Monthly Archives: September, 2011

RAPPER AND PURE GROWTH TO MAKE "STREET KING" DRINK

50 Cent, alarmed by the famine problem in Africa where tens of million kids face death by starvation, has teamed up with Pure Growth to create a new energy drink called "Street King", where proceeds will go to feeding as many kids as possible. His goal is to supply 1 billion meals in the next 5 years, and has released a video statement (see below).

Pure Growth is a group of business builders and investors with a vision "to make positive changes in the way the world thinks, works and creates values around businesses. Success for us is making the world a better place for business practices and models that set the bar for giving back." Read more on their website.

Nigerian musician and activist Bayo Ade has been killed by kidnappers, a country that has been recently plagued with a rash of kidnappings. The kidnappers, who initially demanded ransom money and received it, still murdered the musician. His father, Pa Ukpenyen, collapsed and died upon hearing the news of the death of his son, doubling the tragedy to his family and friends. 

Family, friends, and sympathizers took to the streets in a peaceful protest to call for Nigerian authorities to stop the recent violence and kidnappings that have been plaguing Benin. Edo State Commissioner of police David Omojola announced there are two suspects in custody.

Read our JTMP press release HERE, and read more on Nigeria News here, and below is a music video of his song, "Amebo".

FEDS ALLEGE USE OF ILLEGALLY IMPORTED WOOD

In stunning development, federal agents raided the Gibson Guitar plant in Nashville for allegedly importing illegal wood. In statements Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juskiewwicz  has repeatedly said he does not know why they were raided. Mr. Kuskiewicz said, "We had a raid with federal marshals armed, that came in, evacuated our factory, shut down production, sent our employees home and confiscated wood." Gibson is allegedly in violation of the Lacey Act, a conservation law passed in 1900, and repeatedly amended over the years to ban the practice of trading resources illegally obtained.

Mr. Juskiewicz also said, "The wood the government seized Wednesday is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier." Gibson Guitar has been partnering with the FSC and Greenpeace for years, and has shown to be serious in embracing sustainability and being environmentally conscious in selecting the wood they use in the manufacture of the guitars, so this has been perplexing to many people. In 1996, Gibson was one of the first guitar manufacturers to make some of its instruments from wood certified by the non-profit Forest Stewardship Council. Current estimates are up to 60% of their guitars are made from FSC-certified wood, with a pledge to get that up to 80% by 2012. On their website, they have a page showing the many causes and organizations they help support, including Global Green, an organization dedicated to sustainability and conservation. Below is a statement from Mr. Juskiewicz following the raid.

For a company statement, click here.

AFL-CIO - "A songwriter, itinerant laborer, and union organizer, Joe Hill became famous around the world after a Utah court convicted him of murder. Even before the international campaign to have his conviction reversed, however, Joe Hill was well known in hobo jungles, on picket lines and at workers' rallies as the author of popular labor songs and as an Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) agitator. Thanks in large part to his songs and to his stirring, well—publicized call to his fellow workers on the eve of his execution—"Don't waste time mourning, organize!"—Hill became, and he has remained, the best—known IWW martyr and labor folk hero."

Read more on AFL-CIO website.

Harry K McClintock performs one of Joe Hill's songs, "The Preacher and the Slave"

Great song by Michael Angelo, a folk musician known for his great acoustic guitar playing and awesome ballads.