Jan 1, 2021
Topics: Y2K Bug, Eminem, The Best Man, 90's TV (Bonus Artist:
Rocky Mtn. Rhyme Posse)
1999 Notes
Snapshots
1. Bill Clinton President
2. Jan – A snowstorm leaves 14
inches (36 cm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21 inches (53
cm) in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68.
3. Jan – The adult animated sitcom
Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII.
4. Feb - Impeachment of Bill
Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate.
5. Mar - A Michigan jury finds Dr.
Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a
lethal injection to a terminally ill man.
6. Apr - Columbine High School
massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan
Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12
students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the
deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time.
The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and
violence in the media.
7. May - The animated children's
TV series SpongeBob SquarePants debuts on the cable network
Nickelodeon.
8. May - Star Wars: Episode I –
The Phantom Menace is released in theaters.
9. Jun - Texas Governor George W.
Bush announces he will seek the Republican Party nomination for
President of the United States.
10. Jun - Napster Released. It was
mainly used by people who shared MP3 music and digital audio files.
As the laws about file sharing and copyright regarding the internet
were just newly established, the service soon ran into legal
troubles dealing with copyright infringement.
11. Jul - U.S. soccer player
Brandi Chastain scores the game winning penalty kick against China
in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Briana Scurry, goalkeeper, was
elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017. She was the
first woman goalkeeper and first black woman to be awarded the
honor.
12. Jun - Lance Armsrong wins the
Tour de France. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced in
August 2012 that they had disqualified Armstrong from all his
results since 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France
wins from 1999 to 2005 (which were, originally, the most wins in
the event's history)
13. Sep - The West Nile Virus
first appears in the United States. The disease spread quickly
through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to
mammals.
14. Dec - Boris Yeltsin resigns as
President of Russia, replaced by Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin has been
describes as, "Russia's first modern leader" and has been
compared to Nelson Mandela.
15. Top 3 Pop Songs
16. #1 "Believe"
Cher
17. #2 "No
Scrubs" TLC
18. #3 "Angel of
Mine" Monica
19. Record of the Year: "Smooth" –
Santana featuring Rob Thomas
20. Album of the Year:
Supernatural – Santana
21. Song of the Year: "Smooth" –
Santana featuring Rob
22. Best New Artist: Christina
Aguilera (Note: Beat out Brittney Spears)
23. Best Female R&B Vocal
Performance: "It's Not Right but It's Okay" – Whitney Houston
24. Best Male R&B Vocal
Performance: "Staying Power" – Barry White
25. Best R&B Performance by a
Duo or Group with Vocal: "No Scrubs" – TLC
26. Best R&B Song: "No Scrubs"
– TLC
27. Best R&B Album: FanMail –
TLC
28. Best Rap Solo Performance: "My
Name Is" – Eminem
29. Best Rap Performance by a Duo
or Group: "You Got Me" – The Roots featuring Erykah Badu
30. Best Rap Album: The Slim Shady
LP – Eminem
31. Top 3 Moives
32. #1 Star Wars: Episode I
– The Phantom Menace
33. #2 The Sixth Sense
34. #3 Toy Story 2
35. Notables: Office Space,
Analyze This, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix
(3/31/1999 - 20 days before Columbine), Life, The Mummy, Austin
Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Wild Wild West, American Pie, The
Blair Witch Project, Eyes Wide Shut, The Wood, The Iron Giant, The
Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bowfinger, Three Kings, Fight
Club, The Green Mile, Any Given Sunday
36. Top 3 TV Shows
37. #1 Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire — Tuesday
38. #2 Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire — Thursday
39. #3 Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire — Sunday
40. Debuts: The PJs, The Parkers,
The Queen Latifah Show, Judge Mathis
41. Economic Snapshots
42. Income = 40.8k (Previously
38.1k)
43. House = 131.7k (129.3k)
44. Car = 21kk (17k)
45. Rent = 645 (619)
46. Harvard = 31.1k (30,080)
47. Movie = 5.06 (4.69)
48. Gas = 1.22 (1.15)
49. Stamp = .33 (.32)
50. Social Scene: Y2K Scare
51. The Y2K problem and the
millennium bug was the most important thing on most companies minds
in 1999. This fear was fueled by the press coverage and other media
speculation, as well as corporate and government reports. All over
the world companies and organizations checked and upgraded their
computer systems. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because
many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two
digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900.
