Unfinished Business: Gary Webb and the CIA Crack Connection

Father's Day Warning to Male Rappers:Change Your Posture!

"Hip Hop has become a playground for punks, pervs, and pedophiles."


At least that's how a "Washington, DC" rapper/activist , Yasin 360wiseguy feels about the current state of rap music. The artists has issued a strong warning to the male rappers, "Change Your Posture!"

According to Yasin, Hip Hop has done something that 400 years of slavery could not. It destroyed Black manhood.
"There are no real men in commercial Hip Hop today, says Yasin. "At least back in slavery our manhood was taken from us, now we give it away."

Yasin states that the males in Hip Hop have been castrated which is why it is not uncommon for many of them to wear feminine articles of clothing such as skirts and skinny jeans.
He is also concerned that many rappers in their 30's and 40's are targeting adolescents with their music that promotes sex, drugs and violence.

"Most of the songs are like a pornographic versions of Sesame Street, " he says.
"These dudes should be charged with the statutory rape of rap."

As a solution, Yasin has started the "Change Your Posture" Campaign demanding that rappers stop bowing down to the entertainment industry and stand up like real Men.
On his website http://changeyourposture.org he has a list of rappers who need to change their posture and the reasons why they need to do so.
(1).Lil Wayne (2).Rick ross (3).Drake (4).Trinandad James (5).Chief Keef (6).2-Chains (7.)kayne West (8).Gucci Mane (9).Tyler the Creator (10).Juicy J
The artist has also just released a scathing video that he hopes will shame rappers into being better role models called "Callin Ur Bluff."

For more information contact (202)239-2929
twitter @Iam360WiseGuy
email- info@360WiseGuyMusicGroup.com
website http://www.ChangeYourPosture.org

Is Hip Hop Hooked on Crack?

 

From Black Music to Crack Music:

What Happened to Hip Hop?

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

“I blame my mama for turning my brother into a crack baby."

Keep Ya Head Up- Tupac Shakur

This is Black Music Month and just like clockwork people will ask the age old question, what happened to Black music, especially Hip Hop? However, like previous Black Music Months, June 30th will find many scratching their heads, filled with more questions than answers. However, the real answer is quite simple.

Black music got hooked on crack.

Following the death of college B-ball superstar Len Bias, in 1986, a great fear struck America . There was a new drug on the street that was gonna turn the hood into a kingdom of the walking dead. As Public Enemy put it , an eternal “Night of the Living Baseheads. “Worst than that they would spawn a horde of crack babies who would be destined to become career chain snatchers and riders on the prison revolving door. And since mainstream America was just getting turned on to Hip Hop, the destinies became intertwined.

Well , a recent study has proven what many already knew. Don’t believe the hype.

In an article published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The idea of the “crack baby” has been exposed as myth. Although, the authors concede , that like with any drug, crack is not the best thing to put in your body, especially, while you're pregnant., social factors such as poverty really play a greater role in determining the future of children.

But what about the music that was supposed to represent the mentality of the “crack babies”. If the crack baby syndrome was a myth, the music must be fictitious, as well.

Let’s be clear. There is no denying the devastating effect that the drug trade has had on the ‘hood, from the heroin explosion of the 70’s to the crack epidemic of the Hip Hop era. And the music of the periods served as soundtracks to the misery, from Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman” to Biggie Smalls’ “Ten Crack Commandments”

According to Seeka tha Teacha, captain of the Hip Hop Liberation Army ,” Crack cocaine was introduced to Hip Hop for the purpose of destroying families and the well being of urban communities. It made drug dealers look rich in the eyes of the youth who were exposed to poverty.”

However, in this case ,we are not talking about the glorification of slangin’ rocks.that has permeated rap music since the late 80’s. That issue has been the subject of too many articles , books and documentaries to mention. Nor are we talking about the real life drug issues that have destroyed the careers of artists from Billie Holiday to DMX. Thus, murdering the message and the music.

