Fruitvale Station, Trayvon Martin and the Value of Human Life in America

This is a powerful, must read essay from Shamako Noble who is the founder & ED of Hip Hop Congress..he gives keen insight and great historical foundation in the piece.. Please take time to read it, reflect on it and share…

First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Catholic.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.

~Martin Niemöller

Sword of the West Shamako Noble

Sword of the West Shamako Noble

Some people have described this as our generation’s Emmett Till moment. Still, others have simply given up hope.

This weekend marked the release of Fruitvale Station, a film created to share the story of Oscar Grant. Oscar Grant III was fatally shot on New Years Day, 2009. The shooting was caught on film via camera phone, and shared with the world at large. The outcome of this case was that the officer responsible, Johannes Mehserle, was sentenced to only two years, minus time served. He served that time hidden safely away from the rest of the inmates in the Los Angeles County Jail.

Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler

Creator of the film, Ryan Coogler, comments on CNN.com that he would have been the same age as Oscar Grant if he were alive today. He is 27. Oscar Grant would have been 27. Trayvon Martin would have been 18. In an interview with CNN, Ryan reflected, “What gets glossed over is that we’re human beings too, like everybody else, young African-American males. Our humanity can often be found in our relationships with the people who are closest to us, and those relations aren’t often shown in headlines and whatever types of media you see us portrayed in. I hope the people can see a little bit of themselves in the character if they sit down and watch the film, and have a little bit of insight.

“This devaluing and dehumanization has taken place in sectors of the United State’s economy and society for centuries. Many of the gains that have been made in an effort to combat this have been rolled back, while others have never been addressed at all. What is difficult for most people (white people in general as they have been without this fear for centuries) is to imagine that one day, they will be the parents in that court room. And given what we’ve learned with Edward Snowden, Guantanamo Bay, and the increasing violations of the civil liberties of ALL “American’s” across the board, having a courtroom is an assumption.  Without greater understanding of that, and the reality that one day, the parents in that court room will be white, fighting for a child having been killed by a drone,a mercenary or a National Guardsman’s and no one will care, because as we’ve seen before in history, there won’t be anyone left to do anything about it.

At the same time, as I write this, jury members who have spent weeks listening to the testimony and evidence have determined the fate of not just Zimmerman, but also of the now infamous Stand Your Ground law and once again, the entirety of race, and class relations in the United States of America. Many pundits and legal professionals who have observed the case made extreme efforts to communicate to the public that this case is not about race. One would be hard pressed to find any Black people in the United States, or people of color for that matter who could possibly agree with that.  That, would simply be contrary to the whole of our known experience. Not that it can’t happen.

Well, perhaps hundreds of years of racial tension, the reversal of Section 5 of the Voting Rights act, and countless young black deaths at the hands of law enforcement that never reached the light of day have made not seeing this travesty of justice as difficult, if not impossible.

As my brother and colleague DLabrie, artist, President of RonDavoux Records and Deputy Director of Hip Hop Congress (www.dlabrie.com) shared on his Facebook page, “This case is about race among other things! Was I born yesterday or maybe I forgot everything i ever learned about race in america JUST THIS ONCE. NAW FAM EVERYTHING in America is about RACE!! Especially with all this Black Death since the beginning…If you think this has nothing to do with race MOVE OUT of the good ol’ U S of A TODAY because you ain’t learned.

nwa original-225”When N.W.A. said “Fuck the Police,” They were speaking to a real and material history for many in America. A history that was playing out in the streets of Los Angeles among many places. It spoke to a history of law enforcement as the legal and sanctioned arm of repression and murder. “Slave Patrols,” sanctioned bodies of 3-6 (white) men assigned to capture and punish escaped slaves, were established in 1704 in South Carolina. They had badges, and were considered perfectly legal bodies of operation.

KRS-One drew the parallels between the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color when he referenced the officer/overseer connection. The reality is, that “law enforcement” has been a often deadly force to Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, Poor people in general and those not under the protection of white supremacy. The same force that was utilized by a half-latino Zimmerman, who walked free as a result of this protection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A572eclLc68

Hip Hop said, “Fuck the Police” during a period and in an area of the country where history has shown time and time again, that the the “law enforcement” agencies, far from being the servants and protectors of Black and Brown communities, were another force of repression, destruction and death. When songs like “Batteram” which depicted military occupation tactics in an American urban city, long before a drone program was even being considered in the public arena were released, they spoke to a reality that virtually every person of color knows, the same reality that Black mothers and fathers now struggle with sharing with their kids. The reality that they must look their child in the eyes and somehow get them to understand, “They will kill you and there will be nothing we can do about it.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm1Li2Wbqo4

Christopher Dorner

Christopher Dorner

Looking at the LAPD and other cases, and several decades later you have Christopher Dorner, a Black police officer who took what some consider to be the wrong approach to what many consider to be the correct problem. Christopher Dorner, who was an officer himself, echoed the same sentiment that N.W.A. yelled out loud in 1988. “Fuck the Police.” And while he didn’t have the most coherent argument in the world, he said the exact same thing Ice Cube did. Cops feel like they have the authority to kill a minority. Even though today we know the term minority is outdated and inaccurate.

