Archives for August 2010

Meg Whitman: Why Do You have an Office in Oakland-When You’re Never There?

Dear Meg Whitman

I am writing you because I have several concerns about how you are running your campaign here in the lovely city of Oakland, California. I’m not one to mince words and beat around the bush so lemme just get to the point. Why do you have an office in Oakland when you 1-Put up insulting signs that call our collective character into question 2-you and your staff are never there?

You’ve had a storefront window for almost two months in one of the most populated sections of the city  (Lakeshore Ave) and not once have we seen you. I for one was kinda stoked when I first saw your office. Yes, we all know Oakland is heavily Democratic, but I figured here’s someone who may be the next governor of California reaching out to engage ALL of us. I was looking forward to stopping through to let you know some of the challenges we here in ‘Tha Town’ are facing. But alas..No Meg. All we got was this store front with your name plastered all over the windows and us being relegated to seeing you through those endless commercials that run every 5 minutes on TV.

Today I walked by your office and it was closed once again. I could see your name from like two blocks away, but as I drew closer I noticed someone had posted up a bunch ‘Oakland Loves Jerry Brown’ flyers all over your window. It wasn’t a just few flyers, it was a lot, which meant someone either posted them in broad daylight and no one cared to stop them or it happened at night and had sat there all day. In either case it’s not a good look Ms Whitman. It’s not a good look at all. It was an indication that you’re an absentee candidate.

Seeing those signs made me wonder if this is reflective of what would be your governing style. Are you the type to throw lots of money at a problem or people or make symbolic gestures but not stick around long enough to sincerely engage them? Or is it an Oakland thing? Do you not care enough to chop it up with folks on this side of town?

Maybe we’re a bit sensitive here in Oakland Ms Whitman, but it’s hard not to conclude you have disdain for the city especially when we recall what you did when you first set up shop. Who can forget the infamous  ‘You are under 24 hour surveillance’ signs posted all over your window? Hard working, good people in Oakland were made to feel like criminals plus our intelligence was insulted because you spelled the word ‘surveillance’ wrong (survellaince). The final insult was noting that there have been businesses on Lakeshore that have been robbed, but none of them opted to put up ridiculous signs. They seem to understand, that you don’t smash on an entire community for the acts of a scant few. The signs only changed when residents started posting the picture and a local SF Chronicle blogger Zinnie Abraham posted a video. There was never an apology for your transgressions and no visit to speak with the people.

In any case Ms Whitman, you should know with an unemployment rate hovering between 10-12% and an even higher under-employed rate there are lots of folks including myself who are willing to step up and help you out. Perhaps you can scale back on some of those commercials and toss a few thousand of the 100 million you already spent on your campaign and have one of us man your office. We can make sure no one posts up ‘I Love Jerry Brown’ stickers and we can leave people with the impression that you really care. A lot of folks are losing their homes, maybe you can do us some good by providing housing, unemployment and other types of information at your empty, always closed campaign office to help us get through these trying times. Heck maybe you can even give away a few jobs. Put those millions to good use Ms Whitman

Lastly we had a big community meeting last night and the people of Oakland promised not to bite if you come visit..

Peace out

Davey D

Meet the 2 Most Dangerous White Women in America…Be Scared Folks Be Very Scared!

This has been a painful and turbulent week for white women everywhere. Just when we thought people were starting to come together, bridges were being built and brighter tomorrows were looming on the horizon, here come not one but two women who have set this country and white womanhood back at least 100 years. No we’re not talking Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton. Sure they do drugs, are a bit over the top with their behavior and done a little jail time, but hey we all have those moments.

No it’s not Britney Spears..We all have erratic behavior at times..We understand.

No, No, No it’s not Snooki-yeah she’s crazy, but who doesn’t like her? Fist pump everybody

No the two women who have done irreparable harm and have taken ding batness to new heights are actually considered pillars of society. They’re considered the type of individuals we should look up to because they’ve had measures of success. We’re talking about Texas rep  Debbie Riddle and radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger.  Over the past week the stuff that has come out of these two women’s mouth has been more than shocking.

