As per my contract on this website, I will have this created as an audio MP3 within the time allotted.
Terrible Twosome's, turning potential trickery,
away from total disaster and evil tyranny,
Tear in E-Y-E, third, twisted kundalini snake,
Fear for I, My me, insisted tandem free stake,
tethered to a trolly, trolled by a trifle of tykes,
tinted tiles traversing through optics like trikes,
Train traffic told to take a ticket, "This is your conscious speaking"
Is it Jimminy Cricket?
"NO! It's Lemony Snicket!"
"Oh, true,"
The tolerance tipping point is now easily fooled,
Tripping on triptamines t'isn't a toy but a tool,
Tackled I have, topics of tremendous importance,
Tree's of planet terra, granting life to a tortoise,
a bit contorted, a trifle might as of yet still be sorted,
trading partners tone timber to account for time,
besides that, knots and quetzalcotl made tomes of 9
My dome of rhyme, is shinier then thou,
it twinkles like a cloud, and reigns like a star,
Triangulation trigonometry for distance of quasars,
Fermions and Bosons? You're bozo's, go play with yo-yo's.
they're x and y chromosomes, how don't you know though?
Observation,
Wait look,
IT"S AMAAAAAAAAZZZING!
But Don't stop now, but just don't stop,
Bitch Dance right down, the beat goon' rock,
Stop!
Observation,
Wait look,
AMAAAAAAAAZZZING!
that babe got me shook,
hell, she motivate me to write this hook,
come over here now and read me a book,
drop me a punchline, write me some raps,
I wanna hear your spittin' on some of that boom bap crack,
The cheese? I can stack, just as long as I got a back,
and a bag to carry stock, I'll keep it on lock,
can't drop the style, cuz I'm independent for a mile,
I got nothing to lose in every fucking moment,
so fuck you what you think? What you holding?
Put it to me, shoot me, see if I care,
I'm unafraid of death, I'll reincarnate fifty times
in a row murdering you player,
So what's one lifetime experiencing a victory,
I'll commit genocide on your DNA, spiritual vasectomy,
don't step to me, nor my unequivocal flow,
cuz when I'm smoking' on the dro, I'm spittoon on some "Oh! shi.."
You know what' I'm saying? I put it down biblically,
I'm recitin it like a prayer, n' I ain't always a soothsayer,
but I'll pick peace over a piece, however, if you threatening' me?
or my peeps? you gon' get what's comin' to y a, plain' and simple,
as you listen, I just detected the sign of a dimple, don't smile,
it's not a joke, this flame is too awful to rekindle, it's not so simple,
but I might just throw you out a six story window, here's a hint though,
Whether your Organized or Konfused, this is one time wrinkle,
Bingo, like Plinko, you win by long neck flamingo,
I just googled that, and I found out that this exists in Minnesota,
Or maybe South Dakota, naw I'm just kiddin' it really was the former,
informer, ay know say dadda me Snow en me I'll go blame,
A licky Boom Boom Down, fuck it, when you fuckin with me,
I ain't fuckin around.
Observation,
Wait look,
IT"S AMAAAAAAAAZZZING!
But Don't stop now, but just don't stop,
Bitch Dance right down, the beat goon' rock,
Stop!
Observation,
Wait look,
AMAAAAAAAAZZZING!
Content is subject to change for recording purposes.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
-Excerpt- The Tao of Wu
The Tao of Wu
Author: The RZA
pp. 87-95
The voyage of the best ship is a
zigzag line of a hundred tracks.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Outside Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River, there's a town called Steubenville, Ohio. It's a wierd place, with a long history of political and police curruption and lots of rumors and legends surrounding it. Some people know it as the birthplace of Dean Martin. Others, like members of a Trinity church there, believe it will be the site of Jesus Christ's Second Coming. For me, Steubenville represents darkness -- a darkness that I made for myself, a darkness that almost
took me for good.
"It was like a
Seminar of the streets."
For a few years, my cousins Ghost and Dirty and I would come down to Steubenville from Staten Island to visit family. I made my first trip down there at nineteen, and that time I came with righteousness. I brought my book of Lessons and started teaching Mathematics to anyone who wanted to learn. Before long I had about twenty students. We'd meet every day at the town library, and soon our group got so big that they moved us to a community center. Then other community leaders started showing up, and we began running roundtable discussions, We talked about the Divine Mathematics, but also geometry, biology, and all sorts of other subjects. It was like a Seminar of the streets.