If we were to listen to Public Enemy who told us to “Fight the Power” around that same time period, we would know that we could not even consider that with having to deal with those who operate as the first line of defense often “occupying” and patrolling our communities, just as they did when the verdict was read. Hip Hop, as a cultural and social movement struggling to emerge as a political one, has always known this. And that’s a part of what makes it dangerous. It’s ability to tell this truth that much of America can not comprehend or fathom, and get young white folks to flip over police cars to the beat.

The interesting thing is, the very fact that there are any people out there, who think that this case is not about race, indicates that the race and class divide in America remains very real. In fact, while many find the timing of this movie and the conclusion of this case to be well timed, our friends over at Fox News have commented on how the “marketing” of this movie on the back of a high profile case can only be considered in poor taste. It’s reflective of a dynamic that has been emerging quite frequently throughout this trial.

It’s a dynamic that says very clearly that some people in America don’t have the option or the convenience to say something like, “let’s not bring race into this,” knowing that in America race is always right in the middle of it. In other words, those who are willing to make that statement are either too unaware or dishonest to have a conversation with some whom have experienced and know otherwise. Perhaps the universe does a great justice by allowing us to have a reflection on the impact of the lack of value of Black life as shown in something like Fruitvale Station as this deeply painful reality continues to play itself out in real life today.

Occupy-Wall-Street signThe emergence of Occupy Wall St. was a significant moment in American movement history. It represented an objective section of the American population who have been dispossessed by the current structure of the system. Foreclosures, student debt, layoffs, the attack on workers rights, and many other elements of a system slowly beginning to eat itself alive drew large sections of the United States middle class into a conversation that they have not seen themselves as a part of for decades.

Organizations like Move to Amend, which has swelled to well over 200,000 members since it’s inception only years ago, speak to a population who feel as though the decision around Citizens United, which gave corporations unlimited say in elections via campaign donations, is unconstitutional and contrary to the true spirit of the American Way. Struggle and controversy has most recently emerged over the U.S. Drone program and NSA spying that whistle blower Edward Snowden hipped us to. In other words, there are many sections of the country that are waking up to the reality of American life as experienced by people of color since the creation of this nation.

Occupy represents an objective movement of some parts of the country to fight against some-thing,or some-one. Maybe Wall St.. Maybe corporations. But here’s what we know. We know that the government spied on them. We know that the police peppered sprayed and whooped their ass. We know that the police, FBI, Homeland security, and various other law enforcement agencies did not hesitate to tear apart their camps, city by city, piece by piece.

Listen to our Intv w/ Malik from Occupy the Hood By Clicking the link Below

We also know that the Occupy resulted in the creation of “separate” people of color movements. Groups like Hip Hop Occupies, The All People’s Revolutionary Party, and Occupy the Hood were just a few of the groups that emerged out the process of recognizing that although the objective movement of this population could be considered a positive thing, it still was not aware of it’s own whiteness and it’s impact. The whiteness of Occupy and groups like it often prevented it from successfully fusing with the many groups, social movements and leaders who’ve been in this fight for many decades. The legacy of white supremacy, patriarchy and it’s grip on the American psyche often makes it impossible for those who are all collectively impacted by the history of capitalist and colonialist oppression to authentically and collectively come together and work towards collective, objective justice.

A brief study of history reveals to us that this was in fact intended, for many different reasons. Nelson Perry, in his book ‘The Negro National Colonial Question’, “White supremacy grew with the Anglo-American expansionism. So long as there was no real economic use for white supremacy in the U.S.N.A. or rather, in the English Colonies, it did not develop. It was only with the need to clear the Western parts of the original colonies that the concept of White Supremacy arose. With the development of chattel slavery in the South, a new rationale other than bringing the African’s here to make them Christian’s was needed; then the concept of White Supremacy slowly emerged. In practice is mainly based on color discrimination, i.e. ‘the whiter you are, the better you are.’”

One of the critiques levied at the Occupy Movement most often was that it did not consider nor reflect the experiences and challenges that have been faced in social or political movements and moments before it arose. But objectively what could not be denied was that something was amiss in America, and herein lies the problem. In the American race/class conversation, it is virtually impossible for people to be objective. And as a result, the point that the filmmaker of Fruitvale Station is trying to communicate is lost. That point, is that ALL human life is valuable. And that ALL LIFE is valuable. Period. End of discussion. It can only be in a backwards system not designed first and foremost for the respect of ANY human life, in which one has to prove beyond the “shadow of a reasonable doubt” that an unarmed 17 year old was not murdered by the older, more paranoid, armed man that is pursuing him.

poorpeopleinamericaThe racial history of the United States often shows us that the structures and socialization process of white privilege and white supremacy are not only far from gone, but are alive and well. While many of us view institutions like the KKK and Skinheads as outdated, the reality is quite the opposite. Just one visit to website’s like www.stormfront.org reveal that not only is white nationalism alive and well. It’s becoming smarter. It’s blogging, creating social networks and expanding it’s base among white workers (and those not working) as a solution for the challenges we now face as a country. As a part of the 2010 March to Fulfill the Dream, a caravan organized by the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, I traveled to cities like Selma, Mobile, Birmingham and many of the historical landmark cities of the Civil Rights movement.

