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

Curtis MayfieldWanted 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

Curtis Mayfield and ImpressionsPerhaps 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

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

I2013-2014 t’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

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

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

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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assata-shakur-3504-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

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

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

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

rick-ross-rosa-Clemente350Rapper 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

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

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-rubio-350

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

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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jay-z-Harry-Belafonte-350 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

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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Dream Defenders14-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

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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Idle-No-more35016-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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

White and Wealthy = Free Pass (Affluenza)

The Facts:

Ethan Couch

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

 

 

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

Medea Sirkas

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Here’s pt1 of our Hard Knock Radio Interview

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/history-of-bay-area-hip-hop-dance-pt1

Here’s pt 2 of our Hard Knock Radio Interview

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/history-of-bay-area-hip-hop-dance-pt2

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhbD5QeDHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ7d1crBIio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qT-80wlGW0

3 Dope Songs from Madlines Making Noise from Seattle to the Bay Area

MadlinesLot of folks have been talking about Seattle as of late and its burgeoning Hip Hop scene. Much of the buzz is due to the success of Macklemore who has had a stellar year.. But folks shouldn’t stop with one artists in exploring the Emerald City which has a rich history and filled with talented emcees.

One of the folks who is standing out is Madeleine Clifford aka Madlines one half of the group Canary Sing which has been on hiatus for a while. She is more than just an emcee, but an educator and activist. As a member of Canary Sing, she along with her best friend Hollis Wong Wear who has sung on a couple of songs with Macklemore, could be found all over Seattle at spoken word events, conducting workshops and hyping up rallies by spitting dope rhymes that gave extra life to the causes they were repping..

The group became fairly popular and released an EP called ‘The Beautiful Baby‘ Standout cuts included the big band sounding ‘Prove It‘, the boom bap inspired ‘Heroine’ and the sultry sounding ‘H206‘ which pays tribute to Seattle.

Madlines albumA couple of years ago Madlines moved from Seattle to Oakland to get her masters degree. In true form she started making the rounds  and has become a fixture here in the Bay Area.. She made some noise last year with the release of a horn laden song called ‘I Need a Moment‘.

This year she put her shoulder to the grind to finish her first solo EP called ‘Love Child‘. Here Madlines pushes the envelope and expands her sound to include nice reggae sounding jams like ‘A Good Thing‘  and ‘Irie‘ which features Hollis. According to Madlines, the sound scape to the peroject reflects her West Indian roots..

The EP has a dope stand out track that reflects her more traditional flows called Blocka which features Madlines trading rhymes with Gigante of the group Brwn Bflo. The pair recently teamed up to do a heartfelt song about mass incarceration and the impact it has on families  called Beyond the Bars

If you happen to be in the Bay Area at the end of the month December 21 2013, Madlines along with fellow Bay Area artists Aisha Fukishima, Coco Peila and Ana Roth will all be performing at the Legionnaire Salon located on 2272 telegraph Ave in Oakland

BLOCKA (Don’t Block My Shine)

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

I Need A Moment

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

Ms.Understood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVf2WiBh3T0

We Mourn Mandela But Do We Embrace His Ideals of Love, Forgiveness & Redemption?

Nelson MandelaAs people continue to mourn the death of Nelson Mandela (Madiba) and celebrate his life, I keep hearing the words ‘humble‘, ‘forgiving‘ and ‘patient‘ when describing him..People are passionately talking about his ‘moral fortitude’ and how he took the high ground with his oppressors, but one has to wonder if Mandela’s uplifting ways have been embraced and emulated by many who praise him?

It seems like over the years, folks are less forgiving and more hostile than ever. Mandela forgave his oppressors and even fought his own people to prevent them from going all out against those who brutalized Black folks, stole their land and left many in dire economic straits.. The question is did those who oppressed us return the favor?

Did they take the moral high ground, or did they find new and improved ways to keep African people disempowered and oppressed? Did those who are touting Mandela’s moral fortitude and ability to empathize ever embrace his ways and show such traits when engaging us during our respective struggles?

We should not forget for a moment that in the hours leading up to us being told of Mandela’s passing that many including some who post on this board, were standing on their self-centered high horse and decrying and lambasting Fast Food workers who dared to walk off the job and strike asking for a higher wages from companies that make billions ever year in record profits..