Texas Rep Debbie Riddle believes we have Terror Babies to Fear

Let’s start with Ditzy Debbie Riddle. She’s a horse breeder and has served in Texas House of Representativesoutside of Houston since 2003.  We always thought something was a little off about her.  She just had that look.. it was the look of extreme intolerance. Our fears came to fruition back in March 2003 when she gave an interview and said “Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever? It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight out of the pit of hell. And it’s cleverly disguised as having a tender heart. It’s not a tender heart. It’s ripping the heart out of this country.” .

Yep you guessed it,  good ole Debbie was acting like one of the good ole boys and showing her unabashed disdain for anyone not Anglo. She really had it in for the Brown folks of this good state and sadly when ever possible you could count on Ditzy Debbie to stand up and advocate for any sort of legislation or measure that most of us would find oppressive.

For example, back in May in typical fashion Riddle couldn’t contain herself in showing support for Arizona’s Apartheid-like law SB 1070.  But leave it to Ditzy Debbie to take it to another level. In an interview with ABC News as reported by Houston Free Press ,she was asked why she thinks that minorities might be opposed to laws requiring them to show their identification papers to local law enforcement. Riddle replied; “When you have people that are used to entitlements, then they like the entitlements and they want the entitlements to keep coming… ”The people who are saying these laws are racially motivated are trying to divert attention for their own selfish greed,”

Thats classic Debbie…but fret not, this week she out did herself and drove the car off the cliff. During a CNN Interview she came up with this delusional story about how mothers were coming over to America, having babies returning to their country so they could have American citizenship, forcing the kids to join terrorists cells and then sending them back over to the US when their 18 so they could commit acts of terror. She termed these babies ‘Terror Babies‘.. Yes, you read all that correctly.. Here take a minute and re-read that. Better yet, look at this CNN interview where you can see and hear Debbie in all her glory. All this stems from Riddles desire to get rid of so called ‘anchor babies‘. She wants to see the 14th Amendment change so that we could strip kids of their citizenship if born in the US with undocumented parents.

We don’t know whether we should laugh at this shear stupidity or cry especially since none of this could be confirmed by the FBI or any other terror expert. Realizing she’s a bona-fide lawmaker we shudder because Ditzy Debbie tries to craft policies around these outlandish beliefs. Lord help us all..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A5Z1QnXhx8

Dr Laura showed and proved that she could be a member of NWA any day.

Next up we have Dr Dingy aka Laura Schlessinger. Maybe its me but she looks like she could be Ditzy Debbie’s sister. Anyway not to digress Dr Laura has always been the personification of hypocrisy and contradictions. She’s been on the air forever, dispensing advise on morals, family values and telling us how we should all live our lives. There’s nothing wrong with that per say, but Dr Laura has always been abrasive and uncompromising. She’s been known to go in on people and make them feel bad for divorcing or having sex outside of marriage. She’s been quick to smash on folks for behaving in an immoral fashion.

However when you take a closer look you find that it’s been, Dr Laura who got a divorce. She’s the one who had an affair. She’s the one who had naked pictures of herself surface. All her talk about having integrity went out the window when it was discovered that she was using her staff as fake guest for her short-lived talk show.

What really got into hot water was her outlook on Gays. She’s always seen them as an ‘abomination’, ‘deviant’ and a ‘biological error’. She was not shy about stating her opinions publicly which led to widespread protests and resulted in her having to publicly apologize or suffer serious economic consequences.

Dr Laura’s latest antic came the other day when she decided to step up and spout out the N word 11 times while speaking to an African American caller. Many of us thought she was trying to ensure a spot in the next NWA reunion. Here’s what took place.

An African American caller named Jade called in to talk about her interracial marriage. She noted that some of her husband’s friends and family members make racist comments. She complained that her husband would ignore the remarks and that left her feeling hurt.

Dr. Laura responded by saying, “sometimes people are hypersensitive.”

Later in the conversation Jade talked about the use of the N word and that it bothered her. Thats when Dr Laura rattled it off 11 times stating that Black people use it all the time. She said  “I don’t get it, if anybody without enough melanin says it it’s a horrible thing, but when black people say it it’s affectionate.”

