Helping hand

by SCOTT C

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself waiting for my girlfriend to come out of a changing room at Winners, into which she had disappeared with a bunch of stuff to try on. In the meantime, I had decided to enjoy the wide array of size 13 shoes that Winners has to offer, and no, that’s not my size, but those are some big-ass shoes. Out of nowhere, this little old lady at the end of the aisle starts desperately trying to flag me down. I ignored her at first, convinced she had mistaken me for a store employee, but then realized that she was indeed trying to get my attention. As I approached her, she spoke to me in Portuguese and broken English and pointed to her feet. “Please, help,” she said, blushing, and motioned to the svelte, three-inch heels that seemed to be cutting off her circulation. She slowly sat down, and I proceeded to pull the super-tight boots off of her gnarly old feet. She thanked me repeatedly, and quickly waddled off into the houseware department.

This little act of kindness gave me quite a little boost, to my surprise, and I laughed about it the rest of the day. It’s good to help out once in a while. For instance, remember FAMN? They won in the Mirror’s Best of Montreal hip hop category this year, regardless of whether you’ve heard of them or not. So, FAMN will be performing at the 2007 Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Conference and Awards, in Atlanta, Nov. 28–30. Now in its eighth year, the event brings together the music professionals that help to create, produce, promote and distribute some of the most popular music on the charts today. Attendees include over 700 industry players, including agents, artists, managers, producers, press and record-label executives. Its three days are packed with conference sessions, artist showcases, networking opportunities and the awards program. FAMN will be in the company of 50 Cent, Kanye West, Mariah Carey and Usher, while several artists get maximum exposure at one of the industry’s most important business events of the year.

Anyone can apply to snag a showcase spot, and if you’re selected, you’ve got to make the most of it. So to help out with the performance fee, airfare and lodging that FAMN will have to pay for themselves, they’re having a fundraiser on Saturday, Nov. 10 at le Social. The night will be split into three parts, starting with a buffet dinner, then a performance by Mugz, Alex Montyro and FAMN, followed by a party with sounds from DJ Technical. Tickets are $20 for buffet/show/party, or $10 after 11 p.m. Half the proceeds will go to helping Kenyan children get an education through an organization called Tabasamu (www.tabasamu.org), and it’s FAMN MC M.O.’s birthday as well. Lend a hand if you can.

You should know that Boot Camp Click are set to play a show at les Saints on Thursday, Nov. 22, looking down the road. Expect to see Buckshot, Smif n Wessun, Heltah Skeltah and Sean Price up close and personal for the first time in a long while. Cross your fingers at the border, kids!

Well, we’re movin’ on up! fathead@videotron.ca