Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1997)
AUG. 27, 1997 Page B3 (E lie } J n r t b i n ò ( 0 b s e m e r ,7 /6 ENTERTAINMENT Soul Food F s 7 * "ter . T-«' NEW UNE CINEMA HO TS CHRIS TUCKER CHARLIE SHEEN "MONEY TALKS" fOTiVf « CHRIS TUCKER PP00UŒ0 By WAITER COBLENZ TRACT K M writen n JOEL COHEN & ALEC SOKOLOW DKC1B P BRETT RATHER • a r iw a r I it rhi 12 nd A viau i r i i i mi iK T iT w u t I M a il T iB T E » T m TÌTKTTL 205 O ak G row 8 Now Showing w w w .m o n e y -ia iK s .c o m Call 503-288-0033 to Advertise In (¿lie ^.învtlanù (Obseru'er (7 S h o p A r o u n d 7* G o in g To A G o -G o ff 7 Sunday, September 7 > 7:00 p.m. on the Zoo concert lauin Me W h a t 's So G o o d About G oodbye O oo Ticket!: $15 in advance From Ticketmaiter, 2 2 4 -4 4 0 0 .' $17 at the ?ate. f! *Subject to service charge. Baby T ra c k s All concert proceeds will benefit endangered Asian elephants through research programs conducted by the Smithsonian Institution's Conservation and Research Center. The Party to Smokey’s classic hits and music from his latest recordings. 7 The one and only Smokey Robinson rocks the Zoo to help Portland celebrate the coming of our new baby elephant! The young Asian elephant will be donated by Enron Corp., one of the world’s leading energy companies and also a new face in town. Baby Of My M E T R O W A S H IN G T O N PARK Z O O ove I Saw In You Tea Slam Jamz/Columbia singer, com poser, producer, musician Kyle Jason (street name "Ice” ) on his self-produced and composed EP, Generations, Kyle captures the fla v o r - re d e m p tio n . Seamlessly linking vivid urban images, soulful tracks, powerful vocals and searing between-song narratives, the clearly conceptual CD is a brilliant debut. A prime example is the scintillating lead single “butter Baby." Written by Kyle, who co-pro duced it with P-Funk legend Bootsy Collins, “Butter Baby” is about a gorgeous, seductive fe male who comes into a hustler's life as he’s rising to big time street dealer prominence. The G enerations EP begins with the finessed funk of “Up town,” a Marvin Gaye inspired track explaining the hustler's rea soning for going, “ ...uptown to make my money.” That track sets up the anthem, "The Life Ol A Hustler,” self-explanatory in its title, totally on target in its execu tion. Then, making a smooth, 180 degree turn in tone and texture- after the poignant “She’s Mine" interlude and "Hush" (coproduced w ith P-F unk legend B ootsy Collins ), comes the lead single, “ Butter Baby.” “M atter of Tim e," the C D ’s next narrative, makes it clear that the days of all hustlers’ lives are numbered. “ 16 Stories,” which has Curtis Mayfield sound and a time less R&B Bow, is the unequivocal fate-sealing cut. After a snitch rats him out, the hustler’s next stop is. “D-Block,” the state penitentiary, where the narrator reports, he meets his father for the first time. “Generations,” featuring a guest rap by Chuck D. reveals the lather and so n ’s cell-block dialogue. “When We Come Around,” the EP’s exit track, offers hope, re newal and, yes, redemption. Ooo baby, baby - It i Smokey Robimon! On Welcome to my world, one not made o f blue skies and green grass, but rain clouds and miles o f broken glass. For those o f you who walked the walk I've walked, y'all understand. For those who haven't, to explain, I'll do the best I can. ...Welcome to my world...” 'A hustler's greeting' - Kyle Jason G o t A H o ld I ACT I II T M E A T R » 9 L R e a ll y T I a TAH L G ramo P arkway I Y o u 'v e T IH I » I N I S L I Î Ï T T T i Y h I He hai a trunkload of Grammyi. Herdi of devoted faw . And timeleii animal maynetiim... I S I ACT III V H IA V H IL E ilis ille P i i i w i t I Himop 9 * M ita 7» T e a rs O f A C lo w n l is Sunday evening, and the The line producer is Llewellyn loseph family has once again W ells, and the co-producer is gathered around the dinner table Michael McQuarn. Music is by for the weekly feast of soul food. Wendy Melvion and Lisa Coleman. The tight-knit, but often em The film editor is John Carter, battled clan is presided over by A.C.E.; the production designer is 'Mother Joe,” or "Big Mama, as Maxine Shepard; and the director she’s called by her young grand of photography is Paul Elliott. son, Ahmad. Dishing out generous Kenneth “B abyface” Edm onds is helpings of love and sage advice, as the executive producer. The film well as fired chicken and black- is p ro d u c e d by T ra c e y E. eyed peas. M other Joe is the Edm onds and Robert T eitel, and family’s anchor - its strength. w ritten and directed by G eorge Mother Joe certainly has her T illm an, Jr. hands full keeping this group to oul Food originated with w rite r /d ir e c to r G eorge gether. Her three very different daughters - Teri, a career-driven Tillm an’s own experiences as a lawyer; Maxine, a homemaker; and child growing up in a very large Bird, the struggling owner of a hair Midwestern family. salon - don’t exactly get along. And illman was drawn back to their husbands, one of whom is an his own favorite childhood ex-con, aren’t making things any memories of the massive Sunday easier for their wives or Mother afternoon dinners his Milwaukee grandmother served up to the whole Joe. When Mother Joe takes ill. the family. W hile the w om en cooked family's ties, always on the verge and g o ssip ed , the m en talked of unraveling, seem to be coming and b o asted -- and the w hole apart for good. As his parents, aunts, th in g ap p eared in cred ib ly d ra uncles and cousin b attle over m atic and m agical through a money, affairs and career-changes, young b o y ’s eyes. it's up to young Ahmad, w ho’s al he pow er o f those sim ple family gatherings was as ways had a special bond with Mother Joe, to come up with apian explosive as anything Tillm an to keep the family together and experienced grow ing up in the teach them the true meaning of “soul urban M idw est. n 1995. T illm an finally put food.” Twentieth Century Fox Presents hese vivid m em ories and An Edmonds Entertainment Pro c h aracters into final screenplay duction, A George Tillman, Jr. Film form , tap p in g into his feelings Soul Food, starring Vanessa L. ab o u t the im p o rtan ce' o f fam Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia ily , h is fe a rs a b o u t m odern Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi th re a ts to fam ily bonds and his Phifer, Jeffrey D. Sams, Irma P. re d o le n t m em o ries o f the m y s te rio u s c o n n e c tio n s betw een Hall, Gina Ravcra and Brandon the sto m ach and the heart. Hammond. ACT I I I T icaad C imiaas A former pro football player serves as a guardian to an outspoken 18- year-old girl while running a sports injury clinic with two unpredictable- partners - an outlandish physical therapist and an egocentric doctor - in the half hour comedy series "In the House,” airing Mondays (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET/PT)on UPN. Starring arc (L-R) Kim W ayansasT onia; Mia Campbell as Tiffany Warren; LL Cool J as Marion Hill; and Alfonso Ribeiro as Dr. Maxwell Stanton. L L iotd M ail I *cr m Con o r n u iu s NEW LINE C IN E H lIl Natural gas. V G Electricity. Endless possibilities.™ Is J u s t A M ir a g e 7 C
