50 Cent delivers bleak comeback

Posted by Michael Mandelkern When 50 Cent released his third album, "Curtis," in late-2007 his rap superstar status was challenged. He vowed to quit the rap game if Kanye West outsold him, and then proceeded to lose the high-profile sales battle against Kanye.

Instead of actually retiring, 50 stayed low-profile in the mainstream and released several street mix tapes. He fired shots at his adversaries on "Elephant in the Sand" in 2008 and released the aggressive and confrontational "War Angel LP" in 2009.

Through promoting his music and public appearance on his social network, www.ThisIs50.com, 50 Cent is back in the spotlight on the strength of his street material.

On Nov. 16, 50 Cent attempted to return to his roots with "Before I Self Destruct," his fourth solo release. He has compared his latest album to the relentless of his solo debut, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." In 2003, 50 Cent was trying to establish himself as a big player in the rap game.

Since then, he has embroiled himself in high-profile feuds with numerous rappers, most notably with ex-G-Unit artists Young Buck and The Game.

50 is now secure enough with his superstar status that he chooses to brush off his enemies, instead of thrashing at them as he did in his ascendance to fame. He raps with a primal conviction that is comparable to King Kong on top of the Empire State Building.

On "So Disrespectful" he belittles The Game as inferior in his status when he raps, "See, I'm what you never gon' be/I'm in that tax bracket you never gon' see." 50 Cent is on a different level from a rapper who was once a credible threat to 50's credibility.

50 Cent is now comfortable enough to discuss his personal life. His rap adversaries and family may fire at him, but he eats the bullets like King Kong did from the fighter planes. "Everybody mad, damn, even my dad / And I don't even know him, now how the f*** I owe him? / I don't owe nobody s***, I'mma show them." Over tormenting piano keys he bears no compassion to the mother of his child ("I gave the b**** a half a mil / She blew it on Prada") and regards his enemies as ants. He comes off unstoppable, cold-blooded and solitary.

On the mournful and thumping "Strong Enough" he raps on the chorus, "These n***** ain't strong enough, they money ain't long enough / When they bump heads with me, they find out the guns do bust." The track underscores his fearlessness, which was exuded in 2003 but ?battle-tested by now.

50 Cent matches the cadence of the album's instrumentals (with his delivery. In the ominous "Crime Wave" he growls through the persona of a paranoid drug dealer and in "Stretch" cruises a low-tempo, thumping beat. He captures his drug dealing and violent past with the hunger and cockiness he had before the fame.

The album has little luster, however, even though there are some bright gems. There are various tracks that add no substance and reek of little effort. Over the dreary "Gangsta's Delight," he yawns clichés, and he mindlessly flaunts his material wealth to women on "Get It Hot," a beat reminiscent of "I Get Money" that is not head-bob inducing.

"Before I Self Destruct" is like a bag of popcorn that has not been in the microwave long enough. His standout tracks are popped but too many songs are still kernels.

50 Cent does not release enough heat to make another classic album, but he could. The album's uneven effort could be frustrating to his core fan base. When he is hungry, the listener feels his pains, but if 50 gets too full he just might self-destruct.

