For Further Information Call 347-531-8936Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Rappin' About Reparations
You can talk about some things in America when it comes to race; dead Civil Rights leaders, desegregation etc but when it comes to talkin' about the dreaded "R" word, all bets are off!
According to news reports, the United States will not participate in the upcoming UN World Conference Against Racism unless some changes are made to the conference's final document including, according to the Associated Press, "language on reparations for slavery."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h-NABlEjaGSsDBh_qdpdNmX7V6VwD96K620G0
What tha....?
This is not the first time that the US has pulled out of the World Conference on Racism, remember they got ta steppin back in 2001.
http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/racism/index.html
You mean to tell me that even with a black president in the White House, the issue of Reparations is still taboo?
There have been many African Americans who have dedicated their lives fighting to have the United States pay the victims of the African Holocaust something for their pain and suffering and to have the US take a chill pill on a meeting to discuss the issue is a diss to everyone with black skin.
Also, this announcement coming during Black History Month is another slap in the face.
Why don't you just call me the "N" word and slap me with a piece of fried chicken?
And you mean to tell me that President Obama is OK with this?
I mean, it's cool to give fist bumps and chill at basketball games but come on...
I'm just saying, someone is dangerously close to gettin' his Brotha's card snatched.
I can't put all the blame on the Prez, though. The real tragedy is the failure of African Americans to stand up for issues like Reparations.
We can get outraged because of a cartoon with a monkey but when it comes to dealin' with something with some substance, we bury our heads in the sand.
Just as millions of black folks organized to get people to vote for a black man, we must now organize to insure that issues such as Reparations are no longer ignored.
We owe it not only to ourselves but the millions of our ancestors whose bones rest at the bottom of the Atlantic.
According to news reports, the United States will not participate in the upcoming UN World Conference Against Racism unless some changes are made to the conference's final document including, according to the Associated Press, "language on reparations for slavery."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h-NABlEjaGSsDBh_qdpdNmX7V6VwD96K620G0
What tha....?
This is not the first time that the US has pulled out of the World Conference on Racism, remember they got ta steppin back in 2001.
http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/racism/index.html
You mean to tell me that even with a black president in the White House, the issue of Reparations is still taboo?
There have been many African Americans who have dedicated their lives fighting to have the United States pay the victims of the African Holocaust something for their pain and suffering and to have the US take a chill pill on a meeting to discuss the issue is a diss to everyone with black skin.
Also, this announcement coming during Black History Month is another slap in the face.
Why don't you just call me the "N" word and slap me with a piece of fried chicken?
And you mean to tell me that President Obama is OK with this?
I mean, it's cool to give fist bumps and chill at basketball games but come on...
I'm just saying, someone is dangerously close to gettin' his Brotha's card snatched.
I can't put all the blame on the Prez, though. The real tragedy is the failure of African Americans to stand up for issues like Reparations.
We can get outraged because of a cartoon with a monkey but when it comes to dealin' with something with some substance, we bury our heads in the sand.
Just as millions of black folks organized to get people to vote for a black man, we must now organize to insure that issues such as Reparations are no longer ignored.
We owe it not only to ourselves but the millions of our ancestors whose bones rest at the bottom of the Atlantic.
NWSF Bullet: Nike's Black History Month Sneakers
Gee, thanks Nike! (I think...)
I caught Roland Martin's segment on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, this morning. He had some dude from Nike talking about their new Black History Month Air Force Ones.
http://theshoegame.com/articles/2009-black-history-month-nike-air-force-1.html
Since there are only two days left in Black History Month, I thought it was a little late...But, ok
When the guy said that the sneakers were supposed to commemorate the contributions of African Americans, I thought Tom Joyner posed a legitimate question...
"How? "
Are they going to have pictures of black folks are the shoes?
I don't think that the Nike guy was expecting such a deep question about how a sneaker could represent black history because Joyner had to ask the question again before he got an answer.
At that point Roland Martin came to the rescue by saying that the shoe has a hundred symbol on the back to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NAACP.
(Thanks for clearing that up, Ro. I thought that it was the price of the shoe before tax...)
He also said that the shoe was red, black and green; the colors of Marcus Garvey's Universal African Negro Improvement Organization.
(Psst...Someone please tell the brainiacs at Nike that the NAACP was opposed to the Garvey Movement and the colors associated with it)
Any way, I still thought that it was still kinda cool to put out a Black History shoe. Surely, they must be puttin' the sneakers in hoods across the country for an affordable price of $20 or so and maybe...just maybe...including a black history book in each shoe box...
Nope. They are only producing 350 pairs to be given to black folks who have made a contribution to black history..
I suddenly got a visual of 80 year old Civil Rights veterans sportin' their new kicks and dancin' to Nelly's song "Air Force Ones."
What probably happened is some marketing exec at Nike said , "Hey guys...It's almost March and we haven't exploited Black History Month,yet."
So, they got 350 pairs of old Air Force Ones and spray painted them red, black and green and called the producers at the Tom Joyner Morning Show and got some free advertising on the top rated urban morning show in the country.
Hey, Roland...I'm giving out a couple of No Warning Shots Fired.com Black History Month shoe strings this weekend...
Can I get five minutes on the TJMS to plug my website?
I caught Roland Martin's segment on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, this morning. He had some dude from Nike talking about their new Black History Month Air Force Ones.
http://theshoegame.com/articles/2009-black-history-month-nike-air-force-1.html
Since there are only two days left in Black History Month, I thought it was a little late...But, ok
When the guy said that the sneakers were supposed to commemorate the contributions of African Americans, I thought Tom Joyner posed a legitimate question...
"How? "
Are they going to have pictures of black folks are the shoes?
I don't think that the Nike guy was expecting such a deep question about how a sneaker could represent black history because Joyner had to ask the question again before he got an answer.
At that point Roland Martin came to the rescue by saying that the shoe has a hundred symbol on the back to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NAACP.
(Thanks for clearing that up, Ro. I thought that it was the price of the shoe before tax...)
He also said that the shoe was red, black and green; the colors of Marcus Garvey's Universal African Negro Improvement Organization.
(Psst...Someone please tell the brainiacs at Nike that the NAACP was opposed to the Garvey Movement and the colors associated with it)
Any way, I still thought that it was still kinda cool to put out a Black History shoe. Surely, they must be puttin' the sneakers in hoods across the country for an affordable price of $20 or so and maybe...just maybe...including a black history book in each shoe box...
Nope. They are only producing 350 pairs to be given to black folks who have made a contribution to black history..
I suddenly got a visual of 80 year old Civil Rights veterans sportin' their new kicks and dancin' to Nelly's song "Air Force Ones."
What probably happened is some marketing exec at Nike said , "Hey guys...It's almost March and we haven't exploited Black History Month,yet."
So, they got 350 pairs of old Air Force Ones and spray painted them red, black and green and called the producers at the Tom Joyner Morning Show and got some free advertising on the top rated urban morning show in the country.
Hey, Roland...I'm giving out a couple of No Warning Shots Fired.com Black History Month shoe strings this weekend...
Can I get five minutes on the TJMS to plug my website?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Revolution Ain't Gonna Be Televised (On C-Span)
The Revolution Ain't Gonna Be Televised (on C-Span)
The Commercialization of Black Nationalism
Paul Scott
There was a time when the mere mention of the words Black Power would shake the very foundations of the earth and have white folks and nervous Negroes runnin' for the hills. But in 2009, the reaction to Black Power reminds me of the Arsenio Hall Show from back in tha day.
'Umm...Yesss...Black Power...Woof! Woof! Woof!..Now Sheila E, take us outta here with some of that ole nasty, pasturized homogenized, fried, died and laid to tha side, National Public Radio type funk.....'
This weekend C-Span will air the latest Tavis Smiley State of Black America Forum that will dwell into the deepest crevices of the black problem and sometime before 6PM come up with the miracle cure for all that is ailin' black folks. While this article may come off as the rant of someone who is playa hatin' or just mad that his first class ticket to the forum got accidently sent to Dr. Professor W.E. Dolittle, dean of African American Studies at Pale University ,the issue at hand is the real state of Black leadership in the 21st Century.
The question of who speaks for the Negro has long posed a problem for black and white folks, alike. Whether it be white reporters , scrambling to find a responsible and sober minded "Negro" to denounce another brotha for having the audacity to not only think black but to talk and live black as well. Or black folks jockeying for the coveted position of HNIC. The need for a national black spokesman has always been the source of great debate.
Over the decades, Black folks have fought each other tooth and nail to see who would be in charge of determining the destiny of the race. The paramount issue has always been segregation vs integration, whether African Americans would determine their own destinies or would forever be satisfied to accept the crumbs from "massa's" table. Whether the masses of black people should be organized into a mighty black nation and wage war against white supremacy to secure the Freedom of black children once and for all or whether the strategy is to invade corporate America, one by one, until 100 years from now we have a small ( yet intellectually militant) army of Brooks Brother suit wearing, BMW drivin' , suburb livin' CEO's of (still white owned) corporations. The division has always been there between those who determined to nudge their way into building the white man's heaven on earth and the bad boy outcasts who would have just as soon seen Babylon burn down. Whether it be Marcus Garvey vs W.E.B. Dubois, Malcolm X vs Martin Luther King Jr or Chuck D vs MC Hammer the issue has remained.
White America has had a vested interest on who would carry the mantel of black leadership and which ideology would be most beneficial to her interests. Since the integrationists were at least willing to sit down and talk to white folks, this ideology won out and has received the financial blessings of white mega corporations. While many "mainstream" black organizations depend on white dollars for their spectacular conventions and plush office furniture, the black nationalists are reduced to meeting in the back of book stores and barbershops and praying that it doesn't rain on their "convention" in the middle of tha 'hood in Martin Luther King Park.
This has resulted in a kind of dual Black Power Movement. One side made up of a collection of middle to upper class doctors, lawyers, preachers, professors and anyone else who is deemed capable of articulating the "black thang" in proper English by white folks. The other side is made up of a rag, tag fugitive fleet of street activists who are in the constant struggle between working to feed their families and working for the people.
So the question becomes do the middle class black folks that are given all the air time truly represent the feelings of the masses of black folks or are their ideologies more closely aligned with the white middle class. Are the values espoused by the 2009 Civil Rights all-stars the blueprint for the future of black America or just a Eurocentric, capitalist ideology in black face? Although many at the forum will no doubt speak on the need for unity, the class division in the Black Power/Empowerment Movement must be addressed.
This class division is best exemplified in the wild world of Hip Hop. If Hip Hop is indeed the parallel universe of the Black Power Movement (In a Bizzaro World kind of way) then the struggle being waged by underground Hip Hop artists against commercial Hip Hop should be reflective of the struggle against commercialized Black Power by the black nationalists.
Just as white owned mega companies have hand picked the commercial artists to head the Hip Hop Movement by promoting them heavily in magazines and making sure that they are the only voices that are heard on urban radio, have these same corporations also picked black leadership?