Later on Dr Laura intensifies things by saying all sorts of crazy stuff about  “We got a black man as President and we have more complaining about racism than ever and I think that’s hilarious”

She told Jade who objected to the use of the N word that she had a chip on her shoulder  and was too sensitive and needed to get a sense of humor.

“Okay, all right, chip on your shoulder can’t do much about that. I think you have too much sensitivity and not enough sense of humor.

She even accused jade of trying to ‘NAACP her” and noted that “Hypersensitivity”  is being bred by black activists.

She concluded her call by saying: “I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites, hating blacks, would stop. But it seems to have grown, and I don’t get it. Yes I do, it’s all about power.”

All you could do at the end of the call was shake you head in utter astonishment…Peep the call below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAD-PipXGwA&feature=related

Ditzy Debbie Riddle and Dr Dingy Laura Schlessinger what more can you ask for? Like I said, if it wasn’t for the fact that one is lawmaker crafting policy and the other is a Dr who dispenses advice on the air, this would be funny or something we could easily brush off. But they have creditability and get taken seriously in many circles. They’re living proof this country has along ways to go..Thank you ladies for taking America to new lows..

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner


Former Fugee Member Pras Explains Why He’s Not Endorsing His Cousin Wyclef for President of Haiti

Pras

Former Fugee member Pras sat down the other day and explained why he won’t be supporting his cousin Wyclef Jean and his bid for Presidency in Haiti. He explained that he doesn’t think Jean has a comprehensive plan for the beleaguered country. He cited the 1.2 million people who are currently living in tent cities and Wyclef’s lack of details in crafting a plan to deal with them. He says that Haiti needs a short term and long term strategy.

Currently Pras is backing another musician named Michel Martelly aka Sweet Micky who is also running for President and considered conservative by progressive activists in Haiti.  Below are a couple of interviews where he explains his endorsement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_YN30mR2j4&feature=fvsr

http://online.wsj.com/video/michel-martelly-and-pras-michell

Click HERE to watch interview

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Hip Hop True Stories: Pharaohe Monch Talks about the Making of the Classic Jam’Oh No’

Props out to my man D-Nice as he drops a nice gem of a Hip Hop True Story. This one features Pharaohe Monch talking about the making of the classic song ‘Oh No’ featuring Nate Dogg and  Mos Def.. Check out D-Nice TV for more episodes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDd4MP4akQA

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

August 11 1965-Los Angeles Erupted:The Watts Riots-have Things Changed Much?

Have things changed much since 1965? For many of us not really..Here’s a brief run down of the Watts Riots courtesy of Wikipedia.. One thing we should keep in mind is the tyrannical rule of LAPD Chief  William Parker. His policy was to bring in southern cops to patrol the streets of LA specifically to contain Black residents and let them know the police were in charge. He also had a policy of having his officers engage every Black male they came across at a young age so they would have fear of the police instilled in them..

  

August 11, 1965, in Watts, a neighborhood in Los Angeles Lee Minikus, a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer, pulled over Marquette Frye, who Minikus believed was intoxicated because of his observed erratic driving. Frye failed to pass sobriety tests, including walking in a straight line and touching his nose, and was arrested soon after. Minikus refused to let Frye’s brother, Ronald, drive the car home, and radioed for it to be impounded. As events escalated, a crowd of onlookers steadily grew from dozens to hundreds.[1] The mob became violent, throwing rocks and other objects while shouting at the police officers. A struggle ensued shortly resulting in the arrest of Marquette and Ronald Frye, as well as their mother.

Burning buildings during the riots.

Though the riots began in August, there had previously been a buildup of racial tension in the area. The riots that began on August 11 resulted from an amalgamation of such events in Watts, and the arrest of three Frye family members broke the tension as violence spilled onto the streets of Watts for four days.

