Barack Obama Officially becomes the first African - American President of the United States of America

Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. Along with this Barack and Michelle Obama did a great job with going to all of the events and festivities that were going on in Washington that weekend. Along with this came a breakfast, church service, luncheon, inauguration concert, inauguration, parade, and ten seperate dance balls in the same night. Check out the footage of Obama and Michelle dancing at one of the balls while Beyonce is singing along to their flowing love. Once again from Koncrete Messages we would like to say CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE FIRST FAMILY!

Durex New Condom Commercial

This has to be one of the most funniest condom commercials I've seen in a long time by Durex. Check it out and see if you get a laugh or two from it.

Nike: LeBron James Commercials

"Get Em' Powder!" How can one forget or over look some of the best commercials produced for marketing and advertising one of the most explosive players in the NBA. Thats right LeBron James, not only do this young and inspirational professional basketball player play the game to win, but he also has a great team behind him when it comes to marketing the Nike brand and himself. Check out some of his commercials from the past and the future and you will soon agree.



- The LeBron Family advertising from last year -

Advertising at its best

When someone mentions advertising to you, most people think they are referring to things such as magazine adverts, tv commercials, billboards, websites, that sort of stuff, but there is an emerging side to advertising that is so much cooler.

This is the sort of advertising that makes you do a double take when you see it, and also maybe makes you smile at the ingeniuty of it. Somewhat similar to street art in a way, the advertising utilizes every aspect of our lives (our habitat, everyday objects etc) to produce innovative messages that you're sure to remember.



This piece of bag advertising is for the Dubai Autism Centre, and it's simplicity is what makes it such a striking form of advertising. It plays on basic human emotions (more maternal i'd say), and to great effect. Via Snopes.com, check it out for more examples of "Bagvertising"



Handing this out is sure to get you remembered by potential clients. A neat rubber business "card" for a personal trainer.



This real world advert/installation for an art exhibition is great! Sure to make potential customers smile (always a good thing!), this ad would probably have been the talking point of the area it was installed, thus potentially driving up sales/interest in the actually exhibition. By M&C Saatchi.



Another funny ad, but this time in the more familiar setting of a bus stop advertising board. The beauty of this ad is in it's content, which is for a jeans company. It says, "At this moment, your bum is completely exposed. If it were in a sexy pair of jeans, it would attract attention all the time!" Pure genius. By Bruketa Zinic and via I Believe in adv.



This advertisement for Dulcolax by Euro RSCG is sure to grab the attention of people passing by. Apart from it's direct approach, this ad is strategicly placed in front of a Pharmacist, with the intention of driving up sales.



Clever advertising can also be extremely effective for communicating more serious messages to an audience aswell, with this magazine avertisement as a prime example. The user gets to this particular page in the book/magazine and the only way to open the spread fully is to "break" the chains, revealing the message, "Ending slave labour is not easy". Extremely effective, simple and striking communication. Via I Believe in adv.



This has to be one of my favourite ad campaigns of all time. Like all greats, it's simple, yet so effective. Made for a tv station in Malaysia, it consists of a few helium filled missile shaped balloons attached to a truck. When the truck is in motion, it apears that 3 heat seeking missiles are chasing it. Campaign by JWT Malaysia.

If you're into this sort of thing, here are a few links to get your creative juices flowing:

http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/
http://adsoftheworld.com
http://www.ibelieveinadv.com

I'd also highly recommend "Guerrilla Advertising" by Gavin Lucas and Michael Dorrian, it has loads of innovative ideas, all accompanied by great commentary.

Old Spice Swagger Campaign

One of the latest Old Spice Commercials on television right now that is extremely well executed and funny is the new and improve campaign Old Spice launched, "Swagger". In these television spots they feature celebrities like LL Cool J and Brian Urlacher. Check out these advertisements and enjoy.

NYC BLACKOUT VH1 SPECIAL

For those who missed it the first time around, VH1 Classic is airing NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell tonight. The rock doc chronicles the city's legendary Summer of Sam, focusing on NYC's social woes—unemployment, crime, and, of course, the blackout—to illustrate how they gave rise to a cultural explosion. (Graffiti made for a colorful, er, silver lining.) It's worth DVR'ing to watch filmmakers interview a crew of seventies survivors on a variety of topics, including Where They Were When the Lights Went Out. Geraldo Rivera, apparently, was with Cheech—we're surprised he remembers. See below:


NY77: Blackout

Cassie New Hit Single - Official Girl

Cassie from Bad Boy Records is back at it with the new release of her hit single "Official Girl" Click here to download Official Girl

This album has many great beats on it as well as vocals from Bad Boy recording artist Cassie.

