Wake Up Mr West

Black celebrities in America have always walked a precarious line between their perceived status as spokespersons for their race and their own individual success--and between being "not black enough" for the black community or "too black" to appeal to a broader audience. Few know this tightrope walk better than Kanye West, who transformed hip-hop, pop and gospel music, redefined fashion, married the world's biggest reality TV star and ran for president, all while becoming one of only a handful of black billionaires worldwide. Despite these accomplishments, his polarizing behavior, controversial alliances and bouts with mental illness have made him a caricature in the media and a disappointment among much of his fanbase. This book examines West's story and what it reveals about black celebrity and identity and the American dream.

In Black & White Music report I investigated a very small part of the music industry from the USA (0.09% musicians); more precisely, I investigated the contribution and the artistic merit (greater or lesser) of black artists (0.03%) and white artists (0.05%) in the production and writing of their albums. The artists investigated in this report are Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan, Adele and Beck. I selected these artists because the music produced and released by them was used by various artists and journalists as examples of allegations of discrimination and racism which takes place in the music industry in the USA. The aim of the research is split into 2 levels: in the first level: I explored, analysed and created a comparative study about the contribution and the artistic merit of black and white artists in the production and writing of their albums; to achieve this aim, I added contribution and artistic merit into one bubble of research and treated the two concepts with the same meaning, then I divided the bubble into 8 points of research. the second level: is about using the findings from the eight points of research to offer a response to three conventional wisdom advanced by black artists and their supporters against the rules and awards offered by The Recording Academy. Black & White Music report it is unique and original which investigates the artistic merit of six of the best artists in the music industry of the USA; in these pages, there is an advanced comparative analysis of the music released by famous artists that was never done before. Black & White Music report was born out of the urgent need to confront and challenge the three conventional wisdom advanced by black artists and their supporters who feel and promote the idea of injustice regarding the music released. Black & White Music report can be used to calm the realities of discrimination and racism and provides a point of reference of the quality, originality and novelty of the music investigated in these pages; also, it is for future artists waiting to be discovered, and what they need to expect once they are part of the music industry. Second Edition July 2023

In the history of human nature there are conflicts with a happy ending, or with a tragic ending. The Famous Feud, in general, seems to have a happy ending with one winner: Taylor Swift. From my point of view, the Famous Feud ended in July 2016. In June 2017 I was convinced that Taylor Swift was the victim (for the second time) of Kanye West. In October 2023, after I have updated the entire research on the Famous Feud, the original conclusion did not change. I created this edition to include everything I wrote about the Famous Feud. It is an edition for people interested in reading the entire Famous Feud story from A to Z. The Famous Feud Project report has two parts: Part 1. Music in Black and White: A Journey Behind the Musical Notes; Part 2. On the Famous Feud. Enjoy your reading!

Through rap and hip hop, entertainers have provided a voice questioning and challenging the sanctioned view of society. Examining the moral and social implications of Kanye West's art in the context of Western civilization's preconceived ideas, the contributors consider how West both challenges religious and moral norms and propagates them.

"A startling exposé of the invisible human workforce that powers the web--and how to bring it out of the shadows. Hidden beneath the surface of the internet, a new, stark reality is looming--one that cuts to the very heart of our endless debates about the impact of AI. Anthropologist Mary L. Gray and computer scientist Siddharth Suri unveil how the services we use from companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Uber can only function smoothly thanks to the judgment and experience of a vast human labor force that is kept deliberately concealed. The people who do 'ghost work' make the internet seem smart. They perform high-tech, on-demand piecework: flagging X-rated content, proofreading, transcribing audio, confirming identities, captioning video, and much more. The shameful truth is that no labor laws protect them or even acknowledge their existence. They often earn less than legal minimums for traditional work, they have no health benefits, and they can be fired at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all. An estimated 8 percent of Americans have worked in this 'ghost economy,' and that number is growing every day. In this unprecedented investigation, Gray and Suri make the case that robots will never completely eliminate 'ghost work' and the unchecked quest for artificial intelligence could spark catastrophic work conditions if not stopped in its tracks. Ultimately, they show how this essential type of work can create opportunity--rather than misery--for those who do it."--Dust jacket.

Legacy of Grace, Musings on the Life and Times of Wheeling Gaunt, by Brenda Jean Hubbard chronicles the true life and times of a formerly enslaved Black man named Wheeling Gaunt who purchased his own freedom and through hard work, diligence and disciplined real estate investment slowly built his fortune. Moving with his wife Amanda to the Village of Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1864, Mr. Gaunt became an important village leader and philanthropist as he continued his real estate investments. Upon his death in 1894 he gifted both family and community with impressive and substantial gifts including a sizable bequest to Wilberforce University. He is perhaps most famous for his creation of The Poor Widows Fund gifting flour and sugar to older women in the village each Christmas, a tradition the village still observes. The land that he gave to the village is known today as Gaunt Park and houses Gaunt Park Pool and adjacent sports fields. Through an exploration of the times in which he lived, Mr. Gaunt’s remarkable story of achievement is investigated. Author Brenda Jean Hubbard was born and raised in Yellow Springs where her family lived for over 50 years. She is donating all money raised in the sale of this book to The Yellow Springs 365 Project, a vital non-profit organization committed to racial justice and education. Hubbard says, “Growing up in Yellow Springs was a true blessing. I was privileged to experience the unique joys and many benefits of knowing diverse, amazing, accomplished and distinguished people from many walks of life. This gifted me with a lifelong passion to celebrate diversity and a heart for social justice. Writing this book is my small attempt to honor the impressive people, history and accomplishments of the Black community while also conveying important and timely history.”

Excerpt from Wake Up America F the way that war came to Belgium and to France there are two pictures which, among Ameri can witnesses, surpass all others and are unforgetahle. One is in the letters home of an American woman. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Chronicles the life and accomplishments of hip-hop artist Kanye West, describing his childhood, family background, education, influences, personal and professional setbacks, and related topics. Includes a time line.