52. (Audio Clip)
53. Music Scene
54. Music Scene: Black Songs from
the Top 40
55. #2 "No Scrubs" - TLC
56. #3 "Angel of Mine" -
Monica
57. #4 "Heartbreak Hotel" -
Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price
58. #9 "Nobody's Supposed to Be
Here" - Deborah Cox
59. #11 "Where My Girls At?" -
702
60. #12 "If You Had My Love" -
Jennifer Lopez
61. #14 "Have You Ever?" -
Brandy
62. #16 "I'm Your Angel" - R.
Kelly and Celine Dion
63. #19 "Smooth" - Santana
featuring Rob Thomas
64. #20 "Unpretty" - TLC
65. #21 "Bills, Bills, Bills" -
Destiny's Child
66. #24 "Fortunate" -
Maxwell
67. #27 "What's It Gonna Be?!" -
Busta Rhymes featuring Janet
68. #28 "What It's Like" -
Everlast
69. #29 "Fly Away" - Lenny
Kravitz
70. #31 "Lately" - Divine
71. #33 "Wild Wild West" - Will
Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee
72. #35 "Heartbreaker" - Mariah
Carey featuring Jay-Z
73. #36 "I Still Believe" - Mariah
Carey
74. #39 "Can I Get A..." - Jay-Z
featuring Amil and Ja Rule
75. #42 "Mambo No. 5" - Lou
Bega
76. #43 "Sweet Lady" -
Tyrese
77. Top Rnb Albums
78. Jan Ghetto Fabulous -
Mystikal
79. Jan Flesh of My Flesh, Blood
of My Blood - DMX
80. Feb Made Man - Silkk the
Shocker
81. Feb Chyna Doll - Foxy
Brown
82. Feb The Miseducation of Lauryn
Hill - Lauryn Hill
83. Mar Da Next Level - Mr.
Serv-On
84. Mar FanMail - TLC
85. Mar Bossalinie -
C-Murder
86. Apr The Slim Shady LP -
Eminem
87. Apr I Am… - Nas
88. May Ryde or Die Vol. 1 -
Ruff Ryders
89. May No Limit Top Dogg - Snoop
Dogg
90. Jun In Our Lifetime - 8Ball &
MJG
91. Jun The Art of Storytelling -
Slick Rick
92. Jun Venni Vetti Vecci - Ja
Rule
93. Jul Da Real World - Missy
"Misdemeanor" Elliott
94. Jul Beneath the Surface -
GZA/Genius
95. Jul Street Life - Fiend
96. Jul Can't Stay Away - Too
Short
97. Aug Guerrilla Warfare - Hot
Boys
98. Aug Coming of Age - Memphis
Bleek
99. Sep Mary - Mary J. Blige
100. Sep Forever - Puff
Daddy
101. Oct Let There Be Eve...Ruff
Ryders' First Lady - Eve
102. Ocy Blackout! - Method Man &
Redman
103. Nov Only God Can Judge Me -
Master P
104. Nov Tha Block Is Hot - Lil
Wayne
105. Dec 2001 - Dr. Dre
106. Dec Born Again - The
Notorious B.I.G.
107. Featured Artist: Eminem
108. Childhood & Early Life: Born
Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1972, to
parents who were members of a band that used to perform at the
hotel 'Ramada Inns.' He grew up in a predominantly black
neighbourhood, where he was often bullied. As a child he showed
affinity toward comics and music, particularly rapping. He had a
difficult childhood and he was never on good terms with his mother.
He was, however, close to her half-brother, Ronnie. Marshall's
education suffered as a result of constant troubles with his mom
and he dropped-out of 'Lincoln High School,' when he was
seventeen.
109. Career: When Marshall was
fourteen years old, he started rapping and attenditg contetst with
his friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, who later became famous as rapper
Proof. The two friends formed their own group called 'D12' or 'The
Dirty Dozen,' in 1996. Also in 1996, Eminem (@16) brought out his
first album titled 'Infinite.' The album was recorded under the
banner of 'FBT Productions,' and included songs that spoke about
the struggles he faced after the birth of his daughter, at a time
when he was financially unstable. His financial condition had
worsened and by 1997, he was forced to live in his mother's house
with his family. During this time, to let go of the frustration
building inside him, he created an anti-social alter-ego named
'Slim Shady.' He even recorded his first extended play by the same
name in the same year.