Some people at those meetings came from other street schools, like Universal Law, which, like Mathematics, was taught in prison. Ever jail, whether it's in Ohio, New York, or L.A., has some form of these studies. Somebody gets hold of them and adapts them to their own sect. The Black Panthers -- They had precepts. The Mah-Wahs -- they had precepts. Even the Bloods have lessons now. And all of them draw on either Islam, Christianity, or the Jehovah's Witnesses. Each one takes the precepts and twists them in different ways to help teach and empower young guys who are thirsty for knowledge. It's one of the few benefits of prison -- letting teachers and students form a community of learning.
Ours was called the Five Percent -- for the Five Percent Nation of Islam -- but I would say the name applies globally and historically as well. Anyone dedicated to freedom, justice, and equality is what we call a poor righteous teacher. These are part of that 5 percent of any given society who know the truth and will speak it freely without personal gain. Gandhi was a Five Percenter. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Five Percenter. Jesus was a Five Percenter. The Shaolin monks and their disciples the Taoist priests and the Confucians -- they're the Five Percenters of China.
When I first went down to Steubenville, I came as a true member of the Five Percent. And the knowledge I shared took root. Some of my students formed the Wu-Tang offshoots Fourth Disciple and Killer Army. Some of them had some success, some went back to being street thugs, but at least my first trip down to Steubenville was righteous. My second trip was the exact opposite.
"This time, I'm on the Amtrak with a briefcase
holding my product, a gun, and my Lessons --and
wearing a gold chain to pawn for cash flow."
Around 1991, things were bad for us in New York. My album as Prince Rakeem wasn't paying my bills. GZA's record for Cold Chillin' didn't do well either. We needed money, one of my friends for killed, some people were trying to kill me, and all of us were just scrambling.
Ghost was doing things like waiting outside a stop for the Brinks truck, trying to figure a way to rip them off. Or we'd wait outside drug dealers' houses -- saying, "When he comes out in his Benz, we'll put a gun in his face, take his Benz, and go sell it." None of this would have worked, but we were desperate. So I went back to the street game. I began chopping nicks up to sell them and started thinking: I know a place where they aren't as advanced in this game, a place where we could go out and get a hustle on. And that's what we did. We headed back to Steubenville.
I borrowed some money from GZA and gave it to Ghost -- because Ghost was already a street vendor -- and said, "Ghost, go get what we need." He did a robbery -- robbing someone we know, that's how bad it was -- and we headed down to Ohio. This time, I'm on the Amtrak with a briefcase holding my product, a gun, and my Lessons -- and wearing a gold chain to pawn for cash flow. This time we went down and we got into hell.
Before we got down there Steubenville's nickname was Little Chicago. After we got established there it became known as Little New York. We made money and were able to feed ourselves, but it was the most negative point in my life. This was the time I broke my one vow to myself. I never wanted to be a drug dealer -- I thought I was killing my own people -- but for my own survival I entered that world. I betrayed myself.
A lot of bad things happened quickly. A lot of street beefs developed from us moving in. And before long my brother was in jail, Dirty was in jail, I was in jail, Ghost got shot, and my student Wise got shot. We came apart as individuals. And I found myself on trial for attempted murder.
I had gotten dragged into a beef between a girl Ghost was seeing and her man's crew. I was driving that girl and her friend home one night -- Ghost wasn't even in town -- and some of those dudes pulled up next tot us at a stoplight. They were street hustlers -- everybody was then -- and this one guy sees his girl in a car and goes into a jealous rage.
Before I left the house, I had been given one commandment from my sister: "You better not fuck my car up." But at the light, this nigga jumps out and starts kicking the car, bashing the windows, denting it. The girls start screaming, "Drive, drive, he got a gun!" -- so I pull ou and he starts chasing me. I zipped out, got away, and laid low for a while.
In a couple hours, I took them home, but the one girl lived on a dead-end street. She got out and went into her house, but those same guys were parked there waiting for us in an ambush. Immediately, it was pandemonium: A lot of shots were fired, my car was still moving, crashed up on the sidewalk, and everyone was pulling their shit out, yelling "Fuck you!" "Nah, fuck you!" In the end, it wasn't really that big a deal -- there probably ended up being just six or seven shells on the grouns -- but that scuffle got my charged with attempted murder.
The fact is, the charge I was facing did not fit the offense. The actual incident was a case of self-defense. I regret that somebody got shot and I felt bad for being a part of that kind of violence. I would have copped out to sixty days; I would have copped out to a year. But the prosecutor wanted eight years -- he wanted to nail me down. This is when things started to become clear to me. One, I gained clarity about our legal system -- its unfairness of matching crime and punishment. But two, I gained clarity about my life.
