As the November 2004 presidential elections come to a close, only one thing remains fresh in the minds of music moguls everywhere: the opening Rock the Vote performers, Wylde Bunch. From joining the popular Pepsi Smash and Sprite Liquid Mix Tours to recording an ingenious single on Madden 2005, nothing but good luck has fallen on these upcoming musical successes. By releasing their first studio album, Wylde Times at Washington High with Columbia Records/ RED, they are setting trends everywhere by popularizing “old-school ingredients with new school ideas.”

Still on its up rise, this 14-member band from South Central Los Angeles would best be described as utterly unique. With refreshing innovative twists coalesced with positive messages, its music is truly an innovative blend of all types of music: pop, rock, R&B, and hip-hop. Surprising everyone with their sudden rise to stardom, the Wylde Bunch say knew where they would be today. Growing up in the hood, they were a group of high school friends known for their wild antics and unlimited amounts of energy. Henceforth, they got the name Wylde Bunch.

Their new album consists of 12 high-energy tracks telling listeners how their high school days were like. The first single “Last Day of School” bursts with crazy energy and flashes back to how each of us must have felt waiting for summer to start.

Wylde Bunch is a group like no other. Their new album is a blend of free-spirited energy and fresh lyrics. Truly groundbreaking and amazing, grab a copy and listen to it today.

Keith Preciados can be contacted at k.preciados@umiami.edu.

Ever since Fabolous stepped on the scene with “Can’t Deny,” he has found commercial success as an MC with lyrical skills that are at times reminiscent of Jay-Z. Ready to release his third studio album, Real Talk, today via Desert Storm/Atlantic Records, Fabolous is confident that this is his best work today. If his current single “Breathe” is any indication of what we can expect, then we are definitely in for a treat. Already one step away from entering the Top 10 on the Billboard 100 Singles charts, Real Talk is expected to place as well as it features production from some of hip-hop’s biggest producers the Neptunes, Scott Storch and Just Blaze. During a hectic promotional tour, which landed him at the University of Miami, Fabolous spoke with The Hurricane about his upcoming album, hip-hop influences and his thoughts on some of the current events in hip-hop.

The Hurricane: How did you come up with the name Fabolous?

Fabolous: The name Fabolous came from DJ Clue. He thought that was my name when he heard me rapping, and just started calling me Fabolous. I just chose to stick with that name because I had generated a buzz under that name [on the mixtape circuit] and I didn’t want to go through the confusion of changing the name, so we just kept it and it worked out.

TH: Talk to me about your third studio album release, Real Talk.

F: The third album, I would say, is my best album up to date. I went with the title Real Talk, because I felt like that is what I was giving the fans. It’s really just what I have been going through for the past year and a half. It’s a very diverse album; you can definitely hear the versatility and the growth in this album. We catered to all ears, from the East coast, West coast, Midwest, South. It is just good music all around.

TH: Your first single “Breathe,” produced by Just Blaze is doing well on radio and has gotten the approval of the streets. What is the song about?

F: The first single “Breathe” is just a change, something different from what people usually hear from me. People have put me in a box maybe of only being able to make songs for the ladies or making party joints, so I had to step out of the box for a minute and do something different.

TH: Since your respective debuts, Lil’Mo and you have guest appeared on each other’s albums. Your third album is no different, where she appears on the track “Holla at Somebody Real.” Talk about your relationship with Mo.

F: Me and Lil’ Mo are real cool. We definitely are good friends and besides that, we have a good musical chemistry together. We just make good music.

TH: Growing up in Brooklyn, home to rap legends like Biggie, Jay-Z, what lyricists inspired you to make rapping a career?

F: I would say Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Kool G Rap, Eric B and Rakim. I have to say, at the time, I was just a fan of hip-hop. I actually didn’t want to be a rapper. Those are the people who made me a fan of hip-hop.

TH: Let me get your thoughts on current hip-hop events: The Fugees Reunion.

F: It happened already? I didn’t hear about it.

TH: The R. Kelly and Jay-Z fall out.

F: I’m sad to see it didn’t work out, but that’s the way life is. People have marriages and divorces all the time. People come together sometime, it may be the right thing for the time, maybe it doesn’t work in the long run. That’s just how it is.

TH: Finally, Mase’s comeback to hip-hop, especially since many people compared you to Mase when you came in the game.

F: At first I was actually curious to see how he would comeback, but after I hear the music and stuff, I really have no care for what he’s doing. [Laughs.]

Marcus Washington can be contacted at m.washington2@umiami.edu.

The Miami International Book Fair is coming this week and with it are dozens of best-selling authors. One of the nation’s largest and most well known literary events, the Book Fair makes attendees forget that Americans favor more electronic forms of entertainment.

In its 21st year, the Book Fair will play host to over 250 authors over a period of seven days at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus. From Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, the Fair will host a congress of authors and a street fair over the weekend.

Promoting reading, writing and literacy awareness, the Book Fair has slowly evolved over the decades from the original two-day event. Combined with a number of programs such as night readings, children’s story time and different international pavilions, the Book Fair has something for every reader.

Covering a wide range of topics, the Book Fair is the perfect place to get an autograph, surround yourself with literature and meet prize-winning authors. Authors such as Martin Cruz Smith, Brian Weiss, Juan Williams, Marianne Williams and Tom Wolfe will all be in attendance for the street fair and various programs.

