Singer Jennifer Hudosn Sparks Controversy in South Africa-SA Actors Don’t Want her Playing Winnie Mandela

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091207/wl_africa_afp/entertainmentsafricausfilmmandelahudson

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South African actors want to stop Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson from playing Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in a new film on the ex-wife of the nation’s first black president, reports said Monday.

The Creative Workers Union of South Africa said using foreign actors to tell the country’s stories undermined efforts to develop the national film industry.

“It can’t happen that we want to develop our own Hollywood and yet bring in imports,” the union’s president Mabutho Sithole said in The Citizen newspaper.

“This decision must be reversed, it must be stopped now,” union secretary general Oupa Lebogo said in The Times. “If the matter doesn’t come up for discussion, we will push for a moratorium to be placed on the film.”

Hudson, who scooped a best supporting actress Oscar in 2007 for the musical “Dreamgirls”, landed the role of Madikizela-Mandela last month.

The film will be directed by South African film-maker Darrell J. Roodt, whose films include “Cry, The Beloved Country” and “Sarafina.”

The criticism comes just days before the opening of the Clint Eastwood film “Invictus”, a drama about Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s 1995 rugby World Cup victory which united the nation.

Morgan Freeman plays the president and Matt Damon is the rugby team captain.

Madikizela-Mandela campaigned tirelessly for her husband’s release during his 27-year imprisonment in the apartheid era.

However, her image was tarnished by a series of scandals including her links to the kidnap and murder of a young activist and a 2003 conviction for fraud.

She separated from Nelson Mandela in 1992, two years after his release.

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Here’s a couple of articles I found in South African newspapers.. I wanted to see what they were saying. First, I didn’t see a whole lot of info on this controversy via the papers on line..but here’s a couple of columns that give this story more context..-davey D-

http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/music/2009/12/07/actors-gun-for-jennifer-hudson/

Right, so the Creative Workers’ Union of SA is having a go at Jennifer Hudson because she’s been cast to play Winnie Mandela in an upcoming film about the “mother of the nation”. In an article by Sipho Masondo in today’s The Times, he writes “The union said foreign actors should not play leading roles in South African movies because it undermined the growth of the local creative industry.” Read the rest of the story here.

 Now I’m waiting to find out more about the casting process of this role and how Ms Hudson got it, but you know what I’m pretty sure it’s because of her talent. As an actor, one is expected to transform into any given character, be it speaking with a different dialect or a change in one’s physique in order to pull off the role. Charlize has done it in America, so why can Hudson not do it in South Africa? Why was this not an issue when Morgan Freeman was cast as Nelson Mandela in Invictus? Come on, the double standards here are priceless.

@ Oupa Lebogo. This is a legitimate question… besides Florence Masebe, who else would play the role better? Also if you look at the caliber of actresses she beat out at the 2007 Oscars, who are we to judge how good she is an actress if she won an Oscar
(Fellow nominees included Adriana Barraza (Babel), Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)

Yes I agree that the arts aren’t given nearly enough credit that they’re owed, but perhaps instead of pouncing on J Hud, the union should pounce on the president, the arts and culture minister. Tell them to put more money into the arts. Tell them to provide more funding to filmmakers who want to compete (technically) with the rest of the world. In that way film producers won’t have to go out and abroad to look for funding. Film director Anant Singh and actress Florence Masebe make good points, “From a creative point of view we have a great wealth of talent locally. However, it’s very difficult to prescribe how a movie should be made. There are commercial imperatives and if you want a movie to be made you have to do it a certain way. It’s all about balance.
“The integrity of the South African film industry can be maintained. Look at Sarafina. I had [American actress] Whoopi Goldberg, but I also had Leleti Khumalo playing a leading role.” (Singh)

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http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-12-07-hollywood-se-voet

Have you heard? American star Jennifer Hudson will be playing Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in an upcoming biopic. I’m not sure what your first reaction to that is, but mine was: Winnie can sing?? Not the Creative Workers’ Union of SA, however. In true trade-union style they immediately decried this Western imperial domination of a local industry and demanded national auditions and free hats for everyone. Or something like that.

Union general secretary Oupa Lebogo said: “This decision must be reversed, it must be stopped now. If the matter doesn’t come up for discussion, we will push for a moratorium to be placed on the film being cast in South Africa. We are being undermined, there is no respect at all,” TimesLive reported.

And of course, middle-class South Africans everywhere were disgusted. They probably stopped listening at the word moratorium.

“Im sick and tired of all this B@#LS&^T that’s going on in SA,” said one commenter ferociously. “These people keep on complaining of all the wrongs, yet they are so tired to lift their ass up and do anything. Why didn’t they think of it and do something before the foreigners did?”

Hear hear! I’m sure you’re saying right about now. Followed immediately by that favourite argument: Oscar-winning and bankable Hollywood stars will draw in the audiences! This is good for us. The same commenter thought so. “Name just one actor/actress that will generate money and lure people to the movie house in South Africa … NOT ONE and that is a fact.”

I’m almost sad for the Creative Workers’ Union. I wished they could’ve been a little more, well, creative. Demanding people take you seriously is so nineties revolutionary. Because all they had to do was consult a list of South African films starring big Hollywood stars and take a look at their box-office results. Wham bam — argument won.

Remember Goodbye Bafana? It’s OK if you don’t — no one else does. The story of Nelson Mandela’s friendship with a prison warder was brought to us by the acclaimed director of The House of the Spirits and starred Hollywood star Joseph Fiennes. The numbers say it all. It cost a whopping $30-million to make and brought in under $3-million and received virtually no release in the US.

You think Winnie director Darrell Roodt would have learned from Cry the Beloved Country. It made even less in the US with $676 525, despite starring heavyweight James Earl Jones.

Taye Diggs

And then there’s Drum which, though it featured the fabulous Taye Diggs, failed to make much of an impression at the box office here or abroad.

The logic has not worked for them and it certainly didn’t work when incorporated into Hansie, as anyone who had to sit through the accent of the American actress playing his wife in that flop can attest to.

So urgent is our desire to be vindicated by Hollywood that we forget the massive irony at work here. The movies that have been massive successes — District 9, Tsotsi and Jerusalema — for example, featured South Africans in all the lead roles. District 9 was most notable for its disregard of American expectations and unashamedly South African accents, actors and themes. If you haven’t heard that movie’s success story I can’t help you out from under that rock but I can tell you that as of November it made a worldwide total of $200-million, more than six times its estimated production budget of $30-million.

