Think Conscious

June 26-July 2, 2008
N’Digo Online Cover Story:

Hip-Hop Conspiracy?
Critics charge conscious rap is silenced
By Cinque Muhammad

The Golden Age of Hip Hop

The year is 1988.

Rappers are the new leaders––picking up where the Black Power Movement ended, some say––and hip-hop has a greater purpose as a force for activism, embodying the new liberation movement.

In this time, many rappers successfully endorse street gang peace treaties and call for an end to all forms of systematic subjugation, such as police brutality. There is much more balance in what is being broadcast for the world to see and hear. Of course, some rappers weave tales of sex and violence; however, listeners are also exposed to just as many MCs who promoted a sense of social responsibility, family values, and a fervent quest for knowledge.

Many hip-hop purists like consider this time period to be a golden era in hip-hop culture.

“Once groups like Public Enemy started coming under scrutiny … these major record labels were like, ‘Nah, we aren’t going to pay for that no more. We’re going to pay for something else,’” says Davey D., Hip Hop historian, journalist and webmaster of DaveyD.com. He suggests that this inequity has been created by the recording industry in an effort to dumb down the masses.

“For some reason, people have forgotten that struggle, and that people’s willingness to oppress you still continues,” Davey D. argues. “What is going on in 2008 is connected to what took place in 1988.”

20 years later

Rap fans from its beginning years reminisce blissfully of the days when one could tune in to BET’s Rap City and watch the seminal ‘gangsta’ rap group NWA, and then be sobered by the anti-violence message in a KRS One video before the commercial break. While your local urban radio station would spin any of Too Short’s “Pimp Talk” (edited, of course), the scientifically, lyrically complex alchemy of Rakim Allah was included on the same play list. And when the 2 Live Crew was turning heads with their sexually explicit stage shows, ever present was the vigilantly political Public Enemy maintaining equilibrium in the rap universe.

Unfortunately, for people who covet those days, things have changed. Read more »

Htp, as you can see Happily Natural Day is going through some changes. We have been updating & rebuilding our email list newsletter after a massive PC crash two weeks ago. Money is tight, gas is high, billz are due; but we are still pushing forward into our 6th year. Recently Deeply Rooted; scheduled April 19th as a response to the hanging of a noose at University of Maryland’s Nyumburu Cultural Center was cancelled. The reasons were beyond our control, but stay tuned for updates for it’s official launch in 2009. I affirm that there is no such thing as failure, only opportunities to bounce back, learn from your mistakes and keep pushing forward. That is called resilience which is the word for today.

re•sil•ience - [ri-zil-yuh ns, -zil-ee-uh ns] – noun 1. the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.

After the Maafa; African people demonstrated resilience by restoring the planet and it’s inhabitants to health and wellness through working together for the collective good.

The economic crisis of today is outstanding. Not to sound pessimistic but I am critical of the fact that non of our “leaders” are talking about this. Gas is almost 4 dollars a gallon, but people are not getting paid any more money. People are loosing their homes, and it is getting more and more expensive to afford real food. Recently I attended Black Marriage Day here in Richmond VA and one of the workshops was on Community Supported Agriculture. Brother Azibo Turner spoke to families purchasing a brown grocery bag filled with organic vegetables from him for 35 dollars a week. If your in Virginia, you may want to take advantage of this, if not find the organic farmers in your area and ask about starting joining a Co-op or CSA in your area. It is only through working together that we can stay stable during these times. The workshop also talked about building your own “off the grid” homes, generating your own power and saving money while protecting the planet. Dubbed “going green” the concept of being pro-actively eco-friendly is getting extremely popularized in mainstream culture.

