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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 17 december 2019
Rapper Scarface in runoff for Houston City Council seat

JOHN L. MONE of his past, not his future.
Associated Press Political observers note
HOUSTON (AP) — As a that two big obstacles lie
member of Houston’s pio- in Jordan’s path to getting
neering rap group The elected. “Voter turnout for
Geto Boyz, Brad Jordan run-offs is usually low,” said
co-wrote the early 1990s Mark Jones, a political sci-
hip-hop anthem “Mind ence fellow at the Baker
Playing Tricks on Me.” Institute at Rice University.
Now, the 49-year-old rap- “He needs to improve vot-
per better known as Scar- er turnout from his home
face is working to ensure ground in subdivisions like
Houston voters that no, Sunnyside,” Adams said.
their minds are not playing “Older African Americans
tricks on them: He is run- may be not swayed by the
ning for City Council, and notion a hip-hop artist can
he’s a serious candidate. be in public office.”
Jordan says he knows his Jordan’s opponent, Dr.
celebrity carried him into Carolyn Evans-Shabazz,
a run-off election slated for may be more to such vot-
Saturday. But he’s hoping ers’ liking. “My belief is that
he can persuade the vot- City Council is not a train-
ers who got him there to ing ground, it’s a proving
turn out again so he can In this Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, Rapper turned political candidate, Brad “Scarface” Jordan, left, ground. I’ve already prov-
represent the council’s Dis- visits with voter Michele Lemon and her son outside of an early voting location in the Sunnyside en my record,” said Evans-
neighborhood of Houston, Texas.
trict D. “You can sit back Associated Press Shabazz.
and point out the problems The 66-year-old sits on the
or you can address them into the south and south- ulation earns less than can’t help themselves and Houston Community Col-
and bring solutions to the east sides of Houston. 2017 $25,000 a year, and al- ask to take a smartphone lege Board of Trustees and
table,” Jordan said Tues- data compiled by the cur- though that figure has photo with him. the executive committee
day, referring to chronic rent city council member, risen over the past two de- Though his name recogni- of the local NAACP, and
poverty and crime that af- Dwight Boykins, says Afri- cades, it’s still a plurality. tion is his chief asset in his she worked for the Hous-
flicts his neighborhood. can Americans make up While campaigning, voters mostly African American ton Independent School
With more than 200,000 res- 53% percent of the district. ask him what he plans to do district, Jordan insists that District as as an education
idents, District D stretches Thirty percent of the pop- if he’s elected, but many his Scarface persona is part evaluation specialist.q

Standing ovation in Milan for Domingo’s 50th anniversary

By COLLEEN BARRY women had accused the
Associated Press star of sexual harassment
MILAN (AP) — Opera or inappropriate sexually
star Placido Domingo re- charged behavior.
ceived a standing ova- Domingo has denied the
tion for his 50th anniver- allegations, and after a
sary gala concert at La period of silence, only re-
Scala on Sunday and re- cently has begun giving
turned the appreciation interviews to select pub-
with a rare a cappella lications ahead of Euro-
performance. pean appearances.
Standing alone on the In the interviews he
stage holding three yel- claimed he always be-
low roses, Domingo ser- haved like a gentle-
enaded the audience man and said he never
with a favorite Spanish abused his power.
zarzuela, “Non Puede He also has said he in-
Ser.” tends to continue per-
By then, after more than forming at least through
half an hour of applause his planned engage-
and a standing ovation ments running through
rare for the storied Milan 2021.
opera house, Domingo In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, opera singer Placido Domingo performs during a concert in While in the United States
and his co-stars for the Szeged, Hungary. all of his published dates
evening, the choir and Associated Press were canceled, the
orchestra had already singer has received over-
performed two encores. ception, and at one point all, he has sung 135 times seen U.S. opera houses whelming support from
He alone emerged for kissed the stage where he on the La Scala stage, in cancel Domingo’s sched- Europe’s opera houses
the third. performed for the first time 22 operas. uled appearances, follow- which have all main-
Domingo, 78, appeared on Dec. 7, 1969, in the title The La Scala anniversary ing reports by The Associat- tained his dates and
overwhelmed by the re- role of Verdi’s “Ernani.” In fell during a year that has ed Press that more than 20 fans alike. q