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(04/28/13 4:00am)
So this is it. Four years of writing for The Spectrum. Four years of college, ending with a brutal, 21-credit semester. In two weeks, I'll be sent off to the world in glorious, blue-cap-and-gown fashion to face a mountain of college debt.
(04/14/13 4:00am)
You have to find Rick Ross' public relations skills severely lacking, when all is said and done.
(04/11/13 4:00am)
Steven Coffed, a sophomore aerospace and mechanical engineering major, has a valedictorian certificate hanging in his bedroom, a mention in a Business First article that named the best scholar athletes in Western New York, a Presidential Scholarship - which is awarded to only 25 of the university's approximately 5,000 incoming freshmen - and multiple other academic honors.
(03/20/13 4:00am)
It felt like I was finally making it. After years of writing, I finally got my first scholarship. The money funded my stay at Time Square's Sheraton Hotel, where the College Media Convention - one of the nation's most well known learning events for college journalists - was being held.
My 29th-floor room fit my youthful hubris. The pillows and sheets were pure white and fluffy. The room was always the right temperature. The liquor and snacks were conveniently placed in a refrigerator. My roommates and I would get charged if we even moved any of those chips or bottles, but it all seemed like a minor inconvenience during those three days.
So we cavorted. We gossiped. Everything outside of Midtown or our newspaper didn't seem to matter until a friend of mine pierced my really expensive, room-serviced bubble via Facebook message on Monday night.
"Heard about the riots by ya [sic] crib," he said.
"Wait what?!?"
The tequila started to taste bitter.
By now it's national news. Kimani Gray, a 16-year-old high school student of Jamaican and Guyanese descent, was gunned down by police officers in East Flatbush after allegedly pointing a revolver at them. Gray was shot seven times; three bullets penetrated his back. The shooting occurred on East 52nd Street - less than five blocks away from my house.
Monday was the first in a series of wild protests against the shooting. Like the shooting, these protests - which splintered into riots - occurred blocks away from my house.
I knew my mother was home during events, so I semi-frantically stumbled to the bathroom to call her.
"Hey, I heard about the riots. Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I pressed the red button not too long after. I threw on my tie with a smile, then the brown cardigan and finally a coat, and soon, my colleagues and I were out to the bar.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The pictures, tweets and follow-up news came in the following days as I stayed over at Syracuse University with a friend that week. The Rite Aid at Church Avenue - the one where I bought everything from condoms to Herbal Essence moisturizing shampoo - had been ransacked. The lighted bodegas and grocery stores - the last thing I saw before I took my nightly, 15-minute high school naps on the B35 - were passing routes for protesters.
Everything that I've become accustomed to in the 10 years since I've moved there were suddenly symbols of the constant racial tensions with the law - gathering places of civil unrest.
Then came the questions: Did Gray really point a gun at the cops? Were the cops telling the truth? Was the fact that he may've been in a gang supposed to breathe some odd sigh of relief because he wasn't one of the innocent ones? Were the cops again at fault? Was martial law really necessary?
(03/19/13 4:00am)
Album: The 20/20 Experience
Artist: Justin Timberlake
Label: RCA
Release Date: March 19
Grade: B
The 20/20 Experience doesn't feel like a comeback album. The term "comeback" implicitly describes a figure that has disappeared from pop culture's consciousness. That's not what Justin Timberlake is.
Timberlake has kept his name alive in various ways: the sensual afterglow of FutureSex/LoveSounds, acclaimed acting roles, being Justin Timberlake. J.T. has remained cool during the seven-year hiatus; so much so it seemed the very concept of cool would become a clich?(c).
So it's safe to say The 20/20 Experience isn't strictly an epic return from one of pop culture's most likable artists. He isn't aiming to infiltrate the masses' consciousness like he did (and succeeded in doing) in his sophomore effort; The 20/20 Experience instead invites us into his. The album tries to cast Timberlake as this enigmatic figure in its odd 10-track, 70-minute duration.
