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DECEMBER 18, 1997 AUGUSTA FOCUS
ART / / NES Music - Art - Film - Popular Culture 1 B
®BAre the perceptions of
mfiost Americans on the
issues of race and crime
hased on myth
dr reality? Katheryn K.
Russell has some
surprising conclusions.
?
: When Americans are asked what
concerns them most about the di
rection of the country, crime and
racial tension invariably figure
prominently in the answer. Inthe
minds of many, these two prob
lems are inextricably linked. Yet
dpinions and beliefs about race
and crime are often informed as
much by myth and preconception
as by fact and reality.
¢ln The Color of Crime: Racial
Hoaxes, White Fear, Black Protec
tionism, Police Harassment, and
other Macroaggressions (320
pages, $24.95, cloth), published
this month by the New York Uni
vgrsity Press, Katheryn K. Russell,
assistant professor in the depart
ment of criminology and criminal
justice at the University of Mary
lind, surveys the landscape of
American crime and identifies
Motown Records releases
ultimate 1960 s Soul collection
Since 1958, Motown has been
making the music that has
touched the heart and soul of the
‘world. Songs that make us love,
live, laugh and cry. Motown has
earned a reputation for always
being cutting edge. In keeping
with that reputation, Motown
‘introduces four new additions to
the all-hits, single CD Ultimate
Collection series: The Four Tops,
The Supremes, Gladys Knight
and the Pips, and Jr. Walker and
the All-Stars.. Great as holiday
gifts, the Ultimate Collection se
ries features the hit songs and
fan favorites that have defined
“she Motown sound.” Thorough
ly researched, meticulously re
mastered, these single disc col
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The Four Tops
lections are the ultimate for the
ultimate Motown fan.
» Each Collection contains more
than 70 minutes of the original
classic hits — twice as much as
any other Motown single disc col
lection by each group. Digitally
remastered from the original mas
ter tapes, each offers superior
sound. In addition, the collec
tions each feature a 12-page book
let with a new essay on the group,
cover art and photos from the
legendary Motown archives, de
tailed track annotation with high
est chart position attained and
cdllective musician credits.
*'Dedicated to the memory of the
original member Lawrence
Payton who passed away earlier
this year, Four Tops — The Ulti
mate Collection presents an in
credible 25 of their Motown Clas
sics, including the number one
pop and R&B smashes, “Reach
Out and I'l Be There” and “I
Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie,
Honey Bunch)” as well as several
New hook explores the
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some of the country’s most signifi
cant racial pathologies. Why do
Black and white Americans per
ceive police actions so differently?
Is white fear of Black crime justi
fied? Do African Americans really
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Junior Walker
more all-time favorites. In addi
tion, the collection features sin
gles previously unreleased onanv
album — “A Simple
Game,” the stunning
product of collaboration
with the Moody Blues
and “If You Don’t Want
My Love.” Alsoincluded
are the B-sides that re
main fan favorites —the
beach music standard,
“I got A Feeling,” “Sad
Souvenirs,” and the
charting “I'll Turn to
Stone.” Joining Motown
in 1963, the Four Tops
were instrumental in es
tablishing the classic
Motown sound. Mourn
ingthe recentloss oforig
inal member Payton, the
group continues to per
form live and now tours
as The Tops.
Gladys Knight and the
Pips — The Ultimate Col
lection presents 22 all
time Motown classics from
the 60s and 70s, including
all of their chart hits re
corded for Motown’s Soul
label. The collection fea
tures their smash, “I
Heard It Through the
Grapevine” as well as oth
er pop and R&B hits, “Nei
ther One of Us,” “If I Were
Your Woman,” “Friend
ship Train,” and many,
many more. All of the
songs appearin theirorig
inal hit single versions,
many of which have never
before appeared on CD.
Two stunning album cuts
considered to be Gladys Knight
classics arealsoincluded: “Every
Little Bit Hurts” and “Here I Am
Again.” Though they had hits
before and after hitsville, Gladys
Knight and the Pips are forever
It's Our Pleasure.