Speaking of organic vegetables and “going green”, I had a chance to interview Mutabaruka there is past weekend. Mutabaruka is a veteran Garveyite Rasta and Dub Poet. He is also well known for his part as Shango in Haile Gerima’s classic Sankofa. Having graced the stage with legendaries such as Jimmy Cliff, Luciano, Burning Spear and such, Muta has been promoting black consciousness in his poetry since the 1970’s so it was an honor to reason with the bredrin for over an hour in a session called Reclaiming Your African Beauty. Muta is a living example of resiliency in our era. Building his own “off the grid” home in the hills of Jamaica along with practicing a vegetarian diet, made me realize how what is now mainstream, was once shirked as nonsense. 40 years ago the mainstream medical establishment argued that one couldn’t live without meat, only to recant that today and actually promote deleting dead animals from our diet as the best choice. Remember the food pyramid and got milk commercials?

The HND2007 Year End Review

As we sort through 2007, I couldn’t help but think to share with all my world family the highlights for Happily Natural Day in 2007. Big shout to Tropical Soul Lounge & Staff, Mayaneye & MOBBB, DJ Sayeed, Kindu, Knowledge, Dex, Tammy, Angela & the whole Camp Diva staff, FTP Movement, Queen Nzinga & the whole UNIA Prosser-Truth membership. This is a long email because it gotta be. Gone head print it out. Read it later with ya fam. I did this to make sure I didnt leave anybody out. But if i did it wasnt on purpose. Moment of silence for Anita Holloway; master quilter , elder  and friend who made her ascension into ancestorship this year….

We set the year off with a big bang, with Virginia announcement it’s statement of “Profound Regret” for it’s role in the trans-atlantic slave trade, we quickly issued press releases announcing our perspective that “regret is not enough”. In a non-coincidental show of symbolic atonement, the city of Richmond would unveil a statue of reconciliation in Historic Shockoe Bottom just blocks from the auction blocks were hundreds of thousands of our ancestors had been sold. Lots of folks I knew had they WTF face on, wondering when the poll went out to all the black folks of Richmond on whether they were down with this or not.

Upon finding this out, we bought some posterboard and a 2 x 4. Figuring that somebody would have to say something poetic , we figured that somebody should say that regret was not enough and that the state should put their money where their mouth was. So we wrote those messages  (Regret is Not Enough & Put Your $$ Where Ya Mouth Is) on the posterboard and went to the unveiling with  sign in the air. The interesting thing is ours was the only sign in sight making such a statement, or any statement so you couldn’t miss it.  From the faces of the officials trying to avoid looking at the sign, I would say it was poetic. Check the pictures out, the Richmond Free Press did a editorial on the episode. Check the link: http://myspace.com/brothermanifest

Simultaneously, Virginia celebrated the 400 year anniversary of Jamestown in 2007. We responded with our “Tell the Truth about Jamestown” campaign which promoted t-shirts that stated “tell the truth about Jamestown: celebrating 400 years of slavery & genocide”. We found out that the marketing companies involved in promoting the 400 year anniversary events had contracted the Roots to perform in commemoration of the event. So we sent the Roots a message on their forum at okayplayer.com and were able to put the roots onto what was going down. Beautifully, ?uestlove copped a shirt from us before the show (Big shout to Angela Patton of Camp Diva for her participation and $$$ support with the shirts) and made a statement regarding the entire issue that can be viewed on youtube . W e appeared at the concert with signs in hand, shirts for sale and raised alot of eyes, causing people to think critically about the anniversary and race relations in Virginia. For the brother ?uest to stop the show, and tell hip hop they better grow some balls was very much a classic moment for us and everybody who we work with. Check the link here: http:// www. youtube .com/watch?v=eo3X5zIA3Gk

In Feb of 2007 we set it off with Mikeflo of RBG Family with the 2nd Annual Black History Month edition of Soul Power. Now if you haven’t heard Mike Flo, you need to cop A New Day on the Plantation, his mixtape hosted by DJ DRAMA.  Yeah I said it. DJ DRAMA & MIKE FLO. Blurring all the misconceptions you heard, because hip hop aint static. GANGSTA GRILLZ!! The brother Mike FLO  is serious on the mic and relevent with the content. Check out his epk here: http:// video.aol.com/video-detail/ mike - flo -peoples-choice/3478911782

