Judge Forces Rap Fan To Listen To Classical Music

Andrew Vactor of Urbana, Ohio, was facing a $150 fine for playing music too loudly in his car stereo in July. Specifically, rap music.

The Associated Press reports that Champaign County Municipal Court Judge Susan Fornof-Lippencott gave Vactor a choice: either pay a $150 fine, or only $35 - provided he listen to 20 hours of classical music by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

According to a probation officer, Vactor lasted about 15 minutes.

"I didn't have the time to deal with that," said Vactor, who claims it was practice with the Urbana University basketball team, not music, that made him give in. "I just decided to pay the fine."

Judge Fornof-Lippencott explained that er idea was to force Vactor to listen to something he might not like, similar to those forced to listen to his rap music.

"I think a lot of people don't like to be forced to listen to music," she said.

Fresh Fest brings backs memories for Whodini member

The event: Fresh Fest Old School Reunion 2008 featuring Naughty By Nature, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Force M.D.’s and Whodini.

• The Atlanta connections: Ecstasy of hip-hop trio Whodini — also known as the guy who always wore the hat — has lived in the metro area since the mid-’90s.

The latest on Whodini: “You know, Whodini is a great example of longevity in hip-hop,” Ecstasy, born John Fletcher, claims. “Twenty-five years after we started we’re still able to tour and make money in this business. Now when we started the money wasn’t in hip-hop that there is now. It’s not that kind of money. But we’re still able to survive and tour — every year. Selling out major venues. Five-thousand seat venues.

“We always talk about making another record, but it’s kind of scary,” continues Ecstasy, whose group’s last album was released in 1996. “The climate for making music is so different now. But if the right situation comes along, I can see us doing like a double-sided single or something. …We did a party at the [2008 Democratic National Convention], and we talked to will.i.am and LL [Cool J] about doing something. Again, if the right situation comes along, why not?”

• The story behind the name: “We didn’t call ourselves Whodini, the record company did,” Ecstasy says. “We thought we were just going to be a studio group or whatever — where people wouldn’t really know who the people in the group were; just the song. But I guess because our first record was ‘Magic’s Wand,’ somebody thought the name Whodini would be cool. If it were up to us we probably would have called ourselves the Chosen Few or the Devastating Two; because people had names like that then. The Funky Four. Treacherous Three. In the end it worked out though because Whodini was different than everything that was going on at the time. It helped us stand out. And our whole image was counterpart to Run-DMC’s and other guys. They were b-boys in tennis shoes and track suits. We were catering to the women — dressing fly, in silk and leather and boots and crocodile shoes.”

• The Jermaine Dupri they know: “Oh, man, as I think everybody knows now, Jermaine opened up the original Fresh Festival. The first hip-hop tour in arenas. He was about 10, 11 or 12, and he could really dance. So we asked if we could feature him in our part of the show — you know, give him some more experience. And the next thing we know he is one of the most successful producers in the world. And we’re in the studio with him, producing us [on their last studio album, “Six”]. He’s always been a hard worker, though. And he’s learned from some of everybody in the business — Run-DMC, Russell Simmons — and just taking bits and pieces from them and done his thing his own way.”

• What may surprise you about Ecstasy: “During some of the leaner years we’ve had to get like real jobs to maintain. … Like me personally, I’ve been an EMT paramedic and an ultrasound tech. But we always seem to come back to this — getting on the road and performing. After you’ve been able to do something like this, for this long, you can’t really hold down a real job.”

TONI BRAXTON'S 42ND B'DAY DINNER AT MR. CHOW

Toni Braxton(with husband Keri Lewis and "DWTS" partner Alec Mazo) made her way to Mr. Chow restaurant in Beverly Hills with her black Gucci Indy large top handle bag - the very one Raven Symone loves to rock. The R&B singer celebrated her 42st birthday yesterday with a dinner date at the upscale eatery.

Speaking of "DWTS" check out Toni and Alec's recent Viennese Waltz performance on the show this week. Doesn't Toni's outfit reminds of this Toni? (Thanks Toni Braxton Net for the video!)

BET Hip Hop Awards Performers Announced

Top nominee Lil Wayne, Atlanta’s Ludacris and Young Jeezy (pictured above, together, at a rehearsal from an earlier BET Hip Hop Awards) and T-Pain, along with The Game, Common, N.E.R.D. — and get this — Lady of Rage, are on the just-announced list of artists scheduled to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards Oct. 18 at the Atlanta Civic Center.

Jadakiss will be the “celebrity announcer” (what E-40 did last year) and our own DJ Drama will return to the turntables for the program; which will be taped to air Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. .

Now why Lady of Rage, you’re probably asking? (After all the one and only album she released was in 1997).

Well, BET is planning a tribute to female pioneers in hip-hop. Also, as previously announced, Katt Williams is back as host and Russell Simmons will receive the “I Am Hip Hop” Icon Award.

Looking forward to the awards show’s return to Atlanta? Did you watch it last year - and if so, how do you think it went?

SOURCE: www.ajc.com