Daniel Luedert/DN
ANTONE DOUGLAS, also known as All Ayz, is both a senior English major at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln and an Omaha-based rap artist. Here be flashes a hand signal
symbolizing the Midwest. All Ayz’s first CD “Last Breath: 24th Street Stories” Is available
in record stores.
Rapper mixes life
Mi coast styles
^ *_
By Bret Schulte
Staff Reporter
The East Coast-West Coast rivalry tends
to be the focus of the rap community, but
Antone Douglas is trying to change that.
Douglas, a senior English major at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, usually
goes by the name All Ayz. And under that
name he has released a rap album, “Last
Breath: 24th Street Stories.”
The album focuses on the stories and
experiences of Omaha and Bellevue’s 24th
Street, particularly Omaha’s north side,
where Douglas grew up.
“I’ve been writing since the first grade,”
Douglas said. “I used to write poems to little
girls in my classroom. Around seventh grade
I started putting my poems to a beat.”
Working his way into Omaha’s rap com
munity, Douglas began playing at local ven
ues including high schools, clubs and the
Civic Auditorium.
Raised in North Omaha, Douglas draws
on his own experiences to fuel his music.
Growing up, he recounts a childhood where
food stamps replaced money and powdered
milk freqently took the place of fresh milk.
“We’re not running from what’s real. The
rappers that make it out of the ghetto are
u
We wanted to get a
Midwest sound. East is
known for its lyrics,
and the West for its
heats. But being from
the Midwest I’ve got
the best of both coasts.”
Antonf, Douglas
AllAyz
talking about the same thing,” Douglas said.
In the absence of a distinct Midwestern
rap style, All Ayz developed his own sound
and message. With his life-long friend and
producer, Enoch Pittman, the two formu
lated a musical style to reflect their Mid
western experiences.
Please see ALLAYZ on 13
1
Critic chows
town's choicest
cheeseburgers j
By Gerry Beltz i
Food Critic
Cheeseburgers aren’t just a food ^
item; they are an art form within them- 1
selves.
The grill and meat become the can
vas; the onions and mustard are the
paints in creating these cholesterol
classics.
i cumucu me cny lar arm wiue in
search of the perfect cheeseburger —
the Monet with mayo, the Picasso with
pickles, the Toulouse-lautrec with to
mato and lettuce.
I skipped studios like McDonald’s,
Burger King and Wendy’s for their
boring “paint-by-numbers” craftsman
ship.
Down below, please note Lincoln’s
six best places — in the opinion of
this critic — to enjoy a truly great
cheeseburger. Not all are perfect, but
they are good.
At every restaurant visited, I or
dered the specialty burger, the name
of which is noted immediately after
the restaurant’s address. Each restau
rant has been subjected to strict crite
ria, which include the bun, the condi
ments, the patty, the side orders and
the overall panache^To wrap up each
Please see BURGERS on 13
Aaron Steckelberg/DN
Games, good guys, gangsters
team up for virtual video fun
By Gerry Beltz
Film Critic
Ouch! Only one of three decent films on
the new release shelves this week, but at least
that one is a family type of movie. The pick-of
the-week goes to a flick not for the faint-at
heart.
“Space Jam” — Chicago Bulls superstar
Michael Jordan comes to the rescue of the
Looney Tunes characters when they are in a
basketball game for their lives... literally.
Live action blends well with animation here,
and it's a blast to see all the characters going at
it, especially the quick homage paid to “Pulp
Fiction,” courtesy of Elmer Fudd and Yosemitc
Sam, as well as recognizing audience members
from the old cartoons (keep the pause button
handy).
Cinematic tiun i Yup. run tor an agesl Yup.
Your best bet this week? Yup.
The “yups” have it. Next!
“The Glimmer Man” — Steven Seagal and
Keenan Ivory Wayans? In a “buddy cop” movie?
Involving a serial killer and a copycat?
Sure, why not?
Granted, Seagal has all the comedic rhythm
of a compost heap, but Wayans is all right. Some
of Seagal’s moves are looking a little stiff,
though. Flip a coin here.
“Maximum Risk”—Oh good. Another Van
Damme movie.
He’s in over his head (again), this time imi
tating his dead twin brother. He’s got to rely on
p
his wits (snicker) and poor marksmanship by
his enemies to get him through this adventure.
Most importantly, he needs a script that will
let him pause long enough to dazzle us with
his martial arts flexibility and training.
Better to taste-test pork-flavored ice cream.
PICK-OF-THE-WEEK — It’s not that old
of a flick, but just in case you haven’t seen it in
a while, or you need a reminder of what
Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” was really all about
Yep. “Reservoir Dogs.”
The diamond heist has gone awry. Mr. Or
ange (Tim Roth) has taken a bullet in the belly
and is slowly bleeding to death. In the mean
time, Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), Mr. White
(Harvey Keitel) and Mr. Blonde (Michael
Madsen) are all trying to figure out which one
of them is the police informant... if there re
ally is one.
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, who also
appears on the screen a few times as the chat
tering Mr. Brown, this flick is a piece of cin
ematic wonder. It’s comedy, drama and action
all rolled into one gripping piece of art, and it
is absolutely hypnotic. (Warning: loads of vio
lence and naughty words — and getting shot
in the stomach isn’t the cleanest wound in the
world.)
But the true question surrounding this film
is the one no one seems to be able to answer—
what happens to Mr. Pink at the end?
Check it out and make a guess for yourself.
