John W. Adkisson | The Flint JournalNeil Frye (back) comforts Von Royce Hardy (front) as Terry Wright (right) watches during the funeral of Flint rapper Eric "MC" Breed Tuesday at House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church in Flint. Breed died Nov. 22 of kidney failure. He was 37.

This is an updated version of this post.

FLINT, Michigan -- For MC Breed, every verse brought him one step closer to putting Flint on the Hip Hop map. With 13 albums under his belt and No. 14 on the way, Breed had grown closer to realizing that dream.

"Breed had an impact on people across the globe. He was a brilliant MC," said fan Omari Jones, 32, of Detroit.

A Flint native, Eric "MC" Breed, 37, died of kidney failure Nov. 22 in Ypsilanti. He has been recognized as the first commercially successful rapper to emerge from Flint and the Midwest in the early 1990s.

Wearing leather jackets with his image or T-shirts bearing his name and saying "The Legacy Lives On ... Swagg Heavy," more than 200 friends and family remembered and paid tribute to MC Breed at his funeral Tuesday.

The funeral was attended by a who's who of past and current Flint rappers, singers and producers including The D.O.C., Night and Day including Gasner Hughes, Bernard Terry and Melvin Riley from Ready for the World. Atlanta-based producer Jazzy Pha was also in attendance.

Courtesy photoPublik Parking is scheduled to perform at The 27th Whaley Jam on Saturday.

The Whaley Children's Jam has turned into one of the most reliable shows in town. Year after year, musician and soundman Keith Jennings manages to unite several of the area's most popular hard rock acts, and this year is no exception

This weekend, the Jam will once again collect toys and raise money for at-risk kids at the Whaley Children's Center. To date, the concerts have raised more than $70,000. Bands perform 45-minute sets, beginning at the top of the hour.

This year, as usual, the long-running festival will feature a set from one of the area's busiest acts.

A 2000 Arthur Hill/Saginaw Arts and Science Academy graduate is in the cast of "Ain't Misbehavin'," playing at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at TheDow Event Center in Saginaw.

The problem is, it's likely the Broadway in Saginaw audience will not get to see Seth A. Diggs as he dances, sings and acts in the 30th anniversary tour of the show celebrating the career of Fats Waller.

"I am what is called a swing performer for the two male roles in the five-person show," says Diggs, 27. "That means when one of them can't do a performance because he is ill or was called away, I step in.

Watch out, Black Bart: Ralphie is armed with his trusty peacemaker. TBS begins its "A Christmas Story" marathon at 8 p.m. Dec. 24.

'Tis the season for crankiness and cynicism.

The way things are going lately, would anybody be surprised to read a headline about Santa requesting a bailout? Or the government canceling Christmas altogether?

No time like the present, then, for some holiday escapism, which this year's holiday-TV lineup of direct-to-cable movies, original specials and beloved classics offers in spades.

ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, for example, kicked off Monday, offering a monthlong feast of holiday entertainment ranging from the great ("'Twas the Night Before Christmas") to the not-all-that-great ("Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ... the Jim Carrey version).

The complete schedule is huge(check it out at television.aol.com), but here are a few suggestions, based on how well they might brighten an otherwise stressful holiday season.

Courtesy photo1964 The Tribute will perform on Saturday at Temple Theatre in Saginaw.

Mark Benson never thought he'd spend more than 20 years portraying John Lennon on stage in front of die-hard fans of the Fab Four. But the co-leader of 1964 The Tribute, who's performed Beatles hits all over the world, doesn't anticipate a drop in demand any time soon.

"You look out and you can clearly see generations of families," said Benson, whose long-running tribute act will play the Temple Theatre in Saginaw Saturday. "The demographic is totally open, from toddlers to grandparents.

"Everyone knows what you're doing," he said. "There isn't any place that this music hasn't filtered into by osmosis."

Back in mid-October, I was a guest of Bodil and Patrick Barrington in their home in Weymouth, UK, near the Atlantic about 120 miles southwest of London.

I received word that Bodil Barrington, a charming Danish lass, is an excellent cook with a flair for desserts. I also picked up that her special area of expertise is anything made using almond paste, i.e. marzipan.

Official Trailer from Electronic Arts

Mirror's Edge won't be mistaken for any other game this generation either in appearance or in gameplay. Jumping across the rooftops and climbing through the sewers of a sterile megalopolis, you play as Faith Connors, an information courier who is on a mission to clear her sister's name of a crime she didn't commit, which requires lots and lots of pressing the Left Bumper button.

Taking players on an ultra-linear excursion, Mirror's Edge reminded me quite a bit of last year's Portal, but instead of battling disembodied voices and wacky turrets in generic looking rooms, I was battling a first person perspective and uneven AI in duo chromatic rooms and the occasional catwalk or three.

AP File PhotoJennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law William Balfour has been arrested in Illinois in the deaths of the singer's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

Updated: 4:17 p.m.
CHICAGO - After being held for weeks on a parole violation, Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law was formally charged Tuesday with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of three family members.