.moe on Halloween

Posted by Miles Mattison One of the music industry's most celebrated jam bands, moe., performed an extraordinaryHalloween concert at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany last Saturday night. moe. played two sets and a lengthy encore packed with funny, spooky and classic songs, as demanded by the fans. In September, moe. announced every song in the set list for the Halloween extravaganza would be chosen by fans through an online poll, which closed on Oct. 4 to give the band ample time to work out its own interpretations of the selected tunes. Fans had a choice of about 100 songs, both cover songs and a selection of moe.'s original songs, and were allowed to vote for one song a week.The songs that were selected made for an incredibly diverse line-up that included everything from Miley Cyrus to the Grateful Dead and, appropriately, a couple tunes fitting for Halloween.moe. opened with one of its own tunes titled, "The Ghost of Ralph's Mom," which, accompaniedby all the absurd, creative costumes the crowd proudly wore, set the whacky, role-playing vibe for the evening that one expects on Halloween. The holiday-related jams continued, with an innovative interpretation of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla," which chugged along, fueled by funk, for nine enthralling minutes. There were a few Godzilla costumes strolling around the venue with genuinely groovy footwork, which was both hilarious and impressive.Later on in the first set, moe. covered the Miley Cyrus song, "We Got the Party," which consequently created a chuckling crowd, highlighting the crowd's appreciation of the amusement moe. traditionally integrates into its performances.moe. opened the second with a version of "Stash," which gave justice to the original song, written by Phish. And soon came a pulsatingtrifecta of songs beginning with The Grateful Dead's "Eyes of the World," which turned into Pink Floyd's "Echoes," and then transcended into one of moe.'s most respected jams, "Rebubula." "Rebubula" was then followed by "Dark Star," another Grateful Dead song and turned back into the former to finish the second set. The Washington Avenue Armory erupted with cheers, creating a forceful energy that provoked goose bumps across the audience. Shortly thereafter, moe. band members returned to the stage in matching, glowing skeleton costumes and played a couple Tenacious D tunes with titles too vulgar to mention.moe. pleased its loyal fans, heralded respect to some bands it is certainly influenced by and, by the end of the evening, even the Grim Reaper was clapping his bones.Last Saturday night was my 13th moe. concert. Coming from a dedicated "moe.ron," I pompously pronounce it the best moe. show I have attended. If you were one of the cursed souls who could not attend moe.'s Halloween party, it is streaming live at http://www.archive.org/details/moe2009-10-31.

"Wild" hits screens

Posted by Alexa Allaniello The wild rumpus started in 1963 when author and illustrator Maurice Sendak depicted a young boy's journey through the land of the "Wild Things," in a book that has been enjoyed by children and adults alike for decades. Without compromising the integrity of the original story, director Spike Jonze ("Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation") turned the 48-page, 9-sentence children's book into a curious and imaginative motion picture.

In Jonze's rendition of "Where the Wild Things Are," preadolescent Max is - endearingly - out of control. The audience is introduced to his unrestrained imagination during the opening credits, which are transformed into childlike doodles. There is innocence to his character in that he wants everyone - from his irritable sister to his distracted mother - to be as content and carefree as he is.

Distressed by his torn family, Max sets out on a deliberate, manipulative and irrepressible quest for attention by acting out. When this tactic proves ineffective, as the story goes, he "sailed off...to where the wild things are."

Upon encountering the Wild Things, Max realizes they need just as much help as he does. He promises to help restore the balance in the kingdom of the Wild Things, and they subsequently deem him "King." From then on Max and the Wild Things become a unit, which provides Max with the security he lacked back at home.

Among the Wild Things are the compassionate KW, the repressed Alexander and the tenacious yet bighearted Carol. Carol and Max sympathize with each other: either of their units - in Max's case, his family - fell apart faster than they could realize, and they both want to make things OK.

As in the story, Max realizes after a while that he was missing something with the Wild Things that he had all along: the love of his family. He eventually returns home to the loving embrace of his mother, "where he found his supper waiting for him...and it was still hot."

Jonze unquestionably conserves the original story that we all know and love throughout the film. The Wild Things and Max's wolf costume are real-life copies of Sendak's illustrations, and Jonze uses the same murky coloration and woodsy element portrayed in the book. Max is also as simultaneously rebellious and charming as he is in the book, and the Wild Things are as untamable as he is.

Jonze nonetheless has his own interpretation of the story. He and screenplay writer Dave Eggers create a back story in that Max's family is torn by divorce and he finds refuge in his imagination. Also, unlike in the book, there is no evidence of whether the scenes depict Max's fantasy or reality.

There is no doubt that the film is offbeat and avant-garde. The music, composed by Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Carter Burwell, consists of strange clapping, whistling and humming that subtly emphasizes Max's childlike innocence. The unconventional cinematic techniques show movement and transcendence throughout the film. Jonze also uses subtle digital enhancement that contributes to, but does not overshadow, the realistic nature of the wild things.