"That day, I got eight years of my life
back in my own hands. I realized, Oh, it's me?
I'm the man? I'm the one who can fix my life?
I decided to take real control of my music career."
On top of everything else, I had gotten my girlfriend pregnant. I was in jail for thirty days and started thinking about this, how I had a baby girl coming, how I had to change my life. That's why I named my daughter Ra-Mecca -- "Ra" to signify me, Rakeem, and "Mecca" to represent the Holy City, the highest point, the beginning. She would be the highest achievement of my life so far. I knew then what I'd be losing.
So I prepared. I stopped smoking, I stopped drinking, started studying the Lessons again. I thought about my daughter having to visit me for eight years inside -- because I didn't think I was gonna win this case. And when I finally bailed out, I was in the law library every day. In fact, I used to run into the judge and the prosecutor there. They'se see me and mean-mug me, as if they were thinking, what's this guy doing sitting there?
Finally, the day of the trial came. It was a three-day trial and ended on April 22. That was the day my lawyer put me on the stand. In a way, I gave the most important performance of my life that day, and it was from the heart. I addressed the jury myself -- told my story, presented it vividly, gave testimony as powerfully as I could. Then the jury, which had only one black guy on it, went away and deliberated. They were gone for two hours and came back. I was nervous; my stomach was going crazy. And the woman read the verdict"
Not guilty."
Not guilty."
I can't really explain the feeling in the courtroom at that moment. I mean, obviously I was ecstatic, but some of the people on this jury were crying. Two old white women and a white man came up and hugged me. There was even an article in the paper that said something like "Jury Cries as Diggs Sentence Comes." And as I left the stand, my mother says, "This is your second chance."
That day, I got eight years of my life back in my own hands. I realized, Oh, it's me? I'm the man? I'm the one who can fix my life? I decided to take real control of my music career. I went back to Staten Island and called Tommy Boy, but they were done with me. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen outside that system. And I realized the first step was to reclaim myself.
Down to Steubenville, we used different code names. Ghost was Moses and I was Jesus -- an irony we both appreciated at the time. But after the trial, I got back into Prince Rakeem.
I named myself Rakeem at the age of eleven, when I found Knowledge of Self. I renamed myself Prince Rakeem whenI mastered the 120. Then Divine Prince Rakeem, Then by the time I was eighteen, I had ten or more students of my own, I named myself Divine Prince Master Rakeem Allah. But through dealing with negativity, I lost that persona. So after the Ohio event and all the chaos it brought to my life, I had to bring that title back. I had to rejoin the Five Percent.
The laymen, the people who don't know much and are easily misled -- they're the 85 percent. Those who know the truth but use it to deceive and explot -- they're the 10 percent. You see, the 10 Percent everywhere today, in every news broadcast, on the front page of every paper. You know their names. And their crimes are only getting greater, the pain they inflict more widespread.
"In the Divine Alphabet, Z stands for Zig-Zag-Zig, which means Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding. It's the last letter of the alphabet and represents the final step of consciousness."
So when they say the Five Percent is just a gang, I say they're just seekers and givers of knowledge, which is exactly what we need right now. Our culture is programming its children to join the 85 percent, to be robots, to have no knowledge of self. Today, being one of the 85 percent might mean being married in the suburbs with 2.5 kids and 3 cars, spending your days eating pre-packaged food, and talking about ten-year-old sitcoms. It might mean chasing Escalades, Rolexes, and power in a corporation that will betray you. It might mean simply accepting everything you see without question. Today, we need some form of the Five Percent. We need people to teach civilization to all human families. Money gives you economic freedom, but it doesn't free your dome from the lies and ignorance that make you dumb.
I had become dumb. My life had done a zigzag. I was in the right place from ages eleven to sixteen. Then I got involved with women, drugs, and hip-hop in a street way -- not just a hobby way where you're having fun in your house, but a street way, with battling, guns, cars, gold cables, drug using, and drug dealing.
This is a man who already had enlightened twenty other kids. Ason Unique -- who became Ol' Dirty Bastard -- he was a student of mine. I had other students in Brownsville, in Bed-Stuy -- they knew the 120 now. Now my students were teachers. And here I am -- someone who knew the 120 before he was thirteen -- here I am acting like a fucking savage? I had to change -- change back.
In the Divine Alphabet, Z stands for Zig-Zag-Zig, which means Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding. It's the last letter of the alphabet and represents the final step of consciousness. So finally I just thought of the name as letters, as a title, not just a word. R-Z-A. It stands for Ruler-Knowledge/Wisdom/Understanding-Allah.
