All Girls Middle/High School Gets Cold Shoulder

Tracy Smith 9th grade science teacher at The Young Women's Leadership School demonstrates how she has to teach her class during cold winter days. (TYWLS townhall meeting)

photo by Lee ALii

On cold winter New York City days, Tracy Smith bundles up and prepares for another challenging day at work. Sounds like a typical problem that most sanitation or construction workers deal with on a daily basis right? Only problem is Tracy Smith doesn't get paid to pick up trash or to pour cement. Ms Smith is a 9th grade Science teacher at The Young Women's Leadership School (TYWLS) located in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, New York.

On September 13, 2004, the Young Women’s Leadership, (YWL) Foundation opened their Bronx location. At the time they temporarily shared building space with local Public School PS 182. With a promise being made by the Department of Education that the school would have its own facility within two years of its inception, the young women who attend TYWLS in the Bronx, were excited about the prospects of their future.

So here we are nearly 4 years later and just as the Education Department promised The Young Women's Leadership School is no longer sharing a building space with PS 182. The School, which consists mostly of African American and Hispanic students, has been housed in trailers for nearly two years now. After the growth in student population at the elementary school, the young women of TYWLS were literally left out in the cold. The lack of heat is only one of many obstacles that these young women face. With no auditorium, school nurse, gymnasium, cafeteria, science lab or library these young girls face impossible learning conditions.

However the Education Department has made what some would call an "unacceptable proposal" for a permanent school location. The proposed move would not only take the students out of their regional district, it would also make the all girls school virtually next door neighbors with the Spofford Correctional Facility. To make matters worst the school would also have to share the space with PS 162.

Yvonne Mcdowell, the Parent Association Co President and mother of 14 year old student Takeisha Kamara, reached out to HHLO in hopes of getting the Hip Hop Community more involved in their efforts for a new and acceptable school location. "Hip Hop has a significant impact upon our youth,” said Ms Mcdowell "They (the Hip Hop Community) can use that impact and influence to help get a quality educational environment for our children". With the girls of TYWLS in need of much moral support, the time to take action is NOW!

If you are interested in signing a petition or lending any type of support to help get these young women into a suitable learning environment, please contact Yvonne Mcdowell at SupportTYWLS@gmail.com or 718 792-2292.

Chicago Rapper Tumchee Sits Down with HHLO to Discuss His New Album, Twista, the Speedknot Mobstaz and More

EI8HT: To be honest I don't know much about you man ...But I’ve done some research to try to find out a little bit more....But tell me about yourself Tumchee. How many albums have you put out?

Tumchee: Well I use to be in a group. Then I did like a little solo album.... I put it out myself a few years ago. I thought you said you did some research, but I mean it sold pretty well locally that was like 2005, 2003 something like that it was a few years back, but this project right here the first single off of this one is called "Who I Am."

EI8HT: Yea, ok, "Who I am." I heard that song. And there was that one other song of yours I heard called "Like Uhn" that was pretty hot man. Who was featured on that song?

Tumchee: That’s this guy named T Dash; he had the middle verse on there.

EI8HT: Ok that’s what's up. So what's the name of the new album?

Tumchee: "Who I Am.” It’s on SkillFlex Entertainment, that’s the label that I’m on.

EI8HT: SkillFlex, so they’re an Independent right?

Tumchee: Yes, they’re Independent. .

EI8HT: Are they going through any Distribution Company right now or how is that working out?

Tumchee: You know, we are talking to a few people man, basically trying to just iron out some things, you know. But we are definitely, talking to a few people. Right now we are trying to keep the buzz at a certain level. People know me, but right now we’re just trying to get the buzz at a level as far as getting single spins. We shot the video for it already, back here in September. So we’re just basically setting everything up, you know.

"Like Uhn” is like my club song. We’ve got two singles out right now. But at the same time, that one is more like me hitting the club and seeing who is showing us the most love. Like they’ve been really feeling that song, you know. That’s been the joint that the DJ’s been liking. I've been getting a lot of crazy spins overseas, like in Germany and in the UK with “Who I am”. You know, DJ Teddy-O over in Germany. I've been getting spins in Croatia too off that song. But I really haven’t broken on the radio over here yet. Like right now, we got a couple of spins at the major station over here, WGTI; DJ Lil John you know, he gave us some spins. But right now we're just working on getting in regular rotation right now.

EI8HT: OK, now I saw the “Who I am” video. You tube is popping nowadays; it’s a popular thing. So I looked it up man, I went on there. You’re from Chicago right?

Tumchee: Yeah.

EI8HT: I saw the background, the Chi-town background. I saw you dancing around with the b*****s out there, you know.

Tumchee: Yeah, yeah.

EI8HT: Yeah, then I saw you rocking the Kangol man. You threw me off with the Kangol man, you know. I didn't know dudes were still rocking Kangols.