110. After he was fired from his
job and evicted from his home, Eminem went to Los Angeles to
compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, an annual, nationwide battle rap
competition. He placed second, and an Interscope Records intern in
attendance called asked Eminem for a copy of the Slim Shady EP,
which was then sent to company CEO Jimmy Iovine. Iovine played the
tape for record producer Dr. Dre, who recalled sayingd, "In my
entire career in the music industry, I have never found anything
from a demo tape or a CD. When Jimmy played this, I said, 'Find
him. Now.'" Although Dre's friends criticized him for hiring a
white rapper, he was confident in his decision: "I don't give a
fuck if you're purple; if you can kick it, I'm working with
you."
111. In February 1999, Dr. Dre
helped Eminem release an album titled 'The Slim Shady LP,' which
immediately catapulted him to fame. With hits like 'My Name Is,'
'97 Bonnie and Clyde,' and 'Guilty Conscience,' it was one of the
most successful albums of the year.
112. Movie Scene: The Best
Man
113. Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs),
a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance
(Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun), is nervous-and with
good reason. His steamy new novel hits bookstores soon, and when
his friends finally read it he knows they will notice more than
just a passing resemblance to the characters depicted in the
book.
114. Director: Malcolm D. Lee,
Debut film [Undercover Brother (2002), Roll Bounce (2005), Welcome
Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Soul Men (2008), Scary Movie 5 (2013),
The Best Man Holiday (2013), Girls Trip (2017), and Night School
(2018)]
115. Cast: Taye Diggs, Nia Long,
Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terance Howard, Sanaa Lathan,
Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall
[*Film Debut]
116. 'The Best Man': A Joyous
Occasion [By Lonnae O'Neal Parker Washington Post Staff Writer, Oct
1999]
117. This smart debut from
filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, cousin to the film's producer, Spike,
centers around a group of old friends who reunite in New York for a
wedding. Tapping into the Zeitgeist of young black professionals
starving to see themselves on film, it hits all the right cultural
touchstones: from BET to Stevie Wonder, Chubb Rock to bid whist.
Although the film is produced by Spike Lee, don't expect racial
politics. And while comparisons to another black wedding-themed
movie starring Taye Diggs, "The Wood," are bound to come up,
resist.
118. James Berardinelli -
Reelviews
119. The Best Man is not what it
initially seems to be. Despite starting out with all the earmarks
of a fairly ordinary romantic comedy, the project develops into a
surprisingly effective look at a man's quest for rebirth after
events topple him from a pedestal of arrogance. And, while there
are plenty of laughs to be had, The Best Man functions better as a
light drama than a straight comedy, with several scenes packing a
punch because they're played straight. The film is the directorial
debut of Malcolm D. Lee (Spike's cousin), who may have gotten this
chance because of family connections but shows enough promise to
earn further opportunities on his own.
120. The Best Man (1999) - 1½
Stars [Reviewed by Dustin Putman, October 1999]
121. As with 1997's melodramatic,
corny "Soul Food," and last summer's "The Wood," which also starred
Diggs in a story set around a wedding(!), "The Best Man" aspires to
be something more than it actually is. Kudos to Lee for trying his
hand at a more knowledgeable picture that all audiences (not just
African-Americans) might enjoy, but he also gets more than his
share of debits for its severely flawed treatment. At over two
hours in length, "The Best Man" thankfully never overstays its
welcome and goes by fairly fast, but by the time the Electric Slide
was carried out by everyone at the wedding reception over the end
credits, I realized that the actors deserved far better. As is, the
conclusion plays like an excuse for each of the cast members to
give themselves a pat on the back, when they really didn't earn
that pat to begin with.
122. Denzel Washington, film debut
in Carbon Copy (1981) and in 1982, Denzel made his first appearance
in the medical drama St. Elsewhere as Dr. Philip Chandler. The role
proved to be the breakthrough in his career.
