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Lupe Fiasco Talked About Uganda’s NightWalkers

May 31, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis
Lupe Fiasco Talked About Uganda’s NightWalkers
by Davey D
original article- May 31 2006
In our interview with Lupe Fiasco, he spoke about the tragedy taking place in Uganda. He was in support of trying to help find solutions to the nightwalkers. Read about this issue where you further learn about this and hopefully get involved…

A Defining Issue for African Americans: Saving the Child Night Commuters
 
Dear Friends of Black People World Wide:
 
There are thousands of children that will travel 7 – 10 miles by foot tonight just to sleep in partial safety. Many of them will sleep on the ground. I went to bed tonight at 10pm only to awake at 2am because I could not sleep knowing that our babies are going through this hell tonight (and every night).  About 2 months ago, I interviewed some college students that were sleeping outside to bring attention to the “child night commuters in the northern region of Uganda . These college students were all white. My procrastination and inaction has caused me to lose sleep over this. So, I make this plea for your help in this most serious cause. Because these are African children, I believe African-American elected officials, media and activists must take action. And, we all should do something.

 
I ask that you please:
 
1.) Send an email and/or call the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (Rep. Melvin L. Watt) and ask that the Caucus take the lead and immediate action on this issue. You may even forward him this email at nc12.public@mail.house.gov or call him at (202) 225-1510.

2.) Send this email to your list of people who will forward it to others who care about Black people.

3.) Learn more about this (at http://www.Poli-Tainment.com) and mention it to one other person you know – in person.
 
Thank you for caring about OUR babies.

Your Friend,

 Opio Lumumba Sokoni 
 
  ABOUT THE CHILD NIGHT COMMUTERS

Children continue to be the main casualties in the 20-year-old war in northern Uganda between government forces and rebels who are known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA has abducted more than 20,000 children. These boys and girls are beaten, tortured, raped, forced to fight, and sometimes killed.
 
Night Commuters
Terrified of being abducted by the LRA at night, as many as 40,000 children leave their rural homes every evening. Known as “night commuters,” these children walk to neighbouring towns (including Gulu, Pader, and Kitgum). They sleep on the street or in public buildings. They hope there is safety in numbers.

 Abducted Children
Abducted children are often forced to murder their own family members and burn down their villages. The LRA does this to make the children believe they won’t be welcomed back to their communities should they escape.

 Children Who Escape
Thankfully, thousands of children have escaped or been liberated by government forces. However, these children are usually severely traumatized. There are few social services available to help them recover. Most children have little education and few vocational skills. They are often rejected by their families and communities because of the atrocities they have committed. Many girls who were raped in captivity are now mothers. HIV rates are high. Although they are free, these children have little hope for the future.
 
AGAIN, PLEASE:
 
1.) Send an email and/or call the chairman of the Black Congressional Caucus (Rep. Melvin L. Watt) and ask that the Caucus take the lead and immediate action on this issue. You may even forward him this email at nc12.public@mail.house.gov or call him at (202) 225-1510.

2.) Send this email to your list of people who will forward it to other people who care about Black people.

3.) Learn more about this (at http://www.Poli-Tainment.com) and mention it to one other person you know – in person.
 
to Learn More go to http://www.Poli-Tainment.com

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Filed Under: Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, Hip Hop News articles, May '06 Articles, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Wave of tragedy devastates the hip-hop community

May 19, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

Wave of tragedy devastates the hip-hop community

By Davey D

original article-may 19, 2006

Davey DThe hip-hop community has been hit with devastating losses over the past few months.

Fans around the world were saddened when producer J-Dilla of Detroit’s Slum Village suddenly took a turn for the worse and died in February of complications from lupus. His death was especially painful because it occurred just days before his critically acclaimed album “Donuts” came out. The previous week, an album-release party was held in Los Angeles, where numerous artists for whom Dilla had made beats, including De La Soul, were on hand.

The sudden death in March of Professor X (Lumumba Carson), leader of the Afrocentric political rap group X-Clan, sent shock waves throughout the community. His death was especially hard to accept because many had seen him at a media reform demonstration just three days earlier, where he had spoken about his determination to step up his activism and resurrect the Blackwatch organization founded by his father, Sonny Carson.

In addition, the members of X-Clan had patched up differences that had kept them apart for more than 10 years. They were set for a surprise reunion. The week Professor X died, he was supposed to visit California to shoot a video with group members Brother J and Paradise. This coast, particularly the Bay Area, had special meaning for the group because it was the first to embrace and champion the music of X-Clan, originally based in Brooklyn.

The fact that Professor X died of spinal meningitis made headlines in New York. The Professor X case underscored the music industry’s dirty little secret: Despite the billions of dollars the industry generates annually, most musicians do not have health insurance.

Weeks after these deaths, the hip-hop community was shocked to hear about the shooting death of Eminem’s best friend, Proof, leader of the group D-12. The charismatic Proof (who played the man who gave Eminem his start in the movie “8 Mile”) had announced that he was working with other artists on a tribute album for Detroit’s J-Dilla. Sadly, people are now doing a tribute album for Proof.

Over the past two weeks, California has lost three hip-hop legends, two of them on the same day. One was DJ Dusk, who spun frequently at Bay Area functions. Dusk was also a political activist in the area of education. He died two weeks ago, when he was hit by a drunken driver in Southern California as he walked a girlfriend to her car. According to witnesses, Dusk pushed the woman out of the way but was struck himself and dragged 80 yards. His selfless act speaks volumes about the kind of man he was.

His death was widely mourned in tributes around the country. He was so well loved that hip-hop pioneers Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc and Jazzy Jay made rare joint appearances in New York, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, where Dusk had his biggest followings. They visited San Francisco last weekend to do a tribute and raise money for Dusk’s family.

On the day that DJ Dusk was killed, Michael “Mixin’ ” Moore, a pioneer in hip-hop radio in L.A., died at age 46 from heart failure. Best known for his Militant Mix, fusing speeches and news clips over popular instrumentals, he also is credited with inventing the 5 o’clock Traffic Jam, a mainstay on commercial radio around the country.

While the hip-hop icons were paying tribute to DJ Dusk last weekend, rap legend Skeeter Rabbit of the pioneering dance group the Electric Boogaloos died. He was an innovator in “strutting” and “popping” and was no stranger to the Bay Area, where he participated in numerous competitions.

On Saturday may 20th there will be two seperate tributes and funerals for Skeeter Rabbit and Michael Mixxing Moore

With all the deaths, many in the hip-hop community have taken time to reflect. Since no one is promised tomorrow, we must learn to appreciate what we have today. Digital Underground’s “Heartbeat Props,” which encourages us to honor the living, rings especially true these days.

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Filed Under: Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, May '06 Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Yet Another Hip Hop Legend Lost-RIP Skeeter Rabbit

May 15, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

   

Yet Another Hip Hop Legend Lost-RIP Skeeter Rabbit
by Davey D
original article-May 15 2006
 
It’s hard to say what exactly is going on as of late, but Hip Hop has been hit with some devastating loses as of late. From J-Dilla to Proof to Professor X, the losses have come quick, without warning and have left very little time for folks to grieve before being impacted with another unexpected demise.
 
Here on the West Coast, we have been hit extremely hard. The lose of DJ Dusk to a drunk driver still has LA and much of the West Coast’s Hip Hop scene reeling. This past weekend, Hip Hop pioneers Afrika Bambaataa and Kool Herc made a rare appearance on the same bill to raise money for Dusk’s family. They performed in LA on Friday and then in the Bay Area on Saturday. Also on the bill was Jazzy Jay who wrecked shop. On Friday’s show DJ Z-Trip and Cut Chemist came through and also represented. The night before the LA appearance Herc, Bam and Jazzy Jay spun at Tabel 50 in New York, where Dusk had a strong following.
 
