“Hoodwinked,” “Black People Don’t Read” and The World According To Janks Morton

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com

My main man Janks Morton and I will be getting the band back together next week to promote his new movie “Hoodwinked,” the much anticipated and long awaited sequel to the movie “WHAT BLACK MEN THINK.”  Janks Morton is one of the best storytellers in the business.  He is to many, the voice of the unheard.  Janks is part of a growing underground that is beginning to surface and gain more attention.  He’s his own man and is deserving of wider recognition.

This is where guys like me come in.  People who own and control their own media who work together with other media owners to collectively educate our community and facilitate a constructive dialogue.  Black Men In America.com has a wide reach in the Black community.  Janks and I living proof that black folks can come together and work toward a common goal.  We’ve done it for years.  Do we agree on everything?  No!  However, we agree on the IMPORTANT things.  Actually, we agree on most things.  Janks Morton is a “submarine deep” thinker who works tirelessly doing the work of others to help dispel myths and stereotypes about Black people.  He is not to be taken lightly.

For those of you who don’t know about Janks Morton read the information below from his official web site and watch the movie trailer for “Hoodwinked.”

Here’s some of the thoughts and logic that drive the behavior of my friend Janks, who I affectionately call, “The Man from Mars.”

For over four-hundred years, the majority white society has used many tools to reinforce a message that the peoples of African descent are less-than, not-equal-too or not-good enough. In this modern era of information, the media, government and special interests use statistics to further promote the message of Black inferiority. What troubles me most, is that we as a people have internalized the misinformation, embraced the myths, and perpetuated the stereotypes, sadly reinforcing a collective misperception of our own identities.

Here’s a quick test of how we perceive ourselves – Excluding athletics, entertainment or religion, name a positive stereotype about African Americans. I’ll wait…

Most African-Americans have a challenging, if not impossible time summarizing our collective experience into one positive statement of group-worth. Sadly if I were to ask you the same question about other racial groups, you would rattle off quickly “smart,” “hard-working,” “and “good with money.” This is a testament to how we have allowed Black identity to be twisted and maligned, while also adopting this societal defamation of character as our own belief set.

WHAT IS HOODWINKED ABOUT?

Hoodwinked will be an exploration of the most recent data being released by the US Census, DOJ, DOE, DOC and the CDC to highlight strides and achievements in the African American community. It will feature expert contributors, man on the street interviews, anchor desk headline reporting, and the return of Janks Morton and his “Board of Education” to examine further the symbiotic relationship between media, government and special interest, as they exploit imagery, statistics and data that too often presents a skewed perspective of the modern era African American experience.

BLACK PEOPLE DON’T READ is a comprehensive summary of Data and Statistics from the most recent US Census Bureau, Department of Justice, Department of Education and other agencies around the state Blacks in America. BLACK PEOPLE DON’T READ is a tool to not only refute the plethora of misinformation that exists about Black Identity, but also as a conversation starter around many positive data points, too often missed by the media and seldom discussed at the barbershop.

Click here to learn more.

The Bridge: The Walk Of Shame

By Darryl James

Traditionally, men were hunters and gatherers and held the sole responsibility for initiating the mating ritual, which included marriage proposals, asking for the first dance and initiating first contact.

First contact.

That’s the dreaded first “hello” or the first smile. And it used to be fairly simple.

Men did it.

Until society was turned on its head.

Society was turned on its head partially by the world becoming smaller, thanks to the Internet, where a great portion of relationships begin in online dating.

But society was also turned on its head by the hoax of a sexual revolution and by women beginning to tell the world (and men were listening) that they wanted to be something different. The problem for women, is that this requires that they also DO something different.

You see, it’s a dicey proposition to declare yourself equal to men (which for some women, means becoming men), and then proclaim a portion of life and love that will remain untouched by this equality.

The question is asked: “Who decides what portions of life are equal?”  The answer is: anyone, everyone and no one.

And therein lies the difficulty. Some women subscribed to the equality program and some men followed, but many men and women either made no such subscription, or simply stayed somewhere in the middle where confusion lives.

