March 19 - April 1, 2025

March 19 - April 1, 2025 Vol. 33 No. 07

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4 Arts & Entertainment 6 SportsWise 8 Cover story: Hip-hop's growing pains Event highlights of the week!

The SportsWise team debates the Big Ten title race.

Ageism in hip-hop is particularly strong as the first generation of rappers nears their golden years, says a professor of the genre who is himself an aging rapper.

12 From the Streets

The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum in Bronzeville tells the local story, from CTA Supertransfers that facilitated kids traveling from across the city to develop the genre to movies like "Barbershop 2," "Love Jones," "Save the Last Dance" and even "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Long-time hip-hop artist Geoffrey Watts, aka "Dr. Groove" describes his use of the genre for positivity, going all the way back to a meeting with the poet Gwendolyn Brooks in fourth grade. Both stories reprinted from StreetWise August 9-15, 2023.

15 The Playground

ON THE COVER: Album artwork from MC Lyte's Bad As I Wanna Be, Common's Be, and Outcast's Stankonia. THIS PAGE: LL Cool J realeased his first album in 11 years in September 2024 (LL Cool J Facebook). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Her Heart Will Go On and On!

‘Titanique’ All aboard the Chicago debut of this must-sea musical comedy! W hen the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar-winning blockbuster film “Titanic,” you get “Titanique,” off-Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit, which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia. Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Céline Dion to enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of “Titanic”’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. Sailing on fierce powerhouse voices in show-stopping performances of such hits as “My Heart Will Go On,” “All By Myself” and “To Love You More” – backed by the unparalleled energy of a full live band – “Titanique” is a one-of-a-kind theatrical voyage bursting with nostalgia, heart and campy chaos. March 25 - May 18 at Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 161 E. Chestnut St. Tickets start at $41.50 at www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/titanique/ .

New Dances!

‘Winning Works’ The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 15th Anniversary of its choreographic competition, “Winning Works,” with five world premieres. This year's competition winners—Karley Childress, Roderick George (Recipient of the Zach Lazar Winning Works Fellowship), Shota Miyoshi (pictured), Alejandro Perez, and Keelan Whitmore—each will present an original work created for the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet Conservatory, trainees, and Joffrey Studio Company. With an added performance due to popular demand, "Winning Works" will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Edlis Neeson Theater (220 E. Chicago Ave.) ThursdaySunday, March 20-23. Tickets for Winning Works are $35 at joffrey.org/winningworks.

Celebrating a Legacy!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Center Stage at Ruth Page Ruth Page Center presents its annual celebration of its founder and dance icon Ruth Page’s birth with Center Stage at Ruth Page, March 21 & 22 at 7 p.m., at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. 2025 will feature In-Residence artists, including: Congo Square Theatre Company; DanceWorks Chicago; Giordano Dance Chicago; Hedwig Dances; Pilates Practice Chicago; Porchlight Music Theatre; Ruth Page Professional Dance Training Program; Ruth Page School of Dance. Additionally, guest artists from the Chicago community include: Ayodele Drum & Dance; Ballet 5:8; Collage Dance Collective; Visceral Dance Chicago; Winifred Haun & Dancers. Each night includes a wine and dessert reception in the lobby. Tickets are $25 for each night or $40 for both performances. Tickets may be purchased at bit.ly/CenterStage25.

4

The Power of a Voice!

‘Jazz a cappella’ Chicago a cappella, Chicago’s premier unaccompanied vocal ensemble, continues its 2024/25 Season with “Jazz a cappella,” a new dimension of jazz told through the voice, blending iconic vocal standards like “My Funny Valentine” with adaptations of instrumental masterpieces by Gillespie, Ellington, and Coltrane. Reimagined classics like “Birdland” and “Satin Doll” are joined by a new work from HerVoice competition winner Devon Gates, honoring jazz’s artistry and timeless legacy. This four-concert tour begins on March 29 and travels around Chicagoland with stops in Chicago (Gannon Concert Hall at Holtschneider Performance Center, 2330 N. Halsted St., March 29, 7:30 p.m.), Oak Park (Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave., March 30, 3 p.m.), Evanston (Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., April 5, 7:30 p.m.) and Naperville (Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., April 6, 4 p.m.). Tickets start at $38 at chicagoacappella.org.