South Africa labor strikeMany were quick to down these folks and call them ‘greedy’. Others refused to listen to those workers and take into account their front line experiences and understanding of the situation.. Many bashed them. Others went to the fast food places and crossed the picket lines.. Others scoffed and made silly comments like ‘Go Get another Job‘, as if the people working there only want to be at low wage professions.. Many who praised Mandela in his death made a decision to overlook the fact that he was ardent supporter of unions. He always uplifted the workers, many of whom played crucial roles in him eventually being freed. Many are forgetting that he felt relief from poverty was a fundamental human right..

In short many were mean-spirited and had no empathy. It reminded me of the callousness I saw amongst folks back in the early 80s when South African miners were being brutalized for striking and asking us to boycott gold and diamonds. There were many at that time who were indifferent and brought the goods anyway, scoffing at their plight.. It was just last year 34 South African miners were killed by police as they protested the working condition of mines still owned by many of the same folks during Apartheid. Their killing was met with indifference by many who today are mourning Mandela’s passing..

There were a number of folks who refused to honor the Sun City Boycott back in the days including a number of Black performers who shrugged their shoulders and in spite international pressure and direct request of Mandel’s folks, tucked their moral compasses away to go perform…We see you OJays, Queen and yes we see you too, the great late Ray Charles.

Nelson Mandela posterWe see the same shrugging and scoffing today when folks are asked not to perform in oppressive places like Israel. We saw that when people were calling for ban on Arizona after SB1070 passed. Hell we see this willingness to compromise our morals and be indifferent when our President orders the dropping of drones in Africa where hundreds of innocent folks are killed in so-called collateral damage..We applaud the President for leading the charge to kill Mandela’s friend and according to him, staunch support Gaddafi when we smashed on Libya and thousands of Blacks were run out the country, Yet we applaud Mandela for taking courageous stances against oppression that we have routinely violated or turned our backs to…

Sadly many who are running around talking fondly of Mandela and his moral and forgiving stance and desire to have a Rainbow Nation have done very little to push forth those principles with the Black, Brown and Native folks they live amongst.. There’s very little commitment to address systemic causes of poverty and inequality. If anything folks are quietly and not so quietly cheering on the building of more prisons and the increases removal of critical resources and safety nets to help those who have long been marginalized..

Hell, we still have folks running around justifying and defending the racist name ‘Redskins‘ for the NFL team in Washington, yet they running around shedding tears for Mandela, forgetting their continued complicity both direct and symbolic in the genocide that is at the root of this country’s existence.

One has to wonder if it was dreadful mistake for Mandela to forgive his oppressors and fight those who wanted them ousted once and for all..He forgave, but as we can see there has been very little forgiveness on the other side of the proverbial track..

GBush Sr, Bill Clinton and G Bush Jr all kept Nelson Mandela on the terrorist watch list..

George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton and George Bush Jr all kept Nelson Mandela on the terrorist watch list..

Perhaps Mandela is so beloved not because of his ideals, but because at the end of the day the same oppressive forces that were in place prior to him being freed are still there, only difference now is there are a few extra Black and Brown faces sitting within those forces helping to continue that oppression. Maybe Mandela is being celebrated and mourned by some, because its fashionable and we are caught up in the cult of personality..

Perhaps Mandela is being mourned and celebrated because he has successfully been detached from the larger movement that he gave rise.. For many who cheer him while shunning his ideals he is now seen as ‘one of their own’ vs being seen as ‘one of us’..

-Davey D-

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

3 Dope Songs from Coco Peila; Taking the Bay Area to New Heights

Coco PeilaAs we continue our 3 Dope Song series designed to turn folks on to underplayed and new artists, we turn our attention to Coco Peila who is a dope emcee/ singer who comes from Berkeley, California.  She’s been putting in work for a minute, both as an activist , student and artist doing everything from winning Poetry slam championships (2005) to graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recording Arts and a Master of Science Degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University in Orlando Florida, to performing on stages all over the world including in Guatemala and New Zealand.

She first caught a lot of people’s attention back in 2007 when her song Any Day was chosen by Youth Noise to be the face of a campaign they had launched to raise awareness about body image.

A couple of years ago Coco released her first mixed tape entitled  “Can I Reminisce…Progress Not Perfection” .

She recently dropped a banger of a song called ‘Misses Shoot ’em Down‘ that deals with female empowerment and respect. It’s the first single from her debut album as she takes a firm seat at the table of dope emcees making moves from the Bay..