My point?

At this stage in the game, many men have no idea how to approach women because there is too much uncertainty.

And so, the “Walk of Shame” that has always been difficult, has become increasingly more difficult to the point of perceived impossibility by some men who simply refuse to initiate first contact.

The “Walk of Shame?”  Oh, that’s the walk a man takes when he leaves his comfort zone to move into a woman’s comfort zone in order to initiate contact. This walk can occur in any setting, but is most popular in group settings, such as clubs and parties.

The man typically walks over to the woman’s comfort zone and if he is met with disinterest or worse, disdain, he must then take the infamous “Walk of Shame” back to his own zone, which carries a stigma of shame—the shame of being rejected, which is just a tired, silly notion of “manliness.”

Of course, some women are quick to dismiss any sensitivity to this shame by pointing out that “a man should be man enough to take such a risk.”

Really?  That sounds like women who have been thinking like men, and frankly, that never turns out well, contrary to the comedian’s best-selling book.

My advice to women is to act like a lady and think like a wife. That’s if the goal is to actually become a wife.

You see, thinking like a wife means that a woman is doing some choosing based not on silly social signals, but on primary personal signals (looks, posture, etc.) and secondary personal signals (morals and standards revealed by discussion), which may be contrary to the signals relied on in the ever-changing society of the new century.

You may think you’re being open, but the man you’re attracting may see the same signs in you that he saw in the last few women who rejected him and he just may decide not to take the risk with you.

The elevator is broken, so I’m suggesting that you take the stairs.

Does thinking like a wife mean that women become aggressive? No. in fact, the fake sexual revolution ushered in aggressiveness amongst women, and that hasn’t really worked out very well.

It’s really not that deep.

All that is required in many cases is for a woman to smile at a man, or even to say “hello.”  The coy routine, in which the woman pretends not to be interested typically backfires. The game has changed too much for that.

What will happen is that you will likely waste time waiting for men to take the sole risk of initiating contact when they have no idea whether the risk is worth taking.

And, that is a huge risk these days.

Really, a grown woman has no business playing games and sending confusing messages to men who have been sent far too many confusing messages anyway.

In the age of “Independent Women,” its good sense for women to actually display some independence.

My overarching message to women is that it is pure folly to wait for men to do what you as an individual have accepted as “traditional,” because nothing truly is traditional anymore.

Changing times call for change.

That means that you may either have to make that walk less risky, or take a walk yourself.

The risk of shame must be shared or released.

I’ve quoted Will Smith as “Hitch” before and I’m not ashamed to do it again.  The film was very cool, but more importantly, it touched on a portion of men’s perspective that just isn’t often heard.

“Does it ever occur to women that maybe a guy might like to have a plan?  Because he’s nervous.  He’s not sure if he could just walk up to you and you’d respond if he said: ‘I like you. I like you.  I like you’…This is exactly why falling in love is so God Damned hard.”

–Will Smith as “Hitch”

Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.”  James’ stage play, “Love In A Day,” opened in Los Angeles in 2011 and will become a feature film in 2012. View previous installments of this column at http://www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

The Quiet Reshuffle

By Mike Ramey

A few years back, I happened across a newspaper article advising parents on how best to prepare their teens for college. In this particular piece, the author noted that colleges were starting to ‘check out’ applicants’ grades, starting FROM the eighth-grade level, a full YEAR earlier than what we had previously been led to believe. In short, for OUR teens to have a decent ‘shot’ at a 4 year degree, parents are going to have to get their kids to start ‘buckling down’ with the books once they reach SIXTH grade.

By the EIGHTH grade? Student grades will be considered permanent.

This is just one card in the deck of what I’d like to call ‘the quiet reshuffle.’ The academic fences are being moved back. The rules are being rewritten–while the game still goes on. If OUR teens DO NOT get the message in time? Parents will be paying out more out-of-pocket costs to get their teens to the college of their choice, IF they go at all–NOT to mention the facts that these teens will be putting themselves farther back in the starting blocks when it comes time to compete for future jobs and–yes–mates.

