TheHipHopDoc's Blog

WATS UP BP! THA HIP HOP DOC HAS BEEN ELECTED TO BE ESSENCE DO RIGHT MAN OF THE WEEK!!! BUT I NEED YOU GUYS SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS BECOME COMPLETELY TRUE! THIS IS A HONOR FOR DOC AND I WOULD LOVE TO ADD THIS TO HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS! SO COULD YOU GUYS PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK AND BEGIN VOTING SO THAT HE CAN BE THE ESSENCE DO RIGHT MAN! THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! http://www.essence.com/essence/dorightmen/vote_week3.html

My July truly started off with a bang and on the morning of July 4, I loaded up the 2008 Chevy Malibu and headed to New Orleans to participate in the Essence Music Festival. If you did not know, Chevrolet Motor Division is the largest division of General Motors and one of the most successful automotive brands in the world. Chevrolet was the official vehicle for the event and you can believe we rode in style the entire weekend. I was honored to be among some of America's most respected journalist to hang out and learn more about Chevy, General Motors, and of course to enjoy the festival. Chevy is the leader in fuel efficient products and this weekend gave me a chance to experience the gas free and gas friendly products which included a fleet of Chevy Malibu and Tahoe Hybrids and the Chevy hydrogen powered fuel cell Equinox. The Equinox Fuel Cell is an electric vehicle that is powered by GM fourth-generation fuel cell system. It can start and operate in subfreezing temperatures, go nearly 200 miles per fill-up, and reach a top speed of one hundred miles per hour. A really cool driving experience that will reduce America's dependence on petroleum and reduce emissions to help protect our environment. Find out more about the Equinox Fuel Cell and the other great Chevy vehicles at www.chevy.com. Once checked in at the Renaissance Hotel, I rushed over to find one of my best friends LaTangela Sherman. The Baton Rouge native was headed to the main stage of the Convention Center to compete as a finalist for the Chevy Malibu Voices of Tomorrow. The Chevy Malibu Voices of Tomorrow Sweepstakes was an online singing competition that ran from April to June on www.chevyessence.com in five markets through out the South East. There were thousands of online entries however, LaTangela made it to the top four. She won the contest, which was judged by Essence Magazine music editor Nazenet Havtezghi, XM radio DJ Lisa "Sexy Chocolate" Ivory, the Gossip Columnist Flo Anthony, and none other than R&B vocalist Musiq Soulchild who will be coming to Baton Rouge, LA very soon (www.myspace.com/thahiphopdocpresents). Cheryl Catton, general director of Chevrolet Marketing, presented LaTangela with the keys to a beautiful 2008 Chevy Malibu! You go Tangi! The Convention Center was packed with people and New Orleans flavor. I stopped by the McDonald's 365 Black Awards luncheon to speak with Tom Joyner about our up and coming show discussing the American Heart Associations Best of Healthy Soul Food Recipes cookbook (http://www.blackamericaweb.com/livemissed.html); congratulated Hil Harper on his new book Letters to A Young Sister; then headed back to the hotel to prepare for the concerts! On the evening of the July 4th, I saw on the Main Stage of the Super Dome Kayne West and some of Chris Brown's show. Essence for me would not be right without hearing Mint Condition, so I hung out for their first show and part of the second. I would not be "Tha Hip Hop Doc" if I did not give some love to Grandmaster Flash- he's still got it and he rocked the Super Lounge! On July 5th in the Super Lounges I got a taste of Lyfe, stopped by Solange really looking for BeyonceJ, but spent the majority of my time on the main stage watching the complete shows of Musiq, LL Cool J, and Patti Labelle. This was probably my best Essence Festival ever! The most rewarding time of the event for me however was my visit with the students, ambassadors, and mentors of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools . The entire crew of journalist and GM staff including our wonderful host Carolyn Grant Normandin, Jenni Lewis, and Monica Coleman headed out early Saturday morning to the Leson Chevrolet Dealership in Harvey, LA for a music therapy event. This is the second year that Chevrolet has showcased its support of the CDF Freedom Schools . Before the morning ended, I was sweating, chanting, and dancing! I was able to meet some of the students and children from the New Orleans area and share in their growth and development. If you don't know anything about the CDF Freedom Schools , please visit their website at www.childrensdefense.org. This is a great organization and as a result of my experience, I have spoken at two events already for the CDF Freedom Schools with Dee 1. This was a wonderful Essence Festival and I hope to be a part of Chevy's team next year.

