nt rtainment ar i
. wher African m ri
have n opportunity for
the leading edg
no urpri
econd comin
American from th
1
on the at de
j t uperbly cted film with Oscar
rated performances by George T.
Odom, Anne D. Sander and
Lawrence GiI1i� but question
"Straight Out 01 Brooklyn" not box' for both white and African
ongwri r
o h Y r
Janet J c on nd Kenneth
"B byface" Edmond were
named Songwriters of the Y�ar
at BMI' 39th nnu I Pop
Awards Dinner in 1.0 Angel
recently.
J net Jack on, who e
Rhythm Nation 1814 album
e tabli hed her a uperstar,
and Kenneth "Babyface"
Edmonds, who proved in the
pa t year that he i a
prodigious an arti t a he i a
ongwriter and producer. led
all other songwriters with four
Ci ta tions each to take
Songwriter of the Year
honors.
Jackson's ''Alright,''
"CQm� Back To M�, 11
"Escapade" and "Rhytlun
Nation," all included on her
mo t recent album, were
honored. "It's No Crime"
(co-written by Antonio "L.A."
Reid and Daryl Simmons)and
.. "Wh4p " .... �. � - ...
on Baby� 'T�ndc, Lover
album.
L.A. and Babyface were •
al 0 named the 1990 BMI
Songwriters of the Year.
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmond
The Best Kept Secret In Hollywood!
"1 want to be the biggest legend
there ever was."
Kent Masters-King, the teenage
"Knot Landing" tar who plays Julie
Williams, makes this statement with
unaba hed confidence. Dorothy
Dandrige is her inspiration, but Kent
comes from three generations of
producers, directors, playwrite and
actors, so she is only continuing the.
family legacy. As a toddler, she was
the cl mascot in her mother's ac­
ting/directing cl at UCLA, and
they appeared together in
UCLA/USC films as well as in "�
Great Whit� Hope" at the Beverly
HillJ Playhouse.
At age four, Kent began studying
classical piano at USC Community
School of Performing ArtS, and by
ae twc;lve, recognized for her musi­
cal talent, was asked to enter the L.A.
City School's Black Administrator's
first city-wide search· for
lifted/talent Black youth.
Kent, decided, however, that she
wanted to compete as an actress and
went on to win first place. Shortly,
thereafter, Kent was identified as
Jlfted/talented in the performing arts
by the L.A. City School Di trier and
w invited to attend 'the Conser­
vatory of Performing Arts at Cal­
State L.A. In 1987, Kent entered the
Inner City Ira Aldridge Acting Com­
petition and won first place, again!
It aeemed quite natural, then, when
Kent secured a guest appearance on
"Hill Street Blues" and subsequently
ber plum "Knots" role.
Education is very important to
Kent. She attends an academicaUy
challenging college prep high
scboQI. "Acting i8 my love, school is
my m t-do. I am determined to
continue both, no matter what it
cakes."
In college, Kent plans to major in
art history and film, and is deter­
mined to produce, direct, and star in
ber own projects. Kent's schedule
eaves her with little free time. She
enjoys being a part of the performing
... nce company at her school, and
when time allow , is involved in
community ctivitie such as the
�arrick' AIDS Foundation as youth
pokesperson. .
• AlthouJh chosen by "Soap Opera
Pigat" one of the most beautiful
Kent Masters-KIna
women on televi ion, Kent remains
philo ophical about the up and
downs of her profe Ion. "Once 1
cried when I didn't get a p rt.. That
w the first and last time. Now I
know tbat if I don't get one part, a
better pan is on the horizon." It's
tIUs confidence of Kent'. that
tbcse-ln-tbe-kno following Kent
Ma ten-King' career very, very
carefully.
C"
ew
y
me
o
by DEBORAH CULP
COt'rWpotuUlII
My introduction to the world of
land-up comedy w one th t will
be remembered for orne time to
come. While some colleagu and I
vi ited Bea' Comedy kitchen in
downtown Detroit recently, we had
the opportunity to enjoy three-very
different comedians, Alturo Shelton,
TIm Ully, and Highland Par's 0
"Downtown" Thny Brown.
Each one of the e talented
gentlemen lived up to the expecta­
tions fot which the Kitchen'S
manager Steve Evans had primed the
udience preceding ,the how.
Brown came in with subtle show
of humor w lch ended with the
audience wallowing in an explosive
state of laughter.
Next up was Shelton, recently
back from Japane e tour. He
skipped through a variety of impres­
siom of entertainers, dignitaries, and
common folk. This fun filled act w
combined with Alturo' other talent,
singi
OF COURSE THIS didn't give
the audience much time to
recuperate and catch their breath.