Is it because there were South Africans in the lead? No, it was because it was a damn good film. But the presence of Hollywood actors in important movies about our past have historically been failures, and ones that are stupid to repeat.

“I don’t think [anyone but a South African] can even begin to understand what we mean when we say Winnie is the mother of the nation,” actress Florence Masebe sniffed. Winnie is no mother of mine, but if I were to see a movie about her I’d like to spend my time immersed in a good plot. Not cringing at the accent.

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http://www.weekendpost.co.za/article.aspx?id=507086

SOUTH African actors have criticised a decision to have American R&B singer Jennifer Hudson play the role of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in an upcoming film.

The Creative Workers’ Union of SA (CWUSA) at the weekend called on local movie maker Darrell Roodt to rethink Hudson’s role as lead actress in the film about Madikizela-Mandela’s life, reported The Times.

“The decision must be reversed, it must be stopped now,” said union general secretary Oupa Lebogo.

“If the matter doesn’t come up for discussion, we will push for a moratorium to be placed on the film being cast in South Africa.

“We are being undermined – there is no respect at all.”

Production of the film is set begin on May 30 next year.

Lebogo said South Africa had “people who can the play the role far better than Jennifer”.

Actors John Kani, Florence Masebe and Mpho Molepo said CWUSA was heeding a call by President Jacob Zuma to take action and unite on issues affecting the entertainment business.

“Every time there is a movie that tells a South African story, it is done by someone who must be taught the right way of pronouncing Sawubona. Enough is enough,” said Kani, according to The Citizen newspaper.

The CWUSA called for the reinstatement of working permits for international producers who want to make films in South Africa.

Film director Anant Singh said he agreed South Africa had a wealth of talent.

“However, it is very difficult to prescribe how a movie should be made. There are commercial imperatives and if you want a movie to be made, you have to do it a certain way. It’s all about balance,” said Singh. – Sapa

Actress Florence Masebe said the issue was far bigger than “Winnie and Jennifer. Why do Americans and foreigners play the roles we hold so dear? The roles of people we respect. I don’t think [anyone but a South African] can even begin to understand what we mean when we say Winnie is the mother of the nation.” Again I go back to my point on Morgan Freeman playing Madiba….

This is a tricky and rather sensitive subject, I get that. We all know this movie is going to happen, no matter what. So here’s a possible solution I have in mind. Why not have Hudson share some of her skills, secrets into being an A-list actress with local talent when she’s here. Set up a workshop, funded by government one day during shooting, empower the artists by knowledge-sharing? I think instead of lambasting this talented woman, we should look at suggestions and possible solutions rather…

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America’s Obsession with Extramarital Affairs Are Used As Distractions to the War

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Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods-What have you done?  Word of his sordid affairs is all anyone can talk about. From coast to coast  on every single local and national newscast, squeaky clean Tiger Woods cheating on his wife is the lead story. Sadly,we’ve seen this film way too many times. Whether it’s South Carolina governor  Mark Sanford, basketball great Kobe Bryant, former president Bill Clinton or Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson, such sagas more often than not have me asking,  ‘What are ‘they’ trying to hide from us?’

All this Tiger Woods talk has me suspicious. Something is up.  

It was just two days ago, that we had a sobering conversation with Congressman and former Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich about what he anticipated President Obama would say in his speech about increasing troops to Afghanistan. A very impassioned Kucinich noted that the anti-war’s collective upset to Obama’s proposal was a few steps too late. He reminded us that key hurdles were cleared a month ago in early October around the 8th anniversary of the Afghan War. According to Kucinich, on October 8th, the House  approved a bill that authorized the expenditure of $130 billion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He noted that the democratic dominated Congress had already taken a pro-War stance and many in the anti-war peace Movement were quiet.

David Letterman's extramaritial affairs were big distractions from war issues

Folks may not recall this particular bill because back in early October while our government was pouring all this money into the war effort, the rest of the nation was besieged with endless news stories and punditry analysis about another sordid extramarital affair and its accompanying baggage including attempted extortion. This of course involved late night TV host David Letterman. 

 Instead of hearing from an enraged Kucinich, Barbara Lee or Texas Republican Ron Paul, we were subjected to all sorts experts taking up valuable airtime debating whether or not Letterman having sex with another consenting adult was appropriate.

 Adding to this distraction was Barack Obama being awarded  the Noble Peace Prize the day after the October 8th date Kucinich referenced.  Ron Paul took some time out and expressed his concerns about the Noble Prize sitaution. he talked about it being a waste of time and distraction and that it awarding Obama such a prestigous award would not move him toward peace. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbcDk-bNoc8&feature=player_embedded

But getting back to this country’s obsession with cheating spouses. They’ve long served as perfect covers for serious discussions about issues that have far-reaching impact on our lives. Last month it was Letterman, this month its Woods. The Woods story is now eclipsing important news coverage of the dozen or so anti-war protests yesterday from around the country. Instead of seeing or hearing man-on-the-street reports soliciting the opinions of young people about the escalation, we’re hearing them weigh in on Woods. Instead of hearing from celebrities like actor Danny Glover talking about his oppposition to the war, we’re hearing basketball great Charles Barkely‘s take on Tiger.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting a conversation about Tiger Woods is an indication that one is un-intelligent or un-interested in more serious subjects. What I am cautioning us to keep in mind, that all this news coverage may be a distraction  to keep our eyes off some important balls. We have to ask ourselves; ‘What are we not talking about today?  Is it the President’s Job/Economic Summit being held today? Is it the debate to re-appoint Fed Chair Ben Bernacke? Is it the latest developments surrounding the Oscar Grant trial? Is it the controversy surrounding the conclusion of the mayoral election in Atlanta or the upcoming hotly contested run off mayoral election in Houston? As I’m typing this the Today Show is tripping all over itself to report how yet another woman is coming out to hold a press conference with famed lawyer Gloria Allred to possibly admit she had an affair. Her press conference comes at the heels of two other press conferences including one the other day where several law enforcement officials announced that they are not going to be further investigating Woods.