In April of 2007, Happily Natural went global and attended Adornment 2007 www. adornment .org.uk/ as a panelist with Erykah Badu on the Beyond Image: Emancipation through Self-Discovery panel. This was a 5 day trip and the first time we had ever been to London England, and was a great opportunity to see the universal breath that permeates our people at this time as it relates to our consciousness and embracing of our heritage and culture. All the brothers and sisters we met, were beyond words.  Nuff love to Patrica Green of WPG Marketing for making the trip happen for us. Patricia recently did some big work with Kanye West and his mother Donda before she passed away in promotion of the Kanye West Foundation and the Raising Kayne Book by Dr. West. Check the link: blackgivesback.blogspot.com /2007/08/hip-hop-superstar -kanye-west-combats.htm

One thing about London we will never forget is we are there in full effect. When I say we I mean culturally aware and politically active & spiritual Africans. We stayed in brixton and felt like we were in harlem. Really from kemetic yoga, to natural haircare, to cultural empowerment, we are representing on a global scale to uplift our people. If you are reading this in texas and feel like we feel-that we as african people are glorious and need to raise our consciousness, there is someone who feels just like you all over the world from Tanzania to Sierra Leone. We were blessed to link with Devon Thomas, who does tours and gave us a bus trip around the local sites, we were able to stop at the National Maritime Museum of London and learned about how the British were celebrating the 200th year anniversary of the abolition of the trans-atlantic slave trade. It was very interesting to see the parallels between the US and Britian in how they address the issue of colonialism and slavery. Kind of a cognitive dissonance in both, selectively remembering the “good” and dumbing down the horrors, while promoting the current “multi-cultural diversity” asa  result of the rape of the continent and enslavement of our ancestors. Quite interesting as well were the simillarities between the slave auction market in London and in Shockoe Bottome Richmond. They were identical in architexture down to the roof style and cobblestone roads that still exist in both…

In august Happily Natural Day launched for the 5th time, featuring Queen Afua and Runoko Rashidi.  Baba Runoko and I talked while he was in town and he was saying how he was proud of us for carrying the torch and putting the scholarship into the minds of our generation. We stand on the shoulders of giants like Runoko Rashidi & Queen Afua. Thanks for them for putting the information out for us to grow.  Heal Thyself came on as a sponsor for happily Natural Day this year which was very much historical. Check the link for Heal Thyself: http://www.queenafuaonline.com/

Happily Natural Day 2007 was hot. It was beautiful.  Scorching . Beautifully hot scorching . The hottest day of the year in Richmond.  Check the site http://happilynaturalday.com for pics. Pauline Bailey came through from England and held it down with brother Manifest like a champion. The sisters interactive exhibit “Dark Matters” was featured at Propaganda Art Gallery in collaboration with Elegba Folklore and Happily Natural Day who partnered up and presented Blacks Reconnecting Globally the same summer. Elegba and HND solidified a great link up with VCU’s African American Studies Department with a panel on the Global African experience with representatives from the Carribean, UK, and Africa. 

Our partnerships with the Black Luv Fest and Papi Kymone Freeman on the co-promotional tip was flawless in execution. Big up to them and check the link: http:// www. blackluvfest .info Same deal with Can A Sister Rock A Mic: Check the link: http://w ww.bgirlmanifesto.com What up Kimani? All this fusion marketing was so significant in 2007. This was cooperative economics in full effect. Shout out to Scienz of Life, Mama Ayo of AAHA www. aaha -info.org/ , Head-Roc & Jared Ball upset the set up .wordpress.com/ , Malaika Cooper of Dreadz N Headz  www.dreadznheadz.com @ and Mama Akousua of the Kuumba Family & the International Locks Conference www. locksconference .com/ . We looking forward to working with all the families again in 2008. Special Shout out to Taliah Wajid of the W o rld Natural Haircare Expo http://www.naturalhairshow.org/  who came through in the clutch with a sponsorship. All respect due to Organic Root Stimulator , for breaking bread with us for 2 years in a row, Kimberly is a blessing and great energy. Shannon we looking forward to seeing you in 2008 to be down in Richmond! It’s crazy I had to go to London to meet somebody from Chicago!!

