August 14, 2009 Jackson, MS

Breakfast at Panera Bread in Memphis, and then I headed out to Jackson, Mississippi for the Ya Heard Me-Meanings In Hip-Hop Culture conference at Jackson State University. Lunch at Majestic Burger (new and good), a cappuccino at Cups and then I headed out to the campus, which seemed bigger and newer than the last time I was out there. The new student center looks like something out of CSI Miami, but not many people were there because they had been told that the day's conference events were cancelled. I met a couple of rap artists from Ghana, and there was a reception for us hosted by JSU President Dr. Ronald Mason. Then, with heavy pop-up showers occurring at times, I headed out to Sal & Phil's Po-Boys for dinner, and watched the Saints-Bengals pre-season game while enjoying a shrimp po-boy. New Orleans rapper Dee-1 and his manager had come up from New Orleans, and called me as they were heading over to Flood's for the rap showcases, but I headed to my room at the Comfort Suites. They were supposed to call me when Dee-1 was about to go on stage, but if they did, I slept right through it.