The point here is how the whole idea of "crack music" is based on the media perpetuation of the crack baby (prenatal cocaine exposure) myth and the pathological behaviors associated with it have effected Black culture. And more importantly, how the stereotypical images associated with crack have affected our youth.

Some believe that the media hype around selling and using crack was really a self fulfilling prophesy. And if you pump crack pipe dreams in the heads of children, they will gravitate towards that even if they ain’t bout that life.

According to a recent Time magazine article , Dr. Maureen Black , professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine says that “once you label a child that way...there's no hope for the child. “

Durham NC substance abuse activist, Shareef Hameed , agrees saying that “crack baby became part of the American vernacular.. It was like labeling someone before they even got started.”

Hameed says that the signs of crack addiction are nervousness , paranoia and aggressiveness, which, ironically, are the same attributes reflected in today’s rap music. It was also rumored to cause ADHD (attention deficit disorder. ) Which explains why the music seems to be attractive to those with low IQ’s and short attention spans.

Crack rap can be distinguished from Hip Hop by its lack of subject matter and overly simplistic, pickaninny choruses And the music industry has sold the idea across the planet that this is the type of music to which kids are addicted.

Unfortunately, many Hip Hop fans have bought into this false reality, as well.

The idea of crack babies has its roots in the negative stereotypes of Black people stretching back hundreds of years with the “small brain theory” which claimed that Black people had small skulls which limited their capacity to absorb information. Not much different than the racist stereotypes connected with Hip Hop.

So, the crack baby myth is really a socio-political construct , a euphemism for the pathological behavior of some young Black males. The term is not really about a specific drug. In theory it's about a cocaine derivative but in practice it includes weed, malt liquor, molly or any mind altering drug that is promoted in Hip Hop.

What should be of major concern is how the crack baby hoax has served to demonize Black men. This is especially important with the upcoming George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin murder trial as the media has already tried to portray Martin as a crack baby only hooked on weed, in preparation for what will become the “Trial of the Century.” Also, of note is the recent media fascination with Chief Keef and his recent exploits including accusing a security guard of racist mean muggin’ when he was allegedly busted in a hotel room smoking marijuana.

Like any addiction, the first step to overcoming crack music addiction is admitting that you have a problem. We must admit that it hasn’t been crack that has had the most far reaching effects on the Black community but “crack music” that has propagated a hoax.

Unfortunately, a whole generation has gotten high on the hype.

This Black Music Month Hip Hop needs a detox.

It’s gonna be a long hot summer, socially and politically for Black people and we need our minds sober and ready for action.

Like Pac said on Revolution:

“Can you imagine the damage we could do if we weren’t high?”

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Check out Militant Minded Radio every Tuesday at 9PM EST http://blacktalkradionetwork.com/page/militantmindedradio

April Fool's Day 2013

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

“Call ‘em April Babies/cuz they fools”

Mr Carter -Lil Wayne

One morning, after sippin’ on his sizzurp to get his day started right , rapper Big Cheezy came up with the brilliant idea to post an instagram of him sportin’ a red kilt , red bottoms, and a big red clown nose ,announcing it was the new style. Immediately, in every 'hood, even the most hardcore gangstas were walkiin’ around lookin’ like Barnum and Bailey drag queens. Later that night Cheezy tweeted “I can’t believe ya’ll fell for that...I was just jokin’...”

For most of us who remember Hip Hop’s “better days,” the current state of rap music has been one long April Fool’s Day, a thugged out version of Alice in Wonderland, where backwards is forwards, wrong is right and where the village idiot is the resident smart guy. An alternative universe where thugs dress like honeys and honeys dress like thugs .However, contrary to what Run DMC said back in the day on Peter Piper ,this ain’t "bad meaning good" but bad meaning very bad.

Seems like the whole Black community has been punked.

The biggest prank that has been played is convincing an entire generation of African Americans that the descendants of the mothers and fathers of civilization are now the stuff that reality shows are made of. Like rapper ,Jasiri X said on his remake of the Drake hit , “We started on top/now we’re here.” Yep, at the bottom of the garbage pile.

Sadly enough, this is most evident south of the Mason Dixon Line. The rap industry has taken the people of an entire region who , a little more than 150 years ago , were ridin’ on the Underground Railroad tryin’ to get free and put them on a Subway train headed straight back to the plantation.

Although some make the argument that rap music and reality shows are for entertainment purposes only, for a large segment of society they are promoted as a true representation of how “those people” act.

While you may get a chuckle peepin’ the latest World Star Hip Hop video on your iPhone ,the same clip will serve as morning show material for your local , racist, Right Wing radio station.

Recently, during my morning drive , I heard the deejay on the local conservative station laughing hysterically at the video of the “Kapooya Hailstorm Sista” that recently went viral on the ‘net. Sad thing is that once he caught his breath he went back to his usual subject matter about how “minorities” were ruining this country.

Even Fox News Radio had a weekly “Hip Hop report” during one of their radio programs where the hosts would make a mockery of our culture to the delight of their listeners.

So they are not laughing “with us” they are laughing “at us.”

Don’t get it twisted . We are not just talking about World Star Hip Hop or a Rick Ross lyric. We're talking about the destruction of Black culture.

If you are looking at life through the narrow prism of Hip Hop, you will think that the 20 year dominance of negative rap is evidence of the triumph of ignorance over intelligence. But if you view reality through the vastness of human history, it’s a mere drop in the bucket of time. Knowledge has always reigned supreme.

Now, how Knowledge is used is a different story.;

The evil geniuses who really run the entertainment industry ain’t ig’nant . Nope, far from it.

You don’t ‘jack an entire culture and have teenage girls who would have once wanted to be college professors ,now dream of being strippers . Or turn young men, who would have once been great leaders, into mindless trend followers by being stupid.

We must stop allowing these people to keep us trapped in a cultural Dark Age.

In 2013, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as there seems to be a renewed movement to stop the modern day minstrel shows. All over the country people are taking steps to snatch back our culture.

Chairman Fred Hampton Jr of the POCC/BPPC has released an indictment of the industry called “Guilty” which charges those who profit from our death and destruction with war crimes against the Black community.

On April 1st, The Militant Mind Militia will release , The April Fools Mixtape aka ” Don’ t Be No Fool on World Star While Poppin’ Molly in the Hood," an updated conscious parody of the 90’s flick, Don’t be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the ‘hood.

http://www.datpiff.com/Various-Militant-Mind-Militia-Presents-The-April-Fools-M-mixtape.471504.html

 

 

Another bright spot is that commercial radio stations are beginning to rage against the corporate machine as Michigan radio station 103.7 The Beat has pulled all of the Rick Ross and Lil Wayne songs from their rotation in protest of their recent actions that disgraced not only Hip Hop but the entire Black community. Not to mention the many petitions that are circulating on the ‘net holding not only the artists responsible for the madness but the mega-corporation executives who run the rap game from their Wall Street offices.

We must all join in the fight to not only “save Hip Hop” but to save the minds of our children. We must tell the entertainers that it is no longer acceptable to shuffle, jive and bow down for a dollar.

As underground Hip Hop artist, Yasin360WiseGuy puts it , its time to “change your posture.”

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s website is No Warning Shots Fired .com. For more information on the Black By Nature/Conscious By Choice Campaign contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 972-8305 Follow on Twitter @truthminista

 

N*ggas at the Grammys

N*ggas at the Grammys

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

“They say money make a n*gga act n*gger-ish”
Problem- A$AP Rocky



Conservative talk show host , Sean O’Reilly hated Hip Hop with a passion. Yet, there he was ,sitting in front of his flat screen watching the Grammys, anxiously , waiting for the rap song of the year to be announced . When the winner was finally revealed ,he jumped off his recliner like this favorite team had just won the Superbowl. No , he hadn’t become a converted Kanye West fan, he was just happy that he could announce to his millions of listeners the next morning that the best rap song was “N*ggas in Paris...”

