S.O.U.L PURPOSE LOOKS TO SNATCH THE SOUL OF “HIPSTER RAP”
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the “hipster rap” movement. It’s a sub culture of rap that has been bubbling under the surface for a while now, but in the last year and a half has been getting a lot of shine. Artists like the Cool Kids, Wale, The Knux and Kid Sister are key in this scene that combines an affinity for expensive streetwear (think Supreme, Stussy, Alife, etc.) and innovative beat selections that flirt with electronica all rolled up in a 80’s throwback aesthetic. You could even look to your boys Pharrell and Kanye as the old men of the hipster rap scene if you will. Although they probably wouldn’t want to admit it.
There are a lot of hip-hop purists that hate on “hipster rap” as it seems to be a flavour-of-the-month type scene that many feel will soon fizzle out and die. Although it’s hard to deny that a lot quality music has been birthed in this hyped movement. One artist that clearly is not feeling the whole movement is Jersey City, Jersey’s Mazzi of the East Coast collective S.O.U.L Purpose who have an album out now on Devoon Entertainment entitled The Construction, which is a straight up East Coast hip-hop record that has it’s roots planted in the 90’s Golden Era but still manages to stay current. Notable guests include Murs, Poison Pen, C Ray Walz and Immortal Technique. Check out the track “The Other, Other White Meat” featuring Immortal Technique that has Mazzi and his guest sharing their political views over an eerie shimmy that sounds like a B-Side from Cypress Hill’s Black Sunday.
S.O.U.L Purpose have recently started what could be the first in a long line of diss tracks between apparent hip-hop purists and new school hipster acts. Mazzi claims at the beginning of “Lesson A” that, “This is not a diss record. This how the *uck I feel, about what the *uck is going on!” However it’s clear seconds into the first verse that it is indeed a diss record. Mazzi takes aim at indie darling and Badu’s new boy toy Jay Electronica (“On the internet / As I’m switching up the monitor / Hold up / What the fuck is a Jay Electronica!?”) as well as Chi-City’s Cool Kids.
Everybody loves beef…especially hip-hop fans….the story is developing. Welcome to the introductory class on E-Beef 101.
*To check out “Lesson A” click here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/1095882519559b0a/
Leave your comments and tell us what you think about this whole hipster rap movement. It’s probably going to be around for a while so get used to it!
By: Mark Bozzer
ATMOSPHERE – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Rhymesayers, 2008)
The title of the new album by Minneapolis’ indie duo Atmosphere (rapper Slug and producer Ant) says it all as apparently Slug’s still having his ass handed to him by life; but this time around it looks like he may have a positive outlook on things. Maybe.
Known for their lengthy career (this is their sixth studio album) and strong underground following, Atmosphere have built their reputation on Ant’s innovative and funky West Coast-leaning production and Slug’s misery. The act has been credited with being one of the innovators of the “emo-rap” scene with Slug’s “everyman” lyrics touching on blue collar topics like girlfriend problems, paying bills, alcoholism and trying to find a job that pays a decent wage. Their refreshing take on hip-hop has allowed them to sow the seeds of a sub-genre of rap that is the “anti-bling” if you will. This is rap music for the aging hipster or hip-hop head in a midlife crisis (Slug himself is approaching his mid-thirties and has a teenage son) wondering if after all of those years of hard work there actually is any light at the end of the tunnel.
The lead single off of When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Rhymesayers, 2008), “Guarantees” is a surprising twist for Atmosphere in terms of production but not in subject matter however. Over a spare guitar strum, Slug speaks on how hard life is when you’re trying to make ends meet on next to nothing “My better half is mad at making magic out of canned goods / My tax bracket’s got me questioning my manhood”. You wait for four minutes and thirty seconds for the beat to drop but it never does. It’s just Slug and a guitar making a statement so strong a beat wouldn’t do it any justice.
