Surprisingly enough, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois has an impressive collection of Mexican restaurants. My personal favorite Mexican restaurant happens to be the local, Fiesta Cafe. This is not intended to take anything away from the other restaurants.
Personally, I just like a plethora of things about it. For one, I like the hospitality of the place, with the friendliness of the waiters. But most of all, I thoroughly enjoy the refreshing margaritas. Just kidding. I really appreciate the authenticity of the food.

When I go to Fiesta Cafe, I usually either get the Bean Burrito, or the Enchiladas.  Also, I know this sounds ridiculous for a Mexican restaurant, but Fiesta’s Mexican Fries are delicious.

My second favorite local Mexican restaurant is Mas Amigos. Now I’ve only been to this eating establishment a few times, but every time I was there, I heavily enjoyed my self, and I think my stomach would definitely agree.

When I go to Mas Amigos, I usually get the beef tacos or the enchiladas.

The restaurant that comes in my third place is El Toro.  I really enjoy the food, but sometimes it seems that the cooks don’t really take their time with their meals.  But I do enjoy the authenticity of the place.  The waiters and waitresses also seem very nice.

When I go to EL Toro I get the Vegetarian E. That is a Bean Burrito, Enchilada, a Cheese Quesadilla, and a Tostada.

My fourth place is Dos Reales.  And if you dine at Mexican restaurants, you are probably thinking “WHAT?! I LOVE DOS REALES!” I know this because I really only hear positive remarks about Dos Reales.  But I beg to differ.  Even though the atmosphere is nice, the food taste very microwave-type food.  It always looks the same every time I go, and it comes very quickly. And I know that seems like a good thing, but that might be a sign that the food is already made and not very fresh.  Don’t get me wrong, I used to like Dos Reales, in my opinion though, it has gone down hill.

When I go to Dos Reales, I usually order a Beef Burrito, a Bean Burrito, or a Quesadilla.

If you are not familiar with the world of hip hop, or you just don’t pay much attention to new hip hop music that is released because of the lack of quality lately, then you are probably not familiar with the new and upcoming artist, B.o.B., a.k.a. Bobby Ray. B.o.B. recently released his debut album on April 27, 2010, titled ‘B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’ I bought the album (yes, bought it) the day it came out, because I was so excited to hear what B.o.B. could actually do. Yes I had heard a few tracks from his mixtape, but I didn’t actually listen to enough of him to figure out if I enjoyed his music. So I decided just to patiently wait for his album release and occasionally listen to some of his mixtape tracks.

So I finally heard the whole body of work that just came out, with a few tracks that were leaked, and I over all liked the album, as expected. Before I got the album I could tell that B.o.B. was a very talented young man, and that shows on all of the tracks. Besides rapping, Bobby Ray sings, plays guitar, plays the piano, and produces a lot of his own beats.

I really liked the fact that B.o.B really shows his versatility and eclectic musical taste. For example, he can do a soulful song like “The Kids” (featuring Janelle Monae) and still do a really dirty southern rap song like “Bet I” (featuring T.I. & Playboy Tre.) He is actually also signed to T.I.

My only problems with the album is this, B.o.B. is a very talented musician, but with a hip hop perspective, he is a little bit lyrically weak. His rhyme scheme is very simple with elementary rhyming words, and lack of compound syllables, metaphors, and wordplay. The album also seemed kind of short to me. It only had 12 track on it. Before it was released, it was said that the album would have 13 tracks and three bonus tracks. But it had one less than that and no bonus tracks when I bought the hard copy of the album.

But I actually think it is a great album overall. My favorite tracks are:

*”Don’t Let Me Fall,” because of the hook that he sings and his double-time type flow. (He’s rapping fast).
*”Past My Shades ft. Lupe Fiasco,” because Lupe’s verse is awesome.
*”Airplanes ft. Haley Williams of Paramore & Eminem,” because I really enjoy Haley’s voice on the hook, and Eminem killed his verse.
*”Bet I ft. T.I. & Playboy Tre,” because of the beat, everyone had a good verse, and the southern feel to it.

I give this album 4 microphones out of 5.

Words such as “Budget Cuts” and “Riffed” have been thrown around Urbana High School for a couple of weeks now. There is a reason for this involving the current state of UHS. But many people in the school probably (hopefully) already know this. It is usually thought of as negative topic, even by the people that made decisions involving this event. Of course I am talking about the decision to riff a few teachers and abolish some after-school programs in the school.

But what exactly do these particular words mean? Well, being riffed, even though many times confused with being fired, is not quite this. Being riffed is being let go due to complications with money. If a staff member is getting riffed, they are not being taken away from that particular job because of lack of a job well done, but because the school or business is forced to say ‘good bye’ to their employee due to budget issues.
“It’s really hard to see such quality teachers go,” said Lex Keller. “Most of the teachers let go are at the beginnings of their careers as teachers, only a couple years older than our seniors. They are easy to relate to because they were sitting right where we are recently, and remembered what it was like. They also still have a drive to pass on their knowledge to their students.”
When asked, “Should the teachers get riffed? What is your opinion?” Student Noah Gehrmann says, “ They don’t really seem to have a choice. It’s not really up to me and I don’t really know what is best for the school, I’m just a student.”

