Celebrity

President Obama’s Letter to Frankie Knuckles’ Friends & Family

April 22, 2014 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

Knuckles In the White House

140422-obama-frankie-knuckles – via SPIN Magazine –
President Obama recently penned a letter to the friends & family of the legendary DJ and producer Frankie Knuckles.
Franke Knuckles was taken from us earlier this month, but the Chicago house DJ’s influence reached all the way around the planet — including to the Leader of the Free World. In 2004, a then-U.S. senator from Illinois named Barack Obama declared August 24 as “Frankie Knuckles Day.” Now, Knuckles’ former recording partner David Morales has shared a condolence letter from the president and First Lady Michelle Obama themselves. The Obamas salute Knuckles as “a trailblazer in his field,” writing that “his legacy lives on in the city of Chicago and on dance floors across the globe.” Read their full letter below, celebrate Frankie Knuckles’ life with his Warehouse top 50 records, and revisit SPIN’s 1986 feature on the Chicago club scene.

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(Video) Frankie Knuckles Live at the Boiler Room

April 1, 2014 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

Rest In Peace Frankie Knuckles

frankie-knuckles – via Daily News –
The “Godfather of House” has died.
Legendary DJ and music producer Frankie Knuckles passed away Monday, aged 59.
The official cause of death is currently unknown, but some reports suggest it was from complications related to Type II Diabetes.

Born in the Bronx in 1955, Knuckles first played disco in New York alongside Larry Levan – before moving to Chicago in the 1970s.
It was there he started spinning at The Warehouse – the club credited with giving birth to the house music genre – before opening up his own venue The Power Plant in 1983.

A prolific producer, he formed Def Mix Productions with Morales – and worked with stars including Diana Ross, Chaka Khan and Michael Jackson.
His break as an independent artist came in 1991 when Virgin released his debut album “Beyond the Mix” – containing seminal singles “The Whistle Song,” “Rainfalls” and “Workout.”
The City of Chicago renamed a stretch of Jefferson Street, near the site of the original Warehouse club, as “Frankie Knuckles Way” in 2004.

Knuckles was also credited as being the first ever recipient for Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.

Listen to one of the greatest sets to be laid down by the Godfather of House.

Frankie Knuckles Live at the Boiler Room

Petition to Deport Justin Bieber

January 30, 2014 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

– via ABC –
After topping more than 100,000 signatures on “We the People,” the White House is now obligated to respond to a petition to “Deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card.”

As of this afternoon, the petition had 193,570 signatures and climbing.

On all petitions, “We the People” states, “If a petition meets the signature threshold [in this case, 100,000], it will be reviewed by the Administration and we will issue a response.”

The petition says about the Canadian pop star, “We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture. We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked.”

The White House reviews and usually responds to petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures within 30 days.

Today, Jen Psaki, a State Department spokeswoman, commented on the petition, saying the petition website “doesn’t always determine a step will be taken, it’s more of another opportunity for the voices of the American people to be heard.”

Since cancelling a visa would come under the State Department’s jurisdiction, she continued: “We’re getting down quite a rabbit hole here with Justin Bieber, but … I will check and see what the visa implications would be for anybody who is found of possibly violating the law.”

To check out or sign the petition, log on HERE

Gaye Family Wins Blurred Lines Copyright Infringement Case

January 16, 2014 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

Blurred Copyrights

Blurred line? Robin Thicke and Marvin Gaye. – via The Source –
The Gaye family wins undisclosed settlement in copyright infringement case

The children of soul icon Marvin Gaye were victorious in the courtroom for a copyright infringement case for the Robin Thicke sung, Grammy nominated hit “Blurred Lines” that sounds similar to their father’s song, “Got To Give It Up”.

On Tuesday, a judge in LA granted Nona and Frankie Gaye a dismissal of their lawsuit against EMI, which is now owned by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The Gayes accused EMI of refusing to file an infringement case against Thicke on behalf of the song because of its obvious similarities to Marvin.