Full of Grace!

‘The Book of Grace’ Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of “The Book of Grace,” an incendiary family portrait by Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of “Topdog/Underdog.” Grace looks for the good in everything: in her husband’s rules, in the border he patrols, in the return of his estranged son. But a want for goodness cannot unwind the past, as this taut family reunion explodes in all directions. Witness this startling reminder that the search for common ground can be bloody and brutal, leaving casualties on every side of the divide. March 27 – May 18 at Steppenwolf, 1646 N. Halsted St. Tickets start at $20 at steppenwolf.org.

Cinema with Demi!

International SWAN Day presents ‘Ghost’ International SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now) is an annual celebration the last Saturday in May of women’s achievements across creative disciplines. This year’s 20th annual event in Chicagoland (and 17th year in NYC) will be screening “Ghost” in celebration of Demi Moore’s unprecedented resurgence and also honoring Oscar-nominated filmmaker Coralie Fargeat (writer/director of “The Substance”) who made this 2025 news possible. Tickets to the 1 p.m. March 29 event at the AMC Evanston 12 on Maple are free, but necessary to enter the auditorium. Reserve at www.eventbrite.com/e/swan-day-chicago-2025-tickets-1246532164259

History On Trial!

‘The Trial of Themistocles’ The National Hellenic Museum presents the next installation of its popular Trial series with The Trial of Themistocles on Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. At this dynamic live event, nationally renowned attorneys will argue a case regarding Themistocles, one of ancient Athens’ most celebrated yet controversial figures, before a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience. The Trial explores questions about the line between public and private conduct, and the appearance of impropriety in a public figure. $100 general admission at nationalhellenicmuseum.org/trail2025

Opera For New Audiences!

‘The Listeners’ The haunting hum of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s “The Listeners” will transfix audiences at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive, from March 30 to April 11. “The Listeners” blends traditional opera with innovative videography and unconventional projection elements. This genre-defying opera’s unsettling narrative forewarns how isolation drives the search for human connection under the guise of an improbable sound. Featuring a score sung entirely in English, this work delivers a darkly comedic and thought-provoking experience for contemporary audiences. Tickets start at $42 at lyricopera.org/listeners

It Will Leave You Breathless!

‘Briefly Breathless’ Inspired by the experience of those who swim in Lake Michigan year-round, “Briefly Breathless” is an experimental dance theater piece staged in and around a giant sheet of plastic. Through rigorous movement experiments and an ensemble dance vocabulary, “Briefly Breathless” examines the culture of cold plunges and asks us to embrace discomfort, to face our fears and to search for our inner resilience. Playing at 8 p.m., March 21 & 22 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets are $20 at steppenwolf.org/lookout.

The Impact of Arts!

‘What They Said’ The Chicagoland non-profit Arts of Life continues celebrating its 25th Anniversary year with its Circle Contemporary exhibition titled “W hat They Said.” Circle Contemporary is a rotating exhibition gallery space housed in the Arts of Life Chicago studio, 2010 W. Carroll Ave., featuring recent works from Arts of Life artists and guests. Arts of Life advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their independence. The exhibit is guest curated by Nick Cave and Bob Faust and opens with a public reception with the artists on Friday, March 28 from 5-9 p.m. The exhibit will be on display March 28 - May 9. FREE. .

www.streetwise.org

5

Vendors (l-r) Russell Adams, A. Allen and John Hagan chat about the world of sports.

SPORTSWISE

The Big ten ncaa title race

John: Even though the Sunday Selection show will be March 16, we are speaking about NCAA tournaments, particularly the Big Ten, on the last Friday in February – who we believe will likely be in the tournament or one of the bubble teams.

Allen: We all know Michigan is good and this won’t be their first shot at the title. I kind of like Wisconsin because I used to live in Wisconsin. Michigan has a good shot at the title because they’ve been there, done it, and they can do it again.

Russell: The Big Ten title race is shaping up, one of the most exciting in college basketball.