 

Misses Shoot ’em Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1SBdWreVs

“Any Day Now”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhZsA99tgi8

Coco Peila and Groove Major- Make It Hot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyCPDxiEXt0

3 Dope Songs from Amil -From Major Coins to Roc-A Fella & Beyond

AmilAmil Kahala Whitehead  more commonly known by her stage name Amil, is an American female rapper, singer, and songwriter from New York City. She was prominent in the late 1990s as a Jay-Z protégé, most notably on the single “Can I Get A...” from the Rush Hour soundtrack.

In 1997, Amil was involved with an all-female group called “Major Coins“. The group met Jay-Z, who was looking for a woman to provide vocals on his third album, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life. The part for the female rapper was really for her friend, but when Jay-Z asked Amil to freestyle and liked it, he decided to put her on the song instead. Amil, wanting to remain loyal to her friend, did not prefer to be put on the song, but Jay-Z allowed them both to do a version of the song.

Soon after Major Coins broke up, Amil decided to follow a solo career with Jay-Z’s label, Roc-A-Fella Records, joining the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour. After the tour, she appeared on songs with Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jermaine Dupri, AZ, DJ Kay Slay, LL Cool J and Funkmaster Flex.

 

I Got That

No 1 Can Compare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yupFbQP7N8U

Quarrels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yejS_9R8Unk

Hip Hop Songs You Should Know As We Celebrate Black History Month

KRS-One teacherWith this being Black History Month, I been going through a lot of songs and videos that may give us food for thought, inspire us and reflect what this month should ideally be about…obtaining knowledge of self  and remembering that Black History is World History… It’s also something that occurs everyday, not just limited to the Month of February…

Remember when historian/ scholar Carter G Woodson established the second week in February Negro History Week in 1926,  it was done with the intent of acknowledging the birthday of Fredrick Douglass and providing us with a vehicle to push for Black History to be a foundation to American History…

Negro History Week grew over the years and in 1969 Black students at kent State expanded the week long celebration to a Black History month.. Several years later in 1976, President Gerald Ford acknowledged Black History Month..

Over the years lots of artists have stepped to the plate and delivered timeless songs that uplifted our history… I gathered a few for us to peep and reflect on.. Some of this is a mixture of the past and present.. enjoy..

You Must Learn by KRS-One

This is one of my favorites… it was dropped by KRS during what many considered the Golden Era of Hip Hop.. There were two different versions of this song. One used the break beat Supersporm by Captain Sky, the other  depicted in this video uses the popular break ‘Get Up and Dance‘ from Farther Than Imagination

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVtVJ6Kq-Pk

Acknowledge Your History by the Jungle Brothers

This was always a favorite from the Jungle Brothers.. It’s off the album Forces of Nature.. I wish they had done a video because the song is dope.. Also coming out of Hip Hop’s Golden Era..

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

Gary ByrdWe Wear the Crown by Gary Byrd & Stevie Wonder

This is a classic song that has been written out of history in terms of its importance.. Two things we should note.. First Gary Byrd is more than just a talented musician who has put out several records prior to this one including Every Brother Ain’t a Brother in the early 70s that proceeds the first rap songs, Rappers Delight by Sugar Hill Gang and King Tem III by Fatback Band by several years. Byrd is a radio deejay who harks back to the days when ‘announcers’ routinely spit rhymes in between songs as way to display their vocal flyness..

Byrd when he released this song, teams up with Stevie Wonder in 1983 and does a stellar Black History song.. The pairing represented a break in ‘elders supporting rap/Hip Hop when so many at that time were highly critical and against it.. They saw Hip Hop as an embarassing throwback.. Byrd and Wonder saw things a bit differently..They saw the potential ion Hip Hop and wanted to help lead the way…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0U92sN-Eo

I Can by Nas

This song speaks for itself.. How can you go wrong with Nas?  He dropped this a song a few years ago and it garnered a few awards and lots of critical acclaim. For many it was a welcome breath of fresh air to see an artist of his stature and popularity step from beef and meaningless chatter and do something for the kids.. The Funky Drummer beat and Nas’ uplifting lyrics will always make this song a classic..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLmRoVMfsD8

Freedom Rap by Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes (of TLC), MC Lyte, Patra, Nefertiti, Da 5 Footaz Salt-N-Pepa, Meshell Ndegeocello