All three of the evening's talent
provided the patrons with a selection
of jokes, ja s, and skits that were
widel y apprecia ted and we 11
Three Powerhouse' of fun: (l-r) TIm LlDy, "Downtown" Tony Brown '
and Alturo Shelton. (photo D. Cutp).
received. Each one with its own uni- Bea's Comedy Kitchen is located
quene and originality. at 541 E. Lamed St. with convenient
Next came TIm Lilly who tanta- p rking acro the street, and a well
liz�� �he a�diel1� by proy'�dtIlg . stock� k!tC,.�n to boot._. ';
bnmcfo s er-rnadness" that left no" , 'Downtown" Tony' rown has
funny-bone untouched. Lilly been a regular atthe club since 1984,
begged the guests' pardon and stated while keeping other engagements
that he, too, was recently back from when permi ible. .But you bad bet-
an intensive tour ... of Royal Oak. ter hurry with this kind of talent,'
(Michigan) To say the least, this Brown and the others are sure to
statement and Tim's entire act re-locate soon!
caused us all to question his anity!
'African-American Poets and
'Spoken Word A,� i ts perform
white, Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, gay, straight,
make, and female. This IS the "N.w PtHtry, " created
by the convergence of rap, rock, poetry, and the oral
tradi lions of Africa, Latin America; and the Caribbean.
And it is a pulsing television poem full of sound and
images, and determined to provoke and evoke idea
and emotions.
Selected Performers
Heather B. - "A Positive Piece"
An up-and-coming rapper who has toured with
Boogie Down Productions, Heather B. will be fea­
tureed on Edusainer; KRS-l' new record label.
Nicole Breedlove - "Front Pag� or Bust"
A former member of the poetry group Dark Star
Crew and a college stu­
dent., Nicole Breedlove
hails from Brooklyn,
N.Y.
KRS-l- "You Must
Learn"
KRS-1 i a critically
acclaimed rap musician
and producer. He
speaks and writes on 50-
cial issues, and authored
an op-ed piece in The
New York Times last
year.
Mutabaruka -
"'I'Iu! Prisoner"
Based in Kingston,
Jamaica, Mutabaruka is
u leading "dub" poet -
a movement formed in
Jamaica and London,
where oral traditions have merged with reggae.
Suzan·LorI Parks - "My Amuican Duty"
Suzan-Lori Parks' "lmperceptibk Mutabilities in
t� Third Kingdom" won a 1990 Obie for best new
American play. Her works have been on television
and radio. The New York 'J'fmu named her 1989's
"most promising new playwright"
1b Osh PIn ock - "AII ImmigrQllt Folk
Tak"
A poet and tory teller who draws on his dance and
theater b ckground and on African, American and
Caribbean oral traditions, Pinnock has perfonned in­
ternationally to critical and popular acclaim .
ko SUDdl - "Blink Your Eyu"
Sekou SUDdlata i a vocallat for the bend "dadah­
doodahda" aDd a poet on the faculty t ew York's
New School. His band can be heard on the Ryko Disc
label.
"Alive From Off Center" returns
with Words In Your Face '
ACROSS AMERICA - on college campuses, at
nightclubs laundromats, COWboy gatherings, in the
barrios - performing poets are setting loose a stream
of Words in Your Face, a high-energy anthology that
celebrate the current poetry revival, featuring a
diverse group of African-American performing poets,
rappers, and writers. .
Premiering Thursday, July 11 at 10 p.m. ET (check
local listings) on PBS, Words in Your Face launches
the 1991 season of Aliv. From Off Cent.r, public
television's performing arts series tbat invites viewers
to discover the newest in
animation, dance, film,
music, poetry, theater,
nd video.
FUMY, angry, reflec­
tive, challenging, and al­
ways original, Wonts ill
Your Face features 20
writers, poets, rappers,
playwrights and other'
poken word performers
who rant, chant and
whisper their messages
in an explosion of lan­
guage and image. Some
works were created
especially for tbC broad­
cast; oChers are excerpts
from lengthier pieces.
Yet the film is much
more than poe1S reciting
for a camera. Their performances, filmed on locations
in New York City and in dramatic studio euings, are
interwoven with commentary by rock-poet Henry Rol­
lins and pungent observations on the power of words
by treet passersby. .
Bob Holman, poet and a director of New York
City'S Nuyorican Poe Cafe, join with proc1UCCII Josh
Blum and �rry McCoy and director Mark Pellington,
creato of MTV' acclaimed "BIItZ" ries, to create
the half-hour program. it includes Caribbean and
African-American poe , rappers, and playwrights
Nicole Breedlove, KRS-1, Sekou Sundiata, Heather
B., Thomas Pinnock, Mutaberuka, and Suzan-Lori
P
KRS·l
WO D IN YOU face enc p ulates and
recreat the poken ont movement - poetry per­
formed live for aud DCICS. It brings together the
vo ees of different Americans: African-American,
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