Three teams are in contention for the crown. No. 1 Michigan is in sole possession of first place. That could change, as of today, February 21. Another team to watch is Wisconsin, 21-5, which is still to play teams that aren’t winning.

They are going to make up a lot of ground. And Maryland, sitting at 21-6. Illinois doesn’t have a shot at the Big Ten title, they lost too many games.

John: As far as the Big 10, I don’t look at the title because any one of the teams in the Top 5, they will be in the tournament. The other teams I have likely in, even though they’re not set in stone, are Illinois and UCLA. As far as teams on the bubble, Oregon, Ohio State, USC and Indiana, all in the Big Ten. Of the four bubble teams, the one team I picked over the other ones is Indiana, because of the name reputation and the strength of its schedule.

Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin, the top three teams, got a shot at the title.

Now in the SEC, which is more top-heavy than the balanced Big Ten, there are three teams in the top four. You got

the No. 1 team in the country, Auburn; No. 2, Florida; and No. 4, Alabama. Tennessee is also a Top 10 team. The bubble teams in the SEC, Texas and Vanderbilt, are not likely to make it because of how topheavy the SEC is.

John: Watch the conference tournaments. If the favorites win, then the bubble teams are the first teams to get in. If underdogs win, especially the major conferences, then they could very well be outside looking in.

I think UCLA and Illinois should be in, unless they lose the remainder of their games.

Russell: Michigan is coming in kind of high and Michigan State is coming in for the conference title. Then it is time for the Big Ten tournament. Anyone can win and the winner is guaranteed an automatic NCAA conference bid, so Illinois has a chance.

Allen: Me being from Illinois, I gotta go for the underdog, and I am going for Illinois all the way.

Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

As the stars of hip-hop’s golden age approach their golden years, some confront questions about whether old blood can make new music

by A. D. Carson

It’s always awkward telling people what I do for a living. I’m a rapper. I also work as a professor of hip-hop.

I work at the intersection of artmaking and academic research. I write music as part of a greater effort to challenge antiquated ideas about learning, teaching and expertise.

But I assume the awkwardness in conversations about work is related to stereotypes of hip-hop culture. Among many, one of those assumptions is that hip-hop is only made for and by young people.

It’s no surprise that ageism exists in and about hip-hop culture; in the U.S., ageism is everywhere. But I would argue that ageism in hip-hop is especially strong because the first generation of rappers is only now reaching their golden years.

New rap categories In August 2024, music producer 9th Wonder proposed a new “Adult Contemporary” category for rap music. A month prior, 52-year-old Common and 54-year-old producer Pete Rock had released The Auditorium, Vol. 1.

COVER STORY

In response to 9th Wonder, legendary hip-hop artist Q-Tip warned on the social platform X that hip-hop fans might be turned off by a category with “adult” in the name. He suggested “Traditional Hip-Hop” instead, arguing that the music should all appear in “one pot,” lest it turn off younger listeners.

8

Whether it’s called Adult Contemporary or Traditional Hip-Hop, several hip-hop legends have recently released new music that could fit into this category. In July 2024, the legendary lyricist Rakim, who’s 56 years old, released G.O.D.’S NETWORK (REB7RTH), his first album in 15 years. Two months later, 54-year-old MC Lyte released 1 of 1, her ninth studio album, and 56-year-old LL Cool J released The Force, his 14th studio album and his first in 11 years.

Growing pains Since hip-hop emerged as a cultural force more than 50 years ago, people still seem to pigeonhole rap as music made by and for young people.

And it’s true that in hip-hop’s early days, teenagers were at the forefront of the fledgling movement.

A 1973 back-to-school party organized by a 15-year-old girl from the Bronx named Cindy Campbell is often credited with birthing hiphop. Grand Wizzard Theodore was just 12 years old when he invented record scratching in 1977. The hip-hop careers of artists like Roxanne Shanté, Run-DMC and Ice Cube all began when they were teens.

Being closely intertwined with the perception of youth culture isn’t necessarily a good thing.

It can compel critics to treat the music and its practitioners less seriously.

Top: 52-year-old rapper and Chicago native Common performs on Sept. 11, 2024, in Atlanta (Paras Griffin photo).