“protect their own?” Should they?
Issues discussed include how
Blackness is portrayed in the me
dia; whether the criminal justice
system is racially discriminatory
and the history of that debate; the
considered Motown artists for the
classic songs featured in their
Ultimate Collection. This collec
tion is extra special in that 1998
marks Gladys Knight's incredi
ble 50th year in the music busi
ness.
The original Supremes person
ified the spirit of the 60s when
anything seemed possible. These
Detroit divas epitomize the clas
sic rags to riches story of three
girls who struggled and used tal
ent, hard work and ambition to
escape the harsh realities of hous
ing project life. Diana Ross and
the Supremes Ultimate Collection
is a portrait of that era. Featur
ing every major Diana Ross and
the Supremes hit, this collection
traces Motown’s ultimate “girl
group” from their first break
through hit, “When the Lovelight
Starts Shining Through His
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Eyes,” through their masterful
number one triumphs to their
number one farewell smash,
“Someday We’'ll Be Together” —
all in one disc. This Supremes
collection includes all 20 top ten
OO.J. Simpson case and its after
math; and racial hoaxes.
Examining both white-on-Black
hoaxes such Susan Smith’s and
Charles Stuart’s claims that Black
men were responsible for crimes
they themselves committed, and
Black-on-white hoaxessuch as the
Tawana Brawley episode, Russell
illustrates the formidable and last
ing damage that occurs when ra
cial stereotypes are manipulated
and exploited for personal advan
tage. She shows us how such
hoaxes have disastrous conse
quences and compellingly argues
for harsher punishments for of
fenders.
According to Russell, “The nega
tive opinions Blacks express about
thejustice system are partly rooted
in the fact that the law continues
to provide inadequate redress for
racial harms. The law is no racia’’
panacea. However, it could be
used more effectively to provide
racial redress. Its failure to pro
vide consistent racial remedies
may result in greater racial un
rest, peaking in violence.”
Katheryn K. Russell holdsaJ.D.
from the University of California,
Hastings and a Ph.D. in criminol
ogy and criminal justice from the
University of Maryland.
hits attained between 1964 and
1969, 12 of which went to number
one. All 26 classics are presented
in their original hit versions, and
include the Supremes’ duets with
the Temptations, the pop num
ber one, “I'm Gonna Make You
Love Me,” and the R&B top ten
hit, “I'll Try Something New.”
This collection is a must for col
lectors!
Jr. Walker and The All-Stars
were Motown’s gutbucket soul
brothers whoalso made great pop
records. Jr. Walker and the All-
Stars — Ultimate Collection fea
tures 25 of Junior’s greatest per
formances with his All-Stars,
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Diana Ross and the Supremes
from his very first recording
through his last top ten hit. Of
course this collectionincludes the
R&B number one and pop top
five hits “Shotgun,” “What Does
It Take (To Win Your Love),” plus
many more. Motivated by live
performances and audience ap
plause, Jr. Walker always knew
how to get a party started. In
cluding classic early recordings
such as “Twist Lackawanna” and
“Satan’s Blues” as well as songs
which have never before appeared
onany Jr. Walker compilation, in
the classic spirit of Junior Walk
er, this is a great party disc!
Buy all four Ultimate Collections
and enjoy the songs that take each of
us back, songs that remind us about
what’s importantin life. Also, check
your local record store for previously
released CDsin The Ultimate Collec
tion series, including Diana Ross,
TheJackson Five, Rick James, Com
modores, Debarge, The Temptations
and Smokey Robinson. This music
makes for great gift giving!
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guence 8 o,
In 1978, eight young local musi
cians came together and formed a
group by the name of Sequence 8.
