Game On a Nation: Hip Hop Intellectual

Ladies and gentlemen I have been on the road traveling through 3 states and now I am back in my office updating this site. And to my surprise when I did some research on the Swine Flu outbreak I was shocked to find out that it has now spread throughout the Midwest. I was watching NBC and I came across a Vice President Biden giving advice on the Swine Flu, basically he is saying don’t travel in confined spaces with crowed people. You know what that has been the most common sense advice that I have heard via the media.


Check the clip for yourself, I have a headache and I don’t think that it is Swine Flu. Someone pass me a drink.

It is time for all of us to use our brain to elevate ourselves to another level within our lives. If want you are doing is causing more problems than benefits then you need to change your game. I have an excellent clip from Ice-Tea explaining what you need to do to elevate your game. Its an recession any advice that you can get you should take it, listen as he kicks the facts on "Elevation". 

Note: Just hearing the name Ice Tea is getting me thirsty, someone get me a drink.

It seems that a lot of African American stories will not be told through the main stream media. Again Hip Hop can be a powerful tool that can help educate the masses about their history. Listen to Common's "A Song for Assata" as he tells you about her history and yours as well. If you wanted to learn more, then read her book "Assata" by Assata Shakur.

As a student of history, I dig through my books and there are words that always ring true to the current events that we are facing today. When the United States tortured and killed John Brown on Nov. 2nd 1859 for standing up against the ill practice of slavery, that event sent shockwaves throughout the world. Victor Hugo in France stated, "The punishment of John Brown may consolidate slavery in Virginia, but it will certainly shatter the American Democracy. You preserve your shame but you kill your glory." Can't you see that by the United States not prosecuting those that utilized torture is nothing more than preserving their shame to only kill their glory of the United States.


I love the United States like I love my family, however when my family does wrong I call them out on it. For every action there is a equal reaction. This reaction may be called by some, 'payback'. Listen to Immortal Technique as he gives you a history listen on his song, 'Payback.'

Since today is Monday, I am going to hit you with Camron’s, "I Hate My Job". He speaking of the everyday grind that we all go through when we are just working a job that is not fulfilling versus working on your career. If you listen closely you will hear Camron also hinting at the struggles that young African-American males go through when they have a felony on their record and they are seeking employment. It is almost impossible to rebuild your life in that aspect, and those brothers just run back to the old block. One line that stands out to me is when Camron asks the employer, “You’re not hiring, then when are you doing the firing?”

Lay back and listen to the tale that Camron kicks, "I’m trying to win, but it seems that I was born to lose."

Breaking news, Swine Flu has hit North America, New Zealand, and other parts of the world. This crisis will get worse. Please take extra care of yourselves and wash your hands every chance that you get. Please watch the video on Swine Flu.

Since immigration has become a big talking point in the United States, extra attention is being made on the border and the drug trade. However, why is the media only focusing on the immigration issue now? This is the same border that existed in 70's and 80's and it was not an issue then but now it has become an issue? The media is trying to bring extra attention to the immigration issue by talking about the flow of drugs from Mexico, but drugs have been flowing from Mexico since drugs were created. The media is trying to give a new face to an old dog. Sounds like game on a nation to me.

There many players that take part in the drug trade: Grower, Wholesaler, Middle Man, Seller, Buyer and Law Enforcement. And sometimes law enforcement plays additional roles within the line up. The world is never black and white; it is a grey colored world where everything is not always clear. I never want to tell you want to think, but I think that you should perform your own research. Your starting point should be the book, "Dark Alliance" by Gary Webb and this book will change your current perspective.

Immortal Technique explains the flow of drugs from Central America to the United States so eloquently in his song "Peruvian Cocaine", which I attached below.

My assessment of Kanye's latest album has not been fair. In my personal life I prejudged Kanye's 808 and Heartbreak album without really paying attention to the songs. I pre-judged it because of the auto-tunes, but I have to admit I like "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Amazin". After reading some of the reviews and after listening more closely, this album is a "reflective" album. Kanye is delving into his emotional space after losing his mother and breaking up with his fiancée. All that said, I only purchased "Amazin." I still want the old, let me show you that I can rap, Kanye Back. That is, I want the Kanye that appears in the video below. Kanye kills it, Common kills it, and yes, Kid Cudi kills it as well. It’s hard not to prejudge some of these hip hop cats sometimes, but this is how we learn and grow in Hip Hop.

I am disheartened that the United States decided to not attend the conference, but then again we have to think of the question, 'why?’ Why would a nation who is the leader of the free world not what to take part in a conference regarding racism? The answer is because no one wants to attend a gathering in which their peers can point at their faults. Folks, racism is still an issue that the United States has failed to deal with since its creation.
 
The election of President Obama does not magically erase the fact that in todays prison systems a minority group that makes up 13% of the general population makes up 60% of the prison population. This would be one of the key statements that would be tossed at the United States at the Conference on Racism, and the United States does not want to face that issue head on with other nations. Sen. Webb would agree with me that the national prison system is a disgrace.

This is a response to the comment within the Asher Roth entry and it is regarding white MCs in Hip Hop.

 There are some people who do not prefer the sound and flow of white MC's and I do not believe that this is derived from any form of prejudice. But it has to do more with the individual valuing the Blues roots of Hip Hop, meaning that to them Hip Hop is only authentic when it is coming out of the black experience (struggle).

However just like blues regardless of that person's color if their experience is really filled with hardship then they have every right to sing the blues. The reason that Eminem can be embraced in the Hip Hop community is because he brought his experience which was not the housing projects but the trailer parks. He shared his 'experience'. On the other hand, if Eminem was disingenuous about his experience then the Hip Hop community would have rejected him coined him the new Vanilla Ice. Vanilla Ice career fell apart when it became know that he lied about being stabbed and did not grow up in the rough neighborhood that he spoke about.  

Another example regarding disingenuous can be found in the recent background of Rick Ross, who use to be a Correctional Officer and there are many within the Hip Hop community who now reject Rick Ross's authenticity in regards to Hip Hop because of it.

 When you are listening to Hip Hop you are listening to a story that is being played about that person's life. You are gaining insight; some artists portray it better than others. Hip Hop is like any other art form; you are paying for a certain experience. Nothing more, Nothing less.

 When you listen to a Asher Roth CD for example, you are going to hear the experience of a young white boy who grew up in the suburbs and experimented with drugs. Asher is going to bring to the table the way he sees the world in its full trippy colors and there is nothing wrong with it because it is authentic.