The rebellion against commercial Hip Hop is evident in the works of North Carolina artists such as Da Poet Tim Jackson, Queen Sharon and the rapper Crown King, who have decided to put out their own CD's and present them to the masses of people instead of being another one of 'tha man's' commercial Hip Hop clones. As these talented artists may never get a spot on Def Poetry Slam or get signed to a multi-million dollar contract with Universal Entertainment, our most intelligent black minds may never be a guest on the Tavis Smiley Show or get invited to one of the symposiums.
So, I probably won't watch the symposium on Saturday as the black intelligentsia get together to discuss how best to divide there millions of dollars in corporate assets to develop another generation of Black Power Urban Professionals, I like the other outcasts will be in tha hood, trying to do the impossible with nothing.
***originally written 2005**
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
The Commercialization of Black Nationalism
Paul Scott
There was a time when the mere mention of the words Black Power would shake the very foundations of the earth and have white folks and nervous Negroes runnin' for the hills. But in 2009, the reaction to Black Power reminds me of the Arsenio Hall Show from back in tha day.
'Umm...Yesss...Black Power...Woof! Woof! Woof!..Now Sheila E, take us outta here with some of that ole nasty, pasturized homogenized, fried, died and laid to tha side, National Public Radio type funk.....'
This weekend C-Span will air the latest Tavis Smiley State of Black America Forum that will dwell into the deepest crevices of the black problem and sometime before 6PM come up with the miracle cure for all that is ailin' black folks. While this article may come off as the rant of someone who is playa hatin' or just mad that his first class ticket to the forum got accidently sent to Dr. Professor W.E. Dolittle, dean of African American Studies at Pale University ,the issue at hand is the real state of Black leadership in the 21st Century.
The question of who speaks for the Negro has long posed a problem for black and white folks, alike. Whether it be white reporters , scrambling to find a responsible and sober minded "Negro" to denounce another brotha for having the audacity to not only think black but to talk and live black as well. Or black folks jockeying for the coveted position of HNIC. The need for a national black spokesman has always been the source of great debate.
Over the decades, Black folks have fought each other tooth and nail to see who would be in charge of determining the destiny of the race. The paramount issue has always been segregation vs integration, whether African Americans would determine their own destinies or would forever be satisfied to accept the crumbs from "massa's" table. Whether the masses of black people should be organized into a mighty black nation and wage war against white supremacy to secure the Freedom of black children once and for all or whether the strategy is to invade corporate America, one by one, until 100 years from now we have a small ( yet intellectually militant) army of Brooks Brother suit wearing, BMW drivin' , suburb livin' CEO's of (still white owned) corporations. The division has always been there between those who determined to nudge their way into building the white man's heaven on earth and the bad boy outcasts who would have just as soon seen Babylon burn down. Whether it be Marcus Garvey vs W.E.B. Dubois, Malcolm X vs Martin Luther King Jr or Chuck D vs MC Hammer the issue has remained.
White America has had a vested interest on who would carry the mantel of black leadership and which ideology would be most beneficial to her interests. Since the integrationists were at least willing to sit down and talk to white folks, this ideology won out and has received the financial blessings of white mega corporations. While many "mainstream" black organizations depend on white dollars for their spectacular conventions and plush office furniture, the black nationalists are reduced to meeting in the back of book stores and barbershops and praying that it doesn't rain on their "convention" in the middle of tha 'hood in Martin Luther King Park.
This has resulted in a kind of dual Black Power Movement. One side made up of a collection of middle to upper class doctors, lawyers, preachers, professors and anyone else who is deemed capable of articulating the "black thang" in proper English by white folks. The other side is made up of a rag, tag fugitive fleet of street activists who are in the constant struggle between working to feed their families and working for the people.
So the question becomes do the middle class black folks that are given all the air time truly represent the feelings of the masses of black folks or are their ideologies more closely aligned with the white middle class. Are the values espoused by the 2009 Civil Rights all-stars the blueprint for the future of black America or just a Eurocentric, capitalist ideology in black face? Although many at the forum will no doubt speak on the need for unity, the class division in the Black Power/Empowerment Movement must be addressed.
This class division is best exemplified in the wild world of Hip Hop. If Hip Hop is indeed the parallel universe of the Black Power Movement (In a Bizzaro World kind of way) then the struggle being waged by underground Hip Hop artists against commercial Hip Hop should be reflective of the struggle against commercialized Black Power by the black nationalists.
Just as white owned mega companies have hand picked the commercial artists to head the Hip Hop Movement by promoting them heavily in magazines and making sure that they are the only voices that are heard on urban radio, have these same corporations also picked black leadership?
The rebellion against commercial Hip Hop is evident in the works of North Carolina artists such as Da Poet Tim Jackson, Queen Sharon and the rapper Crown King, who have decided to put out their own CD's and present them to the masses of people instead of being another one of 'tha man's' commercial Hip Hop clones. As these talented artists may never get a spot on Def Poetry Slam or get signed to a multi-million dollar contract with Universal Entertainment, our most intelligent black minds may never be a guest on the Tavis Smiley Show or get invited to one of the symposiums.
So, I probably won't watch the symposium on Saturday as the black intelligentsia get together to discuss how best to divide there millions of dollars in corporate assets to develop another generation of Black Power Urban Professionals, I like the other outcasts will be in tha hood, trying to do the impossible with nothing.
***originally written 2005**
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
NWSF Bullet: David Banner on Black Hair
I caught part of the People Poll this morning on the Russ Parr Morning Show. The morning crew was taking calls about the internet stories that are going around regarding a speech that rapper David Banner supposedly gave at South Carolina State University, recently, where he got down on the sisters in the audience by questioning why they permed their hair saying that it was a form of self hatred and "black on black crime."
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/13528205.txt
Of course, the sisters who called into the show weren't having it!
But Banner did have a point when he talked about black self hatred.
Black folks are often in denial about being self hata's even though the roots of the hatred go back hundreds of years.
When our ancestors were brought here as captives, they were told that their black skin was a result of the "Ham curse."
Although this myth can easily be dispelled by using a map and reading the actual Biblical text, it did lay the foundation for centuries of racism.
Despite the accolades that we bestow upon Madame C J Walker for inventing the straightening comb and being the first American woman self made millionaire, her products did cater to the inferiority complexes of black women.
Even so, according to Colin Grant's book "Negro with a Hat," she did contribute money to Marcus Garvey's black pride movement.
Also, we must remember "the Doll Tests" conducted by Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark during which black children found white dolls more attractive than black ones.
No matter how much it hurts, self hatred is a part of our history.
Am I the only one who had to read Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" in high school ?
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/13528205.txt
Of course, the sisters who called into the show weren't having it!
But Banner did have a point when he talked about black self hatred.
Black folks are often in denial about being self hata's even though the roots of the hatred go back hundreds of years.
When our ancestors were brought here as captives, they were told that their black skin was a result of the "Ham curse."
Although this myth can easily be dispelled by using a map and reading the actual Biblical text, it did lay the foundation for centuries of racism.
Despite the accolades that we bestow upon Madame C J Walker for inventing the straightening comb and being the first American woman self made millionaire, her products did cater to the inferiority complexes of black women.
Even so, according to Colin Grant's book "Negro with a Hat," she did contribute money to Marcus Garvey's black pride movement.
Also, we must remember "the Doll Tests" conducted by Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark during which black children found white dolls more attractive than black ones.
No matter how much it hurts, self hatred is a part of our history.
Am I the only one who had to read Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" in high school ?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Rappin' About Race
Rappin' About Race
Paul Scott
Americans are punks when it comes to discussing race.
Yeah, I said it and the Attorney General of the U.S. of A has got my back.
Americans may be good at other things; baseball, bombing small countries, etc. But when it comes to an honest discussion about race relations this is a nation of wusses.
Attorney General Eric Holder caused quite a stir, last week when he said that "America is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial stuff.
The one thing that Americans hate being called is cowards. Self absorbed, materialistic, lacking moral character, maybe...but a nation of cowards!
Those are fighting words that usually elicit the response, "Begin bombing in five minutes."
The main problem is that you can't discuss "the race problem" without discussing Racism. And you can't discuss Racism without discussing White Supremacy.
Not only do most people shy away from discussing Racism, they don't even know how to define the term.
The functional definition of Racism is the ability of one racial group to impose its will on another group.
Therefore, it may come as a shock to some white folks but African Americans cannot be racists.
Racism is a totally European concept.
In other words, Racism ain't a black thang.
While some may use some warped form of Newton's Law of Motion to argue the contrary (if there are white racists there must be black racists) that logic does not apply here. It would be like saying just because there are over 200 white billionaires in this country there exists an equal amount of black ones.)
So since black folks cannot be racists then any conversations about race will be kinda one sided.
Let's just say I go on a quest through the backwoods of Georgia to meet with the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan with the purpose of creating racial dialogue. After trekking through miles of swamp, I finally meet the dude face to face... What the heck are we gonna chat about?
"Gee Bob...nice weather we're having." "Now, about that cross you got burning over there..."
Malcolm X once said ,"you can't ever reach a man if you don't speak his language."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzQIdKOLGw8
When it comes to racial dialogue, we definitely have a failure to communicate.
While some have argued that Racism is a moral problem (Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.) in reality there are other, more probable, reasons for its existence.
Dr. Claude Anderson( Black Labor, White Wealth) has made the argument that Racism is economically based. However, psychologist Dr. Bobby Wright (The Psychopathic Racial Personality) saw it as a mental illness and Michael Bradley (The Ice Man Inheritance) viewed it as hereditary, dating back thousands of years.
Even if we did have some great discussion about race in America, unless we see Racism as it really is, as Soul Brother #1, James Brown said, we''ll be...
"Talkin' loud and sayin' nuthin."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Paul Scott
Americans are punks when it comes to discussing race.
Yeah, I said it and the Attorney General of the U.S. of A has got my back.
Americans may be good at other things; baseball, bombing small countries, etc. But when it comes to an honest discussion about race relations this is a nation of wusses.
Attorney General Eric Holder caused quite a stir, last week when he said that "America is a "nation of cowards" when it comes to racial stuff.
The one thing that Americans hate being called is cowards. Self absorbed, materialistic, lacking moral character, maybe...but a nation of cowards!
Those are fighting words that usually elicit the response, "Begin bombing in five minutes."
The main problem is that you can't discuss "the race problem" without discussing Racism. And you can't discuss Racism without discussing White Supremacy.
Not only do most people shy away from discussing Racism, they don't even know how to define the term.
The functional definition of Racism is the ability of one racial group to impose its will on another group.
Therefore, it may come as a shock to some white folks but African Americans cannot be racists.
Racism is a totally European concept.
In other words, Racism ain't a black thang.
While some may use some warped form of Newton's Law of Motion to argue the contrary (if there are white racists there must be black racists) that logic does not apply here. It would be like saying just because there are over 200 white billionaires in this country there exists an equal amount of black ones.)
So since black folks cannot be racists then any conversations about race will be kinda one sided.
Let's just say I go on a quest through the backwoods of Georgia to meet with the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan with the purpose of creating racial dialogue. After trekking through miles of swamp, I finally meet the dude face to face... What the heck are we gonna chat about?
"Gee Bob...nice weather we're having." "Now, about that cross you got burning over there..."
Malcolm X once said ,"you can't ever reach a man if you don't speak his language."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzQIdKOLGw8
When it comes to racial dialogue, we definitely have a failure to communicate.