Inset: Rapper and author of this article A. D. Carson (courtesy photo).

New albums from legendary hip-hop artists (clockwise from left: Common and Pete Rock The Auditorium, Vol. 1; Rakim G.O.D.'s Network (Reb7rth); LL Cool J The Force; MC Lyte 1 of 1.

In 2015, filmmaker Paul Iannacchino Jr. released a documentary, “Adult Rappers,” about working-class rap artists.

All the people interviewed for the film rap professionally but aren’t famous. They are mostly men. Most of them admit that they sidestep questions about what they do for a living. One unshakable takeaway is the embarrassment about their age.

Rappers, no matter their age, can be dismissed or treated as childish or immature.

Even famous rappers aren’t immune to this feeling. Before his move to instrumental flute music, André 3000, one of the greatest rappers of all time, lamented becoming the old rapper still making music beyond his prime.

Call it growing pains: Unlike, say, classical or country, 50 years is a blip in the history of music. And for much of that time, critics regarded hip-hop as a passing fad. Then it was seen as an emergent subculture.

“I remember, at like 25, saying, ‘I don’t want to be a 40-year-old rapper,’” he told The New York Times in 2014. “I’m 39 now, and I’m still standing by that. I’m such a fan that I don’t want to infiltrate it with old blood.”

It’s only been a category at the Grammys since 1989, and only recently has it been recognized as a commercial and cultural force with a global reach.

André 3000 has been a gifted lyricist for decades, and remains so. If he feels this way, I can imagine that many other artists might feel that, at a certain age, they don’t belong to the culture anymore.

Nowadays, equating hip-hop with youth culture confines it to an arena it has long outgrown.

Or the culture no longer belongs to them.

Imposter syndrome grows

Forever young?

Nonetheless, as rappers age, some can seem uncomfortable about participating in a form that can be so easily dismissed.

Despite the fact that audiences have aged alongside the artists, it can still feel like there’s pressure to stay tapped in to youth culture, lest www.streetwise.org

9

André 3000, age 49 (Kai Regan photo).

they create music that, to quote André 3000 more recently, lacks “fresh ingredients.”

This might encourage some aging artists to attempt to maintain a youthful sheen that will resonate with young audiences. Think of it as a pop culture version of Oscar Wilde’s novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

In the novel, a man sells his soul for youth. Rather than physically aging, a painting of him ages instead, taking on the physical signs of his transgressions and pleasures.

It’s still easy to think of hip-hop as confined to a frame that bears all the marks of youthful longings, rebellion and sins: juvenile vitality, sprightly beauty and vigorous hedonism.

The expectations lead audiences to assume all artists have similar youthful aims and concerns. They can also lead artists to perform like they’re young and write about the concerns they had as youngsters, despite their respective ages.

The hip-hop artists who can’t or choose not to pretend to be “forever young” are expected to “evolve” into moguls, actors, podcasters or reality TV personalities.

Of course, those assumptions only end up limiting what artists of all ages can accomplish.

Rappers at whatever level of celebrity you observe, famous and not famous, continue to create while embracing the inevitability of age. Nas, whose debut album, Illmatic, was released in 1994, has had an outstanding run of albums in the 2020s.

Jay-Z’s 4:44 showcased the rapper’s changing sensibilities that have seemingly evolved as he has aged.

North Carolina duo Little Brother’s entire catalog displays awareness of the absurdity of avoiding adulthood – outstandingly so, I might add, on their 2019 album, May the Lord Watch.

Even emerging rappers like Conway the Machine and 7xvethegenius seem to be able to balance burgeoning careers without caving to youth-obsessed pretenses.

10

Creating new, cleverly named musical categories to sidestep biases against aging probably won’t solve the issue.

In hip-hop, as in so many American industries, ageism isn’t going away.

For that reason, my embrace of being an adult rapper* will probably continue to make for awkward introductions.

But I’d rather have that conversation than pretend I’m something I’m not. *A. D. Carson is an associate professor of Hip-Hop at the University of Virginia.