Tumchee: I mean the Kangol doesn’t seem you know like…. I did some shit in there man that I just (pause) .I ain’t like most n****s man you know. Whatever I feel is fly I do it. I ain’t a manufactured ass rap n***a man; you know what I am saying. Like If I think that shits fly, I throw it on. So that’s just how I do man. I ain’t a trendy n***a. A lot of these n****s you see man, they got the same f**king jewelry on. They got the same gear. It’s like these record labels manufacture these n****s you know what I’m saying man. My s**t is just I’m going to be fresh to death, you know what I’m saying, but I felt like rocking a Kangol that day so that’s what I threw on.

Ei8HT: So you did it your way.

Tumchee: Yeah.

EI8HT: I can respect that. Let’s be honest, the game took a turn for the worst and that’s really the era. If you don’t mind, how old are you Tumchee?

Tumchee: I’m 29.

EI8HT: So you’re right about the same age as me. So you came up around that same era. So you saw what Hip Hop is all about. You got a touch of the 80’s, you got a touch of the 90’s, and now you see what’s going on today. What do you feel the direction is today as far as Hip Hop is concerned? And do you think that Hip Hop is in a good state of mind right now?

Tumchee: I mean basically if you’re talking about the state that it’s in now, I think that cats lack originality. Its like one cat comes out with a format on how they think, they can make a hit. Then it’s like if one cat can make a hit or two cats can make a hit, then it’s like that becomes the formula. We’re going to get a Snap beat or we’re going to get a South beat. You know I'm not hating on the south. I got love for certain cats in the South that I feel is thorough, like T.I., Outkast, Ludacris. Cats that I feel are official. But then you got cats that just follow that one format. Hip Hop is diverse man, but it’s like cats lack originality. Like when I came up, back then I was listening to cats like LL Cool J and.....

EI8HT: That’s where you got the Kangol from man. I see you got the Kangol from LL. You stole LL’s shit man.

Tumchee: (laughs). That Kangol ain't the Kangol L would have rocked, that’s the Kangol Biggie would have rocked.

EI8HT: OK, OK, OK, You’re right. You’re right. That’s the Big Kangol, the one with the tilt to the side there.

Tumchee: Yeah, yeah. That’s some of Big's flavor.

EI8HT: OK, OK.

Tumchee: But it’s like you know, I had a cats that I came up listening to, that’s why I am able to you know deliver a certain skill level man because back then you had to be able to rhyme man. KRS One was around man, you know what I'm saying, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane. These are the n****s I came up listening to man. Then in later years you had cats like Nas, Jay, Biggie and Wu Tang. I mean if you’re in your 20's you had to have listened to Biggie and Pac. So I'm not understanding why n****s skill level isn't up to where its suppose to be. Because I mean they laid the blueprint they left the format and a bar has been set so I don't understand. It’s like there is no love for the art anymore its no love for Hip Hop its like these cats are doing it just for the check.

EI8HT: I agree with you as far as the state of Hip Hop is concerned. But you have to understand our generation is starting to be considered as OG's. I mean Pac died 12 years ago so if you are 20 now you missed all of those eras you’re talking about.

Tumchee: I take that into consideration too, but at the same time they did have cats like Outcast and cats like Luda. There's n****s in their era that really can rhyme.

EI8HT: Yea but they also had cats like Nelly let’s be honest. Cats like that f****d the game up right?

Tumchee: Yea, you’re right.

EI8HT: Yea that’s right; I'm gonna say it... I know this is an unorthodox interview style but there are no ally oop passes over here ya know. Now I did an interview a while back with some dudes out of Chicago.... The Mobstaz have you ever heard of them dudes?

Tumchee: Um huh, yeah.

EI8HT: Now I'm hearing that you’re the illest coming up in the Chi. So are you crushing cats like that or what?

Tumchee: You’re talking about the Speedknot Mobstaz?

EI8HT: Yeah.

Tumchee: I use to be a part of that man. I mean I wasn't really going to bring it up in the interview but Twista and the Speedknot Mobstaz, yea I use to be a part of that. I actually left. I mean things went array and cats wasn't as cool anymore, so I kind of branched off. I still got love for n****s, but as far as on a skill level. Yeah, yeah I’m hotter to answer your question; I’m definitely hotter than them. Just to keep it real with you.

EI8HT: Was it something personal that happened or was it more of a business issue?

Tumchee: It was personal man. First of all it wasn't just them two cats man it was a whole clique of n****s. It was myself, the n****s you see now Mayze and Stokes, Twista and a couple of more cats. All together it was about 12 or 13 n****s but when Twista dropped Adrenaline Rush it was like f**k the other n****s. And I'm just being honest with you. Me and him are still cool, that’s still my man, but he knows that’s how it went down. It was like these are the n****s I feel that fit better with my program so F**k the other N****s. And this ain't a lie this is the shit that really happened. I don't even feel a certain way about the shit now I’m just on my grizzly just doing what I’m doing now.

EI8HT: That’s respect. I respect your grind man. I’ll admit it, when I first saw your video with the Kangol I said I don't know about this cat man. But getting to talk to you, I f**k with you now Tumchee.

Tumchee: It's all good (laughing) I’m really tripping man. Why are you on the Kangol thing so strong man..

EI8HT: Ahh I’m that’s how I am... I'm a finicky n***a like that man. But you know what your my n***a now Tumchee.

Tumchee: It’s all good. Thank you man.