mrDaveyd | Hip-Hop and Politics

3 Dope Songs From Exceela -Pure Russian Excellence

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Exceela, formerly known as Anna Exceela hails from Vladivostok, Russia. Her name means Excellent in Russian although started out using the name Exxy. It was under this name that she actively recorded tracks, took part in battles, mixtapes and compilations, as well as performing at various events. Subsequently a nasty experience with a man, acting manager of the performer, spelling the name Exxy was registered as a trademark, and after all the working relationship with the representative she was forced to give up her name.. That hasn’t stopped her as she now uses the name Exceela

Anna was born in Vladivostok, March 22, 1987. Her love for hip-hop first appeared back in 1998 thanks to a local radio program about hip-hop, which is constantly fueled interest in the culture.

She attended 4 secondary schools, graduating with a good certificate. She later entered the Faculty of Journalism at Palo where she penned a thesis on Hip Hop called Hip-Hop is the Place to Be’. That later appeared on the website portal www. rapvladivostok.ru which chronicles Far East Hip Hop.

In October 2009, she released her first official release called- mixtape “Dirty Sexy” (Hosted by Drago. Mixed by DJ ICE!) . In October 2010, Spock TV & Mixoid Moscow shoot video for the track One Life” feat. Skaya .

Anna Exceela – On line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJtPl2Zid0

Anna Exceela & MarQ Markuz – Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-5vMeGL5E

Anna Exceela feat. Skaya – Одна жизнь

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiZzuI2gpCA

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: Anna Exceela, Exceela, Russian Hip Hop

Doe B is Killed.. Young QC Kills His Mother We Must Stop the Culture of Death

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Reading about this young brother from TI‘s Hustle Gang crew Doe B who got killed after doing a show in Montgomery, Alabama along with a 21 year old college student named Kim Johnson.. She was an innocent bystander who was killed by way of a stray bullet…Such things happen so much, that these cease to shock or even sadden folks.. People do the obligatory RIP shout outs and remark about how the streets is mean and life ain’t fair and keep it moving as if nothing ever happened….Sooner or later we are gonna have to come to grips that we are collectively engaging a ‘death culture‘.. and just like we say no to rape we are gonna have to say NO to premature death amongst our peoples.. We cant ignore this forever..What makes Doe B’s death even more tragic is that one of the people responsible for killing him, had a long standing beef with him.

The word around down is that he was envious of Doe B’s rising success. Even more troubling is the second person responsible appeared in Doe B’s video ‘Let me Find Out’ holding a gun..You can see him about 11 seconds into the video.. The song itself was one about thugging and killing.. It leaves one asking is this art imitating life or life being reflected in art?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxSSA8tKm8s

Young QC

Since we are talking about ‘death culture‘ here’s more for us to ponder.. Consider the story of this rapper named Young QC out of Chicago who was just arrested with 2 friends for the murder of his mom. According to the reports he was out to collect her insurance money. I’ll let folks sit with that for minute u can read about that –>HERE

Below is a video of Young QC making iot rain with his mother’s insurance money

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shR5fbm63VE

This tragic incident is coming from the same city where a popular artist named Chief Keef who is signed to major record label (Interscope/Universal) to the tune of 6 million has proimised to raise the murder rate with the release of his next album and sadly has two deaths connected to beefs he’s been associated with…U can read about his corporate deal–> HERE

Chief Keef

You can read about Keef’s assertions about raising the murder rate—>HERE

The point being made here is that Black death is big business, its institutionalized and in many ways its a major form of entertainment ..If you’re an artist getting even a couple of million for a record deal, it’s not because you have ‘Black fans’..Its because your music and art is appealing to everyone else outside the community…

In other words simply ignoring and not listening to the music is not enough. The enabling and rewarding of corrosive behavior is something we need to address.. There will always be fools among us. My question is who is empowering those fools and who is standing in the way of us coming together to chart a new course?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLWDM2uZr60

Lastly we should know this extends beyond ‘rap’ as noted about the close ties of music and drug cartels You can read about that –> HERE

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Chicago, Death culture, Doe B, Murder, Young QC

3 Dope Songs from Mala Rodriguez…First Lady of Spain

January 4, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Maria Rodríguez was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz on February 13, 1979.She grew up in Seville and became involved with the city’s thriving hip-hop scene as a teenager. The daughter of a hairdresser, she describes herself as being from a middle-class family, saying, “My mother and I are both young, and all I know is that my family experienced hunger back then, and that sticks with you. I didn’t grow up with luxury, but I never missed a meal either.” At age seventeen, she performed onstage for the first time, and adopted the stage name La Mala.

She rose to prominence in the late ’90s alongside fellow Sevillian hip-hop acts such as La Gota Que Colma, SFDK, and La Alta Escuela. After she adopted the stage name La Mala, she appeared on La Gota Que Colma’s album Mordiendo el Micro on the songs “No Hay Rebaja“, and “Dando Guerra“.

She also appeared on SFDK’s Siempre Fuertes and La Alta Escuela’s En Pie de Vuelo on the song “Espectáculo en la Gancha”. She made her solo debut with A Jierro/Toma la Traca, a maxi-single released by Zona Bruta in 1999. The song was originally planned for release by Zeroporsiento, a Sevillian label for which she had recorded the tracks.

In 2000, she signed to Universal Music Spain, and released her full-length debut album, Lujo Ibérico. The album went gold and sold over 50,000 copies. Her second album, Alevosía, was also popular, featuring the single, “La Niña”. The song gained notability when its controversial music video was banned from Spanish TV because of its depiction of a young female drug dealer.

