It’s been a while since we heard from former UMC member Kim Sharpton who is best known to us as NY Oil. Many recall the UMC for such songs as ‘Blue Cheese’ and ‘One to Grow On’. After the group broke up in the late 90s Kim went underground for a while and then re-emerged in 2005 with a controversial song called ‘Y’all Need to Be Lynched’. In this song Oil takes sharp jabs at a number of then current rap stars including Jim Jones for spewing misogynist and what he described as ‘coon-like’ messages.
The song firmly re-positioned NY Oil into the rap scene with his video being nominated for a Grammy. It also helped usher a new wave of underground conscious artists including acts like Jasiri X (Pittsburgh), Rebel Diaz (The Bronx) Hakim Green formerly of Channel Live (New York) Uno the Prophet (Boston), Ise Lyfe (Oakland), T-Kash (Oakland) Question (San Antonio) Public Offenders (Austin) Anita Tijoux (Chile) Invincible (Detroit) and numerous others. In fact the conscious movement in recent years has blossomed to include more than 200 artists who are now featured in a conscious artist data base compiled together by Uno the Prophet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diKUyMNgj_s
Last summer NY Oil took swipes at the conscious Hip Hop community accusing too many artists of being more interested in getting airplay then actually carrying a message. He said he was going to lay low for a while on the rap tip and work on some projects to push the envelop. He started an online radio show and began going in on people and highlighting issues. He briefly popped up in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake and put together a well attended concert that included both mainstream and underground artists. It raised several thousand dollars for former presidential candidate Ron Daniel‘s foundation Haiti Support Project.
Today NY Oil is set to take things to another level. He recently inked a deal with BET to do a Thursday night show called the Conscious Countdown. Its a weekly venture that will feature a roundtable discussion with activists and socially conscious rap artists from around the country and videos both old and new that put forth what NY Oil described as ‘compelling’ messages that challenge the masses.
“I’m a man of action B”, NY Oil said in a recent interview. “I’m about making things happen”. He went on to explain that it took some doing, but he presented all the necessary facts and figures and had some hard negotiations with BET brass. In the end everything worked out. NY Oil will have complete creative control with plans to eventually launch a full 24 hour day channel on one of BET subchannels.
NY Oil also noted that there are so many people doing great stuff all over the country that need to have their activities highlighted. “I’m glad BET finally came around to see that we are more than dumbed down gangstas and comedians”, he said. “Activist and anyone doing anything positive needs to get at me… The way it stands now I’m the muthfuckin’ gate-keeper. I’m the head Negro in charge. If I don’t bless it on the Conscious Countdown show then shit is good as dead-So fall back if you half stepping. If you on some real ‘uplift the community’ vibe-get at me” NY Oil said.
NY concluded by explaining that the Conscious Countdown will have some classic videos from groups like Public Enemy, X-Clan, dead prez, Common and many others. The newer videos will come from members who are part of the Conscious Hip Hop database. NY explained that many of the artists like Rebel Diaz and Invincible have already put out well received videos. In fact some like Invincible’s ‘Lotus’ are mini-documentaries dealing with issues like gentrification. NY has his own film company called PEMG with a lot of young film makers who can sit down with artists and craft nice video.
“Look B..I’m tired of cats coming to the party with sloppy ass shit. It’s more then obvious video making at their lane… Me and Debra (Lee) was talking and we both decided , it’ll be in rappers best interests to slide us a few bucks and lets us do what we do”….”Give us at least 3Gs and we’ll make you a video and give you an interview and make you known to muthafuckas around the country.. Word is Born” NY Oil said.
The debut of Conscious Countdown will be next week Thursday April 8th.. The first round table will include Professor Cornel West, Congress woman Maxine Waters, Dr Marc Lamont Hill and Khloe Kadashian.
When pressed as to why he would include the reality show star on the Conscious Countdown, NY Oil replied ‘Its all about the ratings B.. lemme do what I do..I’m running shit and you’re not so ease up son-ease up”
If anyone is interested in getting on the Conscious Countdown Show hit up NY Oil via twitter at www.twitter.com/NYoil
To get a better understanding of how the Conscious Countdown came about peep this.. Here NY Oil explains how BET lisenced the song and produced the Y’all should Get Lynched video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-bhXbguMjw
Below is a video That NY plans to play featuring Jay-Z and singer Chris Brown
april 1st joke? can´t find it on bet.com
“The way it stands now I’m the muthfuckin’ gate-keeper. I’m the head Negro in charge. If I don’t bless it on the Conscious Countdown show then shit is good as dead-So fall back if you half stepping. If you on some real ‘uplift the community’ vibe-get at me” NY Oil said. ”
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Did this dude really say this? NY SPOIL is wack! You ain’t the gate-keeper son, BET is…humble yourself son!