Baton Rouge, LA - Dr. Rani G Whitfield, M.D., a family practice and sports medicine physician in Baton Rouge, LA is proud to announce the creation and official release of his comic book series, Volume One Book One "Tha Hip Hop Doc- Fed Up!" Designed to introduce uniquely packaged health messages that target the youth and college age market, the series feature members of the Legion of Health - a team of muscle bound, super-intelligent health advocates who possess super human powers - as they protect the human race from various members of the Dungeon of Disease - a team of anti-hero characters who represent life-threatening illness and poor behaviors.

"I encounter disparities in health care every day in my medical practice and community outreach efforts, especially with my young patients and students," says Dr. Whitfield. - I developed the "Legion of Health" to serve as a vehicle that will reinforce positive health values. These messages are presented in a way that is engaging and relatable to the youth market.?

Seven heroes make up the core members of the Legion of Health:

1. Tha' Hip Hop Doc, aka H2D - Represents Western Medicine
2. Six Pack - Represents Exercise/Fitness
3. Suga Free - Represents Nutrition
4. Eve - Represents Spiritual Health
5. Yao Li - Represents Alternative Medicine
6. Braniac - Represents Research
7. Balance - Represents Mental Health

The members of the Dungeon of Disease are lead by the notorious Bad Heart, a sickly but shrewd and manipulative villain who will stop at nothing to destroy his foes, the Legion of Health. Topics in the series currently include obesity, poor eating habits, physical inactivity, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS & STD"s.

?The obstacle in the past with health comic books geared for teens and young adults is that they were not of industry standard and physicians were not actively delivering the messages to the youth,? say Dr Whitfield. "The Legion of Health" series has been thoroughly vetted and is a recommended tool for youth teaching. PURCHASE YOUR COPY NOW AT WWW.LEGIONOFHEALTH.COM. No child should ever pay for a comic book!

Here I am with Crystal Langhorne. She was the 6th pick in the WNBA Draft- going to the Washington Mystics.

The week of April 6, 2008 started off for me in Tampa, Fl. I went to support Quianna Chaney (Q) and Sylvia Fowles of Louisiana State University Lady Tigers. Q invited me to the draft and I gladly accepted the offer. First time in my life I felt short. Was it the high heel shoes or am I just shorter than these athletes? Well, regardless of the height I had a blast and met a lot of the players. I flew in on Tuesday night, worked out in the morning, had a hearty breakfast, went to the draft which was held at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, and was on a plane to Baton Rouge.

Woke up the next morning, saw patients at the prison and the hospital and then it was back on the plane to Newark, New Jersey to moderate a Teen Summit sponsored by the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (DAYAM) which is a part of the New Jersey Medical School. I arrived in Newark around 7pm, had dinner with my brother from another mother, Khalil Rashidi, then shut it down. Friday morning up again, to the gym, hearty breakfast and it was time to get started. I had the opportunity to host a panel with Jamie Hector (Marlo Stansfield on the Wire), Haneefa Freeman (living with HIV), and Sgt De Lacy Davis. It was a wonderful experience and over 500 teens and young adults participated.

Panel including me, Sgt De Lacy Davis, Haneefa Freeman, and Jamie Hector.

Also in attendance and moderating the morning session was the beautiful Aleesha Renee of BET...man she is awesome and everyone is cool. You can check her out in the October issue of King Magazine. Hydeia Broadbent, 23 year old who appeared on Oprah and received the Essence Award in 1999 gave her testimony to the students and quieted the room. She was born to a mother who abused IV drugs and was infected with HIV. She was not expected to live past age 5... God is good:)... Her website is underconstruciton, but you can check it out at www.hydeiabroadbent.com.

Friday evening I was on a plane. There were a ton of delays. I finally arrived in Jackson, MS at 1200am. Picked up the rental car, checked in at the hotel, and had a restless sleep. I was up at 7am (dont do well in hotels), hit the gym, took a nap, had some fruit for breakfast and then headed to Metrocenter Mall in Jackson for a Stomp Out Cardiovascular Disease Step Show. I was the host and man was it fun.

Me doing the Cupid Shuffle with contestants and spectators.

We had over 10 step teams, two vocalist, free food and screenings. As usual I was kicking knowledge to the community on heart disease, stroke and its impact on African Americans. Telling all who would listen to me about the Power to End Stroke campaign. The event ended at 3 and I was on the road. Got to Baton Rouge at 530pm, dropped the rental car off, pick up my vehicle, headed home and that is my story. All in a week's work for the Hip Hop Doc! More to come... More pics to come from all events; I just had to share. I will keep you posted. Holla at ya boi!

Peace....

