Archives for 2013

Rupert Murdoch Unleashes a Vicious Media Attack on Black Folks Over Stop & Frisk

Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch

For some this headline and accompanying picture will come as no surprise. What can you expect from the New York Post? It’s always been a trash newspaper designed to prod people and get them upset, angry and fearful. Maybe Australian born Rupert Murdoch who owns the paper did this because of the recent killing in Duncan, Oklahoma of the Australian baseball player..

Perhaps this was his way of striking back to what he perceives as a racially charged wrong doing..  Or maybe he never stopped to realize that the longer you use media outlets to plant seeds of discord which he and his Fox media empire do everyday at every moment, that you will eventually have to face a dumbed down uncaring, angry at the world public..

Instead of fostering dialogue Murdoch seeks to end it and get people to be at odds with one another. He wants his publications to be the modern-day versions of Birth of a Nation film maker DW Griffith, whose destructive work of stereotyping and dehumanizing of Black people led to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan who were heroes in this movie,  mass lynchings of Black people all over the country and eventually race riots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4v_yRFf4-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t-7SVbLjBw

The layout including the picture of Madonna and her grill are quite deliberate and designed to ratch up more fear of the ‘Black male menace‘ who according to Murdoch, the New York City  council sided with when they voted to hold  NYPD accountable for Stop and Frisk. Expect a massive campaign from Murdoch and folks in the media who think like him to sensationalize and highlight every wrong doing by anyone Black to the point, that people will be begging to reverse yesterday’s vote against Stop and Frisk. Character assassination, negative, dehumanizing media depictions have impacted killed more people than guns ever have or will..

We should also remind folks, with a big mayoral election right around the corner, this is also Murdoch’s attempt to sway voters, by getting them to vote for candidates who will continue support fascist policing policies

On a side note, this week Al Jazerra America just launched and for many who are seeing it it has been a welcome change from the news we normally see here in the states. People like the news stories and the ethnic diversity shown on air. They also like the fact that the people being highlighted are not cheerleaders and paid pundits for particular political parties.

The campaign against AJAM is that they are run by Muslims who are gonna try and covert everyone to Islam and call for Jihad. Xenophobic backwards thinking people are upset that a foreign company is running the media. Sadly those same folks seem to forget that Murdoch is a foreigner and so is his Fox Media empire. But I guess if your white and foreign then its ok..

And yes, for those  who are wondering, I’m well aware in many parts of the world that state run Al Jazerra is just as problematic for some the same way Fox is. But how they squelch dissent in their homeland of Qatar is of little concern to the xenophobic folks objecting to them here in the US..
NY Post Headlines Thugs.06.11 AM

NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg Takes Issue w/ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘King of NY’ Remarks

michael-bloombergIt’s hard to say for sure what Kendrick Lamar really intended when he dropped his wicked verse on Big Sean‘s Outta Control, but weeks later all sorts of folks continue to get into the act.. There are thus far over 30 responses with luminaries such as basketball coaching legend Phil Jackson weighing after being name checked.

Over the past couple of weeks there have been heated discussions both on radio and all across the internet about whether or not Kendrick’s verse even warrants all this attention..

As was noted in previous posts on the subject, the most controversial line in that verse was Kendrick claiming to be ‘The King of New York”. That rubbed many the wrong way and has been the motivation for many of the responses to the West Coast based emcee.

One thing about New York City,  is folks do not like anyone who is not from there disparaging the city. Folks may recall back in the days when Death Row Records was in full swing, Snoop Dogg along with the Dogg Pound decided to do video to their song New York, New York. They depicted Snoop and others knocking down buildings or sitting on top of them. Not only did a set off a firestorm including a immediate song and video response from Mobb Deep,  but when word got out they were filming, angry New Yorkers showed up and started shooting.