Watts suffered from various forms and degrees of damage from the residents’ looting and vandalism that seriously threatened the security of the city. Some participants chose to intensify the level of violence by starting physical fights with police, blocking the firemen of the Los Angeles Fire Department from their safety duties, or even beating white motorists. Others joined the riot by breaking into stores, stealing whatever they could, and some setting the stores themselves on fire.[2]

LAPD Police Chief William Parker also fueled the radicalized tension that already threatened to combust, by publicly labeling the people he saw involved in the riots as “monkeys in the zoo”.[2] Overall, an estimated $40 million in damage was caused as almost 1,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Most of the physical damage was confined to white-owned businesses that were said to have caused resentment in the neighborhood due to perceived unfairness. Homes were not attacked, although some caught fire due to proximity to other fires

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbElAfALWbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Btcgnk1dY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxsLlaf49M&feature=related

August 11 1973 1520 Sedgwick Ave: We Celebrate the Birthday of Hip Hop-The Kool Herc Story

Here is the Kool Herc Story from the movie The History of Rap. Widely know as the Father of Hip Hop, Kool DJ Herc was the catalyst to a whole new movement called Hip Hop. The History of Rap Movie was Written and Produced by Kurtis Blow Walker. Co-Produced by Grandmaster Flash, DJ Hollywood and Lovebug Starksi. Directed by Tommy Sowards. Edited by Jochen Hasmanis and Kurtis Blow Walker. For your very own promo copy of the film email us at kbkrushgroove@aol.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIRc8YNzYS4

DJ Kool Herc

Below are several other interviews and documentaries snippets that celebrate Hip Hop’s History.. Here’s one from the late Malcolm McCalren

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhisX4mVoDI

We caught up w/ Cindy Campbell who we consider to be the first lady of Hip Hop. We talked to her about the work she’s done on behalf of her brother Hip Hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc. We talk to her about what took place August 11 1973 at 1520 Sedgwick Ave which was home to the first Hip Hop party.

Cindy explains that the party started out as a fundraiser for her to get some school clothes. She talked about how they actually had Old E 800 and Colt 45 being sold there and how it was a 25 cent for women and 50 cent for guys.. They made 500 bucks

She also explained how she herself brought slow jam records for her brother to spin..

Cindy also talks about other deals she’s done for her brother including how she talked Harry belafonte into making sure Herc’s character was positive in the movie Beat Street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SMVGLEr6nA

Here’s our 2005 landmark Breakdown FM interview we did with Kool Herc. He gives a brilliant history lesson on the early days of this culture..

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/56812/ pt1

Click HERE to listen to pt of our interview w/ Kool Herc

He gave us an indepth run down of Hip Hop in the early days. He speaks about the early party scene and talks about how he and sister Cindy made history when they threw a back to school party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx.

He talks about how he used to be a grafitti artist and how his sister had his back and sheilded him from the wrath of his strict father who would’ve whupped that butt if he knew his son was defacing New York City property.

Kool Herc also lets us know that Hip Hop did not start in the South Bronx as is often erroneously reported. Herc never lived in the South Bronx, he lived in the West bronx which is a totally different area.

In this interview Kool Herc talks about his Jamaican background. He talks about how he grew up in the same township as Bob Marley and he explains how and why Jamaican culture is an important root within Hip Hop.

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/56817/pt2

Click HERE to listen to pt2 of Kool Herc

We continue our interview with Hip Hop’s Father-DJ Kool Herc. Here in part 2 he breaks down which legendary rappers would be on his all-time dream team.. One of the more interesting choices is Pebbly-Poo who was down with Masterdon and one of Hip Hop’s first dominating female figures. Herc also explained how Pebbly-Poo was so dope that he made her a part of the Herculoids.

Herc really goes into depth about the Sugar Hill Gang and the controversy surrounding group member Big Bank Hank. He talks about how Hank lived in the same neighborhood with him and that he tried not to get involved with the beef Grand Master Caz had with him over the rhymes Hank bit…

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

A Little Bit of Background on Naomi, The Hague and the Trial of Charles Taylor

So lots of folks have been talking about Naomi Campbell appearing at the Hague and giving testimony about Blood Diamond and former Liberian Despot Charles Taylor which was contradicted by actress Mia Farrow. Naomi because of her reputation has been the butt of lots of jokes with folks saying she’s looked crazy on the stand to Mia better watch out before she gets a phone thrown to her head courtesy of a pissed off Naomi.