The fact that "Suit & Tie" is the album's leading single and its second track set the tone. It's not a radio single per say, but a statement that pushes arrogance, yet remains self-assured and respectful. "Suit & Tie" was an event - a shindig where Timberlake attempted to draw the public into this weird '70s-style, made-for-wedding, three-part package. But it's only weird if it doesn't work, and having Jay-Z and Timbaland on backup definitely works.
Speaking of Timbaland, the production is superb on The 20/20 Experience. It's hard to quantify the album as 10 tracks because of how they're split into sections, but Timbaland and co. doesn't feel the least bit overwhelmed at Timberlake's ambitions. The instrumentals aren't just lush and atmospheric but also indulgent in their own environment. It's also the little details that aid the production, too, like the vocal samples in "Tunnel Vision" and "Spaceship Coupe."
The album's best moments are when he embraces that sensual indulgence. "Spaceship Coupe" is over the top in its baby-making ambitions, and Timberlake is well aware of that. The crooner sings that an airplane simply isn't enough for him and his lover: "Where we're going is way too high."
No, that guitar solo is going to be so intense, that synth is going to be so dirty and Timberlake's vocals are going to be so intimate that the couple simply must have a spaceship coupe. It sounds like he's right.
Tracks like "Pusher Love Girl" and "Tunnel Love" aren't as epic, but Timberlake's personality easily carries these songs. However, The 20/20 Experience stumbles because J.T.'s enigma runs thin in the 70 minutes. He doesn't embrace that sensual indulgence in some crucial moments, and as a result, his presence seems more situational than commanding.
This makes for some bland moments, which is strange because they're areas were Timberlake has mastered - pop. The album's low point is "Let The Groove In," which sounds like more of a cut from the Wedding Crashers soundtrack.
J.T.'s persona is a rather damning flaw in The 20/20 Experience because while the 70 minutes are expansive, the 10 tracks are constrictive. It feel sometimes like Timberlake doesn't know what character he wants to portray in this shortened track list, so the album as a whole teeters toward being unfocused as he swings from hopeless lover in "That Girl" to clubber in "Don't Hold The Wall."
Perhaps the key to Timberlake producing a classic is embracing that indulgence instead of shooting for ambition. He certainly doesn't need to aim for higher artistry. He is J.T., after all.
You may also like: D'Angelo's Voodoo, Miguel's Kaleidoscope Dream
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
(03/19/13 4:00am)
Drake is a hip-hop artist who's won the Grammy for Best Rap Album (Take Care), released two platinum-selling albums and earned multiple Billboard-charting singles. He grew up acting on a popular teen drama. He also sings and is apparently a very emotional guy.
People don't like that, and the "that" refers to one of the aforementioned attributes or some odd combination of them.
Hip-hop diehards loathe the fact that someone so anti-hip-hop is suddenly at the center of the genre. The hands of hundreds of music bloggers quiver when a Drake track is released. He's the type of hip-hop artist music fans point to as an example of how they "listen to all types of music" despite not being able to name one non-hook lyric.
Drake isn't just a marketable character, either. The man is actually pretty talented; of course, you'd have to be if you're going to say emotional early morning phone calls to your ex-girlfriend is a reasonable thing ("Marvin's Room").
His downfall is how he's in a genre that glorifies the struggle. If the hundreds of online memes didn't clue you in, Drake was pretty well off before his rap stardom. Some feature profiles revealed he did go through a few trials, but a lot of people would agree times couldn't have been that hard if you're starring in a famed Canadian drama.
And it's absurd Drake should be criticized for that. Hip-hop has been sculpted from an urban landscape, so it ought to at least fall under the common wisdom of urban prophets and teachers: The point is to get out of the hood.
How many times has the rags-to-riches story been told? How many times have we heard artists balancing street consciousness with a growing self-awareness? These are stories that have been told multiple times in the genre's decades' long existence. Sometimes they're inspiring, and sometimes it feels like they aren't even worth telling.
