Hip Hop

Wa-aay behind in the polls, the Republican who's trying to unseat Democrat Sen. Barbara Mikulski has resorted to a most unusual Hail Mary pass. Dr. Eric Wargotz has posted a video of his three kids — Jacob, 13; Samuel, 11; and Leila, 9 — singing a campaign rap song. ( See it on YouTube under "Wargotz-Mikulski Rap. " ) Here's a snippet: "Yo, what's up now, my brothers and sisters / Let me tell you 'bout a very smart mister / His name is Eric Wargotz and he's running for Senate / U.S., that is. And he's in it to win it. " Maybe this is part of that hip-hop makeover RNC chief and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele vowed to bring the GOP. It is certainly, as Steele promised, "off the hook.

This year's Rock the Bells tour arrives at Merriweather with a twist. In addition to the show's usual multigenerational mix of hip-hop, this year's headlining acts are performing their most acclaimed albums in their entirety. It's a concept more familiar to fans of rock and roll, but, hey, hip-hop has its classics too. Here are three must-own rap records — all released in November of 1993 — you'll hear Sunday. "Doggystyle" He was Snoop Doggy Dogg when this, his solo debut, was released and further defined the West Coast G-funk style.

If your idea of hip-hop is Soulja Boy and the "Stanky Legg," this year's Rock the Bells festival series, which hits Merriweather on Sunday, might not be for you. The bill consists largely of artists whose greatest impact occurred during the music's so-called "golden age" of the late '80s and early '90s. But more important, the four-stop 2010 event celebrates not the MP3 download but rather the full-length album. Headliners are scheduled to perform specific LPs in their entirety, among them rap classics like Snoop Dogg's "Doggystyle," Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)"

One day in 2007, Tim Sommers was fooling around on his keyboard when he came up with a poignant, dramatic chord progression. Sommers and his friend, rapper Jeremy Dussolliet, sat in Sommers' college dorm room and worked through a melody and a few lyrics for the tune: "Can we pretend that airplanes / in the night sky / are like shooting stars? / I could really use a wish right now." The song, "Airplanes," has since gone on to dominate pop radio this summer, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

The British rock trio Keane performed and recorded in obscurity for years, but as soon as they released their debut album, "Hopes and Fears," they were stars. Based on songs like "Somewhere Only We Know" and "Everybody's Changing," some rock critics ranked Keane right up there with the Beatles and Oasis. Keane doesn't have a guitarist, which sets the trio apart from most mainstream rock bands. Instead, Tim Rice-Oxley's piano work and singer Tom Chaplin's soft, aching voice anchor most of Keane's music.

Years ago, a 7-year-old Indya Streams was riding in the back of her aunt's car when she burst into a spontaneous freestyle rap. Streams' aunt, Tracy Wilkins, turned down the car stereo to listen. When Streams was finished, Wilkins tested her, making her repeat her rhymes, and was impressed with what she heard. "She just spit it out," Wilkins said. "I was like, ‘Wow. Do you want to do that?' She said, ‘Yeah.' " Most 7-year-olds dream big, but Streams followed through.

Fifteen freshmen from the Maryland Institute College of Art went out last fall looking for Baltimore. What they found has been distilled into a four-panel wheeled mural, which is being displayed at Penn Station through this month. In the process, the students, many of whom were new to the area, not only became comfortable in their adopted city, but were charmed by it. They spent hours tramping through neighborhoods and talking to the people they met. "I'm surprised that people who live here don't appreciate Baltimore more," says MICA freshman Emily Wooten, who worked on the third panel of the mural.

Robert Greene, whose books on power and strategy have found an audience among hip-hop fans, will be a featured guest at 9:15 a.m. Sunday at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 1300 Druid Hill Ave., Baltimore. Greene's works include "The Art of Seduction," "The 33 Strategies of War" and "The 48 Laws of Power." His latest book, "The 50th Law," co-written with the rapper 50 Cent, is a favorite of the Rev. Frank M. Reid III, senior pastor at Bethel, who has been passing it out to church members and friends.

When it comes to hip-hop, Baltimore doesn't have too many nationally recognized artists. The major hip-hop record labels focus on cities like New York and Atlanta and spend little time or attention on Baltimore. Musician and event organizer Jamel Jones, who knows there's no easy fix for the situation, hopes that wide-reaching events at well-regarded venues are a step in the right direction. That's why Jones, a 28-year-old Baltimore native, helped put together Burn Tha Mic, an evening of hip-hop, R&B and gospel performances.

The Marriotts Ridge High School Dance Program is holding master hip-hop classes, featuring Honey Rockwell, Friday at the school, 12100 Woodford Drive, Marriottsville. Class for middle schoolers will held 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; class for high schoolers will be held 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $25. RSVP to mrhsdance@yahoo.com for reservations. Master gardening advice Master gardeners will answer questions about plants and gardening from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the Miller library, 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City.