With all that being said, I figured we should take a closer look as to why Naomi  appeared at the Hague at all.  Thats big business and from what we’ve come to understand it wasn’t trip she wanted to make due to the both the seriousness of the situation and the reputation of Charles Taylor.

What’s at stake and where can you get some more info, because once this all dies down, the horrors said to be unearthed by Charles Taylor will be unknown.. First and foremost here’s a website that can keep you updated on the trial.. http://www.charlestaylortrial.org/

Second here’s a bit of background about the Hague which is the international court where those who committed war crimes,  genocide  and crimes against humanity.

Here’s abit of background to get you started..

http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/charles-taylor-trial-its-all-about-destroy-him-0

Former warlord Charles Taylor protested his innocence on Tuesday during his first day of testimony at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.

“I, Charles Ghankay Taylor, am not guilty of all these charges. Not even a minute part of these charges. This whole case is about ‘Let’s get Taylor. Destroy him, bring him down.’ Haven’t they had their pound of flesh yet? I am not guilty of all these charges.”

Addressing the Court’s four judges, the former Liberian president looked relaxed and confident, barely pausing or hesitating as he took the court through a potted history of 20th-century West African politics. At one point, Presiding Judge Richard Lussick asked him to slow down to allow the court stenographer to keep up.

Sierra Leone
Mr Taylor is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Although he never set foot in Sierra Leone until his 2006 arrest, the prosecution alleges that he supported, ordered and condoned atrocities – including murder, rape, amputations, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers – committed by Revolutionary United Front rebels during the country’s civil war.

During the prosecutorial phase of the trial, Chief Prosecutor Stephen Rapp alleged that Taylor provided the RUF with weapons in exchange for ‘mayonnaise jars’ filled with diamonds.

“There’s not one person who speaks the truth who can say I, Charles Ghankay Taylor dealt with the RUF, taking diamonds for arms. Never, ever. Whether it’s mayonnaise jars, or coffee jars, or whatever jars. It’s a lie, it’s a diabolical lie. Never.”

Arming the RUF
He admitted to providing ‘small amounts’ of weapons and ammunition to the RUF between August 1991 and May 1992, so that they would help Mr Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia secure the country’s borders against attacks. But he said it would have been impossible for him to exercise control over the events in Sierra Leone.

Taylor also admitted to negotiating with RUF rebels after being elected to Liberia’s presidency in 1997, but only at the request of other African heads of state who were trying to bring an end to Sierra Leone’s bloody civil war, he said.

“Upon being elected, jokingly, my colleagues said to me, we have a problem continuing in Sierra Leone and you are an old rebel so you know how to deal with rebels….So I laughed and said, I’m no longer a rebel but I can do what I can to help so I was placed on the committee…to help bring peace to Sierra Leone.”

Taylor’s testimony is expected to continue for at least another six weeks.

He has been held by the court since 2006 after being arrested in Nigeria where he had spent three years in enforced exile.

Trial in The Hague
The trial is being conducted by the UN-backed Sierra Leone Tribunal in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown but Taylor’s case was moved to the ICC premises in The Hague for fear that his appearance in an African courtroom could destabilise Sierra Leone and Liberia.

It’s unlikely that a verdict will be reached for at least another year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB-urTYE1zE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF21u72Q2uY&feature=related

————————-

This is the story that caught many people’s attention which then drew attention to Charles Taylor. Its the piece on his son ‘Chuckie’

http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/charles-chuckie-taylor-gets-97-years-torture-us

Chuckie Taylor

“Chuckie” Taylor, the son of former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor was sentenced on Friday to 97 years in prison for mutilations and executions carried out in Liberia, in the first US prosecution for torture committed abroad.

“Chuckie” Taylor, who was born in the US as Charles McArthur Emmanuel, was convicted by a federal court in Miami for torture and conspiracy to commit torture in October last year. The son of Liberia’s former warlord Charles Taylor’s conviction marked the first use of a 1994 law allowing prosecution in the US for torture committed overseas.

Demon forces

Emmanuel was born in Boston and spent most of his life in Orlando. When his father seized power in Liberia in 1997, he moved to the west-African country and was made the head of the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), known in Liberia as the Demon Forces, while in his early 20s.