In an eerie sense of Deja Vu, while these Hip Hop pioneers and icons were paying tribute to DJ Dusk and others were still trying to make sense of the passing of DJ Michael Mixxing Moore who passed on the same day as Dusk, unbeknowst to many of us in attendence, another Hip Hop legend-Skeeter Rabbit of the pioneering dance group the Electric Boogaloos passed away earlier that morning…
 
The word is just now getting out beyond the dance community and needless to say people are besides themselves… Everyone is asking what is going on?  Why is so much death hitting us… The details surrounding his death    are still unclear and sketchy. We’ll await an official announcement from the Electric Boogaloos and Skeeter’s family
 
In the meantime here’s some biographical information about a man who greatly impacted Hip Hop…
 
“Skeet started dancing as a young kid growing up in the streets of Los Angeles. Skeet started out locking and soon after started popping with his cousins Boogaloo Sam and Poppin Pete around 1978. In 1979 Skeet became an official member of the EB’s and has gone on to become a pioneer and innovator of the dance styles popping and boogaloo.
 
Skeet is currently helping spread funk styles knowledge through shows, appearances and classes around the world.
 
Skeet has appeared in videos by such artists as Thomas Dolby, The Talking Heads, and Michael Jackson. His movie credits include: Michael Jackson’s “Ghost,” “DC Cab,” “Body Rock” and “Fast Forward.” He was also a featured dancer on David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour. “
 
You can click here to see a couple of clips of Skeeter Rabbit dancing..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrC2PsGfXLI
 
 
You can also check the message boards of fellow EB member Mr Wiggle’s  for more info
http://p076.ezboard.com/fmrwiggleshiphopfrm1.showMessageRange?topicID=12190.topic&start=1&stop=20
 
or you can check the Electric Boogaloo’s website
http://www.electricboogaloos.com/
 
Here’s a eulogy that was written for Skeeter Rabbit.
 
A Eulogy to Skeeter Rabbit: The Man Who Saw Too Much
 
I’ve just been sitting here looking at pictures of Skeet.  For such a loud person, its interesting how he is so often in the back, off to the side.  His face looks different now than I remember it–its like another side of him has revealed itself.  Its like I can see it now when I look in his eyes–how he was haunted by the things he saw.
 
If you don’t know me, lets just say that at first glance Skeeter Rabbit, even someone with the name Skeeter Rabbit, is a pretty unlikely person for someone like me to have crossed paths with.  He is an even more unlikely one for me to have considered such a close friend.  The last time I saw him, only about two weeks ago, we both had tears in our eyes (in a choked-up manly sort of way of course) after one of Skeet’s patented hugs and a year without seeing each other.  How did two people from such vastly different backgrounds come together like that?  In my opinion, its about who Skeet (Stephen Nicholas) is as a soul and who he was as a human being.
 
My relationship with Skeet is a pretty strange one.  Its strange because Skeet’s a Crip (and I’m sure that wherever he is, he’s throwing up signs as we speak) from the black part of Dallas who was relocated to Compton, Watts, South Gate–places I’ve only heard about in rap songs even though I now live in Los Angeles.  And me, I’m a young white guy from Maine, a place where gangs live only on MTV, black people are usually African refugees, and popping is called breakdancing.
 
I found this popping thing about five years ago and instantly fell in love.  I started watching videos and practicing in my bedroom and I of course idolized my favorite dancers, like Skeet.  When I finally met him, I was SCURRRRRRRRRRED as the kids say.  I was so shy and he was such an intimidating presence, but I was immediately struck with how warm he was.  He made me feel ok, like I was welcome, like I was the star of the show.
 
As I got to know him better, this pattern continued and ultimately, more than any other single person I have met in my life (and this is not just after-death hyperbole), Skeet taught me that I am ok–just as I am.  Skeet didn’t intend to teach me this–he was more intent on me getting the mechanics of the Toyman down, learning variations on the Egyptian Twist, and of knowing how to do the ORIGINAL walkout.  See, he taught me that I am ok simply by being him.  I wrote an autobiographical play about six months ago and while I didn’t mention Skeet by name, a key passage was written directly about this experience. It goes like this:
 
so I put on this act again and it was just another one of these acts and it got harder as I got closer to these dancers as people….cuz there were all these things I wanted to say to them.. ask them about their lives and their experiences and who they were and what they thought about.. 
 
and I couldnt because of that damn voice.. all I could say was like wassup dawg.. yo,  word?? ill homie yaaah fresh… and my vocabulary was like 20 words and I couldn’t get anything out.. it just kept building until there was like one of those moments where something just finally comes to a head.. I just had to open up.. I couldnt stand it anymore so I just went out on a ledge and I tried.. I just said it.. and.. I was talking just like Im talking now.. cuz I couldnt do anything else.. the only way I could get these feelings out was to talk like this.. and the weirdest thing happened.. he was this big black guy ya know.. and he’s just listening like… uh huh word.. yup.. and he.. he took it in.. and he started opening up to me.. telling me things he didn’t tell other people.. 
and at that moment, something popped and I was just like……..
 
woah..
 
black people are just….. 
 
they’re just……. 
 
people..
 
wait a minute… maybe…. maybe people are just people… and I didn’t know what to say because
 
I just got accepted by a black guy
 
from the hood
 
as ME 
 
And that’s when it really started.. this part of me started moving to the forefront.. this part inside.. something that I wasn’t really familiar with started asserting itself more.. and.. it was really scary for me because I was coming from this if you cant touch it it doesn’t exist background right.. and this other thing wants to keep coming out.. Id get these urges… to cry… to pray… to just let go.. Sometimes… I’d just feel this indescribable longing…. like this remembrance… and before I knew it I started feeling the presence of God…
 
Now, Skeet loved telling gang stories and he told them so nonchalantly that it was hard for me sometimes to really comprehend how it must have affected him.  He told me casually that his first experience with gang violence was when he was 11 and how all he wanted to be when he grew up was a G.  He was fond of showing his scar from being stabbed and he was always proud of his collection.
 
But every so often I saw a different side of Steve.  It was like the anger and the pain could only be hidden or laughed off or run from for so long, and when he finally lost his breath and couldn’t keep up the act, there was a different person.  A deeply wounded, deeply regretful person who couldn’t help but ask why the things in his life happened as they did and why he couldn’t escape them.
 
When I got the call I was surprised, but somehow not.  I’m sure everyone can relate to that numbness that sets in.  As it started to sink in, I tried to get into his head–tried to get a peek inside and figure out how that happens and why.  And I kept picturing him reliving his past, haunted by memories he couldn’t make go away, regretting the things he’d done…  I’ll never know if this is true, but its as close as Ill probably ever get to understanding. 
 
And so I started to think that maybe there is a big lie that is sold to us about happiness and fulfillment and enlightenment.  It says that the more you open up to life, the more you let the grace of God into your heart, the easier/better/lighter your life becomes.  To me, Skeet proves that it isn’t true.  This is a man who as much as any I have encountered in my life strove for and stood for the truth.  And I know because of this, he saw an enormous amount of truth and light.  But he also saw a whole lot of dark.  He saw a lot of the ugliness of life, too much of the gritty reality that most of America and many of the people reading or hearing this are sheltered from.  And when you are open and honest and courageous enough to see the bad as well as the good, I think it is sometimes more than a human being can take. 
 