The depressing duo amp things up a bit with “Shoulda Known” where over a future-funk squelcher Slug spins a narrative of an addiction he has to woman who is more interested in her drug habit then her relationship with him. Slug admits to his own love addiction that he can’t shake on the chorus, “Shoulda known better not to *uck with you / Ain’t got nothing but too much to lose / Lost in the rush don’t know what to do / That drug got you / Like I want you”. It’s no surprise that Slug’s looking for love in all the wrong places, as this is a guy who has namedropped the infamous Suicide Girls (Google them!) as a vice.
Atmosphere yet again deliver a dose of reality served up with hot beats on their latest offering and prove that some pretty decent lemonade can be made with the lemons life hands you. However, I’m sure Slug would enjoy his spiked and with a cigarette.
Rating: 8/10
By: Mark Bozzer
British Knights/Gio Chiappetta(Pro Wolf Master) Present: BRITISH KNIGHTS RE-LAUNCH / MAY 1, 2008
Peace Contributor Giovanni Chiappetta (Pro Wolf Master) has teamed up with British Knights. See below for the official press release…
British Knights is back!!!
We are excited to announce the May 1, 2008 re-launch of British Knights.
British Knights is bringing back the exact late 80’s look and style that caused the brand to be one of the most popular among the young urban trendsetting guys of that time. From the brand’s first sneaker launch in 1985 through the early ‘90’s BK rose to the highest levels of the athletic footwear industry. These meticulous replications, the identical sole mold to the precise matching of signature BK prints, elicit the retro feeling of the extreme late 80’s.
British Knights are also teaming up with leading industry designers to produce innovative, cutting edge cooperations. BK and Gio Chiappetta(Pro Wolf Master) are debuting a sneaker in May called the “Purple Wizard Moccasin”. A vibrant purple based graphic hi top- an ’89 shoe redesign in ‘08. The intelligence behind the design, Gio Chiappetta, says, “The materials and colors used are all reminiscent of the BK legacy… with a contemporary twist. It’s simple… a leather shoe with funky canvas detail. I guess you could say this shoe is a commentary on the state of the street/sneaker culture and what I love. I like wierd.”
May 1, 2008 will initiative the launch of the first 4 1989 classic BK styles as well as the ‘Purple Wizard Moccasin’ shoe by Gio Chiappetta(Pro Wolf Master), followed on June 15, 2008 with the next four shoes from the ’89 collection.
The shoes will be available at www.britishknights.com and at select retailers nationwide. Images of the general release BK’s to follow.
Thank you for your continued support!
Gio Chiappetta and BK
FROM THE VAULTS: BABY CHAM
Dancehall DJ Baby Cham has grown up a lot in the 7 years since we first spoke with him about linking with Dave Kelly and his take on Jamaican politics. Check him from back in the days of hits like “The Mass,” “The Pledge” and “Boom/Can I Get A” at…
Dan-e-o, T.R.A.C.K.S., Kamua, and Lil Jaz team up with Canadian Opera Company for FREE Series
Toronto, Ontario –The Canadian Opera Company is delighted to announce the addition of the Urban Music Series to its popular Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. A cutting-edge new program, the Urban Music Series offers insights into the world of rap music and hip-hop culture and culminates in a groundbreaking collaboration between the Canadian Opera Company and The Royal Conservatory of Music.
The fastest growing musical genre in the world, hip-hop has crossed the boundaries of contemporary culture and continues to grow and evolve as its accessibility increases. Initially dismissed as a passing fad, it has permeated and reinvented pop culture, allowing for innovative collaborations and new means of musical expression. In partnership with the Urban Music Faculty of The Royal Conservatory of Music, programs to be presented in this new series include two interactive workshops and two world premiere performances.
Pandora’s Locker, a new urban opera by Dean Burry, places the archetypal Greek myth of Pandora’s Box in a contemporary setting and tells the story of a troubled young girl’s personal search for meaning and control of her world. The world premiere of this work will be presented by the New Music Ensemble of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School under the direction of Brian Current, December 13, 2007 at 12 p.m.
