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For funk fans, there was no greater spectacle than the landing of the Mothership during Parliament-Funkadelic’s legendary 1976 P-Funk Earth Tour. Its outlandish amalgamation of sci-fi fantasy, Blaxploitation grit, glam rock, gospel furor and sweat-inducing funk helped propel Parliament-Funkadelic to the furthest reaches of creativity. The P-Funk Earth Tour became a new artistic bench mark…

“The one good thing about this jacked-up economy,” a friend wryly noted, “is I think they’re going to cancel the office holiday party..” Talk about your silver linings! It doesn’t matter whether you’re treated to a five-course dinner at a spiffy restaurant or Cheez Whiz on Ritz crackers—what happens at the office holiday party can…

The unemployment jumped to 6.7 percent in November, shedding 533,000 jobs. It’s the largest loss in one month since December 1974. And since January, nearly 2 million jobs have been cut. More than 10.3 million people are unemployed, according to the Labor Department. Companies are issuing pink slips, left and right. AT&T cut 12,000 jobs,…

So The Buzz knows that times are hard. Everybody’s strugglin’. November’s unemployment rate is the highest in 34 years. Even celebrities are feeling the drought. Scrapin’ to make a dollar. But. come on, an ode to McDonalds’ chicken nuggets? For real? Yep. Keith Sweat is helping Mickey D’s celebrate the 25th anniversary of the McNugget. Dreamin’…

There’s a distinctly authentic feel to Cadillac Records, from the fried catfish to the fried hair—gotta love the sight of Jeffrey Wright in that ‘do rag—and most of the time, from the grind of the guitars to the wail of the harmonicas, it makes for compelling entertainment. Beyoncé’s not bad, either. Still, there’s a certain…

I can’t pretend to understand why New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress would carry an illegal firearm or why he would go to a club where he felt a need to have a weapon. Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg last Friday at the New York nightclub Latin Quarter, and he has been…

“Under the general heading of, ‘the light skin and the long hair will get you in trouble every single time’, former Chief of Staff to former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced this week to five years probation with the first 120 days served in jail for her role in the scandal that brought down Kilpatrick’s administration. Christine…

We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but what about Fat Tuesday? Nope, not the one heralding Mardi Gras. No, no. This is the Fat Tuesday that follows your holiday meal binge—you know, the one after all the turkey and pie and festive drinks, when you realize your pants are tight, the scale is…

Plaxico Burress won the Super Bowl, shot himself in the thigh and now may be looking at an abrupt loss of freedom if convicted of felony weapons charges. Stephon Marbury was living the dream; he was playing in the NBA for his hometown team, one of the storied franchises in the history of sports. He was…

During my “real education” years, you know, post-undergrad and confused, there were five major players in the shaping of my consciousness: Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Henry Dumas, Toni Morrison and Odetta. I would sit in my living room in San Francisco, uncombed, Thrift Store gear and read excerpts of Angela Davis, Etheridge Knight with Odetta evoking…