I witnessed the City Council of Selma being taken over by an overt White Supremacist with the support and votes of the all Black City Council and the support of the local Chamber of Commerce. I spoke with young and old homeless folks who spoke of the Klan’s strength in local and state government, where they held judgeships, state and local positions of power, and where the family lineage of Klan power had found a way to adapt. Far from experiencing an environment where the Klan had been overcome, I was treated to a South where the Klan, or at least it’s new formation, was winning. And nobody in this country was talking about it. Or was even aware of it like that. The progressive movement was behaving as though we were really on top of it. Meanwhile, the South continued to be the South. In the era of technology and global public marketing and connectivity, it is obtuse that no one knows it is happening, and yet  that is the situation we find ourselves in.

James Baldwin

James Baldwin

Sadly, as James Baldwin once pointed out in ‘The Fire Next Time’ “As long as you think you’re white, there is no hope for you.” My understanding of why he said that was not to belittle white people, but to address the fact that both history and science teach us that technically there is no such thing. Because of this divide, corporations continue to privatizing every element of everyone’s life, “private security” who may or may not even have to use the “justice system” continue to grow, and the struggle for humanity and the rights that come with them (food, water, shelter, health care, education, etc.) continue to be lost by all,as we fight for pieces of a pie that was clearly not designed for us to all eat anyway.

History has taught us this lesson again and again, over and over. And yet, here in America, our social and cultural construction, our general commitment to the structures of white supremacy, capitalism and neocolonialism are such that smart people, reasonable people, people who are otherwise concerned with and committed to freedom, equality and justice have missed entire key sections of history and the lessons that we can learn from that history.

The underlying causes and purpose of movements have been overlooked for the simple reason that they have embraced a myth that was designed for a simple economic purpose; to separate the darker slaves from the lighter ones, to make chasing those who were running away from earlier forms of slavery, imperialism and indentured servitude easier by distinguishing those who could blend in from those who could not.

Therein lies the danger. It was never truly the case that the forces who would consider themselves the rulers and great determinants of this country and now throughout the process of globalization, the world, really cared about or valued white life any more than they did Black, Latino, Asian, Child, Woman, Student, LGBT or endangered species. Historically, it has always, and it continues to come down to who owns what, which is always a much smaller number than any particular race, religion, gender or creed.

For all of my brothers and sisters who don’t think this is about race (and it is not just white people), or who at least want to believe that they can somehow magically keep it out of the discussion, reflect on this. If it’s not about race, then that only leaves one other possibility for what this is about, which is the overall value of human life for those of us who don’t possess the power to make that determination for ourselves. Trayvon Martin, no matter what color he is, did not deserve to die. Drones are robots that don’t have to care about what color someone is. The continual protest of Obama’s Drone program, and the potential executive kill list that goes with it is a huge issue for many in United States who feel like their human rights are being infringed upon, even threatened.

Trayvon-Martin-brownStories like Trayvon Martin and Oscar Grant speak to the experience of people in America who have always had that experience, with or without drones. In fact, the Los Angeles police department, one of the most infamous law enforcement agencies in this country responded to the great migration of African American’s from the South into Southern California by hiring racist police officers from the very same places. At what point in human history will we choose to value all human life, no matter where it comes from as not only equally valuable, but beyond discussing in terms of value.

At what point will we value that life, regardless of the circumstances, “beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt.” We could debate and discuss the definition of value all day, but for the sake of this conversation I will say this. There are certain things we simply do not view in terms of value because for use these things are beyond that conversation. In other words, while we’ve been trained or conditioned to think of all things in terms of their use, cost, price, or some other form of measurement, we all know and have experienced that which exists beyond this context.

Water bottles may have a value, but water does not. Water is beyond value, because without water we simply cannot be. Air cannot have a price tag placed on it, because the ultimate cost of not having air, or having clean air is that many of us will suffer, if not simply pass on. Indeed, while it is important to think of that which we, as humans, produce in terms of value, it is not practical to think of that which is beyond our productive capacity in the same terms. And yet, that is how we’ve learned to think of ourselves. As price tags. Given what slavery has done to the collective consciousness of this country, this should come as no surprise. But that doesn’t make the cost of it any less painful.

Sometimes we refer to things as priceless. But even that assumes that the term price is the standard. Black people came into this country with a price tag on their neck-and insurance companies backing that cost-attached to the noose that could be tightened at any moment, for any reason. Hundreds of years of that, doesn’t just suddenly get reversed. Especially without sincere and consistent efforts at reconciliation.

Voter suppression signThe Voting Rights Act, however, can and does get reversed. Roe vs. Wade, however, can be. The gains of collective bargain and workers rights pretty much have been reversed. The entire concept of freedom and liberty is pretty much out the door, if that hasn’t been noticed yet. Many of us have never viewed ourselves as having enjoyed that liberty, but an immanent question remains. What does that mean for ALL of us? Not just those who are immediately and obviously impacted, but also those who, know it or not,are  in the line of fire. At least, that is what history has taught us if we are paying attention.

Our planet is not ‘valuable. Without our planet, we cannot exist, and as such no discussion of value can even take place. It’s very existence is a question of something beyond value as is the life that it produces. At least before some societal or otherwise human imposed structure says something different. History has also given us an opportunity. These things are not set in stone. Our collective decisions, the ones that we make as communities, as movements, as whole’s larger and more immoveable than individuals, can change the course of motion. What decisions, on the wake of this most heinous, and yet not unexpected tragedy, will we make next.