In my life, I was zigging. I was going right but I zagged. I zagged and I almost died zagging. So I zigged back. I became the RZA. Rakeem Zig-Zag-Zig Allah. Later, people came to calle me the RZA-rector -- like I bring people back to life. But that year I found out the truth: The first person you have to resurrect is yourself.
-----------------------
Monday, April 5, 2010
Rebirth!!!
This Blog is undergoing a rebirth. It is becoming part social experiment, and partly a way for me to rigidly adhere myself to what I need to do. This blog will be working in tandem with a written source of inspiration, from which all* of the original works published on this site will come from. (*Some original works may not necessarily derive from any physically written copy of said works.)
Whatever the case may be, I am responsible from here on out to present what is in this book onto the internet in its intended form.
Any works expressed in any form on this blog, are to be manifested in the creative form originally intended for them. Any works alluded to in this blog are to be produced within 6 months of allusion at maximum.
In recognition that these goals require certain means to achieve them, (i.e. Video Camera, Microphone, Money etc.) I have decided to live publicly about my finances, so that I can keep myself honest to what I am trying to achieve at any given time. In recognition that not everyone gives a shit about my finances, I will be posting these developments within my personal life outlet located at: http://tyronelamoureux.wordpress.com
I won't only be posting this there for my own advantage, but also to set an example for any individuals who would find this mission to be righteous. The spirit of this mission identifies strongly with the African philosophy "Ubuntu" which, in its
most simple definition means "I am, because we are."
I type my alias here to comply with my own terms:
OneRyt
**Footnote** Application of additional clauses to follow the spirit of this original document.
Whatever the case may be, I am responsible from here on out to present what is in this book onto the internet in its intended form.
Any works expressed in any form on this blog, are to be manifested in the creative form originally intended for them. Any works alluded to in this blog are to be produced within 6 months of allusion at maximum.
In recognition that these goals require certain means to achieve them, (i.e. Video Camera, Microphone, Money etc.) I have decided to live publicly about my finances, so that I can keep myself honest to what I am trying to achieve at any given time. In recognition that not everyone gives a shit about my finances, I will be posting these developments within my personal life outlet located at: http://tyronelamoureux.wordpress.com
I won't only be posting this there for my own advantage, but also to set an example for any individuals who would find this mission to be righteous. The spirit of this mission identifies strongly with the African philosophy "Ubuntu" which, in its
most simple definition means "I am, because we are."
I type my alias here to comply with my own terms:
OneRyt
**Footnote** Application of additional clauses to follow the spirit of this original document.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Respect, Life and Music
Alright, so here I go again... except this time I'm not trying to talk about a specific musical entity, such as classical, hip hop, rock n' roll, House, Mo Town, Big Band... NONE of that. What I'm talking about here.... is MUSIC!!!! Not the various terms given to the music by the people who made it, just the pure unadulterated form that exists within every single one of our nervous systems. Music flows through our vein's, sometimes it takes certain life experiences to tap into those roots which we hold onto. Others come by it naturally. Regardless of how or when you find this source of power within yourself, you MUST realize that music is of the essence of our very existence.
"You live and die, your name but forgotten. The words you say echo through time like a corridor abandoned and rotten." - OneRyt
"A Man is condemned or exalted by his words." - Cormega
"I want to say to you, Help yourself, so you can help someone else." - James Brown
[When asked if music has a meaning]
"Definitely, and it's getting more spiritual. Pretty soon I believe people will have to rely on music to get some kind of peace of mind, or satisfaction, or direction, actually. More so than politics, the big ego scene. You know it's an art of words... Meaning nothing. Therefore you will have to get an earthier substance, like music or the arts." Jimi Hendrix
"I'm not a politician, I'm a musician. I care about giving people a place where they can go to enjoy themselves and to begin to live again. To the man you have to give the spirit, and when you give him the spirit, you have done everything." - Pavarotti
"We feel that in the future, groups are going to have to offer much more than just a pop show. They'll have to offer a well-presented theatre show." - Syd Barrett (of Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon)
All of these quotes come from individuals who have made their music without fear of what those around them had to say, or how it was received. They made the music because it was what drove their lives. If nobody bought their stuff, it was okay, cuz they were making the music.
However, all of these individuals had a much bigger idea of what music was to become then has arisen as of late. As a matter of fact, the musical quality of what we listen to has seriously degraded into a really ugly scene. Don't get me wrong, there are some class acts out there now... My Chemical Romance, The Killers, Sam Roberts... the list does go on... however if you notice a difference here, there is a severe lack of recognition towards the actual meaning behind these type's of things.