An integral part to the Florida Center to the Literary Arts, the Book Fair provides an event for literature from all over the world to converge. The Miami International Book Fair is one of the few literary events that promotes and advances literature in all forms.

>> For more information on the Miami International Book Fair go to www.miamibookfair.com.

Joanna Davila can be contacted at j.davila1@umiami.edu.

At the Loews Miami Beach Hotel last Thursday, Miami got down to business as the Recording Academy’s Florida Chapter hosted a special panel discussion aimed at the local music community.

The forum buzzed with enthusiasm as state representatives teamed up with some of the hottest names in the industry to take on today’s most alarming issues, including laws about piracy, music education and radio consolidation.

According to Daryl Friedman, vice president of Advocacy and Government Relations, the Academy-the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards-held this event with for a twofold purpose.

“We’re trying to educate the music community and connect them to the legislatures that affect their lives,” said Friedman. “This is also a first for the Florida chapter [where] Florida is taking the lead in dealing with advocacy.”

Coming off the hinges of the presidential election, the event, titled “The State of the Music Industry: The Art, Business and Politics,” came together after the Florida Chapter decided to give voice to its concerns about long-time worries. Hot button topics like the future of CD sales, the impact of digital radio and ups and downs of downloading were among the many issues brought up.

“The industry changes so quickly,” said Friedman. “[So] we looked to see what was the most topical and relevant.”

The diverse cast at the helm of the panel included Adam Gaynor (Matchbox Twenty), Nick Ferrara, Esq. (who works with John Mayer and Maroon 5), John Jones (VP of MusicNet’s Programming, Artist and Label Relations) and Jos

Haiti is a country that has been plagued with environmental misfortunes as well as economic instability ever since it gained independence to become the first black-led republic of the modern world. With a small wealthy elite and a large underclass, this unequal balance in wealth has resulted in street gangs overturning cities and when things couldn’t get worse, hurricanes and tropical storms plagued the island.

Tropical Storm Jeanne crashed onto Gonaives, killing nearly 2,000 people and leaving another 900 missing (which have been presumed dead). More than ever, Haiti is in need of help, and one person who has a lot of plans to rebuild the destruction is rapper/singer/producer and now political and social activist Wyclef Jean.

Born Nelust Wyclef Jean in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Wyclef found success in America after he moved to New Jersey and formed the hip-hop group The Fugees. With his cousin Praskazrel (Pras) and high school classmate Lauryn Hill, the three made the grade with their sophomore release, The Score, in 1996. With hits such as the Roberta Flack remake “Killing Me Softly” and “Fu-gee-la,” the Fugees sold more than 16 million records worldwide and garnered them two Grammy Awards.

The first to go solo, Jean evolved from a rapper to someone more noticeable for his work behind the scenes. With production credits for musical legends like Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana, Jean still found time to release his own solo material. To celebrate his country’s 200-year anniversary of gaining independence, Jean recently released his fifth solo effort, Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101.

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With his new release, Jean isn’t looking for accolades; he’s doing this for the love he has for his country. The album cover shows Jean’s face superimposed on the body of Toussaint L’Ouverture, leader of the Haitian slave revolt in 1791 that resulted in Haiti gaining independence in 1794.

“This album is a blueprint of my life. This album explains why I’m always ready to ride-or-die for Haiti,” says Jean.

While Jean has never ignored his Haitian musical influences on his past albums, Jean brings Creole music to the forefront. Inspired by his young cousins in Haiti who listen primarily to hip-hop and reggae music, Jean wanted his people to accept the native music of his country -copa. “It’s a way for me to educate the young ones coming up that it’s cool to speak Creole. When you listen to the text and the words that I’m saying in my songs, I’m giving you food for thought. It’s reality music.”

Spending the majority of his time between America and trying to restore peace and living conditions in Haiti has led Jean to start a movement of his own.

“I have this foundation, and it’s called Yele. I’m trying to energize and enterprise Haitians and Haitians by association. We are going to be raising millions and millions of dollars just to put back into the project of Haiti.”

Speaking on the meaning of the name, Jean says, “Yele is like of cry of freedom. It’s almost like you’re crying, but you’re not. It’s almost like not a cry for me, but more a cry for the country and a cry of ‘If ya’ll don’t get it straight, then there will be a revolution.'”

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Another major project that Jean is undertaking is what he bills as the “greatest concert of the world,” scheduled for Dec. 5, which will feature appearances by Lil’Jon, 50 Cent, Sean Paul and the recently reunited Fugees. Taking place in Haiti, Jean is expecting an attendance of 1.5 million people.

“What the concert does is bring awareness. It makes the BBC, it makes CNN and everybody goes to Haiti and says, ‘You know what, no these people are not like a bunch of animals.'”

And if you are still in shock about the Fugees reuniting, this will be their second appearance since their comeback at Dave Chappelle’s Block Party that took place in New York City on Sept. 18. After Lauryn Hill finishes her second studio album, there are talks that the Fugees will reunite in the studio. “I think definitely in the future, fans will get to hear [the Fugees] again,” Jean says.

Jean is the perfect example of someone who was raised from humble beginnings, went on to find success, but still gives graciously to the people, better yet, country, who made him.

“I don’t get moved by money, but I’m a businessman. I’m all about making a lot of money. But money is not what moves me. What moves me is the fact that I can move people.”

Marcus Washington can be contacted at m.washington2@umiami.edu.