The reality is, that it doesn’t have to be this way. On the very same day that this verdict arrived, the family of Steve Salinas found some justice when the San Jose police department was ordered to pay 1 million dollars in restitution for his death by taser some many years ago. They were assisted by the support and leadership of the organization Silicon Valley De-Bug (www.siliconvalleydebug.com) There are organizations, like the Women’s Economic Agenda Project in Oakland (www.weap.org), that are working to tie together the struggles of workers, mothers, youth, unions, educators and all of us who are impacted by the ideology of the 1 percent, to form solutions that leave nobody behind. And there is still the unfortunate reality of Marissa Alexander, a woman that was given the mandatory minimum of firing warning shots against her abusive husband. She’s still in there. This, as 30,000 prisoners and California, and thousands of other prisoners strike against the inhumane conditions that Michelle Alexander refer’s to as, “The New Jim Crow.”

There are many collectives and individuals working towards a different vision right as we speak. What remains unknown is if we will successfully grapple with the demons of the past and the challenges of the present quickly enough to secure a brighter future for generations to come and a safer place for all of our children, today!

written by Shamako Noble

For contact:

Shamako Noble

shamako@hiphopcongress.com

408-624-2999

 Relevant Art & Culture Pieces to check out:

Kanetic Source(Ozomatli) and Rahman Jamaal examine the issue “Stand Your Ground” http://youtu.be/SHBIdPpnM8o

DLabrie short film/video “It Ain’t EZ” feat. San Quinn, Keyanna Bean, Davey D & the Def Professor, showing historical context on the struggle relevant to what’s happening now and a actual artist lead protest for Trayvon & other victims all to a Revolutionary song !! http://youtu.be/5yNUjJMP46A

Keyanna Bean “First Lady” of RonDavoux Records breaks it down real deep in this piece, “Watch out for your Neighborhood Zimmerman” https://soundcloud.com/adopefemalemc/watch-out-for-your

Pro-Dash and the Netwerx give us some insight in “The Skin I’m in.” https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F53864325

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F53864325

Hip Hop Congress All Stars song THE VERDICT (Oscar Grant) http://dlabrie.bandcamp.com/album/the-verdict-oscar-grant-single

 More info check out:

http://hhcongress.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shamako-Noble/152963869275?ref=hl

www.facebook.com/HHCNational

www.twitter.com/ShamakoNoble

www.twitter.com/HipHopCongress

www.twitter.com/RDVpromo

 

39 Emcees Come Together to Do the Ultimate Cypher to raise Money for Haiti

Haiti-devastationHip Hop Congress for Haiti is a Hip Hop song created by Hip Hop Congress & RonDavoux Records to Raise Awareness and Inspire people to donate money and supplies to Haiti in support of rebuilding the country after the devastating earthquake in 2010. The song features Rap,R & B, Soul & Spoken Word from 39 Artists from around the world supporting Haiti in solidarity. HHC/RDV is releasing this song on the 3 year Anniversary to remind everyone that the struggle in Haiti is far from over. The song also discusses various topics about Haiti’s Historical Value from the perspective of  each Artist & their diverse views!
http://hiphopcongress.nationbuilder.com  and http://www.HipHopCongress.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvlYjns5c-g&feature=youtu.be

Yung Azz J of RDV (Oakland,CA)
DLabrie of RDV (Oakland,CA)
Stress of Crimson Vision (Queens, NY)
Damion Glass (Oakland,CA)
Rahman Jamaal of RDV (Redwood City,CA)
Akil the MC of Jurassic 5 (L.A to Atlanta,GA)
Marvaless (Sacramento,CA)
Bueno (Sacramento,CA)
Bigg Mann of Cap Biz/Geddog Records (Sacramento,CA)
Knowble of Serendipity Project (Santa Cruz, CA to Boston,MA)
Knobody of Hieroglyphics (Oakland,CA)
Tone of GorillaPits (San Leandro,CA)
KLoc of GorillaPits (San Leandro,CA)
Remy Red of The Dragons (San Leandro,CA)
XSF of The Dragons (San Leandro,CA)
D-Nick of F.E.W (Chicago, IL to Flint, MI
YDMC of RDV (San Jose,CA to Atlanta,GA)
Ony Oz of One Survival Movement (Richmond, CA/Sacramento,CA)
Ms Vybe (Sacramento,CA)
Dorn the Overseer (L.A)
Blaze 5 (Las Vegas ,NV)
Halo Bzerk (Las Vegas ,NV)
Dru Diamondz (Bronx N.Y)
Big Roma
Dot Goodie of Hustlanity Ent/Team Goody (Oakland,CA)
Lil Blood of Livewire Records (Oakland, CA)
Maj Gutta of Hustlanity Ent. (Oakland, CA
Rux – RuxWorld /Nu Realm Ent. (Vallejo, CA)
Chonkum of BlockMonsta Muzik/Team Goodie(Oakland, CA)
Young Deshi (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Sellassie of In House (San Francisco, CA)
Machetero (Watsonville, CA)
Mikhael (Bay Area,CA)
Megabusive of Isolated Wax (San Jose, CA)
Johnny Afro of KZSU Stanford Radio (East Palo Alto, CA)
Pygmalion
Nat the Boss of HHK Records (Oakland, CA)
J Ross Parrelli (Auburn,CA/Long Beach, New Jersey)
Hippie Hop (Tracy,CA)

CHANGING THE WORLD ONE CYPHER AT A TIME!!
Contact – RDVbiz1@gmail More Info or Download -www.DLabrie.com

Rosa Clemente Gives keynote at Hip Hop Congress Convention in Detroit

Rosa Clemente at Hip Hop Congress Convention

Rosa Clemente gave the keynote address this evening (June 26, 2010) at the national conference of the Hip-Hop Congress in Detroit, MI. Taking place adjacent to the U.S. Social Forum this gathering of what Clemente described as, “the only real national hip-hop political organization,” happens at yet another moment of crisis in what is the permanent moment of crisis for oppressed and exploited communities. And that which also goes by “the hip-hop community” is indeed among them.