Her hip-hop songs are greatly influenced by flamenco music. Her songs often discuss issues such as poverty, racism, domestic violence, and female empowerment.

source: wikipedia

Mala Rodríguez – Volvere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUJT5qY3HQ

Mala Rodriguez – Jugadoras Jugadores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b07ipRJYg34

Mala Rodríguez – Amor y Respeto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALr7BL2XIyQ

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Mala Rodriguez

3 Dope Songs from StaHHr a True Empress on the Mic

January 3, 2014 By mrDaveyd

One of the nicest emcees on the mic who folks need to know about is a sista named StaHHr who hails from Atlanta and can best be described as a ‘lyrical warrior’. Her 3 albums, Almost Neva Was, That Was You? and Mother Nature With A Molotov: Molotov Season are must have items..
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When talking with her, she makes it clear she represents Hip Hop and its essence to the fullest hence the spelling of her name.. The 2 ‘H’s stand for Hip Hop’. She’s also clear about the fact that her lyrical prowess and ability to execute killer freestyles is connected to her maintaining holistic spiritual, mental and physical health.

Below are 3 Dope Songs from this sista who not only nice on the mic, but dope on the crochet tip, but that’s a whole other story for another day..

Noire which is French for Black is one of my favorite songs by StaHHr. Its on this track that she shows and proves that she can take your lunch money both as a skilled lyricist and as an insightful, scholarly intellectual.

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

Another dope song in that same vein is Revolution which pays tribute to the late Troy Davis who many fought for when he was on death row. In this track StaHHr shows she quite capable of shutting you down and taking your money on the revolution/ freedom fighting tip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Eh45zc8eQ

Still Dope is produced by MF Doom and captures the essence of what Hip Hop should ideally be about..

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

Many people including StaHHr herself, consider this 2010 joint ‘Unbreakable’ to be a classic. StaHHr flow is impeccable and is paired with a mesmerizing beat that keeps your head nodding and your ears holding on the very word she spits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LctYWY9e1zE

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, female hip hop, female Rap, femcee, StahhR

An Open Letter From A Mother To The World (About Her Daughter Jahi McMath)

January 3, 2014 By mrDaveyd

By now most folks are aware of the situation unfolding here in Oakland at Children’s hospital where 13-year-old Jahi McMath sits on life support after being declared brain-dead as a result of an ‘routine’ operation gone wrong… It’s interesting hearing folks weigh in stating that this family is ‘out of pocket’, ‘selfish’ and need to ‘let their daughter go’ and take their baby girl off life support.

I’ve run into folks who have gone on and on about how much all this is costing the hospital and how this is unfair for them to be saddled with this ‘burden’.. Yes, I had someone tell me that keeping Jahi alive is a burden.

I had one man start talking legalese about how the parents signed a slip stating that there are risks with an operation and that there was a possibility something could go wrong and hence the family must accept that fact..

In fact last night on a local newscast, there was a ‘expert’ from Stanford University who stated that Jahi’s family is making this hard on other families, because in the future hospitals will move quickly to end a life rather than go through such a fight as the one they are experiencing now..

Underlying such callous assertions is the money…Sadly in their minds of some Jahi’s life has a price tag.. They feel its costly to put a feeding team in her so she can be moved to another place.. They feel its costly to allow another doctor to perform the procedure.. The reality is, no money should be spared to heal Jahi and her family. Heck we as a country spare no expense to equip our military to bring about death, even when the situation seems unwinnable.. why not apply that take no prisoners mentality to save her life?? God forbid if this was one of our loved ones, we would not be trying to hear some stranger talk about how much her being kept alive was costing folks..

Davey D

Read the open letter from Jahi’s mother Nailah Winkfield

An Open Letter From A Mother To The World

I am a mother. She is my daughter. I am alive. Despite what they say, she is alive. I can touch her, she is warm. She responds to my touch. I can love her – I can feel her love. When she was in my belly I fell in love with her. Her heartbeat for the beginning of her life was my heartbeat until God, through a miracle, sparked her heart into existence. Given time I know he will spark her brain awake.

She is Jahi a name that means known by many. If she knew about all this attention she would blush. She is very shy.

My daughter sits on life support. I feel like she is on death row. The clock is ticking – ticking down. Childrens Hospital Oakland says she is dead. She was not dead when I brought her here on December 9th for a routine tonsillectomy. I put her in their hands, now they want to wash their hands of her.

Jahi had an operation. I was told it went well. Then she started bleeding from her mouth. They gave me a cup for her to bleed into and said it was normal. She bled more and more. I couldn’t keep up with it. I asked for help, they gave me a bigger bucket. She bled more. They did not answer our pleas for a doctor. Her surgeon never came back. She had a heart attack and her heart stopped beating. Then they came- then. They shocked her back into life. Now they say she is dead.

Before the surgery she said I am scared mommy. I said why Jahi? She said I am afraid I wont wake up. I told her it was going to be fine, it was a simple procedure. I should have listened to her.

She is on a respirator – with air she lives, her heart beats, her kidneys produce urine, she is warm and soft. They have been pressuring me to “pull the plug.” I can’t. I won’t. I can’t let them kill my baby a second time.

I am fighting for her life. Each breath the vent gives her one more chance to live and gets her one step closer to the hospital’s deadline. What a word. I never thought they could tell me, her mother, they were going to pull the plug take her body to the morgue and send us home on Christmas while she lays in a freezer. She is warm now. I want my baby to be warm. We need time.

The Hospital says she is legally dead. That they can legally stop her breathing. I am not a lawyer. We called many in the middle of the night Monday as they were coming to unplug her Tuesday night. One answered the call. We stopped them. Every day is a struggle. We fight for Jahi. We have a temporary restraining order until Monday – then the Judge can say my baby is legally dead and Childrens can unplug her. It doesn’t matter what I say. I never thought I would have to go to court to get a hospital to treat my child.

Hold your children tight. Tell them you love them. I tell my daughter over and over. I know she can hear me. If she has any brain activity when they do the independent tests she will be kept alive. Pray for my daughter Jahi, pray that she will get better so they don’t kill her. Pray for me, mothers, that my love can bring her life once more.