On February 10th, the world will witness the 55th annual Grammy award show and rap royalty will be in the hizzouse . This ain’t nuthin’ unusual. However, what is news is that for the first time, a song featuring the controversial “N word” is in the running for an award, courtesy of Kanye West and Jay Z’s hit “N*ggas in Paris.” And since the song is nominated in two categories, the odds are in their favor.

The only other thing to come close to this monumental event is, perhaps ,Nas and ex -wife Kelis sportin’ the N*gger T-Shirts on the Red Carpet at the 2008 show.

So the question is, if Kanye and Jay are successful, how are they gonna announce the winner and who is gonna do it ? Since the Grammy folks like to do the unexpected when it comes to announcing winners, I can’t wait to see Ted Nugent jump on stage and say “and the winner of the Rap Performance of the Year is “N*ggers in New Hampshire" ...I mean "Coloreds Outta Compton"..Aw, shucks …”

Also, the fact that the awards are smack dab in the middle Black History Month makes matters worst.

If we look at the history of rap music and the Grammy’s, it is safe to say that the music was not always welcomed at the shows. Kinda like a thugged out version of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. “Although the genre was finally recognized as something more than ghetto noise by the late 80’s, controversy was created when the show would not televise the new category ,prompting a boycott by Jazzy Jeff and Will "Fresh Prince" Smith and others in 1989.

So while some will be proud of the fact that 24 years later, Hip hop can proudly boast that it has produced the first N*gga song that could possibly win a Grammy, other Black folks, like myself, look upon the possibility with utter disgust. Especially considering that more socially relevant groups such as Brand Nubian and X-Clan never won the award , even though they are considered legends in the Hip Hop arena.

Perhaps most disturbing is that by rewarding such ignorance , it helps to legitimize the usage of the work in the eyes of White Americans.

Droppin’ the N bomb in the presence of White folks was once seen as a cultural no no. I can remember the controversy that arose when “George Jefferson’s “ white neighbor “Tom Willis” called him a n*gger on national TV on the 70’s sitcom “The Jeffersons”

But thanks to Hip Hop groups, like NWA (Niggaz with Attitude) the word has ,continuously ,become less offensive, even though it is ,technically ,still taboo for white people to actually say the word.

Although, many point to Hip Hop for propagating the warped idea that the overuse of the word would take the power out of it, it was actually white comedian Lenny Bruce who suggested that back in the 60’s. It must also be remembered that John Lennon tried to universalize the term back in 1972 with the song , “Woman is the Nigger of the World.”

It is oft repeated myth that the N Word is hip because it is a term of endearment that all Black people use to express brotherly love and racial solidarity.

Uh, no we “all “don’t.

There are probably more African Americans who,vehemently , oppose the word than those who embrace it.

For instance Philadelphia social worker, Abena Afreeka , who recently started a “N*gga Recovery Program” to help those addicted to using the word, opposes it because it acts as a psychological trigger to subconscious memories of slavery which results in negative behavior. Thus creating the perfect Manchurian candidate.

Despite the false idea that we now live in a color blind society, racism still exists. And when Black rappers use the word they are like Beyonce at the last Inauguration, lip syncing what many white folks in this country wish they could say out loud.

Which probably explains the massive crossover appeal of rappers who frequently use the word like Kanye West and Jay Z’s fellow Grammy contenders former gifted college athlete turned ratchet rapper ,2 Chainz ,and former correctional officer turned “gangsta ,“ Rick Ross.

In a climate where people like Quentin Tarantino feel comfortable releasing N Word laden movies and reality shows that feature African Americans as over sexed buffoons, it is time that we flip the script.

Hip Hop artists must stand up and denounce the use of the word in the same manner that they denounce safer and non- race specific issues like animal cruelty and bullying.

