Video from the Tampa Concert!

Check it out!

They performed it in Chicago too. What do you think?

Pass it on!

Reasons to Attend Voices for Change!

1. You never thought Denmark could produce anything you would enjoy
2. You get to use the word “Outlandish” in a sentence without people hating you.
3. Let’s be serious, you’ve got nothing better to do.
4. The Lakers are gonna beat the Celtics in 5 games anyway. Even if the Celtics manage to win, nothing will bring Michael Jordan back.
5. One of the guys is Columbian. Columbians, by definition, are awesome.
6. Come on dude, you still listen to Backstreet Boys. It’s about time you listened to something fresh.
7. I’m thinking of inviting Samuel L. Jackson for the sequel. VFC Part 2. It’s time for an even newer tone. This time with more bass!
8. This is as good a place as any to have your sister or brother scout for potential spouses.
9. If you don’t you’re directly contributing to the failure of the Islamic movement. Just kidding, (but not really!)
10. Every time someone turns the invitation to the concert down, a kitty cat dies.
11. Your parents would be so proud of you.
12. One of the only concerts you can go to where everyone WON’T be high.
13. Because Santa Clause isn’t real.
14. Patrick Swayze agrees with the idea. Who knows? He JUST MIGHT BE THERE!
15. You can get platters afterwards (AKA chicken guy, AKA halali’s paradise, AKA reason for 99% of Pakistani Americans who live in the Tri-State area’s collective existence)
16. You’re tired of watching your “Dangerous Minds” DVD and besides, the film hasn’t aged well.
17. You’re REALLY going to watch “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”? Really? No, I’m not judging you, it’s just….wow.
18. If you don’t go, then the terrorists win!

-By Mustafa Gatollari

Awesome New VFC Video – With OUTLANDISH Interview!

What do you guys think? Excited about the tour??? It starts in 2 days!

Oops

The winner of the Dallas Talent Competition was mistakenly left out one of the previous posts. Here’s Abdullah Dahduli performing ‘Time for Change’.

Still wondering who’ll take the grand prize and perform with Outlandish throughout the Voices for Change tour? Then be sure to keep your eyes glued to your computer screens because we’ll be announcing the winner very soon.

Some Creative Ads

These ads for Voices for Change are pretty cool. They were made by the ever-creative Detroit chapter. What do you guys think?

Also, its less than a week from the kickoff of the tour in Tampa and Chicago! Holla’ if you’re excited!

And the Winners Are…

Here is a list of the winners of each regional talent competition.

Chicago
Name: Anthony Lauderdale
Performance: My Generation Curse
Type: Spoken Word
Watch him on youtube

Detroit
Name: Zain Ali Shamoon
Type: Rapper
Watch him on youtube

Los Angeles
Name: Project 26
Performance: Always
See their myspace page

New York
Name: Raef Band
Performance: Bread & Circus
Watch them on youtube

Tampa
Name: D-Clique
Performance: Stand Tall
Watch them on youtube

Only one of these finalists will win the grand prize of being the opening act for Outlandish. Who will it be? We have our own favorite, but we’d love to hear what you guys think.

The Real American Idol?

With the conclusion of American Idol Season 7, America is presented with a new idol to look up to, David Cook. The phenomenal success of the American Idol franchise can be described as a medium through which young men and women can achieve the “American Dream”. However, do these idols that Fox presents us with really embody what it is to be America’s idol?

According to the most accurate source known to man, Wikipedia, the American Dream is “described as a belief in freedom that allows all citizens to achieve their goals in life through hard work.” Most young Americans learned all about the American Dream in high school history and English classes. The main theme of it is that if you work hard, lead a moral life, and are a good person, you will achieve your dreams and be successful.

Does American Idol exhibit this? To some extent, yes. To their credit, Fox has done a certain amount to keep a moral nature to the show. For example, in the second season of the show, Frenchie Davis was removed from the show because of inappropriate behavior that was discovered of her. Clearly, she didn’t exhibit the kind of morality that is expected in someone working for the American Dream.

But Idol clearly doesn’t go all the way. The producers of the show have not done all they can to inspire social responsibility and promote morality within the fabric of America. Contestant David Hernandez engaged in acts similar to Frenchie, and was not removed from the show. He was only removed when he was eliminated after making it to the top 12.