I think this recognition is lacking for the simple fact that a message that has meaning, strikes motivation into the hearts of the people. Most of the 70's music was politically driven, socially aware and was also about having fun! When you look back to the 70's you can see a myriad of amazing artists who put down their foots and said, this is how I feel! People who lived through the 70's have the benefit of being able to look back and say "I grew up in that, that was my jam!" with pride... Unfortunately for me, I don't think I'll be able to do the same, which is precisely what I'm getting at here. No longer do the people who listen to the music, appreciate that meaningful essence in the music. Instead of musicians evolving their goals into what was envisioned, they have actually been enslaved by the very side of things that they were competing against to begin with. Commercialism, selling out, creating corrosive social environments through the lack of philanthropy and/or care about the common citizen. Instead, artists have been bought by flashy things, and signed under contracts to not say anything controversial because of these endorsements.
Retarded... respect to all the old school rappers who know how the game is/was and should be.
To name a few: Guru (7 Grand Records), Akrobatik, Nas, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg (Imagine was beautiful), Rakim... who lost a full record deal in 2001 simply because he wouldn't sell out his politics. That list goes on for a while, but those are some pretty honorable mentions...
However; saying all of this, I would be a fool if I tried taking credit away from those bands who are actually out there doing real shit...
For example bands like Nickelback have made some amazing songs, the number of bands and artists who realize the need for this type of outlook is seriously diminished. Just to give some credit where it's due:
What I'm really rallying for here, is a level of mutual respect between musical genre's. It doesn't matter how you present yourself, just do it in a way that is reflective of your personality! God gave you an identity for a reason, if you're given the opportunity to show the world what you're about, PLEASE, don't let yourself be trampled.
Philanthropy
phi·lan·thro·py /fɪˈlænθrəpi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fi-lan-thruh-pee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -pies.
1. altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
2. the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way: to devote one's later years to philanthropy.
Now, first and foremost on this topic, let me point out that while it would be nice to be able to participate in this side of life's breeze, I am pretty much unable to sacrifice my own life for that of other's in other countries, because of course, I am a working slave for a nation who needs some. Although, after thinking about it, I remember a statistic I heard... Something about 90% of the world's wealth is owned by 10% of it's people? How ridiculous is that?
So... Speaking to you 10%'ers... where's the money? What's it for? Why do YOU need so much?
To everyone else: Did YOU know, that if all of the money in the world was evenly distributed, we would all have 13.5 Million Dollars? Yes, it's true. While many people will argue that it would render money useless, that is simply not true. (honestly)
Now, many people would contend that it's useless to bring up figures like that, because, well... it's unrealistic to think that everyone will get 13.5 Million Dollars in this lifetime or the next. (Stupid Zeitgeist) Wholeheartedly agree with where you're coming from, because if I'm not doing something now, then hell... what AM I trying to do?
So what's my point to bring these figures up? Well, first and foremost realize that celebrities, and musicians often hold a good sum of money. Perhaps not the most money, but well more then many of us could ever hope to have. Second, realize that with the current spread of wealth on the planet, those who have access to money, have much more responsibility towards those issues which are key and vital on this planet. If not those who have money, then who?
In my opinion, music IS a key source of where people are supposed to be discovering themselves, and their spiritual aspects... (What is my purpose?) and they put it to paper... who better to set an example for the rest of the world, then the very people who have battled through the trenches, and have arrived at the promised land. Are those who lead this world afraid of reprise? Do they hesitate to help those less fortunate for fear that the people might rise up against them? If so, the longer you wait, the more likely you should be afraid.
Anyways... I think this has gotten long enough... I probably DO have more to say, but when do I not?
some links:
http://kiva.org/ < href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://ochaonline.un.org/News/Emergencies/Sudan/tabid/1255/Default.aspx">UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Next blog... why drug dealers should work for the government.
"You live and die, your name but forgotten. The words you say echo through time like a corridor abandoned and rotten." - OneRyt
"A Man is condemned or exalted by his words." - Cormega
"I want to say to you, Help yourself, so you can help someone else." - James Brown
[When asked if music has a meaning]
"Definitely, and it's getting more spiritual. Pretty soon I believe people will have to rely on music to get some kind of peace of mind, or satisfaction, or direction, actually. More so than politics, the big ego scene. You know it's an art of words... Meaning nothing. Therefore you will have to get an earthier substance, like music or the arts." Jimi Hendrix
"I'm not a politician, I'm a musician. I care about giving people a place where they can go to enjoy themselves and to begin to live again. To the man you have to give the spirit, and when you give him the spirit, you have done everything." - Pavarotti
"We feel that in the future, groups are going to have to offer much more than just a pop show. They'll have to offer a well-presented theatre show." - Syd Barrett (of Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon)
All of these quotes come from individuals who have made their music without fear of what those around them had to say, or how it was received. They made the music because it was what drove their lives. If nobody bought their stuff, it was okay, cuz they were making the music.