One of the biggest links we had was with FTP Movement http://www.ftpmovement.tk/ . Shout out to Taj Anwar of MOBBB mobbb.org/  & Kalonji of FTP. They couldnt make it down because of the storm in Atlanta in August of 07. I felt so bad, hearing Taj on the phone at the airport in Atlanta telling me that all the flights had been cancelled that weekend. But it is all good. She was so mad too! Ah well..We can’t control the whether, or can’t afford to yet (i.e. HAARP…) How was it the hottest day of the year in Richmond and a hurricane in Atlanta during Happily Natural Day? Anyway…Atlantis is rising and we are so overdue for a trip to A-Town. From those who don’t know Taj and Kalonji, get to know them. Black August 2008 is gonna be a sure serious thang. Right now we are working on http://soulplanet.com a ecommerce site for us. I been real busy so the products aint up, but if you got web design skills holla atcha hombre so we can get this stuff wrapped up. Hope to see ya’ll in April at The World Natural Hair Expo.

We also linked with Tropical Soul in bringing the First Annual Hip Hop Summit to Richmond VA. WOW. What you know about it!! Okay we had some glitches. transportation issues prohibited Afrika bambatta and Lord Tafiq from attending. Popmaster Fabel, Walidah Imarisha, Muhammad of rocksteady, and Hasan Salaam of 5th Column headed the program. The Richmond Times Dispatch covered it, and said that the program was about conspiracy theories. I hate that whenever black people talk about the what we have broken down as root issues of our problems we are called conspiracy theorists but when white folks talk about the root issues of our problems they are called experts and put on tv. This was a great program for anyone blaming hip hop for the death of the black community. Great representation of diversity in hip hop as it featured dancers, activists and emcees. I got that footage coming Iz. Thanks again Nadera!!

We also dropped the Black Freedom Mixtape Vol. 2 which was a banger, produced by Dj Sayeed. With nuff exclusive music and a bonus track featuring yours truly… check the link: http://happilynaturalday.com to cop that joint. In October of 2007 we launched Love Culture, a juice bar/bookstore and featured Dhoruba Bin Wahad former Black Panther Party member and political prisoner.  Love Culture is co-owned by Kamean Daniels of Our Conscious Mindz. Come through on Friday Dec.28th and check out The Rebirth of Soul Music feat. Khari Lemuel. Also we are looking for merchandise, so authors, craftsmen, and fashion designers get at us @ http://loveculturemovement.com . So far programs with JR of the Block Report Radio and The POCC, Lyric Ave, the UNIA & NGE have been a powerful omen of things to come.

Also in Oct. we moderated a panel in Philly at the International Locks Conference www. locksconference .com/  featuing Linda Jones of A Nappy Hair Affair www. nappy hair affair .com/ , Thando Kafele www. thando kafele .com/  and Lori Tharp of hair story who has a blog http://myamericanmeltingpot .blogspot.com/  It was nice meeting her, and everybody else in Philly that weekend. Special Shout to Yvette Smalls & Estan!! Much Love to Mama Akousua and the Kuumba Family.

In Dec. the UNIA was honored by the Defenders of Freedom, Justice & Equality  defenders fje.tripod.com/ for our work with Happily Natural Day and in the Prisoners. Unfortunately I couldnt attend the ceremony becuase I was in prison. Not like locked up, but doing conflict resolution training through Alternatives to Violence Project. Nuff respect to DFJE, thanks to sister Ana for linking us with the radio spot, that was classic Naji of the Black Auguust Organizing Committee, Papi Kymone and myself talking about the now revolution. I wish I had that on mp3. hint hint… DFJE is huge organizing around social and political issues locally and internationally. So to be honored by this organization is very humbling and we appreciate it greatly.