Nailah Winkfield

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Jahi McMath, Life support, Oakland Children's hospital

3 Dope Songs to Kick off the New Year-Curtis Mayfield is Timeless

January 1, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Wanted to kick off the new year 2014 with some much-needed inspiration and nourishment for our minds.. What better way to do that then by highlighting 3 Dope Songs by one of the greatest song writers of our time Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions which featured Fred Cash and Sam Gooden. Many said the timeless music they did was a sound track for the Civil Rights and Freedom Movements.. 40 years later what they wrote is relevant today..

It’s interesting to note that Mayfield and company hail from the Windy City of Chicago where the message they were trying to impart was for Black folks to survive, move on up and have compassion for each other.. Contrast that with the corporate backed message coming from Chief Keef who also comes from Chicago where he says he wants his new mixtape to raise the murder rate.. One has gotta wonder especially when you keep in mind, that both artists were and are on and distributed by the same label ‘Universal Music’.

Moving forward, each day we wake up we should hum this tune ‘We’re a Winner‘ in our heads and have it become a part of our psyche and identity the same way that ‘hustlin’, ballin’ and ‘thuggin’ and have become ingrained…

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

Also related to that song is Move on Up which for this generation is associated with Kanye West because of how he sampled it for his hit song..Touch the Sky… But the original is pretty potent and we need to ingest these lyrics in 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z66wVo7uNw

This next song ‘Choice of Colors‘ was done in 1969 came at a time when the country was going through great social and racial unrest. There had been hundreds of riots/ rebellions all over the country in the wake of Dr King being assassinated and the protests against the Vietnam War being intensified. . Cointel-Pro designed by J Edgar Hoover and the FBI to dismantle the freedom struggles was in full swing and many artists were beginning to push the envelope and make profound statements with their songs.. They ranged from James Brown anthem ‘Black and I’m Proud‘ to Curtis Mayfield with this gem addressing racism..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNV1Y01xNk8

Here’s a link to the historic 1969 Joey Bishop Show performance … http://www.eyeneer.com/video/r-b-soul/the-impressions/choice-of-colors

Perhaps the best known song by Mayfield and the Impression is this Civil Rights Anthem called ‘People Get Ready‘. It was done in 1965 and was the title track from their landmark album of the same name. Its been covered by over a hundred musicians and is considered one of the top records of all time to shape ‘Rock-n-Roll. Mayfield says the songs was inspired by his church upbringing.. I deliberately used the version that’s attached to the video of the Occupy Movement to demonstrate how pervasive the song has been and how something from the bowels of the Black community which gave a struggling people hope and inspiration has been used by so many others for the same purpose..Hopefully people listen to the words and apply them..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yYOWQj2Wdo

We’re gonna leave out with a bonus track that was done Live at the Bitter End in New York.. I want folks to pay close attention to the lyrics..’We People Who Are Darker Than Blue‘.. His message in this song is a good way for us to kick of the new year..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV6BzsgOLAw

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Curtis Mayfield, Fred Cash, Message music, Sam Gooden, The Impressions

Looking Back at 2013..The People, Places & Events that Made This Year Memorable

December 27, 2013 By mrDaveyd

It’s not easy to summarize all that took place in 2013.. It definitely was a year for the ages in the sense that we had a number of momentous occasions that marked the 50th, 40th and 150th anniversaries of key landmark events. They ranged from historic March on Washington to the assassination of Medger Evers to The Assassination of President John F Kennedy or the looking back at the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation to Kool Herc doing the first Hip Hop jam 40 years ago.. With each milestone there were attempts to make these once in a lifetime occasions larger than life..

2013 was a year full of impactful life altering events that ranged from the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin to the Edward Snowden blowing the whistle on NSA and telephone companies doing mass surveillance on innocent Americans and world leaders to the disastrous rollout of President Obama’s signature Healthcare legislation or him constantly using drones.. He had drones deployed the night of his second inauguration in Yemen where 3 were killed. He had them employed the day of Nelson Mandela‘s Memorial where a wedding party of 13 was killed also in Yemen. Sadly drones were big in 2013 with more to come including private companies owning them in 2014.

Here’s my list of big stories from 2013 in no particular order

Christopher Dorner

1-Christopher Dorner: Former LA Cop Goes on Killing Spree; Seeks Revenge

You can’t talk about 2013 and not mention the case of Christopher Dorner and the war he waged on fellow LAPD officers last February. Dorner deemed his former colleagues racist and accused them of conspiring to have him fired. Dorner left a long manifesto where he named off a bunch of officers he said did him wrong and promised to use all his police and military training to take them and their families out.. He wound up killing 4 and wounding 8.. His reign of terror set off the one of the largest manhunts in this country’s history. More than 3 thousand cops pursued him and in doing so a number of innocent people were shot by LAPD…

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LA Sheriff Jump Out Boys

2-LA Sheriff Fire 7 Rogue Cops Known As ‘Jump Out Boys’..

During the Dorner manhunt, a troubled LA Sheriff department announced that they would be firing 7 rogue officers who called themselves the Jump Out Boys. The year before it was revealed the LA sheriff had a gang called the 3000 Boys who routinely brawled with other officers not in their click. The Jump Out Boys were described as gang who sported the tattoo shown above and celebrated any shootings or kills on their watch. If a deputy shot someone his tattoo would have smoke trails coming from the gun barrel. After the firing, other deputies came forward to file lawsuits claiming a white supremacist gang known as the Vikings ran the department.. Sadly this story got very little national attention…

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Chokwe Lumumba

3-Chokwe Lumuba Elected mayor of Jackson, Mississippi w/ 87% of Vote-A Clear Mandate

In 2013 many left-leaning pundits celebrated the election of Bill De Blasio who ran for mayor in New York. He ran on a platform that promised to rid the city of its infamous Stop and Frisk policy. His victory was deemed a political sea change and the dawn of a new era. That hope was damped when De Blasio appointed former NYPD honcho William Bratton the architect and staunch supporter of Stop and Frisk to head NYPD..