I have to say, on a far deeper level than I think words can express, I’m not sad at all–I’m not worried at all.  For I know Skeet and you and me and everyone has done this many times before and will do it many times again.  In Skeet’s eyes, I see an African warrior, a British philosopher, a Buddhist monk, an ancient martial artist, an Egyptian pharaoh.  But in this life, I see a deeply wounded man, an incredibly sensitive man who simply wasn’t able to harden or numb himself to the extent that his life experiences required him to do.
 
And last, as my duty to Stephen Nicholas, I would like to expand our scope.  As a child, this man was forced to grow up and see things that one should never see, let alone at the age that he did.  And in this regard, Skeet is just a number–another of the billions of people whose suffering and welfare are ignored and who are psychologically scarred for life by the things they experience in their childhood.  So, to those of you who mourn for Skeet, I hope you find it in you to extend that mourning to all children who grow up surrounded by war, by violence, by drugs, and by a system that tells them from day one that they don’t matter–whether the child lives in Maine, Dallas, Compton, Africa, Iraq, or Mexico.  And I hope we can use the life of someone who shined so brightly as a source of energy in our daily attempts to bring love and warmth to everyone we are fortunate enough to meet in this all-too-short little trip we call life.
 
For the dancers, Skeet always said to me that you have to find a teacher who teaches you how to teach yourself.  I’ve always seen myself as Skeet’s student and so I guess for me, its about that time now.  But I’ve been wondering about a final class, about what he might want to leave me with. It makes me think of the story Stretch told me, about how whenever they’re in Japan, Skeet is always the one going to the clubs to just get down–he just loves to dance.  And I think that’s what he’d say–that its as simple as that–just love to dance.
 
Skeet was a man of God.  His license plate read (in seven characters) I live for Him.  May we all be strong enough, courageous enough, and truthful enough–about who we really are, about what we are really going through–to do the same.  Thank you.
Filed Under: Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, May '06 Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KRS-One: Is He Potentially to Hip Hop What Marcus Garvey was to Pan-Africanism?

May 7, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

KRS-One: Is He Potentially to Hip Hop What

Marcus Garvey was to Pan-Africanism?

 

By Bro. Tony Muhammad

Politrix2012@yahoo.com

 original article-May 07, 2006

 

tonymuhammedchitown-225Just hours prior to his lecture at Florida International University this past month, KRS-One and myself had a deep conversation about how controversial the topic of discussion for the evening was Hip Hop and the Art of Civilization Building.  We talked about the general feelings, beliefs and characteristics associated with being part of a culture.  We discussed how the concept of a cultural identity is by and large something invented, a process that comes into being as a result of social circumstances.  The word culture in root, means to cultivate as you would do to a tree or a plant with the purpose of making it grow and flourish.  At the lecture, which was opened up by a panel of scholars from various walks of life, all influenced greatly by Hip Hop culture, KRS-One mentioned how today Hip Hop is in every profession: teachers, lawyers, doctors, even FBI Agents.  He also mentioned how people of different religions throughout the world claim Hip Hop. 

 

From a layered perspective of what culture is, the concept of culture is much more complicated than merely claiming identification with one particular group of people.  Under this view, we can identify with different sets of people in different circumstances.  For instance, I myself am what is typically known as a Latino and I am able to relate to and identify with other people within this diverse group based on the language, customs, food and music we generally share.  In other circumstances, as a Muslim, I am able to relate and identify with others based on the Islamic traditions that they hold (i.e. prayer, fasting, social customs, religious holidays, etc.).  From a constructionist point of view of what ethnic identity and culture is, a culture includes the concept of having a common history, traditions, myths, art, music, literature (or oral traditions) and language (even merely in the form of sayings, catch phrases, or even what is generally regarded as slang).  According to Dr. Joane Nagel, cultural identification among a group of people could come about as a result of either it being imposed by others, self-realized as a result of political and social realities or simply chosen based on perception of meaning.  When analyzed carefully, Hip Hop includes all of these characteristics and the people who have entered into it in different ways throughout its history.

 

marcus-garvey-225Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the founder and leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in the early 20th century, was deemed controversial for arguing that peoples of African descent are in fact one people because they share a common racial condition and history.  Based on this, he developed a universal flag, newspaper, religion, national anthem and attempted government and economy under the banner of Pan-Africanism.  Garvey also organized world conferences which attracted and involved the participation of African peoples throughout the world who spoke different languages but identified with each other solely on the concept of being African.  Mind you, this was unheard of prior to this time and Garvey received both praise and scorn for it during his time.  Today, much of the cultural symbolisms and traditions that were birthed in the Garvey movement are found among African peoples throughout the world.  We even have an attempted unification of African countries, The African Union, which surely could not have been developed without the idea and belief that the peoples that live within the region have some form cultural connection to one another and should come together based on it.

 

 Is this much different from the path that KRS-One is headed towards?  He has already been both highly praised and scorned for introducing the concept I am Hip Hop.  Under the Temple of Hiphop, for the past 8 years, he has pushed the idea of celebrating Hip Hop Appreciation Week in mid-May.  He has even had the United Nations sanction Hip Hop as an official culture, developed what is known as The Hiphop Declaration of Peace and is currently in the final process of releasing the universally driven Gospel of Hiphop.  Just as Garvey, at one point of his life, became greatly frustrated with Blacks in the United States for being too focused on their own problems (rather than viewing the scope of their reality from an international perspective), KRS-One this year seeks to celebrate Hip Hop Appreciation Week in Europe to see if there is a difference of response to his calling.  Overall, to many of us of the Hip Hop generation in the past 20 years, KRS-One has many at times driven us to question our world views and identity within it a mental and spiritual exodus that Marcus Garvey inspired in a similar way almost a century ago.

 

krsone1smile-225Those who do not take KRS-One seriously in these endeavors typically just view him as an artist.  As you look deeper into KRS-One, you will see much more than this; a philosopher who expresses himself in the traditional ways of the West African griot breaking down history, science and universal principles backed by the popular music of the time.  Today, in our superimposed Western form of thinking we tend to separate and categorize (and sub-categorize) all of this and tend to limit each other based on one main thing that we do in our lives.

 

When we take Hip Hop a step further and say we are going to form a government and economy over it, this may not be possible at this particular time when the corporations of the world are defining for people generally what Hip Hop is supposed to be and what a typical Hip Hopper is supposed to look and act like.  When the ice of this age melts and the glits and glamour are gone, will we be able to distinguish between who the real community builders are from the trend followers?  With how diverse the Hip Hop community is and how certain members are so highly ego driven, would a political and economic system over it be successful?  How would we be able to deal with the concept of diversity itself, especially considering that racism itself continues to be a highly unresolved problem in this world?  What about dealing with issues in the community such as homosexuality, which is highly expressively unacceptable among many within Hip Hop?  How much of this can potentially become a mass movement rather than a spectator sport situation?  Truly, these questions need to be answered before we move forward in this increasingly complex and technological world.  Surely, we can not rely on just one man to answer them for us.  We must all do our part within the dialogue – The Reality!

 

Stay tuned to the Urban America Newspaper website, www.uannetwork.com, as to how you can get a copy of the historic KRS-One lecture at Florida International University on DVD in the following months.

 

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Filed Under: Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, May '06 Articles, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

LA Loses Two Hip Hop Icons-The Nation Loses a Freedom Fighter

May 5, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

LA Loses Two Hip Hop Icons-The Nation Loses a Freedom Fighter

By Davey D

original article-May 05, 2006

Davey DThe city of Angels is in mourning as it has lost not one but two iconic figures within a week. In fact both passed away on the same day Saturday April 30th.