The undisclosed amount of the settlement between the Gayes and Sony have an agreement where these claims can never be brought up again.

Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell all asked a federal judge in August to rule that “Blurred Lines”, which was nominated for Record of the Year at last year’s Grammys, was not a copy of Marvin Gaye’s hit. Blurred Lines sold 6.6 digital copies and spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

The Gaye family lawsuit against Thicke and Sony sought to prevent the singer from using elements from their father’s music in his other songs, as they also claimed that Thicke used part of Marvin Gaye’s “After The Dance” on his number 1 R&B hit, “Love After War”.

-Sha Be Allah (@KingPenStatus)

Bermuda Board of Tourism Partners w/ DJ Yoshi to Provide Discount Accommodations & Travel

January 8, 2014 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

Bermuda. Bermuda. Bermuda

The Bermuda Board of Tourism has partnered with DJ Yoshi Entertainment to provide Discount Travel and Accommodations for people that want to visit the Island of Bermuda during the months of February and March. Bermuda isn’t known as a big Spring Break travel destination. The Tourism Board has turned to DJ Yoshi to drive a young, high-end crowd to the island. The discounted travel for students and young adults will include food vouchers, discounted club nights, as well as entertainment books at participating venues.

Travel dates for the promotion start on
FEBRUARY 15th and must be completed by MARCH 22nd

Rooms start at $75 per night
For Additional details log onto orbitz.com/bermuda

Utilize promo code BERMUDA400

GROUP DISCOUNT OF 8 OR MORE ARE AVAILABLE.
For Group Discounts contact Booking Group Travel To Bermuda

Help Beagles Find Their Forever Home

December 30, 2013 By DJ Yoshi Leave a Comment

Beagles & Bricks

Did you know that nearly 70,000 dogs are TESTED on YEARLY basis in the United States alone (information provided by PETA)?
Due to their docile, loving and forgiving nature, Beagles are the preferred breed to utilize for research.
Beagles are used in a wide range of research procedures: fundamental biological research, applied human medicine, applied veterinary medicine, and many others…

Dogs are a favored species in toxicology studies. In these studies, large doses of a test substance (a pharmaceutical, industrial chemical, pesticide, or household product) are pumped into animals’ bodies, slowly poisoning them.

Dogs are also abused in human disease studies, including studies of heart and hormonal disorders. In one University Study, researchers forced surgically manipulated dogs to run on a treadmill until they collapsed from a heart attack. The dogs were killed, and the damage to their heart tissue was studied. In another violent experiment at a separate University, puppies were bred to have a degenerative eye disease that culminates in blindness. During the study, 3-week-old beagles had their eyes cut out and were killed, according to PETA.

What Is Beagle Freedom Project?

Over the course of 2 years and 9 months, Beagle Freedom Project has
successfully conducted 22 rescue operations from 17 different laboratories in 6
states. 135 beagles, 15 mixed breed dogs, 8 rabbits, 2 cats and 3 pigs have all
been saved, treated, rehabilitated, and rehomed through Beagle Freedom
Project.

How Can I Help?

As of September 2013, Beagle Freedom Project is projecting a land and building
cost of $800k. The organization has raised 35% of the funds needed. In the next
month work will begin with an architectural firm that is volunteering its services.
Possible locations are being scouted now. If further funding becomes available in
a timely manner, a possible spring ground breaking is planned.

Consider Donating to the Beagle Freedom Project Brick By Brick Campaign today!
Donations start at $100 (the cost of an actual brick).
For the $100 donation you will receive a 2-sided personalized Glossy Certificate
From BFP

For a charitable $1000 donation, you will receive a framed certificate of appreciation
with your name on a cornerstone (as well as a real one at the center)

Ready to get started? visit beaglefreedomproject.org
Click Donate on the top right corner.

Please share this post on Social Media and help to save the lives as we continue on our journey to find Forever Homes for the Rescued Beagles.

Watch The Beagle Freedom Project Video