Hip-Hop 101 is an engaging and interactive introduction to rap and hip-hop culture in which audience members are invited to challenge their preconceptions and gain insights into the aristry and inspiration of two of Canada’s hottest rap artists and RCM faculty members, Dan-e-o and Kamau, May 6, 2008 at 12 p.m.
In Opera Meets Hip-Hop, award-winning DJs and RCM faculty members T.R.A.C.K.S and DJ lil Jaz team up with young artists of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio to present the world premiere of a new work for turntables and operatic voices, drawing from well-loved works of both genres to create a new and completely modern artistic statement, May 7, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Scratch from Scratch is an entertaining and eye-opening demonstration of modern DJ techniques that explores the range of musical possibilities offered by a pair of turntables. DJ lil Jaz and T.R.A.C.K.S. will lead audience members in their own musical discovery of the art of scratching, May 13, 2008 at 12 p.m.
The Free Concert Series, which features free concerts, interactive workshops, and dance events, is presented at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of the city in one of Toronto’s most vibrant spaces. With an increase to 100 performances, this year’s series runs from mid-September to mid-June most Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tickets are distributed at the door 30 minutes prior to the performance on a first-come first-served basis. For more information on the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre and a complete calendar of events, please visit www.coc.ca.
MYSPACE, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP AND WARNER MUSIC GROUP PARTNER IN LANDMARK JOINT VENTURE: “MYSPACE MUSIC”
“MYSPACE MUSIC” EMPOWERS ARTISTS AND CONSUMERS GLOBALLY WITH UNPRECEDENTED DIGITAL MUSIC SERVICE AND E-COMMERCE PLATFORM
New Company to Leverage 30 Million Unique MySpace Music Traffic to Activate Monetization Around Music Content
MySpace Music to Offer Digital Downloads, Ad-supported Audio and Video Streaming, Mobile Storefront and Sponsorship Solutions
LOS ANGELES—April 3, 2008—MySpace, the world’s biggest and most popular social network, and three of the world’s largest music companies, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG), today announced the formation of a landmark joint venture, MySpace Music. The new company marries the most popular music community in the world with the most comprehensive catalogue of music content available online, unveiling a host of new music services and monetization models. The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
The product vision for MySpace Music is to build on the existing traffic, credibility, and popularity of the MySpace Music platform (http://www.music.myspace.com) by creating a fully integrated 360 degree global music solution. MySpace Music will feature the network’s first integrated e-commerce solution and evolve the user’s ability to discover, share, and socialize by adding commerce and music management tools. The new offering will seamlessly transform the MySpace Music experience into a groundbreaking mix of community, commerce, and discovery. The product will roll iteratively in the coming months.
The MySpace Music product will integrate new content and music capabilities across three primary areas: the MySpace Music home page, the site’s more than 5 million artist profile pages, and individual user home pages, providing bands and fans multiple touch points to discover, share, and purchase music and merchandise in one place for the portable device of their choosing.
MySpace Music empowers bands and fans with unprecedented digital music service and e-commerce platform within MySpace that will include DRM-free digital downloads, ad-supported audio and video streaming, a mobile storefront (powered by News Corporation’s Jamba mobile company), as well as various sponsorship solutions.
For users, MySpace Music will have the richest music experience on the Web by enabling the site’s global community to discover music and then download, stream and personalize music content. The personalized music management product will allow users to control their entire MySpace Music experience directly from their user page by creating playlists and having access to enhanced purchase opportunities and search functionality.
For the labels’ artists, the formation of MySpace Music will offer them the opportunity to provide their fans with digital downloads as well as mobile ringtones, SMS, and artist wallpapers, all directly from their artist profiles. Additionally, artists will be able to evolve their MySpace experience beyond the promotional by now monetizing their full repository of content with a 360 degree solution including not only the sale of digital content, but also physical goods such as t-shirts and concert tickets.