While some have argued that Racism is a moral problem (Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.) in reality there are other, more probable, reasons for its existence.
Dr. Claude Anderson( Black Labor, White Wealth) has made the argument that Racism is economically based. However, psychologist Dr. Bobby Wright (The Psychopathic Racial Personality) saw it as a mental illness and Michael Bradley (The Ice Man Inheritance) viewed it as hereditary, dating back thousands of years.
Even if we did have some great discussion about race in America, unless we see Racism as it really is, as Soul Brother #1, James Brown said, we''ll be...
"Talkin' loud and sayin' nuthin."
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Thursday, February 19, 2009
TRUTH Minista on WMNF (Tampa FL) 2/22
I'm scheduled to be a guest on Critical Times on 88.5 FM in Tampa FL 2/22 at 8AM EST to discuss my article about the new Madea movie , "Tyler Perry: The Art of Speakin' Christian-ese"
To listen go to:
http://www.wmnf.org/
To listen go to:
http://www.wmnf.org/
Monkey Business as Usual
Monkey Business as Usual
Paul Scott
By now you've probably seen the infamous New York Post cartoon of two police officers standing over a dead chimpanzee with two bullet holes and the caption " They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/18/new-york-post-cartoon-race
We'll isn't that special...
Now I don't wanna come off like that church lady from the old school Saturday Night Live skit who saw the evil one's hand in every action undertaken by mankind so I'll try to be as objective as possible.
There is a reason why African Americans get uptight when animals, especially monkeys, are in any way, shape , form or fashion connected to anything dealing with black folks.
For many years, European historians promoted as scientific fact the idea that Africans were the missing link between apes and humans. However, on page 105 of Michael Bradley's book "The Ice Man Inheritance," he makes the point that feature wise, it is the Caucasian that has more in common with apes than Africans by quoting Ashley Montagu and Ivan T. Sanderson.
During World War II, some white soldiers went overseas spreading the myth that black soldiers had tails to mess up their rap with white women.
It has been suggested by some that even the movie King Kong was really about the attraction of black men to white women.
Also, I remember years back when AT@T caught heat for having an ad that had humans representing the other continents but (you guessed it) a monkey was chattin' on the phone in Africa.
So, the outrage over the Post has precedence.
This is not the first time that the NY Post has been criticized by black folks. I remember back in the day Public Enemy had a song dedicated to the racist journalism of the paper called "A Letter to the New York Post."
But the question is, with all the other stuff going on in the world, why is this story so newsworthy ?
Simple. The sidebar issues.
A lot of people are going to get a lot of mileage from this story and come next week people would have forgotten all about how the controversy started in the first place.
So, why all the static?
The Civil Rights folks need something like this every now and then. I am sure the donations have dropped since President Obama was elected and many proclaimed America as "post racial." So, the Civil Rights fighters are going to use this to prove why your tax deductible donation is still necessary.
It has been rumored for months that the Democrats are trying to get the Fairness Doctrine instated that will give the liberal tree huggers equal access to the airwaves. Ironically enough, since folks on the Left fear radical black voices, this may result in even less "controversial" authentically black issues being discussed in the media.
The Right Wing Conservative bigots may actually benefit the most from this controversy. Since the election, many have been playing the reverse race card and saying that there is some anti-Conservative conspiracy. They are playing the victim role very well.
Fox News' Sean Hannity already has a "Hate Hannity" hotline and folks like him are referring to themselves as "Conservatives in exile."
By the way, who owns the NY Post again?
That's right..Rupert "Money Bags" Murdock, who also owns Fox News.
So, I guess the world is a stage and every actor plays a part.
My prediction is...
In the end, they will all find a way to blame Hip Hop. After all, 50 Cent's "G-Unit" does stand for "Gorilla Unit," doesn't it?
Or maybe they will blame Kool and the Gang for releasing "Jungle Boogie" back in the '70's.
Who knows?
Paul Scott, Hip Hop TRUTH Minista" writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
Paul Scott
By now you've probably seen the infamous New York Post cartoon of two police officers standing over a dead chimpanzee with two bullet holes and the caption " They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/18/new-york-post-cartoon-race
We'll isn't that special...
Now I don't wanna come off like that church lady from the old school Saturday Night Live skit who saw the evil one's hand in every action undertaken by mankind so I'll try to be as objective as possible.
There is a reason why African Americans get uptight when animals, especially monkeys, are in any way, shape , form or fashion connected to anything dealing with black folks.
For many years, European historians promoted as scientific fact the idea that Africans were the missing link between apes and humans. However, on page 105 of Michael Bradley's book "The Ice Man Inheritance," he makes the point that feature wise, it is the Caucasian that has more in common with apes than Africans by quoting Ashley Montagu and Ivan T. Sanderson.
During World War II, some white soldiers went overseas spreading the myth that black soldiers had tails to mess up their rap with white women.
It has been suggested by some that even the movie King Kong was really about the attraction of black men to white women.
Also, I remember years back when AT@T caught heat for having an ad that had humans representing the other continents but (you guessed it) a monkey was chattin' on the phone in Africa.
So, the outrage over the Post has precedence.
This is not the first time that the NY Post has been criticized by black folks. I remember back in the day Public Enemy had a song dedicated to the racist journalism of the paper called "A Letter to the New York Post."
But the question is, with all the other stuff going on in the world, why is this story so newsworthy ?
Simple. The sidebar issues.
A lot of people are going to get a lot of mileage from this story and come next week people would have forgotten all about how the controversy started in the first place.
So, why all the static?
The Civil Rights folks need something like this every now and then. I am sure the donations have dropped since President Obama was elected and many proclaimed America as "post racial." So, the Civil Rights fighters are going to use this to prove why your tax deductible donation is still necessary.
It has been rumored for months that the Democrats are trying to get the Fairness Doctrine instated that will give the liberal tree huggers equal access to the airwaves. Ironically enough, since folks on the Left fear radical black voices, this may result in even less "controversial" authentically black issues being discussed in the media.
The Right Wing Conservative bigots may actually benefit the most from this controversy. Since the election, many have been playing the reverse race card and saying that there is some anti-Conservative conspiracy. They are playing the victim role very well.
Fox News' Sean Hannity already has a "Hate Hannity" hotline and folks like him are referring to themselves as "Conservatives in exile."
By the way, who owns the NY Post again?
That's right..Rupert "Money Bags" Murdock, who also owns Fox News.
So, I guess the world is a stage and every actor plays a part.
My prediction is...
In the end, they will all find a way to blame Hip Hop. After all, 50 Cent's "G-Unit" does stand for "Gorilla Unit," doesn't it?
Or maybe they will blame Kool and the Gang for releasing "Jungle Boogie" back in the '70's.
Who knows?
Paul Scott, Hip Hop TRUTH Minista" writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Failure of Hip Hop Journalism
The Failure of Hip Hop Journalism:
Rewritin' Hip Hop History
Paul Scott
To hear some Hip Hop journalists tell it, there was a time when Hip Hop magazines were the vanguard of the Revolution. Not since David Walker's "Appeal" were there such powerful writings that shook the foundations of the system. Some believe that if it wasn't for Hip Hop journalists , slavery would have been back in effect after the Reagan administration.
However, contrary to popular belief, the Source was never "The Negro World" nor was XXL ever the "The Messenger."
This is not to say that Hip Hop magazines have not had their shining moments. XXL's first couple of issues showed promise that something new might have been on the horizon and the Source did give the early conscious rappers a voice in its early years. But that had more to do with the fact that Hip Hop, itself, was going through a brief conscious era more so than the Source shaping the direction of Hip Hop. The writers were merely reporting what was happening in Hip Hop not plotting a new "vanglorious" course.
Today the Source does have a few interesting articles especially in its "Ear to the Street" section, however, this is an exception to the rule. For the most part Hip Hop journalists give the same rehashed stories over and over again regarding beefs, street credibility and the obligatory paragraph about a rappers love for weed.
The goal of Hip Hop magazines has and always will be to sell subscriptions, not to lead black folks to the promised land. For the most part, the mission of Hip Hop journalists has been to give pseudo black culture to mainstream America in small doses at a time.
In other words, the cat who buys a Hip Hop magazine in 2009, is the same dude who bought that Alfonso Ribeiro "Learn How to Breakdance" book back in the day.
This is not to say that the writers of 20 years ago were any different than most Hip Hop artists whose end game strategy was to gain acceptance by the mainstream and to prove once and for all that rappers were people, too.
To suggest that there was ever a period when Hip Hop journalists/artists ever consistently put fighting the power before fighting for profit is a myth that has been repeated so much that it has become part of the official Hip Hop canon. Of course, there were some writers who used their skills as tools to empower the masses. Even today a few still exist such as Davey D and Rosa Clemente, however they have found ways to move the crowd , mostly, outside of mainstream avenues. Also, there are a few Hip Hop artists who have used the art to deliver political commentary to the streets such as Pittsburgh's Jasiri X.
While some would write about "The Poor Righteous Teachers," back in tha day, few wanted to be one, as assimilation into the mainstream was more lucrative. This is the true side of Hip Hop journalism that few want to discuss, therefore we become victims of historical amnesia.
Hip Hop history becomes problematic when, like the rest of American history it becomes revisionist. Those who are entrusted to record historical events tend to give themselves or their causes greater roles than they actually deserve. Therefore, many who see as their crusade to return Hip Hop back to a "Golden Age" are trying to time travel back to an age that never really existed to that degree.
If we are ,truly, trying to move Hip Hop forward, we must first dispel the myths of the past.
First of all, Hip Hop journalism has never been revolutionary in and of itself. We must remember, as much as we try to extend the time period, out of the almost 30 years since Hip Hop was first put on wax, the period of "conscious Hip Hop" was relatively short, barely lasting four years. What ever conscious Hip Hop of that era was, it was not able to engage itself in a protracted struggle against the powers that be. At best the writers did the best they could to enlighten the masses within the narrow confines imposed on them by those who had a vested interest in keeping young urban America in the dark.
While some writers consider themselves "underground Hip Hop journalists" they face the same contradictions as underground Hip Hop artists. As Huey P Newton said "movements are driven underground" through some form of political repression. The writings of true revolutionaries are quickly labeled as contraband by the oppressors, therefore you would not be able to buy them for $4.99 at your local grocery store.
We must also remember that conscious Hip Hop began to lose it's "pro-blackness," as soon as it began to gain acceptance by the mainstream. What could have been a force to teach unadulterated black history/culture to the youth soon became just another way for white kids to live the hood life vicariously through Hip Hop. They could drink of the rivers of blackness without experiencing the after taste. Although, we may wax nostalgic about the pro-blackness of the Hip Hop journalists during '88-92, just like the writers of the Harlem Renaissance , they were never allowed to reach their full potentials because of the influences of outside forces. (Read "Crisis of the Negro Intellectual by Harold Cruse.)
Despite all the new prognostications of Hip Hop journalism's sudden growth spurt into collective maturity since the last election, it still is well below the intellectual level that it should have reached during its 20 years of existence . While some refer to the shallowness of today's Soulja Boy -esque Hip Hop as ring tone music, today's Hip Hop writings can be best described as "text message journalism." Thus, it has not evolved much from where it was two decades ago,
Out of all the things Hip Hop magazines coulda/shoulda done to advance the culture, their crowning achievement was promoting the East Coast/West Coast Beef.