So we must ask ourselves, if the American Idol that Fox presents us with is a true American idol. Is this a person that everyone can look up to and see as an inspiration? More often than not, it isn’t someone that the public can look to as an inspiration.

Morally conscious music is a rarity today unfortunately. Far too often are musicians and most celebrities in the news for all the wrong reasons. In and out of rehab stars are not indicative of the true fabric of America. Our duty as young Americans is to support good, socially conscious music and to avoid non uplifting music. For example, the Outlandish song, Kom Igen, illustrates the mislead music industry very well.

Ain’t about any gold or the ice
Sneaks and clothes is just part of the hype
MTV sucks big time
Cribs and bling – get a real life

Perhaps it’s slightly embarrassing that the band that exhibits the American Dream best isn’t even from America, but that should just be further motivation for all young Americans to support any good music they come across. Let us stand up to the music industry and let them know that we want REAL American idols to listen to.

Social Change and Outlandish, What’s the Connection?

So why is it that Outlandish has been invited to headline this U.S. tour? Why not any other band? You’ve gotta look at the kind of music that is prevalent in the world we live in. Almost all the music in the industry today includes or references the use of drugs, alcohol, or promiscuity. We, as young Americans, have the duty of steering the industry by choosing what kind of music we listen to. We have to lead the change.
Outlandish embodies this change more than any other band. Outlandish made a transition in 2005 to promote a positive message with motivating lyrics, clean music and videos and have become symbolic of the change every young man and woman needs to believe in and strive for. Before their change, they were much like most hip hop groups. Their lyrics were packed with cursing and wayward themes. An example are these lyrics from their 2002 CD, Bread & Barrels of Water:

For the good of the music community, however, Outlandish has made a change. The same change that young adults need to make within themselves. Outlandish’s lyrics now are uplifting and free from cursing. The themes they talk about now are mature and clean. An example from their 2005 CD, Closer Than Veins shows:

This change is the reason that Outlandish has been invited to the U.S. for this tour. Hopefully this change that they have undergone will spread to everyone who attends the concerts. I think that if people actually listen to the words of the songs, and we try to implement it in our lives, we can all be leaders of a social change in America. In society and by extension, in the music industry as well.

What kind of change do all you guys expect to see from this tour? What do you think of Outlandish’s change? What do you think are some of the ways that people can change themselves due to this tour?

Talent Competition Locations

Every region is having a talent competition to find a winner who will open for Outlandish this summer in the tour. These shows will probably be just as exciting as the concerts themselves, so come on out and see all the talent everyone’s got.

Here are the locations for every city:

Los Angeles:

Mas Youth Center

9375 Archilbald Ave #301

Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Sunday May 18th

3pm

Dallas:

Mas Youth Center

740 F Avenue Suite 303

Planto, TX 75074

Friday May 16th

6pm

Chicago:

Sherman Park Field House

1301 W 52nd Street

Chicago, IL 60609

Saturday, May 17th

6pm

Detroit:

Artist Village

500 Temple Street

Detroit, MI 48201

Saturday May 17th

6pm

Tampa:

Marshall Center Room 296

USF 4203 E. Fowler Ave.

Tampa, FL 33620

Saturday May 17th

3pm

New York:

Andalusia School

380 Walnut St.

Yonkers, NY 90701

Saturday May 17th

3pm

Welcome to the Voices for Change Blog!

Salam, Peace, Paz,
Welcome to the new Voices for Change blog! This summer MAS Youth will
be hosting a nationwide Voices for Change tour featuring Outlandish
and other talented performers! This will be Outlandish’s first visit
to the U. S. so we gotta show them some love!

We need to stake OUR claim on entertainment, as people striving for
MORALITY: We are demanding entertainment with a message like
Outlandish who bring it, and with a moral message! Outlandish will be
headlining MAS Youth’s Voices for Change in their first United States
tour.

Tour Cities:

Tampa – 6/6
Chicago – 6/7
Detroit – 6/14
New York – 6/15
Los Angeles – 6/21
Dallas – 6/22

In addition to the concert tour, there will also be a talent show for each city. The winner of each show will get to perform on stage at the concert for that city. Check back here for more info about the talent shows for each city.

Don’t forget that this will be your number one source for all info
about the concert tour! We’ve managed to get inside the head of MAS
Youth and we’ll be posting everything we find out right here.

So make sure you get the tickets at www.masyouth.net/voicesforchange
and to keep checking in here to hear the latest news about your tour!