While our parents were out making paper, the Jeffersons, the Evanses and the Cosbys were teaching us valuable lessons about life, love and marriage. They were our surrogate parents, and not to get all weird on you, but some of them could tuck us into bed ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK, knowhutimsayn?

5. Wanda: We figure Kellita Smith’s character on The Bernie Mac Show was Bernie’s second wife. Homegirl wasn’t technically a mom, but was helping to raise his crackhead sister’s kids while juggling a career as VP of AT&T. And she was keeping it tight.

4. New Aunt Viv: In Season 4-6 of Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Daphne Maxwell Reid came in as a tamer, more June Cleaverish mother to the Banks clan. Her light skinned thickness was a totally different look than the previous mom, and some people say the change was when the show jumped the shark. But she looked pretty good doing it.

Aunt Viv, you look different in Season 4...

3. Old Aunt Viv: The original Fresh Prince of Bel Air mom was a tall, dark beauty with a body like whoa. Janet Hubert-Whitten headed the Banks family for Seasons 1-3 with an outspoken personality and legs for days. A few episodes had her donning a dancer’s leotard and performing, and it wasn’t quite clear how Uncle Phil handled all that. She had a career too (damned if I remember what it was), and rocked Afrocentric hair from time to time. I miss her.

2. Willona: Upstairs neighbors never looked that good. Ja’net Dubois played Florida Evans’ contemporary, but unlike Florida, you could tell Willona Woods knew her way around a party. Even in her 50s and 60s, in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and The Wayans Bros., she was still fine.

Spanking, anyone?

1. Claire Huxtable: The Don Diva of all TV moms, Claire Huxtable was kicking out kids and kicking butt in a courtroom. In another case of ‘How the Hell He Pull That?’ I just couldn’t see Cliff keeping up. The kids knew they could bid for Dad’s sympathy, but when Claire pulled up her eyebrow, even us watching at home straightened up in our seats. She knew how to crack that whip, and we lerrrved it.

Honorable Mention

Ghetto and loving it!

Peg Bundy: Former bad girl turned housewife Peg Bundy worked the redhead thang way better than old girl off That 70’s Show, with a lot cigarette in one hand and a box of bonbons in the other. In spandex pants and a leopard print top, she was sexier than Kelly and smarter than Al, even if she hardly ever got him to “go upstairs.”

We love Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton and others. But we hate the movie “Precious” and its light skin-good, dark skin-bad subtext. GrownHeadz commentator K-Rocka put it best: “It’s just old-school stereotype race casting. People can’t see through this bullsh*t?”

“Lastly I wanna thank the precious girls everywhere! This is for you.” Gabourey Sidibe we love you!!
9:54 PM Feb 26th

Van Jones: “I love you” Glenn Beck? Good, you can peel the rest of us off him when he takes the wrong exit and winds up in the hood.
9:48 PM Feb 26th

Tarantino’s ghetto pass just got knocked down to a learner’s permit.
9:37 PM Feb 26th in reply to jmerriman

And John Mayer is performing the next musical selection.
9:34 PM Feb 26th

Oh heeeeellllllllllll naw! Who else “Heard Dat?!” Tarantino just got entirely too common with Black folks. I’ve been sayin it for years yall
9:31 PM Feb 26th

Monique gets an image award for portraying a sexually, physically abusive she-beast of a mother? Or am I missing the point of the honor? -RA
9:29 PM Feb 26th

DJ ASEE still feels weird checking out Tatiana Ali.
9:27 PM Feb 26th

Everybody rolls out their funkiest music for Image Award commercials. Home Depot got a dam house mix!
9:24 PM Feb 26th

FreedomReeves – For the record, I admire Tyler Perry’s hustle. But I always thought Image Awards were given for not embarrassing black people.
9:17 PM Feb 26th
Retweeted by you and 2 others

Tyler is preaching up there! But they playing the Wrap it Up music on him.
9:05 PM Feb 26th

Cicely Tyson’s outfit is BANGIN! I think she’s jockeying for a role in the next Tyler Perry movie too.
9:01 PM Feb 26th

Poor Tyler. No matter how many achievements and how much success and power he gains, Black folks still won’t let him out of that closet.
8:56 PM Feb 26th

Anyone think Fox is trying to make up for the past 20 years of hate and spite towards people of color by broadcasting the Image Awards?
8:53 PM Feb 26th

Still fine, though. -Resident Alien
8:46 PM Feb 26th

Maxwell is either starting to look like Shemar Moore’s daddy or Tavis Smiley’s little brother.
8:46 PM Feb 26th

Journee Smollee is all growed up! Makes a sista feel old! Last I saw, she was playing in mudpies on Eve’s Bayou!
8:41 PM Feb 26th

I’m enjoying all the black commercials that normally never see the light of prime time network TV. -Resident Alien
8:38 PM Feb 26th