Prosecutors charged William Balfour a day after Chicago Police arrested him on a murder warrant in the deaths of Hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew, said Cook County state's attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. Balfour also was charged with one count of felony home invasion.

Teen Center Without Walls and Washtenaw Area Teens for Tomorrow will open the third annual Teen Arts Festival this weekend at the What Is That Art Gallery at 130 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti.
The opening ceremony is Friday at 7 p.m. Festival works will be available for viewing from Saturday through Dec. 13 during normal gallery hours, Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m.
More than 115 pieces of artwork have been accepted from 14 different high schools.
The festival is supported by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Washtenaw County and the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission.

Evan AgostiniThe Cheetah Girls (from left) Sabrina Bryan, Kiely Williams and Adrienne Bailon will be at The Palace on Tuesday.

Not all "cheetahs" have the same spots.

That's one of the messages promoted by The Cheetah Girls, whose members are a reflection of today's multi-cultural society.

"I'm Latino (Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian), Kiely (Williams) is African American and Sabrina (Bryan) is Mexican, Native American and white," said Adrienne Bailon, one of three singers in the group.

"The Cheetah Girls One World Tour" comes to The Palace of Auburn Hills on Dec. 2.

Courtesy photoSarah Brightman

English soprano Sarah Brightman has released a collection of genre-defying albums during her 30-year career. "Fly" celebrated pop-rock. "Classics" returned her to form, singing arias, and "Symphony" touched on her gothic influences. The common thread: She spills herself into the music.

"I'm very involved in the albums and my tours," said Brightman via telephone from a German recording studio. "Everything actually comes from me -- the ideas, the visuals, the thought of what the album is.

"Although I do sing a lot of older music, there's a little bit of my soul coming out and giving. Maybe the general public picks up that it's not just a songbook that's being put together by an A&R (artist and repertoire) person or a producer or whatever. There's a huge amount of the artist in all of this work. It might be a subconscious thing, but I think that's why I've kept this fanbase for all of these years."

Courtesy Joan BaezAfter 50 years, Joan Baez is still a powerful musical and political voice.

The legendary Joan Baez is our in-studio guest this week, playing songs from her newest "Day After Tomorrow." As she celebrates 50 years of performing, Ms. Baez discusses her music, politics and the most recent election. Joining Joan is multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Doyle.

Subscribe to the Acoustic Cafe podcast: iTunes | RSS

Photo by George ChinGuns N' Roses
"Chinese Democracy"
2.5 out of 4 stars

It's good, not great. Yep, "Chinese Democracy," for all its associated lore, hoopla and bloodshed, is merely an above-average rock album. It's neither a stunning, naysayer-silencing triumph nor a colossal train wreck.

But, hey, it exists, and that's something. I'm looking at it right now. Touching it makes me nervous. I feel like I need to do a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" thing if I pick it up -- replacing it immediately with an object of equal weight so as not to get crushed by a giant boulder.

In case you've somehow missed the back story, this is the first album of new Guns N' Roses music in 17 years, since the wildly successful "Use Your Illusion" records, released simultaneously in 1991. Those albums made GNR the biggest rock band of the pregrunge era. The group's subsequent flame-out -- infighting, drug addictions, breakup, legal fallout -- closely follows the playbook for rock 'n' roll excess.

Photo Courtesy Disney-PixarHot electronics: Anything from the movie "WALL-E," shown here in the animated sci-fi hit, will be a winner this holiday season.

Put a little hope under the Christmas tree this year.

Now, before I get accused of stealing political slogans, keep in mind that within my cinematic jurisdiction, 2008's biggest purveyor of hope is none other than the adorable little hunk of rusted metal known as WALL-E.

The Pixar robot would make it a cuddly Christmas, for sure. On the other hand, the Joker would make it a twisted Christmas, but just as much fun. And I'd wager many people have "WALL-E" and "The Dark Knight" on their wish list for Santa -- just as they top my list of 10 must-have, movie-related gifts for the holiday season. Here's my gift-worthy list:

Press Photo/Katy Batdorff"Project Runway" finalist Daniel Vosovic talks with longtime friend Marie Peterson on Friday at Schuler Books and Music, where he was promoting his new book "Fashion Inside Out."

GRAND RAPIDS -- Daniel Vosovic's venture "home for the holidays" was a Black Friday boost for local fashionistas and shoppers.

The West Michigan native and "Project Runway" finalist made a somewhat impromptu visit Friday to Schuler Books and Music, 2660 28th St., to promote his new book, "Fashion Inside Out" ($29.95, Watson-Guptill Publications), a nearly 200-page guide to how the fashion industry operates. The appearance -- which attracted about 100 fans -- coincided with a holiday visit with friends and family.

"I've been on the road for three weeks," Vosovic said, likening the Schuler event to a reunion. "I'm glad to be back to see so many faces I've known for so long."

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