If Hip Hop is to move forward the scribes must see the past as its was and not through rose colored Gazelles
As the saying goes, "those who don't learn their history are bound to repeat it."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista, writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com
He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
Rewritin' Hip Hop History
Paul Scott
To hear some Hip Hop journalists tell it, there was a time when Hip Hop magazines were the vanguard of the Revolution. Not since David Walker's "Appeal" were there such powerful writings that shook the foundations of the system. Some believe that if it wasn't for Hip Hop journalists , slavery would have been back in effect after the Reagan administration.
However, contrary to popular belief, the Source was never "The Negro World" nor was XXL ever the "The Messenger."
This is not to say that Hip Hop magazines have not had their shining moments. XXL's first couple of issues showed promise that something new might have been on the horizon and the Source did give the early conscious rappers a voice in its early years. But that had more to do with the fact that Hip Hop, itself, was going through a brief conscious era more so than the Source shaping the direction of Hip Hop. The writers were merely reporting what was happening in Hip Hop not plotting a new "vanglorious" course.
Today the Source does have a few interesting articles especially in its "Ear to the Street" section, however, this is an exception to the rule. For the most part Hip Hop journalists give the same rehashed stories over and over again regarding beefs, street credibility and the obligatory paragraph about a rappers love for weed.
The goal of Hip Hop magazines has and always will be to sell subscriptions, not to lead black folks to the promised land. For the most part, the mission of Hip Hop journalists has been to give pseudo black culture to mainstream America in small doses at a time.
In other words, the cat who buys a Hip Hop magazine in 2009, is the same dude who bought that Alfonso Ribeiro "Learn How to Breakdance" book back in the day.
This is not to say that the writers of 20 years ago were any different than most Hip Hop artists whose end game strategy was to gain acceptance by the mainstream and to prove once and for all that rappers were people, too.
To suggest that there was ever a period when Hip Hop journalists/artists ever consistently put fighting the power before fighting for profit is a myth that has been repeated so much that it has become part of the official Hip Hop canon. Of course, there were some writers who used their skills as tools to empower the masses. Even today a few still exist such as Davey D and Rosa Clemente, however they have found ways to move the crowd , mostly, outside of mainstream avenues. Also, there are a few Hip Hop artists who have used the art to deliver political commentary to the streets such as Pittsburgh's Jasiri X.
While some would write about "The Poor Righteous Teachers," back in tha day, few wanted to be one, as assimilation into the mainstream was more lucrative. This is the true side of Hip Hop journalism that few want to discuss, therefore we become victims of historical amnesia.
Hip Hop history becomes problematic when, like the rest of American history it becomes revisionist. Those who are entrusted to record historical events tend to give themselves or their causes greater roles than they actually deserve. Therefore, many who see as their crusade to return Hip Hop back to a "Golden Age" are trying to time travel back to an age that never really existed to that degree.
If we are ,truly, trying to move Hip Hop forward, we must first dispel the myths of the past.
First of all, Hip Hop journalism has never been revolutionary in and of itself. We must remember, as much as we try to extend the time period, out of the almost 30 years since Hip Hop was first put on wax, the period of "conscious Hip Hop" was relatively short, barely lasting four years. What ever conscious Hip Hop of that era was, it was not able to engage itself in a protracted struggle against the powers that be. At best the writers did the best they could to enlighten the masses within the narrow confines imposed on them by those who had a vested interest in keeping young urban America in the dark.
While some writers consider themselves "underground Hip Hop journalists" they face the same contradictions as underground Hip Hop artists. As Huey P Newton said "movements are driven underground" through some form of political repression. The writings of true revolutionaries are quickly labeled as contraband by the oppressors, therefore you would not be able to buy them for $4.99 at your local grocery store.
We must also remember that conscious Hip Hop began to lose it's "pro-blackness," as soon as it began to gain acceptance by the mainstream. What could have been a force to teach unadulterated black history/culture to the youth soon became just another way for white kids to live the hood life vicariously through Hip Hop. They could drink of the rivers of blackness without experiencing the after taste. Although, we may wax nostalgic about the pro-blackness of the Hip Hop journalists during '88-92, just like the writers of the Harlem Renaissance , they were never allowed to reach their full potentials because of the influences of outside forces. (Read "Crisis of the Negro Intellectual by Harold Cruse.)
Despite all the new prognostications of Hip Hop journalism's sudden growth spurt into collective maturity since the last election, it still is well below the intellectual level that it should have reached during its 20 years of existence . While some refer to the shallowness of today's Soulja Boy -esque Hip Hop as ring tone music, today's Hip Hop writings can be best described as "text message journalism." Thus, it has not evolved much from where it was two decades ago,
Out of all the things Hip Hop magazines coulda/shoulda done to advance the culture, their crowning achievement was promoting the East Coast/West Coast Beef.
If Hip Hop is to move forward the scribes must see the past as its was and not through rose colored Gazelles
As the saying goes, "those who don't learn their history are bound to repeat it."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista, writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com
He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Black History Bailout Tour Comes to Charlotte
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott will bring the Black History Month Bailout Tour to Charlotte NC 2/20. He is scheduled to be part of a panel discussion at Johnson C. Smith University.
NWSF Review: The International
I passed by such intellectually stimulating flicks like "The Pink Panther 2" and "Friday the 13th Part (whatever)" to catch "The International," yesterday. The movie is about a plot by an international bank to finance weapons of mass destruction. Not a bad movie if you can get past all the blood and guts and the excessive use of metaphors.
One of the key moments was the scene that talked about how the real goal of the banking industry is to put the whole world in debt.
You mean, every time I order a Soulja Boy cd online, I'm contributing to some global conspiracy?
Say it ain't so!
However based on the current state of the economy not too many people will argue with the fact that something stinks in Denmark. (One of the few cliches that they did not use in the film.)
While the movie was fictitious, the idea of an international conspiracy by banks to rule the world has been discussed for decades.
For a more in depth discussion of these theories read "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," by Gary Allen.
As a person of African decent, the part that caught my eye was the scene that dealt with the funding of revolutions in so called "third world countries." This is a theme that has played out in Africa under European colonialism many times in history. (Read "Africa in History" by Basil Davidson and "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney )
We are taught in this country that conflicts in Africa are the result of some Hip Hop- type "beefs" indicating that black folks just don't know how to get along anywhere on the planet. In reality, the conflicts among Africans, worldwide, are often manipulated by outside forces.
The movie will have you asking yourself, are there really people in this world evil enough to cause the suffering of millions of people just to make a buck?
Something to think about the next time you use your credit card to order that pepperoni pizza from Domino's.
One of the key moments was the scene that talked about how the real goal of the banking industry is to put the whole world in debt.
You mean, every time I order a Soulja Boy cd online, I'm contributing to some global conspiracy?
Say it ain't so!
However based on the current state of the economy not too many people will argue with the fact that something stinks in Denmark. (One of the few cliches that they did not use in the film.)
While the movie was fictitious, the idea of an international conspiracy by banks to rule the world has been discussed for decades.
For a more in depth discussion of these theories read "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," by Gary Allen.
As a person of African decent, the part that caught my eye was the scene that dealt with the funding of revolutions in so called "third world countries." This is a theme that has played out in Africa under European colonialism many times in history. (Read "Africa in History" by Basil Davidson and "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney )
We are taught in this country that conflicts in Africa are the result of some Hip Hop- type "beefs" indicating that black folks just don't know how to get along anywhere on the planet. In reality, the conflicts among Africans, worldwide, are often manipulated by outside forces.
The movie will have you asking yourself, are there really people in this world evil enough to cause the suffering of millions of people just to make a buck?
Something to think about the next time you use your credit card to order that pepperoni pizza from Domino's.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Ghettorization of Black Literature
The Ghettorization of Black Literature
Paul Scott
"You don't know me like that, playa"
That was all it took to set it off. Chairs started flyin', 40oz malt liquor bottles flew through the air as the crowd just started wilin'. It took the bouncer to bust five shots in the air before normalcy was restored. This didn't take place at the Three 6 Mafia after party. Naw, this scene was straight outta tha Brookhaven Cultural Book Fair.
With the current state of Black culture you knew that it was only a matter of time before the "gangsta-ism" of commercial Hip Hop crept its way into the sacred realm of Black literature. While Black literature used to be like a meal from a five star restaurant off of which Black folks could feed for generations, the literature of today is more like the two wings and a biscuit deal from Church's Chicken. This new flavor of the month literature is commonly referred to as "urban literature" and it can be found any where books, magazines or malt liquor is sold.
Walking through one of those bookstores in the mall, you would be hard pressed to find even one book by Dr. John Henrik Clark or one of our other great Afrocentric scholars but it seems that any negro who can pick up a pen has their whole catalogue proudly displayed at even the most lily white book store.
The sacredness of the word has been a part of Black culture since the beginning. From the writings on the walls inside the pyramids to the Bible and other religious texts our ancestors knew the value of preserving culture for future generations. This is what makes the transformation from hieroglyphics to "Ho" stories so disturbing.
In America, Black literature has not only chronicled the freedom struggle of Black people but has been the force that sparked movements. Where would we as a people be without WEB Dubois' "Souls of Black Folks" or the "Autobiography of Malcolm X" . While music may have played a great role in our struggle it was the written word that was the foundation that gave thesymbolic sound substance. The powerful music of the "conscious" Hip Hop era was not only layered with beats and samples but also with book quotations and liner notes that you could use to not only feel the music but research the facts.
The European oppressor also knew the power of the written word so that for many years they would kill you for even trying to get a little education. Even today they treat a Brotha with a book like he was holding a gat. How many times have you been chillin' in a corner by yourself not bothering anybody and some annoying white person comes up to you and starts giving you the third degree.
"Sooooo whatcha reading, Buddy....What's it about....How do you feel about...you like to read,huh, huh ???????"
So the trick has been since I can't stop you from reading, I'm going to control what you read. Although we have constantly been told how "black books don't sell" the cultural gatekeepers make sure that urban smut is in the hands of every man, woman and child.
The purpose of reading is supposed to be to expand your horizon not sentence your mind to a sensationalized hollywood inspired ghetto prison. This is especially important today when you have more Black men in prison than in college. This is perhaps the reason for the success of the various "street magazines." Although they have some very interesting articles, the over abundance of "booty shots" is mainly to service tha Brotha in prison who may not see a Sista for the next 10 years to life. One mag even has a section called "sticky pages."
The other purpose is supposed to be to relay pertinent information that will help you make positive changes in not only your own life but the world, as well not trap you in some ghetto bizzaro parallel universe where the liquor is always pouring, the rims are always spinnin' and the strip clubs never close."
You can tell a lot about a culture by what they are reading. What is it saying about Black culture when for every book celebrating the glorious history of African people you have 10 books all saying that "n****z ain't *****."