Rosa Clemente is among only a few who are able to, with a severe relatively, speak so often and so publicly of the many issues confronted by the hip-hop community. Those issues are, of course, the issues which face us all and include political prisoners and mass incarceration. They are the struggles over poverty, police brutality, as well as, rampant and violent misogyny – to the point, as Clemente made clear tonight, that death at the hands of spouse or loved one is the third leading cause of death for women in this country. These issues include capitalism, colonialism, zionism, pan-Africanism, Puerto Rican nationalism and sound responses to the simple ridiculous claims of hip-hop’s electoral power shown in its ability to elect Obama. Clemente addressed all these and more issues in a way that young people too often are kept from and too often at the hands of the cultural expression or the loudest hip-hop spokespeople, authors and academics. Who is to define our struggle and the avenues we take to develop a future world that itself is defined by us? This was the fundamental question asked and it is a question that demands a strong and collective answer.

Hear the entire speech at: http://www.voxunion.com/?p=2776

by Jared Ball

Hip Hop Congress Seeking Artist 4 Haiti Relief Song

Hip-Hop Congress- Haiti Benefit Song- (spit 8Bars)-
All Proceeds Go To The People Of Haiti
 
ATTENTION!!  All Artists Worldwide Unite For Haiti- Ongoing Rap/Song Quilt
Send back seperate tracked out wav files of verse 8 Bars (rap, poem, spoken word, singing, drops,instrumentas)  ASAP
 
This requires our immediate atention as artists. Lets Unite for a Powerful message when it counts
 
Send verse here DLabrozia2005@yahoo.com and cc HipHoppa13@aol.com WAVE’S please !!
 
This song is also in honor of Oakland Legend “Too Short” who has always made songs that spoke about struggle and issues in the world such as “The Ghetto”, “I Want to be free”, and the Mega-Hit “Life is Too Short” 

List of Artists in Support so far: Add your name…. 

DLabrie, Rahman Jamaal, Knobody (Hieroglyfics), E-Dawg, Sir Mixalot, Bigg Mann, Bueno, Swisherbox Studios, RDV Promo, Ms Jay, YDMC, Blaze 5, Kev Choice, Kung Fu Vampire, SaikoDelic

The list is Growing every second. Be on the right side of History Text YELE to 501501 and donate $5 to Haiti from your phone bill!! 

INFO LINK – http://www.divshare.com/folder/665795-754 

Upload pix/logos on your pages in SUPPORT of the people of Haiti www.yele.org or www.hiphopcongress.com 

@HipHopCongress is organizing a song 4 Haiti 4 ALL ARTISTS worldwide.Drop 8 Bars INFO @ http://tinyurl.com/yaokadx proceeds 2 @Yelehaiti 
Thank You, DLabrie,
President of RonDavoux Records
National Outreach Director of Hip HopCongress
5107989610 

  

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

National hip-hop conference in Seattle this week

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 Hip Hop National Congress 8th national conference comes to Seattle’s Central District, July 29 to August 2.

Hip-hop is making a stand this week in Seattle.

Starting today, for a week, the Hip Hop Congress 8th National Conference comes to Seattle, at various venues across the Central District. Through workshops and concerts, the conference focuses on developing hip-hop business and educating the next generation.

“Seattle is a hotbed of talent, intelligence and leadership,” said Hip Hop National Congress founder and executive director Shamako Noble. “It only made sense to connect with that energy for our annual conference.”

Hip Hop National Congress is a grass-roots cultural organization with 70 chapters across the world. The nonprofit aims to preserve and move hip-hop forward through concerts, festivals and teach-ins.

Aptly themed “This is our time,” the weeklong Seattle conference moves away from analyzing hip-hop to doing it and being it. In addition to training on management and distribution, there will be screenings of the films “New Muslim Cool;” 2003 Sundance film “The Beat”; and hip-hop and education in South Africa documentary “Masizakhe.”

The Knox Fam will be performing at the National Hip Hop Conference this weekend in Seattle

The Knox Fam will be performing at the National Hip Hop Conference this weekend in Seattle

Independent artists from all over the country will perform throughout the week, including AKIL THE MC of Jurassic 5, The Jacka, DLabrie, Knox Fam, Black Stax, Mic Crenshaw, Quanstar, Toki Wright, Raashan Ahmad of Crown City Rockers, Rahman Jamaal and Congress founder Noble.

“This year we’re just bringing that love and energy to the 206, and we’re gonna take that same love and energy back across the world,” said Oakland rapper DLabrie, who has performed for the past four years at the annual conference.