It's a discredit to the genre to constantly base a rapper's credibility off his experience with the struggle. It's been a long journey to get mainstream to accept hip-hop's complicated ethos - which has been doused with crack narratives and misogyny in its rise to claim a piece of the American dream. Why limit hip-hop when there's so much to gain now that it's a widely accepted art form?
It's weird "hardcore" fans continue to complain about empty rags-to-chains stories when some of their mindsets are the ones supporting them. If the struggle is necessary to gain cred in the genre, it forces the artist construe this false personality that translates into weak musical output. A prime example of this is "Can't Touch This" MC Hammer gangster transformation in 1994's The Funky Headhunter, which was a change just as bad as the album's title. The mid-00s are filled with examples, also.
Hip-hop - like music itself - is constantly changing, and it's evident with the rise of the Beast Coast rap movement and the Kendrick Lamar-headed Black Hippy collective. Drake is one of the symbols of the changing times. Perhaps the strangest aspect of Drake's popularity is how his best songs - except "Marvin's Room" - portrays a perceived struggle: "Headlines," "5AM in Toronto," "Started From The Bottom."
Here's the thing: a great number of us de-emphasize the irony because of just how good these tracks sound. The strange thing about hip-hop is how its fans value this sense of realness - whatever that may mean these days - more than any other genre.
Songs like "5AM in Toronto" resonate from fans at the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn to those nerds who write music columns for hours on end. Perhaps that's enough.
Email: brian.josephs@ubspectrum.com
(03/05/13 5:00am)
Introduction by Max Crinnin, Asst. Arts Editor
(02/28/13 5:00am)
Curren$y - New Jet City
(02/19/13 5:00am)
It looks like 2013 didn't waste any time.
(02/10/13 5:00am)
Hong-biao "Hank" Liu, M.D. Ph.D., is a busy man.
The doctor is currently splitting time as a house physician for Brylin Hospital, a primary physician for the Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo and as a medical officer at the VA Hospital in Buffalo.
He's losing hair at 45, but he still glows with excitement as he's talking about his latest innovation: his new medical center in The Commons.
Last December, Liu expanded his medical clinic, Luna Medical Center, to a suite in The Commons. It is the first clinic of its kind to open on North Campus.
The center offers a variety of services despite its location in a small office tucked deep in The Commons' second floor. Liu said the clinic revolves around 10 services, which include primary care, pain management and anxiety counseling.
Liu noted the new, more relaxed location was quite the change from Luna's busy setting in its first location on Elmwood Avenue. It's not about relaxation, though. A study done last year by the General Hospital Psychiatry journal showed only 22 percent of the college students who reported symptoms of serious depression received the minimal adequate care. That's a statistic Liu hopes to change.
"Hospitals [often] refuse them and you don't want something to happen to them on campus," Liu said. "You think of one year - 2012 - with all the gun shootings. Most of these people had medical issues."
What helps the clinic stand out is its use of technology and its emphasis on education. Liu proudly talked about the Apple-based clinical software, an iPad/iPhone-based skin temperature sensor and blood pressure monitor, the laser therapy machines used for pain management and his 73-inch 3D television in a presentation directed toward students and potential patients on Tuesday.
These gadgets aren't for show. Liu said he used an iPhone's EKG (electrocardiogram) system to assist a walk-in patient who was complaining of chest pains. A quick 30-second scan revealed the patient needed to be sent to the emergency room because of a potentially deadly irregularity.
Liu, whose medical career dates back to his time at China's Binzhou Medical College in the '80s, noted it's hard to prevent such an incident in that case because the patient's family had a history of heart attacks.
He can, however, help students make the right health decisions so they won't end up in the same situation. The physician holds two weekly seminars - an open and closed one - to inform patients, students and faculty about common health problems. Although there were only about 15 students attending the aforementioned presentation, Liu spoke with fervor as he told them about the benefits of what he calls a "health coach." These seminars feel like pep talks rather than lectures.