I’m thinking to myself, if such stories are being  done because the American public is hungry for salacious and intriguing reports, why not bring on journalist Jeremy Scahill of RebelReports.com to talk about how the worlds largest and most notorious private army Blackwater has been waging a secret War in Pakistan where they been assassinating and kidnapping people. If you wanna get heads turning and tongues wagging make note that this is happening on the watch of a President who promised rto abandon all those disturbing George Bush-Dick Cheney type tactics  that painted America in a bad light.  Secret war in Pakistan vs Tiger Woods being an undercover player? You decide what’s more important.

Ron Paul Kicked up dust around the escalation of the War in Afghanistan

Another glaring omission I see missing from national news coverage is yesterday’s Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee discussion on Afghanistan It was there that Congressional Black Caucus chair Barbara Lee and Progressive Caucus co-chair Lynn Woolsey were not allowed to speak  and express their staunch opposition to the Obama’s escalation. Fortunately Ron Paul got a chance to speak and really went in on the committee hitting them pretty hard, but that was barely covered. You can peep Paul weighing in on the C-Span video. He starts his round of questioning at 88.17 minutes into the hearing.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/216172

It’s interesting to note that it was just 3 weeks ago that Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X hit us off with a song and video that raised similar concerns. He asked the question about whether or not we are staying up on the news. His video is a good note to end on and reflect.

written by Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v2Ju74i2dU

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30 Million Small Businesses: The Army President Obama Has Yet To Deploy

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Update: We interviewed Cedric Muhammad on Hard Knock Radio about the economy and how its looking under what many see as a New World Order of sorts. He expounds up on his article and gives some keen breakdowns..Here’s a link to the archived show

http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/56677

30 Million Small Businesses: The Army President Obama Has Yet To Deploy

by Cedrick Muhammad

President Barrack Obama’s decision to deploy more troops to Afghanistan should be a reminder and not a distraction that the country is involved in a two-front war. Not only one where the battlefields are Iraq and Afghanistan, but also a domestic economic war where saving an ailing banking system, is one front, while the struggle of small businesses to grow and expand is the other.

So far, that second war is only being waged on one battlefield.

It may be a generalization but not an oversimplification to say that when push came to shove, during and after the Financial Panic of 2008, the United States government – both Congress and two Presidential administrations – decided the interests of Wall Street and only a small portion of America’s 10,000 commercial banks, along with a handful of auto companies, were more important than the needs of approximately 30,000,000 small businesses [There were 6.1 million employer and 23.1 million nonemployer firms (a nonemployer firm is defined as one that has no paid employees, has annual business receipts of $1,000 or more and is subject to federal income taxes.) in the U.S. in 2008 according to Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) data from the U.S. Census Bureau].

The commercial banking sector is important – especially those smaller and community-oriented institutions that have been an after-thought in the plans of both Presidents Obama and George W. Bush. And if money is the lifeblood of a nation, then the financial system is somewhat like a circulatory system moving capital and credit wherever it is needed throughout the economic body.

This crisis was a financial one for sure, and its roots can be found in four areas.

First, a fractional reserve banking system which allows banks to lend out (or extend credit) several times the actual amount of money they actually have on deposit.

Second, a fiat currency (money with no sound backing) created gradually in three stages – initially when the Federal Reserve was born in 1913 giving a private central bank control over the issuance of America’s currency, a responsibility the U.S. constitution reserved for Congress. And then, when the gold standard was ended in two stages – in 1933 under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and 1971under president Richard Nixon.

Third, the out of control growth of a derivatives market initially built upon the legitimate need of farmers and businesses to insure themselves from disasters and unpredictable circumstances (like storms and poor crops) which grew to dwarf the real economy (the physical and digital goods and services that we need to survive and want to enjoy) in size. It should be noted that the first major derivatives market was in foreign currency and it grew out of the instability of a world where the dollar was no longer on the gold standard and investors, entrepreneurs, farmers and corporations had to guess and gamble each day over what the world’s currencies were worth.

Fourth, the birth of the modern securitization market in 1970s, started by the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) or ‘Ginnie Mae’ which allowed private institutions to gather mortgages extended to different customers and owned by different banks into large bundles to be resold to other institutions – like pension funds and investment banks. With the help of institutions like Salomon Brothers this practice grew to the size of trillions of dollars and saw bundles as large as 5,000 mortgages and up, sold all over the world. By 2009 loans of all kinds – mortgages, bank, student, credit card and business – were being made not because individuals and entities qualified for them but because banks could make more money off of securitizing and re-selling them to Wall Street investors and institutions and governments all over the world. When these loans could not be repaid the whole house of cards tumbled.

For the most part, first under President Bush, and afterward President Obama very little has been done to effectively address these four fundamental aspects of the financial crisis. When you combine this reality with a national debt of $12 trillion (around $60 trillion when you add in the money owed for Social Security and Medicare payments) it is not hard to see the hand-writing on the wall – the American economy is headed for a painful day of reckoning.

But there was an equally important problem to be solved, aside from the financial one. In fact, it was already in effect and looming on the horizon before the Panic of 2007-2008. It was the challenge of how the American economy was going to transition through the era of globalization that was eroding its foundation due to two practices – offshoring and outsourcing. Offshoring is the decision of a company to relocate an entire business process from one country to another and outsourcing is the subcontracting of a service or business process to a third party.

Former Federal Reserve Governor and Princeton University Professor Alan Blinder, before the recession, estimated that 30 million to 40 million American jobs have the potential to be offshored. These include such professions as tax accounting, film and video editors, computer programming, bookkeepers, architects, lawyers specializing in contract law, mathematicians, graphic designers, financial analysts, actuaries, microbiologists, and even economists.

And who was on the front lines of this battle best positioned to win it and create the jobs that will replace those being lost, but also suffering the greatest casualties?

Without question, it is the country’s 30 million small business owners.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s 2009 “Small Business Economy: A Report To The President,” ‘…since the mid-1990s, small businesses have generally created 60 to 80 percent of the net new employment, but in 2008 there was a net loss of 3.1 million jobs. While it is not yet possible to know how many were lost in smaller businesses, it is likely they were a significant share of the losses. In the first three quarters, the United States lost 1,695,00 jobs, of which 60 percent were in small businesses.’

And what has been the official policy response to this recognition?