The raspberry shades notwithstanding, what the hell is Quincy wearing for the Clarence Avant intro? He letting his grandkids dress him? -RA
8:34 PM Feb 26th

hey hey WTF…can Hill Harper get off sandra bullocks jock
8:29 PM Feb 26th

jill scottt shoulda won..nobody watch hawthorne..EVERYBODY watches #1 ladies detective agency..black politics at work – RA
8:23 PM Feb 26th

Dang,,goin old school with “chill” from whatever show he was on..winning..aint nuthin like hip hop music was my jam
8:21 PM Feb 26th

i think sherry went off script…or that’s the worst written banter EVER
8:18 PM Feb 26th

what’s up on the black dude from Glee standing in front of the black girl from glee..naw we don’t know their names – RA
8:15 PM Feb 26th

we ‘re tweeting the NAACP awards DJA = DJ A-See RA = Resident Alien
8:11 PM Feb 26th

Somebody Need to Tell Tavis Smiley Not to Call Out Rev. Al on the Radio!

Of all the people who should know better than to call out the right Rev. Al Sharpton, Tavis Smiley tops the list.
Rev. Sharpton is more than a civil rights blowhard with decades of impeccably coiffed hair to his name. He’s only one of the world’s most formidable debaters.
Young Tavis has worked up close and personal for ten years on his State of the Black Union meetings with Rev. Al, and he’s seen that when the Rev. gets to ducking, diving and signifying, ain’t nothing holy about it.
So why did Smiley think he could step to Sharpton and call him out, on live radio no less, Tuesday morning on the Tom Joyner Morning Show?

Black leaders, he said, “are singing a new hymn I never heard of, one that says the president no longer needs a black agenda.”
Tavis is fully aware of the connotations of singing, mind you, and all the shuffling and soft shoe imagery attendant with it. He went on to name “Al Sharpton, Ben Jealous, Charles Ogletree, Valerie Jarrett, Marc Morial, Dr. Dorothy Height” as offenders.
Tom could smell the brown storm coming, and having gone through his own incident with Tavis only last year, was steadfastly noncommittal. He maintained his professionalism and waited—he knew he wouldn’t have to wait long.
Rev. Al called in a scant few minutes later in a state of pure pomade fury, and was hardly as subtle as Tavis. He referenced the “Negroes” running around “buck-dancing” for Bill Clinton, blasting Tavis for famously calling Clinton the first black president, and said Tavis had misrepresented and distorted his statements.
Check out Tavis’s Olympic-worthy backpedaling on Al’s Keeping It Real show later.

Tavis: “What I said was, uhhh–”
Al: “Negro, is you crazy?”
(Not a direct quote)

I think Tavis learned his lesson. He may not be able to sit for a few days, but he learned.
My question is, does anybody think Al Sharpton won’t show at Tavis’s not-quite-but-very-similar-to-the-State of the Black Union discussion in March? What do you think?

Image by Darren Baker

Who said dating isn’t stressful? Hell, many times the stress starts before even meeting the person you will date.

Some women fall victim to thinking if they’re cute enough, one day Prince Charming will see them across the room and violins will play. I know Valentine’s Day is coming up, so these are some tips for real women over 30 whose glass slippers are beginning to pinch.

Steve Harvey’s book ‘Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man’ helps women understand how most men think and react, in order to better attract them. However, the days of ATTRACTING men are numbered.

As a dating coach, I encourage my female clients to actively approach the people they like. Women need to be more aggressive–just looking good doesn’t cut it anymore. Good men have too many options. So women need to learn how to pick men up.

Have an opener. I say opener as opposed to pick-up line, because it takes more than just one line to pick someone up. You just want to start a conversation. Here are 6 good ones to use.

1. Fly the friendly skies. The airport is a great place to meet potentials who probably have jobs and interesting stories. Since every region is known for something, strike up conversation about your destination city. It invites him to share his likes and dislikes with you and flatters him as an expert.
Example: So what’s the best rib joint in downtown Memphis?

2. Help a Brother Out. If he’s juggling packages or falling all over the place, offer to carry a bag or hold a door–but be mindful that people now-a-days can be very guarded.
Example: Promise I’m not a thief, but I couldn’t watch you struggle any longer. Plus, I wanted to prove there are still good people in the world.

3. Got jokes? Humor is always my favorite approach. Even if what you say is corny, give it a sincere try. Political and educational subjects are good, but stay away from cynical negativity.
Example: (In a long line at a grocery store) Why is it faster to get a cooked meal then it is to get the food to make the meal?

4. Pass on some good information. People always appreciate saving money. If you spot a cutie shopping, suggest they check out the store’s website for discounts. Carry a couple of extra business cards from your reliable mechanic, outstanding printer or caring doctor. Then peep out the best situations to pass them along.
Example: I saw you ordering a soy latte. I know a great holistic health counselor you might be interested in.

