My Experience with KSJS

I am currently enrolled in RTVF 192 and 94 and its easy to say that is one of the best experiences I ever had in this university. Basically these classes are the radio station classes. In these classes, students learn about the radio station, duties within the station, the FCC rules, and many other things. In order to pass the class, students must contribute hours to the radio station. Either by helping filling out traffic logs, writing music reviews, or attending movie previews, students can hours they need to pass the class. Overall, its a pretty fun class and I totally recommend it to anyone who loves music.
Recently I've been training to a live on-air DJ for the San Jose State radio station, 90.5 KSJS. After recieving an "A" on my midterm, I had the opportunnity to choose a time slot for me to fullfil my training. The time slot I choose was Thursday 8:00-10:00 a.m. because it best fitted my schedule. After the time slot and entering the designated time, I was able to meet my trainer. My trainer's name was "The Beatnik." She was a pretty cool person. After meeting her, I figured out we had a lot in common. We both loved the same music, had simlar personalities, and we both choice Nas as our favorite emcee.
Training with her was been great. I was able work the board, answer telephone calls, work the cd player, spin the turntable, and fill out music logs. She was able to teach me a lot of things.
Just last week I had the most interesting experience with the radio station ever. I had an on-air interview with my trainer live! I could not believe I was talking live on the air. The Beatnik ask me a couple of question regarding the radio station. She asked me about the my favorite rappers, my opinions about the radio station, and other information regarding myself. It truly was a unique feeling knowing I was on the air live.

If you want to catch me on my training session, tune in to 90.5 fm, at 8:00-10:00 a.m. Thursdays. The show is called "The Urban Design," and it plays a lot of underground hip hop. So, if your down with hip hop or just want to show some love to your boy, I suggest you tune in and give it a listen. These week The Beatnik is going to allow to me to read some Public Service Annoucements live. I just hope I don't mess up.


KSJS website: http://www.ksjs.org/


Listen to KSJS right now!!!

Only God Can Judge Him

He is the most popular rap icon in the history of the culture, a hero to misunderstood youths, a scapegoat for conservative parents, and the face gangster rap. Tupac Shakur, one of the most successful rappers in the rap industry, somehow draws the attention of many people. Wheither it's his physical appearance or his political statements, there is always a crowd eyeing his every move. But why Tupac? Why not Rakim, Nas, or Biggie Smalls? There is one quality that Tupac posses that no other rapper can emulate. It's the power to express emotion.
Tupac is not a great lyricist. By most hardcore hip hop critics, his are lyrics are often described to be somewhat basic and straightforward while other emcees such as Nas and KRS-ONE recieve acclaim for their deep poetical writing styles. But why does Tupac's albums continue to sell millions and millions of albums? The answer is emotion.
Since the beginning, I never listened Tupac. Just his hardcore image alone can cause me to judge him to be an unintellegent human being. Also, I dispised the fact the most a lot of people claim he is the best rapper, when is actually just a basic lyricisit. If I wanted original gangster rap, I would listen to rappers such as Eazy E or Ice Cube but not Tupac. For some funky reason, just recently I decided to give Tupac a shot. I watched the movie "Tupac Ressurection," and bought the compilation cd " 2pac's Greatest Hits," and my mind was blown away. My judgement is true about the lyricisim, but Tupac's emotional factor caught me off guard. I was totally drawn in by his emotional songs about his mother, dead comrades, and political turmoil. Just the song Dear Mama can cause me love Tupac. Listening to the song made me apprieciate my mother a lot more than I ever had in my whole life. Why listening to the song, I was able to remenisce about most of the significant things my mom did for me. It truly was a great song. It was the basic lyrics for easy listening, the mellow beat sample, and the emotional delievery that caused me to love this song. By listening Tupac's emotional songs, I was able withdraw all of the negative comments I made in the past. Sadly, Tupac died September 13, 1996 due to gunshots in the chest, and now lives in our memories and the unreleased songs he recorded before his death.
So before you judged Tupac to be some idiotic gangster with no morals, I suggest you listen to songs such as Dear Mama, Keep Ya Head Up, Life Goes On, and Changes. Maybe then you can change your feelings toward him like I have. It is his emotions that has caused his albums to continue sell after all these years.