Virtually none of the over $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) under President Bush went to small businesses (including most of the nation’s 8,000 smaller community banks) and while President Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funding to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was increased by only $730 million. An SBA plan designed to generate $10 billion in loans to small businesses has been crawling for months.

When one considers other steps taken by the administration of President Obama including putting $2 trillion on the line in order to jump-start the previously mentioned securitization market (through the Federal Reserve-engineered Troubled Asset Relief Facility or TALF), it can be argued that while the U.S. government has put an estimated $4 trillion on the line to help revive the commercial banking sector and securitization markets, its best efforts to help small business may have not even reached $10 billion.

To make matters worse, the economic pain is not being distributed evenly across racial lines.

While the overall unemployment rate in the country was 10.2% in October it was 15.7% for Black Americans, with Black males 20 and over at an unemployment rate of 17.1% and Black teenagers of both sexes unemployed at the rate of 41.3%. This is all the more troubling when one considers that prior to the recession, it had already been determined that Black male unemployment in cities like New York and Milwaukee was over 50%.

With all of this doom and gloom what should President Obama do?

First, he should be applauded for hosting this week’s Jobs Summit.

But summits, meetings and conferences are only as good as their agenda, the quality of the dialogue and debate, and the follow-through on the best ideas, policies and decisions that emerge.

To that end here is a nine-point platform for consideration at the Jobs Summit that could jumpstart the American economy from the ground up:

1) Cut the Payroll Tax. In his November 18, 2009 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Michael J. Boskin makes the case, “…to evaluate the stimulus properly we should consider not just what we got for the $787 billion cost but the effects of alternative policies that might have been enacted. My Stanford colleague Pete Klenow and Rochester economist Mark Bils estimated that cutting the payroll tax by six percentage points (of the 12.4% Social Security component) would, under standard assumptions, increase employment by three million to four million workers—an amount equal to all the job losses since the stimulus was passed. The payroll tax cut would have reduced firms’ costs by roughly the same amount as from the entire decline in employment. It would have cost less than half as much as the stimulus bill, gotten far more income into paychecks quickly and, most importantly, greatly reduced incentives for firms to lay off workers. In fact, it would have created incentives to hire. Even using the administration’s claims of one million jobs ‘created or saved,’ the stimulus program passed in early February is millions of jobs short of what a cheaper payroll tax suspension would have delivered.”

2) Enact Job creation tax credits (as proposed by the Economic Policy Institute: http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/bp248/).

3) General capital gains tax rate reduction to 10%, indexed for inflation and made permanent.

4) Reduce the holding period to qualify for capital gains tax elimination in distressed rural and urban areas from 5 years to 6 months. This will encourage investors to make investments in struggling inner cities because they know they don’t have to wait 5 years to see a return. Entrepreneurs don’t want patient capital (what makes 5 years a magic number for the government anyway – especially since most small businesses have failed by then?) as much as they want smart capital.

5) Expand of the number of Empowerment Zones and Renewal Communities that receive incentives for economic development in distressed communities. If, since the financial crisis, the rest of the country has been receiving incentives that were previously reserved for these areas, something must be done to maintain their comparative advantage.

6) Increase incentives and worker tax credits for any business which hires a previously incarcerated person. This gets at the core of the unemployment problem (aggravated by state laws that make it illegal for ex-offenders to be employed in certain jobs) in the poorest areas, and in communities where the social fabric is the frailest.

7) Complete capital gains tax elimination for investment clubs which invest in businesses with less than 5 paid employees, and an increase of the limit from 99 persons to 250 on the size of an investment club before it falls under SEC regulations. This may inspire the merger of several successful existing clubs – increasing their scale and reach – and fill the void in areas of the economy where venture capital and private equity are unavailable or unwilling to invest (the government’s SSBIC program to bring venture capital into the Black economy has been a failure, as Senator John Kerry has so duly highlighted, and which I discuss in my book, The Entrepreneurial Secret). If something is not done to move these areas away from debt-dependency and toward equity capital, a mass of small businesses are set to go under as the government fails to re-start lending and unfreeze credit, even in programs it sponsors through the SBA.

8) Reduce combined state (of course with the assistance of Governors and State legislatures here) and federal corporate tax rates. Perhaps the problem with the corporate tax is that only an elite group of corporations has the resources to avoid paying it. The motivation here is not only to produce shareholder earnings, capital investment, higher wages, and lower prices for goods and services but also to increase the attractiveness of the limited liability company to sole proprietorships. Utilizing the corporate legal form of business will allow them to raise capital more efficiently (only 10% of Black businesses utilize the C or S corporate form of business), share and spread risk, and develop a managerial hierarchy (about 90% of these businesses do not have more than a single paid employee).

9) Reduce regulations that hamper entrepreneurship and create a burden on cash strapped and employee-thin small businesses. As John Berlau and William Yeatman wrote recently in a Washington Times op-ed, ‘Solutions: How To Reduce Unemployment’: “Congress also should pare back job-killing mandates like those embedded in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which was rushed through Congress in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals. This law has showered business with massive accounting procedures that may have created jobs for auditors — the law is often called the Accountants Full Employment Act — but discouraged business expansion by making it so costly for a firm to raise money by going public.” Sure enough, according to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Office of Advocacy has noted, “Very small firms with fewer than 20 employees annually spend 45 percent more per employee than larger firms to comply with federal regulations. These very small firms spend four and a half times as much per employee to comply with environmental regulations and 67 percent more per employee on tax compliance than their larger counterparts.”

The above proposal is an eclectic mix of policies favored by some on the Left, Right and Center, members of both political parties and Independents. It is a framework that would invite creative compromise and deal-making – always a function of the political processs. What is required to help this economy can only be advanced with this kind of electoral coalition and a wide cross section of support from others, which the skillful and gifted President Obama can uniquely convene, organize and build.

Paul Ryan

If President Obama could enlist the support of a leading pro economic growth Republican like Congressman Paul Ryan (who I know understands the economic challenge from past discussion with him: http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=591) and a liberal, business conscious Democrat like Senator Charles Schumer (surprisingly the strongest political voice on the crisis of Black male unemployment: http://jec.senate.gov/archive/Hearings/03.08.07BlackMaleUnemploymentHearing.htm) , and have the initiative spearheaded by the rare embodiment of compassion for the poor and understanding of the rich – the brilliant and nimble Jared Bernstein (Vice-President Biden’s Chief Economist and co-author of the penetrating ‘The Benefits Of Full Employment’: http://www.epi.org/page/-/old/books/full_employment-intro.pdf) – the country would find if not these, then other realistic and radical solutions that the time demands.