All this dude talks about is being the most conscious EMCEE, the most this or the most that…over other rappers…
You wanna lynch rappers, lynch the white man. But you can’t do that so you constantly beat up on other rappers!
Conscious and BET in one sentence wasnt making sense to me lol…good one Dave! a2ndtake.com, check out our “Turman Talks” column if you get the chance. We’re trying to balance entertainment and knowledge. Will it work? I dont know but thank you for being an alternative.
Definitely your finest one yet! Sounds EXACTLY like him!
I wonder if they will play aisha sekhmet’s whiteman bitch video?
@ Abdul Rahman..
damn brother.. it’s like that?!?.. u can’t be happy for a brother?!?.
I gotta be all that?!?!.. and u wonder why it took so long to get this far?!?.. See .. this is the problem.. no cohesion.. especially in this so called conscious community. Cause i aint talking the exact language and way you want me to.. i’m NYSPOIL..(LOL)
That’s a damn shame.. it’s really sad too.. cause u so smart but u aint doing the full knowledge
yours truly
NYOIL aka Abdul Rahman (yeah that’s my name too fam)
we need more of this concious and positive vibe in the hip hop culture, good luck!
i’m hoping this isn’t another april fools prank, i actually like the idea. success to NYOIL and all of his future endeavors.
Wait hold up…this is a joke? lol
Since I see this cat is reading this. . .
. . .Khloe Kardashian sun? Word?!?
I know the ratings make or break tv. . .but damn. I hope this shit don’t turn out to be a gimmick. I guess I’ll wait to see how this goes down. Definitely not holdin my breath.
@yeAight … word son.. u’re not going to be holding your breath!?!?..
damn.. well I aught to give up right now! Considering I never could have made it without you fam!!
lol
U just spoke before u did the knowledge.. U didn’t even science the whole thing out..
That’s why this movement is so impotent.. cause yall talk like your smart but u’re really not. It’s not that any of yall are intelligent.. you’re just opinionated.
And dig fam.. it aint just directed at YOU.. cause you don’t even exist in my reality really.. but this is just a great example of what i’m talking about.
U read whatever portion of this and just started running your big mouth.. before u got to the punchline.. lol.. U believe in things u didn’t even research.. u didn’t even fully read…
lol… wow.. U Fail.. big time.. when u figure out how.. let me know so we can be Kool…. but i won’t hold my breath..
“It’s Unbelievable!” “Recognize!” “Outstanding!” Still d.i.t.c. striving to express my sentiments. 😉 More Strength, Unity, Peace!
luv it brotha need a balance this crap hip hop now is messing the kids up promoting filth those record companies good job nyoil
happy to see this. I hope he asks Cornel west about he and so called scholars that signed a letter against cuba. Amiri Baraka and Glenn Ford stood very strong and denounced the antics of the right wing carlos moore. Since the letter was penned the right ring of the cuban exiles that yes have a terrorist history marched in numbers of 10,000 in miami and gloria estefan has invited obama to 34500 ticket per couple fundraiser for the dnc. gloria estefan in her hatred aginst cuba/castro funded a plane of the so called brothers to the rescue. if you read the book by Vivian Didion- Miami it spells it all out of which they made the exiles in interviews exposed their violent history inc. posada carriles. Plus trip out the unfair treatment of haitians/liberty 7 to the cubano exiles that hate castro and jfk and got off from charges of bombings in miami dc and new york and blowing up planes- but yet our scholarly ignored that and signed the letter accusing cuba of racism???
I forgot to add that this is very interesting that people are debating Eryka’s video however the location of the video was where jfk was killed…and her message does come around full cicle of events having today. the exiles of cuba made no secret of their hatred of jfk because they thought that they had so much power that when they demanded he attack castro and cuba but he flipped on the exiles and said he would not. back then jfk became number 2 they hated vicsously and it was documented that some that had connections to the cia were in dallas sitting there but the investigations ignored that. I have been saying but the video has a lot of truth to it besides of someone without clothes look at the times. I wonder if Eryka have made the video with clothes would bpeople give 2 cents? people need to really wake up because there is a lot going on besides the videos- the case of mumia abu-jamal and other political prisoners. the attacks on cuba and venezueala and their leaders, the starving haitians that have not received any serious aid from the vulture funds the attacks on the somalians calling them pirates in their own land and waters, the killing of the iman in detroit etc.
It’s good to see you on your grind, NY. I wish you the best on that, and I hope you will wish the best on my project.
Peace to brother Kim and much, much love. I bought(yes bought!!) your album back in the day so Im no stranger to what you do. I know as a minister of Muhammads temple #13 we will all be watching your show. I would love to have you on my blogtalk radio show someday. But if not it’s all good! I thank Allah that you parlay your music success into concious awareness and will support it with all I have. This will include shout outson my local t.v. show radio show and in the Temple. P.S. my favorite song was morals so you dont thik I’m just schmoozin’ As-Salaam-Alaikum