Many of those pundits eager for political change who championed De Blasio were silent when Chokwe Lumumba garnered a historic victory in Jackson, Mississippi. Unlike De Blasio, Lumumba’s track record is not to sell out and compromise but to follow through on the bold initiatives he ran on.. The former lawyer of 2 Pac Shakur and Assata Shakur was a bright spot in 2013.. All eyes on him in 2014…

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4-Assata Ain’t No Terrorist, She’s the One Who Fought Terrorist

Many were disappointed and angered when the FBI under President Obama’s leadership decided to make history by making Assata Shakur the first woman to ever be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Shakur who has been in Cuba for almost 30 years as seen as a former political prisoner who is innocent of the charges levied on her. Her situation was a harsh reminder that the state and institutions never forget when it comes to Black Liberation while turning a blind eye and even aiding oppression in the case of others.. We set the record straight with our coverage.

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Hugo Chavez

5-The world two great leaders of African descent in 2013…Nelson Mandela and Hugo Chavez

in 2013 a number of world figures passed. In recent days our attention was focused on the passing of Nelson Mandela as we celebrated his life and legacy. Earlier this year there was a lot of hoopla around the passing of former British prime minister Margret Thatcher aka the Iron Lady. She was applauded as a great leader even though she was strong supporter of Ian Smith the white supremacist who ruled Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe and staunch supporter the Apartheid regime in South Africa where she declared Nelson Mandela and his organization the ANC (African national Congress) terrorists.

What was downplayed in 2013 was the passing of Hugo Chavez a man who rose to power in spite all the obstacles and coup attempts tossed in the way by western powers. While his legacy was celebrated throughout Latin America and around the world, here in the US the corporate press demonized him..We offered up keen insight as to why Hugo was an important figure.

Additional stories from 2013 on those who passed

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Homeboy Sandman

6-Homeboy Sandman: Jailhouse Roc: The FACTS About Hip Hop and Prison for Profit
In 2013 Kanye West made noise with his new song ‘New Slaves‘ where he name checks the DEA and the CCA (Correction Corporations of America) which is the largest private prison company in America. However it was New York based rapper Homeboy Sandman who months earlier penned an incredible article exposing the reach of the CCA and noting that major TV outlets that target youth like BET and MTV have investments in these private prison companies. Sandman’s article was banned from popular mainstream sites and he sadly didn’t get the props for going HAM on this insidious industry…

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Lauryn Hill

7-Lauryn Hill Pens Open letter Explaining her Money Woes
2013 saw rap icon Lauryn Hill do jail time for not paying her taxes.. Sadly she was incarcerated and forced to say good bye to her 6 kids even after she landed a deal with Sony Music that would’ve allow her to pay off her debt. Many of us were left wondering why Lauryn went to jail when so many others in the entertainment profession are arrested for drugs and other crimes numerous times and let off with only stern warnings.. Lauryn penned an open letter about her situation…

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8-Rosa Clemente Blasts Rapper Rick Ross.. Calls on Hip Hop to Say ‘No’ to Rape Culture

Rapper Rick Ross started off 2013 beefing with Chicago street gangs who promised to be at every show with the intent of shutting him down… Each week there was a new video threatening the Miami Rapper. It go so bad that Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crew penned an open letter to Rick Ross..warning him to end his beef or wind up dead.. You can read that HERE

Sadly that was just the beginning of Ross’ problems.. Later in the year Ross dropped a song talking about how he likes to slip Molly into unsuspecting women’s drinks so he can have sex with them later and they ‘not know’.. Rick thought it was a clever play on words.. Many women called it rape..

Long time activist and former Vice Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente put Rick Ross on blast and demanded the men within in Hip Hop step up and disavow such remarks and say ‘No’ to rape culture. She noted that Rick and the promotion machinery behind him was connected to what she dubbed the Rap Industrial Complex which operates with impunity and without regards or respect for communities that are damaged by its unscrupulous profit-making tactics. Rick tried to weather the storm as a number of women’s organizations like Ultra Violet as well as activists like Rosa turned up the heat… When all was said and done Ross lost a lucrative deal with Reebok…….

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Rebel Diaz

9-FEDS & NYPD Fearing their Politics, Violently Raid & Evict Rebel Diaz Artistic Collective

Several years ago Rebel Diaz against all odds help bring folks together in their South Bronx neighborhood to build a one of kind, much-needed community center. For the past few years they hosted landmark events and put on an array of classes and art and music trainings. Unfortunately because one of their murals demanded that political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal be set free, it didn’t sit well with NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his police brass.. The group was unceremoniously raided, equipment thrown out and landlord pressured to evict them, even though the group was in process of buying the building.. Police and political repression was real in 2013…

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Alice Walker.. Alicia Keys

10-An Open Letter to Alicia Keys from Alice Walker -Please Boycott Israel

in 2013 Famed writer Alice Walker got at singer Alicia Keys with an open letter encouraging her to join the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement) and not do a concert in Tel Aviv. There’s been global protest about the way Israel treats Palestine and out of that concern grew BDS..

A lot of folks got wind and joined Walker in her efforts by signing petitions directed at Keys.. In spite of the press and noise generated by Walker’s letter, Keys bucked the boycott claiming that music is a universal language and she went to Israel and performed.

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Jay-Z and Senator Marco Rubio

11-Senator Marco Rubio Tells Jay-Z: He Must Learn.. We Tell Rubio He Should Learn As Well

In 2013, Jay Z and his wife Beyonce caused an international stir when they made an unannounced visit to Cuba. Many praised the couple and said the move would help open doors, other saw it as a slap in the face and support of a repressive government. Still others stated it was a back door move by the Obama administration to use pop culture as an overture to ease relations.. The sticking point is Assata Shakur who the US wants in jail…Needless to say folks went HAM on the couple.

