On the 10th Anniversary of the Iraq War We Recall key Anti-War Hip Hop Songs

March 19, 2013 By mrDaveyd

daveyd-raider2 With the 10th anniversary of the War on Iraq upon us.. I wanted to take a look abck at antiwar songs.. Below is an article penned a few years ago for the San Jose Mercury News

Give Hip Hop Credit for Anti-War songs

by Davey D

The other night ABC News did a special report on the growing popularity of anti-war protest songs. The report focused on how all these musicians were now coming out and providing a sound track to the growing discontent many of us are having with the war in Iraq. It talked about how people are more accepting of such songs and how major record labels were loosening up in the aftermath of the Dixie Chicks who got lambasted and later boycotted for speaking out against George Bush and his policies in 2003.

The report also brought to light the impact anti-war songs had on fueling the Anti-war movement against Vietnam in the late 60s and the question was raised as to what sort of impact todays rash of songs would have.

I cant remember all the singers they profiled, but I did recall seeing country singer Merle Haggard, Rock-N-Roll icon Bruce Springstein and pop sensation Pink. What surprised me was not seeing any mention of Hip Hop especially with the exception of KRS-One, since it was artists in the rap community that up to date have released more anti-war songs and were the first to unabashedly do so right after 9-11.

The late June Jordan

If we take a short walk down memory lane, folks may recall that the day after 9-11 Bay Area Hip Hop activists from organizations like Lets Get Free, The Ella Baker Center and Minds Eye Collective put together a rally that was held in Snow Park in Oakland. Close to 500 people attended this event which focused on the loss of human life and questioned the foreign policy missteps of the Bush administration. It was at this rally that many of us heard our last poem from the late June Jordan.

We also heard an incredible song from Michael Franti & Spearhead calling for healing and peace. A couple of months later, Franti appeared on Conan O’Brian and performed the anti-war song Bomb the World to Pieces only to find that his sentiments angered producers who threatened to censor the song when the show aired. Community outrage lead to OBrian’s people eventually showing the performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA8p_BV7uD8

Early on we heard anti-war songs from acts like the Beastie Boys (World Gone Mad), Nas (Rule), Wu-Tang Affiliates Known Associates (World So Cold), Talib Kweli (the Proud), J-Live (Satisfied) and Mr Lif (home of the Brave). All in all there are more than 150 anti-war songs that have been recorded by Hip Hop artists.

Paris

The song that really made heads turn was by Bay Area artist Paris who came out of retirement and released a 6 minute missive called What Would You Do? that went into great detail about The Caryle Group, Bush’s relationship to the Bin Laden family and the hawkish action plans of the Neo-cons serving in Bushs cabinet. Paris gave the song away for free and then followed it up with an entire antiwar album called Sonic Jihad which went on to sell over 200 thousand units. Another great anti-war cut off that album was ‘Sheep to Slaughter‘.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcxkw6ChKE0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaCPUIfr8PY

Another stand out effort came from San Francisco based Freedom Fighter records who released the first anti-war compilation featuring Bay Area artists called War Times Report From the Opposition. A year later LA based Hard Knock Records followed up with a critically acclaimed anti-war compilation called What About Us. It featured stellar songs like US History By Flipsyde

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQi4BTaYLj0

The most visible anti-war effort to date came from former San Jose resident Fredwreck who has produced tracks from everyone ranging from Eminem to Snoop Dogg and Ice Cubeto name a few. Using the name STOP Movement he gathered up a number of popular artists including Mobb Deep, WC of the Westside Connection, Daz of the Dogg Pound, RBX, Defari, Soopafly, Cypress Hill, Mack 10, KRS-One and Dilated Peoples just to name a few and released two anti-war songs called Down With Us and Dear Mr. President.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKC9-9BQO5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiBI9TJ_iQs

Fredwreck

Fredwreck like Paris gave away the songs for free and even held a press conference only to find local commercial stations would not touch the record in spite of the big name artists he had assembled. In fact sources inside one popular station in LA, KKBT, noted that their deejays were instructed not to play those songs because they were too controversial. Whats even more ironic was Fred was supposed to be profiled in the ABC story. He was flown to NY but not shown in the report that I saw.

The other irony was after ABC aired the report one of the anchors decided to comment and naively noted that she never heard any of the songs from the artists they profiled on the radio therefore they must not be hits. We could do an entire column on what goes on behind the scenes and what it really takes to get records on the commercial airwaves, but suffice to say if what happened to Fredwreck is any indication of how key power brokers at radio get down, then of course we would not hear any of these songs on radio. However, it does not mean those songs or those artists are not popular or that people are not appreciative of their songs.

A couple of other songs that got overlooked was Snoop Dogg‘s Sister and Brothers and Dilated People’s War and Channel Live‘s Mr President. There is also a powerful more recently made song from Lowkey and Immortal Technique called Voice of the Voiceless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZO0FXMFgRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atovUH3dCgA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-mh-oAlr9c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w6rK4OkUhs

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

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Filed Under: 2013 Daily News Tagged With: Anti-war movement, Immortal technique, Iraq War, KRS-One, Lowkey, Michael Franti, On the 10th Anniversary of the Iraq War We Recall key Anti-War Hip Hop Songs, Paris, Snoop Dogg Sisters and Brothers, Stop Movement, Talib Kweli

The Death of Hugo Chavez; Reactions from Immortal Technique, Cynthia Mckinney & More

March 6, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Hugo Chavez

There’s a lot to be said about Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela who passed away yesterday from complications due to cancer.. For many he was considered a friend and a champion of the poor. He was seen as a hero who was willing to stand up to the United States and other western powers who have an egregious record in South America of undermining democratically elected leaders..

Two movies.. Harvest of Empire and South of the Border bring US policies out in painful detail.. They show how private companies and media outlets including our own CNN worked overtime to try and overthrow governments throughout Latin America. You can see in the clip that starts off South of the Border the round the clock demonization of South American leaders by our so-called esteemed media..

It’s important to understand our policies and what doesn’t get reported here in the states when viewing Hugo Chavez. A lot of what he did and didn’t do centers around the desire to see him removed from office by our own government..

It’s also important to understand that while Chavez was a charismatic singular face attached to Venezuela in terms of how he’s depicted here, in Latin America, he was part of a large movement. In short , he didn’t obtain his position in a vacuum. Nor can you explain Chavez or Venezuela in a 30 second sound bite..

Shortly after getting the news that he passed we broke into regular programming on KPFA and gathered up some folks to speak to Chavez and his legacy.. Our roundtable of guest are movers and shakers in a variety of circles and knew Chavez or did lots of ground work in the country over the years..

CynthiaMckinneyred-225 Our first guest was former Green Party Presidential candidate and congresswoman Cynthia McKinney..She set the tone by breaking down US foreign policy in Latin America and the great lengths our government has gone to try and undermine leaders they didn’t like. McKinney talked at length about Cointel-pro and what has happened to leaders domestically, hence we should not be shocked at the type of hostilities shown internationally..She also talked about Chavez and what he meant to his people as well as sharing her own stories about him…Here’s our interview..

We spoke with author and Professor Sujatha Fernandes who wrote the ground breaking book ‘Who Can Stop the Drums? Urban Social Movements in Chávez’s Venezuela‘ .. Here Professor Fernandes reveals a significant dimension of political life in Venezuela since President Hugo Chávez was elected. Fernandes traces the histories of the barrios, from the guerrilla insurgency, movements against displacement, and cultural resistance of the 1960s and 1970s, through the debt crisis of the early 1980s and the neoliberal reforms that followed, to the Chávez period.

During our interview with myself and fellow KPFA host Mitch Jeserich, Fernandes provides additional keen insights around what life on the ground was like for the average Venezuelan and the impact Chavez’s policies had on folks..She also speaks to why Chavez had been and will continue to be demonized here in the US..

Also on the line with us and Fernandes was Carlos Martinez who lived in Venezuela and is the co-editor of the book Venezuela Speaks; Voices from the Grassroots. Here Martinez and his co-editors gathered a collection of interviews with activists and participants from across Venezuela’s social movements. From community media to land reform; cooperatives to communal councils, from the labor movement to the Afro-Venezuelan network, Venezuela Speaks! sheds light on the complex realities within the Bolivarian Revolution. These interviews offer a compelling oral history of Venezuela’s democratic revolution, from the bottom up.

During our interview, Martinez put the work he’s done into context and further expounded upon why Hugo Chavez was important and his overall impact on the region..

You can peep their interview here…

Immortal Technique

We spoke with activist and popular Hip Hop artist Immortal Technique who talked about his trips to Venezuela and what he learned from traveling extensively around the country. He said he learned a lot and it was clear that Chavez meant a lot to the poor folks and poor communities. He noted that Chavez was not very well liked within the circles of the elite and they were constantly working to get at him.. Immortal talked at lengths some of the key strengths of Chavez as well as some of his actions and policies that were problematic.. Tech also noted that one can not sum up Chavez in a quick sentence, his presidency was much more complex..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LzOth38jxtM

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Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Bolivarian Revolution, Carlos Martinez, Chavez, Cynthia Mckinney, Cynthia Mckinney & Activist React to Death of Hugo Chavez, Harvest of Empire, Hugo Chávez, Immortal technique, Latin America, South America, South of the Border, Sujatha Fernandes, United States, Venezuela

A Great Speech from Immortal Technique on Immigration, Race & Hip Hop

September 30, 2012 By mrDaveyd

It’s always a pleasure to sit down and chop it up with Immortal Technique or to be in the audience when he speaks. The man is full of wisdom. When he addressed the large crowd at an event in Los Angles for the Soundstrike he did not disappoint. This is an incredible speech on immigration, race relation and the current state of affairs…Props to tech for bringing the heat..

Click the link Below to peep this speech from Immortal Technique

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: hiphop, Immortal technique, Soundstrike

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

May 21, 2012 By mrDaveyd

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: Cornel west, Harlem, Hip Hop, Immortal technique, Malcolm X, New York City, Occupy Wall street

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

May 19, 2012 By mrDaveyd

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

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: Afrika Bambaataa, Hajj, Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Hip Hop, Immortal technique, Keith LeBlanc, Killer Mike, KRS-One, Malcolm, Malcolm X, Nation of Islam, Poor Righteous Teachers

Gov Scott Walker You’re Fired! New Song Calling for Him to be Ousted Hits the Streets!

May 14, 2012 By mrDaveyd

Props to Jasiri X who is back on the grind, bringing serious truth and hard-hitting music to key issues of the day..Last year around this time, Jasiri weighed in on the big debate around public union bargaining rights in Wisconsin when tens of thousands came out to oppose newly elected Governor, Koch brother puppet, Scott Walker.. The song ‘American Workers vs Multi-Billionaires‘ went over well and became an anthem of sorts for many who were vigorously opposing Walker’s attempts to end collective bargaining.

This time around Jasiri X weighed in with the recall efforts which are on full tilt.. His new song is called Scott Walker You’re Fired. Ya gotta love artists like Jasiri X, Rebel Diaz, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Invincible and dead prez for constantly providing a soundtracks to struggles the people are undertaking..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4P6v3pGGmI&feature=g-all-u

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: Collective bargaining, Dead Prez, Governor Scott walker, Immortal technique, Jasiri X, mos def, Rebel Diaz, Recall Sott walker, Scott Walker, Wisconsin

Rappers Willie D, Immortal Technique & Rebel Diaz Speak out on Trayvon Martin Tragedy

March 30, 2012 By mrDaveyd

Houston rapper and Geto Boys member Willie D Near Tears After Getting So Angry About Trayvon Martin in FOX 26 Interview!

One thing I can say about Willie D and the Geto Boys they have always spoken out and given tons of money toward causes like these.. I remember talking with Willie and Bushwick Bill about the topic of political prisoners and finding out how they had laid out several hundred thousand dollars so folks on death row could get lawyers and fight to prove their innocence.

I recall being with Willie D years ago at Minister Farrakhan’s home when he got artists together to help put an end to the so-called East -West Coast beef.. Willie was one of the key speakers that day.. We need more Willie D’s

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

Immortal Technique is someone who is grossly under appreciated. He’s long spoken on issues like Trayvon. As noted in this video below he connects the dots and sheds light on the rise of vigilante killings. He talks about how there are so many victims who are unnamed.

He’s absolutely correct. It’s crucial that folks take note that vigilante killings are happening with increased frequency along the borders in states like Arizona where, Neo-Nazis and Minute Men are jamming up immigrants and members within the Brown/ Latino communities with reckless abandon.. Peep tech’s wise words below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwC0KUNZ43E

Rodstarz of Rebel Diaz

Along the same lines of connecting the dots and bringing attention to the rise in vigilante killings where folks are deemed ‘suspicious’, we recently held a round table discussion on the topic…Our guest included Bronx based rapper Rodstarz from the group Rebel Diaz.. He talked about how the Trayvon Martin killing came on heels of the Ramarley Graham killing in New York..

Here you had police officers who decided that Graham who was standing outside his home was ‘suspicious’.. Graham who was well aware of the police Stop and Frisk policy wanted to not be one of the 680 thousand people who police stopped, so he went back inside his home. Police had not warned Graham to stop. Nor was he detained. However cops seeing him leave considered it a ‘furtive’ movement which is the basis on which they can pursue subjects.. They ran after Graham thinking he had a gun.. They busted into his house.. They never rang the bell or asked to be let in.. Ran upside his house and shot him in front of his grandmother. No weapon was ever found..

Rod recently penned a powerful article called the Fleeting Whiteness of George Zimmerman where he offered up some good solutions

In the video below we talk about that shooting as well as the culture of suspicion and how it plays out in Black, Muslim and Latino Communities.. Our other guest are; Cephus Johnson aka Uncle Bobby (He’s the Uncle to Oscar Grant), Zahra Brillo of the CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations ) and Isaac Ontiverous of Critical Resistance.. This is a powerful discussion that all need to see so we are familiar with how this Trayvon tragedy is not isolated

http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/tradiov?layout=4&clip=pla_ea43e1b3-f630-4da1-b562-08a505eb10cb&height=340&width=560&autoplay=false

tradiov on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant, Bushwick Bill, Geto Boys, Immortal technique, Rebel Diaz, Trayvon Martin, Uncle Bobby, Willie D

Should We Feel Bad for Charles Rangel? Immortal Technique, Rosa Clemente & Rep Barbara Lee Weigh In

December 3, 2010 By mrDaveyd

Charles Rangel

Yesterday many of us saw how long time Congressman Charles Rangel and former chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee stand on the floor of Congress and get censured. This came on the heels of him recently being found in violation of 11 house ethic rules in a 9-1 vote by the House ethics committee members. Being censured was the strongest punishment aside from expulsion that could be applied a man who served Harlem for over 40 years.

In recent years especially after President Obama got elected many have seen, felt and experienced the effects of what is often described as a highly racially charged climate. Hence to see a Black man who was arguably one of the most powerful men in the country and definitely congress be reduced in such a public way was more than bothersome. Adding to Rangel’s censuring is the fact that 8 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus including long time congresswoman Maxine Waters are being investigated or also facing a hearings on ethic violations. One can’t help but think that Black elected officials are being targeted and hence the wagons must be circled.

Many of us including myself immediately thought of elected officials who have done far worse and haven’t gotten as much as a slap on the wrist. The violations range from Congressman Joe Wilson shouting at the president during the state of the union to former vice president Dick Cheney shooting his friend Harry Whittington in the face and then being accused of trying to cover things up. Years later we come to find out that Cheney didn’t even apologize. We think about those elected officials who were negligence behind the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe or those who deliberately misled us into to war and one can only ask why aren’t the people behind those transgressions being censured?

Long time Harlem resident Immortal Technique said we should not feel bad for Charles Rangel

I’ll be the first to say a guy like Rangel has been no angel and his tenure as Congressman has drawn mixed response.One thing that can’t be denied is the fact that his 40 years of services means enough people from what was known as the Black Mecca liked him enough to keep sending him back.

However longtime Harlem residents like rapper Immortal Technique have publicly stated that one should not feel bad for Rangel and the punishment he’ll be getting because he sold Harlem out a long time ago. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this critique from residents who feel like as Harlem has been massively gentrified with lots of poor folks having been literally kicked out withRangel leading the charge.

Just as word came down that there would be no leniency as requested shown for Congressman Rangel. I posed the question on my twitter feed and Face book Page as to how Harlem residents felt? Did they think it was unfair Congressman Rangel was being censured?

I made the comparison between his ethic violations and the transgressions of others.. Very few came to his aid on my often overtly opinionated timeline which includes many people from my former uptown stomping grounds of Harlem.

Rosa Clemente goes in on Charles Rangel

Long time activist, journalist and former Green Party Vice presidential candidate Rosa Clemente weighed in and gave us all serious food for thought …It was in response to this statement I made..

Dick Cheney can shoot a man in the face and not apologize and he’s good but Charles Rangel misuses some stationary-gets censored

Rosa responded:

Well Charles Rengal did not just do that..the man has three rent stabilized apartments in Harlem, where half the population is poverty poor. You can’t use Dick Cheney as an excuse. Rengal deserves to be censured, as most of those cats do.. The problem is particularly black men in politics think they can act like white men.. History shows that never works, but being from NYC him and 90% of all Black and Brown politicians need to go. They are rich ass millionaires pimping our communities….You do not get a pass cause your Black. How many brothers right now living in Rangel’s district are being stopped, frisked and arrested for a nickel bag or for other petty crime. I bet they wish all they were getting was a tongue lashing

Rosa’s sentiments resonated with a lot of folks who feel that far too many officials are disconnected from the communities they serve and that when they get into office they start catering to big money interests and not the people who voted them in.. After 40 years did Rengal lose his way? Should he have been extra careful in such a hostile climate or was he unfairly being made an example? The fact that all he is getting is censured versus jail time is something we might also keep in mind, but does that reflect badly on Harlem or us as Black folks?

Here’s what Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee who heads up the Congressional Black Caucus had to say on the matter.She issued a statement that read as follows..

“Today’s vote by the House of Representatives to censure Congressman Rangel was an overly harsh sanction, especially considering that after a 2-year investigation the Committee found no evidence of corruption or personal financial gain. Under House precedents, a reprimand would have been a fairer sanction for the lapses that he has long since admitted and corrected.

“The censure sanction is a departure from the customary sanctions in other cases that have been adjudicated over the years. According to the Committee’s counsel, Congressman Rangel’s misconduct resulted from overzealousness and sloppiness, not corruption.

“Today’s action in no way diminishes Congressman Rangel’s distinguished 50-year history of service to his country and constituents who again overwhelmingly returned him to office in November. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are proud to call Congressman Rangel our colleague and friend.”

Something to Ponder

Davey D

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles Tagged With: Barbara Lee, Congressional Black Caucus, ethic violations, Immortal technique, Rosa clemente, Should We Feel Bad for Charles Rangel? Immortal Technique & Rosa Clemente Weigh In

Immortal Technique: ‘Slavery Was Once the Law-Would You have Supported that Back in the Days?’ Our Rock the Bells Interview

September 2, 2010 By mrDaveyd

Click HERE to listen to our Breakdown FM interview w/ Immortal Technique at Rock the Bells 2010

During Rock the Bells in Mountainview we caught up with one of Hip Hop’s most profound and politically astute artists Immortal Technique. He swung through 10 deep with his famed Rebel Army and did not disappoint as they lit up the Paid Dues stage.

Later that night we talked to Immortal about some of the key issues of the day starting with his thoughts on Park 51, which is the Muslim Community center being protested by anti-Islamic mobs in New York City near Ground Zero. We wanted Immortal’s thought on this because he had caused a bit of a stir a few years ago when he released the song Bin Laden where Mos Def and Jadakiss were on the hook asserting that George Bush knocked down the Twin Towers. Later he did a remix where Chuck D and KRS were on the hook. He explained that it was hypocritical to demand that a group of people who did not fly planes into those buildings be asked to back down.. He said it was more than obvious the 9-11 hijackers did not represent Islam just like Christianity wasn’t represented when Timothy McVeigh blew up the Oklahoma Fed Building or when large groups of people were massacred during the Crusades.

The other big issue we broached was immigration and the debate around Arizona’s SB 1070. He said ‘illegal immigration’ is more than just a legal issue. He said it’s a human rights issue in which people are seeking out better lives for themselves. Our foreign policies have unduly impacted many of the places that people are fleeing. We’ve made no moves to correct that. Immortal noted that many supporters of SB 1070 want the economic advantages that come from ‘undocumented labor’. They’re not making moves to remove themselves from that equation.

Immortal also pointed out that there’s a lot of hypocrisy in those who say they support laws like SB1070. He noted that many say that we must follow the law. “Well slavery was once the law”. Immortal pointed out; “Would those same people have defended the institution of slavery if they was around back in those days”?

We concluded our interview by talking to Immortal about the orphanage he opened in Afghanistan and his recent trip to Haiti. He said the idea of opening up an orphanage came during his participation at last year’s Rock the Bells where he met organizers who inspired him. He went out to Afghanistan for several weeks and avoided being embedded with the US military and instead was taken in by long time residents who took him all over the country. he said the trip was life altering.

He noted that his stay Haiti was much shorter and not as impactful compared to Afghanistan. He was disheartened by the extreme poverty and noted that there’s no excuse for this when Haiti is in our backyard.

You can listen our Breakdown FM interview with Immortal Technique by clicking the link below

http://www.swift.fm/mrdaveyd/song/60154/

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2r8kBnGtAU

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

Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News Tagged With: afghanistan orphanage, Arizona's SB 1070, Costa Mesa forum, Davey D Interview, Diabolic, Ground zero mosque, Immortal technique, Immortal Technique: 'Slavery Was Once the Law-Would You have Supported that Back in the Days?' Our Rock the Bells Interview ?, Rebel Army, Rock the Bells 2010

The Ground Zero Debate: Islam Did Not Knock Down the Towers…Immortal Technique, Mos Def & Paris Remind Us Who Did

August 17, 2010 By mrDaveyd

As we continue this senseless debate about the building of an Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero, we should keep a few important points in mind..

1-Islam did not knock down the towers…If it did then we best be prepared to shoulder the blame for ‘Christianity’ burning crosses and lynching thousands of Black people throughout the South. If Islam knocked down the towers, then we’re gonna have to accept the fact that ‘Catholics’ raped hundreds of little altar boys and we’re gonna have to accept that ‘Jews’ killed Jesus. I’m sure if we sit back and think for a minute we can find all sorts of evil things done in the name of God, Jehovah, Allah etc and conclude that an entire religion was responsible for the wrong doing..Obviously that would be wrong-headed, so lets not be selective in what we want to demonize.

2-This country was founded on Freedom of Religion.. It doesn’t matter if you wanna pray to Frosty the Snowman or Barney the Dinosaur, you have that right and no one should be allowed to prevent you from practicing especially when the worship is being done on private property and other people are not being physically harmed.

I realize being tolerant is hard for many to stomach, but too bad. Feelings may be hurt and that’s understandable, we all have our feelings and opinions and we’re entitled to them.. However, that does not give anyone the right to stop someone from enjoying the main tenets this country was founded on. If someone doesn’t like the Islamic Center near Ground Zero being built because they feel the land around it is somehow sacred, then those folks with hurt feelings can walk right past it. You don’t have to visit it. You can go to the strip club that’s nearby and drown your sorrows in a healthy offering a naked dancers and porn.

3-Many Muslims died on 9-11 as did people of all races and religion. No one group gets to claim moral high ground or some sort of ultimate victim status. Many people lost family members on 9-11 and in the weeks, months and now years afterwards. Today we have first responders who are dying because of health issues related to 9-11 that wasn’t disclosed while they were doing clean up. There are thousands more who volunteered and joined the military and later perished on the battle fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two wars were and are being fought under the guise of what took place on 9-11.

4-If folks really want to fight a battle about what should be built on and around Ground Zero, then do some homework. Initially many of the family members who lost loved ones came together and asked that the World Trade space be devoid of buildings and that space be made into a memorial park.

Sadly, that idea was shot down and ultimately rejected by developers and politicians who insisted that the best testament to America’s strength would be to replace those towers with new ones and essentially let the world know that America was back in business and would not compromise on her ideals..We didn’t hear one peep from anyone who is up in arms today. If people were so gung-ho they should’ve been riding for the family when they said lets have a ‘real sacred’ space. But since we decided to show the world America will rebuild and showcase her Freedom loving philosophy, its a shame to see that being shoved away by intolerance. All these people crying and whining about the Islamic Center is not a good look for America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZZQL81Evb0

5-Islam did not knock down the towers. The incompetence and political turf battles within important divisions of our Intelligence community led to 19 men with box cutters taking 3000 lives, damaging the Pentagon and creating Ground Zero. Maybe if Bush and his croonies had a better handle on things the warning signs and intelligence of Osama Bin Laden striking us would’ve been heeded.. but alas it wasn’t. Who knocked down the towers?

Immortal Technique and Mos Def got it right with their landmark song ‘Bin Laden‘

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

Immortal is not one to limit his thoughts to a record and not back up what he rapped about. He recently did an interview for Russia Today where he sheds further light on what thinks about 9-11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJuxb7HddOM&feature=channel

Bay Area rapper Paris also spoke out forcefully about what took place on 9-11. He was probably the first of over 200 rap artists who eventually did songs on the incident. His opinion like many was and is starkly different then what was being pushed by George Bush and the White House.

Below is his song What Would YOu Do? and a link to an article he put forth with a challenge to debate anyone on the facts surrounding 9-11. He went on Fox News and a bunch of other places and handled business in terms of backing up his words and shutting folks down. He followed up his song with written responses to the questions folks had about ‘What Would You Do? http://www.daveyd.com/parisrespondsback.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrrzHjPC9p8

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Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles Tagged With: Bay Area rapper Paris, Freedom of Religion, Immortal technique, Islam, Islamic Cultural Center, Mos Def & Paris Remind Us Who Did, Mosque ground zero. 9-11, The Ground Zero Debate: Islam Did Not Knock Down the Towers...Immortal Technique, The Ground Zero Debate: Islam Did Not Knock Down the Towers...Immortal Technique & Mos Def Reminds Who Did?, War on Terror, what would you do?

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