However, all of these individuals had a much bigger idea of what music was to become then has arisen as of late. As a matter of fact, the musical quality of what we listen to has seriously degraded into a really ugly scene. Don't get me wrong, there are some class acts out there now... My Chemical Romance, The Killers, Sam Roberts... the list does go on... however if you notice a difference here, there is a severe lack of recognition towards the actual meaning behind these type's of things.
I think this recognition is lacking for the simple fact that a message that has meaning, strikes motivation into the hearts of the people. Most of the 70's music was politically driven, socially aware and was also about having fun! When you look back to the 70's you can see a myriad of amazing artists who put down their foots and said, this is how I feel! People who lived through the 70's have the benefit of being able to look back and say "I grew up in that, that was my jam!" with pride... Unfortunately for me, I don't think I'll be able to do the same, which is precisely what I'm getting at here. No longer do the people who listen to the music, appreciate that meaningful essence in the music. Instead of musicians evolving their goals into what was envisioned, they have actually been enslaved by the very side of things that they were competing against to begin with. Commercialism, selling out, creating corrosive social environments through the lack of philanthropy and/or care about the common citizen. Instead, artists have been bought by flashy things, and signed under contracts to not say anything controversial because of these endorsements.
Retarded... respect to all the old school rappers who know how the game is/was and should be.
To name a few: Guru (7 Grand Records), Akrobatik, Nas, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg (Imagine was beautiful), Rakim... who lost a full record deal in 2001 simply because he wouldn't sell out his politics. That list goes on for a while, but those are some pretty honorable mentions...
However; saying all of this, I would be a fool if I tried taking credit away from those bands who are actually out there doing real shit...
For example bands like Nickelback have made some amazing songs, the number of bands and artists who realize the need for this type of outlook is seriously diminished. Just to give some credit where it's due:
What I'm really rallying for here, is a level of mutual respect between musical genre's. It doesn't matter how you present yourself, just do it in a way that is reflective of your personality! God gave you an identity for a reason, if you're given the opportunity to show the world what you're about, PLEASE, don't let yourself be trampled.
Philanthropy
phi·lan·thro·py /fɪˈlænθrəpi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fi-lan-thruh-pee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -pies.
1. altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.
2. the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way: to devote one's later years to philanthropy.
Now, first and foremost on this topic, let me point out that while it would be nice to be able to participate in this side of life's breeze, I am pretty much unable to sacrifice my own life for that of other's in other countries, because of course, I am a working slave for a nation who needs some. Although, after thinking about it, I remember a statistic I heard... Something about 90% of the world's wealth is owned by 10% of it's people? How ridiculous is that?
So... Speaking to you 10%'ers... where's the money? What's it for? Why do YOU need so much?
To everyone else: Did YOU know, that if all of the money in the world was evenly distributed, we would all have 13.5 Million Dollars? Yes, it's true. While many people will argue that it would render money useless, that is simply not true. (honestly)
Now, many people would contend that it's useless to bring up figures like that, because, well... it's unrealistic to think that everyone will get 13.5 Million Dollars in this lifetime or the next. (Stupid Zeitgeist) Wholeheartedly agree with where you're coming from, because if I'm not doing something now, then hell... what AM I trying to do?
So what's my point to bring these figures up? Well, first and foremost realize that celebrities, and musicians often hold a good sum of money. Perhaps not the most money, but well more then many of us could ever hope to have. Second, realize that with the current spread of wealth on the planet, those who have access to money, have much more responsibility towards those issues which are key and vital on this planet. If not those who have money, then who?
In my opinion, music IS a key source of where people are supposed to be discovering themselves, and their spiritual aspects... (What is my purpose?) and they put it to paper... who better to set an example for the rest of the world, then the very people who have battled through the trenches, and have arrived at the promised land. Are those who lead this world afraid of reprise? Do they hesitate to help those less fortunate for fear that the people might rise up against them? If so, the longer you wait, the more likely you should be afraid.
Anyways... I think this has gotten long enough... I probably DO have more to say, but when do I not?
some links:
http://kiva.org/ < href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://ochaonline.un.org/News/Emergencies/Sudan/tabid/1255/Default.aspx">UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Next blog... why drug dealers should work for the government.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Hip Hop In The Truest Form
"And what I'm on is hip hop in it's true form." - Masta Ace
This song says it almost precisely how I see it, and I swear there better be MANY more people like me in this way of thinking out there. To say it bluntly, Hip Hop, while not legitimately dead in the core of the Hip Hop community; is dead on the commercial outline. Is it just me? Or is there a massive amount of people who feel this way, but none are actually connected to eachother? Or are all of my friends complete idiots, and it just so happens I live in a completely backwater city? (It is)
To bring it back to the basics here, I'd like to start, for all those who are in the deadzone still (that means you hate me right now, because I "dissed" your favourite artist; like 50 Cent or something...) let me bring you through a bit of a history lesson....
The beat you now enjoy in Hip Hop, evolved from the original art form introduced to the culture by DJ Kool Herc, who came up from Jamaica.
The beat was looped portion's of famous soul vibes by the likes of James Brown and many more, to keep the crowd groovin' to the beats they made. It played on a certain level of expectation within a listener when they listened to a song. You often hear a part which stands out, and really gives you a spark inside when you hear it, and look forward to that part to come again. To deliver that ruch repeatedly was like the ignition to the spark. Of course, from DJ Kool Herc evolved Jam Master Flash (melle mel) and the Furious 5, who enhanced the technique till' it sounded something like this:
Keeping in mind, at this point lyrics were still a fundamental aspect of the music. It may have been played in the clubs, but the song was talking about what? something that everyone could relate to, and could actually coherently think about while it was being said. So the beat made a persons opinion marketable in artform; thus providing another avenue for people to deliver themselves from the shackles of corporate slavery, and social discrimination. Eventually though, as the MTV era drawled on, and the likes of the East Coast West Coast feud came to brew, a gangster aspect to the form was introduced. Keeping steady, there was always a slight element of a "gangster" life in the people who wrote the songs in the past, they were still written in clever prose with specific topics to bear. From this, emerged the frontrunners, 2pac and BIG. Corporate Hip Hop (Corporate America, while not supposing to be influenced by gov't, probably is) had these 2 picked as the marketting scheme of a lifetime. They would represent a slow degrading of the Hip Hop influence in the political spectrum of things, through their roles as "hip hop logos". There was much drawl on the news for 2pac to define what gangster rap was, and focus on giving the gangster side of hip hop life in the hearts of the people it was being prepared for. In short, that whole episode was a well laid plot on behalf of upper class America to prepare the product for the future. Introduce the key element of violence and it's a marketers dream!
a decade later, the meaning has evolved from songs like this from 2pac, the man who initiated it:
To something more like this:
Childish... as the video itself demonstrates in the beginning, and is obvious in the lyrics. However, the beat is still precisely what it's mainly about... to keep those people dancing on the dance floors. So... where have the new artists gone? I mean, true lyricists? There have always been songs for dancing... there used to be incorporated lyrics which could be "related" to in the music, now it's the same 3-4 words in a row for a while... I mean... what talent does that take lyrically? Unless you produced it, you get no props. (and even if you did, you should have left the beat blank and sold it to someone who knew how to make a track)
Seriously though, I challenge one person to bring up an artist in the past year who's gone platinum, and was largely based lyrically... (aside from Common) ... If you hook me up with some new shit, awesome. :)
Any new artists who came out and did well in the past 5-6 years that were largely based lyrically? Aside from Canadian artists... (Classified, DL Incognito) (New artist being the key word) You've got Bishop Lamont, but he's an Aftermath Drone as it stands, who promote a pretty soulless Hip Hop presence. (They've even drained Eminem of any meaning... Infinite was great!)
For those who haven't heard of Infinite before, it was Eminem's first released album back in 1996. It was reminiscent in swagger to that of legendary lyricist Nas.
For your enjoyment...
To show the comparison in style...
So honestly... Where the fuck did these classic tracks go? I remember knowing there were jewels to find, and people respected them. Now it seems everywhere I go, there's a certain disdain for those who appreciate the lyrical portion of things.
Don't get me wrong, there is certainly a fair share of people who are around doing the real Hip Hop that I love, but it's brutal to watch such a vital role in this particularly beautiful musical genre get largely ignored in most people's eyes. The music of a generation is all too often a reflection of a collective type of state of mind of the time's that can be looked back at... I'd like to be able to look back and reflect on something of meaning... I mean... can I beg? Please?
An example for you...
Or something from left field entirely...
Anyways... that's what I gotta say for now... Hip Hop helped people free themselves, and now they're all selling out to the American Economy... You gots cash? That gives you some responsibility in the world if you ask me.
"Intelligent Philanthropists would save the World." - OneRyt
This song says it almost precisely how I see it, and I swear there better be MANY more people like me in this way of thinking out there. To say it bluntly, Hip Hop, while not legitimately dead in the core of the Hip Hop community; is dead on the commercial outline. Is it just me? Or is there a massive amount of people who feel this way, but none are actually connected to eachother? Or are all of my friends complete idiots, and it just so happens I live in a completely backwater city? (It is)
To bring it back to the basics here, I'd like to start, for all those who are in the deadzone still (that means you hate me right now, because I "dissed" your favourite artist; like 50 Cent or something...) let me bring you through a bit of a history lesson....
The beat you now enjoy in Hip Hop, evolved from the original art form introduced to the culture by DJ Kool Herc, who came up from Jamaica.
The beat was looped portion's of famous soul vibes by the likes of James Brown and many more, to keep the crowd groovin' to the beats they made. It played on a certain level of expectation within a listener when they listened to a song. You often hear a part which stands out, and really gives you a spark inside when you hear it, and look forward to that part to come again. To deliver that ruch repeatedly was like the ignition to the spark. Of course, from DJ Kool Herc evolved Jam Master Flash (melle mel) and the Furious 5, who enhanced the technique till' it sounded something like this:
Keeping in mind, at this point lyrics were still a fundamental aspect of the music. It may have been played in the clubs, but the song was talking about what? something that everyone could relate to, and could actually coherently think about while it was being said. So the beat made a persons opinion marketable in artform; thus providing another avenue for people to deliver themselves from the shackles of corporate slavery, and social discrimination. Eventually though, as the MTV era drawled on, and the likes of the East Coast West Coast feud came to brew, a gangster aspect to the form was introduced. Keeping steady, there was always a slight element of a "gangster" life in the people who wrote the songs in the past, they were still written in clever prose with specific topics to bear. From this, emerged the frontrunners, 2pac and BIG. Corporate Hip Hop (Corporate America, while not supposing to be influenced by gov't, probably is) had these 2 picked as the marketting scheme of a lifetime. They would represent a slow degrading of the Hip Hop influence in the political spectrum of things, through their roles as "hip hop logos". There was much drawl on the news for 2pac to define what gangster rap was, and focus on giving the gangster side of hip hop life in the hearts of the people it was being prepared for. In short, that whole episode was a well laid plot on behalf of upper class America to prepare the product for the future. Introduce the key element of violence and it's a marketers dream!
a decade later, the meaning has evolved from songs like this from 2pac, the man who initiated it:
To something more like this:
Childish... as the video itself demonstrates in the beginning, and is obvious in the lyrics. However, the beat is still precisely what it's mainly about... to keep those people dancing on the dance floors. So... where have the new artists gone? I mean, true lyricists? There have always been songs for dancing... there used to be incorporated lyrics which could be "related" to in the music, now it's the same 3-4 words in a row for a while... I mean... what talent does that take lyrically? Unless you produced it, you get no props. (and even if you did, you should have left the beat blank and sold it to someone who knew how to make a track)
Seriously though, I challenge one person to bring up an artist in the past year who's gone platinum, and was largely based lyrically... (aside from Common) ... If you hook me up with some new shit, awesome. :)
Any new artists who came out and did well in the past 5-6 years that were largely based lyrically? Aside from Canadian artists... (Classified, DL Incognito) (New artist being the key word) You've got Bishop Lamont, but he's an Aftermath Drone as it stands, who promote a pretty soulless Hip Hop presence. (They've even drained Eminem of any meaning... Infinite was great!)
For those who haven't heard of Infinite before, it was Eminem's first released album back in 1996. It was reminiscent in swagger to that of legendary lyricist Nas.
For your enjoyment...
To show the comparison in style...
So honestly... Where the fuck did these classic tracks go? I remember knowing there were jewels to find, and people respected them. Now it seems everywhere I go, there's a certain disdain for those who appreciate the lyrical portion of things.
Don't get me wrong, there is certainly a fair share of people who are around doing the real Hip Hop that I love, but it's brutal to watch such a vital role in this particularly beautiful musical genre get largely ignored in most people's eyes. The music of a generation is all too often a reflection of a collective type of state of mind of the time's that can be looked back at... I'd like to be able to look back and reflect on something of meaning... I mean... can I beg? Please?
An example for you...
Or something from left field entirely...
Anyways... that's what I gotta say for now... Hip Hop helped people free themselves, and now they're all selling out to the American Economy... You gots cash? That gives you some responsibility in the world if you ask me.
"Intelligent Philanthropists would save the World." - OneRyt
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