The first was DJ Dusk a well known member of the Universal Zulu Nation and an incredible DJ whose most recent exploits had him spinning every Thursday night at Rootdown at a club called Little Temple. Over the years Dusk made a huge impact for not only being an incredible diversified DJ who could spin everything from Salsa to Hip Hop to Reggae, he also made inroads on the radio. I believe he got down at Pacifica’s KPFK. He was one of those deejays who kept himself rooted in the community and tried to make a difference.

The circumstances surrounding Dusk’s death speak volumes to the type of man he was. The way it was explained to me, was He had a gathering of close family and friends at his home and was walking a woman back to her car when an out of control driver sped towards her. The woman was destined to be hit when Dusk leaped to her rescue. He pushed her out the way and tucked his head down to take the full impact of the vehicle which he knew would hit him. He was dragged for about 80 yards as the driver tried to escape. Luckily an alert passerby swung their pick up truck in front of the driver and prevented him from leaving. I’m not too sure about what sort of charges if any will be levied on the driver.

Last night (Thursday) all sorts of folks including Dusk’s family came out to the Little Temple to pay respects. People tried to stay upbeat, but in reality it was sad. It was sad to see his family experiencing such a major loss. It was sad to see those close to him holding it together, putting on a brave face, but inside mourning and missing Dusk greatly.

Ironically, the last time I saw Dusk was three weeks ago when he put together the annual tribute for DJ Rob One another iconic DJ from LA who passed away from brain cancer 5 years ago. Lots of people from all over including Hip Hop pioneer Prince Whipper Whip flew in from Michigan to pay tribute. The loss of Rob One, although 5 years later seemed to still be fresh on a lot of people’s minds. Dusk was the perfect host as he meticulously pulled old mixtapes and drops for the late DJ and played them for the audience. He wanted to make sure that a cat like Rob who meant so much to so many people would not be forgotten. He wanted to make sure that that those who attended would strive for the excellence that Rob One came to represent.

I’m sure no one in their wildest dreams would’ve thought we’d all be back at Rootdown paying tribute to DJ Dusk. It’s a sad thing and just underscored the importance of us not to take anything for granted.

As I sat at the bar listening to them play two of Dusk’s mixtapes… ‘Top Ranking’, a classic reggae and dancehall CD and ‘La Musica’ a classic Salsa CD, it hit me just how harsh this past year has been in terms of untimely deaths.

First it was J-Dilla, then it was Professor X and later on we lost Proof. We just lost Big Hawk down in Houston. We lost Taurus aka T who was hype man for The Coup. Atlanta rap star T.I. had his van shot up and lost one of his peoples. On top of that we lost LA Hip Hop pioneer Mixmaster Spade, Crip Founder turned Peacemaker Stanley Tookie Williams, C. Delores Tucker who fought to clean up the filth in the music industry, Rosa Parks the mother of the Civil Rights Movement and Coretta Scott King the first Lady of the Civil Rights Movement and widow to Martin Luther King. It seems like we were just talking about losing comedian Richard Pryor and heck it just a year ago I recall getting that painful phone call from Red Alert telling me that Justo Faison who was the deejays biggest advocate was killed in a car crash. Thats an awful lot of people who have meant something to us to be passing all within a year. Sadly I know I forgot a couple and I didnt include those who were close family and friends, like my cousin Michael who was like an older brother.

Again Im laying all this out so that we take this to heart and strive to make the most out of life and try and make life for those around you betterPlus I think its important that we always take time out to reflect on those who pass. I mean really reflect and not become so hardened that we see these passings as routine. I also think we need to be honest with ourselves about whether or not we actually gotten over the passings of people from a few years back.

Ill be honest its going on 10 years and I still think about 2Pac. I recall missing Rob One when we were at his tribute. The death of Jam Master J is still fresh in everyones minds. Many still mourn over Biggie. Those loses are still being processed by many of us and it gets harder and more complicated because we get hit with all these others

As we were sitting here dealing with the passing of DJ Dusk I got word that another LA legend passed away. Michael Mixxing Moore who used to spark the airwaves with his trademark Militant Mix on a number of radio stations including KKBT. This brother was all about taking Hip Hop and using it as a tool to spark social change and bring consciousness to those who needed it most. He wasnt the first to play speeches over break beats and dope Hip Hop instrumentals. But he was among the first to do it with an unmatched focus and determination to wake folks up at a time when radio was starting to dumb people down.

Im not sure what lead to Moore’s passing. Dude was only 46 years old and I hadnt spoken to him in quite sometime. I know I got hit up on Myspace and asked to be his friend. That was on Thursday or Friday of last week and in retrospect Im not sure if it was Mike or one of his peeps. I just recall getting his email and I said soon as I get back to LA, Im gonna give dude a call. He was a big part of LA history and just never got his props. By Saturday he was gone.

Because of Moore’s militant, uncompromising stance on important issues, he wont get the shine that others will get. No one should forget him getting a helicopter and dropping flyers calling out KKBT and accusing them of being racist during the Summerjam back in the early 90s after he had a huge falling out with them. No one should ever forget the passion in that exuded when he spoke about wanting to wake folks up. He was a mentor to many including DJ Mark Luv who heads up LAs Zulu Nation chapter. Damn I wish I could find copies of his militant mixes. He made his mark and should not go unnoticed. May he RIP.

damusmith-225Lastly we need to make a moment of silence for an activist who set the standard and never wavered from speaking truth to power. Damu Smith out of Washington DC may not get the accolades and praise that we have given to some of our fallen Hip Hop heroes who have passed on, but Damu was a giant figure among giants. He was known all around the world.

The work that he did and continued to do up to his recent passing where he advocated for Peace and Justice with his organization Black Voices for Peace is such that it helped elevate us all. In fact when you look at what Damu Smith stood for damn near all of his life, youll note that he championed causes that have led to so many untimely deaths. Damu was about spreading Peace and promoting both spiritual and physical health.

He was the type of cat who was knee deep in the battles along the environmentalist front. Talk about beef. He was the type of cat that fought tireless in places like Louisiana and Mississippi and throughout the south demanding that unscrupulous companies not use our neighborhoods as toxic dumping grounds. He wasnt some tree hugging hippie type. He was focused on getting rid of the dangerous toxins and chemical plants that was directed at many of our communities. Damn I wish I could run down everything this cat did. This man was an incredible organizer. And when he spoke he lit up the room. Damu was one of those cats who really set the standard because he walked the walk and talked the talk and he was humble. There were very few contradictions and discrepancies with him.

The sad part about Damus passing is that because of the dumbing down we have going on in urban radio and throughout a lot of urban media in general, he wont be given a moment of silence. No deejays are gonna play his speeches or talk about his life. Hell be one of those unsung heroes who one day well realize we came this far because of the work he put in You can peep more about Damu Smith here: www.damusmith.org/

So many deaths in so short a time I cant help but think and feel that God is asking for each of us to step up our game. Weve lost so many of our heroes to violence. We gotta do more then say RIP and play a few tribute songs. We lost so many to bad health and disease, and yet many of us are continuing down the same unhealthy paths that have taken our friends and loved ones. Many of us are not spiritually fit. We say we love the people who died but how many of us take the time and effort to carry out the sound ideals and solid effective work of those we so admired? All this is a jarring wake up call. Either we wake up or start doing the right thing or well soon find ourselves doing a lot more tributes…

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Fights Break Out in Lemiert Park Between Black Minute Men & Immigration Activists

April 25, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis
Fights Break Out in Lemiert Park Between Black Minute Men & Immigration Activists
by Davey D
 
daveyd-raider2Yep you read the title right Black Minute Men. Below is an article illustrating the type of bullshit going on in LA that is making this Black-Brown situation spiral out of control. Yesterday cats were in Leimart Park boxing each other over this immigration issue. Ted Hayes a well known homeless activist, showed up with a couple of hundred people including Minute Men to lead an anti-immigrant demonstration. Of course all the media showed up and have been salivating at the jaws for this to happen- Black folks trying to smash on Brown folks in LA.
 
