eZine 02.23.2010

Imma Be
Posted on Monday, February 22, 2010 3:36 PM

The video released last week, the song is at the top of the charts, and the words to the song… well… I’ll get to that in a minute.

Imma Be is the title of… no, not the new, just the recently popular, kinda-new… Black Eyed Peas song. As I write this, Imma Be is the #1 downloaded song on iTunes (yes, bigger than the new We are the World) and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

If you’re a youth worker or a parent and you’re not familiar with the band Black Eyed Peas, you might want to spend a few minutes getting to know them, because our teens and tweens know their songs, are familiar with the videos and don’t hesitate to spend money downloading either. The Black Eyed Peas are a constant on the music charts. Or as teenagers today would put it, “These guys own!”

Allow me to be more specific. In 2009 the pop group Black Eyed Peas owned the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from April 12th to October 10th. Their song Boom Boom Pow owned it for three months, and then their song I’ve Gotta Feeling stepped up and began its reign for about three months. Combined, these 2 songs owned the #1 spot merely 2 days short of 6 straight months. Only 13 songs made it to the top of the charts in 2009, and of those, Black Eyed Peas’ two songs dominated half the year, leaving only 6 months for the other 11 songs. As to not repeat ourselves, I encourage you to take a look at David’s amazing summary of the top songs of 2009 on our Youth Culture Window page at the end of last year. That article will give you a deeper look at the Black Eyed Peas two #1 songs and their reign in 2009.

Now, from the same album (The E.N.D.), their song Imma Be is taking its turn riding the top of the charts.

The question that many might have is, “What is the content of this music?” Good question, a question youth workers and parents should be asking.

Black Eyed Peas have never shyed away from being risqu? with front-person Fergie always showing off, and I quote, her “lovely lady lumps.” They have explicit versions, and “clean” versions of many of their songs. But I encourage you to take a deeper look at that definition of clean…

Other Topics Jonathan Blogged about Recently:

For teenagers, it’s just the new, extreme sport that’s taking over their world.

Parkour-Impaired?
You may not know it by its name. You may not even be able to pronounce its name. You might even be slightly afraid of it when you see it in action. But you have seen it. Trust me.

It’s called Parkour (pronounced “par KOOR”), and it’s the growing trend among young people who have enough athletic ability to run through cityscapes, balance on fences, fly down stairwells, hurdle over picnic tables, bound up the side of a wall, and all the other stuff any self-respecting, modern-day ninja would do.

It’s like Jet Li meets The Matrix.

The sport’s maneuvers have names such as “cat leap,” “roll,” “Kong jump,” and “speed vault.” This article describes several of the terrifying – but super exciting – maneuvers.

If you’ve seen Daniel Craig’s first James Bond flick, Casino Royale, you’ve seen Parkour. If you watched the season opener of “The Office” this year, you’ve seen Parkour, (Well, sorta.) If you’ve seen the wildly popular videos on YouTube filled with kids throwing their bodies at and over obstacles, you’ve seen Parkour.

You’ve probably seen Parkour just driving through your neighborhood or town.

Parkour comes from the French phrase, “l’art du d?placement,” or “the art of moving.” On our side of the pond, however, the sport usually goes by the name “free-running.” At its essence, Parkour is about “getting from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible…

Oskaloosa, Iowa
March 6th, Jonathan McKee and Tom McKee, co-authors of the book THE NEW BREED, are doing a fun Saturday training workshop (9AM to 4PM) for non-profit leaders, youth workers… anyone who recruits, trains and manages volunteers! If you’re within driving distance of Eastern Iowa, this workshop is for you!

Here’s the details for this Iowa training:

WHEN:

WHERE:

COST: (lunch Included)

TO REGISTER:

For more information call 641-673-4671

If you can’t attend this workshop, don’t worry. We’re offering the book right now through our web site. See below:

Listen to it now for free on iTunes! (CLICK HERE) Or, if you don’t have iTunes already… jump on Apple’s web page for a free download, then click on our podcast page.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn the history of The Great Commission
• Find out what Greg’s middle name is (and what his initials spell)
• Discover what Greg calls “The Cause”
• Learn how to move from a “quarterback” model of evangelism to “coach” model
• Hear why Greg says the Gospel is like a grenade