Although "Where The Wild Things Are" is considered children's literature, the intended audience of the film appears to be adults -particularly parents. Jonze declared in the Seattle Post, "The one thing I hope is that there would be some conversations, and that a parent might actually be able to talk to their kid in a different way and ask their kid what they think, and not worry about how they're going to turn out. But be curious as to who they are."

The film reveals a powerful message about perseverance and accepting whatever life throws your way without having to sacrifice the wild thing inside of you. It is definitely a must-see, so be sure to wear your wolf costume, and "let the wild rumpus start!"

"While Irishmen Wear Rusty Chains": Column: Reader's Indigestion

Posted by Brian Connor This next one, gang, is one of the most frustratingly depressing, yet important, books you will ever read.

Proved Innocent is the autobiography of Gerry Conlon, a man who spent 15 years in the brutal British prison circuit for a crime he didn't commit. He was one of the "Guilford Four," four Irish ex-pats living in England, who were wrongfully accused and convicted of having carried out I.R.A. bombings while fleeing the strife of their homeland.

The book was made into a movie titled In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Following the release and success of the film, the book was republished under the same title.

Gerry Conlon's story is one of great suffering and perseverance in the face of gross injustice. For some, it might evoke anger toward the merciless British. For others, anger at the cold-blooded I.R.A. For those who read it with an open mind, however, it should be a reminder of the value of human life, and our ability as a species to lose sight of that in the midst of sorrow and rancor.

Conlon brings us to his home in the poorest area of Lower Falls, Belfast, a hotbed of sectarian violence. Natural-born misfits, too rebellious to fall in line, or even to pick a side in the fighting, Conlon and his gang were raised on the streets, taking excitement in being shot at by both Royal Constabulary forces and I.R.A men. Conlon fled twice to England, seeking a job and to clean up his life, though he proved to be just as under-achieving as he had been in Ireland.

He describes being a drifter in Guilford, scraping wages and spending them on booze. He recalls trying pot and L.S.D. for the first time and burglarizing apartments to pay for meals. Conlon eventually returns to Ireland, defeated and jobless, only to be suddenly wrested from his bed at night and shipped back to England.

Parliament had recently passed an anti-terrorism measure, which allowed police to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely and without counsel or trial (sound familiar?). Conlon finds himself in a dank prison cell, wondering aloud what crime he has committed. He soon realizes, between beatings, that his captors believe him to be responsible for a number of bombings that occurred several weeks earlier in Guilford.

Before long, Conlon finds his name and those of three others being paraded throughout the British news and legal system as those of terrorists, responsible for killing five and injuring sixty in a pub bombing. The enormous fervor generated by the bombings throughout Great Britain and the pressure on the part of the police to offer up a suspect creates a slippery slope down which Conlon slides. The court convicts not only Conlon, but also his hard-working father and aunt, though Conlon's only crime was being an Irishman in England.

The actions of the British government are remarkably similar to the atmosphere of our political environment today. The story of Conlon's unbelievable hardship in the face of socio-political antagonism is haunting. Were our nation's leaders made to read this, I am sure a sense of compassion would prevail in our nation's current policies.

50 Cent's debut cashes in on cred

Posted by Michael Mandelkern 50 Cent skyrocketed to popularity when he released his first major label LP, "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'," in early 2003. His second album, "The Massacre," which was released in 2005, sold 1.14 million copies in first four days of release. With the support of G-Unit, Eminem, and Dr. Dre, 50 Cent took the music industry by storm. His fourth album, "Before I Self Destruct," is slated for a June release.

Back in 2000, 50 Cent was already recognized by Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC and had been featured on a song titled "React" with Onyx. The platinum-selling producers Trackmasters signed him to Columbia Records. They collaborated to release his debut album, "Power of the Dollar." The LP was set for release in 2000, but Columbia reduced it to an EP after news surfaced that 50 Cent had been shot nine times.

His raw delivery of his dangerous upbringing in Southside Jamaica, Queens engages the listener throughout the album. On "The Good Die Young," he gives a detailed account of the street life. He says, "I get vest up/When I get dressed up."