Cassie's new single 'Official Girl' featuring the one and only Lil Wayne, is available in stores and online today!

Also be sure to check out the video featuring Lil Wayne as well.

Great TV Spot Advertising

This ad definitely branches the gap of history and technology in just a few words and historical clips check it out and see if it reminds you of anything or someone from the past.

MacBookTouch drops in 2009

Although, the MacBookPro and MacBooks has made many happy with the speed and accessibility to the usefulness of production, Apple is yet coming out with a new and improved MacBook name MacBookTouch. The MacBookTouch looks like a rendition of the iphone with more features and has more exclusive innovative things attached to it consisting of a GPS System and easy to use qualities by just a touch of your finger. Now we all know that Apple definitely is trying to go global and make the whole world never use keys again when it comes to any technology, pretty soon we will be able to type on air and walk on water.

Microsoft Surface is on the rise

Microsoft is developing a new technology called Microsoft Surface. This new and improved way of using technology is very convenient in many ways being that you can use it for your restaurant business, advertising company, or simply to put together projects for school by taking digital photos that can be wirelessly downloaded to the surface immediately. It is said that the first couple public usage of this technology will possibly be in restaurants and stores in Las Vegas. When you get a chance check out the video and check out this new and improved technology that sorta looks like the iphone but on a bigger surface.

Barack Obama is my candidate - Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton called herself a "proud supporter of Barack Obama" after Democratic convention delegates greeted her with a standing ovation: "Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president." - Cnn

Wow, although it is a shock that Hillary Clinton has even considered being apart of the Obama camp. Its finally clear that she knows who the best candidate for the position of the United States President should belong to. Yesterday she gave a speech in which she rallied about how she supports Obama and how he will definitely be the change the U.S. will need to stride for the better.

Hotels.com Commerical: One of the worst yet

This is one of the worst commercial I've seen in a long time. In this commercial they have a black guy who seems to be really cheap and so cheap to the point where he goes to a hotel and has two white guys blowing bubbles in his tub as if he's in a jacuzzi. Not only has this TV spot ad for hotels.com create much controversy about it but it leave many people with mixed feelings as well. Check it out and let us know how it makes you feel after watching it.

Obama and his new running mate Biden

Many people would say that Barack Obama is out of his mind for making a person that once chastised him on live television his Vice President in this election. Barack's new running mate Joe Biden of Delware will be Baracks right hand man in this election and hopefully the ideas as to why he didn't believe Obama was qualified or even ready to be President will soon change in this election. Therefore this will be quite interesting and a race to remember in 2008.

Official Kanye West Good Morning Video

Kanye West New Official Video to Good Morning off of the Graduation Album

Dream Team Gains Win Over China!

This was the stuff a Dream Team is made of. Acrobatic moves, reverse slams and tomahawk dunks. Who needs outside shooting? Just toss it up and throw it down. The United States opened its campaign for Olympic basketball redemption Sunday with a 101-70 rout of host China that had even the home crowd oohing and aahing.

R.I.P. Bernie Mac

One of the greatest comedians alive pasted yesterday morning and today here at Koncrete Messages we would like to pay tribute to one of the Original Kings of Comedy Bernie Mac. Bernie was always good for making people laugh whether he was on stage or off and had a spirit of a champion. He has always had a bright smile on his face and will always be remembered as one of the greatest at what he did.



Mac died early Saturday morning of complications due to pneumonia, his publicist said. Mac, 50, had been hospitalized for about a week at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to his spokeswoman. A few years ago, Mac disclosed that he suffered from sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in tissue, most often in the lungs. Bernie Mac will definitely be miss by many and will not be forgotten from a long shot!

Robin Thicke: Evolving Soul, "Magic"

Robin Thicke definitely has one of the hottest videos out right now entitled "Magic" which has eye catch graphics, pretty women, and a phenomenal beat. It seems like just yesterday when Robin Thicke first got started just singing over a Neptune beat saying "I wana love you girl, I wana love you," and now after creating his first album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke he is moving forward to his new album Robin Thicke: Evolving Soul. Check out the Video and voice your own opinion.

"Messy Jesse and His Foul Remarks."