Littledid they know only two years
after being together that they
would be the focus of a military
tour which took them to Air Force
Bases across the Pacific. Hawaii,
Japan, Korea, Philippines, just to
name a few places. After years of
performing, the group painfully
faded in 1989. Each member con
tinued to work their musical tal
ents individually in recording stu
dios, church music, sound services,
and other bandsaround the CSRA,
makingstrongconversations about
still having that fire deep inside to
do it one more time. The other
members felt it would be good if
everyone would participate but also
felt the other guys have grown to
have great priorities in their
present lives, besides the fact that
'some nolonger resided in Augusta.
It seemed like just another dream.
Somehow fate has a way of touch
Local duo hit the streets
with their original sound
The jazzy, soulful, hip-hop duo,
Rhythm-n-Poetry comprised of
Robert Freeman Jr. and Billy
Dingle, are hitting the streets with
no holds barred. The Group has
been together for five years mak
ingunderground music. These two
self-produced and self managed
cousins pride themselveson finan
cially supporting their own project
completely. Their debut single en
titled “Bad Newz” is the first of
many singles to come from the duo
of five years. “Bad Newz has a
sound that you can’t quite label,
though it very much hip-hop with
a splash of funk. They would like
to reach all races and give a new
feel to the realm of hip-hop music
while keepingthe old school sound
going.
Robert Freeman Jr., a.k.a.
“Robb,” whose roots are grounded
here in Augusta, Ga., feels that
hip-hop has gonetoo far. “We want
to put something on the tree of
hip-hop, instead of taking some
thing off,” says Robb. Robb’s style
of rap does not stem from any
region in particular. “We like to
rap about everyday situations that
tell stories.”
Billy Dingle, a.k.a. B-Bill has a
style all-his-own. His lyrics are
written out in the form of rap then
delivered through vocal melodies.
This style sounds a lot like singing
but not quite. “We want to make a
difference with a new style in hip
hop,” says B-Bill.
The group has a very positive
vibe, “We’ve all heard about the
problems a million times,” he
stated. The group hopes to break
barriers without constant talk of
drugs, violence and street life. “I
know what the street life is about,
but I chose not to go that route.”
says B-Bill. Billy Dingle was born
in Augusta, but resided in Virginia
Beach for quite some time. He and
ingeveryone at the same time
before long seven of the original,
eight were unexplainably in touch
with each other to everyone’s sur-_
prise. ;
The seven group members aré’
Marcus Parks, Derek Jones, Mat’
thew Davis, Freddie Gavin, Tony-
Williams, Levert Samuels, Verti%-
Howard Sr. and Malcolm Par
In addition to other qualified mu®’
sicians and singers, Sequence 8
has cranked up the engines onc?'
again. =
On Friday and Saturday night qi'
9p.m., December 26th and 27th at’
the Ft. Gordon NCO/EM club;’
these now matured youngmenw?'
have their reunion and fund fund-*
raisers looking back over eighteen’
years. The price will be $lO eacg
night. Funds raised will be dg-‘}'
nated to the Medical College of
Georgia, Children’s Heart Pr&?
gram, The Foxie 103 Needy Chil
dren Fund, The 100 Black Men of
Augusta, and the Male Room. -
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Robb are working to get the supr
port needed from their hometown:
of Augusta. i
They feel they have something;
new to bring to the table, that.
Augusta has not yet experienced,.
The twoindividuals have listened.
for years to groups such as Tribé)
Called Quest, Gang Star, and Rux,
DMC. “Their style is original, it’
all about the delivery.” Robb an&
B-Bill feel that many groups nowa,
days cannot hold their own whem
it comes to live performances.
“Area recorded music sounds real
good, but our live shows are full off
energy.” They made it known thab
they don’t waste time dancing t&
the extent that it hinders theit
delivery of lyrics. -
Performing and making record
aredefinite intentionsof the groug,
though they are striving to be ong
of the largest black-owned compa;
nies, producing their sound, prog
ducing their lyrics, and continug
using their studio. “Wedon’t wang
to be sub-contracted by any othe;:
companies.” The groupjust wantg
to go back to the essence of musio
and truly “Keep it real.” E