Kwanzaa is going down as we speak, and it is so very significant. The Kwanzaa Kollective has done for Richmond what has been long needed. By bringing us together it has awakened a spirit of collectivity that alot of folks just talked about. Thanks for brother Kindu Shabazz for putting that in place for the city. Love Culture/GCTC is putting down Harambee Live on Dec. 31 for Kuumba, and the UNIA/Re of Life/Propaganda Gallery is putting it it down for an Experiential Ujima Workshop on Dec. 28th for Ujima.

Get at us. Stay connected to us. Serious. If you read all the above you know you down. Besides the fact this was perhaps the longest email you’ve read from me all year…How can you hate on the postivity we bringing right now? It is oh so significant right now. Vendors for Happily Natural Day are being screened as we speak, for vendors from previous years, we have a special for you all and a referral program that will offer a discount for your referring a new vendor to us that registers and for you being a vendor from a previous year. More info on that soon come.

2007 was a banner year. Big things went down, some bad but lots good. Such is the eb and flow, but we keep on keeping on. Ride with us, or let us know how we can ride with you as we quest to push our people up.

Signing off for 2007. Brother Manifest

< http://loveculturemovement.com

<< http://happilynaturalday.com   < soon to be new & improved…

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PS. If you want off the mailing list just reply remove! I love you too !!

PSS: interested in Happily Natural 2008 & Black is Beautiful Campaign: hndsupport@gmail.com

PSSS: for Experiental Conflict Resolution Workshops , Print & Web Media Design  & Speaking Engagements call 804-687-8157

PEACEEEEEE

Holistic Parenting from the Pan Afrikan Perspective
edited by Iya Raet

Book Review by Dan Tres OMI

As parents of over 13 years, we did a good deal of second guessing. Before my wife and I got married we decided to raise our children on a particular path. We were not going to vaccinate them, we would not indoctrinate them in Judeo Christian beliefs, we were going to teach them of their African past, and one of us would have to stay home. We wanted to experience a natural childbirth. They would be breast fed and we would not use drugs to try and heal them. In doing so, we were going against the grain. Many of our friends and relatives protested. Some people willingly blocked our path. At times, we felt alone in our struggle. Thankfully, we were able to find family and friends who were not only supportive of our decision but were also walking the same path.

However, this is not the case for many families. We have encountered several couples who have moved near us with horror stories and people thwarting their attempts to raise their children in a much more holistic sense. Some felt very alone in their path. Many of us have been conditioned to fear anything outside of the Western medical system. We have be taught that we had to take several harmful drugs, ideas, attitudes, and culture to heal ourselves. So much so that we are viciously attacked in several ways by the establishment whether it is through Social Services, the court system, or family and friends who are brainwashed by evangelical pimps.

Reading Holistic Parenting from the Pan Afrikan Perspective was like finding that light at the end of the tunnel. Iya Raet tapped into her community to find people of like minds. The book is filled with wonderful true to life stories of natural childbirthing. Raet gives tips on breastfeeding, wearing children, cloth diapers, and other tidbits of information that are helpful, inspiring, and holistic. There is even a section on first aid that centers around herbs.

What I enjoyed most about the book is that Raet did not stop at just child rearing. She had others explain how to maintain a self sustaining household. There is a chapter on solar energy and how to make one’s home self sufficient. There is a section on making one’s home much more organized for work and play. There is even a chapter on hair care. The book is an easy read and does not have to be read from cover to cover. One can go back and reference each section as they begin their holistic parenting.

I cannot express the importance of owning this book. From personal experience, it has reassured the path my wife and I decided to embark upon. It demonstrated that we are not alone. It also made clear that we are not crazy. Parenting is a two way street. I thought that I would be the one teaching. Instead, I realized that I would be the student. Holistic Parenting… taught me that I still have much to learn.