This month our Koncrete Exclusive goes to "Messy Jesse" also known as Jesse Jackson. In a shocking blast at Barack Obama that was caught on tape, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, "I wanna cut his nuts out." He made the astonishingly vulgar remark as he accused the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee of giving moral lectures to African-Americans.

"See, Barack [has] been talking down to black people . . . I wanna cut his nuts off," Jackson said. While saying this Messy Jesse also moved his hands in a cutting motion and all of this was picked up by a live mike before an interview on health care on Fox News was aired off.



Although, Messy Jesse had some cruel things to say about Obama he apologized the next day publicly. Of course Obama accepted his apology and is still moving forward with his campaign and giving moral lectures to African-Americans as he did previously. One thing for sure is that Messy Jesse needs to lay low and stay away from trouble before he creates another mess for somebody to clean up.

First African American Super Hero on the Big Screen!

Recently the super action pack, Super Hero movie Hancock was not only a graphiclly well created movie but it created history as Will Smith played the role of John Hancock the first African American super hero to hit the Big Screen. Be sure to see how Diddy feel about the History in the making.

Get Paid On YouTube

Google Inc.'s YouTube is setting up a virtual screening room to bring the work of independent filmmakers to a global audience. Independent filmmakers will collect a majority share of ad revenue generated from views of their work. Struggling filmmakers already use YouTube to kick-start viral marketing campaigns. The new feature, which debuted Wednesday, gives them an easy-to-find home -- and makes them partners in drawing new ad revenue.

The screening room will highlight four new films a week, picked by a YouTube editorial panel. Submissions are welcomed. The panel also will scour film festivals and work with partners such as the Sundance Channel to identify prospects. Filmmakers can choose to have a "Buy Now" button attached to their work for sales of DVDs or digital copies. They will also collect a majority share of ad revenue generated from views of their work.

This way many youtube indie film makers will not only be able to display there work globally but also make money off of the views of there work just by it being on YouTube.....this is definitely a huge opportunity for advertisers and will have a nice impact on the world of new media. As for YouTube they are seriously considering making sure that everything they do for here on out will be to capitalize on money making ventures and move new media to the forefront.

R. KELLY CELEBRATION TEXT MESSAGE!

After R. Kelly, went through much unwanted attention about his pornography videos with young teenage girls for the pass few years he finally had a serious trial and with 14 counts against him in various cases he was found not guilty of them all. At approximately 6:00pm many random text messages and instant messages across the nation was sending out the infamous message about R. Kelly having a celebration party at Chuck E Cheese. It read exactly as follows: "R.KELLY NOT GUILTY CELEBRATION PARTY 2NITE ' @ CHUCK E CHEESE, 7PM until...., Ladies Free B4 9 w/high school ID.....NO PARENTS or Video Cameras!". As the nite went on the message continued to spread so dont be surprised if you receive a text message about the R&B KING having a party at CHUCK E CHEESE.

Oreo Reporter Goes Ghetto!

This month our Koncrete Exclusive goes to an Oreo Reporter who at the time was being very articulate and news like and switched up and went Ghetto in a matter of 3 secs as a moth flies in his mouth while he was reporting. So prepare to laugh and have a good time watching this brother change up from professional to down right just Ghetto.

"HUMMER BUMMER!"

Just recently gas prices have skyrocketed and that therefore, leaves many people unhappy with the money that they have to invest in gas just to get around. In early 2006, many people loved the new big body HUMMERs and trucks because they looked cool and was fun to drive. But now many are looking away from the bigger vehicles like Hummers and looking more towards more economical choices that are better.
This therefore, leaves General Motors in a bad position because not only are they losing money because these vehicles are not being sold like they use to, its now starting to become more of a liability than bringing in great revenue. So now there is a great big discussion about GM possibly wanting to get out of the Hummer business.

This definitely affects Advertising in a huge way because, now the advertisers for Hummer has to be very careful and clever as to how they will sale this vehicle so that their company does not lose much of their market shares. In return, makes the job a lot easier for Advertisers that are promoting more full efficient vehicles like Hondas, Hyundais, and Ford Focuses. Moreover, this now put advertising and marketing to the front of their to do list and for others it will be a piece of cake to sale a competing brand against GM. Especially if they do not produce a more fuel-efficient vehicle or gas prices continue to increase.