NOT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE BUT PUT IN PLAIN SIGHT:

You may be scratching your head and staring at this column in amazement, as you realize that you haven’t heard nor been told about this, nor seen this matter discussed in the mainstream press (MSM). You’re not the only one that has ‘missed’ this issue.

Many of our historic Black publications have overlooked this ‘reshuffle’ as they continue to be fixated on entertainment and sports more than the future education of OUR youth! Seems that, unless our teens can bounce a basketball, throw a football, or look good going to jail or prison, many Black publications and entertainers have chosen NOT to stress the need for academic achievement! Instead, we continue to hear a steady stream of ‘excusihood’ (excuses coupled with victim hood) reasons ‘why’ some of our teens can not seemingly achieve, while teens of other races have not only made the cut…but continue to EXCEL! Furthermore, many of our ‘bedrock groups’ such as the NAACP as well as various Black religious denominations have been more focused on hoodies and homosexual marriage rather than the academic and moral survival of our race.

‘Success’ seems to no longer be the mantra for our race. But, I digress.

THE VOLUNTARY ELIMINATION OF–BOOKS?

Call me paranoid if you want to, but the Bible speaks of a culture where there is an explosion of information, but a lack of wisdom. How is wisdom developed? Mainly by READING and LISTENING. IF the academic training of a people is ignored, the economic progress of that same people is stymied. A continued lack of academic preparation BY US will grant us more–not less–crowds of young people with a ‘flash mob’ mentality–talking loud, sagging proud, and achieving nothing but misery and prison time. Non-readers ONLY care about self-gratification. They don’t care about their culture nor have the mental capacity to remember history–which is what the social engineers are counting on!

HOW WELL DOES YOUR CHILD READ–AND UNDERSTAND?

As Adolph Hitler rose in power in Germany during the 1930s, he instituted a well-documented string of events designed to eliminate written competition to his rhetoric. History identifies them as…book burnings.

Fast forward some seventy years. School libraries around the country are having book ‘recycling’ efforts–far away from the MSM radar–ranging from the wholesale destruction of taxpayer-funded books, to the giving away of said books to local libraries for resale. The voluntary ‘recycling’ of books for the sake of obsolescence is JUST as dangerous as book burning.

It has been documented that students who do not have solid reading and/or reading comprehension skills do not do well on standardized tests. With the increased use of standardized testing (not only act the academic, but in the employment selection process as well) a student who does not read well is NOT going to ‘make it’ academically and WILL be limited, economically!

Remediation? Only IF the budget ALLOWS!

Quick quiz, hotshot: WHICH students are OFTEN identified with ‘poor reading skills’? African American students. Who are the ONLY ones who can change this identification? African American parents! WHICH schools are having their books replaced the quickest? Urban schools! Where do the BULK of our children attend school? Urban schools! Need I say more?

NOT THE SCHOOL OR CHURCH, BUT THE HOME:

When I brought this up on a recent radio talk show on the East Coast, the host could hardly believe that this was going on. Of course it is. But, it is happening behind the scenes, and VERY quietly…under the guise of ‘obsolescence’. If Adolph Hitler would have used this strategy, he wouldn’t have had to use bonfires. They could have touted the removal of books as a ‘need’ to replace ‘outdated’ material.

Many Germans of that era–and Americans too–would have fallen for the lie.

Like it our not, thanks to the advancement of the I-Pad and other tech marvels, more and more school libraries are getting rid of textbooks, in an ‘effort’ to, a) save taxpayer money, and; b) eliminate what are deemed ‘useless dinosaurs’ of thought.

They are NOT asking the permission of taxpayers–or parents–to do this.

Where will the war truly need to be waged to keep our kids from being victimized by any ‘quiet shuffle’? In the home! The home has been set in place by God with the specific authority of training children. Thus, the parent or guardian who doesn’t think enough to make sure their kids have the right spiritual, social, and academic foundations built within them from the cradle up, allow them to become victims–and possible slaves–to the society at large, whether it be at school, church, or applying for a job.