The widely feared Demon Forces used brutal tactics to silence Taylor’s opponents. They cut a swathe of terror across Liberia from 1997 through at least 2002, when they tortured, raped and burned people alive.

Chuckie headed the camp where his forces kept prisoners in water-filled pits covered with iron bars and barbed wire. He personally brutalised seven prisoners by pressing hot irons on their flesh, shocking them and shovelling stinging ants on one naked victim who was forced into a dirt pit.

Chuckie claims to be innocent and said his torture case is a politically motivated attempt to make him pay “for being the son of Taylor.”

Charles Taylor
Chuckie’s father, Charles Taylor senior, is currently on trial at the special UN-backed court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, on war crimes charges of orchestrating violence in Sierra Leone’s bloody civil war. Emmanuel’s crimes took place between 1999 and 2002 in Liberia, with the objective to intimidate and silence his father’s opponents by any means necessary.

After years of war, Liberia has not tried cases involving serious crimes and no international tribunal is mandated to prosecute past crimes in Liberia. Even Charles Taylor is merely accused of crimes in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Chuckie’s case is the first criminal case dealing with Liberia’s brutal past.

Dealing with Liberia’s haunting past
Liberia is recovering from years of conflict that saw horrific human rights violations. Arbitrary killings, use of child soldiers, rape and sexual violence, separation of families and looting and destruction of properties have scarred the west-African country. Out of a population of 3 million, an estimated 300,000 Liberians were killed, with as many as 1.5 million displaced.

The only mechanism in place to confront these dark pages of Liberia’s past, is a a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The TRC, which is currently wrapping up its work, investigates the gross human rights abuses committed after the country descended into violence in 1979.

Most Liberians welcomed the TRC when it started public hearings on Liberia’s fractious past in January 2008. Many thought it was the best opportunity for Liberians to come to terms with the massacres, rapes and torture which are still haunting them. But instead, the TRC leaves many Liberians frustrated as the hearings are often the arena in which denial resonates loudest.

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Breakdown FM on All Day Play Episode #27: Beats of Resistance-Never Back Down to Oppression

Click HERE to Listen to Episode #27 of Breakdown FM on All Day Play

This week we come at you with lots of flavas that will hopefully inspire and keep your spirits uplifted. We kick things off with a classic cut called Jesse Jackson that we remixed with his historic 1984 speech at the Democratic Convention in San Francisco. That sets the tone as we follow up with a nice mixture of soulful songs that recapture a by gone era when music had rich meaning and underscored the activities in various social justice movements. As an added bonus we expand your palettes by introducing you some dope Hip Hop from Latin America.

Stand out cuts include: ‘Nema To Sabes’ by  Pescozada Y Juaquin, ‘Jingo’ by Santana which we remixed with vocals from freedom fighter H. Rap Brown..We have an incredible remake of the classic ‘Transeurope Express by Senor Coconut Sun Conjunto  and ‘Everyday People’ by Afrika Bambaataa….Enjoy and pass along

http://www.alldayplay.fm/episodes/episode-27-7

PART 1 PLAYLIST:

01-DJ Q-Bert ‘Jesse Jackson’ (Davey D Remix)

02-Jackson 5 ‘Body language’

03-Afrika Bambaataa ‘Everyday People’

04-Pescozada Y Juaquin ‘Nema To Sabes’

05-Ahmad Jamal ‘Rodney King’

06-Santana ‘Jingo’ (H.Rap brown remix)

07-James Brown ‘When the Saints Go marching In’

08-Afrika Bambaataa ‘Boingo Rock’ (Bernice King remx)

09-Azeem ‘Latin’s Revenge’

10-Tom Guerrero ‘1966’

11-Curumin ‘Dancando No Excuses’

12-Senor Coconut Sun Conjunto ‘Transeurope Express’

13-DJ Q-Bert ‘Alright’ (davey D remix)

14-Theme from Phenomen

15-Pleasure ‘Lets Dance’

16-AM– You are the One’ (MLK remx)

PART 2 PLAYLIST:

01- The Police Song

02-Rico Pabon ‘My people’

03-Maria Isa ‘Die Not Kill’ (dedicated to Lolita lebron)

04-YoYo Ibwing

05-Olmeca ‘Duro’

06-MIA w/ Afrikan Boy ‘Hussell’

07-J-Boogie w/ Lyrics Born & Aima the Dreama ‘Revolution’

08-Apakalips ‘peace’

09-Anita Tijoux ‘La Nueva Condana’

10-Pesconzada Y Jouquin Santos ‘Si Samos Guanoncoz

11-Public Enemy ‘House of the Rising Son’

12-Zion I w/ Brother Ali ‘ Caged Bird

13-Zion I Caged Bird pt2

14-J Ross Panelli ‘Hey There Sister’

15-Pharycde ‘Passing me By rmx’

16-Michael Franti ‘Hey World’

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

An Interview w/ Chaka Mkali aka I Self Divine of the Rhymesayers

Intermedia Arts presents: CHANGEMAKERS

Chaka Mkali aka I Self Divine

Chaka Mkali, also known as I Self Devine is a musician, MC (Rhymesayers Entertainment), community organizer, racial justice trainer, graffiti artist, muralist, program coordinator and director of organizing and community building at Hope Community. His politically-conscious, socially aware stance isn’t to look cool, but is actually reflected in his everyday actions and engagement. I Self uses his passions in the arts, community organizing and music to reach to uplift spirits and sustain movements.  He had the honor of painting the first mural on the current home of Minneapolis’ Intermedia Arts and will continue his community and creative work, for he builds bridges long after the murals have been painted over and the shows have ended.

As Minnesota’s premier multidisciplinary, multicultural arts center, Intermedia Arts builds understanding among people by catalyzing and inspiring artists and audiences to make changes in their lives and communities. Intermedia Arts is the only organization in the region that empowers artists and community leaders to use arts-based approaches to solve community issues. From graffiti art to digital technology to performance art to spoken word, they work from the community up to unearth and enliven new and emerging artists and art forms while challenging and exploring the role of art in our lives. By stimulating civic dialogue and giving voice to the issues and experiences of underrepresented communities locally, nationally and internationally, Intermedia Arts contributes to a stronger, healthier society.
“Intermedia Arts doesn’t tell you what to do. They support you being you.” -Chaka Mkali (I Self Devine)

The artist, Rebecca “B FRESH” McDonald filmed and photographed ten MN-based artists for Intermedia Arts’ campaign CHANGEMAKERS. Be on the look out for the complete series soon.
Photo and video by B FRESH Photography and Media | Design by Lacey Haire | Images and video courtesy of Intermedia Arts

Free Press: Google-Verizon Pact Worse than Feared

Google-Verizon Pact Worse than Feared

In response to Google and Verizon’s “policy framework” unveiled today, MoveOn.Org Civic Action, Credo Action, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, ColorofChange.org and Free Press, all members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, issued the following joint statement:

“The Google-Verizon pact isn’t just as bad as we feared — it’s much worse. They are attacking the Internet while claiming to preserve it. Google users won’t be fooled.

“They are promising Net Neutrality only for a certain part of the Internet, one that they’ll likely stop investing in. But they are also paving the way for a new ‘Internet’ via fiber and wireless phones where Net Neutrality will not apply and corporations can pick and choose which sites people can easily view on their phones or any other Internet device using these networks.

“It would open the door to outright blocking of applications, just as Comcast did with BitTorrent, or the blocking of content, just as Verizon did with text messages from NARAL Pro-choice America. It would divide the information superhighway, creating new private fast lanes for the big players while leaving the little guy stranded on a winding dirt road.

“Worse still, this pact would turn the Federal Communications Commission into a toothless watchdog, left fruitlessly chasing complaints and unable to make rules of its own.

“This is not real Net Neutrality. And this pact would harm the millions of Americans who have pleaded with our leaders in Washington to defend the free and open Internet. President Obama, Congress and the FCC should reject this deal, restore the authority of the agency that’s supposed to protect Internet users, and safeguard Net Neutrality once and for all.”

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Free Press does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net

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