3rd Annual Hip Hop Honors

I can summerize the award show in just one word. "Amazing!" All the performances, all the artists, all the rhymes were simply amazing. I was basically out of my seat most of the time due to all the excitement. The show was excellent and I suggest everyone to catch a rerun.
The show first started with Beastie Boys. Placing them first was definatly a great choice because they were able to hype up the show. With their raw energy, they were able to get the crowd pumped up for the other performers. They were great.
Another great part of the show was when the West Coast took the stage. Ice Cube's performace was exciting. He filled the stage with his charismatic lyrics that had the crowd jumping. But the most chilling part of the show was when Lil Eazy E took the stage. Eversince Eazy E died of AIDS in the mid 90's, rap fans had been left in sorrow. By watching Lil Eazy E perform, the audience felt chills down their spines. Lil Eazy was the spitting image of his father. When Lil Eazy E was on stage, it was like seeing Eazy E himself. His pressence was truly felt when his son performed. A very emotional part of the show.
The most hypest part of the show would be the very end when Wu-Tang Clan performed. The whole clan were definatly wild. When the group performed the song "The Triumph," the whole crowd went crazy. It was also funny to see Method Man jump into the crowd and walk on the balcony. One the best parts of the whole show.
Out of the whole show, the part that I favored the most is when Rakim took the Stage. Rakim is one of my favorite Emcees of all time. When he took the stage, I nearly fell off my couch. He totally brought the biggest vibe in the whole show. He performed songs such as his classic "I Ain't No Joke," that got everyone rapping. I could see most of the people in the crowd were rapping along with Rakim as he performed. Truely a phenomenal site.



Which part of the Show did you enjoy the most?


A. The Beastie Boys
B. Mc Lyte
C. Rakim
D. Ice Cube
E. Eazy E.
F. Russel Simmons
G. Afrika Bambaata
H. Wu Tang Clan

The Three Most Important TV Shows

There are many TV shows today that are pure garbage. For example, reality shows, except Flavor of Love, are trash in my opinion. It's loaded with a bunch half witted human beings that are pitted against each other. A total waste of time in my opinion. Though most of today's TV shows contain idiots and dry acting, there are some TV programs out there that would tend to have some importance.
After much thought, one of the choices for an important TV show would have be an educational program. Shows that would educate the public rather than demoralize it tend to be important. Out of all the educational programs, I would have to chose the show Sesame Street. This is much more important than most people think. With Sesame Street, kids at a very young age can learn the basics of academic knowledge. By watching Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, kids can spell the words like cat, formulate equations such as (1+1= ?), and learn to share. These lessons can help children adapt to modern society a lot faster.
Another television program that should be recognized for its importance are News programs. Basically without the News, the public who do not read articles online or on newspaper would remain clueless. They would not know what is going on. News programs keep the public informed about important information such as, natural disasters, breakthrough research, and other relevent items. News is so important that numerous channels are devoted to just news alone.
And finally, the last important TV program that everyone should consider watching family sitecom shows. Though these shows are kind of cheesy, they provide interesting life lessons that can't be learned in any textbook. For example, the show The Wonder Years provides the solution to many problems teenagers face. Not only does these types of shows teach important lessons, it also helps keep the family together. These TV shows are family friendly so anybody in the family can enjoy watching it together. Also, another point about family sitecoms is that it's a mirror image of the typical American family at the time. Basically, viewers can watch family sitecoms and can relate to it's episodes because it has close ties with the events going on in the real world. It can show other nations how American families are like.
Education programs, News programs, and Family sitecoms are the backbone to American Society. Without Eductional programs such as Sesame Street, children and other people won't be able to learn information that can help them progress throughout society. If there were News programs such as evening news, everyone would know what is going on in the country. Without family sitecoms such The Wonder Years, Americans won't have the chance to learn and reflect on family life. We all needs these important TV programs to help the American Society advance into a more productive country.

My Opinion on Howard Stern

Howard Stern has been known for his highly controversial humor. His jokes would range from race, sex, religion, and many other topics. Since Howard Stern is constantly verbal abusing people, I highly disapprove him. I would find much of his comments irritating and offensive. Howard Stern can be known for some for his comments about children. I totally disapprove of any kind of violence, even verbal violence, towards children or minors. The reason why I dislike Howard's statements about children is because I've always considered children to be innocent and it be would quite unfair to degrade children when they can't defend themselves against a powerful radio mogul. Another Stern topic that I find most irritating is religion. Howard would constantly bombard religion with harsh comments that would offend it. Religion is an important part to human civilization. It has helped our societies grow and evolve. Also, religion helped people prosper by providing guidelines that benefit a person's lifestyle physically, mentally, and spiritually. In Howard’s quotes, he would often blame religion dividing people. As a final thought, I despise Howard Stern. I would find his comments irritating and very annoying. His comments can also cause people to think differently about certain subjects. In other words, Howard Stern can be somewhat considered as propaganda. His comments can be consider quite dangerous if people were to actually follow what he is saying. I suggest we remove Howard Stern from the radio immediately, so it can spare people from getting their feelings hurt.

http://www.howardstern.com/

Commercial vs Non Commercial radio

When we are driving to work or school, we are given a lot of choices. We have a choice to listen to a cd, ipod or the radio. If we managed to choose the radio, we are given more choices. We then have to choose to either listen to am or fm radio. If we managed to choose one of the two, we then have to choose a radio station. As you can see we are given lots of choices. Though we have lots of choices to choose from, there is one decision that tends to be missed. It's the choice to listen to commerical or non commercial radio. What is the difference between the two?
There are several qualities that define a non commercial radio station. One quality that non commercial radio stations have is that it has a vast music library. Commerical radio stations contains far less songs than non commercial radio stations. It is said that if a listener were to listen to a song from a non commericial radio station, there is a good chance that the listener would never hear that song ever again. Their music library is that huge.
Another difference between the radio stations is the content of the music. Commercial radio stations tends to play popular mainstream music while non commericial radio stations will play underground and unknown music.
Also, another difference between the two stations is money. Commercial radio stations would play commercials so the station can make money from companies. Non commercial radio stations would never play commercials for profit. Instead, they would play public service annoucments that would help the local community.
Overall, I just want people to know that their is a difference between the two types of radio stations.
If anyone is interesting about hearing underground music, I suggest you listen to San Jose State's radio station, 90.5 KSJS. This non commercial station was voted as one of the best college radio stations in the country.