With these policies – the nation’s army of small businesses will have more of the weaponry, ammunition, and moral support they need to do what they do best – innovate, and create jobs.

It should be noted that there are one and not two wars underway that will determine the future of America. What is more obvious are the war underway in Afghanistan and Iraq. What is less obvious is that the battle to save the American economy has a second front.

An army – 30,000,000 million strong – awaits its orders from the Commander In Chief.

Cedric Muhammad is a business consultant, political strategist, and monetary economist. He is author of the book, The Entrepreneurial Secret: To Starting a Business Without A Bank Loan, Collateral Or Revenue (http://theEsecret.com/). His talk show, ‘The Cedric Muhammad and Black Coffee Program’ can be viewed every Wednesday from 12 to 5 PM EST (USA) at: http://www.cedricmuhammad.com/media/. He can be contacted via e-mail at: cedric(at)cmcap.com

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Michael Moore: An Open Letter to President Obama About Afghanistan

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Dear President Obama,

Do you really want to be the new “war president”? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do — destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they’ve always heard is true — that all politicians are alike. I simply can’t believe you’re about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn’t so.

It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That’s the way General Washington insisted it must be. That’s what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. “You’re fired!,” said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we f*#&in’ hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption).

So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea — “Let’s invade Afghanistan!” Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin.

There’s a reason they don’t call Afghanistan the “Garden State” (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin trade raising poppies). Afghanistan’s nickname is the “Graveyard of Empires.” If you don’t believe it, give the British a call. I’d have you call Genghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev’s number though. It’s + 41 22 789 1662. I’m sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you’re about to commit.

With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the “war president.” Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line — and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds.

Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn’t have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones.

I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush’s Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it.

Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you’re doing it so you can “end the war”) will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you’ve said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone — and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout “tea bag!”

Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning.

We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can’t take it anymore. We can’t take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of “landslide victory” don’t you understand?

Don’t be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn’t be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can’t change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge.

The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can’t be won over by abandoning the rest of us.

President Obama, it’s time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, “No, we don’t need health care, we don’t need jobs, we don’t need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, ’cause we don’t need them, either.”

What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that’s what they’d do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines.

All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam “might” be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish — the full terror of which we scarcely know.

When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has.

Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop.

Tonight we still have hope.

Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON’T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother’s son.

We’re counting on you

-Michael Moore-

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Today is World AIDs Day-Remembering Eazy E & Hip Hop’s Stance Against a Dreaded Disease

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“I may not seem like a guy you would pick to preach a sermon. But I feel it is now time to testify because I do have folks who care about me hearing all kinds of stuff about what’s up.”

“Yeah, I was a brother on the streets of Compton doing a lot of things most people look down on — but it did pay off. Then we started rapping about real stuff that shook up the LAPD and the FBI. But we got our message across big time, and everyone in America started paying attention to the boys in the ‘hood.”

“Soon our anger and hope got everyone riled up. There were great rewards for me personally, like fancy cars, gorgeous women and good living. Like real non-stop excitement. I’m not religious, but wrong or right, that’s me.”

“I’m not saying this because I’m looking for a soft cushion wherever I’m heading, I just feel that I’ve got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what’s real when it comes to AIDS. Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. Because I want to save their asses before it’s too late.”

“I’m not looking to blame anyone except myself. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real, and it doesn’t discriminate. It affects everyone. My girl Tomika and I have been together for four years and we recently got married. She’s good, she’s kind and a wonderful mother. We have a little boy who’s a year old. Before Tomika I had other women. I have seven children by six different mothers. Maybe success was too good to me. I love all my kids and always took care of them.”

“Now I’m in the biggest fight of my life, and it ain’t easy. But I want to say much love to those who have been down to me. And thanks for your support.”

 

Just remember: it’s YOUR real time and YOUR real life.

Eazy E
Many of us have forgotten these haunting words from the late Eazy E who died from AIDs back in 1995. His death sent shock waves within the Hip Hop community and helped open people’s eyes. His death also helped shatter the myth of that HIV and AIDS was solely a gay white man’s disease.

Today as we acknowledge the 22cd World AIDs Day where the theme is Universal Access and Human Rights, most of us are far more educated and understand that AIDs is a worldwide situation that has impacted all communities. Sadly in spite of the urgency, many of us have reverted back to what is deemed as irresponsible behavior.  Many of us have looked at the success of people like basketball player Magic Johnson who was diagnosed with HIV and come to believe that this disease will not touch us…
Shortly after Eazy E’s death many people began to pay closer attention to a flurry of Hip Hop themed projects that had launched  a year prior to his death. Most notable was the Stolen Moments project which was an album and documentary that featured groups like ‘The Pharcyde‘ who performed their dope song ‘Rubbers‘.. Below is the original track. The other video is the live performance that aired in the documentary.  

A year prior to Eazy’s death artist like Michael Franti did an incredible song and video called ‘Positive’ which caught our attention..I recall around World AID Day after Eazy E’s death, AIDs activists placed calls to urban radio stations all over the country to see if they could play the song. Sadly many didn’t, claiming it ‘didn’t fit the format’ (Does that sound like a familiar excuse?) . nevertheless the word got out thanks to the accompanying video.

After Eazy E’s death there was another far-reaching project called America is Dying Slowly (AIDS) It featured everyone from Wu-Tang Clan to Organized Konfusion to 8 Ball and MJG to the Goodie Mob. This was by far one of the best socially conscious albums to ever come out. many of the artists covered a variety of themes associated with AIDs thus forever smashing any myths and misconceptions. The subject matter ranged from unprotected sex, to tainted blood transfusions to the fast life of players and the consequences they might suffer.   Many people got with the flavor of that album, even though many our urban stations ignored it even with such high profile groups.

Today as we acknowledge World AIDs Day its important to take along hard look at ourselves, our community and our culture. At a date and time where there are so many  videos oozing with scantily clad women oozing with sex, we have to be cognizant of the type of message we convey to younger cats as well as ourselves. Many of us portray an air that suggests it’s ok for us to creep around and keep one, two or three females on the side while we have our ‘main honey at the crib. We mess around and slip up just once and boom-HIV and then AIDS.