Some of his most engaging tracks are the brief "Corner Bodega (Coke) Spot" and Black Child-featured "Gunrunner." Although short, the listener can vicariously experience being involved a drug deal and gun sale. 50 captivates on "Gunrunner" when he raps, "Damn n***a you hot/You talkin' like you tryna get a n***a knocked."

50 asserts his intimidating jail presence over the Trackmasters-produced "That Ain't Gangsta." Over low-pitched percussion and guitar-string plucks, 50 growls, "I'll have 'em on some E.T. s**t/Tryna phone home." On "You Ain't No Gangsta" he dismisses those who fabricate their street credibility when he raps, "Real s**t, you spit it 'cause you seen it/I spit it 'cause I did it and I mean it."

On "Ghetto Qu'Ran (Forgive Me)," 50 drops names of drug dealers and criminals. The track is allegedly the infamous cause for his being shot. Over a serene beat with soft percussion and 808 drums, 50 is brutally honest about how much becoming a successful rapper means to him. He rhymes, "Writing is the best way I express how I feel/If I ain't rich by 26, I'll be dead in jail."

On the Terence Dudley-produced "Your Life's On The Line," 50 menacingly raps over a momentous, thumping beat with violins and drums. The climax of the beat coincides with the peak of his verses. He scathes at industry rappers when he yells, "These cats always escape reality in they rhymes/That's why they rap about bricks and only dealt with dimes."

His occasional tendency of rhyming multiple words back-to-back can be redundant and the album only has one or two mainstream-friendly tracks. Overall, "Power of the Dollar" is original, direct and aggressive. The listener can taste 50's hunger for fame. The power of 50 Cent's voice inspires awe.

"The Reader" too pretentious for its own good

Posted by Eric Shapiro "The Reader," directed by Stephen Daldry, has all the trappings of an Oscar movie. But strip away its glossy exterior and "The Reader's" warts become all too visible.

On his way home from school in Germany in 1958, 15-year-old Michael Berg (David Kross) is stricken ill with scarlet fever. As fate would have it, he is spotted in the midst of vomiting by Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), an icy former S.S. officer turned train conductor, who subsequently helps him get home.

After his recovery, Berg returns to the woman's apartment to thank her and, lo and behold, the two fall into a love affair that begins in the bedroom and soon spills out into the countryside as the couple embarks on a long bicycle ride. At Hanna's insistence, the boy reads to her from classic works of literature, a bizarre kind of intellectual pillow talk that foreshadows a disturbing revelation later on.

Their happiness is cut short when Hanna, an illiterate, is promoted to a clerical job, prompting her to flee in shame. At this point the plot begins to buckle under the weight of its ambition. Like many other adaptations, "The Reader" suffers from an identity crisis. One minute it is a romance, the next a courtroom thriller and finally a family drama.

Unfortunately, the transitions from genre to genre are jarring; as a result, "The Reader" often feels like three movies in one. Despite some heavy-handed rhetoric, the film rarely achieves the profundity that it strives for. Many intriguing points are lost in the shuffle as the plot stumbles forward.

"The Reader" equally lacks a human level, with the protagonists never progressing beyond caricatures. Newcomer David Kross is called upon to tug at the audience's heartstrings with a doe-eyed, wounded look; it is a pity he is not given more of a chance to prove his acting chops before Ralph Fiennes swoops in to play the dull, older version of the protagonist.

Kate Winslet turns in a respectable performance as Hanna Schmitz, managing to convey psychological depth with little help from the script. Through no fault of her own, she loses the audience' sympathy after being called upon to explain her reprehensible actions as a member of the S.S. Daldry's vain attempts to provoke sympathy for the character in the wake of her confession are almost offensive. Unfortunately, they constitute a third of the film.

In a way, "The Reader" epitomizes Hollywood pretension. The cinematography is stunning, the actors are blandly impressive and the booming orchestral score kicks in at precisely the right moments, but it lacks the intelligence and soul of a truly great movie.

"The Reader" may not be the worst or shallowest movie of the year, but it is the worst movie that tries to pass itself off as more than shallow entertainment.

