Well it’s officially 2011 so I figured I wouldn’t labor my recap for the entire Partyline this week, but I know there are some things that I wanted to mention that y’all would want to revisit and ponder.
Triumphs – When I think of the year, a couple of events/activities/individuals stand out as ones for the STL history books. I’ll start with the Sista Strut Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. Anyone who witnessed the thousands of faces of color walking to spread awareness and encouragement saw the potential of our city with respect to uniting for positivity and making a difference. MAJOR props to the folks at Majic 104.9 and Hallelujah 1600 AM. Another event that had me proud to rep my city was the events surrounding Devon Alexander’s fight at the Scottrade – especially the event at City Hall in honor of his bout. The A/C was missing in action and the crowd was on “sweaty swole,” but I was still overwhelmed by the love everyone (including homegrown celebs like Cedric The Entertainer, Chuck Berry and more) showed Devon – who is a class act. And speaking of class acts, my final shout out regarding what’s right about the STL is not an event – but a few people. I would be utterly out of pocket if I didn’t give Foxy 95.5’s Niecy Davis a heap of love for all that she did to make sure that y’all got what you wanted to see in Partyline – from hot tips to pulling strings for celeb shots and special access for Radio One St. Louis events. I didn’t take any of it for granted. Since I’m talking about photos, I might as well segue into a super-duper debt of gratitude to Lawrence Bryant for the world class concert pictures he snapped on our behalf this year.
Let downs – As happy as I was to see the turnout and the support of the fight Don King brought to town – but the actual act of fighting for our city (which has a strong boxing legacy) was…well…let’s just say less impressive than I expected. I was hoping for at least TKOs. I’m already talkin’ about throwin’ blows, so I might as well mention how downright disappointed (in a disgruntled parental voice) I was to see the folks cut up at Tony J.’s Traffic Awards in 2010. He works hard to give a unique event that gives props to the St. Louis entertainment industry – through the awards and the performances – and the least y’all can do from now own to support is act right!
Strange encounters – Did anyone else feel like they were in the Twilight Zone during an alien abduction episode when two rappers went missing only to return unharmed. The APB that JKwon’s record label put out for him had the entire city suspecting foul play thanks to Allhiphop.com. Thank the Lawd for miscommunication and false alarms. Nelly had me worried too when he went MIA from his short-term temporary gig at Hot 104.1 FM…well that was until I heard he was living it up all over the U.S. and beyond. Does anyone know how things panned out for him on-air in the UK? Inquiring minds want to know.
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