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Is Rap Actually Music or is it a Bad Influence?

August 23, 2006 By
Is Rap Actually Music or is it a Bad Influence?
By renee
www.associatedcontent.com…tml?page=2
original article-August 23, 2006
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The world of hip hop would have you believe that rap is a very poetic way of expressing yourself through music. This can of course be true, but does what you hear from rap music sound very poetic to you? The influence that rap currently has on our children all around the world is unfortunately a very strong one. If you have not noticed many of the major leaders in the rap community try to get involved with good causes and political campaigns in order to make it appear that rap is a good thing. But have you really taken the time to listen to some of these rap songs? I mean really focus on the words and what they mean.

Eighty percent of the rap music that is currently on the top ten lists around the world contains violence. They glorify the acts of beating up another person, or even worse shooting them. Looking like someone who just got released from prison in their eyes is a good thing. Not to mention that half of the time they are yelling their lyrics in such a loud and annoying way you may not be able to really understand what they are saying. Remember this is where the fashion statement of wearing pants off of your butt and looking sloppy came from in addition to women who are half naked. What is the end result of half naked women in a rap music video?

Obviously girls think this is the way for other boys or men to notice them and to make themselves more popular in school. Another thing that rap music also seems to glorify is that what matters most when looking for a good woman is what her body looks like. This is why there are so many teenagers who have eating disorders or other emotional problems. They just dont feel that they fit the diagram of what teenage girls should like. Rap music also glorifies drinking, and sex. Two things which happen to be a major problem amoung many children today.

There are some rappers however who keep their lyrics clean and try to rap about positive things. Although the numbers of rappers who do this are very few there definitely are some out there who send a good message to children. One of these is Will Smith who has outwardly spoken about how he does not see the need to include vulgar language or lyrics in his rap music. So the bottom line is that when you are trying to determine whether or not to allow your child to listen to rap music, it is not so much rap itself, but the artist which they choose to listen too.

Rap music did originally start as a poetic form of music, it has just been distorted by people who choose to use rap as a way to promote gang violence and other means of self destruction. Make sure that you take the time to listen to the music that your child listens to. And dont be so quick to rule out rap music, just make sure that you take the time to listen to the lyrics first and then make your decision. For additional information you can visit the following websites: www.uic.edu, www.yale.edu, www.rapworld.com, www.rhino.com.

Here’s a compelling response to this article from my man Cenzi out of Chilee:
Hell yeah its a bad influence. I can easily prove my point with one example.

In certain countries that recieve hiphop music through whichever way possible, they start copying American antics, such as gangs. I have seen “crips” in the weirdest countries, where there shouldn’t be any at all. They only do this because of the whole Crip Walk @..%$ that popped off a couple yrs back. That was brought to them through hiphop.

Another example?

I can probably name about 10 different types of guns, some hard liquor I dont drink, different types of weeds, and I know about the word Ho as a demeaning way of treating a woman. and all of this thankx to hiphop. Now, I am old enough to take all of this in as “information” and leave it at that, but younger more impressionable minds want to hold these guns, try these weeds, drink these liqours and have a few hos…. Negative influence? hell yeah.

What can I get from listening to the other types of music? hmm.. no other music is so graphic in violent nature. Well except some of that thrash metal @..%$ that talks about some satanism… and yeah thats a negative influence too, buuuuuut, it aint and it will never be top ten material, not like hiphop, so it effects much less…

anyways.. I say this as a hiphop fan, and I love me some SPice 1 and Cold 187 lyrics (congrats on his freedom BTW), but I am old enough to discern bad from good. I wish more hiphop catered to younger minds. And I dont mean, give them watered down pop rap, I mean, give them more De La Soul, Quest and Visionaries…….

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

Is Busta on Steroids? Beating Victims Speaks Out

August 22, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis
Is Busta on Steroids? Beating Victims Speaks Out

bustarhymeslook225A while back we ran an interview with former Source owners Dave Mays & Benzino shortly after Busta and Mays had their altercation in Miami. The end result was Mays getting hit upside the head with a bottle and having to get stitches. Benzino alluded to the fact that Busta was on steroids and needed to check himself. At first many of us laughed it off and attributed the remarks to a jealous Benzino, but in lieu of this latest altercation, one can’t be too sure.. What’s really going on?

Beating victim recounts rappers rampage,
BY NICOLE BODE and ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
playahata.com/hatablog/?p=1801#more-1801
original article-August 22, 2006
Busta Rhyme victim was a former fan and plans to file a civil lawsuit after the teen suffered a concussion and a split lip. His violent unprovoked account gives credence to rumors of steroid rage. (This sounds more legitimate than Buster Rhymes story.)

One moment, Roberto Lebron was telling Busta Rhymes he was a big fan – and the next thing he knew, the rapper was kicking him in the face.

That was the dramatic account offered yesterday by the 19-year-old Bronx man, whose allegations of a Chelsea beat-down landed Rhymes in his latest scrape with the law.

While I was on the ground, he was kicking me in the face, Lebron said yesterday. I saw him kick me.
Lebrons crime, he said, was accidentally spitting on Bustas ride on Aug. 12.

Me and my friends were walking across the street. I spit on the street and it landed on a moving car. It was a Maybach. That car stopped, along with two black SUVs.

People came out and they were walking up to me. We realized it was Busta Rhymes, Lebron said in a phone interview arranged by his lawyer.

He asked me, Homie, did you spit on my car? I said Sorry, I didnt mean to. Were big fans of yours. That was the last thing I said, Lebron recalled.

One of his people hit me in the face and I fell on the ground – and then Rhymes came over to finish the job, he said.

Lebron said the star and his crew kicked and punched him in the middle of Sixth Ave. near 19th St. – then yanked his Nike sneakers off his feet and tossed them away.

Rhymes beefy posse kept Lebrons three friends from coming to his aid, and bolted after about two minutes, he said.

I guess they got tired of beating me up, said Lebron, who was a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice until he took a full-time job hooking up televisions in hospital rooms.

Lebron filed a formal criminal complaint on Saturday, and cops busted Rhymes after his concert at Randalls Island.

Here’s a response from my man C Wise regarding that question…

I keep telling folks this is a mid-life/end of career crisis this man is going through. I’m not a doctor nor do I claim to be one, but Busta’s behavior over the past year has drawn those to believe he’s suffering from roid rage. He’s been in some many different altercations, even with a security detail, Busta seems to find himself drawn into these conflicts, some of which sound like they can be avoided by just walking away.
After learning more about what happened to Proof back in April, it made me realize that black men seem to be the ones killing each other more and more everyday. We are often thrown in to situations that can result in violence. I’m not trying to rip off the Boondocks, but lately Busta is making headlines for various “Nigga Moments”, and I’m afraid the pattern he is following may result in us saying another RIP to another Hip-Hop legend. :|

Is it Steroids? I don’t know and I don’t want to be the one to ask either.

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I Say Let them Get There Own Museum.

August 15, 2006 By
dbanner1newparis
This article is in response to the recent controversy that emerged around the new Hip Hop Museum in New York. The city council which funded part of the museum is insisting that gangsta rap not be aprt of the exhibit. Here’s the article..
p076.ezboard.com/fpolitic…D=16.topic

I say Let them Get There Own Museum.
by Furious Styles

original article-August 15 2006

I applaud the people working with the development of the new Bronx museum. I really think its important in telling the story of Hip Hop, that we leave something for future generations to be proud of and to strive for. I believe wanting to be an emcee and to rock a party or have a good time, or to talk about yourself and how fly you are, or cleverly showing your battle ability without degrading people because of your lack of vocabulary, or talking about women and relationships in a nurturing and healthy way, or various societal issues is great. If you are a history of music, these songs with these topics and mood from the 60s and 70s are considered classics, and stand the test of time no matter what new microwave pop corn new act that pops up. Examples- Change Gonna Come- Sam Cooke, Whats Going On- Marvin Gaye, Sweet Thing Chaka Khan.

But when you begin talking about or glorifying death, murder, mayhem, pimping, misogyny, incest, guns, cocaine, women as objects to just dance, or portray black people, or the Hip Hop generation as a group of people who live in the club, @#%$, fight, drink, steal, or do anything counterproductive to life, I feel firmly that you have no place in a museum, or in the history of Hip Hop, except in showing what was wrong with our culture, and how we should never have future generations go down that road but learn the lessons of history.

I understand the age old worn out statement that Gansta Hip Hop is a product of the environment, its bigger than the thugs, pimps and playas, we dont own the planes that bring drugs into our communities, the-had- a- bad up bringing, no daddy in the house, being shot, the streets, etc. etc. etc.. etc.. But the fact of the matter is that these artists are pushing stripper music into the ears of our children, they are talking about crack selling, distribution, and murder, and wonder why we have so much violence in the lives of our youth. Oh, by the way, what you listen to does make a difference on your psyche, mental health, self impression, everything. . Check out the movie where the dude at McDonalds for a month. If music is food, and you are what you eatThink about it.

If gangstas, pimps, playas, hustlas, tricks, ballers, killers, rapist, murderers, foul mouth imdividuals want a museum to display their works, let them build there own. But for me, I want my kids to take their kids to a museum where they can learn the importance of all the men and women on stage and behind the scenes that made Hip Hop music that had something to say, something to evoke and stimulate thought about life, family, the world, having fun, etc. And I hope my childrens children dont have to go somewhere where they have a Shrine for Nelly but none for Kool Herc, where theres the new track with Trina dissing Khia, but no ladies first by Queen Latifah, where there will be walls of shots of 50 cent, but no remembrance or understanding of Tupac. And yeah, Tupac would be in my museum and 50 wouldnt.

Again, for those of you who may have missed it, read the last 3 lines of the first paragraph. At least with Tupac he was well rounded, and had different dimensions to himself, and was able to challenge himself to talk about more than the bullshit. Most of these new dudes have no reference to Hip Hop history, and have nothing else to talk about. And great artists who have wonderful things to add in the world of music are labeled underground, cant get radio of video play, and are forced to watch people be destroyed for the lack of good musical food. Yeah I said it.

_Furious Styles

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

Are Boys In The Hood Really The New Terrorists? Part II

August 10, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

Are Boys In The Hood Really The New Terrorists? Part II

 

The Demonstrations in Pompano Beach Against Moooslims And

The Growing Divide Influenced By The War on Terror

 

By Bro. Tony Muhammad

www.uannetwork.com

original article-August 10 2006

 

tonymuhammedchitown-225In late June, seven Black men (nick-named The Liberty Seven) were seized and arrested by Federal Agents (6 of them in Miamis Liberty City section) on the grounds of what the community believes to be a case of entrapment led on by an FBI agent who reportedly had the men swear allegiance to Al-Qaeda and commit to the bombing of several FBI offices and the Sears building in Chicago.  Partly considering what was making nation-wide headlines at that very moment (The New York Times breaking the story that the Bush Administration has been unconstitutionally spying on millions of peoples financial records), the community regarded the incident as a Weapon of Mass Distractions.

 

Weeks later, in Broward Countys Pompano Beach, pastor of the Worldwide Christian Center, Rev. O’Neal Dozier, led his congregation to demonstrate in front of City Hall against ”Moooslims” (Muslims expressed in a derogatory manner) that are in the process of building a new mosque in the Black community.  The demonstrations came after Dozier made comments against Islam in a news release and on a radio talk show; prompting Governor Jeb Bushs office to ask the minister/lawyer to resign from his post on the Broward Judicial Nominating Committee which he had held since 2001.  Dozier, who as a Black Republican has worked closely with Governor Jeb Bush and Attorney General Charlie Crist in recruiting Blacks into the GOP, submitted his letter of resignation on Sunday, June 9th.

 

Dozier commented to Urban America Newspaper, We can not allow a mosque to be built in a Black Christian community, which would turn our young Black men, who are angry at white people, towards a dangerous religion.  When questioned why he regarded Islam a dangerous religion, the pastor asserted that he holds a bachelors degree in religion and philosophy and argued that Islam has a violent history.  He argued that the religion itself breeds terrorism. 

 

The Pastor was asked if he did not feel Christianity has had its share of violence being committed under its name, especially towards African peoples who were brought into this country against their will and for centuries lynched by their white Christian brothers.  Opposing the hard realities of history, Dozier firmly said No, making a distinction that lynchings were not committed under Christianity despite the Ku Klux Klan historically using the burning cross as a traditional trademark symbol.  He denied that his concerns have come in response to the arrest of the Liberty City Seven, but made it more apparent by his high emotionalism that he was upset that Islam is in fact the fastest growing religion among Black males in the United States. 

 

When asked if he has sat down to talk with Altaf Ali, the executive director the Florida chapter the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and others responsible for the building of the new mosque, Dozier responded in an restless tone, Why should I sit down with them?  I know how they feel!  I know their religion!  I know its origins!  They want to kill everyone!  Dozier, who has made recommendations to the Bush administration about combining faith-based initiatives with combating HIV/AIDS in Africa, ended the interview by expressing awkwardly, I love the Muslim people.  They are victims because they are misguided.  They need to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Dozier affirmed that his opposing the creation of the new mosque has not ended; stressing, We will fight until we get results, including the courts if we have to go that rout.

 

Concerned about the conflicts and misinformation that could potentially spawn as a result of Doziers message regarding the effect of Islam on young Black men, the Fort Lauderdale based Muhammads Mosque #82 of the Nation of Islam has sought to inform the Black community in Pompano the truth behind the religion and its principles.  Minister Ronald Muhammad commented to Urban America Newspaper, The Nation of Islam is definitely comprised of Muslims and have many mosques in the Black community, just as our Arab brothers who also have many mosques in the Black community.  Muhammad adds, There is no record of violence or negative effect in the Black community as of consequence.  Islam is a reforming religion, Muhammad asserts, I dont know where he (Dozier) is basing his argument but history does not support his argument. 

 

Critical of Doziers actions while involved in the Broward Judicial Nominating Committee and currently as a pastor, Muhammad argues, Social, civic and religious leaders have a moral responsibility to take a position that represents the general well being and edification of the people that they serve as it relates to the laws and rules that they serve.  Muhammad concludes, In any civil society, freedom, justice and equality for all overrides any personal disposition that a public figure may have.

 

Urban America Newspaper contacted the Pompano Islamic Center for commentary.  After greeting a representative on the phone with the traditional salutation of peace for the Muslim world, As-Salaam-Alaikum, and explaining the purpose of the call, the representative who remained unidentified responded with an emotional rant, WHO IS THIS?  WHAT IS THIS?

 

The response is symbolically reflective of the level of distrust that many Muslims and conscientious people have developed for each other since President George W. Bushs War on Terror began in September 2001.  Since it has been clear that the Bush administration has been (both legally and illegally) investigating the phone conversations and financial records of millions of people in America, many such people have been limiting the type of conversations they would have over the phone, through e-mail or even in person.  Even more obvious, soon after the seizure of the Liberty Seven, various Sunni Muslim organizations nation-wide issued public statements about how those who were involved in the group were not really Muslims and were in no way related to them or their religion, an act that violates the principles of the Islam.  Instead of working to gain justice for those are very obviously victims of the system, they step away in fear that one day they will possibly become victims in a similar manner.  What is clear is that The War on Terror has played a strong part in increasingly dividing up segments of America who suffer from the same problems; both between communities and within the same community.

 

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Should New York’s Proposed Hip Hop Museum Include Gangsta Rap?

August 4, 2006 By

I wonder if New York’s esteemed city council will also exclude artists like Just-Ice, Schoolly D, Kool G Rap and the late Notorious BIG? Is gangsta rap based strictly on your music or your actions? After all, there are quite a few pioneering rappers who were straight up thugs when they got off the mic.

Also will the council move to ban rappers who had sexist lyrics? Personally, I think the violence, disdain and pimping of women is much more problematic then gangsta rap. See what happens when you let others control, define and redine your culture?

Should New York’s Proposed Hip Hop Museum Include Gangsta Rap?

www.eurweb.com/story/eur27861.cfm

Aug 04 2006: If the New York City Council has its way, the worlds first hip hop museum will not include the presence of such important rap acts as NWA, Tupac Shakur or Snoop Dogg.

According to NME.com, council members and organizers are arguing over whether a section on gangsta rap should be included in the overall retrospective of hip hop and its roots in the Bronx.

Scheduled to open in late 2008 or early 2009, the facility has received $1.5 million from the New York City Council. The legislative body, therefore, feels it should have a say in what types of artists should be on exhibit.

“We’re not talking about gangsta rap,” said Bronx council member Larry Seabrook according to the BBC. “We’re talking about hip hop. Anybody can be a thug.”

Adam Matthews, senior music editor of The Source, offers a different opinion on the inclusion of gangsta rap. He tells NME: “You have to consider the statistics. As hip hop has become progressively violent, the streets have become safer.”

Seabrook, meanwhile, hopes that the museum will eventually expand into a larger hip hop complex that will include a studio and a theatre.

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Now that Lil Kim is Free Will She Fight For Other Prisoners?

July 1, 2006 By

dbanner1newparis

Now that Lil Kim is Free Will She Fight For Other Prisoners?
by Davey D

original articles-July 05, 2006

Davey DLast week during the BET Awards, Lil Kim’s mother and brother came into the press gallery to field questions about her incarceration. They emphasized how unfair it was for her to be locked up and how the justice system is screwed up.

I think it was her brother who pointed out how all sorts of people who have committed heinous crimes do very little time, while Lil Kim got locked down for perjury. It was also pointed out how there are many who done more egregious white collar crimes and have gotten off the hook.

When the BET press monitors finally called on me, I asked them what sort of plans they or Lil Kim had to do work with prison advocacy groups now that they’ve seen first hand how jacked up the system is. Could you imagine they type of attention some one like Lil Kim could bring to the plight of political prisoners like Mumia Abu Jamal, Herman Bell or 2Pac’s father Matulu Shakur just to name a few of the many? Can you imagine the type of attention that she could bring to the plight of the legions of Black and Brown folks who routinely get railroaded by the system?

Lil Kim’s mother said she was not aware of any plans Lil Kim had in the works and they moved onto the next question. Granted things are still early and the Queen Bee is probably still recovering from her 10 month bid. However, it’s an idea that should be seriously considered. After all, her incarceration was highlighted with a BET reality TV show which netted high ratings.

Many big time celebrities ranging from comedian Kat Williams on down to celebrity gossip reporter and former MTV host Ananda Lewis have spoken out about how the system was unjust and was railroading Lil Kim. Very few of us within the community who have family and friends who have done time, would argue with the assessment. Ideally it would be nice if the spotlight to the criminal justice system doesnt start and end with Lil Kim.

Now that shes out she has a great opportunity to bring attention to those who dont have a celebratory rap career. Hopefully she wont follow in the footsteps of Martha Stewart, who talked about how unfair the system was and how she lived alongside women who were unfairly locked up, but once she left she went back to being the media diva and multi-millionaire business woman she was prior to going in.

lil_kimpoutIf Kim speaks up, she would not be alone in terms of speaking out. In the past there have been a few rappers who have done prison advocacy work including Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa who back in the early days of his career routinely took a lot of brothers who were getting out the pen and put them to work. Many of them went on the road with him as he attempted to stir them away from their troubled environments. Later on artists like Ice T and MC Hammer did similar things. One of the reasons Hammer went bankrupt was because he had employed scores of people with nice paying jobs who were fresh out the pen. This was in addition to paying for cats lawyer fees and related expenses.

Of course we cannot overlook some of Hip Hops biggest champions of prison advocacy work, The Geto Boys, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Boots of the Coup and dead prez stand out. Many people dont realize that over the years the Geto Boys along with Rap-A-Lot CEO James Prince have sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars paying for legal expenses in their attempt to get brothers out of prison. While their advocacy work hasnt been well publicized, it was and is well known by folks in power who have grown angry with the group for reaching out.

A couple of years ago I spoke with Bushwick Bill about this and he speculated that the groups willingness to underwrite legal fees and try and prove the innoncence of those railroaded into Texas jails may be one of the reasons that Rap-A-Lot found itself being aggressively investigated by the feds several years ago. Things got so heated for them that Scarface launched a song putting them on blast and naming one of the chief haters within the FBI who was pursuing them. The song was called Look Into My Eyes. Later on Congress woman Maxine Waters intervened on their behalf to help turn the tide, but not before it set off a storm of controversy that landed on the feet of former Vice President Al Gore. But as Bushwick confidently pointed out their decision to help out folks behind bars is not one they regret or would change if they could do it all over again. What the Geto Boys was doing is ideally what more artists in their position should do, especially when you consider how out of the 2.5 million people on lock down damn near half come from our community.

A couple of years ago when Suge Knight was on lockdown he actually took out ads in several magazines offering to pay lawyer fees and related expenses to help get cats out of jail. In his ad he had noted that there were way too many innocent people on lock down who needed help and he was throwing his hat into the ring.

Michael Franti has not only dedicated entire albums to addressing the Prison Industrial Complex, but for the past 8 years he has done a 9-11 Festival which includes a free concert at Golden gate Park in San Francisco which draws more then 40 thousand people. The festival started off as a way to bring attention to the plight of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and has since expanded in both concept and sheer number of people who show up. Over the years everyone from Digital Underground to Talib Kweli to KRS-One have all graced the stages of Frantis 9-11 festival.

The work of groups like the Coup and Dead Prezs is more then obvious and speaks for itself. Over the years Boots has not only done concerts to raise money for Prison advocacy groups, but he himself was known for doing his own political education classes to help bring people up to speed on impending legislation like Californias harsh 3 strikes law and later Prop 21-the juvenile justice bill, which allows for the incarceration of 14 year olds in adult prisons.

In the case of dead prez, their songs as well as their direct involvement and membership in organizations like the POCC (Prisoners of Conscience Committee) have set the standard for the type of work artists like Lil Kim can either support or be involved in. Both M-1 and Boots are quick to point out that they are organizers first and artists second. In fact during a recent Hip Hop conference at Stanford University, Boots noted that if Hip Hop wasnt the platform being embraced by people hood, he would be doing another genre of music, as long as he could reach the people that need him most.

Now granted Lil Kim may not be ready to do the type of work we associate with groups like dead prez or the Coup. However, it would be ideal if someone like her who has such high visibility and is now having the spotlight put on her because of her situation would consider taking things a step further by aligning herself with those who fight the prison industrial complex and criminal injustice system everyday.

what do you think?

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

MC Hammer The Vindication Interview w/ Davey D

June 6, 2006 By

This is one of the deepest and realest interviews you will ever hear as we sat down with MC Hammer for a candid no holds barred interview about all things Hip Hop. What he had to say was both eye opening and incredibly insightful.

Many of us within Hip Hop have severely underestimated MC Hammer and now we’re coming to see that he was light years ahead of the curve in terms of how one should approach business and even approach music. In pt1 we go over several key facets about Hammer’s career that he should be vindicated for including him being among the first rapper’s to spark endorsement deals.
He gives a serious breakdown about how folks made fun of him and wanted to ban him from Hip Hop only to turn around years later and seek these revenue streams now that they realize the music business can be extremely shady when it comes to getting paid. Hammer takes us deep by talking about how major record labels are now hijacking artists and attaching themselves to some of the lucrative endorsement deals that are being offered today.
We also talk about Hammer and his brother Louis Burrell being years ahead of artists in terms of getting clothing lines. Many did not know that the pair had a substantial stake in Troop Outfits. He and his brother were smart and actually opened up 30-40 Troop stores around the country and had the foresight to get them placed in popular locations and key malls. Just as the business was starting to really take off, Hammer and his brother found themselves the victims of what many consider corporate sabotage. Nasty rumors circulated around the country that Troop was owned by the Ku Klux Klan, when in fact Hammer, LL Cool J and Fat Joe were all owners. Outlets like MTV and urban radio did nothing to dispel those rumors and within a year of these nasty rumors Troop folded. Many speculate that it was rival clothing company like Addidas that was behind the rumors, but of course that was never proven. Many just speculated since they were the dominant urban clothing outfit at that time.

In this interview we spoke to Hammer about him being the first to put out Gospel Hip Hop on vinyl. Today we all praise Kanye West for the hit song ‘Jesus Walks’, but many overlook the fact that Hammer came on the scene using the moniker Holy Ghost Boy. His first song which was actually a demo cut passed around via cassette tape was a cut called ‘The Word’.

On his first LP ‘Feel My Power’ which was released independently in 1987-88, he had a dope hip hop gospel song called ‘Son of a King’. In our interview Hammer talks about his connection to the church and how he has struggled over the years with his own contradictions and spiritual beliefs. Also in this portion of our interview with MC Hammer, he gets deep about the connection between Hip Hop and spirituality.

We also have a lengthy discussion about the connection between Hip Hop and Funk. For those who don’t know, Hammer used to tour with a huge band that included the original horn section from Earth Wind & Fire. He goes into great detail about the history of west coast Hip Hop and how it emerged from the funk era. Hammer talks about how the Bay Area was the home of the Live Band and how every Black kid in the hood had a funk band. These bands were the equivalent to the early Hip Hop crews back East in terms of being the major platform for cultural expression by folks in the hood. Hammer talks at length about the early dance scene and the significant role it played in the development of west coast Hip Hop.

He talks about some of the early dance crews and dance styles. He also talks about how Michael Jackson used to come up to the Bay Area and get hipped to dance styles he would later incorporate in his shows. The most famous dance that Jackson got from the Bay Area was the robot.

Hammer also talks at length about New York City and why he did a song like ‘Turn this Mutha Out’. He talks about the irresponsibility of the Hip Hop press and how they tried to twist things for the general public. He talks about his friendship with Hip Hop pioneer Mele-Mel’. He also talks about the time he went up to the Latin Quarters by himself and got busy on stage right before Ultramagnetic performed. He noted that DJ Red Alert gave him a messed up introduction.

This concludes pt 1 of this interview..

Listen to pt 1 of this MC Hammer Interview on Breakdown FM

MC Hammer-The Vindication Interview pt2
East Oakland Street Life, Prisons, Police Helicopters, Cointelpro & Eazy E

In pt2 of our one on one with MC Hammer, he let’s us know about his connection to the streets. Folks outside the Bay Area saw the genie pants and the typewriter walk dance and figured Hammer was some sort of softy who could and should be dismissed. Folks in Oakland knew otherwise. Hammer was and is no joke. His old crew, the High Street Bank Boys were more than notorious. Hammer talks at length about the types of steps he took to pull his home boys away from street life and the challenges it presented. His actions by default became a full scale prison to work program. He explained how it was this sort of activity that eventually led to him going bankrupt.

Hammer spoke at length how the police along with some outside enemies tried to undermine his efforts and spread a nasty rumor about him buying OPD a police helicopter. He emphatically refutes the claim and talked about the type of corruptions that had gone on within the police department and how many officers were upset because he was providing opportunities for guys they wanted to see locked up.

We spoke at length about Cointelpro and how many of the other independent movements including Luke in Miami, James Prince in Houston and Eazy E in LA all saw themselves under fire at the same time. He spoke about the early attempts these young black entrepreneurs made to consolidate their resources and create a major distribution channel. It was at that point that the helicopter rumors surfaced and Luke came under fire for obscene material. James Prince and Rap-A-Lot records became the object of a federal investigation. Hammer gets deep with this aspect.. Lastly he talks about his close friendship with Eazy E and how the two had a lot in common because of their street background..

Listen to pt 2 of this MC Hammer Interview on Breakdown FM

 

MC Hammer-The Vindication Interview pt3
The Hustle-The Music Biz-The Hyphy Movement and 2Pac

In our final installment, we talk with MC Hammer about the city he reps and loves Oakland. He talks about the vibe of the city and the type of independent hustle-do for self mentality embraced by its residents Hammer also gives us a lot of insight about the music biz. Anybody trying to make it in the industry needs to hear what Hammer is saying with regards to this.. We also talk about the then current Hyphy Movement. Hammer gives a breakdown on this as well as updating us on his own new projects. We conclude our conversation with Hammer telling us about his friendship with 2Pac and they types of political ambitions the pair had planned out.

Listen to pt 3 of this MC Hammer Interview on Breakdown FM

Filed Under: Breakdown FM Interviews, Essential Hip Hop Articles, Hip Hop Articles 2006, June '06 Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,

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: , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , ,

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