Many people have overlooked or don’t even know this about this song. It was done for a hard to find sound track for 1995 movie Panther..That album had a quite a few songs, but this was a standout in terms of the allstar cast of female emcees and singers who were at the top of the field going for it.. This song will forever be a treasure

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

Proud to Be Black & Black History by Run DMC

Run Dmc ChristmasI’m going back to back with Run DMC.. This song is off the landmark album Raising Hell and it speaks for itself.. damn near every song off that album was a banger especially at that time.. and this song hit the mark..Rap was still making its way into the mainstream and it was good to see Run DMC do this song in prominent spaces.. during the mid 80s…

The second song, Black History is a rare and hard to find song that was given away for FREE back in like 1984 and proceeds the Raising Hell lp…The Black Cultural Workshop (BCW) put the actual video together for the song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlP3mywBDz4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNdcOZhlgf0

The Truth About Race by Labtekwon

This song is a more recent offering from a prolific Baltimore based emcee who is no joke as a lyricist, scholar and artist..His 18th or 19th full length album  and 35th recording overall is called  Hardcore: Labtekwon and The Righteous Indignation- Rootzilla vs Masta Akbar. Here you’ll find a number of songs that can easily fit within this collection of songs to check for around Black History..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL-1tWiHB1Y

The Lost Tribe of Shabazz by Lakim Shabazz

Lakim Shabazz - TLTOSLakim Shabazz who hails from the Flavor Unit crew ala Queen Latifah and Mark the 45 King, was always a conscious cat who spoke truth to power. Him coming with Pro Black lyrics was to be expected..Vintage cuts like Black is Back and Pure Righteousness were the order of the day.. What wasn’t expected was when he shot his video for the title song from his second album ‘Lost Tribe of Shabazz‘ in Egypt.. At the time doing a video like this was not cheap.. Homeboy was literally putting his money where his mouth is and letting folks know that he was dead serious about the words he was spitting..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytRUPOpjJT0

Be Black by King Sun

This was a favorite from King Sun who was always coming with heat during the time he dropped this. It was the heart of the Afrocentric Golden Era. Interestingly enough it appears that Sun took a shot at the Native Tongue cats when he disses a group of guys who had on funny ‘gear’ in the video. Not too much was made of it.. But this song got a lot of run when it came out..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSZ2BPUrnQ

Harriet TubmanLooking for a great way to get a lesson on Black History… Here’s a brother from Oakland named  Eseibo the Automatic and his partners that took a popular Too Short song ‘Freaky Tales‘ and flipped it to be Black History Tales… I’m feeling this.. Hopefully you are as well..We need more joints like this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQtPTqoH0Dk&sns=tw

That wraps up this round of songs.. There are lots of others including joints from groups like dead prez, Paris, Poor Righteous Teachers, X-Clan and Queen Mother Rage and many more.. We’ll post up some more videos in a couple of days.. In the meantime reflect and enjoy…

Today is Bob Marley’s Birthday-A Man of Love Placed Under CIA Surveillance

Bob MarleyToday February 6th is Bob Marley‘s birthday… It’s interesting to note that as folks will lionize Ronald Reagan who shares the same birthday, they will overlook the fact that Marley not Reagan was the one under surveillance by the CIA. Reagan was all up in the Iran Contra Scandal, yet our government   considered Marley and other Rastas threatening..His message of love which was empowering to folks was in conflict with those who did not like to see bridges being built and communities coming together..  Many folks don’t realize this.. and when you take this into account, it may shed some light as to why Marley in spite having world-wide popularity, never really had a home on Black /Urban radio here in the US….

Below is a cool article from  http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/48516  on Marley and him being surveilled.

The Bob Marley songbook is bursting with eloquent social protest, exposing the poverty, oppression and injustice endured by inhabitants of the “developing” world.

“Burning and Looting”, for example: “This morning I woke up in a curfew. O my God I was a prisoner too … Could not recognise the faces standing over me, they were all dressed in uniforms of brutality.”

Or from “Slave Driver”: “Every time I hear the crack of a whip, my blood runs cold. I remember on the slave ship, how they brutalise the very souls. Today they say that we are free, only to be chained in poverty … slave driver catch a fire so you can get burn, now.”

This is a message as relevant today as it was when Marley died from cancer 30 years ago in 1981 at the age of 36.

“Check my life if I am in doubt,” advised Marley to any who doubted his authenticity.

The Jamaican roots reggae superstar of the 1970s was never motivated by fame or money, though Marley did acquire these things when reggae went global under his stewardship.