Straight 80's (The Cool Kids)

The Gold Chains, Nylon Jackets and Beepers just might be back on the rise as for this new young up and coming Rap Group from Chicago is definitely making it Cool once again. The Cool Kids was once your typical college students that surf the net, loved music and have a drive to be rich and successful in the near future. For this rap duo Mickey Rocks (born Antoine Reed) and Chuck Inglish (or Evan Ingersoll) met in 2005 after Mickey came across some of Chuck's beats online and liked what he heard.

After getting in contact with Chuck, Mickey went to Chi-town with the intention of making beats to sell to other artists. Immediately the two fused together and realized that they had the talent to not only produce beats but rap on them as well. In 2007, though they had yet to release any material outside of what was posted on their MySpace site or MP3 blogs, the group started receiving a lot of press attention from fellow-Chicagoans.

This led to a spot at New York's CMJ Music Marathon, where they shared a showcase with DJ A-Trak -- who offered to put out their EP --and they began to open up concerts for M.I.A. on her solo tour. Which led to them being signed to Chocolate Industries, where they released their debut, The Bake Sale EP, in January 2008, with major plans in the near future. You might have also seen this rap duo in the Zune ads on TV as well so be sure to look out for them because they are definitely on the rise and about to bring back a fresh old skool, new skool feel to the Hip-Hop game once again!

Photography by Oscar Merrida IV "Discover The World Of Photography"

One of the most inspirational Photography companies based out of Washington, D.C. right now would definitely be Photography by Oscar Merrida (OMIV). With there goal being perfection in Photography in every way possible OMIV invites us to "Discover the World of Photography!" Founded by Oscar Merrida IV in 2007, while at Howard University and he has put his passion and dream to the forefront and used that as fuel to help him build his company up to one of the most recognizable companies in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia Area. You can easy find that his company is one of the best when it comes to Sports Photography, Event Photography, Head Shots, and Personal Photo-shoots.

So if you are looking to take some professional pictures that will be sure to have a superior look to them you would definitely like the work of Photography by Oscar Merrida IV. If you would like more information please be sure to check out their site at WWW.OSCARMERRIDA.COM

The OMIV site was just launched and looks pretty amazing being that it was designed by Koncrete Media Group™, whom perfectly put together a website that captures the true essence of Photography and the professionalism and unique feel of Photography by Oscar Merrida IV.

Barack Thanks "Senator Clinton"

Could it be that Hillary finally gave up and realized that she had no chance at all when trying to go against Barack Obama. Man this really shows a great side of the Obama Campaign as they display Hillary Clinton on their Website Homepage, saying Thank You Senator Clinton with a tab for people to click on that says Show your Support. Not only was this a hilarious moment for most of us but, It definitely was an eye opener to most. Simply because politics is definitely known for using dirty tactics when trying to take out an opponent in the same race. But in this case Barack Obama clearly shows how humble he can be and will be if selected for the US Presidency.

I really find it amazing that although Hillary gave Barack such a hard time and really tried to stop him from beating her in the race that Obama is still graceful enough to actually be able to be nice enough to say Thank You to Mrs. Clinton. Although this did not come easy as for many of us I think it is great to know that Hillary has dropped out of the race for the Democratic Party and finally realized she should've been ENDORSINGthe Barack Campaign from the start! It really shows you that this Brother is bad and got his stuff together and will not allow an egotistical 8yr old first Lady bash him without intellectually telling her off and making her fill dumb at the end of his statements.
In other words Barack Obama is saying "I'm Rick James B*!T#!" and moving closer to winning the title of the U.S. President and the honor of becoming the first Black President of the United States of America!

"Painter with a Purpose!"

In New York there is a huge craze about the amazing portrait artist by the name of Kehinde Wiley. Born and raised in South Central, Wiley found a passion for creating Contemporary portraits which details young urban African American men in a visual rhetoric of the heroic, opulent, & powerful light.

Many of the men that he Wiley choose to paint consist of young urban men that he encounters or see while walking through urban cities. Not only does he choose his subjects randomly but he also pays them, just so that he is able to recreate them in a historical light of Classical and Contemporary Art. He has also become a contributor to the VH1 Hip - Hop Honorees Awards by creating portraits of the greats consisting of Biggie, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Ice Tea, LL Cool J, and Salt N Pepa.



For Wiley he's just touching the peak of what he intends to accomplish while making more people open minded and believing in themselves to create the unseen and unheard of. You will be able to view and see more of Wiley's work at his website http://www.kehindewiley.com or purchase his books Kehinde Wiley - Columbus & Kehinde Wiley - The World Stage: China.

