2 Philly Native Lives His Dreams at BET

By: Marvin DeBose September 18th, 2013 Frank 'Franky J' Jenkins, BET Correspondent The lights are on, the cameras are rolling, and a young man with the tall, lanky build of a basketball player, clad in a retro, red 76ers snapback cap and a blue polo shirt, takes the stage—not an actual stage though. In this case, the stage is a street corner. “This is BET’s 106 and Park top ten countdown, we’re going into another video right now, stay tuned,” the energetic young man says. He is animated with lively body language as he announces the next video, pausing between phrases and using his hands to accentuate nearly every word, “Lotus...

3 The Misunderstood Brilliance of Tupac Shakur

By: Marvin DeBose September 13th, 2013 "Now I understand what you tried to say to me And how you suffered for your sanity ...They did not listen, they're not listening still Perhaps they never will..." -Don McLean, Vincent In 1971, folk singer Don McLean wrote the song, Vincent, which was a heartrending tribute to the talented, yet, personally troubled 19th century painter Vincent Van Gogh. In the song, McLean vividly describes the artistic talents of Van Gogh distinctly remarking on his "Flaming flowers that brightly blaze/Swirling clouds in violet haze". Yet, what is most memorable about this song is how McLean speaks about Van Gogh's...