Fortunately a large number of brothers showed up to counter this thing and let it be known Hayes and his Minute Men aren’t speaking for the Black community. That’s when the fighting broke out. Hayes started leading a chant of ‘Communists Go Home’ while holding a big banner saying Crispus Attucks Brigade.  He also said some thing about we been hear since slavery and therefore have amoral obligation to stop alien invasions. Now these cats are running around planning a big anti-immigration rally for Thursday. The Minute Men themselves haven’t even organized such a protest-just these Negroes.
 
In addition to all that the Clear Channel station that ran the ‘Kill Tookie Hour’ are now doing a big promotion called ‘Weening Yourself Off Illegal Aliens“. They dedicate an hour a day to people calling on clowning Mexicans complete with spliced speeches and people using fake accents. Of course Ted Hayes and company are now heroes to the same station that regularly clowns the homeless and Black people in general. What people won’t do for some fame and glory.
 
Meanwhile Black owned but white run Radio One have barely touched this issue here in LA preferring to stick with their policy of only dealing with Black folks and not the Latino community which makes up 40% of Southern Cali. At least KJLH owned by Stevie Wonder has been on it.  Props to Yo-Yo who has been hitting this hard and doing her best to make sure bridges are being built and that people like Hayes don’t cast a wide shadow over all of us… She’s planning a big Cinco de Mayo event and trying bring a lot of artists out to show support. Also Brother J of X-Clan and Fidel Rodriguez of Divine Forces Radio [KPFK] and also Julio G of KDAY have been out there repping hard. Also tens of thousands took to the streets in San Francisco last night. Large numbers of Asian/Filipinos in particular came out.
 
Thank God Fred Hampton Jr. and Immortal Technique stayed in LA for a full week and toured the place and saw for themselves what’s really going on and all the power dynamics that are at work. Thank God they’ve been  aggressively speaking out on this and calling people out for their faulty analysis. As Technique pointed out ‘Juan who is selling oranges on the freeway is not taking away jobs from nobody. Look to the government shifting jobs overseas’. The hi-tech computer jobs in Silicon Valley are being out-sourced to India while other big corporations are applying for guest worker passes claiming that US worker are too dumb to work many of the jobs we as Black folks are blaming Latinos for taking. 
 
As Chairman Fred pointed out, Black folks should not be playing the role of Buffalo soldiers for white power interests who are obviously enjoying the shenanigans of having Black folks run around sounding off worse than any Klansman.
 
The perceptions and misinformation floating around LA is crazy. Case in point. I attended a meeting last week with Black and Brown press folks. Many of the Latino media folks were wondering why the silence with Black stations like KKBT.. They were shocked to know that while Black owned it’s white run from top to bottom and that the day to day silence is the call of the PD and GM. That revelation helped clarify things immensely.
 
I’m encouraging folks to peep the Fred Hampton Jr. interview if you haven’t already. Also be on the look out because a lot of Spanish speaking rappers are getting together to record a song about this issue..
http://odeo.com/audio/1051579/view
 
 
Where’s P-Diddy and HSAN on this issue? Did they address this over the weekend during the Summit? I heard Russell speaking on Sudan.
 
Call your Congressman and call your local rapper and let them know how you feel about this issue.
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Sexism and Racism Cover Duke Lacrosse case

April 20, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

Sexism and Racism Cover Duke Lacrosse case  

 original article-Thursday, April 20, 2006 

If anybody thinks Racism and Sexism are not rampant in America they havent been paying attention to the Duke Lacrosse case. It does not even matter if you think she is telling the truth or not. The handling of the Lacrosse players and the alleged rape victim are opposites spectrums.

Personally I think that something happened, let me state that for the record.

They may have the wrong two but something happened. It’s funny that although one of the accused players was on probation for a bias attack this indictment has not affected his probation.

In case you did not know Collin Finnerty already had to cop a plea on a gay bias attack. Finnerty agreed to perform community service, pay the victim’s medical bills and stay out of trouble for at least six months.

Heres what happened November 5 (less than 6 months ago out here in the DC area) Finnerty, the rich, NY athlete who was one of two Duke Lacrosse players to be charged this week in the rape of a black mother and student who strips.

Jeff Bloxsom and a male friend were walking through Georgetown early on Nov. 5 when Finnerty and two pals yelled derogatory anti-gay slurs at them, according to Washington police reports. Bloxsom, whom his attorney said is not gay and has a girlfriend, shouted back, so Finnerty and his friends crossed the street and attacked the two men. Bloxsom suffered a bruised chin and a busted lip, according to a police report filed two hours after the incident. Bloxsom attorney said “It’s our expectation that everything is back on the table in terms of how the district attorney in Washington will deal with the accused,” but those of us in D.C. should keep our eyes on this because it doesnt look like they will do anything.

This violent guy is given the benefit of the doubt by media.Its ironic that the feminist organizations use a past history to jump on an alleged suspect but not much noise from many of them now, especially the most vocal ones and this is from the outset.

I think the Reason why is simple -the accused is a struggling black female and the accused are well to do white men. Typically National Organization Women (NOW) show up for black women in high profile cases if the alleged assailant is black also ex. Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill or Mike Tyson and Desiree Washington.If its Black and White like Kobe Bryant and Fabe forget aboout it, the loyalties are out on the table, there is never this wait and see approach as the Duke accuser.

The woman at the center of the rape scandal is a 27-year-old African-American student from a Historically Black College called North Carolina Central University (NCCU) ironically it is known for its prestigious Law Degree Program. She is also a mother. Since the alleged attack, she has been in seclusion and under a doctor’s care. Her cousin, who wants only to be called Jackie, appeared on “Good Morning America” on her behalf. saying “She’s exhausted, emotionally and physically, but she’s happy that the arrests were made, Who could stand this much pressure?, It’s become this huge media circus. My cousin is a petite, humble and family-oriented person who was trying her best to raise her two children, ages 6 and 7. My Cousin did not make up this story but its a strong possibility” that she could have consumed a drugged drink at the party. Date rape drugs are often associated with outfits like the lacrosse team threw and which she showed up at.

Granted the absence of DNA evidence is a major blow but it does not prove that none of the team members assaulted her. A large percentage of rape cases have no DNA evidence. Since prosecutors can have DNA evidence that matches no alleged assailants and still move forward as in the Central Park case why anybody should be surprised at this turn of events.

In 1978, Congress passed Rule 412 of the Federal Rules of Evidence; better known as the Rape Shield law. Since then, 49 of the 50 United States have adopted identical or similar laws, which vary in practice from state-to-state.

What rape shield laws do is limit defense lawyers in rape trials as far as bringing the alleged victims sexual history into play. The laws are intended to prevent the alleged victim from having their credibility attacked and their reputation sullied with information that supposedly has nothing to do with the case at hand. The pressure that goes along with high profile rape cases is something that victims have to endure, it happens. I am not surprised that the student/mother stripper even considered pulling the plug after the case turned into a racial pressure cooker. While at Duke Campus, hundreds of students are wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “Innocent till proven guilty.” At NCCU it seems from media coverage that everybody has been forced into a wait and see attitude. (I need to inquire with Jupiter Hammon) and support her but wont wear their activism on their sleeves. Not sure what has happened to student activism on Black College Campuses maybe Universities like Hampton are killing it “At one point, she wanted to just drop the charges,” said Jackie. “But as a family, we told her to stand her ground.