$30 million new music building will bring long-awaited relief

Posted by Katie Vallas In the fall of 2010, students will be treated to the unveiling of the Arthur Zankel Music Center, one of the most ambitious additions to the campus. This comes as the final conclusion to a planning process spanning more than a decade.

The 54,000-square foot music center will boast expanded rehearsal and performances spaces, coming as a relief to students in the music department who consistently face space availability issues in the current Filene Music Building.

The Music Department came forward in the '90s with complaints about lack of space since the building's construction for a campus of only of 1,000 students. "The music department came to the belief - the correct belief, I think - that Filene was too small for the program," said Philip Glotzbach, Skidmore College president. "We decided to design a new building."

Even after a consensus for expansion, the issue of funds halted the project until 2005, when investment mogul and Skidmore parent Arthur Zankel left the college a $42 million bequest. "We worked with his family members to decide the use that would be most appropriate. At the time we were looking for a naming gift, and we decided that this would be fitting," Glotzbach said.

With only a portion of Zankel's donation set aside for the new building, the college began fundraising efforts to reach the $30 million necessary to begin construction. "There were a lot of people who contributed," he said. "About a year ago, the board decided to go forward."

Planning for the structure, designed by architect firm EwingCole, remained focused on the concerns of students and faculty in the music department. Rehearsal space availability remained a major priority. "We're really crammed in Filene," said Tom Denny, chair of the Music Department. "It affects individual practices, as well as ensembles and coaching. They're all scrambling."

While Filene offers eight practice rooms, instructors regularly designate some spaces for specific instrumental practice. "In reality, there are three practice rooms for a myriad number of musicians," said Hanna Tonegawa '11, who has to keep up requirements as a Filene Music Scholar on top of the curricular work for the music major. "They get booked really, really quickly," she said.

Administrators kept the issue of contested rehearsal space in mind when planning the new facility, which will offer 14 practice rooms. But for students interested in music outside of formal ensembles and lessons, the new practice rooms might not necessarily mean increased accessibility. "I don't know how much Zankel will solve this," said Rochelle Calhoun, dean of Student Affairs. "Given the curricular needs of the students in the music department, it's a difficult situation."

While non-majors may not have opportunities for using the rehearsal space, music department faculty anticipate practice rooms with an improved rehearsal experience for students. "We've been through the building on tours, and they appear to be taking a lot of steps for soundproofing," Denny said. "We're very optimistic."

In the current building, technological advancements made since the original construction limits recording capabilities for performances. "The recording studio we have right now is in the basement, and it gets a little crowded," Tonegawa said.

In the new facility, recording could take place right in the rehearsal areas. "It's going to be possible to run recording and video projection through the rooms," Denny said. "This will make remote recording or room for overflow audiences possible."

With the current concert hall seating only 235 people, large audiences are a consistent issue. "We often just totally suppress publicity because it leads to disappointed people being turned away," Denny said. "With the new facility, we'll be able to finally promote events and draw audiences from on- and off-campus."

Administrators expect Zankel's new Filene Concert Hall to play a significant role in campus culture. "It will give the community a gathering space," Calhoun said. Like Denny, she pointed out that having a hall that seats 600 people will make events more accessible to members of the Saratoga community. "During the summer, Skidmore is seen as an additional venue to Saratoga Springs. With Zankel, I hope that can happen during the academic year as well."

While the new facilities most directly affect music students, other departments can also expect to reap the rewards of the larger concert hall. "For a lecture or symposium, we would be able to seat 700 people," said Glotzbach, suggesting they will finally be able to house the large audiences that flock to well-known speakers.

Other performing arts disciplines will be able to enjoy the new concert hall stage, which boasts a sprung floor for dancers. "It has the capacity to be used creatively for that," Denny said. He suggested future concerts where dancers perform onstage while student musicians play in the new recital hall pit. "There are nice possibilities for department collaborations," he said.

Even for people unaffiliated with Skidmore, Zankel Music Center will play an important role in establishing their view of the college. "On that end of campus, where visitors most often come in, Zankel will give a much more striking visual impression," Calhoun said.

