Though Greenland has been home-ruled since 1979, on June 21, 2009, the Danish government made steps toward granting Greenland full independence. In a 2008 referendum, 76% of the 58,000 residents of the sparsely populated island voted for self-rule and the Danish government has been handing over control of services to the local government and making symbolic changes, like changing the official language to Kalaallisut (the Inuit language of most Greenlanders) and renaming the country Naalakkersuisut.

In this installment of the Los Angeles neighborhood blog, we visit Cypress Park. To vote for the neighborhood you think I should visit next, go here or to vote for a Los Angeles county community you'd like to see covered, go here.


Cypress Park is sometimes refered to as Cypress Parque -- and as Chavala Park by silly haters. However, most Angelenos erroneously refer to it (when they do at all) as Highland Park. Nonetheless, Cypress Park has a unique history and is the location of several places of historical note.

CANADA DAY
Today is Canada Day, a day no doubt celebrated in a manner designed not to attract too much attention. Canada is the home of the quiet revolution, after all. Most likely, their national day is marked by knowing glances. Such is the Canadian character that their national day is not marked with fireworks, guns in the air or vuvuzelas. Though Candians are stereotyped as quiet, harmless and polite pacifists who eat ketchup chips, how do we reconcile that peaceful image with the knowledge that their main export seems to be ice beer and that when they're not knocking each others teeth out in the hockey rink, they're clubbing baby seals with Neil Peart-like percussive overkill? Indeed, how much do we really know about our neighbors north of the border and the threat they pose? What harm is there in Canadians running Hollywood, you ask? They’re only doing the work Americans won’t, you say. In one three year stretch, the best actress category of the Oscars went to Canadians. Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer and Marie Dressler all took the Oscar back to Canada. That’s $1,500 of gold-plated britannium, or 1,303 loonies.

  

THE CANADIAN THREAT
If movies and TV series like Blade Runner, V, Alien Nation, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Battlestar Galactica and The Day the Earth Stood Still have taught us anything, it’s that when aliens are allowed to live in peace amongst us it’s never a good idea. Though they invariably claim to come in peace, the proper response is that they to go in pieces. Due to blissful American ignorance and our welcoming disposition toward immigrants, most of us are wholly unaware when and how many Canadians are among us. Although a phrenologist could see right through their smiling faces to their true nature, your average American when near a Canadian merely gets a tingling sensation and an inexplicable unease. With good reason too, when one becomes aware of how far reaching Canadian tentacles are in our society… *tingle* cos (Canadian over shoulder)…

The first act to record on Parkway Pumpin' was 39 Posse, a trio comprised of Shack, DJ KLC and MC Dart. Shack was born Derrick Mushatt in 1970. He grew up in a large family with nine siblings. For work, he delivered pizzas and worked on an oil rig, rapping at parties during his time off. When the oil industry in New Orleans collapsed, Mushatt lost his job and became addicted to the painkillers he took due to a work injury. DJ KLC was born Craig S. Lawson. He grew up in the Melpomene projects. His father played saxophone and Lawson, nicknamed "The Drum Major," followed in his musical footsteps, playing in the Green Middle School marching band. Lawson later moved to a house in Uptown on Parkway. Lawson's production genius can scarcely be exaggerated and he deserves to be as widely recognized as the justly lauded Mannie Fresh, who was a childhood friend. They both began producing around the same time. A year after Fresh's production debut with Gregory D, DJ KLC  and DJ Treble appeared on MC J Ro J's "Ain't Nuthin Nice" in 1988. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything about MC Dart. 39 Posse released their debut single, "Clockin' / Pumped in Power," in 1991.