I do not know happened yet since there has been no trial. However I am disgusted by the media handling of it, they intentionally plant doubt in the black alleged victim story and always offer media rebuttal to any idea that she is telling the truth.

According to the NY Daily news The stripper at the heart of the explosive Duke University rape case has been forced into virtual hiding as photos of her were aired on TV yesterday. Threats from Duke supporters have forced the woman, who is black, to stay with different friends almost every night after she accused white lacrosse players of raping her at a wild party. The stakes went up again when a local NBC station aired photos of the woman taken the night of the party, which the lacrosse players’ lawyers say show her possibly drunk. The time-stamped pictures, with her face obscured, were later widely disseminated on the Internet.

Question for you. How can you show somebody drunk with a obscured face in a still picture and no sound? Answer you cant. Its a racist media tactic to show enough of her image so that those who know her can identify her and cause further humiliation to her. If you thought that the Rape shield Law makes it illegal to show alleged rape victims in the media , its does not . It is simply an agreement by media that to do so is tacky. When you get emailed these photos do me a favor send them back to the person that you got them from and tell them its tacky.

For Comments respond to
oohpapi@playahata.com

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An Open Letter to the Hip Hop Community About Immigration

April 20, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis

An Open Letter to the Hip Hop Community About Immigration

by Adisa Banjoko
original article-April 20 2006
 
Below is a speech I gave in Watsonville, CA on April 17th 2006. I was invited to come down and speak by the Watsonville Brown Berets. Fred Hampton Jr. of the P.O.C.C. and Immortal Technique also represented HARD that day.
               
It was an amazing display of racial, political, religious and Hip Hop unity. There were b-boy circles, tons of performers, spoken word poets and vocal performers. Mexican, Black, Asian, White, Arab and Native Americans all came together in peace. There was no violence and no threats of violence. I must commend the Berets on making everyone feel welcome, secure and for running an efficient schedule. I dont have the official numbers but I estimated about 700 people to have been in attendance.
 
With me representing the west, Fred Hampton Jr. representing the Midwest and Immortal Technique repping the east- it was an unprecedented display of nationwide unity on the issue of justice for immigrants and justice for the youth. I was honored to have been a part of this event. I hope more people do their homework and research on the Brown Berets, the Black Panthers and why unity between Black and Brown is so important in this these times. My speech was entitled Keys to the True Unification of Black and Brown Peoples. Big shout out to Anas, JR, Mike Perry, Tomas, Scape Martinez and my man Apakalips from the Universal Zulu Nation. The beauty and power of this day will live in my heart forever, inshallah. 
 
Peace,
Adisa Banjoko
www.lyricalswords.com
 
As Salaam Alaikum,
 
My name is Adisa Banjoko. I am the author of Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion. It deals with Black and Brown unity. It deals with a lot of political and social issues that we face every day. I speak in a lot of places. Some times its prisons, sometimes its universities. Today I am honored to be here with the Brown Berets. I am honored to be here with the beautiful people of Watsonville.
 
I came today to talk about peace and unity. Peace and unity is something that we absolutely have to have in this moment, dealing with the Bush administration and the things we face today. The Black people of America cannot do it alone. The Latino people cannot do it alone. The Arab cannot do it alone. The Muslim, the Christian and the Jew cannot do it alone. The Buddhist cannot do it alone. We have to be unified in this moment.
 
Peace and unity are both byproducts of knowledge. Meaning that when I fist got into knowledge of self, as an African American, I was only focused on that. It took me a moment to learn about the beauty of the Mayan people, of the Aztec people, of Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta.
 
I had to do that to be a true humanist. You have to read about humanity! If all I read about is me, and all I care about are the struggles of the Black man- then Im going to have a very small window [to see the spectrum of life through].
 
We have to take the time to defend one another. We cannot be afraid to defend one another. I am here defending you. Defending what you stand for. Defending your rights. This is your land. I wont pretend that its not. I stand here today as a descendent of slaves. I descendent of SLAVES.
 
I am Muslim. But the Dali Lama was here in the Bay Area just the other day with Hamza Yusuf from the Zaytuna Institute. They built upon the peaceful nature of both of these faiths. My faith has been demonized by the press.
 
 Since 911, many people from Saudi Arabia, many people from Pakistan, many people from Palestine, Iran and Yemen were harassed. They were sent to prison and abused by this Bush Administration. This was because of their faith, because of their race.
 
We must make America live up to its words on paper. Not just for my sake. Not just for your sake. Its for the sake of all people who walk on this soil. We deserve this justice. We are not asking for anything that is not already on paper. We are not asking for anything we dont already know that belongs to us here. It belongs to us here!
 
When you look at the ghettos across America, were very lucky to be on the west coast. Out integration levels are much higher than in other places like NY. The Blacks and Latinos dont always mesh [out there]. Thats tragic.
 
But thats why the Bay Area is so special. Thats why we have to seize this moment right now. Thats why we cannot hesitate to defend one another in this moment. My father is originally from New Orleans- from the Magnolia projects. My mother is originally from Monroe Louisiana.
 
But when my father came to the Bay in his youth, he grew up in the Mission District. As a young boy I was always around Delores Park. I was always around 24th and Mission. I was always around my Latino peoples.
 
I dont have another frame of reference for Latino peoples than my brothers. I have no other frame of reference. Its the first brotherhood I knew.  
 
Whether you are Mexican, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Brazilian, Puerto Rican- we are all in the ghetto together! Oppressed by the same people. Struggling to get the same knowledge- that they hide from us in the schools. Struggling, to not be abused by the police. Struggling to find work and provide for our families, for our children and be safe.
 
Unity is the key. Arab unity. Black unity. Latino, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist Jew. The realest of us. THE REALEST OF US! We are all attacked by this administration. But there is another enemy.
 
Before I get to the other enemy I must mention that these people who attack usWho dont like events like thisThis is why todays event is so important. These people dont respect our history and they dont want our children to know it. They dont want your children to know their beautiful history- of Aztlan. They dont want my children to know the beautiful history of Africa.
 
But this other enemy- they are people within BOTH of our cultures. We have to work against the people who look like me- but they are against Black and Brown unity. We need to work against the people who look like YOU- but they are against Black and Brown unity. Because they can hurt this more than the Bush Administration, more than right wing republicans. More than any of them! We need to cleanse our own people, of the bigotry, and the fear [that causes distrust in our hearts].
 
I will take it on, on my side. But I need you to take it on, on your side so we can be truly united. I spoke just a few weeks ago at San Quentin Prison. I was on the exercise yard and I spoke to every group of people on the yard. Two minutes after I left there was a fight on the yard between Black and Brown. This is unacceptable.
 
I was just talking to them right before it happened. I said Yall need to be going back to the Brown Berets and yall need to be going back to the Panthers. Understand that I was speaking on the same soil where George Jackson and Jonathan Jackson were killed. We need to get back to that [ way of living together].
 
But a lot of the conflicts that do happen between Black and Brown happens because of drugs. It deals with crack, it deals with meth, it deals with ecstasy. It deals with things that dehumanize both of our people. Drugs have been used to destroy Black and Brown people.
 