Jay Z answered his critics with a song called ‘Open Letter‘…Peep that HERE..

A few days later with the help of famed DJ J Period, Common who actually did a song about Assata did a remix of Open Letter and added some political depth to the song.. Peep that HERE

Pitbull who is a staunch opponent of Fidel Castro did his own version of the Open Letter and gave Jay Z props for his trip.. Peep that HERE

Danay Suarez

Rounding out the rap responses was popular Cuban artist Danay Suarez who did an Open Letter bashing both the Cuba and US governments for keeping people divided.. She also showed love to Jay Z and Beyoncé for visiting..Peep that song HERE

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida who likes to fancy himself as a ‘hip hop head’ got at Jay Z by referencing the ‘You gonna learn tonight‘ line in the song and proceeded to remark that Jay Z needs to learn and not be a supporter of Che Guevara who asserts had a disdain for Black folks. We decided to weigh in and correct the erroneous remarks made by the Senator and give context to the quotes that Rubio highlighted. In short we put that head to bed.

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12-Some Food for Thought on this Jay Z vs Harry Belafonte Thang

Jay Z stayed in the news during 2013, not just because of his music but because of beefs he garnered over his politics or lack thereof. A lot of it was crystallized when he decided to respond to long time Human Rights activist Harry Belafonte who challenged him and Beyoncé the year before to step up and do more for charity…

Jay Z didn’t say anything at the time, but he spoke plenty when he released the Magna Carter album where he has a song called Nickles and Dimes where he calls Belafonte ‘boy’ and tells him to respect young’ins..Needless to say many weren’t feeling that and there was a lot of push back on Jay Z..

That push back became more intense when a customer was arrested because he was deemed suspicious while purchasing a $300 belt at the upscale Barney’s New York .. It was revealed that Jay Z had a line of products coming out with the store and pressure was on him to cut ties. He opted not to which then brought up the comparisons to Harry Belafonte who was known for cutting ties with offending institutions in the past.

As for Belafonte, he stayed busy in 2013, quietly meeting with top rappers and other entertainers to craft ways they could collectively pool resources and address juvenile justice and mass incarceration. Everyone from Jamie Foxx to Bun B to David Banner to Yasiin Bey to name a few of the many have all been planning with Belafonte.. Look for big things to come in 2014.

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Kiera Wilmot

13-The Case Around Fla, Teen Kiera Wilmot is Part of a Bigger, More Disturbing Pattern

The case of 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot an honor student from Bartlow High school in Miami, Florida was arrested and expelled from school after an unsanctioned science experiment she was conducting went wrong.. Although no one was hurt or no property damaged, she was charged with having a weapon.

The case set off a firestorm of protest and left many wondering what the heck is up with Florida.. Eventually things got resolved, charges were dropped and Kiera was accepted to a prestigious space camp.. In our coverage we highlighted the disturbing trend of young Black and Brown folks being targeted by the police and given harsh punishments.. Wilmots’ case represented that in 2013.

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14-Florida Gov Refuses Black Students Demands on Zimmerman Verdict: Tells them to Go Home & Pray

A bright spot in 2013 was the valiant work undertaken by the Dream Defenders.. They were on the case from day one when Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman. They did a 40 mile trek to bring attention to his plight, long before national media got wind of what was going on in Sanford, Florida. After the acquittal of George Zimmerman, while many of us played the role of talking heads, the Dream Defenders bumrushed the state capitol and refused to leave until they met with the governor and hearings on Stand Your Ground laws be scheduled..

Initially the Governor Rick Scott refused their demands and in fact told the Dream Defenders to go home and pray.. The folks in his office wasn’t having it…They stayed put and blew up the spot.

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Rachel Jaentel

15-A Few Thoughts About Being on the Witness Stand and Rachel Jaentel

2013 was the year that our collectives eyes and ears were glued to the George Zimmerman trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Sadly many folks showed their true colors of ignorance and intolerance when Trayvon’s good friend, 19 year old Rachel Jaentel took the stand. Almost immediately, she was demonized, not just by the mainstream press but many Black folks, because she didn’t fit a mold that everyone had projected on her…

It was an ugly moment for many of us. At the same time it beautiful to see Rachel stand her ground, be truthful and hold it down for Trayvon..

For those who got high and mighty about how they would handle themselves on the stand, we brought to life our own experience on the witness stand to shed some light as to what Rachel was dealing with..In the end good won out as radio host Tom Joyner offered to pay for Rachel’s college education.

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16-Why Idle No More Matters

2013 we saw the Idle No More Movement kick into high gear and come to redefine with environmental justice was really all about.. Far too often Native Peoples have been sidebars and window dressing in the fight to save Mother Earth. With Idle No More throughout the Americas Native folks were front and center. From protesting the Keystone XL to the 7 week hunger strike of Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence to flash mobbing inside the Great Mall of America, Idle No More woke up many as the mainstream press did their best to marginalize and ignore it..

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Wendy Davis

17-No Words: A Firsthand Account of the Wendy Davis Texas Filibuster

2013 was a year in which we saw a continued war on women and them fighting back. Among the highlights of 2013 was One Billion Rising It was organized by playwright Eve Ensler who was concerned about the fact that one third of the world’s population of women (One Billion) would be assaulted at least once in their lifetime..

There was heightened attention of this campaign because we had a number of law makers who in the months leading up to One Billion Rising campaign had made unsavory remarks about there being ‘legitimate‘ and ‘illegitimate‘ rape and there were some high profile gang rapes in India which sadly are still taking place..

