Chicago’s Common to Honor Dr. Maya Angelou, Dee Robinson Reid, Sherrie Shepherd & Keke Palmer at Gala

Hey everyone! This is Feeny Fernandez from Billy’s office! This week is just a ton of amazing stuff going on in Chicago! Thursday we’ve got President Obama’s event going on at Navy Pier (still some tickets left! more info here http://bit.ly/gNCgkW). Friday is our co-alliance fundraiser at Sunda for Japan through Direct Relief International. And Saturday, some strong women are gonna hit up Chicago…

This Saturday, hip hop artist, actor, and Chicago native Common and the Common Ground Foundation are holding an Inaugural Gala Fundraiser at the InterContinental Hotel to celebrate women in leadership. The evening’s distinguished honorees include Dr. Maya Angelou, actress and singer Keke Palmer, business leader Dee Robinson Reid, and actress and “The View” talk show host Sherri Shepherd.

“One of the things I always say to people is to ‘strive for greatness in any and everything you do,’” says Common. “The women we’re honoring have represented that and so much more! I am truly honored to have the opportunity to celebrate… the honorees.” The evening will include a silent auction, entertainment, and more. Proceeds from the event will benefit Common Ground Foundation’s goals and help expand their reach in local communities.

The Common Ground Foundation was created and founded in 2000 by Common as a way to give back to the community where he was raised. It aims to develop the youth in under-served communities to be contributing citizens and strong leaders through programs that offer the youth with a creative outlet. You can tell what a great guy Common is and how much he cares about his hometown from the video above – what an incredible Chicago cheerleader he’s become!

For more information on the event and the Common Ground Foundation, check out www.commongroundfoundation.org/galafundraiser2011.

Tags: 2016 olympics, billy dec, chicago, common, common ground, common ground foundation, dee robinson reid, dr. maya angelou, fundraiser, hip hop, intercontinental hotel, keke palmer, Music, rapper, sherry on the view, sherry shepherd, the view

The Roots Chicago Dare 2 Dream Benefit Concert & Underground Afteparty with DJ ?uestlove

“Dare 2 Dream” is a high profile benefit concert that has featured Kings of Leon, Common, Cypress Hill, Gavin Rossdale.. all to benefit music education.  This Saturday 12/4, they bring “The Roots” to hit the House of Blues stage, w/ front man ?uestlove (see our lil chitown love video above) dj’ing the vip afterparty at the underground after!

Dr. Rita Simo started The People’s Music School 34 years ago with a donated piano and only $625, she only had dreams of making the world a better place through music. Today her school educates over 500 students in Chicago – I think that’s such an uplifting story and am psyched Dr. Rita is getting such great support. I’m also psyched Platform one entertainment who is bringing us the event is donating all proceeds this year to The People’s Music School!

Since I’m giving away all kinds of tickets this week on facebook and twitter for the holidays, guess I will giveaway two tickets to the concert at House of Blues where you can enjoy the show from a private box w/me before we head to the afterparty! Click on my Facebook & Twitter and have your friends tell my why you should be the one to win!

For more info on Dare 2 Dream check out http://www.platform-1.com/dare2dream.php

Tags: ?uestlove, benefit concert, billy dec, common, concert, cypress hill, dare 2 dream, dr. rita simo, facebook, gavin rossdale, holidays, house of blues, house of blues chicago, kings of leon, late night with jimmy fallon, music education, platinum one entertainment, questlove, rockit ranch productions, the people's school of music, the roots, the underground, ticket giveaway, twitter

Chicago’s Common, Lupe Fiasco, Jennifer Hudson, no i.d… sing for Gatorade REPLAY Series

Update: dec. 29th-hey all- you can download the song free by clicking here!

what if you got to replay the greatest game, day, moment.. of your life?  Well, Gatorade teamed up w/ chicago’s own Common, Jennifer Hudson, Lupe Fiasco and No I.D. to create a new song “We Can Do It” in honor of Season 3 of Gatorade’s “REPLAY” series- check out the video above for a behind-the-scenes of the making of the song!

The REPLAY documentary will reunite two South Side Chicago basketball teams, Bloom Township High School & Brother Rice High School, to finally settle a playoff game that happened 10 years ago.  This game was one of the most talked about games in 2000.  With a few seconds left on the clock, the game was tied 40-40, and Bloom standout, Joe Chapman, tipped the ball in- the only problem was the shot clock buzzer could not be heard over the roaring of the crowd.  The question of if the ball was actually in before the buzzer is the controversy that has been fought about for years- both teams truly believe that their respective teams should have won the game.

Tune in November 7th on FSN when the two teams are matched up against each other again to see how the game is finally settled & to declare a winner once and for all!  For a free download of the song & more info visit: www.replaytheseries.com and big shoutout to all the good people at Gatorade, not only love your stuff, but think this is an amazing idea & I’d love to see more!

