Simmons Mixes Hip-hop, B-ball, Politics

The celebrity basketball game hosted by Russell Simmons' 360hiphop.com and Hookt.com in conjunction with ally Sean "Puffy" Combs on Aug. 26 in the Hamptons in New York is part of Simmons' major initiative to mobilize the hip-hop community on the political front. Simmons' primary vehicle to register 1 million voters is through his support of Rap the Vote 2000.

"I wouldn't consider myself a political activist," says Simmons, who attributes some of his attention to social issues and their solutions to the recent birth of his first child. "I would just say that I am a concerned citizen."

Simmons believes that the disappearance of black radio has left the community without a voice. "When I was a kid, we had [New York's] WWRL and WBLS telling us, 'Oh, by the way, Al Sharpton is not a demon, he's a community activist and he supports most of the things that matter to us,' " he says. "There's no community voice that says what [and who] supports the community now that we have [top 40/rhythm-crossover radio]."

Simmons hopes to fill that gap with 360hiphop.com, which he says has a political and lifestyle focus in addition to music and entertainment.

"While we are talking about registering to vote, we will talk about exercising our right to vote, which I feel should be made to be hip," he says. "I do think that it is important that we flex our muscles when we can and help as many people as we can. Rappers are always giving back to programs, and they do it silently. But they have never really worked as a team on anything like this. I think now, especially during an election year, you have to remind people of the power they do have and the power they fought to get."

Joining celebrities like Jay-Z at the charity basketball game will be representatives from the Rap the Vote 2000 initiative, who will provide information and voter registration forms. The charities Boys Harbor and the Hillcrest Avenue Neighborhood Kids Union (T.H.A.N.K.U.) will benefit from the event.

DON'T SLEEP: Last year, "Rhapsody," a collection of melodic and lyrically superior cuts from Houston rapper Mr. Mike, dropped on Priority with little fanfare. Atlanta-based Parental Advisory (P.A.) delivers a similar top-notch performance with its third album, "My Life, Your Entertainment," which dropped Aug. 1 from DreamWorks.

As a production entity, P.A. delivers a next-level sound in the humdrum world of repetitive hip-hop beats and copycat sounds. As lyricists and MCs, the trio of Reese (aka Maurice Sinclair), Mello (aka James Hollins), and KP (aka Kawan Prather) introduce a new flavor, approaching old subjects through fresh eyes and varied twists.

"Rap music is our hustle," says Reese. "It's the way we eat, live, and survive."

P.A. owns Ghet-O-Vision, a label distributed by LaFace Records. The "Shaft" soundtrack was released by Ghet-O-Vision and has been certified gold. Reese and Mello handle the label's production duties, while KP oversees the day-to-day operations. The team has written and produced for TLC, Pink, Mystikal, Youngbloodz, and Rehab.

Despite these additional professional obligations, P.A. is still the priority for the trio, and putting it down creatively and realistically was the goal on "My Life, Your Entertainment." "We talk about real-life situations that go on," Reese says. "For the audience, it's like a scary movie. You enjoy what's happening on the screen, but you're glad it didn't happen to you."

The group attributes its unique flavor to the members' diverse music tastes, which include Black Sabbath and the Doors in addition to the staple hip-hop diet. KP gravitates to Southern ghetto hip-hop, while Reese enjoys straight-up hip-hop. Mello brings bold sounds borrowed from mixing genres.

"Sundown," the first release from the album, features Dirty South legend Eightball. Other guests on the album are Khujo, Cee-Lo, and Big Gipp from Goodie Mob, Noreaga, and Ghet-O-Vision duo Youngbloodz. "Just Like That," a second noncommercial single, bows Aug. 21.

KNITTING IN TRIBECA: Phife Dawg, formerly of A Tribe Called Quest, performs at 9 p.m. Thursday (17) at the Knitting Factory in lower Manhattan. He is joined by underground hip-hop artists Zion I (Ground Control Records), Oakland, Calif.-based artist Bukeone (currently unsigned), and Micranots (Sub Verse Music).

Dawg's debut solo album, "Ventilation," drops Sept. 26 from Groove Attack, an independent German label releasing the record worldwide. "Flawless," the second single, will be released commercially in the middle of the month. It is produced by Hi-Tek, who partners with Talib Kweli on "Reflection Eternal," an album scheduled to be released Sept. 19 by Rawkus. Pete Rock produced "Let Me Find Out," the B-side of "Flawless."