If there is a lesson that we all must continue to learn is never judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, it is a lesson we relearn over and over again despite the problems we encounter in that remedial and unfortunate session. Everyone has encountered the loud mouthed “militant” who sports red, black, and green wrist or head bands and turns around and commits more crimes against his people. Everyone has encountered the head wrap wearing, incense burning young lady who we later learn is a community sperm depository. We all know someone who owns every book by ever Afrocentric scholar under the sun and who makes every lecture on the east coast but treats the young bloods like animals. Or better yet, quite a few of us has come into contact with those who talk a good game but when are needed, are no where to be found. We can go on and on with examples. I am sure the readers can each write a chapter on their personal experiences. It is better that we analyze the situation instead of overly criticize those who fake the funk. We need to ask questions, answer them, and find solutions.

Why is it that the Black Power/Black Consciousness motif so popular with young people?

Being involved with the conscious community in some way or another for half of my life, I realized that these communities are filled with young people normally of college age. It is rare to find elders who are either Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE), Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA), Ausar Auset, Nation of Islam (NOI), Black Panther Party, and other Black Nationalists, African centered, or consciousness raising groups. A great number of young people are out of their parents homes by 18 whether they are in college, military, or on their own. Much of the supervision and indoctrination given by their parents has been removed so they are left to explore. We all go through it. We don’t have to go to church on Sundays. We are free to venture out and try new things and experience new ways and actions.

At this age, many of us are impressionable, fiery, and full of energy so we go into these experiences as fresh neophytes. We are quick to preach mantles yet find little time to apply the new information. It becomes like a fad. We ride it. Make some good times, meet some beautiful members of the opposite sex, make some noise, and then pack up our tents. This is one reason why we may encounter someone who was a hardcore muslim with Pan Africanist leanings, then a few years later this person is a born again Xian who acts as if their Black muslim kick never happened.

Why is it so attractive?

First, there is always the physical. When our folks are at their natural, they are at their best. When we see a group of brothers rocking locks and some RBG or when we see sisters in wraps and long skirts, we can sense the energy. Physically, it’s a beautiful thing (go to Happily Natural Day in Richmond to catch my drift). The scents, the faces, the hair, and other physical traits are tremendously attractive.

It is always wonderful to hear people speak on the strength of one’s people. This is especially so when it comes to speaking about Nation Time. I recall being out in NYC one time and watching these born again Xian white folks approach a brother who was clearly Hebrew Israelite. As they engaged in their debate, a crowd of our folks swarmed them to listen in. He responded, “you all just want to hear me put these white folks to bed….” and he stalked off. He was so right.

Why do so many people discard it after a few years of being involved?

This happens quite often. When one is in college, the military, or other means that causes one to be independent of their parents, one has the least amount of responsibilities. There is time to think and contemplate on things one never had the opportunity to do before. There is time to hang out and volunteer. There is time to go to lectures and read books. When one all of sudden grows up, there are new responsibilities. One has to pay rent. One has to work a new job with few benefits. The time one spent organizing, reading, attending lectures is gone. The “grind” moves in.

Another reason is that people begin to wonder what their purpose is. The fear of one’s mortality sets in. It is easier to conform. It is easier to believe in a mystery god. The fear of losing one’s job for being too ‘militant’ is heavy on one’s mind. To get a particular gig, one was to cut their locks and put away the African centered books.

One problem we fail to realize is that we learn all that information but never give ourselves the opportunity to apply it. People say that knowledge is power. Yet there are huge libraries in impoverished areas and that is where the least power is. Applied knowledge is power. Since we never apply it, we never see the need to keep acquiring it. So we discard it or discontinue our search for new/old information.

Next: How to fix this problem.

Dan Tres OMi

by Ra Sun (Thinkconscious.com contributor)

First, allow me to lay foundation by assessing HipHop and providing the lens through which I will refer to it from here on:

HipHop and true HipHoppers are to music what Jeet Kune Do and Bruce Lee were to Martial Arts. We take the good and improve on it, we take that, which we can’t use and we disgard it. The result was not simply music but a philosophy or an approach that has or will ultimately redefine the art-form (Music) forever.

You see, many members of the older generations, when they refer to HipHop, claim that it is not music at all. Previously, this would have infuriated me, however, with a cool head, I can see now that in many ways they are actually correct. HipHop is more philosophy than music, more approach and application then creation.