Already one of the cultural cornerstones of MySpace, the new company is uniquely positioned to quickly launch its new music product with nearly 30 million unique monthly visitors for the Music channel and its more than 5 million artists. As the most popular music community in the world today, MySpace Music has the greatest collection of artist profiles, tour dates, artist blogs, music videos, and artist photos in the world. Additionally, MySpace Music has the participation of millions of major, indie, and unsigned artists via their music profiles and interaction with the MySpace community.
Immediately, the new MySpace Music will be able to tap into the world’s largest library of content to offer unique audio and video content for the MySpace community. MySpace’s rich history with the music community has already included album exclusives from the biggest major and independent acts in the world. The new library will enhance existing MySpace Music franchises including Secret Shows, MySpaceLIVE!, Transmissions, and The List.
The new company will be based in Los Angeles and will have a dedicated executive management team to oversee the business. In the coming months, MySpace Music will begin to roll new content and product functionality within the existing music channel. The process will be iterative to take full advantage of the popularity and existing traffic to the Music channel already booming within MySpace.
COMME DES GARÇONS TO COLLABORATE WITH H&M THIS FALL
TORONTO, ON (April 3, 2008) – Comme des Garçons’ founder and head designer, Rei Kawakubo, will create this fall’s exclusive designer collection at H&M. Rei Kawakubo, world-famous and highly admired for her creativity and artistry, will design a special collection for men and women, as well as some pieces for children. Accessories and a unisex fragrance will also be included in the collection.
“I have always been interested in the balance between creation and business. It is a dilemma, although creation has always been my first priority,” says Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons. “It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M since it gives me the opportunity to take the dilemma to its extreme and try to solve it.”
“Rei Kawakubo has been at the top of our wish list for a long time and we are thrilled that she has chosen to collaborate with us this fall,” explains Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor, H&M. “We have tremendous respect for her fashion philosophy of questioning fashion’s ingrained attitudes and admire her artistic approach to design. We are particularly excited that the collection will be launched in Kawakubo’s native country in conjunction with the opening of our first stores in Japan.”
The world launch of the collection will be at the opening of H&M’s second store in Tokyo, Japan, in the beginning of November. The launch date for other H&M markets will be a few days later.
Peace
ExcerptThe following is an excerpt from the book Peace by Barry Miles Published by Reader’s Digest; April 2008;$29.95US; 978-0-7621-0893-0Copyright © 2008 Essential Works Limited
War In Iraq
In the new century the peace symbol has been evident worldwide in opposition to George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Many people felt that they were being lied to about the reasons for the war and remained unconvinced that Baghdad possessed weapons of mass destruction. On February 15, 2003, a coordinated day of antiwar protests was planned all around the world.According to BBC News, between 6 and 10 million people too part in protests in about 800 cities in up to 60 countries. Some estimates put the figure as high as 30 million, others at 15. Europe was the center of the biggest protests; the one in Rome, for instance, involved approximately 3 million people and is listed in the 2004 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest antiwar rally ever held. The demonstration in London that day began with a march organized by the Stop the War Coalition, the CND, and the Muslim Association of Britain.The 3.5-mile-long (5.6 km) march, displaying slogans (including the memorable “Make Tea Not War”) with Holtom’s ubiquitous peace symbol, was ordered to start early by the police, who were concerned by the crushing numbers already assembled. People arrived by bus and train from 250 cities and towns across Britain.
London
The police estimated that 750,000 people were on the march. Marchers made their way down Piccadilly chanting slogans, banging drums, and sounding horns. The final Hyde Park rally is thought to have involved close to 2 million people, the largest U.K. antiwar demonstration ever. They were addressed by ex-government minister Mo Mowlam, liberal democrat leader Charles Kennedy, London’s mayor Ken Livingstone, former Member of Parliament Tony Benn, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, actress Vanessa Redgrave, and, among others, playwright Harold Pinter, who described the United States as “a country run by a bunch of criminal lunatics with Tony Blair as a hired Christian thug.” There were also large rallies in Glasgow and Belfast.