It is up to parents to fight ‘the shuffle’! Read your own Bible. Study our history, and culture and let your children SEE you reading, not just texting! Read now, or watch your children suffer later. The apple STILL doesn’t fall too far from the tree!

RAMEY, a syndicated columnist and book reviewer, lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. THE RAMEY COMMENTARIES appears on fine websites/blogs around the world. Email manhoodline@yahoo.com. © 2012 Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications.

Memo To Romney

By Raynard Jackson

Now that Romney is the defacto nominee for the Republican Party, I have been reflecting on the state of the presidential race as it enters the final stretch.  As a political strategist, I understand the necessity to run to the right during the Republican primary and then migrate to the center during the general election.

It is common knowledge that Romney has no intention of focusing on the Black vote during the general election.  From a raw political perspective, I agree with his approach, but from a strategic perspective, I totally disagree.  Below I will detail why this is a terrible strategy!

There is absolutely no question that Obama will get in excess of 90% of the Black vote (in 2008 he received 96%).  But this time he will receive 90+ % of a smaller number of Blacks—there will be fewer numbers of Blacks voting because they are disillusioned with Obama.  The first Obama run was history, his governing is a mystery when it comes to Blacks!

Obama’s recent endorsement of homosexual marriage and support for amnesty for illegals has infuriated the Black community.  The NAACP, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc. have not represented the views of the average Black for decades.  The NAACP will continue to hemorrhage support from within the Black community.  Many Blacks are publically withdrawing their memberships and support from this group.

Under skilled Blacks are livid that Obama wants to legalize over 1 million new people into the workforce to compete with them for jobs.  It’s hard enough competing with Americans for jobs, now you have to compete with those in the country illegally for jobs?  Who in their right minds feeds the neighborhood while their own children are starving?  Nobody, but Obama.

These issues give Romney an opportunity, by engaging with the Black community, to reach out to white, suburban, middle class women voters to let them know that the Republican Party is OK to support.  In other words, these are the Independent voters who will determine the outcome of the election.

These voters want to support a candidate and party that are not “perceived” as racist or mean spirited.  So, by reaching out to Blacks, they are signaling to these Independent voters that it is OK to vote Republican.

These voters don’t support homosexual marriage or amnesty for illegals, but they don’t want to see or hear harsh rhetoric either.

Romney, are you aware that Obama has never met with any Black entrepreneurs to discuss the high unemployment rate within the Black community?  When will you meet with Black entrepreneurs to listen to them, not to preach to them?

Romney, when will you sit with Black ministers who are with you in your opposition to homosexual marriage and under-skilled Blacks who will be hurt by giving work permits to illegals?

Why are you going to address the NAACP and the National Urban League at their respective annual conventions this summer without obtaining concessions from them?  Do you have any Blacks on your campaign or consultants who can negotiate concessions on behalf of your campaign?  For example, if these groups want you to speak before their membership, then they must have Black Republicans as speakers and panelists or you won’t agree to speak.

Because Republicans typically have no diversity on their staffs, they don’t know to extract these types of concessions, nor can they afford to send a white staffer to do this.  Republicans are the only people I know who will send a white male to speak to a group of women about women’s issues!

 

Romney, when you go before these Black groups, will you also have a white speechwriter to draft your remarks?  Anyone can write a great speech, but do you understand the nuances when talking with the Black community?  A white speechwriter can’t help you with that.

This is why Republicans typically receive tepid responses when speaking before a Black audience.  “Meanings are in people, not in words.”

So, what I am saying to you, Romney, is that by engaging with the Black community, you are simultaneously engaging Independent voters.  You get a twofer out of this approach and you, being the businessman that you are, should see the potential for a nice return on your investment of time.

I would welcome your thoughts on this approach as a first step towards substantive engagement with the Black community.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. His website is:  www.raynardjackson.com.

Watch TV One’s Award Winning Series “Unsung”

Kool Moe Dee

By Black Men In America.com

One of our favorite shows on television is TV One’s award winning series “Unsung.”  This show gets better and better with every season.  If you are unfamiliar with “Unsung,” this series sheds light on some of the most influential, yet, somehow forgotten music artists of our generation.