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

With respect to Kendrick Lamar, he has been feeling a lot of heat from proud New Yorkers. For him things just got real when New York’ ‘s billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a response. He too wasn’t appreciative of what Kendrick had to say and let it be known. He reminded Lamar as well as fellow New Yorkers, how the city is run and who is really in control in spite of the Outta Control verse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkDN33oed9M

 

 

 

Hard Knock Radio: The Plight of Florida’s Other Slain Unarmed Teen, Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis

Jordan Davis

HKR August 15 2013: Today on Hard Knock Radio Anita Johnson sits down with John M. Phillips the attorney for the Jordan Davis family. For those who don’t recall last year Florida had two 17-year-old Black teens who were killed by racist individuals using Stand Your Ground Laws. We all know about the murder of Trayvon Martin and how he was profiled, followed and killed by George Zimmerman but not too many know about Jordan Davis.

Several months after the Trayvon slaying in November 2012, a white man named Michael Dunn saw some Black teenagers in a car and felt he they were playing their music too loud. He confronted them, according to him, words were exchanged. Dunn said he felt threatened and thus emptied his gun into the car containing 6-8 unarmed teenagers. When the gun smoke cleared 17-year-old Jordan Davis laid dead.

We discuss the particulars of the case, what steps are being taken to bring about justice and how they compare to the Trayvon case.

Later in the show we hear a commentary from political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and a riveting speech from Michelle Alexander the author of the book ‘The New Jim Crow‘.

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

Click the link below to download or listen to the HKR Intv

Hard Knock Radio_August 15 2013

Hard Knock Radio: History of Black August | Why All the Turmoil in Egypt?

HKR: August 21 2013: Today on Black August_Oakland_2009 Hard Knock Radio co-host Anita Johnson sits down with long time community activist and former Black Panther Mama Ayanna to discuss the meaning of Black August. They focus on the life and political philosophy of prison movement founder George Jackson who was assassinated this day (Aug 21st ) back in 1971.

They also talk about the Haitian Revolution which was revolt led by enslaved Africans which kicked off in August of 1791

They also discusses the slave revolt led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831. 55 whites were killed as whites retaliated and killed 200 Blacks hanging 56 who they believed involved with the resurrection.

Later in the show Davey D sits down and talks with award-winning journalist Mona Eltahawy who is based in Cairo about the ongoing conflict and the roots to it.. They discuss the conditions that led up to what is called the ‘Arab Spring‘ and why Eltahawy saw it as a Revolution. We also talk to her about the Muslim brotherhood and the Military and what those two organizations/ institutions mean to the country. This pt 1 of a two-part interview

Click the link below to download or Listen

Click the link below to download or Listen to the HKR Intv

Hard Knock Radio podcast:_Aug 21 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqtL5iCi3WE

On Aug 21st George Jackson Died, Nat Turner Rebelled & Bradley Manning is Sentenced

George Jackson

George Jackson

August 21st is a crazy day today.. First it marks the 43rd anniversary of George Jackson being killed in San Quentin by prison guards.. His death and the movement he sparked to change conditions inside prison is a catalyst for Black August..

Jackson was a prisoner who became an author, a member of the Black Panther Party, and co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family prison organization. He achieved global fame as one of the Soledad Brothers before being executed by prison guards in San Quentin Prison. He was man who fought to change the conditions of prisoners which were best articulated in a book which contains a collection of letters and essays called ‘Soledad Brother‘  and Blood in My Eye which was completed just days before he died.  The latter book focuses on Jackson’s philosophy and understanding of the Freedom struggles at that time..

http://vimeo.com/27870164

 http://vimeo.com/27870164
Nat Turner and FEAR of slave revolts has resulted in deep-seated suspicions of Black people that are alive and well today

Nat Turner and FEAR of slave revolts has resulted in deep-seated suspicions of Black people that are alive and well today

Today also marks the day that Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in 1831 in Virginia..55 whites were killed.. 100 African who were enslaved were killed.. 56 were executed.. Nat’s actions led to new laws  forbidding the educating of Blacks and as well as our right to assemble

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wub3XUoQAgQ

Today we just Bradley Manning who blew the whistle on gross government wrong doings was sentenced to 35 years in prison…