The other sad secret we never want to talk about is what happens to so many us behind the walls inside prison. There’s some ill things like rapes taking place and when cats get out they inadvertently spread the disease not realizing they have been infected. Many of us act like there is no longer a risk in having sex. Many of us have been so into getting our groove on that we have all but forgotten Eazy E’s final words. At the time of his death he was the ultimate mack.. How soon we forget our history.

In anycase its up to us brothas to do the right thing. lets keep ourselves informed.. Lets help with the fight to find a cure. Lets get tested and be honest with ourselves. Finally lets set an example for our seeds as well as ourselves and behave responsibly. The rapid spread of this disease in our community is inexcusable and well within our reach and preventing. Hopefully brothas will take this to heart and step up their game. and hold it down.. Keep HIV and AIDS at bay and don’t let Eazy E’s death be something that happen in vain..

Below are some crucial facts that we should all know about HIV and AIDs.. This comes from the site Beyond the Odds which is spearheaded by my Hard Knock Radio co-host Anita Johnson.

Facts About HIV and AIDs Every One Hip Hop Head Should Know

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes*. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast-feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa1.htm

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome:

Immune Deficiency means a weakness in the body’s system that fights diseases.

Syndrome means a group of health problems that make up a disease.

AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. If you get infected with HIV, your body will try to fight the infection. It will make “antibodies,” – (chemicals that are part of the immune system that recognize invaders like bacteria and viruses and mobilize the body’s attempt to fight infection special molecules to fight HIV.

A blood test for HIV looks for these antibodies. If you have them in your blood, it means that you have HIV infection. People who have the HIV antibodies are called “HIV-Positive.”

Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don’t get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don’t cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called “opportunistic infections.”

http://www.aids.org/factSheets/101-what-is-aids.html

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV transmission can occur when blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluid or breastmilk from an HIV-positive person enters the body of an HIV-negative person. HIV can enter the body through a vein, the lining of the anus or rectum, the lining of the vagina and/or cervix, the opening to the penis, the mouth, other mucous membranes — such as the eyes or inside of the nose — or cuts and sores. Intact, healthy skin is an excellent barrier against HIV and other viruses and bacteria.

Worldwide, the most common way that HIV is transmitted is through sexual transmission, including anal, vaginal or oral sex with an HIV-positive person. HIV also can be transmitted by sharing needles or injection equipment with an injection drug user who is HIV-positive, or from an HIV-positive woman to her infant before or during birth or through breastfeeding after birth. HIV also can be transmitted through receipt of infected blood or blood clotting factors.

http://www.globalhealthreporting.org/diseaseinfo.asp?id=277

Does having HIV mean you’ll die?

Testing positive for HIV means that you now carry the virus that causes AIDS. It does not mean that you have AIDS, nor does it mean that you will die. Although there is no cure for AIDS, many opportunistic infections that make people sick can be controlled, prevented or eliminated. This has substantially increased the longevity and quality of life for people living with AIDS. Bottom line, HIV/AIDS is not the same death sentence it was say 25 years ago. People are living long healthy lives with HIV and AIDS. The sooner you start to become aware and the more you know about the “virus” the better your chances are delaying the effects of the disease.

http://www.aids.org/info/aids-hiv-positive-will-i-die.html

Do I have to tell everyone that I’m HIV positive?

No. Who you tell your status is your own business. They only people that need to tell are anyone you are going to have unprotected sex with. Not disclosing your status is punishable by law. Any person who exposes another to HIV by engaging in unprotected sexual activity is guilty of a felony, when the infected person: 1) knows he/she is infected; 2) has not disclosed his/her HIV-positive status; and 3) acts with the intent to infect the other person with HIV. The felony charge is punishable in the state prison for three, five, or eight years.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/AIDS/Documents/RPT2002AIDSLaws.pdf

How do I protect myself and my partner from contracting HIV?

Getting tested, knowing your status and limiting risk-factors for contracting the virus like sharing needles or having unprotected sex with other people, is the best way to protect yourself and your partner. Many health advocates suggest getting tested at least 3 to 4 times a year and more depending on the person’s sexual behaviors.

Can you tell someone is HIV positive just by looking at them?

No. A person living with HIV may look healthy and feel good just like you. A blood test is the only way a person can find out if he or she is infected with HIV.

http://data.unaids.org/pub/BrochurePamphlet/2009/20090401_prevention_fast_facts_en.pdf

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Obama’s Moment of Truth-Are We Ready to Support or Oppose Him?

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As the Thanksgiving holiday ends, the nation is perched to hear what is being described as President Obama‘s most important speech to date. He will stand before Army cadets at West Point military academy and lay out his plans for increasing troops to Afghanistan to the tune of 30 thousand. He is likely to note that we must go to Afghanistan to defeat a grouped Taliban. He is likely to say we must go to Afghanistan to ‘finish the job’ of subduing Al Qaeda and capturing Osama Bin Laden. Obama is also likely to note that throughout his campaign he had promised that he would withdraw troops from Iraq and direct all attention to America’s ‘forgotten war’ in Afghanistan.

However 8 years after we first entered Afghanistan in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks, many of the folks who enthusiastically voted for Obama are divided and troubled. Many of the people who came out and voted for Obama were the same people eager for change who had organized or showed up at large anti-war demonstrations when George Bush was in office. They’re looking at a man who was just awarded the Noble Peace Prize and saw this as a symbolic gesture that would give him a good excuse to find a more diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict and abandon the pro-war position they felt he had to take during the 08 campaign.

If folks recall during the 08 campaign Obama was saw his momentum halted when than rival Hillary Clinton sprung the infamous ‘Its 3am Who Do You want answering Phone commercial‘. Inexperience and too weak to stomach the hard decisions around war and conflict is what Obama was slimed with. His response was to come across as more hawkish. After all, it was the ‘weak on terror’ allegations that helped George Bush win his last election and push through all types of legislation and policies that gave him and the military lots of resources, leeway and power. Obama in his response not only promised to bring the war back to Afghanistan, but he even asserted that he would be willing to bomb a country without warning if it meant the US could get the ever so elusive Osama.