“Unsung” is TV One’s acclaimed series of one-hour biographies celebrating the lives and careers of successful artists or groups who, despite great talent, have not received the level of recognition they deserve or whose stories have never been told.  Many of the featured singers have compelling life stories the details of which have largely remained untold.  Ten of black music’s most talented artists and groups are featured every season.

The lineup for this season looks to be great.  If you can’t be there to watch live, set your DVR‘s.  Do not miss this series.

Sly & the Family Stone (Click here to watch the “Unsung” episode featuring Sly & The Family Stone)
Angela Bofill (Click here to watch the “Unsung” episode featuring Angela Bofill)
Con Funk Shun (Click here to watch the “Unsung” episode featuring Con-Funk-Shun)
Kool Moe Dee
The Marvelettes
Gerald Levert
Arrested Development
Lou Rawls

Click here to visit the TV One “Unsung” official web page.

The Adidas Shoe Controversy: Shackles On Your Feet?

By Black Men In America.com Staff

One has to wonder about the sensitivity to the black consumer associated with the Adidas marketing team as they developed the JS Roundhouse Mids, scheduled for an August release.   The company has sparked outrage and been accused of ‘promoting slavery’ by creating a new pair of athletic shoes which have bright orange ‘shackles’ that fit around the ankles.

The promo for the new shoe reportedly says:  “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?”

Syracuse University professor Dr. Boyce Watkins, writing for Your Black World, said: ‘Shackles. The stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable.” He also said he accepted some people would accuse him of overreacting but added: ‘There is always a group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery.

We bet there will be a line of black people pulling their kids out of summer school and standing in line overnight to spend well over a hundred dollars for these shoes.  These same jack ass parents will find every reason why they can’t take that same amount of money and open a bank account for little Malik and Raheem.  What are we going to do with our people? 

 

 

You don’t have to be black to see that this advertising campaign is insensitive.  One has to wonder how this campaign managed to get this far. 

 

What do you think?

 

Update:  June 19, 2012

Adidas announced yesterday that it’s cancelling plans to market the shoe design that critics say evokes slavery.  Early Monday, Adidas defended the shoes as the handiwork of a whimsical designer.  The shoe was designed by Beverly Hills designer Jeremy Scott.  Thanks to social media, Adidas found itself in a public relations nightmare and scrapped plans for marketing the shoe.

The Adidas statement reads, in part:  “The design of the JS Roundhouse Mid is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott’s outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery. Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.”

The Afro Is American

Raynard Jackson

In last week’s column I wrote about how the NAACP has lost its mind with its resolution supporting gay marriage.  I have very little faith or confidence in most of the traditional Black institutions—NABJ, churches, fraternities, sororities, HBCUs, etc.

But after attending a lunch this past Wednesday, my faith and confidence is a tad bit stronger.  It was though I was taken back in time to a better time and place within the Black community; and after the luncheon, I really feel like we can get back to the “golden years” of Black engagement in our society.

The Afro-American Newspapers (http://www.afro.com/) celebrated its 120^th anniversary with a luncheon.  A couple of months ago, their General Manager Edgar Brookins, called to ask me if I could talk with some people about buying a few tables to support the event.  I immediately told him that I would personally buy a table.  Brookins and the Afro have been supporters of many of my endeavors here in the DC market.  Brookins is always responsive to my calls and the paper has been carrying my column for years.  So, when they need my support, I will always be there.

The Afro has a storied history and an evolving future that is just as bright as it’s past.  The paper was founded in 1892 by former slave, John H. Murphy, Sr. when he merged his church publication “The Sunday School Helper” with two similar publications in Baltimore, MD.  The newspaper is one of the oldest remaining family-owned newspapers in the U.S. (Black or white).

Currently, John Jacob “Jake” Oliver, the great grandson of the Afro-American Newspaper’s founder, is the CEO of the newspaper.  A graduate of Fisk University and Columbia University School of Law, Oliver left a promising legal career in corporate America to return to the family business.