Keeping these things in mind, the example of Jeet Kune Do is perfect for HipHop because we take pieces of everything and create something new, though perhaps not entirely original. Within the HipHop arena the DJ/Producer will be my focus for the primary example that I am about to present. You see the same spirit of Jeet Kune Do very similary shown in this aspect of “HipHop Music.” A producer may take drums from an old Al Green song, guitars from a Country song, horns from an old Coltrane song, melody from an old Nina Simone ballad, sample someone’s voice for the chorus and mesh all of these elements into an instrumental that will almost bring tears to your eyes. Because of this tendancy to acquire and re-invent, many discredit HipHop as not being “Real Music” or HipHop artists as not having true knowledge of music.

First of all, one must have a strong working knowledge of music — period — to be gifted at sampling. In HipHop we call these types of people, “crate diggers” even if they do not literally dig for old vinyl like a DJ might. Secondly, is this not in the same vein of every other form of music? Can we not trace music back from through R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Hymns, Spirituals, Traditional African Songs. We can do the same thing with B-Boying, taking it back through Capoeira and West African dance. We could even trace Graffiti back to Phoenoecian script, to Sanskrit, to Cuneiform, to Hieratic and Heiroglyphics, to Meroitic script.

Speaking spiritually, can we not trace Islam and Christianity to Judaism and Zoroastrianism? Can we not trace Judaism to Egyptian Traditional “Wisdom Religion”? Can we not trace that to Kushitic “Religion?”

Thus, the saying still holds true, “there is nothing new under the Sun.”

Thus, HipHop is to music what Taoism is to Religion. It is an underlying philosophy that can contradict, compliment, or a mixture of both. I heard a fellow Zulu say: “Wisdom is the ability to have two opposing ideas in ones head, while choosing neither side.”

Very well put, though I forget the source he extracted it from.

All things in consideration, this is why, contrary to many others, I believe that HipHop can never “die.” HipHop is not simply a phase or another type of music, HipHop is a musical and mathematical philosophy. It was here before it was ever called “HipHop” and it will always be here. The spirit of the HipHopper is the spirit of the Alchemist. It just so happens that, for this century, we took lead (black and brown life in Bronx, NY) and turned it into Gold (global culture).

At the base of this philosophy are two universal themes: (1) The search for truth and (2) the pursuit of harmony (in our case, rhythm, as expressed through or around the drum).

Now that we have laid foundation, we can get down to business.

HipHop and spirituality go hand-and-hand for many reasons. There are those unwritten and unspoken reasons that one must simply experiences. For example, if anyone thinks that HipHop cannot be spiritual, I challenge them to listen to the Mos Def lament, “Umi Says” and not be moved. I likewise challenge them to attend a right and exact HipHop show and not be carried away by the experience.

Then, there are, of course, those reasons, which I can express in written form.

Near the base of this argument is my knowledge that HipHop at its root is a pure search for truth. Anyone who has been exposed to “true HipHop” will agree with me on that point. How many countless youths have been awakened to the pursuit of truth and right knowledge through HipHop? There are various personal accounts that I could give, however, I will spare you with the details.

Further evidence can be found within the activity of HipHop itself, globally.

Now, mind you, I am not interested in analyzing good vs bad or talking about the specific effects of either, in this piece. Instead, I am interesting in the over-arching impact that HipHop has had and if you look closely, it has largely been a unifying force and a tool of trascendence and dissimination of information. We made everything we touched, just a little bit more Beautiful.

Again, we can argue the value of what causes people have unified for and what type of information has been dissiminated in another argument. To that, in this piece, I reply, that HipHop itself is equal to the status, which one would apply to a Shovel.

Yes, a shovel.

You see, a shovel, in and of itself, has no positive or negative attributes beyond the fact that it is a Shovel. Now, when one picks up said shovel, it is decided by the *individual* whether to use that shovel to plant a garden or to go hit someone with it.

Thus, we may say that the shovel alone is neither good nor bad, it is simply a tool to be used by the righteous or un-righteous.

