Hey everybody!!
Usher's New Look is in the running for winning $2500 towards camp! But we need your help!
Go to www.bkfamfest.com
click on Charity Donation
click on Atlanta
choose Usher's New Look
and cast your vote!!
Tell all of your friends!!!
Voting closes today at 12PM!!
The Inauguration Chronicles::
-DAY 3 EVENT 1
Early is not the word to describe what time we woke up the next morning. Half anxious, half sleepy. We hopped into the SUV reserved for us and started on the craziest drive of our lives. We were dropped off as close as they would allow the vehicles, then came the journey to the Inauguration services. We were in the yellow gate area and got turned around at least 3 times. We walked the tunnel for the Massachusetts Ave. Exit and finally saw daylight after an hour of walking. We found our way to New Jersey Ave. and waited with the mass of people holding those bright yellow tickets. Here comes the indicator that I, Mia "Couture" Barnett, am not made for the cold. I began shivering uncontrolably, kinda like hypathermia and frost bite at its worst. I had to accost Supa's jacket and rely on the body heat of the crowd to help me. I promise the only thing that kept blood running through my body were the Hand Warmers and Foot Warmers that Godfather's wife was gracious enough to pass out. I lost all feeling in my toes and hands til the point I could not text my friends that were trying to locate me in the crowd on TV. I packed clothes, sweater material and all, but I didn't pack DC clothes. Like I said in the first installment, I packed enough but not enough for DC weather. I was a walking popsicle through the entire preliminary walk and all that. When the Inauguration of President Barack Obama started I felt nothing but a rush of excitement and hope for my future and, someday, my future's future. The cold evaporated and I felt a jolt of energy and warmth. I won't lie, I ducked when I heard the cannons go off and Dewey laughed, little did he know I was going to be laughing at him for more dire reasons later that hour. We witnessed the first torch of change for our generation sworn into office and it was something I will remember forever. As the ceremonies ended we headed back to find the car and ran into Usher, P. Diddy, Magic Johnson, and Yolanda Adams. We walked through the chaotic streets and found the car and headed home only to find that the bridge was closed. At this point in time, all the boys decided that they could not hold it any longer and began asking every passanger bus in the standstill traffic to use their restroom. After subsequent denials they created their own methods to deal with it. This is the part where I laughed at Dewey and Supa, i think its called karma! LOL. Either way traffic got moving and we hurried into the hotel and began to prepare for the night.
see Chronicle 6
to see footage from the restroom issues check the video blog area
The Inauguration Chronicles::
-Day 2 Event 2
We left the project and arrived at the National Mall. The National Mall is the area that contains all the historic monuments and museums that have been built throughout US history. The most majestic of them all is the Washington Monument. Chantia took some great pictures and they can be found in the photos section. We walked around the Washington Monument, by the Smithsonian Museum, WHite House, and everything in between. It was wonderful to see the buildings that represent the great people and occurances that Americans have experienced and that in turn helped shape our culture. The view was mind blowing and we took pictures with as many military people that we could. Seeing all those structures made me have an even greater appreciation for our history. Then we caught a cab and began our own exploration of DC. We walked M street and 21st. Trekked around downtown DC and got some food while we talked about everything under the sun. Then came sleep and anticipation of the Inauguration.
see Chronicles 5
The Inauguration Chronicles::
THE SIMON ELEMENTARY && OPRAH
-Day 2 Event 1
We awoke bright and early the next morning in anticipation of going to the Simon Elementary School service project. The service project was put on by MTV and ServiceNation. In the service project we teamed up with sponsors such as Target and CityYear to help paint hallways and create two new libraries for the children of Simon Elementary. These children were deprived of a library and due to this fact, the literacy rate was down to 15% creating a future drop out rate of 50% or higher. It was a beautiful thing to see the hundreds of volunteers milling around and in and out the different rooms and organizing books for the newly constructed shelves. Me and Supa tackled the Biographies while Plie and Dewey took on the never-ending pile of autobiographies. While we were helping with books and organization, Oprah did a live broadcast and featured the service project on the show. We were all excited about being part of a project that was so important Oprah felt it was worthy of her attention. Not only did Usher stop by to get involved, but Allen Rossum, Tobey Maguire (Spiderman), and Brandon Routh (Superman) also came by to show support and provide some hands on help. We left the service project and got a chance to do some interviewing of the People Magazine Editor AnneMarie Cruz. She gave us tips for picking a career and how to move up the ladder. Talk about enlightening!!! THe next stop was the National Mall.
see Chronicles 4
(We rode in a white stretch 300C and had a few laughs and candid moments, you can see them as well as footage from the service project on the video blog section.)