The conference also offers free studio time with registration. Coordinators plan to compile all the rhymes recorded during the conference into an album.

There’s also going to be an exhibit of photos taken from Dope Emporium, hip-hop arts expos that took place in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Kentucky.

Dovetailing with the conference is the UmojaFest, which includes an African-American heritage festival and Parade. There will also be a youth rally.

“I just want to show people that there’s more than just living with violence … that you can be peaceful,” said youth rally coordinator Darrin Ravenel, 15.

The location of the conference reflects that message as well.

“The conference is in an area where there was a lot of youth violence last year,” said Noble of the Central District conference. “I hope we can contribute to the healing process.”

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com

source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2009554475_hiphopcongress29.html

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Hip Hop Congress National Convention Comes to Seattle

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HipJHopCongressflierThis Year, Hip Hop Congress is proud to announce its 2009 National Conference to be held in SEATTLE, WA. With a bubbling hip-hop scene easing it’s way on to the national radar, Seattle provides a prime location. The conference will focus on practical “do it now” solutions to create social and business progress for the hip-hop community and the communities it was born from.

In the spirit of coalition building and community Support, Hip Hop Congress has partnered with such local groups as the Umojafest P.E.A.C.E. Center, Dope Emporium, Seattle Hip-Hop Youth Council, 206 Zulu, Global Fam, Oseao Music Group, B-Girl Media, the Bassmeant, Mothers Outreach Movement, Reclaim the Media, Urban Teachers Network, Silicon Valley DeBug, Hip Hop Without Boarders, 2nd Nature and other local organizations and collectives. The conference will be hosted at a series of neighborhood institutions in the Central District of Seattle.

The conference will provide tools for independent artists and entrepreneurs to develop the hip-hop economy as well as harnessing hip-hop has an effective solution to education and youth development in the face of youth violence crisis and school closure featuring workshops and trainings in Digital Distribution, On Line Marketing and Promotion, Hip Hop and Education Programming and Civic Engagement.

Workshops include:
Artist Management
Digital Distribution
Urban Teachers
plus more

Film Screenings of
“The Muslim Cool”
“The Beat”
“Masizakeh”

Registration is only $10 and can be done online at www.hiphopcongress.com. Scholarships and program collaboration is available for youth.

If you are interested in providing a workshop or being a sponsor, please contact shamako@hiphopcongress.com. If you are interested in performing please email berkowtiz@hiphopcongress.co m. All other inquires should be forwarded through the website.

HIP HOP CONGRESS
Start Time:
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 10:00am
End Time:
Sunday, August 2, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location:
SEATTLE
City/Town:
Seattle, WA
Phone:
4085166952
Email:

Born in Aztlan-Meet Hip Hop Zulu King Apakalips (Respect His Lyrical Prowess)

We sat down and talk with San Jose rapper, activist, teacher & Zulu King Apakalips. He’s one of the Bay Area’s best kept secrets. Listen to the Breakdown FM Interview w/ Apakalips HERE:

breakdownFM-logo-podcast-30

Download and Listen to Breakdown INTV

BreakdownFM-Apakalips Interview

 

When we talk about Bay Area Hip Hop we often focus on what is happening in Oakland which is considered Ground Zero. It is in ‘Tha Town’, that we find the likes of Too Short, Digital Underground, Keak da Sneak,Hiero, Blackalicious, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Saafir, Zion I, Mistah FAB and so many more.After Oakland, the spotlight usually turns to neighboring San Francisco which is home to Bay Area legends like San Quinn,Rappin’ 4tay, Paris, Michael Franti,DJ Q-Bert, DJ Apollo and in recent days artists like Big Rich.

Sadly many overlook San Jose which is actually the largest city in the Bay Area and the epic center to high tech Silicon Valley.Perhaps its because San Jose is 45 minutes away from Frisco and Oakland which are just minutes apart or perhaps its because companies like Apple, Google, Oracle and other high tech giants dominate the news and overshadow SJ hip Hop. Whatever the case, make no mistake San Jose and the South Bay region has had major impact.

San Jose and the South Bay is or has been home to some notable folks who we all know and love.DJ King Tech of the Wake Up Show, producer Fredwreck, producer Kutmasta Kurt, DJ Peanut Butter Wolf and his Stones Throw record label started out of San Jose.DJ Kevvy Kev who is headed to his 25th year on the air, pioneering graph writer Scape One, female dance pioneer Aiko, Grand Diva Kim Collete, prolific writer AdisaBanjoko, Hip Hop Congress president Shamako Noble are some other names that also come to mind when we talk about folks who put the SJ and the South Bay on the map.Anyone from this part of town recalls the legendary b-boy battles that were routinely held at the Hank Lopez Center with the full support and cooperation of the city which was step up from San Francisco and Oakland.

This is the conversation we had with Apakalips a long time fixture in the San Jose rap scene who just released his masterpiece of a solo album called ‘The Otherside‘ Originally from Southern Cali, this community activist/ school teacher started out around 2002 with a group called Tributairies .They were best known for blowing up the Iguanas Cafe in downtown San Jose where they sparked off Lyrical Discipline.This was a weekly Friday night gathering which attracted emcees from all over the South Bay who would come through and test their skills.It was done in the same vein as the Lyricist Lounge in NY, the Good Life in LA or the now legendary underground parties and freestyles sessions at 4001 Jackson street in Oakland put together by Mystik Journeymen and the Living Legends crew.