Meanwhile a half way a round the world, a brutal tyrant who the US supported for over 30 years Hosin Muburak was just ordered release from jail..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFkcCh-pCc

3 Dope Female Emcees Who Should Respond to Kendrick Lamar’s Outta Control Verse

female-emcees-psoterlightI know everyone is still talking about the verse heard around the world uttered by Kendrick Lamar on Big Sean‘s Outta Control song. Since then damn near everyone has offered up a response from Papoose to Joel Ortiz to Lupe Fiasco to B.O.B. and everyone in between. Most took issue with Kendrick claiming he was the King of New York. Others objected to him suggesting he would lyrically ‘murder’ them..He ignited something  and everyone was put on notice to step their game up..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdcNoGmt7Ws

Unfortunately whats’ missing in all these exchanges are the voices of some of our sisters.  Ideally it would’ve been nice to see some of the better known emcees like a Jean Grae, M.I.A. MC Lyte, Nicki Manaj, Lil Kim, Medusa etc respond to Kendrick but he didn’t name check ’em  like he did everyone else.. Perhaps Kendrick avoided saying the names of these female emcees because they really would’ve cut him down to size…Maybe the self-proclaimed  King of New York should be replaced by a a Queen..

Here are 3 female emcees along w/ 3 honorable mentions who should respond to Kendrick and let him know what time it really is…

Nitty Scott MC

Nitty Scott MC

Many people got hip to Nitty Scott MC when he amazed folks during one of the BET ciphers..She put folks on noticed by letting them know ‘mamma was home and cats better get their bars up and their flows right’..

Since then she’s rocked a bunch of songs  and as far as many of us are concerned, she’s killing it.. Yes indeed Nitty needs to jump in the outta control fray and send Kendrick home without his crown..

Nitty ScottMC Bullsh#t Raps‘..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHyIMj1OCCE

Now in all fairness maybe Kendrick didn’t call out Nitty because he had done a song with her and already knew she could bring heat if tested..

Nitty Scott MC  w/ Kendrick Lamar ‘Flower Child’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46j_q1Wr0jY

Snow Tha Product

Snow Tha Product

Snow tha Product lives in Texas but originally hails from the Bay Area-San Jose to be exact. When she raps she always on beast mode letting everyone know that got flows and rhymes for days  designed to chop folks up..

From what I gather Snow is constantly being tested because of her gender, her ethnicity (she’s Mexican)  and because she’s not from one of the big cities like LA or NY and rolling with a big baller type clique. As a result its been easy for some to write her off only to find that she responds with serious heat. It’s obvious that Snow has no intention of backing down to no one..

Lately she’s been making noise doing songs with artists like  Tech N9ne,   Trae thsa Truth and Lupe Fiasco.. She’s also one of the few females emcees scheduled to grace the stage at Rock the Bells. It’d be nice to see her jump in the fray and put Kendrick on blast…

Snow Tha Product ‘Holy Sh#t’

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

Snow Tha ProductUnorthadox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pWKoIgGUeQ

Farrah Burns

Farrah Burns

Farrah Boule Burns is one of my favorite emcees who could easily go Outta Control against Kendrick and do it with seven different personas as shown in the video below..Her wordplay is nice. Her flows diverse as she lives, eats and drinks Hip Hop 24/7.. The only crown Kendrick will be holding is the ones to replace his teeth after she lyrically knocks them out…Do not sleep on this sista..Nas didn’t as he recently shouted her out for this remake of his song.. She is definitely a Queen in New York..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amp-jQfZP9E

I Love the way Farrah flipped rhymes over this classic jam…

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

***Just as I put this  article out, folks pointed me to Sa-Roc  and Alyssa Marie who both responded directly responded to Kendrick.. Sadly this got by me, but its not too late to add theirs song to this article.. So peace to Sa Roc for holding it down big time and peace to Alyssa Marie and shame on me for missing them both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42hyPkw0IyI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDr0JpgN72M&feature=youtu.be

 

Honorable mentions…

Ruby Ibarra ‘Game Up’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K-hAty8kek

STaHHr Noire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4OsR0aDzzA

Narubi SelahHookless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxUGjuPQ4A8&feature=youtu.be

Ice T Set to Help Launch a New Reality TV Show Called ‘Life After Prison’

IceTcop-225Rapper turned actor Ice T is continuing to make moves from actor to producer/ executive producer for film projects.  Last year his film Art of Rap received rave reviews and helped lay ground work for Ice T to take on other projects.

