We’ve got a new layout!

That’s right, do not adjust your televisions or laptops. 99problems.org is just over one year old and to celebrate we got ourselves some new digs!

Fancy, right? Lots of space to bring you the action oriented news you’ve grown accustomed to. In the year that we’ve been around, a lot has happened at 99problems.org. We’ve seen our staff of writers grow along with traffic to the site and we are absolutely thrilled to be here in 2010, sure to be an epic year for all the artists and activists who make up the 99problems community.

Like what you see? Think something is missing? Let us know! Hit us up on our Contact Form at any time.

Your involvement is what gets us out of bed in the morning. Thank you.

Posted by:

The Editor

Son, you’re not a big boy yet

Alright, LISTEN. I’m man enough to admit it.

Sometimes I read Fox News.

Mostly for the lolz. And ’cause you and I both know, if you wanna get the scoop on freaky actions perpetrated by the cream of the crazy crop, Fox News is like…the Wal Mart of low, low prices taste.

But the following story – jacked from Fox – isn’t distasteful. It is, however, about extra-small condoms for little Swedish boys whose bodies are telling them yes yes yes and brains are telling them no no no to wrapping that ish up! So you might be offended.

I quote:

A leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland has created extra-small condoms for boys as young as 12 years old, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported.

The condom, called the Hotshot, was produced after family planning groups and the Swiss AIDS Federation campaigned to have the condoms made following several studies that showed adolescent boys were not using proper protection when engaging in intercourse.

Uhh, what?! I’d score this as follows:

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Sam Patton

Baby, I got your money!

BROOKLYN!

Need a job? How about one with a good wage, flexible schedule, that serves a good cause and includes paid training. Sounds pretty good, right? Too good to be true? Not so much. Turns out Brooklyn is desperate for census workers.

According to Brokelyn.com, a tipster informs them that there aren’t enough people in their database to fill all the jobs that are open.

“…the local office based on Fulton St, which covers the neighborhoods reaching from DUMBO to Clinton Hill & Prospect Heights—Red Hook to Sunset Park (and everything in between) is currently facing a shortage of applicants.”

So get at it, and do it soon. Most jobs are paying $18.75 per hour, part and full-time schedules, evenings and weekends available.

“All people have to do is call 718-360-5150 to schedule to take the test. Or, show up at the Big Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza between 1:30 and 1:45 this Sunday, with two forms of ID (Photo – Passport, License, State ID plus a Social Security Card, or Birth Certificate.) It’s that simple. Due to the shortage, just about any passing score will net a job.”

And while you’re out there doing the job, you’ll learn more about our beloved borough and its rich diversity. Again, from the source:

“I’ve been working for the Census on and off for a while, and it’s an interesting job. I highly recommend it, especially for people who are interested in Brooklyn and people.”

So what are you waiting for?

For more info about the census and why it’s the most important 10 minutes you can spend this month, check our new video.

And don’t forget to get that Numbers Don’t Lie Mixtape from DJ Willie Shakes. Take our census pledge and get your free download here!

See that, giving you free music and job hookups. Who loves you? Pledge today.

Posted by:

Sean Gardner

Shakes On A Plane: Numbers Don’t Lie — Census Web PSA Promo #1

99problems.org’s DJ Willie Shakes is hitting the streets of America to talk to folks about Census 2010. Check out our promo of his trip to Philly and Pittsburgh. Census forms hit your mailbox (not your inbox) in March!!! It only takes 10 mins to fill them out. Do it! It’s super important.

Posted by:

The Editor

Sitting Down with some of the Ladies of “She’s So Fresh III”

The women of last Thursday’s She’s So Fresh show aren’t just dynamic onstage. Check the conversations I had the pleasure of engaging some of them in before their sets

Dante. I asked the fly Ms. Dante about her take on today’s youth and her message especially now given the state of our youth’s education and economic crisis.
The one question that I asked that stuck out: How do you feel about Obama?
Her Answer? “Change takes Time.” Dante alluded to the fact that all good things come with time, elaborating on how our country didn’t get messed up overnight so it sure can’t be fixed overnight, stating you have to wait. Coming from a personal place she touched briefly on the violence that today’s youth face and believing kids need an escape from all the negative constantly surrounding them Dante said she tried to focus on the positive making uplifting “feel good music.” Those are words we can all get behind!