Apakalips later went on to join the Universal Zulu Nation and eventually became the president of the Gateway chapter and quickly made it one of the more active chapters in the country. Apakalips would routinely hold unity meetings as he’d gather the heads of key Hip Hop and community organizations and tastemakers in the San Jose community to find common ground and to collectively work on projects impacting us all. He was tapping into the fact that San Jose had some of the pro-active heads who have some well heeled Hip Hop organizations around that have done incredible work. Shout outs to Hip Hop Congress, D-Bug, MACLA, Funk lab and Miese to name a few.

During our interview we talked about the release of his new album ‘The Other Side‘. It has been critically acclaimed and for many its a throwback to a date and time where people allowed their creativity to roam completely free without fear of violating some sort of record company politics or copyright laws. The Otherside has unexpected samples that give this an album your traditional boom bap sound on one track and a Latin tinged sound on another. Still on other songs you will hear the influences of drum and bass. No two songsare alike, yet the album has a consistent theme in terms of being gritty and lyrically sound.

The ‘Otherside‘ covers many topics including, California’s unique contributions to Hip Hop and its b-boy, b-girl tradition and its cultural influences. During our interview we talked about how Hip Hop is a form of communication and within it cultural expressions and activities like dance and rap go way beyond Hip Hop, and in fact are deeply rooted in traditional Mayan, Aztec and African traditions. Apakalips felt that it was important that we view Hip Hop with a larger historical and cultural lens.

We talked about the social and political movements that proceeded Hip Hop and how they impacted Hip Hop culture in the past and today.We particularly built upon the legacy of the Black Panthers and Brown Berets.Aakpalips reminded us that during the hey days of those organizations in the late 60s and early 70s we had Hip Hop expressions in the west coast with pioneering groups like the often overlooked Black Resurgents dance crew who were strutting and roboting long before Michael Jackson, dancers on Soul Train or the word Hip Hop was coined.

We talked at length about the important role Latinos played in Hip Hop, specifically the role Chicanos here on the West Coast. Apakalips lays out the long history and reminds us that just like their Puerto Rican counterparts on the East coast, Chicanos were down with Hip Hop from the very beginning especially in the areas of graf. He noted that here in the west Chicano writers, taggers and muralist had a big impact on Hip Hop.We talked aboutthe early emcees and deejays and the influence that icons like Julio G and Tony G who were part of the legendary KDAY Mixmasters in LA had on West Coast Hip Hop culture.

We also talked at length about the long social and cultural connection that NY had with LA. Long before there was some media driven East-West coast war, early Hip Hoppers were routinely going back and forth and building with one another. It was all love throughout the 80s. Apakalips talked about how pioneering Hip Hop and Latino figures like Hen G, and Prince Whipper Whip and Zulu King Afrika Islam hooked up with Ice T and helped set a tone for things to come.They set off famous Hip Hop club nights like Radiotron Water the Bush and Club United Nations and formed groups like Rhyme Syndicate and the Zulu Kings.

We ended by talking about some of the challenges facing San Jose’s Hip Hop community.One thing that is being addressed is the homeless problem. Apakalips and many others feel like the city hasn’t been doing enough. They are also addressing issues facing San Jose’s growing migrant worker population. In recent days they have also been dealing with an oppressive promoters law which requires anyone promoting an entertainment event to pay a 500 dollar fee and get a license which will allow one to put their name on flyers and pass them out.

written by  Davey D

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

 

Turning Outrage Into Power-National Hip Hop Political Convention

National Hip Hop Political Convention-nhhpc

Turning Outrage Into Power
By Malik Cooper, WireTap

Alternet — August 16, 2006

www.alternet.org/story/40441/

Saying hip-hop is global now isn’t telling you
something you don’t already know, unless you have been
living under a rock since Planet Rock first dropped.
But using the art form for political gains is something
new, and spearheading this movement is the National Hip
Hop Political Convention (NHHPC).

The 2006 NHHPC in Chicago — the second biennial
convention — opened on July 20 and over the course of
three days engaged over 1,000 participants in the
debates over issues like misogyny in hip-hop, media
justice, the aftermath of Katrina, grassroots activism,
organizational leadership and electoral politics. The
convention closed with a concert on Saturday featuring
Dead Prez, Chicago Poets and Boots Riley among many
other artists.

NHHPC was founded in late 2002 when some elders pulled
organizers from all over the country for the first
national convention in New Jersey that aimed at
creating a political agenda for the hip-hop community.
I first got involved at this time, as we worked at
finding the issues of our community. Born and raised in
California’s Bay Area, I had been speaking publicly
since a young age, but became really active when I
finished filming MTV’s Real World series. After the
show I traveled as a motivational speaker to colleges
and got involved with youth organizations committed to
the fight against Big Tobacco. Through a good friend I
got invited to the Bay Area’s Local Organizing
Committee (Bay-LOC) meeting, and began to get involved
in hip-hop politics.

Like other local organizers around the country, we went
around our community with issue sheets for people to
fill out, which we used to create a state agenda.
During the state convention individuals from over 30
states and Puerto Rico came together and created a
national agenda. By February 2005, a group of different
LOC members had a retreat in Atlanta and formed a
national body with a steering committee whose goals
were to help bring local groups together and facilitate
any national work that needed to be done.

