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Immortal Technique Interview on Malcolm X’s birthday May 2006-Harlem

May 21, 2012 By

One thing you gotta love about Harlem based rapper Immortal Technique is he walks the walk and talks the talk… Most of us admire him for his political wisdom which manifest itself very forcefully in his songs. That’s a good thing.. many of today’s artist shy away from rocking the boat. Tech doesn’t.

More importantly, Tech speaks his truth no matter what. It doesn’t matter if cameras are on him or not. You can catch him participating in marches, rallies and simply building with the community.  A few years ago, I was in Harlem for what would’ve been Malcolm X‘s 80th birthday. Many had come out for march and right there in the middle of the crowd was Immortal Technique. No fan fare. No album to promote. It was just him being a part of the community.. As I said at a day and time when so many are looking for cheap promotion angles, Immortal Technique’s low-key participation was a breath of fresh hair..Below is our 4 part interview.. Given May 19 2006 in Harlem New York..

written by Davey D

Immortal Technique pt1 speaking on the importance of celebrating his birthday pt1

Immortal Technique pt2 How has Malcolm X’s philosophy influenced the World?

Immortal Technique pt3: we shift our focus to political conversation to political prisoners

Immortal technique pt 4 Black and Brown Unity

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Have We Forgotten All the Bank Foreclosures? Cali Rapper Bambu Hasn’t

May 20, 2012 By

There’s a lot of talk about Hip Hop being dead or completely compromised with messages and images that fulfill corporate agendas and while that may be true in terms of what is presented on some of the largest stages around us, we should not discount the fact that everyday folks are waking up and fighting the good fight… One cat that puts in work day in and day out is Bambu.. Some may be familiar with him as one half of the group Native Guns.. Others know him as a committed community activist who is always trying to find ways to uplift the youth..

This week many activists and concerned citizens are in Chicago protesting the NATO Summit.. Many are being arrested and tossed in jail with the bogus charge of terrorism for simply live streaming or marching. I hope people are paying attention to what is going on as we are witnessing a complete news blackout.. With that being said NATO is where you will find government forces from all over the world who are beholden to the 1%.  Many of us forget that our real fight is with that small cabal of people who dictate the direction of the economy and now the types of oppressive and restrictive laws we will live under.. Artist like Bambu haven’t forgotten as illustrated in this new video..He goes hard on the issue of foreclosures which in 2012 represent the biggest theft this country has ever seen..   He deserves major props for stepping up and reminding all of us what sort of truth we should be speaking in these turbulent times..

written by Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXrQ5FBao0

 

 

 

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , ,

Remember When Malcolm X was an Emcee? We Pay Tribute to Our Black Shining Prince

May 19, 2012 By

Remember the days when Malcolm X ( El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was an emcee on everyone’s Hip Hop records? Folks back in the days would always sample him and have his words of wisdom be apart of the soundtrack..I recall the early days of Hip Hop when deejays like Afrika Bambaataa would rock Malcolm speeches over break beats. Not only did it sound funky but it helped raise our consciousness..

During the so-called Golden era You had everyone from Poor Righteous Teachers to Paris to 3x Dope to Gang Starr to Public Enemy all rocking Malcolm samples..I recall when KRS One mimicked the infamous Malcolm X pose where he was holding a gun looking out the window, ready to protect himself after his home had been firebombed. Many say KRS kicked things off when he featured Malcolm X in his My Philosophy video … I miss those days..

Remember when Malcolm was sampled so much that he wound up being on the cover of the Source Magazine? Say what you will, the powers that be worked overtime to remove Malcolm from our collective consciousness..It’ll be interesting to note how many newscast make mention of his birthday today… or how many urban radio stations that’ll quickly disperse info on Kanye and Kim dating but will be silent and omit Malcolm’s birthday or any activities related to it, in their daily banter..

I say on this birthday lets do more than give a shout out.. Let’s return Malcolm back the forefront of Hip Hop consciousness…

If you happen to be in Oakland today.. head on over to San Antonio Park for the annual Malcolm X Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7o3zVD7rx0&sns=tw

Many have got it twisted in thinking Malcolm X somehow softened or lightened up in his final days.. This speech given in 1965 one month before he was killed is anything but soft.. He stays sharply focused and unwavering in his fight for freedom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3WliIKNPI

Here’s a couple of Malcolm Music mixes you might enjoy

J-Dilla Meets Malcolm X (Davey D remix)

North Carolina rapper K-Hill

Drummer Keith LeBlanc‘s classic and one of the earliest records paying tribute to Malcolm X

Malcolm X Meets Gang Starr -(Ballot or the Bullet)

Malcolm X Meets Public Enemy (the Govt Has Failed Us)

Intv w/ Immortal Technique during Malcolm X

pt1

pt2

pt 3

pt4

Malcolm X: His Life and Legacy (Documentary)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zIGNkR62Mo

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Our Interview w/ George Clinton Battling the Music Industry Sharks

May 5, 2012 By

We sat down with the Godfather of Funk George Clinton and talked about the state of music in 2012.. His relationship with Hip Hop.. We also went into great detail about his financial situation with respect who owns what when it comes to his catalogue.. Clinton talks about the shadiness of the industry and what he’s doing to fight back..Thus far there have been law suits and George working on a new project designed to make sure artist get their copyrights and the industry is flipped upside down.. Enjoy

George Clinton Interview

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News Tagged With: , , , ,

The Death of Adam MCA Yauch is a Hard One to Shake

May 5, 2012 By

Yesterday Hip Hop lost a pioneering figure and legend Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys. There’s so much one can say about him ranging from his pioneering status of being a member of one of the first successful white acts in Hip Hop (they sold more than 40 million albums) to his activism around Tibet and their independence movement and more recently around Occupy Wall Street.

It was pointed out by writer Dave Zirin that Yauch who had been battling cancer for the past 3 years was part of that infamous March last fall across the Brooklyn Bridge when police were shown beating and arresting over 700 protestors.Yauch risked arrest and bodily harm that day in his participation.. He was in the middle of cancer treatments when he marched.

We can talk about Yauch coming out of Punk Rock culture and and how there’s a rich and undervalued history that shows how early Hip Hop and Punk found kinship and natural alliance as members of both genres felt alienated and disenfranchised by society and back then,  a disco laden, formulaic music industry.

We can talk about Yauch being part of a crew who under the musical production of Rick Rubin as writer Dan Charnas recently noted, helped usher Hip Hop from the Beat Box era to the sampling era. We can talk about how Run DMC introduced the world to the Beastie Boys and later the Beasties introduced the world to Public Enemy.

We can talk about Yauch branching out and becoming a skilled music video producer and film director. He founded Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film production and distribution company based out of New York City.

Adam did great things. He accomplished much… and those who knew him personally described him as serious, sensitive, genuine and a really cool guy. He will definitely be missed.

Yesterday we did a tribute n Hard Knock Radio 94.1 FM  with Big Payback author Dan Charnas.  Here’s what he had to say about Adam MCA Yauch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74WJkyUtBYs

Heavy D is one of many iconic figures to pass away from health related ailments before the age of 50

Above and beyond his music career and activism, for many in the Hip Hop Generation Adam’s death  underscores a very disturbing trend. Him dying at 47 is increasingly becoming commonplace where many of our icons, peers, family and friends are barely living to 50. In the past couple of years we’ve lost many legends including MIchael Jackson, Whitney Houston, J-Dilla, Guru, Professor X, Big Pun, Poetic, DJ Screw, Heavy D, Eyedea, MC Breed, Pimp C, Big Moe, ODB, Nate Dogg, Bernie Mac, and Special One of the Conscious Daughters just to name a few..

These names are on top of those we know and love who died violently or via accident like; Proof, Freaky Tah, Big L, Stack Bundles, Souljah Slim, Left Eye, Aaliyah, Dolla, M-Bone, Mac Dre, Left Eye and most recently football legend Junior Seau.

If we toss in names like Eazy E, Marvin Gaye, 2Pac and Biggie the names of untimely death is a long one.

Yesterday someone attempting to be stoic & cavalier upon hearing about the death of Adam, asserted,  ‘Oh well death is a part of life’..

I responded;  ‘What kind of life is this when so many who we, know, luv and admire are all dying before the age of 50.’

This is not just about people dying at the hands of violence, but so many on the list of names I noted above, are dying from health related ailments. This is unacceptable and should not be ‘just a part of life’. That’s called settling.

During our tribute show around Adam’s death  Paradise Gray of the group X-Clan came on and recounted his friendship with Adam. He also reminded our listeners how the Hip Hop Generation has grown up in a world during the Reagan era when society started dismantling  safety nets. Our generation saw the beginning of repressive forces gutting and further privatizing healthcare and other much-needed services..

Paradise said we are now starting to see the results of that societal divestment with so many people checking out before age 50.

‘Many in Hip Hop never had health insurance’, Paradise said. This is an issue he knows all too well having lost two of his groups members to untimely health related death, Sugar Shaft and Professor X.

Here’s our Interview w/ Paradise Gray:

It’s not just health insurance when your sick, but the ability to go to the doctor, get routine check ups and be educated on ways top prevent early disease. Paradise said over the next 10 years things will get worse, because many never really took care of themselves or had the opportunity or resources and as a generation hits their late 40s and then 50s illnesses will start to emerge and yield serious consequences.

We lost Adam to cancer, but in recent times we’ve some like artist/activist DJ Kuttin’ Kandi and pioneering photographer Ernie Paniccioli who have been saddled with massive medical bills after getting sick. Last year we were all out collecting money Ernie who was diagnosed with cancer as well as for the Father of Hip Hop Kool Herc who suffered from severe kidney stones and had no health insurance.   Kandi who was recently had her heart stop and had to get emergency surgery is raising money for her care HERE

In the wake of Adam’s passing, the Hip Hop Generation has much to reflect upon. The Black Panthers who were a couple of generations ahead of us, had the good common sense to open up free health clinics for the community. This act may have saved countless lives. We within Hip Hop need to step our game up in a big way and take the vast amounts of money and resources we have access to and follow suit. We should do this for ourselves and do this for those in our ranks who are ailing. We should do this in memory of Adam who we saw emerge as a keen activist, generous and thoughtful man….

RIP Adam MCA Yauch

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

An Epic Intv w/ Jeru tha Damaja: Maturing In Hip Hop & Making An Album in Poland

April 27, 2012 By

It’s always good to chop it up w/ Brooklyn emcee Jeru tha Damaja.. We go back a long ways and with each interview he provides more and more jewels.

This past week was no different, Jeru came by the crib where we chopped it up about everything under the sun.. We talked about the origins and meaning of his name and what he meant when he used the tag ‘damaja’. It was a question I never asked, believe it or not.. he said it meant he was one to destroy the mics and destroy misconceptions…

We talked about maturing in the industry and the importance of not being seen as ‘old school’ but instead being seen as classic.. We talked about the importance of Hip Hop pioneers Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa who recently celebrated birthdays. Jeru explained about how both men have always respected him and he in turn have viewed them as big brothers who have positive impact on him..

We talked about his friendship w/ the late Guru of Gang Starr.  Jeru reminisced how Guru rescued him from the streets and help give him direction. he talked about the formidable rap crew that included Group Home, MOP, they had when Guru released th Ill Kids project. He regretted that everyone didn’t stick together We also talked about the issues related to the 2Pac hologram its pros and cons.. We also talked about his travels and what parts of the world he likes performing in.. Jeru talked about a new album he just did in Poland that features both American and Polish emcees..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjtDZj-nkJ4

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Happy Bday Afrika Bambaataa & DJ Kool Herc: A Look back w/ the Founding Fathers of Hip Hop

April 19, 2012 By

Afrika Bambaataa & Kool Herc

Today April 19th, we celebrate the birthday of one of Hip Hop’s founding fathers, Afrika Bambaataa. On Monday (April 16th) we celebrated the birthday of the Father of Hip Hop Kool Herc.. Sadly not many radio stations and other media outlets that have greatly benefited from Hip Hop music and culture which Herc and Bam tirelessly helped bring to the forefront have stopped or will stop to take time to give either of them a shout out at the very least.

We’re more likely to hear a birthday shout out to Kim Kardashian then to our pioneers but in today’s microwave society where people are commodities and ultimately disposable, one should not be surprised. Celebrating and even acknowledging the histories and pioneering figures of marginalized and oppressed communities aren’t often done especially if it can lead to folks rising up and questioning the direction and narratives being put forth by those in the mainstream who are in power.

This is not limited to Hip Hop. In 2012 all one has to do is look at the current wave of attacks on ethnic studies programs both in college and in high schools all over the country. We see the banning of ethnic studies and accompanying books in states like Arizona. We see attempts to rewrite and white wash history books in states like Texas, where iconic figures from Cesar Chavez to the Black Panthers are stricken from the pages. It’s our charge in Hip Hop to counter that by at the very least holding up the accomplishments and stories of those who came before us so that we can learn and build upon the legacies they laid down..

There’s so much one can say about Herc and Bam, hence when writing about him, its hard to know where to begin. I guess when writing about Herc we should note he was an athlete who was given the nickname Hercules (Herc for short) because of his height and muscular build. He was also down with a graffiti crew called the Ex Vandals. Most importantly Herc was into music and was always seeking ways to play it.

According to Herc he had a nice little rep for himself and thus had garnered a lot of respect..In August of 1973, he and his sister Cindy Campbell decided to throw a back to school party as away to raise a couple of dollars for school clothes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2CHTE975Q

The story goes Herc brought down his fathers speakers to the rec center of their building 1520 Sedgwick Ave, they charged 50 cent for fellas to come in and the rest is history.. The music Herc played that night was funk music, that at that time was popular but slowly getting less and less airplay on the radio. Songs like Sex Machine and Give it Up and Turn It Lose by James Brown or Jimmy Castor‘s It’s Just Begun were among the jams Herc highlighted. The success of that party led to Herc doing others jams and it wasn’t too long before folks in the Bronx were seeking out Kool Herc parties.

It was during this time that Herc developed a system of playing records that he dubbed the Merry Go Round. He basically would take the hottest part of a song, usually the percussion break down and extend indefinitely by going from one record to the next by passing everything but the juicy part of the record.

During those early jams, Herc would keep the crowd excited by shouting them out on the mic. He once explained to me that he wanted to make folks feel good and important and one way of doing that was calling out their name on the mic. He also noted that it was a way to keep the peace. So in the beginning one might’ve heard Kool Herc shout out ‘his mellow-ski.. Mark Mark or his boy Kev-ski. Slang terms in the early 70s were phrases like ‘My mellow’ or adding the word ‘ski’ at the end of someone’s name.

At the time it was big deal to get hear your name called out at a party by Kool Herc who was the center of attention and had a huge sound system he dubbed the Herculords. He later turned over the announcing duties to his friend Coke La Rock who became one of Hip Hop’s first emcees. Other members Timmy Tim and Clark Kent got down with the crew and collectively they were known as the Herculoids.

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

When it comes to talking about Afrika Bambaataa, it should be noted that he was known in the Bronx long before he touched a turntable. Bam started out as a gang leader.. He was a warlord for one of NYC’s largest gangs in the 1970s known as the Black Spades…

According to Bam, in spite of his gang affiliations he was always into music and well aware of culture and the Black liberation struggles. Even as a gang leader, some of the tactics he employed for overpowering his rivals were gleaned from military strategies he read about used by African leaders in particular the Zulu Tribe of South Afrika..

Bam really turned his attention to music and Hip Hop’s then emerging culture after one of his best friends Soulski was got shot and killed by police in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx… Bam talks about how at that time NYPD had a division that was targeting NY’s large gang problem and the Spades were ready to go up against them as a result of Soulski being killed. He noted that the resulting death underscored the crackdown that was coming on the gangs who were starting to die down..

Bam soon formed a group called the Organization which later evolved into the Mighty Zulu Nation.. Bam explained that he wanted use Zulu as a way to turn lives around and refocus folks energy from banging to music. Early on Zulu was still seen as entity to be feared and not toyed with. Outlaw ways didn’t die down overnight. Bam explained it took a lot of meetings and conversations to get folks to walk a different path..Eventually many did as Zulu Nation blossomed into an organization with thriving chapters a;ll over the world.

Along with forming Zulu now known as the Universal Zulu Nation, Bam got into music and deejaying, and soon developed a reputation for playing unique and hard to find jams (break beats). He eventually became known as the Master of Records..and till this day prides himself on rocking what he describes as ‘break beats’ of the future..

We cover a lot of this as well as what was going on in the early days of Hip Hop in this interview.. Reflect and Enjoy.. Happy Birthday to my good friend Afrika Bambaataa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL1YntDNRHo

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Happy Bday Afrika Bambaataa & DJ Kool Herc…Looking back at the Early Years of Hip Hop

April 19, 2012 By

Afrika Bambaataa & Kool Herc

Today April 19th, we celebrate the birthday of one of Hip Hop’s founding fathers, Afrika Bambaataa. On Monday (April 16th) we celebrated the birthday of the Father of Hip Hop Kool Herc.. Sadly not many radio stations and other media outlets that have greatly benefited from Hip Hop music and culture which Herc and Bam tirelessly helped bring to the forefront have stopped or will stop to take time to give either of them a shout out at the very least.

We’re more likely to hear a birthday shout out to Kim Kardashian then to our pioneers but in today’s microwave society where people are commodities and ultimately disposable, one should not be surprised. Celebrating and even acknowledging the histories and pioneering figures of marginalized and oppressed communities aren’t often done especially if it can lead to folks rising up and questioning the direction and narratives being put forth by those in the mainstream who are in power.

This is not limited to Hip Hop. In 2012 all one has to do is look at the current wave of attacks  on ethnic studies programs both in college and in high schools all over the country. We see the banning of ethnic studies and accompanying books in states like Arizona. We see attempts to rewrite and white wash history books in states like Texas, where iconic figures from Cesar Chavez to the Black Panthers are stricken from the pages. It’s our charge in Hip Hop to counter that by at the very least holding up the accomplishments and stories of those who came before us so that we can learn and build upon the legacies they laid down..

There’s so much one can say about Herc and Bam, hence when writing about him, its hard to know where to begin. I guess when writing about Herc we should note he was an athlete who was given the nickname Hercules  (Herc for short) because of his height and muscular build. He was also down with a graffiti crew called the Ex Vandals.  Most importantly Herc was into music  and was always seeking ways to play it.

According to Herc he had a nice little rep for himself and thus had garnered a lot of respect..In August of 1973, he and his sister Cindy Campbell decided to throw a back to school party as away to raise a couple of dollars for school clothes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2CHTE975Q

The story goes Herc brought down his fathers speakers to the rec center of their building 1520 Sedgwick Ave, they charged 50 cent for fellas to come in and the rest is history.. The music Herc played that night was funk music, that at that time was popular but slowly getting less and less airplay on the radio. Songs like Sex Machine and Give it Up and Turn It Lose by James Brown or Jimmy Castor‘s It’s Just Begun were among the jams Herc highlighted.  The success of that party led to Herc doing others jams and it wasn’t too long before folks in the Bronx were seeking out Kool Herc parties.

It was during this time that Herc developed a system of playing records that he dubbed the Merry Go Round. He basically would take the hottest part of a song, usually the percussion break down and extend indefinitely by going from one record to the next by passing everything but the juicy part of the record.

During those early jams, Herc would keep the crowd excited by shouting them out on the mic. He once explained to me that he wanted to make folks feel good and important and one way of doing that was calling out their name on the mic. He also noted that it was a way to keep the peace. So in the beginning one might’ve heard Kool Herc shout out ‘his mellow-ski.. Mark Mark or his boy Kev-ski. Slang terms in the early 70s were phrases  like ‘My mellow’ or adding the word ‘ski’ at the end of someone’s name.

At the time it was big deal to get hear your name called out at a party by Kool Herc who was the center of attention and had a huge sound system he dubbed the Herculords. He later turned over the announcing duties to his friend Coke La Rock who became one of Hip Hop’s first emcees. Other members Timmy Tim and Clark Kent got down with the crew and collectively they were known as the Herculoids.

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

When it comes to talking about Afrika Bambaataa, it should be noted that he was known in the Bronx long before he touched a turntable. Bam started out as a gang leader.. He was a warlord for one of NYC’s largest gangs in the 1970s known as the Black Spades…

According to Bam, in spite of his gang affiliations he was always into music and well aware of culture and the Black liberation struggles. Even as a gang leader, some of the tactics he employed for overpowering his rivals were gleaned from military strategies he read about used by African leaders in particular the Zulu Tribe of South Afrika..

Bam really turned his attention to music and Hip Hop’s then emerging culture after one of his best friends Soulski was got shot and killed by police in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx… Bam talks about how at that time NYPD had a division that was targeting NY’s large gang problem and the Spades were ready to go up against them as a result of Soulski being killed. He noted that the resulting death underscored the crackdown that was coming on the gangs who were starting to die down..

Bam soon formed a group called the Organization which later evolved into the Mighty Zulu Nation.. Bam explained that he wanted use Zulu as a way to turn lives around and re-focuse folks energy from banging to music. Early on Zulu was still seen as entity to be feared and not toyed with. Outlaw ways didn’t die down overnight. Bam explained it took a lot of meetings and conversations to get folks to walk a different path..Eventually many did as Zulu Nation blossomed into an organization with thriving chaapters a;ll over the world.

Along with forming Zulu now known as the Universal Zulu Nation,  Bam  got into music and deejaying, and soon developed a reputation for playing unique and hard to find jams (break beats). He eventually became known as the Master of Records..and till this day prides himself on rocking what he describes as ‘break beats’ of the future..

We cover a lot of this as well as what was going on in the early days of Hip Hop  in this interview.. Reflect and Enjoy.. Happy Birthday to my good friend Afrika Bambaataa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL1YntDNRHo

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Open Letter to Rick Ross & all of the so-called “Bosses” of Hip Hop by Gat Turner

March 29, 2012 By

This is an incredible an insightful letter penned by Gat Turner..He brings a lot of clarity and insight around the silence f many of our ‘Big Boss’ rappers… U can peep the original HERE -Davey D-

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

May this letter find you in the best of health and spirit.

Peace,

I felt compelled to write this letter because it seems that everybody is screaming that they are a “Boss” in the rap game today, & some of the brothers (and sisters) have become quite clever & adept in their declaration of this title. Dons, Bosses, & Generals are just a few of the titles that these kinds of rappers claim, denoting their authority, leadership and ability to call shots and command allegiance by an untold amount of soldiers, both seen and unseen.

I am an admitted fan of gangsta movies like the Godfather Trilogy, Scarface, Goodfellas, Casino & even “hood” favorites like New Jack City, Paid In Full, and Belly. I study these films, not because I enjoy the sex, profanity, & violence, I am a fan of these films because I like to study the underlying principals in the movies.I like to analyze the principals behind of the rise and fall of the protagonists in these films.

In The Godfather I, it was fascinating to me identifying the intangibles that made Don Corleone powerful. It was not just his wealth that made his network viable, but it was also how he leveraged his money to work for not only himself, but also his “Family”. His power was also in his political contacts, his sacrifice and his charity. Interestingly, both Godfather I & II opened with a wedding scenes, that were also obscure invitations to those in the family, (or close to the Family) to petition the Don for a favor. These favors ranged from monetary loans to political accommodations. These scenes showed how when the Don bestowed his benevolence upon you, there was also an unspoken understanding that in the future, there was a possibility that you may be called upon to reciprocate his graciousness. The Don sacrificed for you, and because of this act of beneficence, you felt obligated to be at his disposal. Many people misinterpret this type of loyalty solely as fear.

With just minimal study of the Godfather Trilogy, I recognized all of the principals of Kwanzaa displayed throughout the stories. I could easily demonstrate how every boss/don commanded Unity (Umoja), had Self Determination (Kujichagulia), inspired Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima), pooled their resources for Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa), had a single driven Purpose (Nia), then demonstrated Creativity (Kuumba), & showed Faith (Imani) when pursuing that purpose. These principals are all active ingredients in the recipe of any Gangsters’ success story, and the violation of these principals is always the undoing of not only the protagonist, but also the entire Family.

Gat, why are you talking about this “gangsta shit”? I am talking about this because it is all that I hear on the radio stations, it is all that I see on the rap video shows, & this is all that I read about in the Hip Hop publications. It seems nowadays that as soon as we gets a cash advance, we are screaming that we’re a “Boss” & promoting this so called gangsta culture! Well it’s time for us to examine the people who are claiming to be “Bosses”, and see if they really are.

It is common knowledge that many rappers and record execs do live lavish lifestyles. As the late great Notorious B.I.G. once said, “Money, clothes and hoes is all a nigga knows…” It is also common knowledge that many of these so-called “Bosses” place hefty bets well into the 100’s of thousands of dollars on boxing bouts, Super Bowls, & NBA Championships. I’m sure that there will be some mind blowing wagers on this year’s Final Four, but before you place that bet let me have your attention for just a second. If it be the will of Allah, you may have a change of heart with what to do with your money, by the time that I’m finished this letter.

Trayvon Martin

On February 26, 2012 a young man named Trayvon Martin was murdered in cold blood and his known killer remains at large. There have been a number of substantial demonstrations in the streets across America in protest of this injustice. Our people are outraged at how this travesty has been handled. The New Black Panther Party even scraped up $10,000 and offered it to anybody who had knowledge of the killer’s whereabouts so that they could make a citizens’ arrest.

Well, most of the “Bosses” trick that measly amount of money off at the strip club in one a night “making it rain” or “buying the bar out”. Many underground artists have made songs, written poetry, used their cameras, pencils and paintbrushes in tribute to our slain brother. As much as we rap about killing each other in the mainstream, it seems that at least one of you would have had the courage to make a “Kill George Zimmerman” song. The fact that no one has done this, shows me that we aren’t as ignorant as we pretend to be.

Gat Turner, are you advocating that someone kill George Zimmerman?! All of you scared to death Negroes calm down. No, I’m not advocating the murder of George Zimmerman… not yet at least. My point is simply that we are very vocal, bold and careless with our speech when it comes to “Beef” with each other, but we are very cautious, fearful and reserved when it comes to “Real Issues” that affect our community, our people, and our fan base. I would like to see some of these “Bosses” or “Dons” offer some form of support to Trayvon Martin’s family, whether financial or even just a comforting word would mean a lot to a mourning family in their bereavement, & it would make a tremendous impact and statement to your fans. I will acknowledge that some of these so-called “Bosses” have donned hoodies in solidarity with Trayvon’s family and their supporters, but hell even babies & puppies have done that.

Gat, why are you calling out these so called “Bosses” in general, and Rick Ross in particular? I am calling them out because it’s time. I can’t say this for sure but I wouldn’t doubt that Trayvon has purchased at least one record by a so called “Boss”. I singled Rick Ross out in particular because he is actually from Florida, the state where Trayvon’s murder took place. He is probably the most successful of all the rappers that come from there, & many would argue that he is the most talented. He is also most known for being a “Boss”, or at least proclaiming to be one.

Gat, do you expect Rick Ross to become an activist? No I don’t. I wouldn’t expect to see Don Corleone holding a picket sign yelling, “No Justice, No Peace” either. Do I expect him to give a damn? Yes I do, if he’s indeed what he proclaims to be. A true “Boss” is always concerned with that which is not in order around him, because it affects him, it affects his family, and affects his business. There is no way that Don Corleone would allow some Blackman to wander into his neighborhood/territory and kill some Italian child for nothing & that crime go unpunished. He would be involved. (I will leave the level of his involvement to your own imagination.) If one is truly a “Boss”, everything that happens in his jurisdiction has to go through him. Any criminal activity taking place in his territory, he has knowledge of, because it first had to go through him. Any politician seeking office, first sought his endorsement. Even religious leaders and activists have to seek his blessing, in order to demonstrate or officiate in an area that he has carved out as his own.

If you are not garnering this type of respect from your followers, fans, and communities please stop false flagging, because you are confusing the people. Hell, even the poet/emcee/spoken word community in my hometown (Milwaukee, WI) can call on a hundred men for a worthy cause. How much more should a “Boss” be able to do with millions of dollars in his war chest, and millions of fans at his disposal?

To be a "true" Don or Boss requires tremendous sacrifice.

Before I continue, I think that this title does deserve a little clarity. It is important to note that just because one has sold dope before he/she made a record, doesn’t make him/her a “Boss”. It makes you a former dope peddler. Just because one has excess money that they choose to squander on loose women, expensive alcohol, & drugs, this doesn’t make you a “Boss”either. It makes you a trick, an alcoholic, &/or an addict. If you have killed someone that looks like you and gotten away with it, that doesn’t make you a “Boss”. It makes you a murderer and an agent in your own genocide. Finally, nice clothes, cars, homes or material possessions don’t make you a “BOSS”. It just makes you a nigga with a lot of expensive toys…

I am not disillusioned. I know that we have come a long way from the likes of a Nina Simone, Paul Robeson, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and a Tupac. There are indeed those of us who are out here striving to follow in there footsteps, but you may never hear us on your radio or see us on your television. The enemy has gotten much wiser in his efforts to keep the people focused on filth and indecency so that they remain ignorant. Perhaps it is not even fair for me to expect today’s “mainstream” artists to pick up the torch and carry on where the aforementioned artists left off. It is however fair for me to expect them to represent the Truth in their music, & to step up when the opportunity presents itself for them to be what they claim they are. In this case, many are claiming to be “Bosses”.

Though I admit to admiring some of you self-proclaimed “Bosses” for your lyrical creativity and swagger, there is one thing that history has made very clear and very evident…. YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! This is the Smokin’ Gat! #justice4trayvonmartin

written by Gat Turner

original article: https://www.facebook.com/notes/gat-turner/youre-not-the-boss-of-me-an-open-letter-to-rick-ross-all-of-the-so-called-bosses/10150660740679858?notif_t=like

 

 

Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Oakland’s Townhall on Misogyny, Teen Violence & the Influence of Rap Music w/ Too Short

March 15, 2012 By

Last night (March 14th 2012) the Oakland chapter of 100 Black Men and Safe Passages, an organization from ‘Tha Town’ that is in the forefront of dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault, hooked up with members of the Hip Hop community to hold a town hall meeting inside City Hall.  The topic was Misogyny, Teen Violence and the influence Rap Music has on our behavior..

Lemme just say this from jump street.. what took place last night was riveting, honest, powerful and inspiring..It wasn’t a gripe session or a finger-pointing rap bashing occasion. It wasn’t an event where two generations (Hip Hop and Civil Rights) found themselves at odds blaming one another…

What you had at the Oakland Town Hall was a community who clearly understands there are important issues at hand impacting young minds and we have to go in another direction..

One of the highlights of the town hall was the discussion with Bay Area rap pioneer Too Short. But folks were clear from the beginning these issues are systemic and go way beyond one rapper, one magazine or one incident.. However, the recent controversy around Too Short  giving explicit ‘fatherly advise‘ to middle school age boys in an online video hosted by rap publication XXL had put him on the hot seat..

Short said he takes full responsibility for his actions and wanted to be part of the conversation to help rectify and repair the damage and disappointment he caused.. Many felt he was candid and forthcoming with his remarks and the evening ended with him noting this is just a starting point and him appealing to other artists in the room to change direction, expand their horizons and re-define the legacy of Oakland rap..

Last night’s Town hall saw in addition to Too Short, other key stake holders including elected officials, community activists and local artists  come together with a spirit of love, a desire to heal and eager to find ways to bring about brighter tomorrows..Some of the most powerful statements came from the young survivors of rape and sexual assault who shared their perspectives and solutions..

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson

During the Town hall, Alameda County supervisor Keith Carson along with a couple of members of 100 Black men set the tone, by discussing the harrowing statistics around sexual assault. Carson noted that every couple of minutes a woman is sexually assaulted. He said over 10 million kids had witnessed domestic violence and one out of 5 teenage girls has been assaulted..He also pointed out that since 2005 over 2 million boys/men have been sexually assaulted.

Carson surmised that the figures are probably much higher. he was just noting what had been reported. He also pointed out that rather than we point fingers and play the blame game, we come at this from the spirit of sparking dialogue with a goal of getting solutions to turn the tide..

Dereca Blackmon who is part of the We Are 44% Coalition gave a great presentation on the commodification of songs celebrating sexual abuse and degenerate behavior. She noted that many have come to see confuse videos with real life. She broke down how that impacts us all.

Dereca Blackmon

Afterwards Blackmon sat down with Too Short and had a 20 minute revealing discussion about the music industry, the role artists should take in turning things around and his own personal journey to understanding some of the issues being addressed. He talked about the XXL Controversy and eye-opening the conversation he had with writer Dream Hampton

The evening concluded with a panel discussion where we heard some power statements and solutions from young activists and artists, some of who are survivors of rape, sexual assault and violence.

The mood at the end of the evening was upbeat with many feeling very inspired. Sadly and in typical fashion some of that good energy was dampened by what was shown on the evening news.  In particular  KTVU and KPIX did what many described as hit pieces.. They left before the panel discussion that featured the young folks.. They didnt show any of the commentary from the survivors of rape and sexual assault who sat with Too Short and questioned him.. They totally ignored what everyone plainly stated the gathering was about.. It was not reflective of what took place last night.  In fact the reporter from KTVU seemed hostile that folks were coming together to uplift and not take down.. I encourage all to watch the video of the Oakland Townhall to get a better understanding of what took place..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAl_6HJmvJg

As your watching the video, we want folks to keep in mind what took place last night was by no means was a new or unique in terms of the topics discussed. Every couple of years something pops off and captures the attention of the media or activists and hence such discussions unfold.. A few years ago we saw this topic broached after radio host Don Imus went on air called women on a college basketball team, ‘Nappy Headed Hos‘. His remarks set off a firestorm with people calling for Imus to be fired. He in turn countered and claimed that he made the unsavory remarks because he was influenced by rap music.. That in turn lead to many of us having reflective self-examination type discussions.

Nelly

A couple of years prior to Imus’s remarks, we had a situation involving rap star Nelly, who was shown on a video to his popular song ‘Tip Drill‘ swiping a credit card thru the cheeks of bikini clad dancer.. Again it set of a storm of controversy leading up to Spelman College rejecting him when he was scheduled to come on campus and do a Bone Marrow benefit and bring awareness to the plight of his cancer stricken sister..

We can go on and on citing examples where the activities of artists ranging from  2 Live Crew to NWA to 2Pac to Snoop Dogg to Jay-Z and 50 Cent, have led to town hall style meetings, vigorous radio and TV debates to Senate and Congressional Hearings…

As was mentioned earlier, last night’s Town Hall which was held in the chambers of the Oakland City Council came in the wake of incident last month involving Bay Area rap pioneer Too Short and XXL Magazine.. The magazine produced an online video that depicted Too Short dispensing ‘fatherly advise’  to young 12 & 13-year-old boys on how to ‘turn out young girls’ and ‘take it to the hole’..

Rosa, Joan and Marc-Are Part of the Newly formed We are the 44%

This outraged a  number of Hip Hop generation Black and Latina activists, writers and scholars like Joan Morgan, Rosa Clemente and Dream Hampton to name a few, who felt that not only did this cross   some major fault lines but was the nail in the coffin for what they saw as increasing attacks on young girls, women of color and women in general.

These aforementioned sisters linked up with other women and a growing number of male allies like Dr Marc Anthony Neal, Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele and filmmaker  Byron Hurt to name a few who also who shared in the outrage to form the We Are the 44% Coalition.

We Are the 44% Coalition felt it was important that awareness be raised around the fact that 44% of sexual assault and rape survivors are under the age of 18 and that as a group they push to create a climate where what Too Short & XXL did is never repeated by other artists and publications.

XXL Editor and Chief Vanessa Satten

They demanded that Harris Publication which owns XXL take steps to fire the editor(Vanessa Satten) and donate space in the magazine to have issues of sexual assault to be adequately addressed.

They ‘blew the whistle’ on Too Short and demanded he educate himself and start working with organizations in our community that deal with sexual assault.

Soon after forming weekly online twitter chats started taking place with the hash tag #ItsBiggerThan2Short. It is there that many started come together to discuss these issues, demands  and craft solutions.

During last nights town hall there was a call to action for all of us to not allow the daily assaults on women both verbal and physical become normalized.  Many recognize there is currently an all out war on women both within our community and the society at large that is systemic and far-reaching..

We see attacks coming from law makers in Congress and the Senate where they hold all male panels on women’s reproductive health with them refusing to seat at least one woman to share insights and testimony.

We see legislatures in states like Arizona propose laws that would allow employers to fire a woman for taking birth control pills..

We see popular radio hosts and political leaders like Rush Limbaugh resort to publicly demeaning women by calling them ‘sluts’ and ‘prostitutes’ when he has a political disagreement.

We see many in our mainstream press as well as esteemed lawmakers at the highest echelons of power ignore and try to sweep under the carpet our military’s dirty secret.. Last year alone there were over 19 thousand sexual assaults.. A woman serving in our military is more likely to be sexually assaulted by our own male soldiers then be killed or wounded by enemy fire..

Now, 19 thousand is a staggering number, but one would not know that’s going down by looking at our mainstream news coverage.. an across the board news blackout  about 20 thousand rapes that have taken place on military bases rapes of women in our military the large number of rapes in our own military.

Rev Harry Williams

This was part of the backdrop that led last night’s Oakland’s Town hall meeting …The other part to this was the fact that Oakland and the Bay Area has some ongoing issues that has led to many people talking. First this is a major hub for human trafficking..Recently Allen Temple Baptist Church had a couple of gatherings where over thousand people came out..According to Reverend Harry Williams who heads up the Street Disciple Ministry at AT which deals the rise in human trafficking, in this depressed economy and a competitive drug game that has been sewn up by international cartels making it hard to get supplies, many have turned to pimping. He noted that from his work many who are returning from prison after doing long stretches have stepped into this arena with young girls being a primary target..

This has been echoed by Diamond a local artist and promoter who is also peer leader at United Roots and the Sister Circle which counsels young women. In a recent round table discussion she noted that she has seen increased aggression toward women over the past couple of years. Like Williams she noted that many are returning home after being incarcerated 15-20 years under California’s harsh 3 strikes law, which has all but eliminated rehabilitation and education. For those who don’t know California’s 3 Strikes law was put into place back in 1994 after the kidnapping and murder of then 12-year-old Polly Klass.. Over 40 thousand men were put behind bars under it.. Diamond agreed with William’s assessment that many are jumping into the pimp game to try and make money….

Both Williams and Diamond noted that this all doubly compounded with the rise of ‘Sneaker Pimps‘. These are young boys 11, 12 and 13 out here pimping young girls of similar age. Some are working for older men, but many others have come up without parents and live on the streets with this being the only hustle they know.

This wasn’t the main topic of discussion during last night’s town hall, but its important to understand this as part of the local landscape and the pervasiveness of what they call Rape Culture..  Anyone interested in the discussion we had on this topic with front line workers like Rev Harry Williams and Diamond can watch the video we did at the link below

http://livestre.am/1iKUN

http://livestre.am/1iKUN

Overall shout out to everyone who came out and represented.. Special Shout out to Chuck Johnson who reached out to all of us and set the ground work for an important discussion..

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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