“Check out my talk with Detroit’s own – Bizarre of D-12.” Cutty Shark

***What’s been up with Bizarre these days?

Bizarre: Ah man; working, grinding. Out here on tour with the crew: D-12. We’re out here in Canada right now doing these shows.

***The new album is called: ‘Friday Nights at St. Andrews’. What is St. Andrews, and what goes down on Friday Nights there?

Bizarre: Friday Nights at St. Andrews is a Hip-Hop night at the club at St. Andrews. Basically, all the rappers in the city meet up down there on Friday. We have Ciphers & Break dancing. It’s a good time for Detroit. All of us was down a St. Andrews. It’s Historical!

***Let’s talk about the single, ‘Rap’s Finest’. You got everybody on that joint. Tell me about the vision behind the song.

Bizarre: Basically the joint was so hard; I wanted to take it back to the old school. I just wanted to rip it with the hardest Emcees; just a track, with no chorus! We’re just goin’ in on it! We just wanted to kill the track. That’s what ‘Rap’s Finest’ was about. Shout out to Northstarz who produced the joint.

***How have you grown since the tragedy with Proof?

Bizarre: Ah man; I think we all have grown. We all had to step up to more of a leadership role. So we had to grow up, take responsibility, and step our game up! That’s what he wanted us to do. Just been handling business more and never taking life for granted.

***You’ve been doing some acting too…

Bizarre: A little bit here and there (laughs)… Hopefully in the future, I might do something with Adam Sandler again. Basically, I’m just waiting until I get time to do it. Because if I do the acting thing, I wanna make sure I’m on point; I’m serious. I don’t wanna be one of those rappers labeled as an actor, I wanna be on point with my craft!

***Is Eminem still a part of the crew?

Bizarre: Oh, fa’sho man! This is for life. This ain’t no game! We just all real busy. We been working.

***How was it working with Grammy Award winning, Nate Walka?

Bizarre: Man, Nate Walka is a weirdo (we laugh hysterically). Nawl, he madd cool. He came down to the D and shot the video (Believer). I mean he a Southern boy so he wasn’t feeling this weather, but it was a pleasure working with him. Man, he dope! He handled his business; he on time; he still humble. All that Success he got and he still humble; that’s big! Great experience working with Nate Walka.

***Any Shout Outs:

Bizarre: Everybody go cop the album! Come to my Album Release Party in Detroit if you can. It’s a free concert. I want everybody from everywhere to come across the United States. It’s a free show; don’t cost you nothing! Come party with us on May 18, 2010 at St. Andrews in Detroit!

Hit Bizarre up on twitter at: www.Twitter.com/Bizarresworld

Cutty Shark… Yeah!!!

After watching the premiere episode of LisaRaye’s new reality she: LisaRaye: The Real McCoy on TVone, I once again realized just how real she is. I love her take on interviewing, and why she goes into them cold. Really; if you study for an interview, is it really an interview? No, it’s a class! I also like to talk to someone from emotion to get the real; authentic feel of the person. That is exactly why my conversation with LisaRaye flowed so well. We just talked. There was no robotics involved. She is definitely – The Real McCoy.

Chicago born and bred Actress/former First Lady LisaRaye gave it to us real from the first minute of her show. I actually felt that same spirit while talking with her the day before the show aired. She is just so Chicago; so Southside. “There’s a strength about me that has allowed me to have a certain hustle about myself that makes me not have time for the bullshit. So for me, I’m very cut and dry! LisaRaye said affectionately. “I do have this Southside; no nonsense; around the way type of personality.” LisaRaye is not to be played with. She loves being an entertainer, she loves home, and she gives it to you straight; no chaser!

Now, Back 2 Business: The show! According to LisaRaye, TVone is very excited about the show. So much so, that they bought an entire season no questions asked. This makes this the biggest contract that they’ve ever had. “So to move forward with LisaRaye: The Real McCoy; coming off the scandal of the divorce and having such a public divorce, it was me going through the journey of being a celebrity, turning into a first lady, back to doing what I do; being an entertainer.” LisaRaye is the first African-American actress to ever become a first lady. “This is the first time we’ve seen it! This is the first time it’s been done! So, there is no blueprint to it!” LisaRaye expressed. You’ve heard everybody’s opinion on her story: the gossip blogs, internet, and the rumors. Now it’s time to get the real story from the person who has been through it. “This story is important for women, and for cleansing for me; to hear my side of the story. For that to happen, you will have to hear the story from the horse’s mouth. And… I am that horse.”

More than being about LisaRaye being the First Lady of Turks and Caicos, this show is about growth & rebuilding of a great life/career. It’s about the real person who loves her family. We will see her daughter, Kai whom she loves dearly, and is her pride & joy (who will be 21 next year. Wow). She will visit her sister, Da Brat; whom we all love. “I go see her all the time. She has accepted the responsibility of being in there, and how she had to be still for a while to learn things about herself that’s gonna help here in the future, LisaRaye said. “And that’s not just from me, that’s from her.” Basically, LisaRaye: The Real McCoy shows the world a real person from Chicago, Illinois, who grew up to fulfill her dreams, watch them crumble before her eyes, then rebuild herself to be a better person than she could have ever imagined.

Tune in every Thursday @ 9 p.m. EST to LisaRaye: The Real McCoy on TVone.

LisaRaye has a Social Networking Organization called B2B, which stands for Back 2 Business. She is doing a Back 2 Business Mixdown for Memorial Day in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 28 – May 31, 2010. “It’s empowering seminars, networking and massaging your relationships: utilizing your friends & positions to barter. We’re having concerts, comedy shows, spoken word, etc. It’s gonna be fun! My twitter family can hit me to find more info on www.twitter.com/therealLRaye.
Also, on my website @ www.LisaRaye.com.”

I’m trying to be there to cover the event. Looking for me a sponsor. Seriously!

“Thank you Tim. I really appreciate this my Chi-Town buddy.” LisaRaye ended.

Of course, I had to print that… LOL

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Drew Sidora has been making her dreams become a reality since the age of 9-years-old. That’s when Sidora got her first role in the Fox-TV movie Divas, and that was the beginning to no end of hard work & paying dues in the Entertainment Industry. To this; she can only say, “God is Good!” Amen.

“It was so much fun! The song was called ‘Til the Dawn’. It was actually an Earth Wind & Fire sample. People loved it. It’s so crazy, because when you’re shooting you never know if people will like it or hate it. I was just happy that people liked it.”

-Drew Sidora on her stage show clip on the movie, STEP UP-

***CHECK INTERVIEWS/STORIES TAB FOR COVER STORY***

#TEAMDREW Y’ALL

Cutty Shark and Melanie Fiona

On March 30, 2010 (MY BIRTHDAY), I made 1,2,3,4,5,6 years old; but I digress. I spent the night celebrating with Title 9/SRC/Universal recording artist, Melanie Fiona at The Havana Club for Members Only Tuesday. The place was packed. Melanie Fiona was so nice & sweet.

Bobby Valentino; Grand Hustle; multi-platinum producer, Brian Michael Cox; and up & coming producer, Nelson Birdsong (who came out to celebrate his birthday also) were all in attendance.

Special thanks to: George Butler (Alltheparties.com, Entertainment Reporters), Laura Giles (Music Business Politics), and Hannah Kang (Music Business Politics, Grand Hustle) for a great night… Check the pics.

photo credit: George Butler/ImagesNMyEye