Under Oliver’s leadership, the Afro has been able to remain relevant by being the first Black newspaper to continue to print hard copies, as well as to be fully digital—being assessable on the internet.  If you want to know what going on in the Black community within the DC metro area, the Afro is a must read.

Oliver has continued down the path of relevance by hiring a dear friend, Avis-Thomas Lester as their new executive editor.  She spent over 20 years as a writer for the Washington Post Newspaper.    She will bring a new, fresh perspective to the newspaper and position it to continue to be relevant to our community with the full understanding that we are living in a global marketplace.

Under Oliver and Lester’s leadership, the Afro will again branch out to bring news from throughout the world, especially from the continent of Africa.  As they begin to cover news from a global perspective, hopefully this will lead to increased readership on the internet and an increased subscriber base.  An annual subscription is only $ 40 U.S.

Within the Black community, we often complain about how we and our African brothers are portrayed in the media.  Well, now we have a chance to do something about it.  For as little as    $ 40 U.S. a year, the Afro will have the money to report on global issues.

If you want to see our community covered in a different manner, let’s commit to finding 1,000 people between now and September to take out a subscription to the Afro.  If after a year you don’t like the coverage, then cancel the subscription; but if they meet your liking, renew your subscription.

We have to be what we are looking for.  If we want fair, diverse coverage within our community, then we must enable those who best know how to do this to have the money necessary to fulfill this goal.  Remember, when all is said and done, there is more said than done.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. His website is:  www.raynardjackson.com.

 

 

 

Make Em’ Clap To This: (Young) Black Men and the De-Evolution of Hip Hop

By Nicholas Maurice Young, Ph. D.

            According to several sources, the musical genre known as “Hip Hop” began in the early 1970”s in the Bronx.  Students of the musical style argue that the founder of the music is someone known to Hip Hop enthusiast as  “DJ Cool Herc,” a Jamaican DJ from Kingston, New York.  According to Blogger and Hip Hop Historian “Davey D,” when Mr. Herc moved from Kingston to the area called West Bronx he created a new musical genre that involved reciting improvised lyrics and rhymes to current reggae music.  But, while this version of the story about Hip Hop’s history is mostly undisputed, others like “Blastmaster KRS-One” argue that the musical style began in the area called “South Bronx.”

To be sure, regardless of the music’s origin, the genre that they created evolved into a dominant musical tradition; so much so, that the music produced by some of today’s Hip Hop artist currently dominating the music charts, by young Black men like “Drake,” “Little Wayne.” “Young Jeezy’” and “Wacka Flocka” (What is a “Wocka Flocka?”).   Amazingly, music produced by artist like this group of young men have replaced the musical genre created by DJ Cool Herc and others like the “Sugarhill Gang” (“I said a Hip Hop, the Hippit…”); “Kurtis Blow” (“Clap yo’ hands everybody, if you got what it takes, cause I’m Kurtis Blow, and I want you to know that these are the Breaks!); “MC Lyte” (“Milk is Chillin,’ Gizmo’s Chillin,’ What more can I say, TOP BILLIN?”); “Eric B and Rakim” (“I came in the door.  I said it before.  I’ll never let the mic magnetize me no more”);  “LL Cool J” (LL Cool J is hard as hell!  Battle anybody I don’t care if you tell!  I excel!  They all fail!  Gonna come excel, Double L must rock the bells!!!); Lauryn Hill (“It’s Funny how money changes situations.  Miscommunications lead to complications.  My emancipation don’t fit your equation.”); “Big Daddy Kane”  (“Rappers steppin’ to me.  They wanna get some.  But, I’m the Kane, yo’ you know the outcome…”) “KRS-ONE” (“Criminal minded, you been blinded, lookin’ for a star like mine, you can’t find it”).  However, despite the great music produced by this creative contingent, and others like them, the Hip Hop tradition has devolved into a wanting, boring mix of deliberate and predictable lyrics (Using the “B” and “N” words) and music that leaves the creative imagination hoping for a return to what is now is being called “Old-School Hip Hop.”

Folks, how and why did this happen?