Tags: bloom township high school, brother rice high school, common, fsn, gatorade, jennifer hudson, joe chapman, lupe fiasco, no i.d., playoff game, replay, replay the series

Common Movie Premiere Party for "Just Wright"

Tags: allied advertising, bobby simmons, chicago, common, hollywood, just wright movie, just wright trailer, nba, premiere party, private party space chicago, queen latifah, sunda, the bucks

Hip Hop Allstars in "The Chicago Vault"

As everyone knows, Chicago’s Hip-Hop talent, like Common, Kanye West, Twista, The Cool Kids, Rhymefest, Kid Sister, Lupe Fiasco,.. are all celebrated as world class! And I am sure as they will tell you, it all starts with our support on a grassroots level.  So today, giving a shout out to one of the biggest supporters of Midwest hip-hop over the years… DJ & Producer Naki the Beatman. (thanks to a suggestion on twitter!)

As a DJ at two of Chicago’s biggest rap and R&B stations, WGCI and Power 92; Naki championed artists before they were accepted by the mainstream. After stints on radio & MTV, where he hosted events like NBA All-Star Weekend & MTV2′s Hip Hop Countdown, Naki become the CEO of Life Music Group, where he recently dug through his archives to create “The Chicago Vault” (dropping 5/11) compiling unreleased tracks from some of the biggest names in Hip Hop. A two minute preview of the album is available for download now at http://bln.kr/CSV .. enjoy!

Tags: chicago, chicago rappers, common, dj, kanye west, kid sister, life music group, lupe fiasco, mtv2's hip hop countdown, Music, naki the beatman, nba all-star weekend, power 92, producer, rap, rhymefest, the chicago vault, the cool kids, twista, wgci chicago

Grammy Red Carpet, My Bday & The Chicago Recording Academy!

Untitled from A Chicago Thing on Vimeo.

If follow me on twitter you got to join me on the red carpet at the grammys last weekend! Every year I find it exciting, but this year with twitter I was surprised to see how many were loving the tweet pics I sent in real time- couldn’t believe the numbers of hits from you all! Thank you!  Anyway, w/the responses from you all I got a ton of requests for video of the chaos so cut and pasted some together here!  Pretty crazy huh… so random…

Shout out to buddies common, Giuliana rancic, black eyed peas,.. who were super fun to hang out with on the carpet… as well as nick cannon who you will see as well in the video who is actually coming out to chicago next week for his wife mariah carey’s performances at the chicago theatre and to dj my “twitter/blog one year birthday party” that you all requested!  Amazing timing I know- His wife is performing down the street, he was my blog launch dj a year ago,.. it all just makes sense!

And omg I can’t believe its been one year, I learned a ton and have enjoyed blogging here and tweeting w/ all of you so much- thank you for the opportunity and I promise way more fun to come!  So speaking of fun, my twitter/blog bday party is Saturday February 13th at the underground! Trust me, this will be one party you do no want to miss!!! (comment below for big requests for tables, vip list,… will do our best)

Oh, and one last huge shout out, the recording academy that is responsible for the grammys has a tremendously respected and all around amazing chicago chapter right here in our own backyard that anyone remotely interested in the music industry needs to check out and be a part of- I have enjoyed it for years and highly suggest it!  For more info go to http://www2.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Chapters/Chicago/

Tags: black eyed peas, Blog, chicago chapter, chicago theatre, common, facebook, giuliana rancic, grammys, mariah carey, Nick Cannon, recording academy, red carpet, the underground, twitter

chicago 2016 olympics w/ grammy winner common

He is an award winning rapper, actor, Chicagoan & friend, common is someone truly special.  I actually heard his name come up many times when interviewing celebs from around the country (below) associating him w/ chicago’s finest talent, and celebrating him as one of the nation’s best!  We got to hang out at president obama’s election night at the underground and just shook our heads in disbelief and admiration for what has been happening with our great city of chicago… as I am sure you will feel here…. Enjoy!

as for me, if you are following me on twitter (click here to follow), you know i am leaving moscow in the morning soon to make my way through sweden, on my way to copenhagen to meet mrs. obama & my fellow chicago 2016 olympic committee members for the official 2016 olympic host announcement on oct 2nd where i am sure chicago will win! especially if everyone helps now…

you can help by just sharing all the celebrity messages on this site w/ your friends, family, coworkers & everyone else you can for the next couple days… by email, phone, facebook, twitter, chatboards,… which helps these celebrities virally get the word out to the world that chicago (and the u.s in general) will be the perfect place to hold the 2016 olympics, and that americans are all very excited to host all who can join us (including the 4.4+ billion people watching on tv) for the most amazing sport, cultural & friendship strengthening event ever! thank you for your help everyone & keep spreading the news! 

(shout out to bridges media group for the killer graphic in this cut…and all the editing on the rest of the celebrity videos…thank you for your sincere contribution to chicago!)

Tags: 2016, chicago, chicago 2016, common, olympics, president obama, the underground