Spokesperson Dr. Rani Whitfield discusses PTES on Word Network
Watch One on One with Lexi on the Word Network; Saturday, April 5th and Monday, April 7th at 4 p.m. (CST) each day. Guest Dr. Rani Whitfield, also known as Tha Hip Hop Doc, a Power To End Stroke spokesperson, will talk about the Power movement and other American Heart Association initiatives including Start!, Choose To Move and the heart-check mark. To find the channel in your area that carries One on One with Lexi, or to watch the show online at 4:00 (CST) on Saturday and Monday, visit the Word Network at http://www.thewordnetwork.com/.<o:p>

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Read the Article on Hip-Hop and Cough Syrup?<o:p>

http://allhiphop.com/stories/lifestylehealth/archive/2008/04/02/19575784.aspx

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Hear H2D speak on Depression in the Elderly

April 24^th, 2008 Baton Rouge, LA; Bluebonnet Library

Registration 11am; H2D speaks at 12pm

For questions call 800-567-0289

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View the Timeline

http://www.h2doc.com/main/timeline/

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Coming Soon:

Videos

H2D and Hip-Hop Artist Lil Boosie Discuss Diabetes. Featured article on All Hip Hop

Steroids and the Young Athlete

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Comic Book: Volume 1

"Fed Up" by H2D and Greg Nichols- Scheduled for release May of 2008

Tha Hip Hop Doc and the Legion of Health take on Bad Heart, The Black Artery and The Dungeon of Disease! You don't want to miss it!

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Baton Rouge Big Buddy Program Presents:

All City: The Second Annual Wordplay Teen Poetry Slam Festival

April 3^rd - May 3^rd at various locations

For More information call 225-388-9737 or go to www.wordplaybr.com

This is a photo of me, Mr Earvin Heatley and his son Pastor Tommy Gibson. Mr Heatley was my oldest patient and lived a very productive and healthy live. In his last few years he was still able to get around and communicate will with his family. He attributes his good health to regular exercise (he played and loved to watch baseball) and a great diet filled with fruits and vegetables. He passed this year at the young age of 102.

I often wonder how I could live that long and still have my mind. Recently the American Heart Association and the Alzheimer's Association released a survey about heart health and brain health. The conclusion of the survey showed that most African Americans are not aware that heart health and brain health are related...meaning that if you take care on one it takes care of the other. On that same note, abusing the body affects both the heart and brain negatively and increase our risk of heart disease (the number one killer of all Americans) and strokes (the number 3 killer of all Americans). More than 100,000 African Americans have a stroke each year and African Americans are twice as likely to have a stroke as white Americans. But you must know that stroke is not inevitable...It does not have to happen! Strokes, the third leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of disability and lost days of work, can cause long term disability. I have seen personally in my practice 30 year old men and women who can not talk, swallow, walk, see, or hear as a result of a massive stroke. It does not happen to only the older generation.

When it comes to Alzheimer's disease, memory loss is not mandatory. Alzheimer's disease is a group of diseases with the primary risk factor being advanced age or growing older. Yes, there is some age related memory loss, but just because you get old does not gurantee that you will devleop this dreaded disease.

So what's my message to you today: lets reduce our risk of Alzheimers disease and Strokes. Eat a balanced diet emphasizing a variety for fruits, vegetables, grains and low-fat dairy products, fish, legumes (beans), and sources of protein low in saturated fat; drink lots of water; be physically active at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week; if you smoke stop now; and of course schedule a visit with your doctor. If you are prescribed a medicine to control your blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes, do so as directed and follow up with your doctor. It's amazing the request I get from my patients. Doc, can you write me a 12 month prescription...Uhhhh...no! I need to see you periodically to monitor weight and blood work- see if the meds are working and if you are working. Most of my diabetic and high blood pressure patients see me three to four times a year.

Unfortunately, even doing all these things, some people will still have a stroke. It is very important to know the warning signs and here they are:

A sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or legs, especially on one side of the body

Suddden confusion, troublespeaking or understanding

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination

Sudden severe headache

Time lost is a brain lost. Know these warning signs and save the life of someone you love or even your own. If you recognize these signs, call 911 immediately! Treatment options are available to treat the most common forms of stroke. Mr. Heatley lived long because he ate right and exercised. Lets use him as one of our role models. Thanks for reading. Ther will be more to come from The Hip Hop Doc.

Later this month, I will be filming a piece with the Word Network scheduled to air in April or May on stroke and the Power to End Stroke messages. I will let you know when that airs. Also, look for my video on steroids and a the video interview with rapper Lil Boosie discussing his battle with diabetes coming to BP real soon!

Take care of yourself and as I always tell my young people: It's Tha Hip Hop Doc, They call me H2D, come on now and let's get Hip Hop Healthy.

Peace BP,

I'm out!

www.h2doc.com

www.myspace.com/thahiphopdoc