Anomolies. Established in 1995, these women have been vibing together for 15 years! Fifteen years ago I was 11. SO my question is, How in the world do these ladies manage to still look so good? Anomalies broken down is “No Mo Lies”. (Word!) They told me that their group was formed out of a need to see more of them and their voice reflected in the art form they loved. I got into hip hop five years after Anomolies was founded. I remember being sixteen and going to shows where there was hardly a female base-but there were a few female emcees holding it down here and there. I can’t imagine what it was like for these young ladies imagining the number to be drastically slighter when they started. Seeing the same few faces every show, they naturally gravitated towards each other and over the years have been refortifying and nurturing each other’s solo interests and projects with astounding success. They even started out rocking in one of my school’s building’s – Parson’s! The order of appearance? Tara who held it down as an attendee of  the New School, then Helixx Armageddon, followed by Kuttin Kandy, Pri and lastly Invincible.
Some things from our conversation that stood out:
The Anomolies consider their selves to be more of a collective than just another group. they all embrace solo projects and see this collaboration as an invaluable opportunity to pool resources and give support. Holding it down for fifteen years, you could add that they are community. They have been around since 90s hip hop evolved from many different genres with a voice to the formulaic after industry got involved and took it over, destroying a huge part of the art and voice that created the form. This shift contrary to silencing hip hop drove many underground where that voice and those genres still flourish today evidenced by my young love of underground hip hop to the youth that you will still see going to shows all over the world today. Having worked with kids they know that Apathetic Youth is a misconception. If they could see anything given to the youth? 1) mentors 2) Opportunities to open their eyes and expand their worldview 3) More avenues for them to use. Pri the Honey Dark knows firsthand how valuable these tools are in an education system that is consistently failing and giving up on kids. Having fought with the school board about the “Certificate of Completion” that NY appears to  hand out liberally to students that teacher’s can’t be bothered to teach, Pri knows that many of these children can learn. Her son is a beautiful shining example of  that face. Having been diagnosed with Autism, Pri’s son was destined to be yet another victim of this certificate. But she fought back and schooled her son at home, allowing him the inalienable right to learn and become everything he can be. Her son has since graduated and is looking forward to college. You can hear more about this inspiring story in the following article written by Pri herself : Pri’s Words
For more info about the She’s So Fresh Showcase I attended check this: Where My Ladies At? She’s So Fresh III!

Posted by:

Moni'ca Brown

Top 10 Stories of 2009

Top 10 Stories of 2009

2009 is almost a wrap, but it wouldn’t be proper to let it pass without paying homage to the stories that made us ask “Did that really just happen?” Whether it was C.Breezy putting hands on Riri, a runaway balloon watch or Oprah spotted at Marcy projects, much of what was current could be figured out in 140 characters or less on Twitter, the social media site that changed the journalism game in ’09 — but even a Tinkerbellesque trending topic couldn’t keep Michael Jackson alive. We lost a lot of special people this year – but they’ll be remembered. Now lets take a moment to reflect on 2009:

Chrihannagate

2009 turned Chris Brown and Rihanna into this generation’s poster children for domestic violence when the aftermath of Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party resulted in an entirely different kind of bash. Chrihanna dominated tabloid covers and the talk show circuit, and kept people talking about herpes, illicit text messages and baby blue bowties.

Vick Back in the NFL

If you thought his year in the pen marked the end of Michael Vick’s NFL career, well you thought wrong. After serving his time, PETA’s least favorite quarterback headed back to the field to suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles. Guess his dog days are over.

Kanye’s Big Ego

Armed with a bodacious bi-sexual and a bottle of Hennessy, Kanye invoked international ire after crashing the VMA stage as America’s sweetheart Taylor Swift tried to claim her prize. Amber Rose may be forgotten by 2010 however “Imma let you finish but …” might just rank as the most famous last words of the decade.

Long Live The King

Many doubted Michael Jackson could recover from huge debt, accusations of child molestation and just plain old eccentricity, but death restored his fortune and legacy perhaps more than any comeback concerts ever could. 2009 saw some of America’s best talents (Farrah Fawcett, Steve McNair, Patrick Swayze, DJ AM) take their last breaths, but only one was the King of Pop.

All Hail Hov

Jay-Z aligned his Blueprint3 release with an unprecedented branding plan (who didn’t see those HP and Rhapsody commercials?). The result? BP3 became S Dot’s eleventh #1 album, knocking Elvis from his throne. Oh and did I mention he brought Oprah to Marcy projects and keeps President Obama on speed dial? Forget about running “this town,” Hov runs the globe.

Bernie Madoff

If the recession wasn’t bad enough, thousands of Americans were royally ripped off by Bernie Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme literally made off with billions of dollars from investors, proving thievery definitely isn’t just a black thing. Wall Street caught a bailout but Madoff will never make bond, after being sentenced to 150 years behind bars in 2009.

Cheetah Woods

Golf’s great black hope set the tabloids afire after his wife’s Nordic fury sent the Cablinasian in a Cadillac into an Ambien-fueled one-car collision. The fallout from the accident placed Tiger at the epicenter of a 14-sidepiece pussy pileup, sidelining the golf great and costing him endorsements.

