November 11, 2003 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY FEATURES Page 21

F.U.E.L.’s Major of the Week Geography & Environmental Systems

Geography & Environmental ment classes (GEOG 485- Field Systems highlights the importance Methods, GEOG 381-Remote of interactions between natural envi- Sensing, and other 400-level cours- ronmental systems and social, polit- es), independent studies, internships, ical and economic systems. The and faculty research. major includes elements of both What can I do with this major? physical and human geography. Graduates may find employment What is Physical Geography? with public sector companies such Physical Geography investi- as US Geological Survey, Census gates such matters as the develop- Bureau, city and county planning ment of landforms; patterns of cli- agencies, the State Department, mate, soils and vegetation; and CIA and others. Additional oppor- interactions among these features tunities are available with non- of the physical environment. profit organizations. Many stu- What is Human Geography? dents also choose to seek advanced Human Geography examines degrees in Geography, Urban Courtesy Warner Brothers Buy His CD or Else: Ja Rule shows his fierce side on his new disc, in stores now. topics including the distribution of Planning, Earth and Environmental economic development, transporta- Sciences, to name a few. tion; political, cultural and social Sound Interesting? geography; and spatial distribu- For more information, check Ja Rule Lacks Focus with tions of disease and health care. out the website at Are field experiences available http://www.umbc.edu/ges/ges_aca- for students? demics.html or visit the depart- His new Blood in My Eye A variety of field experiences are ment in Social Sciences Building, available to students through depart- Second Floor.

KENNETH MALLORY keting ploy to sell his new album? What is Retriever Weekly Staff Writer Ja Rule really all about? These questions become even more Throughout the span of his career in legitimate when hearing Ja’s new release mainstream rap, Ja Rule has never really Blood In My Eye. While Ja has obviously been a distinct artist. His aura has seemed toned down his formulaic approach, the derivative- his fondness for bandanas and uncharacteristic timbre of his rapping, Irv tattoos (on his chest) is strangely reminis- Gotti’s banal production, and the subject cent of the prophetic rapper Tupac. His matter (50 Cent), take center stage. trademark delivery- the menacing, snarling Essentially, Blood In My Eye is a collection growl- also seems borrowed, as many have of disses aimed at Ja Rule and Murder compared it to DMX. Sonically, Ja Rule’s Inc.’s haters. The album pits “them against music exhibits the same indistinctness; the world” (yes, it sounds quite Tupac- most of his tracks are formulaic hip-hop esque). (R&B chanteuses singing tired hooks over On the lead-off single, “Clap Back,” Ja producer Irv Gotti’s jittery beats while Ja Rule rouses support for his Murder Inc. raps his “gansta” love philosophies). comrades as he professes to fight the evil Despite of his lack of salience in the G-Unit to death. He raps: “What do you do rap community, Ja has experienced sub- when ni**as spit at you? / let’s take em’ to stantial commercial success. In addition to war!” For redemption to this ineffective the millions he had sold with releases like banter, producer Scott Storch offers a nice Venni, Vetti, Vicci, and Pain is Love, he has blend of skeletal, meandering beats. On penned records for the likes of Mary J. “The Life”, the pathetic wailing of singer Blige (“Rainy Days”) and Jennifer Lopez Ashanti is matched by Ja’s limp claim that (“I’m Real”). These accomplishments were he is “Public Enemy #1”. The foolishness most evident during the earlier half of his continues on the tracks “Things Gone career. Nowadays, Ja Rule’s fame has Change,” when Ja Rule is joined by Murder waned considerably. Inc. rapper Hussein Fatal and the skit One could attribute Ja Rule’s downfall “Bobby Creep.” On the former, Fatal spits: to events such as the FBI investigation of “I think about the sexy rappers that I wanna Anita Field / Retriever Weekly Staff Murder Inc. (Ja’s record label) for its clap / I’ll probably go to jail for sending 50 A Daring Move: Artists use novel artistic concepts and bold statements to show alleged backing by drug money. Frankly, to hell.” On the latter, Bobby Creep (the the specifics of race in today’s artistic mindset. we owe Ja Rule’s demise to a single jug- hip-hop version of Robin Leach) reports gernaut power in hip-hop: 50 Cent. 50 that he is following the “lifestyles of the Cent’s high-profile associations with rap scared and famous” and the guest joining giants Dr. Dre and Eminem have allowed him is “the world’s most scariest rapper 50 “Whiteness” Outlines Race him to garner enormous clout among Cent and six of his bodyguards.” record buyers. It is common knowledge While “beef” and the art of dissing on from WHITENESS, page 18 man. This series has a cunning wit and intel- that 50 and Ja have huge beef. Yet, 50’s wax are characteristic of hip-hop, Ja’s friend, a group member, or even a stranger ligent social commentary and can be appreci- ubiquitous disses about Ja have led to album takes these things to new, unneces- with a point and shoot disposable camera. The ated by artist and non-artist alike. severe damage on Ja’s “thug” reputation sary heights. His disses are not witty, or photos show obvious signs of disposable Jesus Composition, a controversial and album sales. To add more flame to the thoughtful, or even remotely humorous; process with amateur composition (central ori- arrangement by Nancy Burson, reviews the fire, Ja’s sporadic bad mouthing of MC’s rather, they feel fanatical - lame, ingenu- entation), prominent flash, and the date contemporary conceptions of Jesus. There such as DMX and Busta Rhymes have done ous, and ineffectual. One must wonder why impression left in the frame. Materialism, edu- are several photos of men and classic art- nothing to help his dire situation. Ja Rule has seemingly chosen (mindfully or cation and comfort are tying elements in the work that renders the likeness of Christ in It seems, however, that Ja aims to sav- inadvertently) to brand a whole album with series. similar aspects. The photos are blurred, pos- age his reputation and recapture his past the G-Unit insignia. Cindy Sherman is truss in the unyielding sibly to show the amorphous quality of God successes. Recently, he appeared on a tele- Further, one wonders when Ja will foundation of modern photography. Bus or to blur the individual features to focus vised broadcast with black leader Louis fully emerge as an artist in his own right. Riders of 1976 is a classic Sherman series of more on the quintessence of the meaning Farrakhan to air out his dirty laundry While he continues to be blinded by the self-portraits dressed in guise. She is cri- associated with the face. She is challenging (which hinted that he was willing to extend “blood in his eyes” amply provided by the tiquing archetypal urban social roles with the Aryan perfection imposed on God as an olive branch to 50 Cent to call a truce to likes of 50 Cent, Tupac and DMX, Ja Rule each snapshot. Sherman becomes the black seen in traditional art and similar representa- their beef). We ask: Does Ja Rule (a self- may never be able to share his own musical male street kid on his way to school, with tions. Burson comments “I wanted to professed thug) truly want to settle his vision - whatever it may be. hood drawn and books clenched, the self- explore how we define the image of God for problems with 50 Cent? Is this all a mar- conscious school girl, the awkward business- ourselves.”