San Francisco
On March 14, 2003, 80 protesters from Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW) were arrested in the business district of San Francisco for taking part in a “direct action” against war in Iraq. Over 200 people assembled at dawn outside the old Pacific Stock Exchange, while some set up a blockade outside the financial trading floor. At the intersection of Bush and Montgomery streets, about 30 people sat in the street chanting, “We’re blocking Bush!” and were arrested at 8:30 A.M. so that business could continue as usual. On March 21 more than 1,400 were arrested in San Francisco as protests against the U.S. invasion continued across the city. People chained themselves together at street intersections, rallied in front of city hall, closed the San Francisco Federal Building, and blocked the Bay Bridge. More than 100 people were arrested blocking the entrance to the Bechtel Corporation, a major defense contractor, chanting “No business as usual, walkouts and refusal.”
International Coordination
Internationally coordinated demonstrations occurred on March 19, 2003, in San Francisco, Rome, Bombay, Mexico City, Ankara, and Halifax, and on March 23. 2003, a quarter million marched in New York. Again, on April 12, 2003, more than half a million took to the streets of Rome, and a similar number in Spain. In Barcelona the protest took a unique form: At 10:00 every evening, people went out onto their balconies and beat on pots and pans for five minutes. The noise resounded throughout the city, with people on almost half of the balconies in some parts of town, particularly in the old section. There seemed to be few apartment blocks that didn’t have a banner protesting the war, many flying Holtom’s symbol. At a protest in central Washington, Dustin Langley, a volunteer with the protest’s sponsor, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), voiced a common perception. “This is not about liberation, it’s about the occupation of Iraq and the plundering of its natural resources.”
Hans Blix
One of the most respected critics of the war was the chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix, who concluded that Iraq was invaded for political reasons, not because it had any weapons of mass destruction (WMD). No credible evidence was ever found that Iraq possessed WMDs, and it is impossible to believe that Bush and Blair did not know it. On April 9, 2003, 21 days after the war began, Blix said in an interview with the Spanish daily newspaper El Pais, “There is evidence that this war was planned well in advance. Sometimes this raises doubts about their attitude to the [weapons] inspections. I now believe that finding weapons of mass destruction has been relegated, I would say, to fourth place, which is why the United States and Britain are now waging war on Iraq. Today the main aim is to change the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein.” President Bush, he said, had told him in October 2002 that he supported the efforts by U.N. inspection teams to verify U.S. and British claims that Iraq was developing biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. But Blix also said that even back then “there were people within the Bush administration who were skeptical and who were working on engineering regime change.” By early March 2003, Blix added, hawks in both Washington and London had become impatient. It was possible that the United States and Britain did believe Iraq had WMDs, but given U.S. fabrication of evidence, that belief was doubtful. U.S. allegations, for example, that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium from Niger, were later proved to be false. “You ask yourself a lot of questions when you see the things they did to try and demonstrate that the Iraqis had nuclear weapons, like the fake contract with Niger,” Blix explained, adding. ”I’m very curious to see if they do find any [weapons].” In any event, none was found, and it is extremely unlikely that any had ever existed. Blix said the war in Iraq was “a very high price to pay in terms of human lives and the destruction of a country” when any threat of weapons proliferation could have been contained by the U.N. inspections.