"Its fun to do bad things?"

This seven year-old kid is no joke. After getting upset at his mother he committed grand theft auto and thought nothing about it. Latarian Milton, 7, accompanied by a seven-year-old friend, takes his grandmother's Dodge Durango on an eight-minute joyride running into cars and damaging property. Not even realizing that he could possibly kill somebody he looks back at the experience and believes what he did was completely ok. After speaking with a reporter about the incident Latarian stated that "He wanted to do hoodrat stuff with my friend."

Its sad to know and see that a young African American boy with no guidance nor help will fall short and victim of the justice system if he keeps this up. But I don't believe they should go forth attacking the child but more so the mother and the grandmother who does not seem to be raising him the right way. Than again it takes a village to raise a child. Hopefully in the near future little Latarian can straight up his act before he wines up in a place he does want to be.

Aptera: The Future of the Automobile

In 2003 the founder, Steve Fambro, of the Aptera design and built a passenger vehicle that was safe, comfortable, and more fuel-efficient than anything ever produced. This inspiration was also a deadly combination with his background in engineering and further interest in aerodynamics which leads to the build and look of the complete innovative Apetra. Fambro knew definitely in his mind that he wanted to create a low - drag, aerodynamic body for the care but at the same time achieve creating his vision without sacrificing comfort, safety, and drivability.

After much conceptualizing, designing, and building the end product consist of a two - seat prototype, three-wheeled vehicle. It is also said that this prototype also manage to achieve 230 miles per gallon and leaves Fambro continuing on building and executing this outstanding vehicle. Check out the videos and pictures to see how it rides and how it looks.

Diddy On The Hollywood Walk of Fame

Last Friday the Hip - Hop Mogul and CEO of Bad Boy Records and the Sean John clothing line has received one of the highest honors in entertainment. Not only has Diddy won many great awards throughout his venture throughout entertainment but he has been granted the best award of them all and honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, May 2, 2008. Many might only know Diddy for his entertainment contributions through Hip - Hop Music and Fashion but he's also a trailblazer in the Movie industry as well. Very few people make it to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and now, Diddy can finally say that his name will be their along side many other greats such as Debbie Allen, Muhammad Ali, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and many other greats!

For many of us that have followed Diddy throughout his career we can definitely say that he deserves it and has worked long and hard for this great accomplishment. Therefore, being that Diddy is one of the hardest working men in star business he has truly just put the icing on his cake and is now looking for something to wash it all down with. Currently, he is busy working on moving his top artist right now which includes Danity Kane, Day26, and Janelle Monae. So stay tune and look out for what Diddy has planned for the near future of todays Modern Hip-Hop, Fashion, and Entertainment.

Rappers with a Degree: Kidz In The Hall

More college educated MC's from Chicago on the mic, hitting the ground running using potent lyrics that are more common to home ground for most college students. In just the past few years we have witness some of the illest rappers of time come from the Chi-City ranging from Common, Kanye, Lupe and now Kidz In The Hall, evidently the Chi is definitely where its at when your looking for lyrics with intellectual knowledge behind them.

Not only do these artists have a great lyrical ability they both hold Ivy League education which means that yes they graduated and these young men see the rap game as a place where young educate black men can prevail and still have an education to back it. Many would say that they took the formula that got Kanye started in his career by using nice lyrics, dope beats, and great charisma and delivery.

This is also not your average rap group being that they serve as a duo that both have lyrical skills in making anybody with any sense want to listen and explore their lyrical content. Although they are both still young in the game their sound does not show it as for it seems as if they have been in the game for years ahead of time. So it looks like the future for these Rawkus Records label signees is heading for the long haul and will bring much success their way with their new leading single "Wheelz Fall Off". Check out the Video and see how these brothers are taking it from the Ivy League back home to the Chi.

Potential Merger Between Google & Yahoo!

Just recently it was found in advertising news that there might be a potential merger between the powerhouse search engine companies, Yahoo and Google. Although both of them have not yet fully committed to this possible merger, there has been test lasting up to two weeks in which Yahoo will deliver Google ads right next to Yahoo’s search results. Some people looking in on the situation truly believe that if this merger becomes official it will definitely give Google an effective monopoly over search engine websites and that it would not be healthy for marketers or the overall internet economy. Not only will this merger effect economy or the search engine industry but it will also effect communications via advertising, marketing, and new media.