Balloon Goon

One of the strangest hoaxes in American history happened this year, when a Colorado man named Richard Heene succumbed to a thirst for fame so great he’d ask his son Falcon to con an entire nation by faking his disappearance in a runaway balloon. P.S. I’d like my hour of CNN watching back please!

Twitter Takes Off

Diddy and Solange helped drive the charge to make Twitter the most popular social media site on the block. It didn’t take long before Chris Brown, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy were proving 140-characters is more than enough to make an ass of yourself.

Jailhouse Rap

With Remy Ma, Da Brat and Prodigy already behind bars, lyricists in lockup are not a new phenomenon, but rappers went to jail in droves this year. T.I., Max B, Boosie, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne and C-Murder were among the MC’s either sentenced or sent packing, while Shyne was freed only to be deported to Belize.

Posted by:

Janee Bolden

Top 10 Viral Videos of 2009

Top 10 Viral Videos of 2009

Thanks to sites like YouTube, World Star Hip-Hop, OnSmash and FunnyOrDie, there was never a dull moment in 2009. Videos of Pretty Ricky gyrater Spectacular and wannabe rapper Bangs spread faster than H1N1, while another clip put Charles Hamilton on the wrong side of a punch seen ‘round the world. Whether it was just plain silly, simply inane or “Pause” worthy, if you watched, laughed and passed it onto your friends, you were part of what made it a viral video. There were way too many to count this year, but sharing is caring, so here’s ten of my faves:

Prop 8: The Musical

“Prop 8 – The Musical” starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more… from Jack Black

“Hairspray’s” Marc Shaiman decided to tackle America’s hot button issue of gay marriage in musical form and virtually every comedian in Hollywood teamed up to take on the topic.

Bangs Take U To Da Movies

Bangs put Sudan on the map, with his take-you-out YouTube pleas. Poorly edited photo-shopped imagery and near tone deaf vocals couldn’t keep this Bangs video from becoming one of the biggest viral hits of the year.

Khaled McDonald’s Ad

Khaled’s on air promos for McDonald’s hit the “Pause” button hard, as he proclaimed the joy of that “cream hitting your face.” It probably wasn’t meant to be funny, but Miami’s favorite radio DJ’s signature delivery proved priceless when he finally said something other than “We Da Best!”

Booty Pop Panties

For all those babies without back, “Booty Pop” promised bigger bootys to all the cuties suffering from “noassatall”. It’s no wonder the Whooty (white girl with booty) was at an all time high this year, with even Martha Stewart and Kelly Ripa adding testimonials to this popular informercial.

Ballers and Rappers – Jasiri X

Jasiri X has had dozens of entertaining videos this year, but his latest one, “Ballers and Rappers” is perhaps the most inspiring.

David After Dentist

It shouldn’t be so funny to watch a little kid suffer the effects of dental anesthesia, but little David’s post-surgery high proved so hilarious that millions tuned in to watch.

Tiger Woods Reenactment

While Tiger Woods publicly claimed his wife never put hands on him, most of the media – especially in China, seemed to think otherwise. This cartoon re-enactment of Tiger’s imprinted an image of a golf club wielding Elin Woods that can never be erased.

Charles Hamilton Gets Smacked

After landing a coveted spot on the cover of XXL Charles Hamilton fell all the way off when a video emerged of him disrespecting, and subsequently being socked by, his assistant and one time love interest Briana Latrise.

Evian Babies

Creepy yes, but Evian’s diverse special effects-created cast of babies breakdancing and roller skating to “Rappers Delight” proved uber popular in ’09.

SNL On A Boat

SNL’s Lonely Island singing antics continued into 2009, propelling T-Pain’s fame to even greater heights by teaming with the King of Autotune for their rap/sung sketch about living the high life.

Posted by:

Janee Bolden

Enviromental Protection Agency Getting Its Bars Up!

Just hopped off a video announcement from Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency and definitely a top pick on the short list of D.C. insiders who are really taking their title/mission to heart.

On what is coincidentally (purely surely) the first day of the international COP15 summit, the EPA announces that their thorough (musta been really thorough) analysis of all the available facts leads to one simple conclusion: greenhouse gases “threaten the public health and welfare of the American people.”

There’s more:

“These long-overdue findings cement 2009’s place in history as the year when the United States Government began addressing the challenge of greenhouse-gas pollution and seizing the opportunity of clean-energy reform,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Great talking point from Mrs. Jackson and my instinct thinks she’s legit. When asked on the call about the timing of the EPA’s announcement, when House reps have indicated no movement on environmnetal legislation until early Spring (months from now), Lisa Jackson said the EPA did not want to wait to get the ball rolling and hoped that Congress would “follow the ball.”

Translation: watch out, world. Apparently it’s not a pre-requisite of American political power to actually lose total touch with the land and your people!

Keep it up, Mrs. Jackson.

Posted by:

Sam Patton