“Owning My Masters (Mastered): The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions” was published and released in October 2024

by University of Michigan Press. Carson’s album and digital archive features two volumes of hip-hop music, an annotated timeline, several videos and a digital book. The album was originally submitted to Clemson University in South Carolina as his doctoral dissertation. Since he had already earned his master’s degree, the album plays on that word as well as mastering, or duplicating the album. The final word play is that Clemson is located on the former plantation of the slaveholding U.S. politician John C. Calhoun, so that in producing the album, Carson has “mastered” the master.

Chicago's Hip Hop Heritage Museum The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum is located at 4505 S. Indiana Ave. Regular hours are Noon-5 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. Group tours are available on other days by appointment by calling 312.316.0836. Cost is $12 per person. (See page 12 & 13).

The current exhibit, “The Elements,” showcases Chicago’s contribution to all four aspects of the hip-hop genre: breaking, MC-ing, DJ-ing and graffiti. It closes April 27, and the museum will reopen July 1 with an all-women's hip-hop exhibit. www.customresourceschicago.com/chicagohiphopheritagemuseum

AWARENESS THROUGH THE ARTS A NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION & RESOURCE FAIR

Food | Activities | Speakers Come celebrate the first look at a community created, multi-media art installation that highlights the awareness of mental well-being!

Meet local community organizations and learn about where to access art programs and behavioral health resources!

DATE & TIME

APRIL 27TH 11 AM - 2 PM

LOCATION CENTER ON HALSTED, 3656 N HALSTED ST, CHICAGO, IL

FREE OPEN TO ALL

Accessible via the Addison Red Line stop and bus routes 8, 36, and 152.

www.streetwise.org

11

The Chicago hip hop heritage museum provides music and chicago history Story and photos by Suzanne Hanney

Hip-hop started organically, as people were actually making music for themselves, says Brian Gorman, one of three curators of the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum in Bronzeville. Gorman, along with Carrico “Kingdom Rock” Sanders Sr. and Darrell “Artistic” Roberts, started the museum in July 2021 for HipHop Heritage Month.

Gorman is a member of ChiRock (Chicago Respect Our Creative Kids/ Kings) Nation, a collective of MCs, graffiti writers and other people in hip-hop culture, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

FROM THE STREETS

Located in an historic greystone decorated with a bold graffiti woman on the curve of its interior stairway, the hip-hop museum is also an accessible entrée into Chicago history.

12

On one wall, there is a huge CTA “Supertransfer” poster. On Sundays in 1986, this slender piece of paper cost $1.40 (later $1.75) for rides all day, all over the city. Young people used the Supertransfer to go to the Museum of Science and Industry, and play their music outside, Gorman said. It was the kind of transit equity, bringing diverse people together for economic opportunities, that advocates dream about today.

Musician sign-in sheets from the late 1980s list ZIP codes from all over the city: from 60610 for areas near Cabrini-Green to 60660 and 60626 in Edgewater and Rogers Park, 60643 in Morgan Park, 60651 in Humboldt Park and Austin. No 312 or 773 area codes are listed, because they weren’t invented until 1995. Everyone’s Chicago phone number had just seven digits.

Gorman and his ChiRock Nation friends had been holding onto all this material, reluctant to throw it away, when they were approached by a New York group in 2020 that wanted their memorabilia for a little display in their museum.

“We decided we would be better off doing it ourselves, because all of us were hoarders,” Gorman said. “The next thing you know, we’re here.” The trio is still processing over 10,000 objects and actively expanding their collection through acquisitions and donations.

A highlight of the museum are black and white concert photos by photographer Raymond Boyd of hip-hop stars in their prime years ago: Queen Latifah, Snoop Dog, Common, who was then known as Common Sense; 2nd II None, Tung Twista and DJ Quik at Malcolm X College in 1991; Da Brat at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in June 1994; even a very young Kanye West with his original band, the Go Getters. Boyd started with a Kodak pocket camera in high school and was still shooting for fun when he was discovered by Earl Calloway, fine arts editor at the Chicago Defender, who hired him as a freelancer.