The seminars are part of a model that focuses on strengthening the doctor-patient relationship. One of Liu's main concerns about medical care is the oddity of having to wait an hour or so for a minutes-long checkup. He's hoping more patient-doctor dialogue would prevent cases such as drug abuse or misdiagnosis.
"I remember one patient. She had a fracture," Liu said. "She needed medication, but she tried to sell to somebody else ... all to use alcohol and different drugs. I gave her an extra education talk and said, 'If you [did this in] another doctor's office, they would've kicked you out and you ... would go to the streets. We work together.'"
He invested most of his last year's income, $20,000, into the facility. He's also received $400,000 from other unnamed physicians to use toward nuclear medicine. Liu doesn't have any paid employees yet, but he hopes to hire two supporting employees in March and an M.D. in July.
For now, Liu's getting help from his interns. These assistants include international, graduate and undergraduate students who work in four different departments: medical, business, laser therapy and cooperative relationship. The internship is unpaid, but that doesn't affect the contagious effect of Liu's optimistic attitude.
"It's not just about advertising ourselves. It's only one part of it," said Van Vu, a UB alumna with a Bachelor's degree in business administration. "The main reason why he came on campus is because he wants to help the students. The patients he's helping right now are middle aged or seniors. They didn't take care of themselves properly. Hank thinks we could do something to prevent it from happening. That's why he works with students to help live a proper lifestyle to help prevent later problems."
Luna Medical Center is a private medical center, unlike the Michael Hall medical center on South Campus. Michael Hall, which has been on campus since 1955, has long been the students' central spot for medical services and, for now, it seems that it's going to stay that way.
Liu said he hoped the new clinic would complement Michael Hall's service. Services like laser therapy and weekend availability are exclusive to Luna Medical Center, but Michael Hall is better able to accommodate a large number of students.
Susan M. Snyder, director of student health services, is worried students may not be able to tell the difference between the two, even though she supports Liu's endeavors.
"I think one of the confusing things is that with it being in the commons," Snyder said. "I think students can get confused that it is the health center and may not understand he's a private physician. So I do think it may lead to some confusion in that regard ... with it not being related and not covered under the health fee."
Even with all the technology, it's clear Luna Medical Center is still a startup office. Eighty percent of Liu's patients are still over the age of 30, and he's only treated one UB student. However, he and Snyder are still confident in the new clinic.
"I think his heart is in the right place," Snyder said.
The Luna Medical Clinic is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. It currently accepts Medicare, Medicaid and private medical insurance.
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
(02/07/13 5:00am)
Album: m b v
(01/29/13 5:00am)
Nuzzcrew - Tuned Poetry
(01/15/13 5:00am)
Album: Long. Live. A$AP
(12/30/12 5:00am)
There is a rule somewhere in the book of cinema that disallows any combination of spaghetti western and slavery. Or you would think so, anyway.
(12/28/12 5:00am)
Big Sean- Detroit
(12/08/12 5:00am)
Context is a tricky thing when it comes to music.
(12/06/12 5:00am)
After weeks of promotion, Sickamatic Royal T-Krew held its reggae/hip-hop party at Buffalo Live on Main Street on Nov. 16.
(12/04/12 5:00am)
Chris Conti, a senior environmental studies major, is getting used to his job as student-assistant coach of the wrestling team.
(12/04/12 5:00am)
It's a brisk weekday afternoon and junior biological sciences major Uwaoma Silachi is relaxing in his apartment at the Villas at Chestnut Ridge. As he opens his MacBook and plugs in his keyboard, he explains he's not really in a music-making mindset, but creating songs isn't necessarily something he can get away from.
(12/02/12 5:00am)
Gregg Popovich isn't what you'd call a "people person." But we already knew that.