After Bay-LOC returned to California, we began to
organize a local Hip Hop Summit at Laney College in
Oakland in September 2005. One day of workshops and a
concert, which included performances from Dead Prez and
E40, attracted thousands. We had support and speeches
from Rep. Barbara Lee and Bay-LOC’s own Dereca
Blackman, and handed out voter guides, which we rewrote
in new language that identified with the hip-hop
generation.

Around the same time, the Chicago-LOC began working as
a host committee for the next convention. It was up to
them to handle the event program, and the event’s
success can only be attributed to their hard work.

The convention itself started with a dialogue between
organizers of past movements like Civil Rights and
Black Power, including Fred Hampton Jr. (Prisoners Of
Conscience Committee), Cliff Kelley (WVON Radio Host),
Angela Woodson (Federation of Democratic Women), and
writer and activist Amina Norman-Hawkins. Organizers
both young and old felt this was needed, since many
believed the torch was never passed on to the new
generation.

Hip-hop politics today — as I see it — identifies
strongly with the Black Power movement; the lyrics in
conscious rap resonate with ideals of Malcolm X and
self-determination. The Bay Area especially identifies
with the Black Panthers since its roots are found here.
But all over the globe — and even in early days of
hip- hop, when most music came from New York — lyrics
focus on the social ills and mistreatment of people of
color in this country. The same “@#%$ the system”
attitude gave birth to gangsta rap. And although the
majority of it now focuses on the material and the
misogynistic, early pioneers of the art form told the
world what was going on or was absent in their
neighborhoods. In other countries like Brazil,
Venezuela, Cuba — today more than ever — hip-hop
serves this same purpose.

Not everyone at the convention represented a LOC, and
with the alliance building that had been taking place
since the NHHPC’s inception, I saw other hip-hop groups
like the Hip Hop Congress represented there in full
force, leading workshops and hosting the concert piece.
The League of Young Voters had a huge presence, and not
only helped raise money for the convention but also
taught workshops on branding the hip-hop political
movement, lobbying, base building and electoral
politics.

The first day’s workshops seemed geared at creating
better methods of organizing the organizers. Panels and
workshops focused on alliance building, using art for
activism, political prisoners, organizing against war
and occupation, hip-hop and gender politics,
nonviolence strategies, and the use of electoral
politics.

On that Friday afternoon, a jam-packed room of folks
from all over the country listened to Kali Acunu
(Jericho Amnesty Movement), Troy Nkrumah, (chair of the
NHHPC steering committee), and chairman Fred Hampton
Jr. (Prisoners Of Conscience Committee) talk about the
many political prisoners that are currently
incarcerated. Harman Bell, Kamau Sadiki, Zolo Azania
Ojora Lutalo, Rodney Coronado, and Veronza Bowers were
a few of the names mentioned. Rapper Immortal Technique
event came in and voiced his support on the issue, and
it definitely was one of the most informative panels.

Saturday, July 21, seemed to begin with many issue-
based workshops and panels on education, criminal
justice, health and wellness, Katrina, immigration,
gender rights, white privilege in hip-hop, and media
justice. The media justice panel included Lisa Fager
(Industry Ears) and Davey D (Hardknock Radio/Breakdown
FM), who talked about a variety of subjects like the
media’s control over hip-hop and net neutrality. The
immigration and gender rights were two new issues added
to the 2006 agenda. I led the panel on gender rights,
whose purpose was to expose some of the misogynistic
rap lyrics in a social context, allowing participants
to better understand why the popular rap pushed by
record executives and radio stations seem so focused on
portraying negative images.

After the panels were over, a concert was thrown with a
battle between local folks. Using all the elements of
hip-hop, from rapping, break dancing, DJ-ing and
graffiti, crews took to the stage to compete for a
$1,000 prize. Afterward, local conscious artists like
Akbar, and national artists like Dead Prez and Immortal
Technique gave amazing performances. Even Chicago’s
rain and thunder could not clear the crowd formed at
Mandrake Park.

Sunday was a day for the national steering committee to
hear the voices of participants. Delegates representing
different LOCs, artists and organizers for different
groups were allowed to change the agenda and recommend
action steps that the LOCs can take home and start
implementing. The location for the next convention will
be announced soon. Will it be back East in New York,
down South in Atlanta, out West in the Bay Area, or
will newly formed but highly active Las Vegas LOC take
the 2008 to its Red State? We shall have to wait and
see.

The organization as a whole has a talent at balancing
the varied political views of its members, some of
which seek to fight for social justice through
electoral politics, while others seemed more determined
to fight through grassroots activism. The way these
varied ideologies have still found a way to work
together for a common goal is why the NHHPC is still
going and growing strong. The structure with no leader
but still led strong through the local organizing
committee gives this organization a type of strength
that I have not seen in many other organizations that
function more top-down. I believe this unique model
will help keep their work relevant, and the
organization intact.

===
For more information about the NHHPC, or to learn how
to start a LOC (Local Organizing Committee) in your
area, go to HipHopConvention.org.

[Malik Cooper is the national spokesperson for the
NHHPC, as well as a Bay-LOC member. He also owns a
silk- screening and embroidery shop called People’s
Choice Printing.]

Return To Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner