Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop: Legislative Black Caucus Honors West Coast Greats

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) celebrated the 5oth anniversary of hip-hop on Aug. 14, with a tribute to the West Coast pioneers, leaders and innovators who shaped the genre.

The Bring the Peace Movement organized the rally and ceremony where speakers paid homage to the honorees.

Juana Burns-Sperling, cofounder of Rialto/Los Angelesbased all-female hip-hop group JJ FAD, told California Black Media (CBM) that the love received from state lawmakers -- which included standing ovations on both the Senate and Assembly floors — was a long time in the making, but well worth the wait.

“It was amazing. It was an honor to be there to represent the West Coast and represent my group,” said Sperling, who goes by the stage name, MC JB. “When I first heard about it my thoughts were, ‘finally’ because the West Coast seems to be left out of things that are going on right now. So, the fact that our (lawmakers) were honoring us, we didn’t have to rely on other geographical areas. I was truly happy. We’re finally getting recognized.”

The rap songs Sperling, “Baby D” (Dania Birks) and “Sassy C” (Michelle Ferrens) performed were produced by world-renowned Hiphop mogul Dr. Dre (Andre Young), and Arabian Prince (Kim Renard Nazel). They group was signed to Ruthless Records.

JJ FAD (an acronym created with the names of the original group members in 1985: Juana, Juanita, Fatima, Anna, and Dana) reached the top of the charts with their signature song, “Supersonic” in 1988.

The program organized by Jamilia Land of the Bring the Peace Movement, featured a voter registration drive and entertainment and

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor and Colleagues Ask Gov. Newsom to Intervene in State Employee Pay Negotiations

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson California Black Media

Tensions are flaring over ongoing contract negotiations between government employee unions and the state. Some are deadlocked.

The delays have prompted Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D - Inglewood), who is a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus and other lawmakers to write a letter asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene.

“State workers play a crucial role in all of California’s pro- grams,” lawmakers said in the letter dated Aug. 14. “To achieve your Administration’s goals, such as combating climate change, ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare, and improving our transportation infrastructure, it is crucial to retain public workers who can effectively implement these vital programs and policies. Unfortunately, without a new contract many of these workers’ economic futures, and our ability to retain them as employees, are in jeopardy.”

How Nonprofits Can Strengthen Legal Guardrails

Bronx borough of New York City. Hip-hop consists of four elements: “deejaying,” or “turntabling,” “MCing” or “rhyming,” graffiti painting, and the hip-hop dance, style, and attitude of “B-boying.” was attended by CLBC chair Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (DSuisun City), Vice-Chair and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and other officers and members.

“At the time of its founding, hip-hop was met with vitriol from politicians. However, today a host of politicians, community organizations and leaders convene to honor the pioneers and architects of the hip-hop movement,” Wilson said on the Assembly floor.

Sperling was joined at the State Capitol with West Coast hip-hop artists and music producers King T (Roger McBride), Kid Frost (Arturo R. Molina Jr.), Arabian Prince Mistah F.A.B.(Stanley Cox), Micheal Latt, Karega Bailey, Tinish Hollins, Greg Mack, Violet Brown, LaRussell Thomas, Greg Mack, Casual from the Hieroglyphics (Jon Owens), Disco Daddy (Michael Khalfani), filmmaker Deon Taylor, and Alonzo “Lonzo” Williams.

Mickelle “Hayón” Hellon, Leila Steinberg (who was Tupac’s manager), the Magical Rock Band, and retired legislative aid Rory Kaufman were also recognized as honorees.

Known to the West Coast hiphop community as “Grand Master Lonzo,” Williams is the innovator behind the legendary R&B/Rap group “World Class Wreckin Cru,” that found major success with the 1987 hit “Turn Off the Lights.”

“When I called my partner and Senator, Sen. Bradford, and told him we need to do something for hip-hop on the West Coast I had no idea that it would end up on the Assembly and Senate floors,” Wil- liams told CBM. “My initial plan was to do something in Compton, get all the homies and OGs together and show some love. But here we are today, and it was a great event.”

Bradford and Williams “go way back” on the music scene of Gardena, Compton, and Los Angeles. They used to promote singing groups, bands, and hip-hop dancing cliques. The artists received a warm welcome from lawmakers in both chambers; thanks to Bradford, Wilson, and Sen. Lola SmallwoodCuevas (D- Ladera Heights).

“Steve understood what we did back in L.A. back in the day because he was a part of it but only on another level,” Williams said. “Steve was a dance promoter before he became a Compton city councilman, assemblymember, and senator. He was my competition. It just made for a great situation.”

Williams is credited with launching the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson), D.J. Yella (Antoine Carraby) and Eazy E. (Eric Wright), formerly known as N.W.A. The group is credited with ushering in a form of hip-hop music that was coined gangster rap.

The gangster rap genre propelled the careers of Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus Jr.), Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Hale), DJ Quick (David Marvin Blake), Above the Law, Warren G (Warren Griffin III), Lady of Rage (Robin Yvette Allen), Yo-Yo (Yolanda Whitaker), E-40’s (Earl Stevens) little sister Suga-T (Tenina Stevens), among others.

The elements of hip-hop culture first emerged in the 1970s in Morris Heights, a neighborhood in the

The West Coast artists extracted the characteristics and stylings from East Coast hip-hop but were able to create their own musical flavor with stories, references and imagery that reflected street life and living in urban centers, mostly in California.

Gangster rap and the “G-funk era” dominated the hip-hop scene in the late 1980s and all through the 1990s from the Los Angeles region to Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area by standouts like Too $hort (Todd Anthony Shaw).

Joel Flatow, Senior Vice President, Artist and Industry Relations, and Chief of West Coast operations for RIAA, said the accolades bestowed on the artists in Sacramento are a tribute to the innovation and foresight they brought to the culture.

“We just have a tremendous wealth of talent in this state,” Flatow added.

RIAA is a trade organization that supports and protects the rights of artists and music labels in the US.

Adding to the cultural weight to the celebration, Land and other community activists issued a proclamation, offered samplings of poetry, gave shoutouts to hip-hop history, and appealed to the audience to become politically engaged champions of peace.

“This is a time of celebration and reflection,” stated Land, who is also the co-founder of the Anti-Violence, Safety, and Accountability Project (ASAP). “We acknowledge the monumental achievements of West Coast artists and also reflect on the effect of unresolved trauma and violence in the Culture.

By Carmen Bogan

On Aug. 31, OCCUR & San Francisco Foundation FAITHS A

Model Built on Faith (AMBOF) will present: Strengthening Your

Legal Guardrails 2023 - What

Faith Based and Nonprofit Organizations Need to Know.

In this important training, Karl Mill, founding attorney of the Mill Law Center, along with attorney Patrick Hogan will provide an overview of key legal principles every nonprofit leader must know and observe now for the organization’s protection and stability.

“Now more than ever, our communities look to faith-based and nonprofit organizations to fill service gaps and critical safety nets for those who are struggling to survive and thrive in every area,” says Mill, a specialist in nonprofit law. “As faith-based organizations and CBOs push forward to meet these community needs, now more than ever, it’s essential that they are also diligent to continually examine and strengthen their own legal infrastructures. Not learning the basics of nonprofit law can be a costly mistake.”

Training participants will learn:

• Overview of some key legal issues for 2023

Maintaining 501 (c)(3) status

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Paying attention to employment law issues (employees vs. contractors vs. volunteers)

How to engage in political advocacy without creating risk for your organization … and more.

“Legal guardrails are central to the organizations’ very ability to function and thrive. Legal stability is critical to getting funding, acquiring loans, managing staff and volunteers, collaborating and partnering with other CBOs, and so much more,” says nonprofit consultant, Carmen Bogan, CEO, The Bogan Group. “This free training from experts in the field, Karl Mill and Patrick Hogan, is a valuable opportunity for our nonprofit community.”