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Blame Miley Cyrus: White Researcher Claims The Origin Of “Twerk” Was Created By Germans And Not Blacks

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

Black folks been twerking since the beginning of time! Researcher Claims Origin From Twerk Is German Via HuffPo reports In descriptions of grinding and the Harlem Shake, twerk occurs with great regularity. The verb means “to move one’s buttocks in a suggestive way.” It has not yet made its way into OED and perhaps never will (let us hope so), but its origin hardly poses a problem: twerk must be a blend of twist (or twitch) and work (or jerk), a close relative of such verbs as squirm (possibly a blend of dialectal squir “to throw with a jerk” and worm) and twirl (? twist + whirl). When blends are coined “in plain sight” — as happened to brunch, motel, and Eurasia — no one has questions about their descent. The noun designates a rope made of two threads, a twirl, and refers to various distortions. Hence the verb twist “to intertwine; curve; wring.” Especially characteristic are the Germanic congeners of twist: German Zwist ~ Low German twist “quarrel, discord”; Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish also have tvist (the same meaning). Twig “a small shoot of a tree” seems to be akin to some words for “fork.” If this is true, then a twig once denoted a forked branch, an object with two prongs. How it acquired its modern meaning remains unclear. German Zweig does not conjure up a picture of a tiny branch, though it is smaller than an Ast “bough.” (Did Dickens hint to the vicissitudes in the fate of his hero when he called him Twist? After all, it was he, rather than Mr. Bumble, who invented the name.) Basically, White people have discovered the art of twerking and want to claim it. What’s next, white folks claiming they invented the Bankhead Bounce and Tootsie Roll?! SIT DOWN! Continue reading →

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On The Come Up: R&B Newcomer Alex Jacke – “One Thing” [Listen]

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Benny Hollywood

This is one R&B newcomer that you’ll definitely want to check out Alex Jacke – “One Thing” The R&B music scene is slowly but surely being  revitalized and a big part of the much-needed return is the emergence of new artists. Making his way into the mix is an extremely talented newcomer who goes by the name of Alex Jacke. Alex is an R&B crooner who hails from the Golden State and will easily be able to hold his own among the likes of his future music industry peers and powerhouse male vocalists like Miguel, Trey Songz, Usher and even fellow newcomer Luke James. Check out a little more background on Alex below: Heavily influenced by 90’s R&B and Hip hop, Alex developed his own unique sound which eventually landed him a spoton  MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” as a guest performer. Still just a sophomore at Morehouse College, the MTV gig caught the attention of music executive and producer Laney Stewart (Tricky Stewart, The-Dream) who worked with Jacke the following summer.   Jacke left college after his junior year to return to his hometown of Los Angeles to pursue his career in music. With the help of Stewart, Jacke signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Music Gallery/Universal Music Publishing Group. In May 2012, Jacke released his first single “One Thing” in anticipation of his 6 song EP titled D.F.M. (Dorm F-cking Music) which followed in July 2012. Alex was also chosen to participate in the 2013 Macy’s iHeartRadio Rising Star Contest. As one of 25 artists selected nationwide he was featured on hundreds of radio stations across the country. You can peep the video for the first single “One Thing” from his debut EP, which has been creating a buzz for quite a while now, below: So what’s the verdict Bossip fam? Are you feeling Alex Jacke? To hear more of his music, check out his website HERE . Continue reading →

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