Inside Texas Capitol the night of Wendy Davis Filibuster

On top of that we had a congress that was reluctant to extend the Violence Against Women Act..It finally did pass after a contentious fight in the same month as One Billion Rising (February)…but unfortunately the war on women continued throughout the year with hearings in the Senate about sexual assaults in the military to conservative governors doing everything they could to pass Draconian anti-abortion bills.

These battles reached fevered pitches when Texas Governor Rick Perry tried to pass a package of restrictive, backwards bills (Senate Bill 5) only to be confronted by a state legislature named Wendy Davis from Fort Worth who stood up to him and did an 11 hour filibuster. Her stance caught the attention of folks all around the world and catapulted Davis into the race for Texas Governor…

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LL Cool J

18-Accidental Racist-LL Cool J Says He’ll Forgive the Iron Chains if You can Overlook His Doo Rag

There were a number of cringe worthy moments in 2013, that left us asking ‘What the Hell Were they Thinking? ‘Among them were Russell Simmons and Dreamworks releasing a Harriet Tubman Parody Sex Tape.. You can read about that HERE

There was the case of the cop who decided to ride along with a bunch of bikers who attacked a man , the cop was caught on tape leading the charge..Read about that HERE

What stood out for us in 2013 was rapper/actor LL Cool J teaming up with country singer Brad Paisley to do a ‘We are the World’ type song called ‘Accidental Racist‘. Here Brad sings about his desire to uphold the confederate flag and not be misunderstood as a racist. LL decided to rap about Black people will forgive white people for slavery (iron chains) if they will stop being uncomfortable around us when we wear doo rags.. Later on in the song LL shouts of confederate General Robert E Lee and thanks Lincoln for freeing him.. Needless to say LL lost a lot of ‘Cool J points for that one..Not that its related but in 2013, LL was nominated to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame. He didn’t make it on the first round..

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Public Enemy

19-We Salute: Public Enemy Inducted Into Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame Today…

Speaking of Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame, 2013 saw the iconic group Public Enemy was inducted. It was fitting for a group that has toured the world over 90 times and has ramped up its tech prowess this past year. PE were among the first to record an album on-line and launch a digital only label. This year we saw them expand their online radio station found at Rapstation.com.. During the swearing-in ceremonies, long time deejay Terminator X came out of retirement and joined the band..It was great to see everyone back together again.. Salute to PE..

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RIP Andy Lopez

20-There was No Excuse for the Police to Shoot 13 Year Old Andy Lopez

Sadly 2013 saw the continued assault by law enforcement and vigilante types on unarmed Black and Brown folks. This year was marred by numerous shooting deaths including Renisha McBride in Dearborn, Michigan and Jonathan Ferrell in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mariam Carey in Washington DC and mysterious death Kendrick Johnson in Georgia…Hip Hop artist/ activist Jasiri X did an incredible tribute to these victims in a song called ‘Strange Fruit‘

Adding to this list was shooting death of 13-year-old Andy Lopez in Santa Rosa, California. He was shot by a 24 year veteran weapons specialist for the Sonoma Sheriff department and a former military officer named Eric Gelhaus who saw Lopez walking across a field near his house to return a toy gun.. The field is frequented by neighborhood youth who often shoot pellet guns.. Without warning, the deputy turned his car around and approached Lopez from behind, yelled out an order and when Lopez turned around was shot 7 times and then handcuffed. The entire exchange from the time the deputy saw Lopez to him being shot was around 10 seconds..

There have been numerous protests in the Santa Rosa area, many of them led by the Lopez’s young classmates. What took place wasn’t isolated, it was the 56th police killing in 10 year in that area. 2014 folks will be working hard to change this dynamic of folks being killed because they are deemed inhuman or expandable RIP Andy Lopez

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin

21-Richmond, California Battles Banksters With Eminent Domain Tactic..

Another political bright spot in 2013 was Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and the city of Richmond, California who saw many of their neighborhoods severely crippled by foreclosures. Many of those foreclosed found that they were deliberately directed to predatory subprime loans. Entire blocks were being wiped out and many hard working people were being displaced. Mayor McLaughlin decided to use a new tactic to push back.. They would use eminent domain, which has often been beneficial to banks and rich developers to take away those foreclosed homes and sell them back at affordable rates to the people. Needless to say the very same group of people who once championed eminent domain, now have been going to court to try and stop it.. We salute Mayor McLaughlin and Richmond, Cali for being forward thinking..

Honorable Mentions:

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, 2014 Daily News Tagged With: 2013, year in review

Some Funky Christmas and Holiday Songs To Keep You in Step

December 25, 2013 By mrDaveyd

There’s been scores of Hip Hop Christmas songs ranging from Run DMC‘s Christmas in Hollis to Eazy E‘s Merry Mutha…. Christmas.. I put a few of them together to bring that Holiday cheer.. Enjoy.. Feel free to add your own… Davey D

Beat Street Christmas Rap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh8hB1tAip8

Kurtis Blow Christmas Rap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFtA7IHZgzw

Run DMC Christmas in Hollis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8

Santa Baby Rap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kkv16y7iV4

Sypda D ‘Ghetto Santa’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_eVXv5MF98&feature=related

Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg & Tha Dogg Pound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVkg5FM59NA

Grace Jones Little Drummer Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98JrWm9IMMA

James Brown ‘Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz48PR__uSo

James Brown ‘Soulful Christmas’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jasq79LAxtg

Jimmy Jules & the nuclear soul system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iemv2C6IYc

Jive Turkeys ‘Funky Christmas’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBkV-gmyr7w

Lauryn Hill ‘Little Drummer Boy’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nWqBy3PoAQ

Cee-Lo Mary ‘Did You Know’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmBWqRoENl4

Surf MCs ‘New Years Day Song’

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

**For Adults only..Here’s a couple of dirty Holiday songs that may make you laugh or cringe but nevertheless are classics of sorts including the new Too Short