Although, Lil' Tyrone is often criticized for knowing the words to the latest Hip Hop jam before he learns his ABC's; what about Lil Tyrone's mama who will sit down and read a book about "no good, triflin' Black men and the Ho's who love them" but can't name five famous Black people ?
I just hope that those authors that have something positive to offer to Black culture don't sell out and dumb down their messages just to sell a few paper backs.
I can see it now; a thugged out, gold toothed Maya Angelou goes on Oprah to promote her new book "Tha Beyatch in Me Luvs tha Thug in U" with a special intro by Superhead and then stage dives into the audience.
Is this the angry rant of an unappreciated, underground writer playa hatin' on commercially successful writers?
YA DARN RIGHT!!!
But that's beside the point.
There is something intrinsically wrong with a society when BoBo "tha fool" Williams author of "Hung Like a Horse" is poppin' bottles of Moet with rapper Killa Rob J in the back of tha club while Dr. Shabazz Afrika, author of "Survival Skills For Black Children" is in the back of the unemployment line sharing an iron grilled cheese sandwich with rapper Knowledge Cypher Devine.
Let's see, maybe if I get shot nine times by my baby's mama and write a book about it.....
(This article was first released in 2006)
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista" writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
Paul Scott
"You don't know me like that, playa"
That was all it took to set it off. Chairs started flyin', 40oz malt liquor bottles flew through the air as the crowd just started wilin'. It took the bouncer to bust five shots in the air before normalcy was restored. This didn't take place at the Three 6 Mafia after party. Naw, this scene was straight outta tha Brookhaven Cultural Book Fair.
With the current state of Black culture you knew that it was only a matter of time before the "gangsta-ism" of commercial Hip Hop crept its way into the sacred realm of Black literature. While Black literature used to be like a meal from a five star restaurant off of which Black folks could feed for generations, the literature of today is more like the two wings and a biscuit deal from Church's Chicken. This new flavor of the month literature is commonly referred to as "urban literature" and it can be found any where books, magazines or malt liquor is sold.
Walking through one of those bookstores in the mall, you would be hard pressed to find even one book by Dr. John Henrik Clark or one of our other great Afrocentric scholars but it seems that any negro who can pick up a pen has their whole catalogue proudly displayed at even the most lily white book store.
The sacredness of the word has been a part of Black culture since the beginning. From the writings on the walls inside the pyramids to the Bible and other religious texts our ancestors knew the value of preserving culture for future generations. This is what makes the transformation from hieroglyphics to "Ho" stories so disturbing.
In America, Black literature has not only chronicled the freedom struggle of Black people but has been the force that sparked movements. Where would we as a people be without WEB Dubois' "Souls of Black Folks" or the "Autobiography of Malcolm X" . While music may have played a great role in our struggle it was the written word that was the foundation that gave thesymbolic sound substance. The powerful music of the "conscious" Hip Hop era was not only layered with beats and samples but also with book quotations and liner notes that you could use to not only feel the music but research the facts.
The European oppressor also knew the power of the written word so that for many years they would kill you for even trying to get a little education. Even today they treat a Brotha with a book like he was holding a gat. How many times have you been chillin' in a corner by yourself not bothering anybody and some annoying white person comes up to you and starts giving you the third degree.
"Sooooo whatcha reading, Buddy....What's it about....How do you feel about...you like to read,huh, huh ???????"
So the trick has been since I can't stop you from reading, I'm going to control what you read. Although we have constantly been told how "black books don't sell" the cultural gatekeepers make sure that urban smut is in the hands of every man, woman and child.
The purpose of reading is supposed to be to expand your horizon not sentence your mind to a sensationalized hollywood inspired ghetto prison. This is especially important today when you have more Black men in prison than in college. This is perhaps the reason for the success of the various "street magazines." Although they have some very interesting articles, the over abundance of "booty shots" is mainly to service tha Brotha in prison who may not see a Sista for the next 10 years to life. One mag even has a section called "sticky pages."
The other purpose is supposed to be to relay pertinent information that will help you make positive changes in not only your own life but the world, as well not trap you in some ghetto bizzaro parallel universe where the liquor is always pouring, the rims are always spinnin' and the strip clubs never close."
You can tell a lot about a culture by what they are reading. What is it saying about Black culture when for every book celebrating the glorious history of African people you have 10 books all saying that "n****z ain't *****."
Although, Lil' Tyrone is often criticized for knowing the words to the latest Hip Hop jam before he learns his ABC's; what about Lil Tyrone's mama who will sit down and read a book about "no good, triflin' Black men and the Ho's who love them" but can't name five famous Black people ?
I just hope that those authors that have something positive to offer to Black culture don't sell out and dumb down their messages just to sell a few paper backs.
I can see it now; a thugged out, gold toothed Maya Angelou goes on Oprah to promote her new book "Tha Beyatch in Me Luvs tha Thug in U" with a special intro by Superhead and then stage dives into the audience.
Is this the angry rant of an unappreciated, underground writer playa hatin' on commercially successful writers?
YA DARN RIGHT!!!
But that's beside the point.
There is something intrinsically wrong with a society when BoBo "tha fool" Williams author of "Hung Like a Horse" is poppin' bottles of Moet with rapper Killa Rob J in the back of tha club while Dr. Shabazz Afrika, author of "Survival Skills For Black Children" is in the back of the unemployment line sharing an iron grilled cheese sandwich with rapper Knowledge Cypher Devine.
Let's see, maybe if I get shot nine times by my baby's mama and write a book about it.....
(This article was first released in 2006)
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista" writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283
Thursday, February 12, 2009
NWSF Bullet: Relatively Nonracist
I was listening to the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning and he had as a guest Lerone Bennett, historian and author of such books as "Before the Mayflower." He was discussing his book "Forced into Glory" which seems to say that Honest Abe was not only not so honest but he was a racist, as well.
Now, while some black folks will automatically burst into tears at the mere thought of the dude with the T-Pain hat whose picture used to hang over Grandma's bed next to the portraits of Martin Luther King and the white Jesus being a hata of black folks, it is important to define racism.
Racism is the power of one race to exert influence over another race. Closely related is white supremacy which is a social system that places persons of European descent socially and economically above other races.
So, racism is more than just wanting to lynch a black man just for being black. And white supremacy is about more than parading through town in a white sheet chanting anti-black slogans.
Many people are racists who don't even know that they are practicing white supremacy.
This is so even in regards to the Abolitionists of the 19th century. Just because they didn't believe in slavery as an institution for either economic or moral reasons did not mean that they thought that African people were their equals. (Read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Lowen and "Black Labor/White Wealth" by Dr. Claude Anderson.)
So, it was with Abraham Lincoln.
But since we're supposed to be putting all of that race stuff behind us and moving forward as a nation, in the spirit of Brotherhood I say;
Happy Birthday President Lincoln....
(racist bastard)
Now, while some black folks will automatically burst into tears at the mere thought of the dude with the T-Pain hat whose picture used to hang over Grandma's bed next to the portraits of Martin Luther King and the white Jesus being a hata of black folks, it is important to define racism.
Racism is the power of one race to exert influence over another race. Closely related is white supremacy which is a social system that places persons of European descent socially and economically above other races.
So, racism is more than just wanting to lynch a black man just for being black. And white supremacy is about more than parading through town in a white sheet chanting anti-black slogans.
Many people are racists who don't even know that they are practicing white supremacy.
This is so even in regards to the Abolitionists of the 19th century. Just because they didn't believe in slavery as an institution for either economic or moral reasons did not mean that they thought that African people were their equals. (Read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James Lowen and "Black Labor/White Wealth" by Dr. Claude Anderson.)
So, it was with Abraham Lincoln.
But since we're supposed to be putting all of that race stuff behind us and moving forward as a nation, in the spirit of Brotherhood I say;
Happy Birthday President Lincoln....
(racist bastard)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
NWSF Bullet: The More Things Change....
Being black in America is like a roller coaster ride at Kings Dominion. One minute you're at the top of the world looking down on creation and the next minute you're at the bottom holding your stomach wondering why you got on that crazy thing to start with.
Not even a month ago, black folks were on a natural high over the inauguration of Barack Obama. Seems like just yesterday folks were all googly eyed over President Obama dancing with his lovely wife Michelle at the Inaugural Ball. Every news channel was showing the first couple as the epitome of black love.
We were so proud.
But what is the main news story on every radio station and anywhere two or more black folks are gathered, today?
Chris Brown allegedly giving his girlfriend, Rhianna, a beat down...
Now, I'm not saying that this is not news. They are one of the hottest couples in the biz today. My concern is the attention we give trivial things while the rest of the world deals with grown folks business.
This being Black History Month, there are a million other things that we could focus on besides who drop kicked who this week.
And based on the fact that the media rarely cover more than one black issue at a time "Chris vs Rhianna" is taking up a lot of valuable space.
Also, mainstream America still has a myopic view of "blackness." So as far as the jacked up image of black men, we're back to business as usual.
Does Chris Brown represent all black men in America ?
Of course not.
Neither does President Obama to tell the truth.
However, with all the build up of the coming of the "new black man" over the last year, the alleged fight is kinda disheartening. It is a shame that news about the President's economic recovery plan was bumped by some ghetto mess.
Maybe one day we'll get our priorities straight.
Until then, more news about Chris and Rhianna tonight on the 11 o'clock news.
Not even a month ago, black folks were on a natural high over the inauguration of Barack Obama. Seems like just yesterday folks were all googly eyed over President Obama dancing with his lovely wife Michelle at the Inaugural Ball. Every news channel was showing the first couple as the epitome of black love.
We were so proud.
But what is the main news story on every radio station and anywhere two or more black folks are gathered, today?
Chris Brown allegedly giving his girlfriend, Rhianna, a beat down...
Now, I'm not saying that this is not news. They are one of the hottest couples in the biz today. My concern is the attention we give trivial things while the rest of the world deals with grown folks business.
This being Black History Month, there are a million other things that we could focus on besides who drop kicked who this week.
And based on the fact that the media rarely cover more than one black issue at a time "Chris vs Rhianna" is taking up a lot of valuable space.
Also, mainstream America still has a myopic view of "blackness." So as far as the jacked up image of black men, we're back to business as usual.
Does Chris Brown represent all black men in America ?
Of course not.
Neither does President Obama to tell the truth.
However, with all the build up of the coming of the "new black man" over the last year, the alleged fight is kinda disheartening. It is a shame that news about the President's economic recovery plan was bumped by some ghetto mess.
Maybe one day we'll get our priorities straight.
Until then, more news about Chris and Rhianna tonight on the 11 o'clock news.
Dark Side of Black History 2009
I wrote this piece about the FBI airing Black History Month spots on black radio stations last year. Since the spots are still airing in 2009, I am reposting the link.
Seems like we never learn...
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2008/02/dark-side-of-black-history-time-to-tell.html
Seems like we never learn...