The words “Budget Cuts” mean exactly what they sound like they mean; cutting the budget of what is spent for the school’s teachers and programs. A student at Urbana High School, Mark Peterson says, “Rob Blagojevich put our state into a lot of debt so that the schools aren’t getting nearly as much money from the state as they should be. Of course, a lot of the money the school receives goes towards paying teachers so they are able to cut down on their expenses by cutting certain teaching positions.

Keller says, ”The school is getting rid of teachers who would have had decades more time at the school. However, there has been an amazing offer by the school for students to be a part of the group that interviews the possible new employees. We can now be part of the future of the school by taking advantage of this option.”
And I really could not have said it better myself. We don’t have a say. What is done is done. We could blame people like our principal or Rob Blagojevich, but who are we to say that this is any one’s fault, especially if we do not share the same jobs as these people do. It is difficult to know who is to blame for the budgetary cuts that will result in losing good teachers and good programs. However, the consequences are negative for students, teachers, and the community.

Shaun Roger White is a determined human being who is very naturally talented at sports such as skateboarding and, of course, snowboarding. He is only 23 and is still arguably one of the greatest snowboarders to ever live. Shaun White is a X Games champion with gold medals in both skateboarding and snowboarding. He also has medals in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. This combination of different competitions and events has made him one of the most recognizable sports figures of his time. Not to mention his distinguished looks with his long orange hair that makes him some what of a character.

Shaun White was born in San Diego, California in 1986. White experienced two major surgeries to correct a birth defect with his heart before he was a year old. These happened while he was in the womb. These injuries really only effected him in the early years of his life when he played soccer as a kid, but now, as you can see, he is one of the best athletes in the world, and it doesn’t seem to effect him.

His parents supported Shaun’s snowboarding ability and took him to the mountains as much as possible. Shaun entered his first amateur snowboard contest and won when he was only seven years old. This earned him an entry into Nationals, where he placed just outside of the top 10. His mom sent a sporting company a homemade video of Shaun just as the company was making a snowboard line for kids. They were impressed, and offered Shaun a sponsorship deal. The company, which was called Burton, helped him go pro at the age of 13.

This story leads us up to this year were White earned a gold medal in the final halfpipe. This was probably due to the help of a top secret halfpipe he used named “Project X.” White was asked “Knowing you had already won gold, what were you thinking heading into that last run?”

He replied with “The thing that I kept thinking in my mind was like, just don’t fall on this last run down. Because I didn’t want to be the guy that won and then like they are replaying it later on the news. And so I definitely, took my time to go down and celebrated with big airs.”

Shaun plans on continuing to win medals at both the Olympics and the X games, and to eventually have a loving family.

Almost everyone you talk to, especially students, has some sort of opinion about music. Music is something that is capable of bringing huge masses of people together. We asked the Urbana High School student body what their favorite genre of music was and their favorite artist in that genre. After that question, we asked why they had the opinions they did. Some students didn’t answer some of the parts to those questions because they simply did not know how to answer them.

Julian Threlkeld: “I like pretty much every thing. Music is just feelings in sounds. I like Kid Cudi, New Pornographers, U2.”

Noah Gehrman: “I like that Gucci Mane, know what I’m saying.”

Robert Riley: “My favorite genre is Rock because for some reason it just speaks to me. My favorite bands are Guns & Roses, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. I really enjoy all of the hidden messages in Nirvana’s music.”

Tessa Turner: “I like a lot of different musical styles. I really enjoy alternative, classic rock, indie, and a lot of pop bands. My favorite artists tend to be Zee Avi, Metric, Keane, Azure Ray, The Hush Sound, The Beatles, Ben Folds and many others. I like these particular artists because of their catchy lyrics that are fun to sing along with. Some of these artist are so relaxing to listen to.”

D’mario Turner: “I like Rap/Hip Hop and Jazz.”

Kyle Kostro: “Rap/Hip Hop and Rock because Rap inspires me, and Rock also has me tapping my foot on the ground.”

Fumi Takezawa: “I like rock. I can’t explain why, I just like the way the instruments and vocals sound.”

Daniel Ro: “Trip Hop or electronica. My favorite artists are either Portishead or Massive Attack. I also really like Daft Punk of course.”

Emily Otnes: “Lady Gaga, Ximena, Sariana, or the Hush Sound. Lady Gaga because she is crazy, and the Hush Sound because I think every song is amazing.”

Alright, so now it is your turn. What is your favorite kind of Music? What is on your Ipod?