123. Nominated for Best Supporting
Actor: Cry Freedom (1988) and Glory (1990)(*won)
124. Nominated for Best Actor for
Malcolm X (1993)
125. 1981 Carbon Copy / 1984 A
Soldier's Story / 1986 Power / 1987 Cry Freedom / 1988 For Queen
and Country / 1989 The Mighty Quinn / 1989 Glory / 1990 Heart
Condition / 1990 Mo' Better Blues / 1991 Mississippi Masala / 1991
Ricochet / 1992 Malcolm X / 1993 Much Ado About Nothing / 1993 The
Pelican Brief / 1993 Philadelphia / 1995 Crimson Tide / 1995
Virtuosity / 1995 Devil in a Blue Dress / 1996 Courage Under Fire /
1996 The Preacher's Wife / 1998 Fallen / 1998 He Got Game / 1998
The Siege / 1999 The Bone Collector / 1999 The Hurricane - [25
films]
126. Samuel L. Jackson.
127. Nominated for Best Supporting
Actor: Pulp Fiction (1994)
128. 1981 Ragtime / 1987 Magic
Sticks / 1988 Coming to America / 1988 School Daze / 1989 Do the
Right Thing / 1989 Sea of Love / 1990 Def by Temptation / 1990 A
Shock to the System / 1990 Betsy's Wedding / 1990 Mo' Better Blues
/ 1990 The Exorcist III / 1990 Goodfellas / 1990 The Return of
Superfly / 1991 Strictly Business / 1991 Jungle Fever / 1991
Jumpin' at the Boneyard / 1991 Johnny Suede / 1992 Juice / 1992
Patriot Games /1992 White Sands / 1992 Fathers & Sons / 1993 Menace
II Society /1993 Loaded Weapon / 1993 Amos & Andrew / 1993 Jurassic
Park / 1993 True Romance / 1994 Fresh / 1994 Pulp Fiction / 1994
The New Age / 1994 Hail Caesar / 1994 Assault at West Point: The
Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker / 1994 The Search for One-eye
Jimmy / 1995 Kiss of Death / 1995 Die Hard with a Vengeance / 1995
Losing Isaiah / 1995 Fluke / 1996 The Great White Hype / 1996 A
Time to Kill / 1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight / 1996 Hard Eight /
1996 Trees Lounge / 1997 One Eight Seven / 1997 Eve's Bayou / 1997
Jackie Brown / 1998 Sphere / 1998 The Negotiator / 1998 The Red
Violin / 1998 Out of Sight / 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The
Phantom Menace / 1999 Deep Blue Sea - [50 films]
129. Question: DW vs. SLJ?
130. Television Scene:
131. 18 Black Sitcoms of the '90s
That Changed the Game: Published Jan 24, 2020 - By Damarys Ocaña
Perez
132. Black sitcoms have been
popular since classics like Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford
and Son hit television screens nationwide in the '70s. But it
wasn't until The Cosby Show became a ratings juggernaut in the mid
'80s that networks finally saw the potential in investing heavily
in sitcoms with black leads.
133. And so the '90s became a
decade in which more black sitcoms than ever made it onto TV
134. Naturally, given the success
of The Cosby Show, a lot of shows that followed featured families.
But they didn't just simply copy the formula.
135. The lives of younger people
took center stage as well in the '90s. So, instead of being the
token black friend within the larger context of a show, black
teens, college students, 20-something professionals became the
vehicle for funny and even poignant stories.
136. The '90s turned hugely
talented black comedians and actors into stars who remain household
names to this day, and it goes to show the impact that being given
a seat at the table and a voice on prime time television can
accomplish.
137. Here are 18 black '90s
sitcoms that we love do this day for the impact they had on our
lives then and now.
138. 'A Different World'
(1987-1993): One of the show's major accomplishments was being
among the first to tackle real issues like date rape, racism, and
HIV, things that the Cosby Show had avoided. A Different World is
the gem that created a bridge to the '90s black sitcom boom.
139. 'Family Matters' (1989-1997):
The longest-running sitcom about a black family (it spanned nine
seasons to The Cosby Show's eight), Family Matters was not only
funny -- especially after introducing super-nerd Urkel -- but
managed to balance big laughs with more serious moments. There were
episodes that centered around civil rights history and police
mistreatment of young black men, and a wide-ranging audience got to
see them, thanks to the show's across-the-board popularity.
