Archive: February, 2013
Congratulations to South Philly girl Amber Rose and fiance Wiz Khalifa!
Rose gave birth to a son today, while proud dad Wiz tweeted out the announcement, revealing the babe's name as Sebastian "The Bash" Taylor Thomaz (although I figure the 'Bash' and Thomaz are not birth certificate accurate).
Rose, who used to work as an exotic dancer at Delilah's Den under the name Paris, previously dated Kanye West. West is expecting a baby of his own with Kim Kardashian, who was rumored to be the source of the Rose-West split.
First it was Burger King, now Jeep.
Whoever is hacking corporate Twitter accounts and posting all levels of craziness on them really enjoys Philadelphia's hip-hop scene, sending shout-outs to Meek Mill and Jhalil Beats for the second time in as many days (the other guys are part of Mill's crew).
While I'm sure the people at Jeep aren't happy to be hacked, it's nice to see Philly hip hop getting this kind of national exposure.
South Street’s Fluid Nightclub is closing. The Roots’ Questlove tweeted his displeasure at the nightclub’s closing earlier today. Fluid has been around for 16 years, a millenia nightclub years.
“Part of the bigger dynamic is how drastic South Street has changed,” said manager Oronde Gibson, who has worked at Fluid for 14 years. “It’s gone from a mom and pop artsy-type thing to a corporate type-thing.”
Gibson has seen South Street and Fluid's complete evolutiion, reminiscing about a time when the Roots (then known as the Square Roots) played outside on the sidewalk. Now, he said, no one wants to deal with South Street parking issues, so most kids just stay up in Fishtown or Northern Liberties.
The Burger King Twitter account was hacked for about an hour; it's profile picture was changed to McDonald's insignia, followed by tweets about BK employees using heroin and various other shenanignans. The account was just suspended by the good folks at Twitter.
But before it was taken down, Twitter users learned whoever hacked the feed is a big hip-hop fan, specifically of Philly rapper Meek Mill and Chester producer Jhalil Beats.
Started from the bottom now we here! Shoutout to @meekmill @pmon215 where that DC3 AT?!?!?! @jahlilbeats
— McDonalds (@BurgerKing) February 18, 2013
Call it the intonation that set off a million memes.
Artist Jayson Musson, a UArts and Penn grad who spent a large chunk of his career in Philly before recently moving to Brooklyn, is sampled prominently in viral hit "Harlem Shake." How prominently? He's the guy who actually says Harlem Shake.
"Harlem Shake," from NYC-based producer Baauer, is viral hit, reaching number one on iTunes. YouTube reported that 4,000 "Harlem Shake" videos are uploaded daily. The videos, generally about 30 seconds in length, feature people dancing awkwardly to the Baauer song and than launching into the Harlem Shake when Musson's voice comes in, bellowing the name of the song.
Philly's own diminutive comedy superstar Kevin Hart won his second consecutive MVP in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game this weekend.
Hart, who is about 5'2" by most accounts, took home the title despite scoring only five points. (Hart also won MVP last year, putting eight points on the board.) But that didn't stop Hart, and his West Coast team, from trouncing the East, even taking down fastest man alive Usain Bolt.
Hold up.
Last night’s episode of “American Idol” saw our two Philly gals, Chickies & Pete hostess/Lawncrest resident Taylor Rand and Council Rock North junior Courtney Calle, sent home after the group rounds.
Rand, who sang Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” with her group, received praise from judge Keith Urban. The country star singled out Rand and another girl as excellent performers. But, alas, Rand got the boot along with the rest of their group for not being individual enough. “I got off stage and all the cameras were in my face,” Rand said. “It was like my body was made of glass and [Urban] took me up to the highest balcony and just dropped me.”
Rand’s only regret? She wanted a concrete reason why she was let go, rather than a wishy-washy comment. “[‘Good Girl’] still haunts me,” she said.
North Wales' own Tom Cipriano, better known as Howard Stern's prank phone call obsessed buddy Captain Janks, just broke into live coverage by LA affiliate KCBS of the police shootout of rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner.
Janks pretends to be an employee of the U.S. Fish and Game Department, speaking on behalf of the first man to spot Dorner. Then Janks says Ronnie the Limo Driver, Stern's head of security, was the first person to shoot at Dorner.
Screen your phone calls, TV people.
Mazel tov to embattled former Phillie Lenny Dykstra who is going to be a grandfather.
Dykstra's son, Cutter and new fiancee, "Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler, are expecting their first child together, Sigler's rep confirmed.
“She couldn’t be more excited!” a source told People magazine, which is good because it would be weird if she was just kinda "meh" about the whole thing.
Stephenie Meyer, author of the mega-crazy best-selling Twilight series, will participate in a free book signing in Philly on February 22 at the Free Library's Central Branch. Each attendee can get only two books signed (so choose your favorites, teen girls and vamp-obsessed housewives). Meyer's appearance was just announced so that's why you don't see any tent cities of rabid fans popping up around the Free Library yet.
Meyer will be in town to promote "The Host," the film adaption of her book. Joining Meyer will be "The Host" actors Max Irons (son of Jeremy) and Jake Abel. "The Host," about a race of parasitic aliens, hits theaters March 29, and stars Saoirse Ronan.
Want more literary goings-on in Philly? Today, I've got notes on a New Hope author's scandalous new memoir and interview with new Philly resident, Pulitzer Prize-nominated Karen Russell (Swamplandia) in today's column.