Eazy E Merry MuthaPh— X-Mas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO8D12FefUI

Master P Christmas in the Ghetto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fs4HIKEKhA

Too Short – Hanukkah Favorite Time Of The Year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzskzVOlSA4

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News Tagged With: Funky Christmas songs, Holiday songs, James brown, Lauryn Hill, Surf MCs

White and Wealthy = Free Pass (Affluenza)

December 18, 2013 By mrDaveyd

The Facts:

Ethan Couch

A wealthy white 16-year old teen, named Ethan Couch, dodges a 20 year sentence despite killing four people while driving intoxicated. His ticket to freedom has been attributed to a psychologist arguing that his wealthy parents spoiled him rotten so he didn’t know any better. As reported by Jessica Luther, in The Guardian, Dr. Miller described the teen’s diagnosis of affluenza in the following way:

“The teen never learned to say that you’re sorry if you hurt someone. If you hurt someone, you sent him money. He never learned that sometimes you don’t get your way. He had the cars and he had the money. He had freedoms that no young man would be able to handle.”

While seemingly ignoring the legal, cultural, social, and economic roots of these lessons, and failing to note the irony in putting on a defense that cites the lack of accountability and responsibility in an effort to limit accountability and responsibility, his defense team secured a victory with this strategy.

Such success reveals the entrenched nature of white supremacy and class privilege. As Luther notes, the ability to see Couch as innocent, to see this young boy as having a future, and as someone who can be rehabilitated, helps us understand this “slap on the wrist” especially in comparison to the draconian criminal justice experienced by youth of color. “But there is something else going on here. It matters that Judge Boyd saw Couch as someone that not only could be rehabilitated but whom it was worth it to rehabilitate,” she notes. In the white supremacist and classist imagination, Couch has the values, the culture, the family, and the whiteness that bestows him second chances; his redemption is possible, especially because his parents are able to foot the $450,000 dollar bill for in-patient treatment at a California center. One has to wonder what the treatment for affluenza might be: writing 1000 times on the board, “just because I am white doesn’t mean everything I do is right”; or chanting, “I will be accountable for my actions.” Or will simply he be forced to live without his i-phone and car for a few months? Poor Ethan!

The Implications:

While the outrage over the justice system’s decision to pat little Ethan on the head, sending him to bed with no dessert is warranted, it would be a mistake to see the judge’s decision as exceptional. Each and every day, institutions and individuals make decisions with special concern for not only affluenza, but whititis (the consequences of white entitlement) and masculenza (the ailment of male privilege) as well. The lack of accountability, compared to the harsh and unequal injustice felt by youth of color, is nothing new.

One such example is the case of Andrew Klepper, a 16-year old white male from Bethesda Maryland, who in 2002 plead guilty to three felonies, including charges that he sodomized a woman with a baseball bat, held her at knifepoint and stole $2,000 dollars from her. His sentence: probation and treatment at an out-of-state facility (by 2011, after multiple arrests, he was finally sent to prison for 7 years – we guess three strikes of affluenza means you are out). His parents’ ability to pay for the “treatment” and his “potential” surely led to this sentence. We must put this latest sentencing of Ethan Couch in a historical context to really understand the depth of the implications.

In a society where middle-class white youth pop Adderall with great frequency, reporting this illegal usage without any fear of punishment, it is clear that affluenza is systemic. In a society where Bill Maher and others white celebrities take to the airwaves to tout their marijuana use, where college students at historically white institutions break laws with greater frequency than attending class, it’s a mistake to limit the conversation to Mr. Couch, Dr. Miller, or Judge Boyd.

Quoted in USA Today, Daniel Filler, a law professor at Drexel University who specializes in juvenile law broke it down; “The real truth is that our criminal justice system is suffering from ‘affluenza’ because affluent people can afford better attorneys and better get better outcomes,” Filler said. Numbers don’t lie how pervasive race and class privilege operate within the criminal justice system. As noted by Vijay Prashad, in Keeping up with the Dow Joneses, almost sixty percent of juveniles detained in correction facilities are black; an additional 21 percent are Latino. In total, half of the 700,000 youth in juvenile prison are there as a result of a first offense, usually a drug or property crime. Mr. Couch killed four people, stole alcohol from WalMart, drove drunk, and injured two more people, and was neither sent to a juvenile detention facility, much less tried as an adult.

Numbers don’t lie – without affluenza, go directly to jail!

A 2008 report from the Equal Justice Initiative points to the ample benefits of those “suffering” with affluenza, whititis, and masculenza:

“2,225 children under the age of 18 are serving life sentences in US. Prisons; almost two-thirds are children of color”

According to Marian Wright Edelman,

“1 in 10 black girls received an out-of-school suspension during the 2009-10 school year.

Black students were more than three-and-a-half times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers for the same offenses”

Clearly affluenza and related illnesses are letting all too many off the hook, even while youth of color are routinely punished. According to the NAACP,

“Nationwide, African-Americans represent 26% of juvenile arrests, 44% of youth who are detained, 46% of the youth who are judicially waived to criminal court, and 58% of the youth admitted to state prisons.”

Highlighting racial bias along every level of of the juvenile justice system, the study found that the growing acceptance to try juvenile as adults has disproportionate impacted youth of color.

Black youth are more likely than white youth, who commit comparable crimes, to be arrested, prosecuted, tried as adults, convicted, sentenced, and sent to adult prison.

When comparing youth with no prior records that arrested for violent crimes – including murder, rape and robbery – 137 out of every 100,000 blacks are incarcerated, compared with 15 out of every 100,000 whites (Mauer 2001).

The examples are endless, the data is telling, and the destroyed lives are countless; racism and class privilege are leading youth of color to prison all while protecting white youth.

Why We Can’t Tolerate This:

In America, white youth, no matter how severe the crime is, are unlikely to be locked up. The greatest “get out of jail free card” is whiteness and wealth. Mr. Couch and his attorney merely brought this into light, showing what is all too common.