The current construction site does not have that same effect, but Glotzbach said the building should be finished in just a few months. "It's on schedule, on budget, and we expect it to be up in a year from this January," he said. "We'll have the official opening in mid-October, 2010."

Students in the music department are eager to see the building open to the public. "We've been waiting for this building since 1987," Denny said.

ARTHUR ZANKEL:

After working for decades to make a fortune through real estate investments, Arthur Zankel spent his last years giving his money away. He donated millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations, most famously in a naming gift to Carnegie Hall. Upon Zankel's death, Skidmore College joined their company by receiving his $42 million bequest.

Zankel intended this generosity to be a gesture of thanks for the education of two of his sons, Kenneth Zankel '82 and James Zankel '92. "He thought their experience at Skidmore had helped to make them into wonderful human beings," Skidmore President Philip Glotzbach said.

Following his sons' graduations, Zankel kept close ties with the college by serving as a financial adviser and as a member of the Board of Trustees. "He really shaped the investments we made," Glotzbach said. "He was brilliant."

Beyond the help of Zankel's financial expertise, Glotzbach said he enjoyed Zankel's company and appreciated his quick wit. "He was smart, with an irreverent sense of humor," he said. "He was really a wonderful human being."

In spite of his accomplishments and friendships, Zankel battled with depression in his final years. At the age of 72, he ended his life by jumping from his ninth floor apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Next year, members of the Skidmore community will enjoy his final act of generosity with the unveiling of the Zankel Music Center, ensuring that the Zankel influence will be felt on campus for years to come. "It's a fitting memorial," Glotzbach said.

"Branches of Words" sows seeds of peace

Posted by Jessica Rubin Cultural collision, far from inciting conflict, can yield constructive and even artistic results. All it takes is a little coordination.

On the evening of Friday, Sept. 26 in Skidmore's dance theater, the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company provided that coordination with their performance "Branches of Words." The show was the first of six stops the company plans to make in upstate New York.

"Branches of Words" combines modern dance with Middle Eastern and African music. The dances reflected the poetry of Hafez, a 14th-century Persian poet.

Mahmood Karimi-Hakak and Zoe B. Zak, members of the company, recited the poems in both English and Persian, providing a vocal backdrop to the readings and the dances.

The artists said they hope to bring a new perspective to the turbulent political situation in our nation, adding that perhaps artists can do what politicians and academics have thus far failed to achieve.

"'Branches of Words' has gathered artists from the very parts of the world that too often seem to turn their backs on each other," the artists said in a written statement. "This performance says that it is possible to work together. It is possible to create together. It is possible to truly listen. It is possible to learn from each other.

"With this comes the ability to pull ideas from many sources and mold them into an arresting, viable and unique statement of truth."

The Poems of Hafez contain words of peace and love, themes that the company's dances explore.

"I thought that the interaction of the African music, the Sufi poetry, and American modern dance worked very well together in unexpected ways," said Piper Bonacquist '10.

The combination of the different elements was innovative and refreshing. The simple, vibrant costumes, modern dance moves, and poetic and musical conversations between the performers contrasted sharply with each other. However, they also worked together seamlessly, lending merit to the artists' idea that different worlds can interact in a non-violent way.

Mahmood Karimi-Hakak spoke of the performers' shared hope that their dance and their message will one day reach Iran. He reminded the audience that those living in countries plagued by violence are extremely intelligent and advanced; their world differs from that of the U.S. only in that their regimes function with guns.

Karimi-Kakak believes that "Branches of Words" may help start a dialogue with the Middle East. He said at first only their music might be able to make it into the area, but he is confident their dance will follow.

The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company's performance conveyed a strong message of political unity, and the dance itself was an innovative and interesting performance.

"I liked the progression of the dances and the music and I was grateful that they stuck around for a question and answer session after," said Katie Cullum '11.

The company's performance and work with some of Skidmore's dance classes brought their vision of resolution and communication to our campus, where it will not soon be forgotten.