This time around he’s embarking on doing a reality show with a social justice tip called ‘Life After Prison‘. Ice T explains that a good friend of his, a former gang member and ex-felon  named John Boy Watts approached him about doing a TV show that focuses on helping those who come out of prison get back on their feet and stay out of jail.

John Boy who is the star of the show is shown presiding over 6 ex-felons who live in a house where their efforts to stick to the straight and narrow are chronicled. John Boy is shown dispensing wisdom and guidance. Ice T agreed to be one of the executive producers noting thatprison impacts everyone directly and indirectly and that we should not ignore the plight of those locked up. He said everyone deserves a second chance..

From the trailer it looks like a Big Brother Reality type show which is likely to raise eyebrows. After all, the jury is still out as to just how effective these types of shows can be in addressing complex issues. The fear is they tend to oversimplify complex and systemic issues and boil it down to individual exploits.

Currently there is a lot of talk about the prison industry, its short comings and outright mistreatment of inmates. This has been heightened by scholars like Michele Alexander and book the New Jim Crow and most recently Attorney General Eric Holder who is pushing to lessen mandatory minimum sentences.

There are also array of campaigns ranging from changing the sentencing guidelines and profit motive around mass incarceration and private prisons to  the California prison hunger strike which has just entered its 7th week. It’ll be interesting to see if any of these pressing issues are addressed within the scope of this new TV show. If not,  hopefully they address the fact that there severe shortage of resources to help returning inmates to get back on their feet and stay out of jail.

In any case Prison Reform is a major issue and hopefully this Reality TV show doesn’t obscure the reality of folks on the ground fighting to change things. With the United States leading the world in the number of people incarcerated, our human rights record for the treatment of prisoners under fire and more than half our prisoners on lock down for non violent offenses, we can’t afford to have issues around prison over simplified to the point we lose focus even as this show successfully shows folks a path to success.

The early buzz on Life After Prison is that its good and surely needed.

Below is a trailer to the upcoming show..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV3kslv-aHM

 

Controversial Video Re-Enacts Murder of Trayvon Martin, Demands We Oppose Stand Your Ground Laws

Trayvon Martin wore a hoodie in the rain..In the world of Don lemon and Geraldo, maybe He should've had an umbrella instead

Trayvon Martin

Below is a new video to bring attention to the horrors of Stand Your Ground Laws which now exist in at least 26 states.. This is an eerie re-enactment of what took place the night Trayvon Martin was racially profiled and later shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. It includes the infamous 9-11 call Zimmerman placed to police as well as words from witnesses after the shooting.

The PSA is from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence which is urging Americans to “Stand up to ‘Stand Your Ground'” laws many of which are products of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council ) efforts. ALEC in many places are heavily financed by the far-right wing Koch Brothers.

For more information visit http://www.csgv.org/standup to sign a petition to your state legislators calling on them to oppose “Stand Your Ground” laws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUKzDANF6QU

DJ Disco Wiz Hip Hop’s First Latino DJ Breaks Down History of Early Days

Disco_Wiz_UptownHKR August 19 2013: As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the First Jam thrown by Hip Hop pioneer Kool Herc, we’ve been reaching out and talking with a number of other fore-fathers and fore-mothers to this vibrant culture we call Hip Hop. One of the people we got to build with is Bronx legend DJ Disco Wiz who many consider to be Hip Hop’s first Latino DJ.