A Continuing Protest
President Bush’s ill-timed visit to Britain in November 2003 spurred continuing demonstrations in the United Kingdom. The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, shunned the official celebrations, holding an alternative event honoring antiwar activists, while Bush and his entourage ran the gauntlet of jeering crowds. In Iraq on April 8, 2004, thousands of Sunni and Shiite Muslims forced their way — nonviolently — through US. military roadblocks in order to bring aid from Baghdadto the besieged Sunni rebel bastion of Fallujah, carrying banners and shouting antiwar slogans. On March 20, 2004, on the anniversary of the US. invasion, millions of people took to the streets in protest. In Rome there were more than 300,000 people, and in Heroe’s Square, in Budapest, protesters carrying lit torches formed a gigantic peace symbol. In London a huge statue of President George W. Bush was toppled as part of an antiwar rally in Trafalgar Square – an imitation of toppling the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. And on the eve of the Republican National Convention in New York City, August 29, 2004, demonstrators carried 1,000 coffins draped in U.S. flags past Madison Square Garden, where the convention was held: each individual coffin represented an American killed in the war. As usual, Holtom’s symbol, which had now come to universally represent the idea of peace, was very much in evidence. Wherever there is tyranny, wherever warmongers are at work, there will be people who will oppose them. And marching with them will be Gerald Holtom’s peace sign. Copyright © 2008 Essential Works Limited
About the Author
Barry Miles was the chairman of the Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the early sixties. Based in London, he has written numerous articles and books about the Beat Generation, including the New York Times best-seller Hippie.
World’s Most Spectacular Meteorite for Sale
Containing spectacular olivine crystals – which are sometimes referred to as “gemstones from outer space” – the main mass of the peerless Fukang meteorite will be offered by international fine art auctioneers Bonhams on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at its salerooms in New York.
Weighing more than 925 pounds, the Fukang meteorite is expected to bring in a figure in excess of a $1m at the auction. Its rarity, impressive size and superlative quality combine to make this piece one of the most valuable meteorite specimens in history.
Discovered in Fukang, Xinjiang Uygar Province, China in 2000, Fukang is widely acknowledged as the world’s preeminent pallasitic meteorite and is arguably one of the most magnificent meteorite finds of the 21st century.
The specimen to be offered is not only the “main mass” of the meteorite, a distinction considered highly desirable by meteorite collectors, but it is also the only Fukang specimen found. Meteorites typically explode after entering the Earth’s atmosphere, often blasting the original body into tiny pieces. Impact with Earth sometimes vaporizes the main mass of a meteorite completely. Yet, this massive survivor endured tremendous atmospheric and impact forces to transport its bounty of rare olivine crystals to Earth.
Classified as a Stony Iron Pallasite and exhibiting large, highly refractive translucent olivine crystals unmatched by other pallasites, Fukang’s nickel-iron matrix is replete with the “outer space gemstones,” highly prized in this rare category of meteorite. The quality of some of the yellowish-green crystals is so fine that they may be classified as the gemstone peridot. Experts initially considered placing Fukang in a new and separate category from other pallasites. It is structurally unique given the number and comparatively immense size of its coveted olivine crystals.
According to Natural History Department Director Thomas Lindgren, “Less than 1% of all meteorites are pallasites, the most alluring of all meteorites due to their aesthetic appeal.” Pallasites – meteorites composed of approximately 50% olivine and peridot crystals and 50% nickel-iron – are thought to be relics of forming planets.
The nickel-iron matrix in which Fukang’s “space gems” are imbedded is classified as “medium octahedrite” based on the size of the crystalline structures. These structures, known as “Widmanstatten patterns,” are diagnostic of extraterrestrial metal. Nowhere on Earth is this pattern seen. In order for Fukang’s crystalline structures to form, the metal matrix cooled, with no gravitational influence, at a rate of only a few degrees per million-year period. Fukang is thought to be 4.5-billion years old – the same age as our solar system.
Cut and polished to provide a large 19×36-inch window into its wondrous mosaic of extraterrestrial crystals, this unparalleled discovery is an astounding treasure – a phenomenal and prestigious centerpiece for any natural history collection.
This spectacular lot will be on exhibit only within the Bonhams New York City salesrooms as of April 26th. Highlights from the auction will preview in Los Angeles at the Sunset Boulevard salesrooms of Bonhams & Butterfields on April 11-13. The entire sale will then open for preview in Manhattan April 26-30. The illustrated auction catalog will be online for review and purchase in the weeks preceding the previews at www.bonhams.com/us .