140. 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'
(1990-1996): Nestled between Will Smith's rapping days and his
status as one of the world's most bankable A-list movie stars was
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which made his a household name and
produced one of the longest-running fan debates in TV history on
which of the two actresses who played Aunt Viv was the best
one.
141. 'Roc' (1991-1994): Before
Charles S. Dutton went on to win three Emmys for his work on other
shows, he starred in this underrated and brief series that was
fairly typical sitcom until the second season, which aired each
episode live. Roc was a treat because Dutton and several of the
other cast members were trained stage actors.
142. 'Martin' (1992-1997): Martin
Lawrence was all edge when he wasn't doing Martin. (One of his
stand-up specials was slapped with an NC-17 rating, and he was
banned from Saturday Night Live for delivering a hilariously
raunchy monologue.) That makes it all the more interesting that on
the show Martin, he played a lovably manic man-boy. We lost count
of how many characters Martin played on the show (in disguise),
each one of them hilarious in their own specific way.
143. 'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper'
(1992-1997): This sitcom had a great cast, including comedian
Raven-Symoné, Holly Robinson Peete, and Mark Curry.
144. 'Living Single' (1993-1998):
The show marked the first time that we saw young black women
portrayed as professionals and given well-rounded personalities,
have healthy relationships, and pave the way for black
female-centered shows - nlike Girlfriends and Insecure.
145. 'Sister, Sister' (1994-1999):
There are so many reasons why we loved Sister,Sister, and one of
them was that the show would occasionally break the fourth wall and
talk directly to the audience, which made us feel part of the
action. But the show also had layers that deepened its story: The
girls had been the product of an interracial relationship between a
black mom and a white dad who never had the chance to marry before
being separated in tragic circumstances.
146. 'In The House' (1995-1999):
It wasn't the world's best sitcom, but hey, LL Cool J has always
been a snack.
147. 'The Parent 'Hood'
(1995-1999): One of the four original Wednesday night shows that
helped launched the WB (The Wayans Bros was another), what sets the
show apart are the whimsical fantasy sequences that the dad dreams
up to help him solve family issues in a creative and unexpected
way.
148. 'The Wayans Bros.'
(1995-1999): In Living Color, it's not, but this sitcom from
younger Wayans siblings Shawn and Marlon is still simple fun that
doesn't require too many brain cells -- and that can be a good
thing.
149. 'Moesha' (1996-2001): Moesha
centered around a black teenager diving into deeper explorations of
all kinds of relationships and left cliffhangers in several story
lines dangling when it was canceled.
150. 'The Jamie Foxx Show'
(1996-2001): Fresh off the groundbreaking comedy sketch show In
Living Color and before he becoming an movie star, Jamie Foxx
starred as an aspiring actor who works at his relatives'
hotel.
151. 'Kenan & Kel' (1996-2000):
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were Nickelodeon's first black
sitcom stars, having landed their own show when producers saw them
joking around on the set of All That when they were series
regulars.
152. 'The Steve Harvey Show'
(1996-2002): A big highlight is the constant guest star roster
that's a who's who of black TV stars and musicians -- like Snoop
Dogg, Diddy, Kim Fields, and Ja’Net DuBois of the classic sitcom
Good Times.
153. 'The Hughleys' (1998-2002):
Two decades before Black-ish tackled a similar premise, The
Hughleys featured a family that lives in a predominantly white
neighborhood.
154. 'The Famous Jett Jackson'
(1998-2001): This show had just 65 episodes but has a special place
in our hearts as the first Disney Channel show to feature a black
actor as the lead. The immensely talented and magnetic Lee Thompson
Young starred as Jett Jackson, a kid who tries to live a normal
life when he's not filming. Thompson tragically died at age 29,
after struggling with bipolar disorder and depression, but the
heartwarming show lives on.
155. 'The Parkers' (1999-2004):
It's no surprise that one of the most down-to-earth black sitcoms
from the '90s starred Mo'Nique as a single mom who dropped out of
high school to raise her baby.
156. Question: Most Liked Show of
the 90’s?
157. Vote: Best/most
important/favorite pop culture item from 1999