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2008/02/dark-side-of-black-history-time-to-tell.html
Black History Bailout Tour in Durham 2/12
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott and Dr. Mark Anthony Neal: author and professor at Duke University Dept of African American studies will discuss:
The Hip-Hop Wars in the Age of Obama
Thursday, February 12, 2009
8:00 pm
Friedl Building, 107
Duke Univeristy, East Campus
The Hip-Hop Wars in the Age of Obama
Thursday, February 12, 2009
8:00 pm
Friedl Building, 107
Duke Univeristy, East Campus
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tyler Perry: The Art of Speakin' "Christian-ese"
Tyler Perry: The Art of Speakin' "Christian-ese"
Paul Scott
I once asked my homie, spoken word artist, James Washington how it is that a thugged out brotha like him gets invited to speak at churches all the time and a (relatively speaking) clean cut brother, like me, can't even make it past the front door ?
"Simple," he said. "You don't know how to speak Christian-ese."
Christinese- a type of dialect that will make black folks give you the shirts off their backs. Master the language and African Americans will follow you to the ends of the Earth.
Just ask Tyler Perry, multi millionaire producer extraordinaire.
Over the last decade, Tyler Perry has made a fortune with his Gospel plays, television sitcoms and movies. His next film "Madea Goes to Jail," to be released February 20th, should be another blockbuster as he continues to follow the same formula that has been his bread and butter. Also, there is hardly a night that you can turn on your tv and not see his sitcoms "House of Payne " and "Meet the Browns."
Maybe it's just me but I don't see what's so appealing about Tyler Perry's newer stuff. I mean the plays were funny enough the first couple of years when they first came to dvd but somehow the comedy got kind of old and when it was transferred to tv and the big screen, something got lost in the translation.
However, I'm probably in the minority on this one because come the weekend of the film's release, black church folks across the country will make pilgrimages to their local theaters to get a look at Madea.
Perry, is not the first one to use Christianese to move black folks.
Historically speaking, the Portuguese and other European exploiters first used the language as justification for slavery and later the colonization of Africa.
It was perfected by the slave owners as Christianese was used to inspire the enslaved Africans to pick cotton from sun up to sun down with the hope of a reward in "the sweet by and by."
During the Civil Rights Era, black leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King became fluent in the dialect as they were able to convince thousands of black folks to join hands and sing "We Shall Overcome" as they were being bitten by police dogs and doused with water from fire hydrants.
Even today, politicians borrow very heavily from the language as they know one short speech at a black church will translate into a lot of votes come election day.
The strange thing about Christianese is that you don't even have to practice Christianity to speak it. Writer and motivational speaker, Iyanla Van Zandt sold a lot of books to church folks before they realized that she was not a Pentecostal evangelist but a Yoruba priestess.
Not only have entertainers turned the art of speakin' Christianese into a muti billion dollar industry but they have also shown that black folks will forgive a multitude of transgressions because a performer says "Thank you Jesus" at an awards show or puts one Gospel track on an otherwise vulgar cd.
Even with Tyler Perry's movies, how many good old sisters of the church who demonize all forms of Hip Hop bust a gut laughing when Madea pulls out a pistol or rolls a blunt?
The main problem with most Gospel plays that appeal to church folk intellect is the lack of substance. Opportunities to increase social awareness and to explore the depths of theology are replaced with weak story lines and slap stick comedy routines that went out of style with Amos and Andy.
I am not saying that performers like Perry, purposely, dumb-down their productions to reach their target audience but it is a common perception that , for many church folks, their theological understanding does not grow beyond the elementary Sunday school level and their biblical understanding is only a steady reaffirmation of what they learned before they were 10 years old.
So, a Gospel play or TV show can be totally secular but one well placed "Negro spiritual" will make it a big hit with black folks. Not to mention the warn out themes of "the prodigal child returning home," "praying for a good man," or " a sudden conversion after years of substance abuse."
Although, some may argue that these are, indeed, experiences that black folks go through, this is not the black experience in its totality. These are just symptoms of a greater problem that stems, at least partially, from the failure of African Americans to understand the full dynamics of African spirituality and the African American religious experience in the context of the social ills that we have faced in this country.
This raises the age old dilemma as to whether African American film makers are obligated to give us what we need or what will rake in the most dollars at the box office.
Maybe there are socially redemptive values in Tyler Perry productions that I just don't get. Perhaps somewhere between watching Madea threaten to whip somebody's behind and the grand finale that usually includes a Gospel group sing -along, some lives are changed for the better which would make the $10 spent on a movie ticket well worth the sacrifice. Could be that I just don't get it.
But then again, I don't speak Christianese.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista," writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Paul Scott
I once asked my homie, spoken word artist, James Washington how it is that a thugged out brotha like him gets invited to speak at churches all the time and a (relatively speaking) clean cut brother, like me, can't even make it past the front door ?
"Simple," he said. "You don't know how to speak Christian-ese."
Christinese- a type of dialect that will make black folks give you the shirts off their backs. Master the language and African Americans will follow you to the ends of the Earth.
Just ask Tyler Perry, multi millionaire producer extraordinaire.
Over the last decade, Tyler Perry has made a fortune with his Gospel plays, television sitcoms and movies. His next film "Madea Goes to Jail," to be released February 20th, should be another blockbuster as he continues to follow the same formula that has been his bread and butter. Also, there is hardly a night that you can turn on your tv and not see his sitcoms "House of Payne " and "Meet the Browns."
Maybe it's just me but I don't see what's so appealing about Tyler Perry's newer stuff. I mean the plays were funny enough the first couple of years when they first came to dvd but somehow the comedy got kind of old and when it was transferred to tv and the big screen, something got lost in the translation.
However, I'm probably in the minority on this one because come the weekend of the film's release, black church folks across the country will make pilgrimages to their local theaters to get a look at Madea.
Perry, is not the first one to use Christianese to move black folks.
Historically speaking, the Portuguese and other European exploiters first used the language as justification for slavery and later the colonization of Africa.
It was perfected by the slave owners as Christianese was used to inspire the enslaved Africans to pick cotton from sun up to sun down with the hope of a reward in "the sweet by and by."
During the Civil Rights Era, black leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King became fluent in the dialect as they were able to convince thousands of black folks to join hands and sing "We Shall Overcome" as they were being bitten by police dogs and doused with water from fire hydrants.
Even today, politicians borrow very heavily from the language as they know one short speech at a black church will translate into a lot of votes come election day.
The strange thing about Christianese is that you don't even have to practice Christianity to speak it. Writer and motivational speaker, Iyanla Van Zandt sold a lot of books to church folks before they realized that she was not a Pentecostal evangelist but a Yoruba priestess.
Not only have entertainers turned the art of speakin' Christianese into a muti billion dollar industry but they have also shown that black folks will forgive a multitude of transgressions because a performer says "Thank you Jesus" at an awards show or puts one Gospel track on an otherwise vulgar cd.
Even with Tyler Perry's movies, how many good old sisters of the church who demonize all forms of Hip Hop bust a gut laughing when Madea pulls out a pistol or rolls a blunt?
The main problem with most Gospel plays that appeal to church folk intellect is the lack of substance. Opportunities to increase social awareness and to explore the depths of theology are replaced with weak story lines and slap stick comedy routines that went out of style with Amos and Andy.
I am not saying that performers like Perry, purposely, dumb-down their productions to reach their target audience but it is a common perception that , for many church folks, their theological understanding does not grow beyond the elementary Sunday school level and their biblical understanding is only a steady reaffirmation of what they learned before they were 10 years old.
So, a Gospel play or TV show can be totally secular but one well placed "Negro spiritual" will make it a big hit with black folks. Not to mention the warn out themes of "the prodigal child returning home," "praying for a good man," or " a sudden conversion after years of substance abuse."
Although, some may argue that these are, indeed, experiences that black folks go through, this is not the black experience in its totality. These are just symptoms of a greater problem that stems, at least partially, from the failure of African Americans to understand the full dynamics of African spirituality and the African American religious experience in the context of the social ills that we have faced in this country.
This raises the age old dilemma as to whether African American film makers are obligated to give us what we need or what will rake in the most dollars at the box office.
Maybe there are socially redemptive values in Tyler Perry productions that I just don't get. Perhaps somewhere between watching Madea threaten to whip somebody's behind and the grand finale that usually includes a Gospel group sing -along, some lives are changed for the better which would make the $10 spent on a movie ticket well worth the sacrifice. Could be that I just don't get it.
But then again, I don't speak Christianese.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista," writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Saturday, February 7, 2009
NWSF Exclusive: The Real X-Man
NWSF Exclusive: The Real X-Man
Everybody's lookin' for a hero. While some are waiting for Wolverine, Cyclops or one of the other X-Men to save the day, No Warning Shots Fired.com recently caught up with another X-Man who is on a mission to save the planet through Hip Hop; Pittsburgh artist Jasiri X.
Jasiri X started rappin' in the early 90's when rap was still in its conscious phase. His first rap was based on Eldridge Cleaver's book "Soul on Ice." However, he says after that as Hip Hop became less conscious, so did his music.
X says that he made a turn around in '96 because of personal situations and his studying of books such as "the Isis Papers" (Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing), "Stolen Legacy" (Dr. George GM James) and "Message to the Black Man" (The Honorable Elijah Muhammad). It was also during that time that he began to listen to the teachings of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and shortly afterwards he joined the Nation of Islam.
Jasiri's first big break came when he read about the Jena 6 situation in the Final Call newspaper. This inspired him to record the anthem, "Free the Jena 6" for his Myspace page. The song was discovered by radio personality Michael Baisden and the rest is history.
Jasiri X is busy these days producing a weekly radio/video spot called, "This Week with Jasiri X." The spots feature X rappin' about news events from the previous week.
When asked about the current state of Hip Hop in 2009, X says that "these are the best of times and the worst of times."
The positive thing is that the internet has leveled the playing field so voices like his can be heard. The negative side is today's music lacks substance and is more about getting attention, producing what Jasiri calls "reality TV music." However, he is confident that good music will stand out even in these times.
What does the future hold for Jasiri X?
He says that peeps should be on the look out for his upcoming cd, "The Autobiography of Jasiri X," which will be released Summer of '09.
So, true Hip Hop heads can rest assure that wherever there is evil, injustice or wack Hip Hop, Jasiri X will be there!
To reach Jasiri X visit his website at http://www.jasirix.com/ or email jasirix@gmail.com
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
Everybody's lookin' for a hero. While some are waiting for Wolverine, Cyclops or one of the other X-Men to save the day, No Warning Shots Fired.com recently caught up with another X-Man who is on a mission to save the planet through Hip Hop; Pittsburgh artist Jasiri X.
Jasiri X started rappin' in the early 90's when rap was still in its conscious phase. His first rap was based on Eldridge Cleaver's book "Soul on Ice." However, he says after that as Hip Hop became less conscious, so did his music.
X says that he made a turn around in '96 because of personal situations and his studying of books such as "the Isis Papers" (Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing), "Stolen Legacy" (Dr. George GM James) and "Message to the Black Man" (The Honorable Elijah Muhammad). It was also during that time that he began to listen to the teachings of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and shortly afterwards he joined the Nation of Islam.
Jasiri's first big break came when he read about the Jena 6 situation in the Final Call newspaper. This inspired him to record the anthem, "Free the Jena 6" for his Myspace page. The song was discovered by radio personality Michael Baisden and the rest is history.
Jasiri X is busy these days producing a weekly radio/video spot called, "This Week with Jasiri X." The spots feature X rappin' about news events from the previous week.