Moreover, Google is not the only company trying to merge with Yahoo but, Microsoft has even offered Yahoo $31 a share to acquire their company. For the folks at Yahoo there is a very big decision to be made and one that can change the face of online searches forever. After asking a Microsoft general counsel about the issue he summed it up by saying, “This would make the market far less competitive, in sharp contrast to our own proposal to acquire Yahoo. We will assess closely all of our options.” Therefore, this is definitely a big deal and one that will leave one company extremely happy.

Although we all know Yahoo and Google as being the premier search engines that we have learned to love to use it the ever were to merge and create a long-term deal, many people will believe it would be short-sighted on Yahoo’s part for doing so. Also if Yahoo decided to do this and give up search ads, it would hurt Yahoo’s ability to sell integrated marketing buys over the existence of its company. For this reason, this decision that will be made by Yahoo will greatly impact the Internet world.
After much thought and reflection I truly believe that Yahoo should stand-alone and continue to be its own company. For I believe that if Yahoo merges with either Microsoft or Google they will be very dissatisfied with their decision and probably regret ever making the decision in the first place. Although its very visible that Yahoo would like to expand and build to its company I would definitely advise them to be more innovative and build on to their company with originally creative ideas to bring more traffic to their site again. This it would allow them to keep their site to themselves, not promote another company, and have more creative freedom in their expansion for the future.



Therefore, there are many great things that can come of this merger for communications and many terrible things that can happen, depending on what the decision makers decide to do in a matter of time. So hopefully we will be able to know soon exactly what it is Google and Yahoo decides to do and it will directly impact the communication world because it will change the way we use search engines definitely. Additionally, if it were up to me I would tell the people at Yahoo to suck it up and continue to slowly build their company until it is as great as Google is in the search industry besides just helping Google create a monopoly.

The Legacy of Notorious B.I.G. Tribute

Not many artists in this business can lay claim to the title “Greatest of all time” and even be considered to be in touch with reality. Even fewer can be taken seriously if it is known they are in perfect mental health, however there are a few exceptions in the history of Hip-Hop. The late Brooklyn born Christopher Wallace is one of the select few that can even be acknowledged by the Hip-Hop community as one of the Greatest Rappers ever to touch a mic. Today Koncrete Messages would like to pay tribute to the self-donned Notorious B.I.G. AKA Biggie Smalls would change the face of Hip Hop and take the world by storm with his extremely potent, superior written rhymes that would bring on platinum hit after platinum hit.

Biggie was born May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn’s Bedford Stuyvesant to Voletta Wallace, and from the beginning showed signs of potential talent. Biggies initial dream was to become a graphic designer and with his scholastic abilities did not seem like something too far from his reach. Eventually he would become intrigued with local thugs and hustlers, and soon the allure of the street life became too much for Chris to turn away from.


In 1991 a tape was sent in to The Source magazine by a fresh new talent who called himself The Notorious B.I.G. The tape, which ended up giving Biggie the Unsigned Hype competition spot for, the magazine eventually won. This tape eventually came by the way of Uptown Records producer Sean “Puffy” Combs who immediately contacted biggie and singed him to his newly formed label, Bad Boy Entertainment. In 1992 Biggie had a song out that got a lot of attention. The song "Party and Bullshit" was the song that first got peoples attention toward biggie and his amazing rhyming ability.

B.I.G. eventually became a multi-platinum superstar. Biggies CEO and friend Puffy had been at the heart of East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry, which was headed by Puffy’s, N.Y. based Bad Boy Entertainment going against the notorious Suge Knight and his company, the L.A. based Death Row Records. What eventually raised the stakes for this rivalry was Biggies former good friend and rapper 2pac who in late 1995 signed to Death Row after posting bail paid by Suge Knight himself. The set up couldn't have been better if it was written for a blockbuster movie, Biggie on dominating East coast label: Bad Boy and 2Pac, who believed that Biggie was the one who set up 2Pac's shooting in 1994, on the dominating West coast label: Death Row. Tragedy was the only outcome anyone could see from this... They were right. On September 7th, 1996 2Pac was shot on the Las Vegas strip and died a week later. If that didn't strike enough grief in the hearts of the Hip-Hop world, just 6 months later another tragedy hit.