Wiz back in the mid 70s teamed up with his best friend Grandmaster Caz to form the Mighty Force Crew.. Caz would evolve that crew to become the Cold Crush Brothers. In the early days Wiz and Caz would go to battle the man who inspired them.. DJ Kool Herc.. They would later go on to battle the man who nurtured and mentored them Afrika Bambaataa.

Wiz chronicles much of went down in those early years in a book called ‘Its Just Begun The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz Hip Hop’s First Latino DJ.. To say the least the book is incredible and is basically written in 3 parts. One talks about the early days of Hip Hop. Two, talks about the rough and tumble street culture that gave birth to Hip Hop and how Disco Wiz was involved. Three, speaks on how he survived the challenges after prison on the road to redemption.

As we noted in our interview, Hip Hop was not born in a vacuum. It was born out of the pain and hardships many were enduring at the time. The triumph people had in the backdrop of that hardship and Hip Hop flourishing as a culture is what makes it so special

Wiz’s take no prisoners honesty about his involvement in the street hustles, his eventual incarceration, his battles inside prison and the long road to overcoming bad habits, shaking an addiction to cocaine both as a user and seller and two bouts with cancer, is what makes him remarkable and his book an absolute must read.

We cover that and so much other ground in our compelling Hard Knock Radio interview with DJ Disco Wiz

Click the link below to Listen

Click the link below to Listen

hkr-08-19-2013 DJ Disco Wiz Mixdown 1

Raymond Kelly Ups the Ante on Stop & Frisk, Black Officers Reject His Logic

Raymond Kelly

Raymond Kelly

Over the weekend NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly upped the ante with assertions that Stop and Frisk is needed now more than ever..He along with Mayor Bloomberg are appealing last week’s historic ruling which demanded the practice be modified and monitored.

Kelly  also maintained his claim that Stop and Frisk was saving lives in Black and Brown communities. This is in spite of overwhelming evidence showing that people in those communities don’t want it.

Raymond Kelly also rejected the idea of police wearing cameras claiming that they would raise more questions than answer. He cited examples like domestic disputes and getting confidential information from informants as to whether or not officers should use cameras.

Kelly’s assertions were disputed by Noel Leader who is the co-founder of 100 Black Officers Who Care.. He appeared on the NY based TV Show Here and Now and talked about the outrage many are feeling around what he described as ‘illegal’ stop and frisk. He also rejected the notion that police wearing body cameras would be a hinderance as suggested by Kelly.

It was pointed out by former police Captain Reginald Lyles who is also African-American here in Oakland, California, that the logic being used Kelly and Bloomberg is similar to the logic used to lock up American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II.. He called it Apartheid logic..I definitely have to agree with perspective..

Check out the segment below featuring Leader and longtime activist Erica Ford..

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=9208430

Although Leader didn’t get into this aspect too much other members of his organization have spoken out about how they themselves as Black and Brown police officers are frequently stopped and harassed by fellow officers.. This was highlighted last year in the Village Voice in an article called Cops By Day, Targets by Night.

LAPD Chief William H Parker

LAPD Chief William H Parker

It doesn’t take much to understand what Commissioner Kelly and Bloomberg are ultimately trying to do with this policy. It’s to make sure that people from targeted communities, no matter who they are frightened by the police. It’s a throwback to the bad ole days of policing in Los Angeles under Chief William Parker who militarized the police force and had a policy of making sure officers made contact with Black teens so they would know early on, who was in charge of the city.  His policies were adopted by police departments all over the country. They were enhanced by his successor Chief Darryl Gates. Below is a brief documentary on Parker so folks can better understand some of this invasive policing action under the heading Stop and Frisk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2yFsx5vCLU

In closing we wanna give a shout out to another Hip Hop artists who has stepped up to use his talent to bring attention to Stop and Frisk…Most of us know about 10 Frisk Commandments from Jasiri X and Elon James..   Below is an incredible song and video from NY based artist Awkword who gives us an up close and personal view of what Stop and Frisk is like..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RtncRj4yUc&hd=1

We also have a joint from Bronx based Rebel Diaz called Stop Stop and Frisk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-duTrV9hSg