When asked about the current state of Hip Hop in 2009, X says that "these are the best of times and the worst of times."
The positive thing is that the internet has leveled the playing field so voices like his can be heard. The negative side is today's music lacks substance and is more about getting attention, producing what Jasiri calls "reality TV music." However, he is confident that good music will stand out even in these times.
What does the future hold for Jasiri X?
He says that peeps should be on the look out for his upcoming cd, "The Autobiography of Jasiri X," which will be released Summer of '09.
So, true Hip Hop heads can rest assure that wherever there is evil, injustice or wack Hip Hop, Jasiri X will be there!
To reach Jasiri X visit his website at http://www.jasirix.com/ or email jasirix@gmail.com
Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com
NWSF Bullet: Case of the Missing CrackHeads
Durham Herald Sun columnist, John McCann is running an article, today, about Crackheads Candy called "All it's Cracked up to Be." According to the article McCann called Northgate Mall (Durham)and some dude told him that they still had Crackheads. But as I posted yesterday, when I called Thursday night, the dude answering the phone told me that they didn't carry the junk...
http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/opinion/columnists/mccann/index.cfm?
So what gives?
Maybe we should hire some undercover candy NARCS to go into FYE stores across the country and get surveillance footage of Crackhead deals going down...
No, better still, the No Warning Shots Firing Squad should go into FYE music stores posing as desperate CrackHead addicts armed with camera phones and take pictures/videos of Crackhead "stashes" and post them on youtube and send them to local media outlets across the country.
"Please, mister..I just need one CrackHead...Here, take my watch...."
In other Crackheads related news, I called into Rev. Al Sharpton's nationally syndicated talk show, yesterday and he gave me a few minutes to talk about Crackheads. He said he would check out the blog and asked me to send him some info.
Stay tuned for more CrackHead News....
http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/opinion/columnists/mccann/index.cfm?
So what gives?
Maybe we should hire some undercover candy NARCS to go into FYE stores across the country and get surveillance footage of Crackhead deals going down...
No, better still, the No Warning Shots Firing Squad should go into FYE music stores posing as desperate CrackHead addicts armed with camera phones and take pictures/videos of Crackhead "stashes" and post them on youtube and send them to local media outlets across the country.
"Please, mister..I just need one CrackHead...Here, take my watch...."
In other Crackheads related news, I called into Rev. Al Sharpton's nationally syndicated talk show, yesterday and he gave me a few minutes to talk about Crackheads. He said he would check out the blog and asked me to send him some info.
Stay tuned for more CrackHead News....
NWSF Bullet: NJ Star Ledger Mentions No Warning Shots Fired
The New Jersey's Star Ledger newspaper has an article running today posing the question "Is Black History Month Still Necessary? They quoted No Warning Shots Fired.com in the story:
http://blog.nj.com/jerseyblogs/2009/02/do_we_still_need_black_history.html
http://blog.nj.com/jerseyblogs/2009/02/do_we_still_need_black_history.html
Thursday, February 5, 2009
NWSF Bullet: CrackHeads Update
I called the FYE stores at area malls today to see if they were still pushing CrackHeads Candy.
I asked the person at FYE at Northgate in Durham if they still carried the candy and was told that they did not carry it. (Even though, I scored a box from there a few weeks ago.)
The person at the Streets at Southpoint (Durham)told me that they sold out and probably would not be getting anymore. (Now, when I went there Saturday afternoon they seemed to be fully stocked. I guess a bunch of CrackHead addicts rushed the store after I left.)
The person at Triangle Town Center (Raleigh) told me straight up that they were forced to take them off of the shelves. (Guess he didn't get the corporate memo to "just say no.")
Now, I'm not sure if CrackHeads are gone for good in my neck of the woods or if you have to give a special password at the counter and some dude in a trench coat named Big Sid meets you out back and deals you a box.
So, the No Warning Shots Firing Squad has to institute a "Neighborhood CrackHeads Watch" in 'hoods across the country.
If you see a CrackHead deal going down in your 'hood. Contact your local authorities (or news station) immediately.
I asked the person at FYE at Northgate in Durham if they still carried the candy and was told that they did not carry it. (Even though, I scored a box from there a few weeks ago.)
The person at the Streets at Southpoint (Durham)told me that they sold out and probably would not be getting anymore. (Now, when I went there Saturday afternoon they seemed to be fully stocked. I guess a bunch of CrackHead addicts rushed the store after I left.)
The person at Triangle Town Center (Raleigh) told me straight up that they were forced to take them off of the shelves. (Guess he didn't get the corporate memo to "just say no.")
Now, I'm not sure if CrackHeads are gone for good in my neck of the woods or if you have to give a special password at the counter and some dude in a trench coat named Big Sid meets you out back and deals you a box.
So, the No Warning Shots Firing Squad has to institute a "Neighborhood CrackHeads Watch" in 'hoods across the country.
If you see a CrackHead deal going down in your 'hood. Contact your local authorities (or news station) immediately.
Obama: The Anti-Bling
Obama: The Anti-Bling:
From Riches to Rags
Paul Scott
It had been prophesied for ages. Someone would come with a system to shake the very foundations of the Earth. Someone whose presence would cause fear and trembling among the rulers of nations. I'm not talking about the anti-Christ of Biblical lore. I'm talking about Barack Obama: the anti-Bling.
President Barack Obama. If you're on the low end of the economic spectrum, you've gotta love this guy. He rolls into DC like a Harvard educated Robin Hood with his group of merry men stickin' it to the rich and giving to the poor. I mean, the first bill he signed wasn't to give some fat cat a tax break but the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Play Act that is designed to help the underdog fight "the man."
It's one thing to have the audacity to hope but to have the audacity to put a limit on how much CEO's can make a year...Well, that takes guts.
Be afraid, rich and powerful. Be very afraid.
Talk all you want about hope and the rest of that jazz but like they say on the streets; money talks and everything else walks. Don't talk to me about pullin' myself up by my bootstraps if I can't even afford those $2.99 "bo bo" sneakers that they sell at Dollar General.
And all those fancy self motivation speeches will just get drowned out by the noise of the rumblin' bellies of those who consider the dollar menu at McDonald's fine dining.
As Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) once said, "a man is poor for one reason and one reason only: 'cause he does not have money. If you want to get rid of poverty, you give people money..."
This is a reality that the stinkin' rich have never wanted to face. As one writer once put it, "the problem in this country is not too many poor folks but too many greedy rich folks."
While some people look with scorn at entitlement programs such as affirmative action, many believe that through some process of economic Darwinism rich folks are supposed to be rich and poor folks are supposed to be poor. That is just the natural order of things.
That is why, since the founding of this country, any talk of economic equality makes the wealthy relieve themselves in their trousers.
During the early 20th century, anyone who talked too much about economic inequalities would be listed as a "Commie" or a "Commie sympathizer."
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need...."
What kind of sicko came up with that ?
This is perhaps one reason why even civil rights groups like the NAACP shied away from the money question in its early years and adopted an ideology of what Harold Cruse, in his book "Plural but Equal," calls non-economic liberalism.
In other words, you could fight to sit in the front of the bus all you want but when it came to owning the bus company...
Forget about it !
As Cruse put it, the real prize of the Civil Rights Movement was the "freedom to starve without regard to race, creed, color or national origin."
Towards the end of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began to face this grim reality as he organized the Poor People's Campaign when he talked about how integration did not cost this nation one penny.
Little has changed since the 60's, unless one counts the faux wealth of the Hip Hop "ghetto superstars" whose flaunting of their riches on MTV Cribs leaves some with the false impression that we have achieved economic equality in this country. Although rappers like Young Jeezy proudly rap that "my president is black," most likely, the record company owner is still white.
Despite all the high hopes of economic reform, the reality is that the rich ain't given' it up without a fight. If the Great Depression taught us anything, it is that the wealthy would rather jump out of a 30 story window than face the dire possibility of becoming a member of the middle class.
You can pass all the legislation you want but to get a buck from these misers, you're gonna have to pry it from their cold dead hands.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop Minista, writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283
From Riches to Rags
Paul Scott
It had been prophesied for ages. Someone would come with a system to shake the very foundations of the Earth. Someone whose presence would cause fear and trembling among the rulers of nations. I'm not talking about the anti-Christ of Biblical lore. I'm talking about Barack Obama: the anti-Bling.
President Barack Obama. If you're on the low end of the economic spectrum, you've gotta love this guy. He rolls into DC like a Harvard educated Robin Hood with his group of merry men stickin' it to the rich and giving to the poor. I mean, the first bill he signed wasn't to give some fat cat a tax break but the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Play Act that is designed to help the underdog fight "the man."
It's one thing to have the audacity to hope but to have the audacity to put a limit on how much CEO's can make a year...Well, that takes guts.
Be afraid, rich and powerful. Be very afraid.
Talk all you want about hope and the rest of that jazz but like they say on the streets; money talks and everything else walks. Don't talk to me about pullin' myself up by my bootstraps if I can't even afford those $2.99 "bo bo" sneakers that they sell at Dollar General.
And all those fancy self motivation speeches will just get drowned out by the noise of the rumblin' bellies of those who consider the dollar menu at McDonald's fine dining.
As Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) once said, "a man is poor for one reason and one reason only: 'cause he does not have money. If you want to get rid of poverty, you give people money..."
This is a reality that the stinkin' rich have never wanted to face. As one writer once put it, "the problem in this country is not too many poor folks but too many greedy rich folks."
While some people look with scorn at entitlement programs such as affirmative action, many believe that through some process of economic Darwinism rich folks are supposed to be rich and poor folks are supposed to be poor. That is just the natural order of things.
That is why, since the founding of this country, any talk of economic equality makes the wealthy relieve themselves in their trousers.
During the early 20th century, anyone who talked too much about economic inequalities would be listed as a "Commie" or a "Commie sympathizer."
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need...."
What kind of sicko came up with that ?
This is perhaps one reason why even civil rights groups like the NAACP shied away from the money question in its early years and adopted an ideology of what Harold Cruse, in his book "Plural but Equal," calls non-economic liberalism.
In other words, you could fight to sit in the front of the bus all you want but when it came to owning the bus company...
Forget about it !
As Cruse put it, the real prize of the Civil Rights Movement was the "freedom to starve without regard to race, creed, color or national origin."
Towards the end of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began to face this grim reality as he organized the Poor People's Campaign when he talked about how integration did not cost this nation one penny.
Little has changed since the 60's, unless one counts the faux wealth of the Hip Hop "ghetto superstars" whose flaunting of their riches on MTV Cribs leaves some with the false impression that we have achieved economic equality in this country. Although rappers like Young Jeezy proudly rap that "my president is black," most likely, the record company owner is still white.
Despite all the high hopes of economic reform, the reality is that the rich ain't given' it up without a fight. If the Great Depression taught us anything, it is that the wealthy would rather jump out of a 30 story window than face the dire possibility of becoming a member of the middle class.