We have to keep our children out of gangs. We have to be dedicated to that. We have to keep our children knowing that there is more beauty in knowing about Aztlan than knowing about the blunts. We have to let them know there is more beauty in then knowing about Africa, than knowing about crack, and thizzin and going dumb. We need to get smart in this moment.
 
We need to get smart in this moment! We need to fight in this moment! We cannot be afraid in this moment!
 
Cesar Chavez, Delores Huerta the Brown Berets the Black Panthers are better than any drug they can try and feed our children.
 
We have to be open enough to learn about other faiths. I do my best to read about other faiths all the time. I am a nonviolent man of God. I follow a Prophet of Peace. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. But I am not afraid to die for this. Im not afraid to die for anybody in this room. Im not afraid to die for the truth that Malcolm, that Martin that all of these freedom fighters before us- [loud applause roar]. If they did not do it, WE would not be here today. Lets be honest about that.
 
But yo, nothings going to hold me back, or block me. They gonna have to pop me to stop me. This is why Im here.
 
The corporate media machine does a great job of brainwashing our children. Of having our children wish that they were in jail. Of having our children on dope and violent against one another. They make it easy for them to fight against one another. We have to start taking the time privately and publicly to start squashing that.
 
An organization that I represent is called Project Islamic H.O.P.E. Its based in LA and led proudly by Najee Ali. If you go to www.islamichope.org you can see that hes working with the Mayor of Los Angeles to host a beautiful Black and Brown unity conference (June 3rd 2006).
 
I hope everybody goes to that. One day will not solve this. We have to make sure we are working tomorrow. We have to make sure we are working next month. We have to make sure that we are reading and reaching out.
 
I was just talking to my brother, Anas, on the way down. He said Look we have to utilize the internet. All of the organizers before us never had the ability to use the internet as a tool to organize. Just to find out our respective histories, let alone have direct contact. We have to use all levels of technology and all levels of online and offline strategies.
 
But you know brothers like Davey D promoted this event real hard. He was one of the ONLY people who went down to LA and supported yall in that march. Im sorry that more African American leaders from the old guard havent supported you. I dont know whats going on with them. I dont know what it says about their original intent that more of them did not step up and openly support you in Los Angeles.
 
But I am here. The young Muslim leadership is here. The young Black leadership is here. This is our time and I am with you. My people are with you. I promise you that. My man Apakalips from the Universal Zulu Nation is with you. Shamako Noble from the Hip Hop Congress is with you. Artists like Paris, T-Kash, Aya De Leon, Immortal Technique, Dilated Peoples, Nate Mezmer, Self Scientific. Follow those artists! Support those artists! They love you. They are rappin for you right now. You must support them.
 
Dont let your kids watch BET. Dont let your kids sit down in front of MTV. We have to be honest about this. Right now my man D Labrie from East Oakland is gonna spit this piece called Black & Brown. I told him I was doing this event, he kicked it to me over the phone and I had to have him come down and let you hear this. Thats my time. ALLAH U AKBAR! God is the greatest. May God bless ALL in this room so we can unite and fight every day.   
 
Adisa Banjokos next lecture is entitled Lyrical Warfare: Hip Hop,Religion and Politics in the New Century, at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania on Monday April 24th @ 7 PM. Rapper One Be Low will be ripping the mic at the close of the lecture. For more information email pr@lyricalswords.com .
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Breakdown FM-Rick Rock & the Federation Going Beyond Hyphy

April 3, 2006 By

Rick Rock & the Federation Going Beyond Hyphy

by Davey D

original article: April 03 2006

Listen to Rick Rock and Federation Interview on Breakdown FM

Last week the Bay Area was treated to good news when E-40’s new album My Ghetto Report Card debuted on the Billboard charts at number one. His new single Tell Me When to Go is a bonafide hit that is lighting up radio station and night clubs from here to New York, throughout the South and even spots overseas are checking out the buzz and everybody is asking What does it mean to be Hyphy?

There is no doubt the Bay is on fire. Currently there are bidding wars amongst major labels for acts like Mista F.A.B. and Rick Rock and the Federation. T-Kash who is signed to Pariss Guerilla Funk label is finding that his new politically charged album Turf War Syndrome is one of the most sought after and heavily added on the college radio circuit. If thats not enough the Paris produced Public Enemy album Rebirth of a Nation came in at number 33 on the Billboard charts which is great for a small indie label. Lastly we have super producer Rick Rock and his group the Federation who are currently enjoying major radio play in cities like New York with their new smash 18 Dummies. Now with that being said and done the 64 thousand dollar question is Will the Bay Areas Hyphy Movement catch on and become a nationwide thing that sticks?

According to super producer Rick Rock aka the King of Slaps who along with his group The Federation put out the first Hyphy record 5 years ago, The Bay will become a nationwide stop only if people make a firm commitment to step their business game up and do good music. He emphasized the point that while Hyphy is the in thing right now, its going to take more than a bunch of songs that have the words Hyphy and other related lingo in the hooks to keep the momentum going. He elaborated by pointing out that the Hyphy Movement has gotten the music industrys attention and helped opened a lot of doors, but Bay artists will have to stretch out and constantly challenge themselves.

You have to keep putting paint where it aint, Rick Rock said. You have to come with something different. It does no good to drive down the street and hear the same Hyphy record with all different artists. Its what I call the Das EFX Syndrome. Rock was referring to the rap group Das EFX who came out with a unique triple time rhyme style that got widely mimicked to the point it hurt their careers.

Rock noted that his group is trying to stay ahead of the curve by taking innovative steps and pushing the musical envelop. Case in point, he dipped into his rock-n-roll roots and teamed up with drummer Travis Barker to do a song. Rick noted that he has always been a rock fan and the beats he creates is influenced by bands like Metallica who he considers one of the best groups of all-time.

Rock explained that Barker had heard some of the Bay Areas Hyphy songs and felt that it was natural cousin to in terms of energy and drive you hear in hardcore rock. He was anxious to get down with the Federation cats and the rest they say is history. To hear lead rappers Goldie Gold, Stress and Doonie Baby spitting on fiery lyrics over Barkers drums and Ricks amped up hyphy oriented music is something that will undoubtedly change the game once its released.

Its these types of steps that are going to help keep the Bay Areas profile elevated. Its also going to take folks who are hungry for the spotlight to sit back and stop hating on one another. Regional infighting based upon who is getting recognized is what has crippled the Bay and other burgeoning regions in the past. These were points that were emphasized by Federation members Doonie Baby and Goldie Gold. They noted that theres enough room for everybody to eat and share the spotlight.

Rock who also noted this point said its time for a lot of folks to sit down and have close door meeting to 1-Get a clearer understanding of what to expect with all this increased industry attention. 2-Learn how to better handle the business expectations major labels and other outlets will have of local artists entering into the game .3- How to operate in a hater free environment. In other words as the Bay tightens up on its business and beats it will be national factor that enjoys the spotlight for years to come.

Listen to Rick Rock and Federation Interview on Breakdown FM

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New Proposed Indecency Bill Threatens Rap Music Industry

March 31, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis
New Proposed Indecency Bill Threatens Rap Music Industry
by J.D. Cooke
Washington News Wire
original article: march 31 2006
 
WASHINGTON DC-Last week’s intense debate on the plight of this nation’s immigrant population led to massive rallies and student walkouts in many cities throughout the country. The largest occurred in Los Angeles and Detroit where 500 thousand and 200 thousand took to the streets respectively to protest the bill HR 4437 that would make it a third class felony for anyone caught administering aid to those who are in this country illegally as well as for those caught without the proper pare work and visas.
 
