Lane Makers Documentary: 05 June 2011

#MsLMstatus: RIP "Grandma Huxtable" aka Clarice Taylor! (May 29th - June 4th)

Born in Buckingham County, Virginia, Taylor was best-known for her recurring role on television on The Cosby Show as Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable's (Bill Cosby) mother, Anna Huxtable. She was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1986 for the role. She also played Harriet on Sesame Street and appeared as Grady's cousin Emma on Sanford and Son. Taylor was raised in New York City and started working in the theatre—with the American Negro Theatre—at a time when there were few opportunities for African American actors. To support herself she followed in her father's (Leon B. Taylor, Sr.) footsteps and went to work for the U.S. Post Office. In the 1960s she got her big break that enabled her to act full time. Taylor was one of the founding members of the Negro Ensemble Company, headquartered in the East Village on St. Marks Place. While working with the NEC she got her first offer of a movie role in Change of Mind. Her next film role was as "Minnie" in Otto Preminger's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon. In 1971 she played Birdie in Clint Eastwood's Play Misty For Me. In 1973, she brought a role she had pioneered off-Broadway to film, playing Gladys Brooks in Five on the Blackhand Side.

#MYOL News: Cavs’ Baron Davis Returning To UCLA To Earn History Degree (May 29th-June 4th)

Cavs’ Baron Davis is going back to school to complete his history degree at UCLA.

Davis said the thought of completing his degree became more important to him following the death of his grandmother, who always wanted him to go back and finish. At 32, he’s finally going to do it. Davis said he has about two years left to complete his degree.

”I’m not far, but I’m definitely not close,” he joked. ”All the classes I’m signed up for are things I want to learn now. When you’re in school, you’re studying stuff wondering ‘How am I going to use that in life’ or ‘What does that matter to me?’ Then you get out in the world and you start traveling and history becomes one of the most important things. Now my brain is ready to receive that more than when I was 19 years old and I wanted to dribble [basketballs] all day.” Classes begin in July, and Davis will be splitting his time between Cleveland and Los Angeles until then.

- Jason Lloyd /Beacon Journal

Hip Hop History: RIP and Happy Birthday Big L! (May 29th-June 4th)

May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999

I need y’all to excuse me for a second as I get real emotional anytime I speak upon the passing and legend of Big L as he has been and probably always will be my favorite rapper of all-time. I’m not saying I think he is the best of all-time but he is definitely my favorite. Its real sad that his career had to get cut short, especially being murdered but his legacy will live on together. I think L is my favorite MC ever for many reasons. First, his rhyming style is used by every one who was around his era by emphaszing the two-word at the end of the lyric significantly! For example “In a street brawl I STRIKE MEN/quicker than LIGHT-NING/you seen what happen in my last FIGHT-FRIEND/IGHT THEN” which is something that is protocol these days in Hip Hop! Even though L didn’t start it, he definitely took that style and patented it. Another reason I love L as an artist is because I was living in Harlem during the summers in 95’-00’ and even got a chance to meet L on 125^th street when I was 11. I let him know I was a big fan and even spit him some lyrics from his song “M.V.P.” and the #1 message I remember from that conversation was him telling me “stay in school”. RIP Big L, he’ll never be forgotten, his influence is etched in stone and as the years go on he should be celebrated more and more. Big shoutout to Lord Finesse, AG, Showbiz and the whole DITC that continue to carry L’s legacy along with their presence in the Hip Hop world. Also, RIP to Party Arty and shoutout to AG (Berri Family-Beast Boyz & 950 Plus). To all the younger cats that are reading this and don’t know much about Big L watch every video here and go search for more because he was truly Hip Hop!