The museum shows the work of writers like Slang, Artistic, Upski, Trickster and Ray Pitman; emcee/rappers like Casper, Dr. Groove, Kanye, Chance the Rapper; DJs like Mustapha Rocks and Timbuktu; radio personalities like Al Greer, Ramonski Luv, First Lady, Chilly Q; dancers like Jeffery Daniels, Shabba Doo, Brickheadz, and more.

Brian Gorman, a curator of the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum, leads a tour (Suzanne Hanney photo).

Right past the memorial wall at the top of the stairs is a room overlooking Indiana Avenue that Gorman uses for minishows after recordings in the museum’s soundproof studio.

He hosts twice-monthly podcasts, followed by artist performances.

Another highlight of the room is the row of promotion posters for Chicago movies with some tie to hip-hop: “Cooley High,” “Running Scared,” “Candyman,” “Barbershop” and “Barbershop 2,” “Soul Food,” “Love Jones,” “Above the Rim,” “Save the Last Dance,” “Chiraq” and “The Chi” are all obvious, but there’s also “The Blues Brothers” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – the latter for the scene where Ferris, his girlfriend and best friend, encounter a break dancer outside Wrigley Field.

There are also posters from the yearly “Battle 4 the Eagle” for graffiti artists and musicians, which this year will be 11 a.m.-8 p.m. August 13 at the Illinois Centennial Memorial, 3150 W. Logan Blvd. More information at rofchi.com The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum, located at 4505 S. Indiana Ave. in Bronzeville, offers guided one-hour tours starting at $12. More information on visits, legacy and other donations, and its private label apparel at www.chhhm.com

dR. groove waxes on Chicago hip-hop

If you think hip-hop is about negativity, you’ve been paying too much attention to people who would buy out land in the 'hood low and sell it high, says Brian Gorman, one of three curators of the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum in Bronzeville. “[Funkadelic band leader] George Clinton knew Black people didn’t love each other so he put up the P Funk sign,” which was the International Sign Language hand signal for “I love you,” said Geoffrey Watts, aka “Dr. Groove,” formerly of the rap group “Sneak Attack.” Sneak Attack did positive raps – “Drugs, No Drugs; “You Don’t Have to Be in a Gang to do Your Thang; “Stay in School”—around Chicago from 1986 to 1989.

“I’m old enough now that I can break the code,” said Watts, who is also an emcee and poet/mentor to many, in an interview at the hiphop museum for an upcoming documentary.

Clinton was connected to Chicago through the artist Pedro Bell, a Chicago native who created psychedelic album covers. Bell’s style has been described as “urban Hieronymous Bosch,” and his album covers redefined the P-Funk collective as sci-fi superheroes fighting the evils of society.

Parliament Funkadelic inspired Watts’ performance name, Groove, a code word for God. Groove’s story began much earlier. He met poet Gwendolyn Brooks in fourth grade at Burnside School, 650 E. 91st Place. The school won an appearance from Brooks after reading the most books in a contest sponsored by a radio station. “She not only gave me a hug, she told me I could write something.”

The next month, he had penned, “The 12 Black Days of Christmas,” he said, laughing.

Later, at Kentucky State University, he was exposed to a New Yorker who did Superman Rap. Two weeks later, he met Manhattan DJ Robert Weeks, who introduced him to mixing.

Closer to home, he learned from the late Phil Cohran, who mentored Earth, Wind & Fire. “He taught us about beats: which were heavenly and which were not. He taught us not to violate them, and he would do things that were uplifting for our people.”

Groove never listened to people who said rap was a short-term fad. “I knew rap was here to stay.”

He used the rhymes as a tool for teaching kids mathematics and geography until the death of Harold Washington quashed such cultural teaching methods.

From top: Lonnie “Tu Short” Strong; Daphne “Double D” Ivory; Lazarick “Rick Dog” Leak; Michael “Sugar D” Richardson; Waldo “Fatman MC” Correa; Geoffrey “Doctor Groove” Watts of the group Doctor Groove and Sneak Attack (photo by Suzanne Hanney).

“The names of African nations – kids would catch on just like that. Using rhythm, there were things they would teach in a month that I could teach in a week.”

www.streetwise.org

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1 to 9.