The Inauguration Chronicles::
THE MAYOR'S EVENT @ CLUB 9:30
-Day 1 Event 1
We met the boys, Dewey da Don & Supa, and caught up on old times before getting ready to head to our first event. We all dressed up the best we could for the club in the winter time and jumped into recording mode. You can see these recordings on the video section, some of them are really amusing, especially the candid recording that Godfather did of us on the way to our event for day 2. Anyways, we arrived and walked through the crowd of live people waiting for the performances. We were introduced to Mayor Fenty of DC, and he was the most chill and laid back office holding man I have ever personally met. He made us feel welcome and we enjoyed every minute of our visit. The performances included, T.I., Wyclef Jean (who had the whole club vibing for at least 30 minutes straight), and Fallout Boy. It was mind blowing, we were right in front of the stage and I was loving every minute of every act. Usher then broguht us on stage to talk about the I Can't But You Can campaign and the accomplishments that it had. It was a rush and an honor to be standing on stage next to the person that allowed me to witness history and for him to be talking about our efforts! {talk about reap what you sew!!} We got to see Usher's dressing room, rub shoulders with Wyclef, meet Just Live, and meet Maria Shriver who is Arnold Schwarzanegar's wife. My head was spinning from all of the people I met and we were surrounded by. It was amazing! we then headed home and talked for hours about the people we encountered. Sleep came easy as we prepared for day 2.
see Chronicles 3
The Inauguration Chronicles::
In November history was made and nobody could fathom the truth of having an African American President. Now the dream is true and to witness the Inauguration is the highest honor! I was offered the opportunity to witness history and these next 6 posts are the tales of the New Look Youth that took intiative and get reap the rewards of witnessing the history they helped created, here is our story.
Day 1 THE FLIGHT:
I have only been out of the southeastern region of the United States on three occassions: once to drive all the way to Missouri aka "Misery" to visit my Uncle and Aunt, once to take a tour of London, England, and once to visit my parents native Jamaica when I was 10. I will admit, I am not the best at packing and stayed up til 6:00 AM on Saturday in order to pack small and enough, turns out I did pack small but I am NOT made for cold weather and later on you will see what I mean LOL. Either way, I went through baggage check and all that. I met Chantia at the boarding gate and we caught up on the time between camp and now. We boarded, I realized that there was an odd colored hair man that was sitting in a wheelchair boarding our same flight. I took a second look and realized who it was: George Clinton, the music legend that invented Parlament Funkadelic (ask your parents I am sure they will "hum a few bars", as Chantia would say, and do a little jig for you). We arrived and "de-planed" and jumped on this little mini shuttle that drove "forwards" in a backwards way, I know confusing, but we once again saw Mr. Clinton. Chantia finally noticed him and proceeded to begin the following conversation. Now if you know Chantia aka Plie then you know how she sounds and may find this slightly amusing. If you know me and my sarcasm then you know how I sounded and it may be amusing to you. Here goes::
Chantia: "Look at that guys hair it is really crazy."
Me: "You don't know who that is?"
Chantia: "Mia, please don't make me feel like that!"
Me: "I just want an answer do you know who that MAN is?"
Chantia: "Mia! Stop!"
Me: "What?! Just answer the question I'm not going to do anything embarrassing!"
Chantia: "Who is that, Mia?"
Me: "THAT is George Clinton, he is a big music legend."
Chantia: "Can you hum a few bars? Because I have never heard of him..."
{silence}{awkward silence}
Me: "You have never heard of him? Ok Chantia. Ask your mom and see if she will hum because I refuse to hum a funk song on a shuttle full of people from ATL, especially in front of the man himself!"
Chantia then turns around and begins a tad bit of networking with his manager, mind you she was equally bright in dress. Chantia gets the info and starts singing me the songs like I was the one who asked who the man was!
Chantia: "Did you know he sang "Flashlight" ?"
Me: "Yes I did Chantia, that's Parlament FUNKadelic music."
Chantia: "I got the manager to set up a picture with him when we get out of baggage claim!!"
And sure enough, Chantia got her picture! Then begins the adventure of the taxi ride to the hotel. Long story short, all the possible roads were closed and our cab drive could not speak English. So he started looking at maps, while in traffic, instead of listening to the GPS and it took us a full 2 hours to make it to the hotel from Washington-Dulles. With his 50mph driving and constant refusal of using technology, we ran a $75 cab fare, and he then proceeds to tell us that he can't take cards after we both asked prior to departure. SO, we scrambled to get the cash together and looked up to be amazed by the Palomar Hotel. It was so majestic and modern at the same time. The rooms were gorgeous like I didn't want to sit on the leopard throw or muss the pillows. The room made the whole ride disappear! Next, we met up with the guys.
see Chronicle 2
Usher Continues to Expose Youth to the Business of Entertainment Through his New Partnership With got noise?
The people that bring you those unforgettable milk mustache ads that remind youth to drink milk for a healthy body, just like their countless famous spokespeople, has partnered with Usher for a once in a lifetime experience. The new “got noise?” campaign is giving 20 applicants the opportunity to make Usher’s next music video! Usher is the first artist of the “got noise?” campaign that is designed to get youth involved in the conceptualization, production, editing, and airing of a music video.
