Team Obama can breathe a sigh of relief, they officially got the Russell Simmons endorsement. From a letter sent out this weekend, Simmons declared:Today I am announcing my personal endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. During the last nine months, I have closely observed the presidential campaigns, analyzed the issues and platforms of the major candidates, and have had substantive discussions with Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. From the sidelines......

Next week, Halloween eve to be exact, will mark the five year anniversary of Jam Master Jay's death. The murderer still walks the streets, as witnesses don't want to step forward in naming the man who ended the life of the rap legend. amNewYork and the Daily News are both looking back at the open case, stating the little that is known:On the night before Halloween 2002, the 37-year-old Mizell was in his recording studio......

THEATER: Continuing through the 29th, the East to Edinburgh Festival is showcasing some of the most adventurous American theater productions before they blast off for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Tonight’s your chance to witness one of the more colorful and timely selections: LA FEMME EST MORTE or Why I Should Not F%!# My Son. It’s a contemporary Phaedra adaptation that satirizes America’s celebrity obsession in the midst of war, featuring live music, “frenetic dance, fierce......

It's hard to believe Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" came out almost 20 years ago. The song was included on the 1987 A Very Special Christmas album, the first in a series of compilations to benefit the Special Olympics. Also on that cd (which included cover art by Keith Haring): Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band singing "Merry Christmas Baby". Happy Holidays!......

The interest of Joseph Simmons, aka Run of Run DMC, aka the Reverend Run, to be Queens' new poet laureate brings up an interesting question: What is a New Yorker? While Simmons and Run-DMC have done a lot for Queens, Simmons' move to posh NJ suburb Saddle River makes his big seem less fitting, as some feel strongly that the unpaid laureateship should go to someone who lives in the borough. Beyond the debate over......