While many who voted for Obama understood him taking pro-war stances, what’s troubling is that with a democratic majorities in both the house and Senate and recent polls showing that majority of Americans not wanting us to continue in Afghanistan, why are building up troops? Is the country really in grave danger? Is this about saving face? Is this about political appeasement? According to recent USA Today Gallup Poll numbers 57% of Democrats want Obama to withdraw. Those numbers are being underscored by the recent bill introduced by an early supporter California Congresswoman Barbara Lee who introduced a bill H.R. 3699 that would prohibit funds for any escalation to Afghanistan. Estimates note that it would cost on average 1 million dollars per year per soldier in this new troop surge. Lee thus far has gotten 23 co-sponsors including former Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and Houston congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee who earlier last week bestowed a Purple Heart and Bronze star on a Vietnam Vet who still suffers from Post Traumatic stress.

Standing in stark opposition of this are 72% of republicans want Obama to build up the troops and follow the recommendations of General Stanley McChrystal who actually requested and then ‘campaigned’ to get 40 thousand. That republican support or agitation has been amplified by right-wing pundits and talk show hosts who feel that America should be in Afghanistan kicking ass even though everyone from Genghis Khan to the Soviet Union has failed miserably in their attempts to tame this unconquered region.

Perhaps President Obama should challenge those who are eager for this fight to continue in Afghanistan, to stop eating the drums of war and step it up and volunteer their time. That would include talk show hosts like Sean Hannity who are quick to talk this talk but won’t volunteer his time to serve..even as a radio host ala actor Robin Williams in the movie Good Morning Vietnam. At the same time President Obama should let those opposed to the troop build up to not let up the pressure. They should call their representatives and get them to co-sponsor Barbara Lee’s bill.

Lastly Obama should re-emphasize one of his most important campaign points about this his Presidency being for the people by the people-hence all this crazy talk about Obama being in office for only one year and we should give him some time needs to cease once and for all. In matters of war every citizen should be weighing in. After all, what takes place in Afghanistan is being done in our name and with our tax dollars. People should also be reminded that george Bush was only in office for 9 months before he was faced with the 9-11 tragedy and declared his War on Terror. President Obama has been in office for 11 months. His presidency is in full swing.

It’s sad state of affairs, but the War in Afghanistan appears to be war of political posturing and not about war to end terror. How it all unfolds will have a lot to do with the political pressure applied to the President.

-Davey D-

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Lou Dobbs weighing White House run in 2012

Lou Dobbs weighing White House run in 2012

Posted: November 23rd, 2009 08:17 PM ET
Can Lou Dobbs make the leap from the anchor desk to the Oval Office?

Can Lou Dobbs make the leap from the anchor desk to the Oval Office?

(CNN) – Can Lou Dobbs make the leap from the anchor desk to the Oval Office?

A radio interviewer on WTOP joked Monday about the “crazy” idea that the former CNN host could mount a White House bid in 2012 – but Dobbs wasn’t laughing. “What’s so crazy about that?” he responded in the interview broadcast on the Washington, D.C. station.

“Well, I’ll tell you this much: it’s one of the discussions that we’re having,” Dobbs said. “For the first time, I’m actually listening to some people about politics.”

Dobbs, who amicably parted ways with the network earlier this month, also told former Sen. Fred Thompson that he was definitely weighing a run.

 

“I’m going to be talking some more with some folks who want me to listen to them in the next few weeks,” Dobbs said on the 2008 Republican presidential candidate’s radio show. “I just don’t even know even what to tell you in terms of where I’m leaning, because right now I’m fortunate to have just a number of wonderful options.”

The former anchor’s strong views on illegal immigration have made him a lightning rod for criticism from Hispanic groups, and a popular figure in some conservative quarters.

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Why Rakim’s The Seventh Seal is the best Hip Hop Album of 2009

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Why Rakim’s The Seventh Seal is the best Hip Hop Album of 2009

 By JAHI

A lot of Hip Hop albums came out in 2009. Jay Z BP3, Raekwon‘’s Cuban Links II, Gift of Gab’s Escape to Mars, to name a few, caught my ear. I’m sure you could add your favorite of 2009 so feel free to fill in the blank___.

Hip Hop is still struggling to balance itself, but still evolving and growing. There’s an overflow of commercial, mainstream, and one-sided style of Hip Hop that is only reflecting one part of the black experience. There is still a need, and desire, of everyday people, to hear music that connects with higher charkas. If you are unfamiliar with this word, look, it up.

Rakim’s album The Seventh Seal, is, in my view, the best lyricism with a message, thought provoking rhymes, and best OG status of 2009 on the mic. Oh, and still in my top 5. He’s been in my top 5 since I first heard “Check Out My Melody” in 1986. I was really waiting for the Dr. Dre, Rakim album. When I heard it wasn’t coming out, I was hoping Ra could come out because I wanted to hear where he would take it.

We forget that the pioneers and elders of our culture are still among us, and are still doing music. Why would they not be? Hip Hop is not just a young man’s game. I mean this in no disrespect. But in truth, no Rakim, then maybe not a lot of emcees who are out today. Eric B and Rakim took Hip Hop to a whole different level from “Rappers Delight” and “The Message.”

The new album, The Seventh Seal, doesn’t disappoint. Matter of fact, it really has set a standard and I hope people like KRS and Chuck D got a chance to hear this one. The production, held down by Nottz for Teamsta Entertainment, Loffey For Aaron James Music, Nick Wiz for Preserve The Art, Samuel Christian and Jay Wells, and others really give space for Rakim to really come thru clear and refreshing. It’s profanity free. No sticker on the cover. It doesn’t feel forced. It feels like any black community in the world.

Songs like “Man Above,” “Won’t Be Long,” and “Message in the Song” is like the modern day Curtis Mayfield in rhyme form. If Andre 3K would have came out this year, I probably be writing about his release, but hands down, Rakim’s the Seventh Seal is worth the whole 59.6 seconds. His lyrics are talking about what’s happening in his life, but also what is happening right now. This is what Tupac would do if he was alive. It’s like Rakim has officially taken the side that Tupac had with his more thought provoking songs like Dear Momma and Letters to my Unborn Child. Yes you may be able to dance to “Put It All to Music,” but this is really thinking people music. Adult.