Up until now the focus has been on the nation’s Hispanic population which now numbers more than 35 million. They have been the most visible and most outspoken on this divisive issue, however, if Congressman Richard Desour (R-Indiana) has his way, the protesting Hispanics may have unintended ally in the form of the music industry, in particular those who are proponents of gangster rap. He says that criminal behavior in the recording industry has tore away at the moral fabric of the American public.
 
Desour has quietly introduced what some are describing as a far reaching amendment to HR 4437 that would do the following;
 
1-Make it a felony punishable by fines up to 250 thousand dollar and up to 2 years in jail if one advocates, promotes or admits to the commission of violent crime in a commercially released recording.
 
2-Disallow anyone who has a felony or is incarcerated from being signed, employed or affiliated by a major record label. In language similar to the one found in HR 4437, anyone caught harboring or providing gainful employment to a convicted felon in the music or broadcast industry will be charged with a felony.  
 
3- Clears the way and makes it easier for parents, victim’s right groups, church organizations and Civil Right groups to sue artists and hold them liable for song lyrics that are deemed criminally prone and can be proven detrimental, pernicious and undermining to local and federal laws. 
 
Initially this provision was written so that it would make it easier for consumers and the aforementioned groups to go after the deep pockets and resources of the record and broadcast industry. However, recording industry lobbyists were successful in working out a compromise and having the language specific to them removed from the proposed bill.
 
Desour’s office noted that in exchange for the compromise, the Recording Industry would set aside funds and pledge other types of resources to help fight the tidal wave of illegal immigrants.
 
Broadcasters agreed to refrain from using their airwaves to promote, marches and rallies and to no longer provide an on air platform for organizations that help illegal immigrants. Both the Recording Industry and Broadcast Association agreed to vigorously enforce immigration laws at concerts, award shows and other industry related gatherings.
 
4-Desour’s amendments would make it easier to apply hate crime provisions to artists, record label owners and broadcasters who allow the recording and dissemination of racial and sexually oriented disparaging epithets.
 
Broadcasters were unsuccessful in winning a compromise on this provision. Disparaging words like ‘nigger’, ‘bitch’ and ‘fag’ which are commonly heard on the airwaves and in recordings will be added to the current list of seven dirty words that are prohibited from being broadcast in public space.
 
In a strange and somewhat ironic twist, radio broadcaster’s have hired high powered lobbyist Simon Dennis to represent them. They believe the proposed amendments reach too far and would have long range unintended economic consequences and stifle free speech.
 
Dennis accused the 7 term congressman of being culturally insensitive and a borderline racist. He noted that it was unfair for the Congressman to try and ban word ‘nigger’  which he claims is a universally used and accepted term in African American dialect especially if its pronounced and spelled with the letter ‘A’ at the end and not the letters ‘Er’
 
“It’s an important part of Black and Hip Hop culture”,  Dennis said. “Today its actually a good thing to call someone a ‘nigga’ because it means you are a friend. It’s the community turning a positive into a negative. That should be celebrated, not criminalized. To disallow the N word’s usage via the airwaves could prove to be economically disastrous because Black and urban Rap listeners would tune away in droves”.
 
Simon pointed out the recent decline in ratings by Los Angeles based urban radio stations  which once dominated the LA radio market as Top 5 positions are now not even in the Top 10. He argued that these stations in anticipation of this bill voluntarily restricted the use of N word on their airwaves and now the ratings have dropped precipitiously.
 
Despite the broadcast industry’s compelling arguments all signs indicate that Congressman Desour will push to make the use of the ‘N’ word in both recordings and broadcast as part of the Hate Crime provisions. In other words, use of the N word in a criminal context within a song can get you slapped with a hate crime which carries mandatory punishments.
 
Famed author, photographer and Hip Hop pioneer, Ernie Paniccioli’s of the newly formed The Universal Federation for the Preservation of Hip Hop Culture reacted to the legislation placed before Congress; “From what I read,  this bill seems far reaching. Many of us who love, respect and strive to protect this culture we call Hip Hop are in total favor of cleaning up the airwaves and making sure our house is in order. Many of us do not approve or support the use of the ‘N’ word in public space, however, we are not in favor of only criminalizing the artist while allowing his oppressive colonialist of a master who runs the record label to be given a pass.”
 
Long time Hip Hop journalist and radio host Davey D said; ” I’m concerned that while this bill is an attempt to clean up the airwaves, and the music industry in general, it will most likely be used selectively against Hip Hop artists and may even be twisted to go after artists like Dead Prez or The Coup who say harsh things about the political system.”
 
To support these first two provisions of his bill,  Congressman Desour referenced a newly released report that was put together by law enforcement officials who oversea the Hip Hop Task Force that is currently based in New York City and the main focal point of a soon to be released motion picture. The task force’s exhaustive two year study concluded that there is a direct correlation in the rise of gang activity, drug dealing and other violent crimes with the high visibility and ultimate rewarding and endorsement of rap artists who have a criminal path.
 
“When young people witness artists like Snoop Dogg, Youngster Jeezy, Nas and other gangster rappers being coddled by the music industry it sends out the wrong message”, said HHTF spokesman Lynn Franks. “It leaves young people with the impression that the only way you can be successful in the music industry is to first be a career criminal”
 
Franks went on to point out that the HHTF discovered that many record labels were secretly orchestrating and encouraging their artists to engage in criminal acts and behavior as a way to spark controversy which in turn would lead to increased record sales. The report discovered that if an artist actually served jail time, then their album sales would shoot through the roof, because of the heavy promotion and endorsement by both the record labels and broadcasters who used their incarceration as a key selling point.
 
Franks also noted that many gangster rappers were communicating secret messages to fellow gang members and criminal enterprises around the country in recordings using coded street lingo, by adapting certain nicknames or wearing particular clothing and fashions.
 
During a press conference Franks asserted; “One popular artist from Atlanta named Youngster Jeezy calls himself ‘The Snowman’. His name and his lyrics are really street lingo advocating for people to steal cars. There’s been a huge spike is grand theft auto throughout Jeezy’s native Atlanta since he started releasing albums”.
 
Currently the HHTF is trying to build a case against Jeezy saying that his lyrics were premeditated.
 
 Franks went on; “There are two popular rappers out of Houston we been studying. Gangster rappers Paul Jones and Mike Wall has recorded numerous songs where they encourage to purchase false teeth filled with diamonds and other expensive  jewels that they nickname ‘grills’
 
Our study concludes that Wall and Jones and many of these other rap guys who are wearing these so called grills are actually smuggling diamonds filled while smiling for cameras. When these rappers describe the jewels they have in their mouth, they are actually sending secret messages to fellow diamond smugglers about the type of stash they are delivering”
 
Franks also pointed the hit song ‘Tell Me When to Go’ by popular artist E-40. “Here you have a young man who is blatantly advocating that young men and women participate in perverted sexual activities. When he instructs listeners at the end of his song to ‘Ghost ride the Whip’ . This is Bay Area street slang for bondage and S&M of the most dangerous type. Using whips while participating in sex acts is not only quite dangerous and can cause serious injury, but it’s also a violation of the law in 37 states. Because Mr 40 has such a young audience he can be in big trouble with the law where bondage sex is illegal”.
 
ACLU spokesperson Harry Thompson said that they fully intend to challenge the Constitutionality of this law should it pass along with the other provisions of the Immigration Bill. However, he acknowledges that in today’s political climate it will be along hard struggle.  He encourages people to call their representatives and Senators to oppose Congressman Desour’s New Indecency Bill HR 3312.
 
To see a full copy of this Draconian bill Click Here:
Filed Under: Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, March '06 Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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