5. Work it while networking. Business conferences aren’t all about business. In line at the bar or between sessions, get some casual conversation going.
Example: What’s the best (or worst) conference you’ve ever been to?

6. Ask someone what they do. Asking what he does for a living doesn’t have to come off gold digger-ish. Here’s a graceful way to broach the subject that works almost anywhere, from the post office to the roller skating rink.
Example: I need to get out more; this place has changed a lot since the last time I was here. I sit in a office all day looking at a computer. What do you do?

Ladies, I’m a realist: There are no magic slippers in the real world, and life is too short to sit around watching other people take control of their lives while you wait for lightning to strike.
Get out there, and good luck!

Email Jeff at CoachYoJeff@gmail.com.

Periodically, we need to check credentials to weed out the spies, posers, and undercover gangsters (reformed gangsters are fine) and make sure you are a real grownhead. Soooooo, you truly are a grownhead IF….

78)…you spend more on “dress” shoes than gym shoes.
79)…you and your friends tried to form a break dancing crew
80)…you remember where you were when the Challenger exploded
81)…you and Theo from the Cosby Show graduated college the same year
82)…you remember when you could see a good cartoon without having cable
83)…you remember when beatboxing was a skill
84)…you ever sported a Georgetown University starter or wanted to

I have concerns… And my concerns are for the culture in which I was raised. I’m not speaking about the state of black America nor am I speaking of the state of the black union; it’s bigger than that. You see, I have had concerns for a long time, and have never voiced them, assuming things would get better, but they didn’t. My concerns are now becoming worries because I’m now hearing reports that the culture that once raised me is either dead or dying, so this is my state of the hip hop union address.

Hip hop, as I once knew it, was an urban style of music and culture that was birthed with intentions of getting the urban voice heard creatively. It was similar to an artistic protest. The theme of most songs concentrated on social issues, and discussed the harsh realities of inner-city living. Hip hop gave us an innovative way to poetically vent, protest, and express ourselves. It was also the voice that provided other cultures and social classes with an understanding, to some extent, of what inner-city living was like. Songs like Grand Master Flash’s “The Message,” KRS-1’s “Love’s Gonna Get’cha,” or Tupac’s “Brenda’s got a Baby” took us on a journey through some interesting stories that were either true or not far from it. These were issues emcees dealt with and they earned the respect and praise of fans world-wide for sharing their lives and experiences.

 This is the culture that raised me…

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Eventually taken in by his uncle, Fashawn spent his teenage years calling Fresno, California his home. Here is where he would find skating, the distractions of the streets, and the pursuance of his music career to be more rewarding than school. Yet, he had a constant thirst for knowledge that extended beyond the streets, so he became an avid reader with an affinity towards non-fiction and motivational books.

In 2006, Fashawn released his first mixtape, “Grizzly City”. Catching the attention of fellow Fresno emcee, Planet Asia, Fashawn was invited to go on the road with him. Knowing this was a chance of a lifetime; the then 17-year-old emcee dropped out of school to follow his dreams and has never looked back.

In 2009 Fashawn released his debut album Boy Meets World
(from Wikipedia.org which we here at grownheadz think he wrote himself but that’s aight, somebody gotta do it)

ANYway, just a reminder: these are not the complete songs, just 90-second clips so you can get a feel for the music. If you like what you hear, buy the CD. If we want good hip hop to flourish, we’ve gotta support the artists.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Since 2006 Fashawn has released six mixtapes and has hip hop fans anticpitating the release of his debut album later this year. Gaining the respect of hip hop legends Mick Boogie, Terry Urban and Planet Asia, whilst also being supported by Orisue, OnSMASH and NahRight. This West Coast rapper is set to help bring life to a new generation of Hip Hop. Here is our exclusive Q&A with Fashawn.

Born Santiago Leyva, in Fresno, California. What was life like growing up?
Growing up in Fresno was rough, but i loved my childhood. Reality was handed to me very early in life. I guess that’s why I started writing heavily at the age of twelve. By then I felt like I had seen it all already. There’s no place in the world like Fresno. Trust me! (laughs)

What inspired you to start writing lyrics for the first time?
My older brother bought this Goodie Mob cassette home back in 96′ and it had an instrumental on it. He would always write raps and leave them around the house. I would pick them up and try to rap them. It sounded like garbage, but eventually i would start writing my own rhymes. I’ve written a few songs since then.

You grew up with The Golden Age of Hip Hop, which artists do you feel have influenced you the most?
Tupac Shakur as far as content and subject matter. Nas and Big L as far as word play and metaphors. Chuck D, Rakim, Krupt, Black Star, Black Moon, Black Thought… the list goes on. That’s the era i come from. The Golden Era.

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