from a cold she hopes to be rid of
before Saturday. :
Despite the successes she expe
rienced in Hollywood, Simply said
sheknew it was time tomove back
home to Louisiana when her first
grader Skyler started demanding
limousine rides.
Simply admits that her mate
rial is often strictly adult orient
ed, but she said she’s ¢leaned it
up some.
“I know I can go down to the
gutter, but since I've become a
mom, I've calmed down a lot,”
said the single mom whoisalsoa
motivational speaker and a chil
dren’s storyteller.
Simplyisacomedian whohates
repetition and knows how to
adapt her show to her audience.
I know how to read my audi
ence. I know what to do if there
are cowboys out there. I know
what to do if there are Muslims
or if there are senior citizens,”
she said.
And she doesn’t pick on the
usual one white person, either.
“That could be Rockefeller’s son
for all I know,” she said.
Simply has appeared in Class
Act and Housepariy 3. She has
plans for a television sitcom to
air the fall of 1996.
and “Strictly Hip-Hop,” with its
mournful Augustus Pablo-like
melodica lines, exist side by side
withsitar-drivenragainterludesand
theEastCoast Wu-Tangatmospher
ics of “Killa Hill,” featuring that
group'srappers U-Godand TheRZA,
the latter having also produced the
Paine College to host Restored in
pre-Thanksgiving concert
The Paine College Division of
Student Services presents the
acclaimed group Restored in a
pre-Thanksgiving concert on
Thursday, November 16, at 7:30
p.m., in the Gilbert-Lambuth
Chapel. The program is free and
open to the public.
Restored is a dynamic, multi
talented ensemble that has ded
icated their lives to spreading
God’s word through song. This
ministry has touched many lives
Restored is an all-female en
semble that was organized in
1989 from the African-American
choir on the campus of Georgia
Southern University. Since that
time, they have blessed mai
throughtheirinspirational songs
and personal testimonies. Many
audiences have said their souls
felt restored after concerts.
Restored has performed with
John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, The
Williams Brothers, The Pace Sis
ters, LaShun Pace, The Swane
Quintet, and many other gospe!
greats. They havealso performed
for several dignitaries including
Writer Mary Hood to read at
Magnolia Bookshop
Writer Mary Hood will read
from her work Tuesday, Novem
ber 14, at the Magnolia Bookshop
at 7:30 p.m.
Ms. Hood, a resident of
Woodstock, GA, is the author of
two collections of short stories,
How Far She Went (1984) and
And Venus is Blue (1986). Her
latest book, a novel released this
month, is called Familiar Heat.
It tells the story of the fortunes
and misfortunes of the people
who live in a small coastal town
in Florida — fishermen, net
menders, Cuban exiles. It is the
story, in particular, of Faye Par
ry, recently married to a Cuban
Name the arti<t associated most
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cut. Headyrhythmsare supplied by
newest regular member, Bobo —
son of Salsa legend, Willie Bobo —
who initially met the group while
touring as part of the Beastie Boys'
live band.
The Hill’s love of language comes
through on tracks like “Spark An
other Owl” and the spookily omi
nous “Stoned Raiders,” while the
eerie “Make a Move”isintroed with
Samuel L. Jackson’s great “lay my
vengeance upon thee” speech from
Pulp Fiction. And lest you still en
tertain the slightest thought that
Cypress have mellowed, check out
the vitriol in “No Rest for the Wick
ed,” which accuses one of their rap
colleaguesofplagiarisminnouncer
tain terms.
The street-hardened attitude is
still a part of Cypress Hill, nomatter
how many records they sell or how
many fans attend their concerts.
Cypress Hill was formed by an
Italian-American transplant from
Danny Glover, Debbie Morgan,
and Supreme Court Justice
Sandra O’Connor.
Theensembleis primarily com
posed of college students who
enjoy performing among their
peers. The members of the group
are: Lisa Jackson, Franchetta]
Dudley, Tiwana Turner, Stacy
Davis, and Bianca Woodard.
J.ynwood Holmes is the musical
director. Restored is under
Brown Management. For fur
ther information, please contact
the Office of Student Activities
at 821-8307 or 821-8309. ;
Paine College is a church-re
lated, four-year, residential, liby
eral arts college. Its mission of
providing an education of high
quality in a wholesome and nur
turing enviconment has not
changed since its fou' g
1882. Paine is supported by thg
United Methodist Church, the
Christian Methodist Episcopald
Church, a: ! the United Negro
College +v..... Ur. Shirley A. R
Lewis was appointed President
in July 1994
chartei-boat captain, and the
quirky calamities that affect her
life. /
Thereadingat Magnolia is free.
and open to the public. Refresh
mentswill be served. Afterward,
Ms. Hood will be available te
autogiaph copies of her books.
Those unable to attend who wish:
to purchasebooks and have them
autographed may do so by phon
ing the shop at (706) 738-5184.
The Magnolia Bookshop is to
cated at 2611 Central Avenue in
the heart of Augusta’s historic
Summerville district. Please call
the shop for directions or addi
tional information
1. “Killer Joe”
2. “Nefertiti”
3. “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”
4. “Luilaby of Birdland”
5. “Lil Darlin”
6. “Doxy”
7. “God Bless the Child”
8. “Don’t Get Around Much
Anymore”
9. “Groovin High”
10. “Jordu”
11. “Misty”
12. “Song For My Father”
13. “Scrapple From the Apple’
14. “Round Midnight”
15. “Route 66”
16. “Witchceraft”
17. “What a Difference a Day
Makes”
18. “Spain”
19. “Intermission Riff”
20. “Sunrise Serenade”
N.Y.C,Muggs, B-Real,a South Gate
nativeofMexican-Cubanextraction.
and Cuban-born Sen Dog, afterstints
with rap outfits 7A3 and DVX. The
namecame fromastreet whichruns
throughtheSouthCentral L.A.‘hood
they came together in, Cypress Av
enue. Cypress Hill has since sold
some L 5 million copies, earning Cy
press Hill group their first platinum
record. '
With songs like “Light Anoth
er,” “Hits From the Bong,” “Legal
ize It” and “Blunted,” the group
made no bones about where they
stood, becomingconscientious sup
porters of hemp legalization and
official musical spokesmen for
NORML, the National Organiza
tion to Reform Marijuana Laws,
in 1991. In the words of High
Times,they “ignited a revolution,”
and national newsweeklies like
Newsweek and Entertainment
Weekly cited their stance as cul
tural icons.