Streetwise 2/16/25 Crossword To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Sudoku

©2025 PuzzleJunction.com

62 Impish 65 “Bolero” composer 67 Maple genus 68 French noodle?

69 Popeye’s gal 70 Undertaking 71 God offended

by Daphnis 72 Went white

8 Created 40 Centrist mentally 41 Dashboard 9 JFK’s gauge daughter 42 Part of a 10 Brest friend thunderstorm 11 Scorsese’s 45 Favorite first 3D film 48 Henpeck 12 Footnote abbr. 50 “Hud” Oscar 13 Repair winner 19 Shed 51 Defective 22 Arid 53 Evanesces 25 Flying geese 54 Little row Down formation 55 Type of type 27 Not guzzle 56 Cans 1 Sheet of ice 28 Helpers, 59 Like Darth 2 Bandung briefly Vader locale 29 Summary 60 “Scream” star 30 Spin 3 Humdinger Campbell 4 Sprinted 31 Goldbrick 61 Coaster 32 Auspices 5 Scraps 63 Perturb Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com 33 Needle 6 Hollow 64 W.W. II inits.

34 Miscalculated 66 ___ provençale 7 Kind of race

Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com

©PuzzleJunction.com

Answers from our last edition Sudoku Solution Solution

Sudoku Solution

Find your nearest StreetWise Vendor at www.streetwise.org

PuzzleJu

Crossword Across 1 Stash away 5 Bishop’s jurisdiction 8 Nautilus, for one 11 Fuzzy fruit 12 Nodules 14 Kind of package 15 Hankerings 16 Like some suspects 17 Battery fluid 18 Apiece 20 Mouse catcher 22 Road curve 25 Speaker’s platform 27 Overnight bag 31 Humans, e.g.

33 Makes like a surgeon ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com 35 Courageous 14 Kind of lily 74 Compote fruit 36 Incinerate 19 Viper 37 Feedbag morsel 75 Seat of Allen 21 Conflict County, Kan. 38 Gaelic tongue 22 Subside 76 Compass dir.

40 Bone (Prefix) 23 Round Table 43 Physicians’ org. 77 Wife of Saturn title 78 Sandwich shop 46 Potpie 24 Hot springs ingredients 26 Old French Down 48 Caribbean coin 1 Heavens cruise stop 2 Dead heat 28 Four-time 52 Questions after Japanese prime 3 Possess a space flight minister 4 Judicious 55 Wave runner 29 Yellow, for one 5 Kind of bar 56 Seinfeld regular 6 Down Under 30 N.Y. minutes?

57 Quickly, in 32 First lady bird memos 34 Major-leaguers 7 Clean air org.

59 Giant slugger 36 Burger meat 8 Pouch Mel 9 Spoonbender 39 Accelerate 60 Preceded 41 Brownish gray Geller 61 Level 10 Fourposter, e.g. 42 Blunder 63 Firewood, e.g.

12 Indiana Jones 43 Fruit drink 66 Up to 44 Funnyman producer 69 Mine entrance Brooks 13 Unkempt folks 73 Table scraps

45 47 49 50 51 53 54 55 58 62 63 64 65 67 68 70 71 72

Attorneys’ org.

Botanist Gray Tabloid topic Put on the line It may be framed Small streams Chemical suffix Cruises Mixes up Police action Antagonist Still-life subject Summer on the Seine The Matrix hero Pub fixture Female antelope In poor health Clavell’s ___Pan

How StreetWise Works

All vendors go through an orientation focusing on their rights and responsibilities as a StreetWise Magazine Vendor. Authorized vendors have badges with their name, picture and current year.

Buy the Magazine, -orTake the Magazine When you buy the magazine, take the Vendors purchase the magazine, and read magazine for $1.15 and the magazine, you sell it for $3 plus tips. are supporting our The vendor keeps all of microentrepreneurs earning their earnings. an income with dignity.

New vendor orientation is every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at 2009 S. State St. Find your nearest vendor at www.streetwise.org

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THE PLAYGROUND

StreetWise exists to elevate marginalized voices and provide opportunities for individuals to earn an income and gain employment. Anyone who wants to work has the opportunity to move themselves out of crisis.

StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”

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