Jerry Azumah: Off Field MVP Part 1
Jerry Azumah’s on the field accomplishments are well highlighted and quite impressive. He set NCAA I-AA rushing records as a running back at the University of New Hampshire, and won the Walter Payton award, the I-AA equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. After joining the Bears and making the switch to defensive back, Azumah’s rookie season ended with receiving the team’s Brian Piccolo award, handed out for character and merit rather than stats and speed. The Piccolo award distinguished Jerry as an athlete and a man with a strong sense of giving back and helping others.
“I’ve always been the type of person to give back,” Jerry said during an exclusive interview with RH. “I realize that throughout my journey of getting to the pros, being successful, and getting to the point I’m at right now, it happened with the help of a lot of different people. A lot of different things had to come together. There was always somebody that was reaching out, lending me a helping hand pretty much. So much help has been given to me that it’s almost fitting for me to give it back, sort of like passing the torch.”
Azumah has “passed the torch” by providing his alma mater with a new gymnasium and practice facility for student athletes, as well as his ASAP Foundation, a non-profit that provides assistance to under privileged students in the form of financial scholarships.
Jerry Azumah sat down with RubyHornet at Chicago's NV Penthouse Lounge to talk about ASAP and its upcoming Texas Hold’em fundraiser, as well as the work ethic that propelled him to the NFL, and his true passions of music and fashion. Check out part I below.
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RTC: The Coolest Jew (Blog #8)
I am the coolest Jew, at least I am the coolest Jew in the Chicago land area. I know what you're thinking...is this statement from some sort of poll and/or contest? Did the rabbinical association make some sort of decree, or was this title given to me by Adrian Brody, Adam Sandler, or Natalie Portman (three Jews universally recognized to hand out such a distinction)? Actually the answer is no. My statement is backed up by hard data, by sociologically tested reporting mechanisms, and my title is one bestowed upon me by the people, of different ethnicities and ages, and without any prompting, absolutely none whatsoever. In fact, this title, while I'll wear it as a badge of honor (not a piece of flare though) comes with a mixture of disappointment. Let me explain.
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RH Photos: Jadakiss Listening Session
The RubyHornet crew, and a lot of others in Chicago's Hip Hop inner circle descended on CRC for a Jadakiss listening session Monday night. Pugs Atomz, Mic Terror, Que Billah, even Kid Cudi Chingy, were all in the house to listen to new tunes and get Kiss' explanation of the songs. The night started out well, there was good music, good people, and hey, AB even brought his own brown paper bag...There was one problem though, I think they forgot to tell Jadakiss about the event, as he came in 15 minutes before it ended and didn't really do much. Honestly, the highlight of the night was getting to hear Pac Div's "Mayor" so many times. Regardless, Virgil Solis was on camera duty and snapped some very dope pics that you can check out below. Also check out our interview with Jadakiss right here.
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RH TV: Bighomie D.O.E. Freestyle In The Park
So, Freestyle In The Park's caught some flak in the new season..."These dudes aren't really freestyling...These dudes suck...etc..." Well, a couple points on that. When we say Freestyle In The Park, we mean it in the sense that artists can do whatever they want. In fact there have been films, books, essays on what exactly constitutes a "freestyle", and I'm not going to get into that here. Second, we can't make a rapper perform well, we merely given them the stage and let them show their stuff. Some do that much better than others...In reality, we've recognized a certain thing lacking in some of the recent FITP features, and we've come to correct all that with this one featuring Bighomie D.O.E. of The Brainiac Society. D.O.E.'s really took off after Mikkey Halsted's Internet On Lock event and hasn't slowed down since. Some of you may have never heard of him before, so allow this to serve as a proper introduction.
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RTC: Treasurechest's Blog #7
I got a pocket full of money...looking all bummy...That's pretty much my mood right now, and yes that is both my Grover hand puppet and turntable setup. It's been raining the past couple of days, and I've been rocking rip jeans, a tee shirt, and my Hyde Park hoodie. That's also the first time I've written about what I've been wearing, and, sadly, it will most likely be the last one as well. I am also listening to Shootenanny!, the 2003 LP by The Eels. If you're unfamiliar, it's a smooth LP full of the right mix of optimism, heartbreak, and sadness. My favorite song on the album is "Lone Wolf"...
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[Interview] Hebru Brantley: F**king Awesome
“An artist is someone who constantly creates without having to be told when and where," says Chicago's Hebru Brantley. "They do it from the soul.” Hebru Brantley’s personal definition of what an artist is, also serves as a great definition of himself. Brantley, who has been painting for his entire life, has an arsenal of work behind him. They range from pieces created in numerous art studios, graffiti done on city bricks and concrete, recognized exhibits, websites and portraits on the walls of some of your favorite retailers such as Leaders. A master of many styles, he has traveled from Chicago, to New York to L.A. to express his very interesting artwork.
Hebru never stops creating, and rarely sleeps. Just Mos Def claims restlessness to be his number one nemisis, Hebru's main antagonist is time, as there never seems to be enough. That said, we were able to get the dirty handed painter to put down his brush and answer some questions for us. Check it out.
RH Photos: Creme De La Creme w/Chip Tha Ripper, Naledge, VIPJ
Last week Saturday was stupendous-tremendous, as we held our monthly edition of Creme De La Creme with dubFrequency. This past Saturday was extra special because we celebrated the birthday of Benny Rocs. The night included DJ sets by VIPJ, Willy Joy, and RTC, as well as hosting duties performed by Naledge and special out of town guest, Chip Tha Ripper( shout out to the the whole Slab-Up family)...Thank you to everyone that came to our party including Mikkey Halsted, Mike from SoundScape, the Macias sisters, Primo, Jerry Azumah, Micaeh, AB, etc.... Check out the pics below taken by Benny Rocs, JO, and Erica Chatman...and if you're in Chicago tonight, come out to Empire Liquors where RTC will be DJing with Willy Joy as part of the Skyler/RH weekly "ILL Behavior".
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