Nicholas Maurice Young is a sociologist, writer, and independent researcher.  He is a former Fellow with the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University.   He holds a Ph. D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago.  Nick is currently writing a book about the network connections of the Underground Railroad.

Brian Owens: The Voice of American Soul

Sitting across the table from Brian Owens, one might get the feeling of conversing with — as some say — an old soul. There is a calmness and self-assuredness that suggests he’s been here before, even though he is only on the verge of becoming the new voice of American soul. He doesn’t project the harried, fast-paced life of a national recording artist, but rather the soulful energy that dominates his music.

Raised in St. Louis, his music reflects a city infused with blues, soul, and folk, resulting in a style that is distinctly his own, yet reminiscent of artists like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Al Green, and, for those who know him, his father Thomas Owens who chose not to pursue a music career. “I want to be my own voice, but in a way that’s familiar to people,” Owens says. “So I welcome the comparisons because it means that people take comfort in my influences. People also say, ’You sing like your father,’ which is still a nod to good tradition. I’m glad to do that.”

As one of the lead singers of Sidewinder, the Air Force band that became a YouTube sensation with 2.5 million views, Brian has been featured with the band on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Fox and Friends. And he is determined to balance the media attention with a level head. “I’m very excited about the exposure,” he says. “Positive exposure is always good, even when I’m not at the forefront. I believe it will come back to me in a good way.”

In the meantime, Owens is preparing for the launch of his first major release, Moods and Messages — a self-proclaimed soundtrack to his journey as a soul artist. With the backing of St. Louis-based Destin2B1 Records and distribution through New York-based RED, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, Owens says, “Moods and Messages is about balancing out how we feel and what we give out to the world in terms of messages. So moods and messages often conflict, but you have to choose what your life will say, despite how you feel … It’s about making choices.”

The album displays Brian’s personal choices — serving in the Air Force, becoming a husband and father, performing — as they constantly shape his music into messages that are encouraging, thought-provoking, and touching. From social awareness to loving tributes to family, Brian masters the art of effortless lyrics and melodies to deliver messages that are powerfully relevant.

In his first nationally distributed single, “I Just Want to Feel Alright,” Owens evokes some of the most universal experiences of pain and desperation, even tapping into the mood of a country recovering from war and economic recession. It is a cathartic, yet hopeful anthem for our times.

The upbeat track “Open (Lovely Day)”, is a light-hearted reminder to count the blessings life gives daily, and to see the possibilities in every moment.  “Oh I” is a soulful, love ballad that pays tribute to the perfect partner– her kiss, her touch, her smile. “Keep Movin On”, is a message of encouragement  that acknowledges some of the most common adversities of our time through song. From the lost job, to the sacrificial life of a soldier, to the sharp pain of loneliness. A break from the deep messages woven throughout the album, “Let’s Get Out” is a fun reminder that sometimes, a little escape is all you ever need.

Brian attributes much of his style of interpretation to the consistency of human nature. “I’ve found that there is nothing new to write about – just new ways to write about the traditional, but exciting cycles of life. Music that reaches and touches people is about human nature. That doesn’t change. What makes us vulnerable, what makes us scared, what makes us happy — it never changes.”

WEBSITE                    TWITTER                 FACEBOOK

brianowens.tv              @brianowenstv           facebook.com/brianowens.tv

EPK Link
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./rpk/514908?access_code=b17ffd435ef77d23785b&auto_play=true

Website
www.brianowens.tv

Facebook
www.facebook.com/brianowens.tv

Twitter
www.twitter.com/brianowenstv

YOUTUBE LINKS

Brian Owens Promotional Reel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cizpsQUpnBw

I Just Want to Feel Alright (LIVE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps4tXXaF2jM

Show Me St. Louis Profile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNlhyFxfKpM

Great Day St. Louis Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8pzVBvXQR4

Game 1 World Series Performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9UXt27x5Vc

What Black Men Think Hits The Documentary Channel

Our friend and a favorite filmmaker Janks Morton’s groundbreaking film “What Black Men Think” will be featured on the Documentary Channel.  Click here for more details.