These materialistic trappings were regarded by Marley as the “tools of Babylon”, which he would use to raise consciousness and spread a revolutionary message.

As a “mixed-race” child of rural Jamaica and, later, the working-class Trenchtown district of Kingston, Marley experienced the inequities of the post-colonial system.

Selling records and filling concert halls was never a vehicle for the gratification of Marley’s ego. It was for the transformation of a conflict-ridden world divided between exploiters and exploited to a new order of peace, harmony and understanding — “one love”.

At times, Marley encountered temptation and sometimes strayed into the path of excess.

Yet, as Chris Salewicz’s definitive 2009 biography Bob Marley: The Untold Story shows, Marley remained uncorrupted by the music business.

Although Rastafarianism (like any religion) contains its fair share of irrational dogma, Marley’s emphasis was on “redemption” in the here and now by toppling “Babylon” (i.e. the racist imperialist system of oppression).

“If you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth,” sang Marley in “Get Up Stand Up”.

Like “liberation theology”, a strand of radical Christianity that made a welcome contribution to the anti-imperialist movement in Latin America, Rastafarianism is compatible (in many respects) with the secular struggle against capitalism.

Marley’s dissent made him a target for surveillance and harassment.

His militancy was too much for the US intelligence establishment, which regarded Marley and other Rastas, such as fellow Jamaican reggae musician Peter Tosh, as dangerous subversives.

“Rasta”, as Bob defiantly stated in “Rat Race”, “don’t work for no CIA”.

The dramatic implications of this line can only be understood when viewed in the context of Jamaican politics.

Following the “loss” of Cuba in 1959, Washington sought to contain the spread of genuinely independent Caribbean regimes.

By the mid-70s, Jamaica was in a state of unofficial civil war. Two political parties, each equipped with armed gangs, battled for control of the island.

On the mainstream left, there was Michael Manley’s Peoples National Party (PNP), which held government.

It was opposed by the deceptively-titled Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) under Edward Seaga, whose funding came from the domestic Jamaican “white” elite and foreign corporate interests involved in the mining industry.

The US government interfered to help fuel the political violence. It openly aimed to install Seaga (or “CIA-ga”, as he was widely known) in power.

Manley’s offences had been to pursue greater state control over the country’s plentiful bauxite reserves and engagement with Cuba’s revolutionary government.

The CIA, through the JLP, conducted a campaign of destabilisation against the Manley government.

Marley refused to be directly associated with Manley’s 1976 re-election campaign, but he did identify with Manley’s anti-imperialist policies.

At Manley’s request, he agreed to perform at the “Smile Jamaica” concert organised by the PNP.

In apparent retaliation, a squad of four JLP-affiliated hit men tried to assassinate Marley and his wife Rita on the eve of the concert.

Rita, with blood streaming from her scalp, only survived by playing dead at the wheel of her shot-up VW.

Marley’s manager stepped into the line of fire just as the gunman opened up, taking four bullets.

A ricochet struck Bob in the arm after grazing his chest. “If he had been inhaling instead of exhaling”, notes Salewicz, “the bullet would have gone into his heart.”

Two days later, the injured Marley performed at the concert.

A few days before the attempt on his life, Marley was visited by an official from the US embassy.

Salewicz said the official “advised the singer to tone down his lyrics, and to stop aiming at a white audience in the USA; if he didn’t, he would find his visa to enter America had been taken away”.

Whether the CIA ordered the assassination attempt or not, it is beyond doubt that the shadowy, murderous organisation was supporting right-wing elements in Jamaica that wanted anti-imperialists such as Marley dead.

There were thousands of JLP/CIA-orchestrated political killings during this period.

Having terrorised Jamaica for years, Seaga took power in 1980, severing relations with Cuba and implementing neoliberal policies.

Embracing neoliberalism, Manley returned to office with US backing in 1989.

After a succession of “business-friendly” governments, most of the island’s population remains mired in poverty.

For people of the left, Marley should be remembered as a comrade in the common struggle.

Although he mistrusted Jamaican “politricks” (with good reason) and was never an orthodox “socialist”, Marley was nothing if not a vehement critic of the global capitalist “Babylon System” — which he memorably described as “the vampire, falling empire, sucking the blood of the sufferers … Deceiving the people continually”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQb7Fk3Vikw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQb7Fk3Vikw