Nelust Wyclef Jean, better known as his stage name Wyclef, was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, on October 17, 1972.  He is now 37, but when he was thirteen Wyclef moved to Brooklyn, New York. Within the same year, he moved to northern New Jersey.  Wyclef later married designer Marie Claudinette in 1994. They adopted a child in 2005 named Angelina Jean.

In 2005, he started the Yele Haiti Foundation. This foundation was dedicated to providing scholarships to Haitian children. In 2005, after hurricane Jeanne, 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti received scholarships from Yele Haiti. Now, Yele Haiti’s mission is to raise money for a School of the Arts, a sports center, a cultural center and an internet café. Now, with the recent strike on Haiti with earthquakes, he called upon the world to donate to his charity.

Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, he was adopted by a pastor and soon moved to Brooklyn, NYC. From an early age, he showed signs of talent, along with promise as a soloing musician. Soon after he left hone, he joined Ruffhouse Records, and the Fugees. With the Fugees, he made his debut album Blunted on Reality. The album sold badly, but it was just the beginning of the Haitian’s career as a music artist.

Since his earliest days he has supported his home country, and the people who live there. He has started two foundations to support the Haitians and provide aid to the country. From making music to building schools, Nelust Wyclef Jean is dedicated to his people, his music and his ideals.

“Kick, Push, Kick, Push, Coast. ”
“If you are what you say you are…..”

Do either of those hooks sound familiar? Perhaps you have listened to critically acclaimed artist Lupe Fiasco’s singles “Kick,Push” and “Superstar.”

Lupe Fiasco began rapping in the eighth grade. He started a group when he was nineteen called Da Pack, but they split after their first single. Lupe was offered a career at Hip Hop legend’s Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella, but he turned it down to accomplish his goal to own his own record company. Lupe and his manager/business partner Chill created their very own company 1st and 15th.
Fiasco’s debut album is titled “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor.”

His first single form the album was “Kick,Push.” The song was a story about a young man whose passion is skateboarding. The song started his image as the “skateboard” rapper.

Born Wasula Jaco, Lupe Fiasco is 27-year old rapper from the Westside of Chicago. Fiasco was raised Muslim and grew up in a very diverse home being born of African descent. His mother was a gourmet chef, and before his father passed away, he was an engineer who owned an army surplus store, was a karate teacher, an owner of a martial art school and an African drummer. At the age of the three Lupe began to take karate lessons at his father’s karate school. Diverse influences from his life definitely show in his music.

In 2007, Lupe released his second album called, “Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool”, named after a song on his first album. The album had much more success than “Food & Liquor.” His first single form the album is still being impatiently waited for by hardcore Lupe Fiasco fans.

Will Gibbens says ”Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi are my favorite rap artists because they make music for the people that I can really relate to.”

Lupe Fiasco is my favorite rapper because he makes fun and up-beat music but still has concepts with his songs. He is a brilliant writer the way he tells a story through rap lyrics, but also stays true to his roots and never disrespects women and lies about his real life. Even with all of that, Lupe is very positive, he doesn’t make this “lame” or “corny.” He just makes positive lyrics by being real. Lupe is a very intelligent lyricist whose songs have to be analyzed a number of times to understand everything that is said. This is probably why Lupe is not as popular of an artist such a Lil Wayne or Gucci Mane.

Lupe Fiasco is an underrated success story in the mainstream music industry, but is still representing Chicago with his positive lyrics and intelligent wordplay. Thank you, Lupe, for a breath of fresh air in the world of Hip Hop.

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 in Ms. Gadoy’s computer lab, located on the third floor of Urbana High School, the lights burned out and the floor got wet. This resulted in the computer lab being closed for a day. The roof leaked and Ms. Gadoy stated that it would get repaired shortly. It is unclear, but the leak may have been caused by the heavy rain. The computer lab re-opened and students were able to use it, however, they did have to deal with the darkness of the room due to electrical issues.

The only comedic parts of this movie are the ones involving the three news men: Steve , Hartman Hughes (Thomas Church), and Angus (Ken Jeong). They have very funny chemistry but other than them, no other role is particularly funny. Many of Marry’s intentionally funny lines seem to fall flat. The movie was formulaic at times, but the ending was refreshingly unpredictable.

All About Steve is an entertaining, romantic comedy that had me laughing at times. However, it lacked depth and a believable plot. If your looking for a riveting performance and a complex story line, you won’t find it in this movie. But if cheap laughs and fun entertainment is what your seeking then this is the movie for you.

Black Star is my personal favorite rap group. I know that they might not always be considered a rap “group.” This is because Black Star only consists of two MC’s; Mos Def and Talib Kweli, two of my favorite MC’s. Talib Kweli holds it down for all the true lyrical fans and Mos Def pretty much covers the rest. The two of them combined form a lethal force in the rap game. My favorite songs are Respiration and Definition. But every song from their album, entitled “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star”, is quality. Both of them have solo albums and all of them are classics.

So until next time,
One Love, Hip Hop.