Music Feature Final

N.W.A (Niggas Wit Attitude) is famous for their major affect in the rap scene. They are basically the inventors of “Gangsta Rap.” N.W.A was a Compton, California based rap group that rapped on things that went on in their neighborhoods, this included murders, robbery, drugs, rape, and police brutality. The original members of N.W.A consisted of Eazy E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre. A year later adding DJ Yella, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince to the rap group. In the start, around 1986 music shows such as VH1 and even radio stations weren’t ready for so much harsh and violent lyrics, and neither was the public.
The group’s first single was “Straight Outta Compton” which talked about life in Compton, California, spoke the blunt truth of the city. The next hit for the group was a widely controversial song called “Fuck The Police.” This song talked about police brutality, racial profiling, and killing police officers. It caused a lot of madness within police departments, saying it “encouraged people to harm police officers,” one officer said. N.W.A would eventually receive a letter from the F.B.I for the song. The letter stated that the group should watch their step.
In 1989, the group’s political threat, Ice Cube left the group after a lot of financial disputes between him, the group, and Jerry Heller, the president and founder of the group.
Ice Cube would put out a diss-track entitled “No Vaseline” which was featured on his solo album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, which was a hit!
A few years later, at the group’s peak of the popularity, Dr. Dre was still trying to leave the group to go solo due to an “unfair” record deal. This led to a public dispute between the two, each putting out diss records including Dr. Dre and Death Row artist Snoop Dogg’s song “Dre Day” which threw plenty of lyrical blows and Eazy-E. Eazy would return fire in song “It’s On” as well as “Real Compton City G’s” both songs dissing Death Row Records, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre. After all the feuding was over, in 1995 Eazy-E tragically died from the AIDS virus.
Before the rappers death, Dr. Dre as well as Ice Cube had worked things out with Eazy-E. They had set aside all differences and came back to why they were rapping side by side in the first place.
“I’m definitely disappointed that we let stupid childish things get in-between our friendship---- I would love to see how things would be today if all that didn’t happen” says Dr. Dre in N.W.A documentary featured on VH1.
Through all of N.W.A’s ups and downs they still are known as the pioneers of gangsta rap and regarded as one of the best music groups in music history being put at number 50 by MTV. Without N.W.A the rap scene would be totally different today, some may say that’s a good thing, but a rap fan would say without N.W.A rap just wouldn’t be the same.

Feature Story Final

For Sierra’s Basketball team of the 2009-2010 season they were defending a state championship, they had plenty of talent from prior year and were expected to repeat as champions again in the 4A devision.
As we all know this team successfully did exactly what most people thought and brought the state champion trophy back to the home of the stallions with their roster which was filled with senior talent.
This year is a different story.
With only three returning varsity players, two of which are juniors who had exceptional stats last season. Calvin Brown was 4A honorable mention and received the 6th man award while the 6 foot 7 inch Wesley Gordon lead the team in rebounds, assists, as well as blocks which he also led the state in. The last returning varsity player maybe will be senior point guard, Willie Saunders who has played every year, but isn’t sure if he will participate this year due to an injury from football. The remaining players and new, former D1 coach, Terry Dunn has a lot of pressure to three peat with a team that doesn’t have a lot of height or varsity experienced players to work with.
The new coach, Terry Dunn has plenty of coaching experience, coaching Ivy College, Dartmouth’s Basketball team as well as University of Colorado where he coached one of the best point guards of all time and current Denver Nugget point guard, Chauncey Billups. “We are going to have to have great footwork and excellent speed,” Coach Dunn says
During the team’s weekly workouts, they practice footwork drills and shooting drills, all the players seem to be pretty confident for the upcoming season.
“A lot of people in our own school our doubting our talent and work ethic this year, we’re going to surprise a lot of people I guess,” says former JV player Michael Crawford.
The pressure this team is feeling may not be theirs alone. The whole school may feel it as well. Sierra’s students take pride in being able to say, “Yea I got to Sierra, back to back basketball state champions!” But the main pressure is with the players and having to fill the shoes of the great athletes we had the last two championships won.
There has not been a basketball team in the state of Colorado who has won three in row championships in basketball, but Sierra is not alone in attempting to be the first.
Regis Jesuit who has cheered Sierra on in the crowds both years to win the championships has also won two in a row the same years as us but in 5A. Bud Thomas, senior returning starter from the last two years says, “It would be a great accomplishment for us and Sierra to win again.”
”It’s going to be an exciting season!” says Wesley Gordon.

Short Music Review

For Young Jeezy’s backup to his first album that did great and went platinum, The Inspiration was an amazing album to put out after which also went platinum. This album marked Young Jeezy’s spot as one of the best and most successful rappers out and went number one on Billboards top 200 albums Unlike his first album he had many guest artist to make his music more likeable by other fans. His first single off the album was “Dreamin” which featured R&B singer Keysha Cole. She gave the tack a softer tone than the rest of the album; the song was an instant hit and a great song to put out first. We can expect a lot more great music in the future from Young Jeezy.

Music Feature

I will writing my feature on the notorious rap group N.W.A.

Story Topic

Im going to be doing a story on how the Sierra basketball team is feeling the pressure of getting a 3 peat.

My primary angle will be Coach Terry Dunn, the new Head Coach, former D1 coach.

Journal 9-9-10

"after i came home from the military, i started getting into a lot of different kind of trouble." Ice T said

Ice T says former rapper, Vanilla Ice, didn't need to lie about being from the "streets" to rap, and that's why a lot of rappers at the time didn't have much respect for him, but he's a cool person.

What Brandii Did Over The Weekend

"I work at the Elk's Lodge and we had a picnic."