Therefore we pay tribute to Christopher "B.I.G." Wallace was shot and killed on March 9th in Los Angeles 11years ago. All of the music nation was stunned by the loss of two of the only artists that could have laid claim to the title "Greatest of all time" 

Not too long after all the tragedy Biggies sophomore album Life After Death hit the streets and became an instant classic in the eyes of the Hip- Hop elite. The Source gave the albums a 5-mic rating which is a very rare occurrence, the singles from the album dominated the radio, and the album itself would go on to be certified Diamond (10x Platinum). This album too brought on awards. R and B album of the year from billboard, another MTV VMA, Spin magazine named him the artist of the year, and multiple times Life After Death was named album of the year. An undoubtedly Hip-Hop classic which included the hit singles "Hypnotize", "Sky's The Limit", Mo Money Mo Problems", and "Fucking You Tonight" to name just a few. As said before Biggies death was a vicious shock to the entire music industry and sent shock waves around the world.



The Notorious B.I.G.'s public funeral, however, was anything but peaceful. Thousands flooded into his Brooklyn neighborhood to catch a glimpse of his hearse, jumping on cars and clashing with police; ten people were arrested. A private funeral held earlier was more cordial, with Queen Latifah and members of Public Enemy and Naughty by Nature in attendance.

Till this day the case of Biggies murder has not been solved. Voletta Wallace still searches for the murder(s) and the answer to the most important question: "why?" All over the world, the B.I.G. fans tend not to remember that a great man was taken from the Hip-Hop world, but more so that he brought an extremely prosperous and positive presence to Hip-Hop itself. For that he may very well be the greatest of all time.

America's Best Dance Crew: Thriller Edition

After watching some of the best dancers on tv right now I thought it would be great to share with the rest of the world. On the America's Best Dance Crew tv show it features dance groups/teams from all across the nation that receives challenging task to tackle while fighting for their spot on the show for another night. Since I've been watching this show the illest crews in my opinion is the Jabbawockeez, they definitely have the complete package when it comes to dancing. This is ranging from acrobatics, ticking, popping, breaking, precession, style, and uniqueness.

In the video below you can watch a full episode of the show paying tribute to one of the best dancers in the world "Michael Jackson". These teams are also willing to take it to the next level while performing wild and crazy stunts just to make it to the top! Also take notice to the judges which consist of Lil Mama, Shane Sparks, and JC [Former Member of NSYNCE) as they commentate on what they witness during every performance. ENJOY.

Tragic "Juvenile" Delinquent: Kills Immediate Family

The former Cash Money Records rapper Juvenile four-year-old daughter was murdered by her 17-year-old brother. It was later founded out that not only did he murder his baby sister but, he went on a killing spree murdering his 11-year-old siter and his mother whom stayed in the Gwinnett County section of Georgia. After a police investigated the area after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots by a house near by he found the bodies inside of the house on Feb. 28th. Anthony Terrell Jr. turned himself in, although he has not yet admitted to the police the location where he placed the weapon (a gun) with which he used to kill his immediate family. The police officer, David Schiralli, who is the spokesman for the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department said, "We do not have a motive at this time," in reference to the murders. Although Terrell is a sophomore at Central Gwinnett High School, he was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault and is being held at DeKalb County Jail.



This is a mere example as to why we as African Americans need to get back to loving our families and raising our children in a respectable manner to prevent instances like this from occurring. Simply because there is no reason why a child should ever get to the point of killing off his family members in an insane state, such as using violence as a way to relieve stress and anguish. We must learn from this situation and understand that life is sacred.

We here at Koncrete Messages would like to send our condolences to Juvenile's family and friends for their lost.

The Future of Music!: Janelle Monae<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Janelle Monae is one of the baddest and hottest artist on the rise and has nothing pulling her back. Just recently signed to Bad Boy Records Ms. Monae is on her way to the top with her ground breaking lyrics, unique style and lovely voice which can be a blend between opera, pop, and classical creating her own genre. Ms. Monae is from Kansas City,Kansas and has a very original style that is needed in todays music which is growing more towards "Generation X" era. Not only does this great performer do a great job at what she do but, she has a very unique style that will attract the masses not just in the USA but across the world as well.