You can pass all the legislation you want but to get a buck from these misers, you're gonna have to pry it from their cold dead hands.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop Minista, writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283
From Goddess to Gangstress
From Goddess to Gangstress:
The Devaluation of the Diva
Paul Scott
My friend, Jae told me about an incident that she recently had on her way home from work. These two teenagers were having a loud public/ private discussion in the back of the bus, tellin' the interested and uninterested, alike, about everything from the graphic details of their sexual escapades to the best way to roll a blunt. What really concerned Jae was that these were not guys but teenage girls who turned her ,otherwise, quiet and uneventful ride home into a combination of the Jerry Springer Show and Def Comedy Jam. She could only sink down in her seat and think about how her generation had failed these two girls and wonder what will happen to these black women of the future.
I used to be clear about the definition of a diva. In the 60's, it was all about Diana Ross and the Supremes with the big wigs and expensive gowns. During the 70's the epitome of diva-ness was Patti Labelle or the Three Degrees. During the 80's and 90's you had Kylmaxx, En Vogue and Whitney Houston (before Bobby Brown).But according to Beyonce's alter ago "Sasha Fierce" the 21st century definition of a diva is "a female version of a hustler."
Forget Jennifer Hudson, the new Dream Girl is a sista that will stick you for your jewelry and slit your throat while you sleep. Yeah, that's what I call a lady.It is a case of historical romanticism to suggest that all black women have always carried themselves as perfect ladies. Uncle Jack can tell you stories about how "Mustang Sally" could out drink, out smoke and out gamble even the toughest Stagger Lee-type dude. But for the most part, black women have always carried themselves in a respectful manner; divas in every sense of the word. However, over the last 20 years, the value of "the diva" has been on a steady decline; rapidly accelerating, downhill, over the last decade.
At first unlady -like behavior by sistas was condemned by male rappers. I remember Run DMC chastising a "Dumb Girl" back in '86. And who can forget Brand Nubian's "Slow Down" when they dissed some sistas by saying " a 40 and a blunt, that's all they really want."At the beginning of the 90's we saw the emergence of the female versions of NWA (Nigga's With Attitude), the now forgotten HWA (Hoez With Attitude) followed by BWP (Bytches With Problems.) Also, during this period, the behavior that was once condemned by the male rappers began to be glorified by artists such as Apache who proudly pleaded for a "Gangsta Bitch."This period was followed by gangstress successors like Da Brat and Boss, whose "street cred" was busted when it was discovered by the Wall Street Journal that her tales of gangta-ism took great liberties with the truth.
Next came the age of the "Ride or Die" chicks, sistas who would do what ever it took to hold their men down whether legal or illegal. The movement was headed by rappers such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, rappers who built upon the "Bonnie and Clyde" theme that was established by Ice Cube's female protege, Yo Yo, a few years earlier.While this "ride or die" theme may have been glorified on CD, the real life results of following this path resulted in dire consequences. One just has to look at the life of Kemba Smith, the former Hampton University student who ,beginning in 1994, served a six year prison sentence because of her involvement with a crack dealing boyfriend.
The legacy of the "gangstress" has been carried on courtesy of rappers such as Khia, Trina and Jacki O, who often compete for the crown of the "Baddest Bitch" in Hip Hop.To blame the negative image of black women on today's entertainers may be unfair since one could argue that Millie Jackson and Vanity 6, women whom Slick Rick James would have called "the super freaks that you don't take home to mother," set the standard for female vulgarity, during the 70's and early 80's. However, regardless of the past, in real time, you now have teenage black girls in every mall in America with baggy jeans and bandannas tied around their heads, cussin' louder than the boys. Not to mention the fact that some of the once teenage fans of Lil Kim are now grown women with nothing more on their minds then gettin' their hair and nails "did" and hittin' the club on the weekend to find a "balla."
Maybe, we have spent too much time discussing the plight of black boys instead of paying attention to what was going on with our black girls. Perhaps their emulation of gangstas is a disparate cry for attention.Suppose instead of just reading street novels, black women, of all ages, would start reading books like "Black Women in Antiquity," a collection of essays by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima that discusses the great black women of history. Maybe reading about the great queens of ancient Egypt and Ethiopia, whose beauty and intelligence were legends of mythical proportions will improve the self esteem of black women, young and old.
Some believe that it is too late to do anything to save this younger generation of black women. Some men believe that even older black women of today have been so influenced by pop culture that if you greet them with "Peace, Queen" they will only roll their eyes and suck their teeth. But if you yell, "Yo, Shawty," you might get a response.
However, there are still a lot of examples of real black women, sisters who carry themselves like beautiful black queens, true divas. And I'm not just talking about the soon to be first black first lady, Michelle Obama. I'm talking about that intelligent sister at work who has her stuff together. Or that caring wife and loving mother who has dedicated her life to raising a strong black family. How about that honor roll college student who is working her way through college by doing something other than working at a strip club ? When I think of them, I realize that there is hope after all.
Even for the girls in the back of the bus.
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283info@nowarningshotsfired.com
The Devaluation of the Diva
Paul Scott
My friend, Jae told me about an incident that she recently had on her way home from work. These two teenagers were having a loud public/ private discussion in the back of the bus, tellin' the interested and uninterested, alike, about everything from the graphic details of their sexual escapades to the best way to roll a blunt. What really concerned Jae was that these were not guys but teenage girls who turned her ,otherwise, quiet and uneventful ride home into a combination of the Jerry Springer Show and Def Comedy Jam. She could only sink down in her seat and think about how her generation had failed these two girls and wonder what will happen to these black women of the future.
I used to be clear about the definition of a diva. In the 60's, it was all about Diana Ross and the Supremes with the big wigs and expensive gowns. During the 70's the epitome of diva-ness was Patti Labelle or the Three Degrees. During the 80's and 90's you had Kylmaxx, En Vogue and Whitney Houston (before Bobby Brown).But according to Beyonce's alter ago "Sasha Fierce" the 21st century definition of a diva is "a female version of a hustler."
Forget Jennifer Hudson, the new Dream Girl is a sista that will stick you for your jewelry and slit your throat while you sleep. Yeah, that's what I call a lady.It is a case of historical romanticism to suggest that all black women have always carried themselves as perfect ladies. Uncle Jack can tell you stories about how "Mustang Sally" could out drink, out smoke and out gamble even the toughest Stagger Lee-type dude. But for the most part, black women have always carried themselves in a respectful manner; divas in every sense of the word. However, over the last 20 years, the value of "the diva" has been on a steady decline; rapidly accelerating, downhill, over the last decade.
At first unlady -like behavior by sistas was condemned by male rappers. I remember Run DMC chastising a "Dumb Girl" back in '86. And who can forget Brand Nubian's "Slow Down" when they dissed some sistas by saying " a 40 and a blunt, that's all they really want."At the beginning of the 90's we saw the emergence of the female versions of NWA (Nigga's With Attitude), the now forgotten HWA (Hoez With Attitude) followed by BWP (Bytches With Problems.) Also, during this period, the behavior that was once condemned by the male rappers began to be glorified by artists such as Apache who proudly pleaded for a "Gangsta Bitch."This period was followed by gangstress successors like Da Brat and Boss, whose "street cred" was busted when it was discovered by the Wall Street Journal that her tales of gangta-ism took great liberties with the truth.
Next came the age of the "Ride or Die" chicks, sistas who would do what ever it took to hold their men down whether legal or illegal. The movement was headed by rappers such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, rappers who built upon the "Bonnie and Clyde" theme that was established by Ice Cube's female protege, Yo Yo, a few years earlier.While this "ride or die" theme may have been glorified on CD, the real life results of following this path resulted in dire consequences. One just has to look at the life of Kemba Smith, the former Hampton University student who ,beginning in 1994, served a six year prison sentence because of her involvement with a crack dealing boyfriend.
The legacy of the "gangstress" has been carried on courtesy of rappers such as Khia, Trina and Jacki O, who often compete for the crown of the "Baddest Bitch" in Hip Hop.To blame the negative image of black women on today's entertainers may be unfair since one could argue that Millie Jackson and Vanity 6, women whom Slick Rick James would have called "the super freaks that you don't take home to mother," set the standard for female vulgarity, during the 70's and early 80's. However, regardless of the past, in real time, you now have teenage black girls in every mall in America with baggy jeans and bandannas tied around their heads, cussin' louder than the boys. Not to mention the fact that some of the once teenage fans of Lil Kim are now grown women with nothing more on their minds then gettin' their hair and nails "did" and hittin' the club on the weekend to find a "balla."
Maybe, we have spent too much time discussing the plight of black boys instead of paying attention to what was going on with our black girls. Perhaps their emulation of gangstas is a disparate cry for attention.Suppose instead of just reading street novels, black women, of all ages, would start reading books like "Black Women in Antiquity," a collection of essays by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima that discusses the great black women of history. Maybe reading about the great queens of ancient Egypt and Ethiopia, whose beauty and intelligence were legends of mythical proportions will improve the self esteem of black women, young and old.
Some believe that it is too late to do anything to save this younger generation of black women. Some men believe that even older black women of today have been so influenced by pop culture that if you greet them with "Peace, Queen" they will only roll their eyes and suck their teeth. But if you yell, "Yo, Shawty," you might get a response.
However, there are still a lot of examples of real black women, sisters who carry themselves like beautiful black queens, true divas. And I'm not just talking about the soon to be first black first lady, Michelle Obama. I'm talking about that intelligent sister at work who has her stuff together. Or that caring wife and loving mother who has dedicated her life to raising a strong black family. How about that honor roll college student who is working her way through college by doing something other than working at a strip club ? When I think of them, I realize that there is hope after all.
Even for the girls in the back of the bus.
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com (919) 451-8283info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
CrackHeads Candy Report on NBC 17
Below is a link to the story that NBC 17 did on CrackHeads Candy.
http://durham.mync.com/site/Durham/news/story/26305/crackhead-candy-raises-concern-from-parents/
The No Warning Shots "Firing Squad" should keep firing off those emails and phone calls to local FYE's (the street corner crackhead dealers) and their parent company Trans World Entertainment Corporation (the main supplier) demanding that they pull CrackHeads off the shelves, immediately!
http://www.twec.com/corpsite/corporate/contact.cfm
Also, my NC peeps should send an email to the CrackHead "crack house headquarters" in Milwaukee and tell them to keep their junk out of our state.
http://www.crackheadscandy.com/candy-info/
Remember when the operator picks up the phone to her with our "anti-crack rap.":
"Crack is wack and so is your candy!
The link to my original "Candy for CrackHeads " article is below:
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2009/01/candy-for-crackheads.html
http://durham.mync.com/site/Durham/news/story/26305/crackhead-candy-raises-concern-from-parents/
The No Warning Shots "Firing Squad" should keep firing off those emails and phone calls to local FYE's (the street corner crackhead dealers) and their parent company Trans World Entertainment Corporation (the main supplier) demanding that they pull CrackHeads off the shelves, immediately!
http://www.twec.com/corpsite/corporate/contact.cfm
Also, my NC peeps should send an email to the CrackHead "crack house headquarters" in Milwaukee and tell them to keep their junk out of our state.
http://www.crackheadscandy.com/candy-info/
Remember when the operator picks up the phone to her with our "anti-crack rap.":
"Crack is wack and so is your candy!
The link to my original "Candy for CrackHeads " article is below:
http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2009/01/candy-for-crackheads.html
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