CLEMONS AND FLUTIE HEADED INTO HALL
Toronto – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club would like to congratulate legendary Argonauts Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons and Doug Flutie on being named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2008. The entire class will officially be inducted during Hall of Fame weekend from September 18 to September 20, 2008 in Hamilton.
The pair, who teamed up to win two Grey Cup championships in Toronto and formed one of the most lethal quarterback-receiver tandems in CFL history, will be the 51st and 52nd Argonauts to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Commented Toronto Argonauts CEO Michael Clemons, “I am overly grateful to my mom who sacrificed so much, my bride of 16 years who really deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and to the greatest fans in the world, Argonauts fans, who not only gave me a team, but a home. To all of the players and coaches who enhanced my passion for our great game, you are all bigger than me, and not just figuratively. A heartfelt thank you to all CFL fans; this honour further confirms that I am officially a has-been. Finally, and more seriously, I’d like to congratulate my fellow inductees.”
As a player, Michael Clemons compiled a brilliant 12-year CFL career, all with the Toronto Argonauts. A Hall of Fame career was born with his very first CFL game when he was named player-of-the-game for his 170 return yards. Those 170 yards laid the foundation for what became a pro-football record for most career combined yards with 25,438. Clemons won three Grey Cups as a player (1991, 1996, 1997) and earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award in 1990. He was a four-time East Division All-Star in 1990, 1993, 1994 and 1997, and a two-time CFL All-Star in 1990 and 1997. In 2006, Clemons was named to the TSN Top 50 as the best players in CFL history by a panel of experts and last season, he was named an All-Time Argo at kick returner by fans, media and Argos alumni. Clemons’ #31 is one of only four jerseys retired by the Argos.
On September 15, 2000, Pinball hung up his jersey to move directly into the position of Argonauts’ Head Coach where he was a finalist for CFL Coach of the Year each year between 2002 and 2007. In 2004, Clemons led the team to its first Grey Cup victory since 1997, his first as Head Coach. He left the sidelines as the team’s second-winningest coach all-time with a record of 68-55-1. On December 4, 2007, he was named the club’s Chief Executive Officer and will steer the Argonauts into their 135th season. Clemons redefines the meaning of community involvement and has been recognized by many organizations for his tireless work with charities, schools and other community groups.
Doug Flutie played two seasons (1996 and 1997) for the Argonauts and forever altered the Double Blue history books. He earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award in both seasons – the only player to ever win the award twice as an Argo. Flutie won back-to-back Grey Cup championships and passed for an unfathomable 11,225 yards and 76 touchdowns on 864 passes. He was twice named a CFL All-Star, twice named a division All-Star and was named Grey Cup MVP in both games. His career 64.0% completion percentage is still a club record and his single season passing yards totals of 5,720 in 1996 and 5,505 in 1997 still rank first and second in club history. In 1997, he threw for 47 majors, one less than his own single-season CFL record of 48 achieved with the Calgary Stampeders. In 2006, Flutie was recognized as the best player to ever play CFL football as voted by a panel of experts assembled for the TSN Top 50 program and last season, he was named an All-Time Argo at quarterback by fans, media and alumni.
Also named to the Class of 2008 are CFL All-Time leading rusher Mike Pringle, former Winnipeg centre John Bonk, and builder Tom Shepherd.
The Toronto Argonauts are North America’s oldest professional football club, celebrating their 135th anniversary in 2008. As Toronto’s #1 community team through player involvement, community programs and The Argos Foundation, the Toronto Argonauts, a member of the Canadian Football League (CFL), have 15 Grey Cup championships to their credit. For 2008 season ticket packages, please contact the sales team at (416) 341-ARGO. For more information on the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, please visit argonauts.ca.
The Rolex Sweep
The OriginalBrownskins