Therefore I think P. Diddy is very excited about his newest member to his Bad Boy Empire where he is also currently working with his other two newest editions to his record label Danity Kane and Day26. Although he is working hard to keep them two groups inline he wont have to worry about Janelle Monae because she is determined and on her grind when it comes to her music career. When I asked a friend what they thought about Janelle Monae he stated, "After seeing her at the HU Homecoming Fashion Show I had to buy her CD!"...he also went on to say, "Shes like the female comparison of Andre 3000 (Member of Outkast)"

Moreover, Janelle Monae is soon to be one of the best artist to have ever picked up a mic and record some of the hottest music ever heard on the planet! When you get a chance definitely check her out and buy her album because its nothing more than straight up Crack! And when I say crack I mean addictive because once you listen to it the first time you wont even want to turn it off or put it down.


Check out one of her live performances above^^^^^^^^^

Hilary Clinton MADtv Parody: Why can't we all just get along?

Kudos to MADtv for offering some humorous relief to the current campaigns of Democratic Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Aside from the tense debates between the two candidates, people all over this country have been debating whether or not America is ready for a black man or a woman in office. This country is quickly becoming divided over the issue. This parody of Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" has been long overdue. Finally, we can laugh about the debates, campaigns, etc... Thanks to MADtv which airs on FOX.

The Hottest TV Show Intro: Fatherhood [E!]

The new Snoop Dogg show Fatherhood which shows on the E! Channel, has one of the freshest television introductions ever to be put on tv in a longtime. Honestly I think the last time there was a television intro that was as cool as The Fatherhood intro was back in the 80's when The Cosby Show was very popular lol. But furthermore the Hip - Hop Icon Snoop Dogg has proven that his television intro is one of the best yet to come and hit the tv screens across America.

The intro has a hot Hip - Hop sound and with Snoop's lyrical rhyming about his family makes it cool and fresh at the same time...therefore who ever the Executive Producers for his show knows how to entertain and cater to Snoop's cool, laid back and smooth style: to attract his fans. Therefore I believe this is one of the best TV Intros in the year of 2008 thats actually fresh and hip.

Etch-A-Sketch Genius

After watching a Guy use an Etch-A-Sketch on the news the other day it made me say wow, everybody on this earth has something that they are great at doing. Little did I know that anybody would be great at putting together compositions on an Etch-A-Sketch and actually be able to make his hobby of using a childhood toy a hustle. George Vlosich is a young and professional Etch - A - Sketch artist, who has done work for just about every kind of entertainment ranging from NBA Players to Politicians. Not only is this guy just talented but he spends about 72hrs on each piece and has even been invited to the White House to show of his great talent!



This also proves how we sometimes are around some of the greatest talent when we are running around in a mall, on a train or plane for a long trip, or simply in class/at work with them everyday. I say this to say that you never know who you are around you could be sitting next to the next big time singer, graphic designer, cook, president, etc. So be sure to treat everybody with kindness and be open to meeting people, because you just might met somebody that will change your life. With out further do be sure to check out the Video and witness some of his great talent.

THE GOLDEN 13

Have you ever heard of "The Golden 13"? Maybe not...but if not you definitely should educate yourself and pay attention. Everyday is black history for there is so many great things that black people have done and accomplish that was not recorded or written down due to racism, illiteracy because of slavery, and various other reasons. Today I want to bring recognition to one of the most intelligent men who served to be apart of The Golden 13 in the early 1940's.

The Golden 13 was station near the Great Lakes and had a lot against them because they were African American but, simply because they were determined and strong individuals they did not let anything stop them from being apart of the Navy. They stuck it out through every difficulty. Finally, the day came for the final comprehensive test of Officer Candidate School. When their test results went to the Pentagon, there was consternation and disbelief. The Golden 13 had scored the highest grades that had ever been recorded in Navy history and still stands as the best Record ever recorded in the Navy.

Because of all the hostility and racism that occurred during that time it was unbelieveable that black men could do so good on the test. They (Whites) did not want to believe that it was possible for 13 young black men to achieve scores far beyond those of the young white men taking the same test to become naval officers.

The poisonous legacy of generations of Jim Crow had seeped into the WHITE American mindset. The Golden 13 were challenging that mindset, and in the process, challenging segregation, Jim Crow, and the entire status of African Americans in the United States.
The officials still did not want to give props to the Golden 13 that scored greatly on the test and a order from Washington, D.C.: made them take the test again! Although the new test was harder and tougher the Golden 13 scored higher than they did before and so they remain at the top.

So this goes to prove to you that African Americans are some of the most gifted and intelligent individuals on the planet and we will always be able to do whatever we put our minds too!