This album is a reflection of the age of Hip Hop. Oh, and I got it for $10 downtown Cleveland, on the release date, and it was there, in stock. The cover, and the photos by Michael Wong really set a nice mood with the CD itself (recycled paper instead of plastic) is something everone in Hip Hop should have in their catalog. Ok. I think I’ve talked it up enough. Check out. Support good music.

Peace. JAHI

Jahi is an internationally known  Hip Hop artist, teacher and community activist  from Cleveland, Ohio 

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Afghanistan (HerStory)-Hip Hop Weighs in on What is Now Obama’s War

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Afghanistan (HerStory)

 Jasiri X comes at you once again with another stunner.. This one sheds light on the War in Afghanistan and as with past projects, its superb. Episode 26 is tells the story of the connection between Afghanistan and war, leading to her intimate yet volatile relationship with the United States. Afghanistan (HerStory) is produced by Kai Roberts and directed by Paradise the Arkitech of X-Clan.


LYRICS
Older woman cold from the hardness of life
the bloodiest of days and the harshest of night
all she knows is war like a Sargent with stripes
stinger missile point at the target and strike
she’s a pistol but never really had a main squeeze
nothing official like love that came with a ring
in fact the opposite men were abusive and dominant
boundaries they never honor it they just wanna conquer it
never hug her just hold her like hostages
so she’d bury they heads in the sand like ostriches
miss independent but she ran into a man who liked to hit women
thought he was big pimpin
and he could take her and rape her for some quick riches
this time she needed divine intervention
and she received it from another man that had a plan that was strategic
and said he preceded cause he believed in Jesus.
it was so good to hear it cause its what her spirit needed
and together they defeated broke that man to pieces cause he never had retreated
if time was like a picture she would forever freeze it
But after they victory she watched him leave quick
brokenhearted his promise he didn’t keep it
had another chick and they relationship was secret
he didn’t want her he only wanted her allegiance
seething she vowed to never let her heart take over her reason
as long as she was breathing
and got deep into religion kicked her heroin habit
her new apparel was the blackest of fabrics
and it covered her from head to toe even her eyes
like if you wanna know me you only seeing my mind
and they say time heals all wounds but they was lyin
cause guess who showed up and accused her of conspiring
to take him out both guns he was firing
her she go again another war that she fighting in
he said her religion went and made her to disciplined
heated up the heron and made her take hits with him
took away her longer drape put her in some lingerie
he said he just wanna lay pipe and he’ll be on his way
now she struggling emotions that she juggling
cause inside she felt she broke her religious covenant
but then this dude still with his other chick
he said she was so lubricated that he was sprung off it
he was loving it but then he got stuck in it
no rubber meant he got burnt now he suffering
but that meant she wasn’t hand cuffed by him
cause his other girl was getting all the punishment
she started rebuilding felt her disease healing
got back her strength her tank was refiling
then dude came back and said he was a changed cat
and anything that she wanted he could arrange that
he said him and the other girl was over
but really he went soft and he pulled out his solider
but that ain’t what he told her
the game he spit was bullsh*t she could tell by the odor
but when she said no the conversation got louder
he said she couldn’t stop him cause she didn’t have the power
it was either take the money or gunpowder
a nuclear shower she’d be easily devoured
but he was so young and her story was long
since way back in the days with Genghis khan
she never gave in she slayed men who thought they was strong
so she wasn’t shook when he claimed that he was bomb
she ‘s never been afraid of the grave and beyond
so she looked him in his eye and said it’s on
It’s Her Story

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Video of Gucci Mane Punching Out a Female Resurfaces-Was this Incident ever Resolved?

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As many of y’all know popular Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane was sentenced to 12 months for parole violation. It comes on the eve of his highly anticipated album being released. His arrest and him testing positive for drugs has left many wondering, how and why someone who has so much going for him and has apparently overcome alot would get caught up and be dragged back into the prison system.  

Over the past few months Gucci Mane has emerged as an important voice for a generation as he’s been prominently featured on everything ranging from the BET Awards and in videos and songs with the Black Eyed Peas, Usher, 50 cent and Maria Carey to name a few. Its been reported that he’s been able to command 64k a show and has been able to get that 4 nights a week.

While Gucci Mane has been dealing with all this, whats been surfacing or resurfacing depending on how long you been follwing Gucci Mane is a video of him punching out a sister. From what I gather the tape popped up earlier this year and it shows an annoyed Gucci punching out his former rhyme partner and according to reports, former lover Mac Breezy who is featured on his debut album “Go Head”. Its pretty disturbing and later shows Mac Breezy trying to shrug it off like it was no big thing..

For some this will not come as a surprise because of Gucci’s persona and rough and rugged reputation, but  for many others its new and raises alot of  question including, how was this issue resolved  and if it wasn’t what’s the justification for all the mainstream promotion?  For example, BET gave Gucci lots of love during their recent Hip Hop Award show. He was featured in 4 performances.  It was just a few months ago that came under fire  when they featured Lil Wayne and Drake doing what many considered an inappropriate raunchy adult themed song while trotting young girls who looked like they were no older than 12 or 13 across the stage. BET back pedaled and removed the performance in later showings.

But after all the anger that was expressed, they gave prominent performance spots to Gucci Mane. How have outlets who have promoted and are riding hard for him reconciled this? Does it need to be reconciled?

I ask this because when Gucci Mane performed on the BET Awards, he was featured in a Public Service Announcement talking about how its wrong to do drugs… Perhaps he should’ve been doing one that says ‘It’s wrong to hit women’… maybe that might be the more appropriate response at a day and time where we had a gang rape of a 15-year-old girl while people stood around, watched, cheered took pictures and did not call authorities for 2 and half hours.   

This comes at a time when just yesterday it was reported that a young Bay Area woman and her infant were killed by an ex boyfriend was just let out of jail for the murder of another child 15 years earlier..

This is not to say Gucci Mane doesn’t deserve second chances or people can’t redeem themselves etc, but when you see so many artists doing the hard work of addressing and trying to eradicate these pressing issues, can’t get any love whatsoever, not even a mention one many of these outlets, one has to wonder why the constant love and upliftment of folks who did wrong and in Gucci’s case since he violated parole and has been sentenced to a year in jail, continue to do wrong..

something to ponder

Davey D

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