Welcome 2003 - out with the old, in with the new

 

With the new year of 2003 a matter of days away, most of us will look back and reflect on what the year 2002 has been like for us. It's been a year to remember and forget for most as we say good-bye to 2002 and usher in 2003.

For me personally, the good was losing a few pounds, having health and strength and still breathing for another year, getting a new computer, see my website come together (with audio) and work in an industry I now love (computers), those I did achieve but I didn't get to forfill my biggest dream of winning the lottery (maybe next year). On the flipside to that the bad aspect of 2002 was all the senseless violence going on in the world where innocent people are killed for no apparent reason this was very troubling to me as I can't understand why? The sniper in Washington DC killing people at random, the car and bus bombings in Israel to name a few - it's all so pointless and really not necessary but it's human nature I suppose. With that said, I'm looking for 2003 to be a stellar year, where we all achieve our goals in life. Have a great New Year everybody, be good to each other, dare to be different and always 'dare to dream'.

Sincerely

Sir Ty Duncan
TYDmusic.com

  

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The ups and down in music for 2002

As I look back on 2002, it seems one thing that's clear - rap music is here to stay. Just a few years back the likes of The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, N' Sync and all those pop wannabes were ruling the airwaves and the record sales. Not to say that Rap music wasn't doing so well because it was on the rise with acts like Ja Rule, DMX and Missy Elliot making some noise at the cash register.

 

In 2002 however rap music outshined just about every other competitor in the industry thanks in large parts to Mr. Slim Shady himself Eminem. Marshall Mathers had both the number one record and number one soundtrack this year (a mark that no one else can boast) and with his debut movie '8 Mile' taking in over $100 million at the box office makes him the biggest rap star in film on the planet even veteran actor Eddie Murphy could not eclipse that mark with 3 of the movies he released this year ('Showtime', 'The Adventures of Pluto Nash' and 'I Spy' respectively). Also shining bright in 2002 was Brooklyn rapper Jay Z who released 2 albums (The Best of Both Worlds featuring R. Kelly and the Blueprint Vol.2 - The Gift and the Curse) and both were platinum plus sellers. Not to be out done was the dirty south with Ludacris representing and Master P doing his thing.

 

R&B music was too shabby either as we were introduced to Ashanti Douglas, Norah Jones, Glenn Lewis, Dwele and Vivian Green while mainstay acts like Mary J Blige and Deborah Cox and Toni Braxton added their clout to the mix. There were some disappointments as well (who can forget Dru Hill's 'Dru world Order' or Whitney's latest) but on a sadder note we lost some of the brightest talent where music in general is concerned Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopez and Jason 'Jam Master Jay' Mazell was taken from this earth and they will be sorely missed.

 

So what's ahead for 2003 well for me it's the long overdue release of Rahsaan Patterson latest effort 'The Best', Dwele's 'Rize' and Remy Shand's sophomore set. All that to look forward to so I feel 2003 will be another stellar year for music. See you next year

 

Sir Ty Duncan.

 

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What's new (music wise) for 2003

 

As mentioned earlier, new music coming next year looks poised to make 2003 an even bigger year than this year. The arrival of the long overdue set from Rahsaan Patterson simply called 'The Best' tops my list for the record to get next year and Dwele's debut release from 1998 'Rize' which got picked up by Virgin, (a must have - trust me if you didn't pick up the original back in '98) but there are a few others worth mentioning. Blackstreet returns with 2 CDs Level ll and a Best of, young up and comer DJ Rogers Jr (the son of 70s crooner DJ Rogers) releases his debut set 'Emosoul', Black Coffey also releases their debut self titled set.

Also on the way in the first quarter of 2003 is Brian McKnight (yet to be titled), Erykah Badu - Worldwide Underground, Sly & The Family Stone with 'Essential Sly & The Family Stone' Marvin Gaye - 'Marvin Gaye Live' and 'Greatest Duets: Love Songs', Walter Beasley - 'Midnight Love', Earth, Wind & Fire - 'Live in Rio' to name a few. Soundtracks include 'Cradle to the Grave' (starring Jet-Li and DMX) as well as compilations from Ubiquity Recordings and a Stevie Wonder tribute. Yep 2003 looks bright indeed.

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Diana Ross pulled over for drunk driving

 

.The former frontwoman of The Supremes Diana Ross was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on the eve of New Year's Eve. Police in Tucson, Arizona, stopped the singer-actress early this morning after a witness reported a swerving vehicle. A breath test showed the flamboyant 58-year-old mother of five had a blood-alcohol level of 0.20 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent, when she was pulled over at 12:30 a.m., says Sergeant Judy Altieri, a police spokeswoman.

Ross was ticketed for three misdemeanors: driving under the influence; driving with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08; and "extreme DUI" for having a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.15 percent.

According to the police report, Ross completely botched her field sobriety test. She was unable to recite the alphabet (she skipped I and N and added extra C's, L's and S's), had a tough time counting to 30 and couldn't remember the time or date. When asked to balance on one leg, the entertainer took a dive after just seven seconds and panned her own performance to the officers: "Ha Ha Ha. Great." (A copy of the full police report is online at The Smoking Gun website.)

The original diva was reportedly cooperative with police and, after being released, caught a ride with the arresting officers to where she was staying, the nearby swanky Canyon Ranch Spa. A tentative court date has been set for January 13

Source:eonline.com