While his sentence was buttressed by a defense of “affluenza,” we see it another way: the (non)punishing of Couch was a victory for/by white supremacy, and class and gender privilege.

No fancy name will change this reality.

Stand up for what’s right

JLove and David

About the Authors

David Leonard is a professor in the Department of Critical Culture, Gender, and Race at Washington State University. http://drdavidjleonard.com/

JLove Calderon is a conscious media maker, social entrepreneur, and author of five books, including her latest: Occupying Privilege; Conversations on Love, Race, and Liberation. www.jlovecalderon.com

SIDEBAR
We Can Make Up Words Too!Whititis = white entitlement

Masculenza = male privilege

Coined by David Leonard

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, 2014 Daily News Tagged With: affluenza, Ethan Couch, White priviledge

The History of Bay Area Hip Hop Dance: Roboting, Strutting, Boogaloo & Funk

December 16, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Medea Sirkas

In recent weeks we’ve been doing a series of radio shows and articles that highlight certain aspects of Hip Hop History. In particular we been focusing on local (Bay Area) and West Coast History which sadly after 40 years is usually overlooked and marginalized by many writers and scholars.

Yes there are lots of stories about stellar artists like NWA, 2Pac and Ice T to name a few, but the West Coast narrative as told by many outside the West, leaves many with the false assumption that there was no dance, music or art culture that existed prior to the 1980s..

We sat down with Bay Area dance pioneers Fayzo and Boogaloo Dana of the legendary dance group Medea Sirkas and had them shed some light on some important overlooked history. They are staples in the Bay Area and have been around before the term Hip Hop was even coined. Nationally and internationally they have been featured in numerous videos for artist like Paul Wall and Usher. They have been on TV shows including Showtime at the Apollo.

In our interview they noted that they remain relevant after 40 years because they’ve learned to evolve and change with the times while still staying masters of the styles of dance they helped pioneer. They noted that popular dance styles like Roboting, Strutting and Boogalooing that are now associated with Hip Hop have been percolating in the Bay Area since the late 1960s.

Fayzo & Boogaloo Dana

The pair talked about pioneering dance figures and crew who proceeded them including the Black Messengers and the Black Resurgence who are considered the fathers of all this.. The pair walked us through their long history which began with them being solo dancers from different cities in the early 70s. Fayzo was part of a group called Demons of the Mind which was started in 78 by Larry McDonald.

Boogaloo Dana joined the group in 83/84.. Demons of the Mind which was a mainstay in the Bay Area for years. Eventually Dana and Fayzo went on to form Medea Sirkas in 91 and have been going strong for over 20 years.

Fayzo who has been dancing since 1972 noted that each city within the Bay Area had their own style and approach to the various dance styles along with particular styles of dress. San Francisco, Oakland and Richmond were the main hubs that interacted with each other in terms of dance competitions and showcases and hence became center attractions. Other cities like San Jose and East Palo Alto were also main players as well..

Boogaloo Dana noted that the early dance scene evolved to a point that one could tell what city or part of town someone was from based upon the types of hats and shoes they wore. The way people moved outside of actually dancing reflected the attitude and vibe of particular locales..

In our interview both men noted that terms like boogalooing and strutting had been around for a long time but became specifically defined for Bay Area folks to describe particular types of dance movements. Roboting dates back in the Bay Area to the mid 60s, that was made famous by Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 via their song ‘Dancing Machine‘ in the mid 70s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHJUPm8X8I0

It had a variety of styles that varied from city to city. In other words the way a someone did the robot in Oakland was different then the way cats in Richmond did it. Just about everyone you spoke to traced back a different influence. They ranged from seeing the robotic movements of mannequins in department store window displays to seeing the robot in popular TV shows like Lost in Space. They also detailed how group routines evolved and all the different components like dominoes and fall always came into being..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRF9eW9jalg

Boogaloo Dana talked extensively about the music scene noting that deejays weren’t the big thing , it was all about the hundreds of funk bands that made things pop. The dance crews eventually became main attractions over the bands the same way rappers eventually over took the popularity of deejays. The music that dominated the scene was funk where the emphasis was on the bass line.. Eventually as deejays became popular folks gravitated to electronic sounds that were funky. The mainstays were groups like Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_8Pma1vHmw

Fayzo

Fayzo who hails from the Fillmore district opened up and talked about the strange intersection that early dance scene had with the infamous People’s Temple that was ran by Jim Jones. He and Dana are doing post production on their documentary ‘Strutters for Life: The Untold Story of Medea Sirkas‘ and in it they go into painful detail about how key pioneering dance figures of groups like Black Velvet featuring the late Charles Marshall were members of the People’s Temple and were among the 900 people who perished in Guyana after drinking the poisoned Kool Aid.

Fayzo was a member of the People’s Temple and was scheduled to go on that ill-fated trip, but wound up not going. He lost a number of family members and for a very long time never spoke on the tragedy. Dancing offered an escape from the harsh reality he and others endured with respect to the People’s Temple massacre..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTacucX9gtM

Boogaloo Dana

During our conversation Fayzo and Boogaloo Dana spoke about the ethnic make up of the dancers at that time. They both noted the scene was predominantly Black and eventually evolved to include other races.. The crossover so to speak happened during the late 70s early 80s as media attention was given to the Hip Hop scene emerging from New York City. Both Fayzo and Dana noted that throughout the 70s many were unaware of breakdancing/ bboying or what was going on in New York. Nor did they know how big that scene had become. They talked about how New York’s Hip Hop scene integrated into what was going on in the Bay..

We conclude our interview by talking about pioneering women in the Bay Area’s early dance scene and the accomplishments of other dance crews including Richmond’s Housing authority who would go on to be main choreographers for Michael Jackson.