Through the campaign, Body by Milk hopes the involvement with youths’ favorite artists will inspire them to drink milk and stay active to maintain a healthy body and combat obesity. Usher is looking forward to working with youth to create his next music video and commented on the campaign by saying, “It also sends a message to my fans about the importance of healthy living. That’s something I believe in and want teens to recognize”. Interested in being a part of the production? From December 16 through January 31, all interested teens between the ages of 13 and 18 can apply online at http://www.bodybymilk.com. There are no participation fees or experience required. Yes, that means it is free and even though you may not have any experience in the video or editing fields, you are still eligible! The two teams, made up of 10 teens each, will collaborate with Usher to brainstorm and shoot the video. Then following the week’s shooting and editing, the two videos will be aired and voted for online. The winning team will receive VIP tickets to an Usher concert, Final Cut Pro editing software and Apple Mac Book Pro laptops.
The “got noise?” program is designed to give teens a chance to learn skills and make connections so they can express themselves through two things that are a part of their active lives: music and music videos. “This initiative falls right into line with Camp New Look’s mission,” explains Usher,” It’s a great way to reach even more youth”. This is a perfect opportunity for all you Camp New Look Alumni whether or not you were involved in the video track! Not only will you be putting the knowledge you learned hands on at camp to use, but you will be in complete control of the video shoot, production, editing, and airing of the music video. After you show off your skills, you could win a Mac Book Pro to help continue in your endeavors to pursue a career in video production, directing, and even producing. This could be the first step towards making connections and advancing into the video and production side of music. The video track is not the only possible group to benefit from this experience. Those alumni that were involved in the music component will learn how to put the skills they learned to successfully give feedback and direction on how to portray Usher in his new music video. The lessons you learned on the set of the Camp New Look music video shoot can be transposed right into Usher’s music video. Make your experience at Camp New Look an effective one by applying and exhibiting your knowledge!
This story touched my heart. If anyone ever says that superstars do not give back to their communities, they haven't met Usher! Here is the story::
Usher Partners to Provide Christmas for 300 Underserved Youth and Grants Families’ Christmas Wishes
The Christmas Holiday is the time of year where moms, dads, and Santa make dreams come true. In today’s economy, the moms and dads that have helped Santa in the past are finding it hard to be his little helpers this year. In an effort to make Santa’s job a little easier and to provide children with a little more hope, Usher has partnered with several charities and programs to make a difference. He has taken time out to organize and give Christmas to those that deserve it. Usher has once again found a way to give back to the community that watched and helped him become the superstar he is today.
The first of which to receive Usher’s holiday cheer was with V-103’s Frank and Wanda Morning Show. Due to the tight budget that all are experiencing, Frank and Wanda were saddened at the reality that they may not be able to provide for as many families, through their “Christmas Wish List”, as usual. The “Christmas Wish List” is a charitable program which grants wishes for 10 families in the Metro-Atlanta area who are experiencing financial hardships. In order to be considered for the Christmas Wish List, candidates must write in 2,000 words or less why they deserve Christmas and the situation in which their family is in. Usher Raymond IV helped with their “Christmas Wish List” effort by generously donating $20,000. Usher reminded Frank and Wanda that they “can always rely on [him]”. Following his announcement, Mayor Shirley Franklin commented on his philanthropic attitude by saying, “It really shows Usher’s compassion and makes me so proud of him”. Thanks to Usher’s help the V-103 “Christmas Wish List” will not be compromised this Christmas holiday.
Usher also partnered with the Atlanta Bow-Tie Society to give Christmas to underprivileged teenagers of the Metro-Atlanta area. The Atlanta Bow-Tie Society, founded by Kelly and Scott Willett along with their close friends; Tom and Ellenwood Barton, and Bill and Lisa Tush, feels that teens are often forgotten during the Christmas Season. “Toys for Tots” is a program primarily for young children, but what about the hundreds of teens? The Bow-Tie Society hosted a Christmas Give-A-Way at Willett Honda of Atlanta, where Usher and 9 charities provided gifts for teens living in the charities’ housing. About 300 teens received the gathered gifts which included iPod shuffles, Wiis and Playstation 3s, clothing, and shoes for their households. “It was amazing! For Usher to take time out of his busy schedule to help hand out gifts was wonderful”, said Kelly Willett of Usher’s involvement in the Christmas Give-A-Way. Her husband, Scott Willett also commented, “A couple of times Kelly and I were very close to tears. Those kids were so excited to meet and speak to Usher, especially on such an individual basis. It was so kind of Usher to spend that much time with those teens”.
Few superstars give year round. Usher Raymond has made sure that he is one of those few that continuously helps make a difference by giving back to the community that raised him and his career. Through these charitable donations and spending time with underserved youth, Usher has given these children more than mere gifts. He has given them a memory and the knowledge that people do care about them, including the superstars they admire.