Food for thought.

If there is anyone in whom we can track one’s evolution, it is in the man known as Malcolm X. Today May 19th, is his 80th born day. It is a day I look forward to every year. It is by his standard that I set my life to. Understand that this is no idol worship. I see that he was a man. An honest, hardworking family man who was caught up in some extraordinary circumstances. Yet Malcolm X did not falter from his destiny. It is unfortunate that his handwritten memoirs have yet to be published. Many of my colleagues ask, why Malcolm X? Why do you choose to emulate someone like him? Or as my wife asks, why are most of your heroes dead or in jail? There are several reasons why I look to Malcolm X for inspiration. My answer to them is why not? Why not Malcolm X?

One reason is his story. Many people do not realize that his parents were Garveyites. In Dr. Jan Carew’s Ghost in Our Blood, we learn that his mother was very close to Marcus Garvey. We learn that his parents would allow Garvey to spend evenings at their house. His mother Louis Helen Little would transcribe letters for Garvey. His father, Earl Little was a self made man. He was a jack of all trades. He was a carpenter, plumber, and electrician. Thus, Malcolm came from an educated and resourceful family. After the murder of his father however, Malcolm and his siblings were separated from his mother. Due to this tragic turn of events, Malcolm soon led a life of crime. While serving ten years in prison, he was called Satan because he would curse God every night. Eventually he came into contact with the teachings of the Elijah Muhammed. It was here that he returned to consciousness. I find that his story is one that most youngbloods from impoverished, drug ravaged communities can relate to. Malcolm, when he was called Detroit Red, ran through the streets pimping and drug pushing. Going from Malcolm Little to Detroit Red to Satan to Malcolm X and finally El Hajj Malik Shabazz is something we can learn from. In Malcolm X, we find a man who sank into the depths of despair emerged a god like figure.

As a leader, Malcolm never took advantage of his position. As I aspired to lead others, I make the same choices much to the chagrin of others. Yet a leader is privileged enough just to be in that position. All the “perks” in my opinion are only there to feed one’s ego. Malcolm remained disciplined and loyal despite the efforts of the FBI, the CIA, and those within the NOI to set him up.

As a para-intellectual, his mind was ever evolving. He continued to learn up until the day of his assassination. This discipline is one that I follow as well. I have talked to several people who knew him and that is one description that remains constant. Malcolm X made it point to not be an elitist. He was able to talk to folks on the street and at the same time be able to debate any professor from any university on the planet. This example is something I attempt to maintain everyday. I want to be able to sit back and drink a deuce with my folks on any street corner. Yet I sharpen my mind to go against any academic in their hallowed halls of higher learning. This is another description that came up.

At the end of the day, Malcolm was a family man. His daughters speak of him as a loving and warm father figure. He was stern and only needed to speak to get their attention, love, and obedience. This is something I struggle with as well. He was never afraid to speak of his family life. He even pointed out his flaws as a husband.

Finally, what I love about Malcolm is that he understood that he was imperfect. In his autobiography (which unfortunately for us was written by the CIA hack Alex Haley – and that is another story altogether), Malcolm consistently reflected on his past actions. If anything he was highly critical of himself. As women and men, we must always analyze our past selves.

Malcolm is someone I enjoy discussing and learning about. As a youngblood, I worshiped him. Yet as I grew older, I came to respect and further understand who he was and what he stood for. He was an ordinary man who loved his people so much, he was willing to die for them. I don’t mind that the mainstream media does not even mention his name. I don’t mind that most people I encounter have no clue of who he is. It does not bother me that people call me at times to ask me what he did. I know that he is a hero. I do get a wonderful feeling when my children see a picture of him and yell out his name. That is enough for me.

Ernesto “Che” Guevara before he was murdered made a statement. He said “You can kill me, I am just a man!” to the assassins who were hesitant to kill him. Yet his work and his example continues to live on decades after his murder. We can say the same thing about Malcolm X. We can also call him ‘Omowale’ or the son who returns home.