Here is their web site.

http://www.ksjs.org/

A Face In The Crowd review

After knowing that Andy Griffith was has leading role in this film, I totally expected this film to be outstanding. I've watch a lot of Andy Griffith in the past, mostly The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, and for most of the time I was entertained. Andy Griffith has that certain charisma that most actors don't have. As for this film, I was not let down at all. Andy Griffith and co-star Patricia Neal did such a wonderful job, I was impressed throughout the whole film. I expected this film to have great acting and I got what I wanted.
The story centers around a hobo name Lonesome Rhodes, Andy Griffith, and his road to success. After being hired by Marcia Jefferies, Patricia Neal,to sing at the local radio station, Rhodes started building a strong fan base. The expansion of fame grew quickly and Rhodes became local superstar. Eventually after having a lot of fans, Rhodes moved out from the radio and worked in a TV station. Sooner or later, Rhodes was offered a job in New York, and became promoter for Viatrex, a stimulant pill. Rhodes at one point got so popular, the whole country knew his name.
Griffith did an excellent job acting the part of Rhodes. He really into character and he brought along some raw talent that gave his character a realistic appeal. Another great aspect about this film was the drama elements. For some moments in the film, I felt somewhat sympathetic to Patricia Neal's character. After suffering through many of Rhodes lies, I can't help but feel bad for Marcia.
Even though this film contain great acting and a good plot, there was one part of the film that I didn't like. I dislike the fact there were too many characters in the movie. Since Rhodes constantly switched occupations, it was difficult to remember who some of the characters were. But overall, this was a great film and it totally deserves a lot of praise.

Rating

4.0/5

A Hip Hop Timeline

Hip Hop started in the streets of South Bronx. Around the early 1970's, a revolutionary DJ named Kool Herc was playing music for a club one day. When he was playing the disco music, Herc noticed that the crowd got a lot wilder during the break part of a song. The negative about the break part is that it only lasts for about a couple of seconds. Herc then cleverly devised a way for him to constantly play the break part over and over again. This looping eventual led to the birth of Hip Hop culture and Kool Herc became its founder. Hip Hop back then, was basically a New York thing. There was block parties all the time. DJs would mix records together, and attract massive crowds to gather. Around the end of the 1970's A group called "The Sugar Hill Gang," was able to release the first Hip Hop track titled Rapper's Delight.
Hip hop in the 1970's was basically an underground thing. But in the 1980's, that is when Hip Hop became known all over the country. Many artists started coming out, such as Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but one of the most notable Hip Hop groups would be Run DMC. They were the first superstars of Hip Hop. Run DMC were the ones that actually brought Hip Hop into the mainstream. Another notable Hip Hop artist to come out that era was the Rakim, proclaimed as the God emcee. He basically established up the foundations to the art of emceing. Another important Hip hop group to come out of that era was Public Enemy. They were basically know for their musical propaganda against the Government and political raps. Also, another key group that came out at the time was N.W.A. They are the ones that founded the gangsta rap movement. Also, since Hip Hop was a New York phenomenon, when N.W.A launched their album, they were able to make Hip Hop a national thing. The 1980's were important years of Hip Hop.
The late 80's and mid and early 1990's were the Golden years of Hip Hop. Notable artists of that time period including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Wu-Tang Clan contributed to the expansion of the culture. Basically Hip Hop started going downhill after rise of commercialism. Many artists started rapping about wealth and women rather than talking about politics. Rap at that time wasn't taken too serious as before. That is when all of these pop rappers started becoming popular. Another event the hurt the culture was the East Coast Vs. West Coast beef started by Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. This event separated the nation into two and left Hip Hop divided. Sadly, both Tupac and Big were murdered which created a devastating blow to the Hip Hop music industry.
Now, true Hip Hop lives in the underground. Few emcees such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and groups such Hieroglyphics help preserved the culture's true essence. As the mainstream part of the culture, it sinks lower and lower. They are not losing money, but rather losing intelligence and respect from the true culture. So in other words, the 50 Cents, the Lil Jon's, and the Nellys are the ones that are killing the culture. Their unintelligent raps are giving Hip Hop a bad name. It's about time we revert back to our old ways and live true to the real Hip Hop.
To learn more about Hip Hop icons,

I suggest you watch the Hip Hop Honors on Oct. 17th. 9p.m. E.T. on VH1

http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/hip_hop_honors/2006/