We must realize that the use of the word is just a throw back to slavery and until we stop identifying ourselves as n*ggas, we will continue to be 21st century mental slaves. It is not only the word that must die but the pathological behavior that has been associated with the word courtesy of Holly ‘hood and the music industry.

Like that classic scene from the old school Spike Lee flick “School Daze” when Dap (Laurence Fishburne) tells some brothas “you’re not nigga’s,” this must be our message in 2013.

But truth is there is a trace of the racial inferiority complex ,a carry over from the enslavement of our ancestors, in all of us. And in order for our fullest self to live, that part of us must die.

So before we can change the world we must change ourselves


As Chuck D once asked on the Autobiography of Mr. Chuck, “Can you kill the n*gger in you?”



TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s website is No Warning Shots Fired.com.. Follow on Twitter @truthminista To contact the Black By Nature/Conscious By Choice Campaign contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or call (919) 972-8305

Django Unchains Holly'hood's Racial Hypocrisy

There a are alot of White pundits (both Conservative and Liberal) discussing the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie, "Django Unchained" but as usual, the opinions of Black Folks, especially the more militant minded are ignored. I guess we should be seen and not heard.

 I applaud the movie (It's not The Nat Turner Story but we'[ll take it) and I think that many White people are really bothered, not only by being reminded of the horrors of slavery while they celebrate "Peace on Earth" but by the image of a Black male committing justifiable homicide against White people. While there have been many movies like Roots that have shown the beatings and murders of Black people, there have been relatively few with a Black dude getting a little payback. Also, although you have many 'hood films that glorify Black on Black violence (Boyz in tha Hood, Menace II Society) there are virtually no movies that have talked about the killing of white people.

 Also, the recent Drudge Report post that used the "N word" several times in a caption shows the blatant hypocrisy that the right wing exhibits in regards to issues of race. Even though Drudge may claim that he was making a point, would he use " Hymie" or "Christ Killer" over the caption of an article about Jews? Or would he put "Faggot" over a caption about homosexuals? I think not. They would be calling for his head.


Unfortunately, he seems right at home with using the N word.


If we are to move forward as a country, the hypocrisy of "Holly'hood" and the media must end.

No, Virginia. Rick Ross Ain't Gangsta !

No, Virginia. Rick Ross Ain’t Gangsta: Rap’s X-mas Reality Check                          TRUTH Minista Paul Scott “In the real world these just people with ideas They just like me and you when the smoke and camera disappear”                                                                 Hip Hop-Dead Prez When Virgina “V-Gangsta” O’Hanlon’s homegirl broke the news to her that Santa Claus was a big fat fake, it didn’t faze her one bit. As long as she still got her Lil Wayne CD for Christmas she was good. But years later when she found out that her new favorite rapper, Rick Ross, wasn't the gangster she had grown to know and love, she went into a violent rage followed by a major depression lasting several days... Recently, mainstream America got hip to something that “the ‘hood” already knew. Their beloved Grammy- nominated gangsta, William “Rick Ross” Roberts wasn’t a gangster after all. He just played one on TV. This has sent his suburban fans searching for a “Yes, Virginia , there is a Santa Claus” type of affirmation. Just like Virginia O'Hanlon, when she wrote the famous letter to the New York Sun back in 1897, asking for reassurance that the Jolly Ol Soul was real after her friends told her that Ol' St. Nick was just a trick, Rick Ross fans are shedin’ tears in their eggnog, yellin' “Say it ain’t so.” Last week, Rick Ross cancelled the remaining dates of his MMG (Maybach Music Group) Tour, reportedly , because of You tube videos posted by members of The Gangster Disciples who threatened to step to Roberts for shoutin' out their leader's name on one of his songs and using their gang symbol on a CD cover without breakin’ them off a little royalty cash . To make matters worst, the rapper has beef with convicted drug dealer, Freeway Ricky Ross, of the infamous Iran/Contra/Compton cocaine connection that was alleged in the 90’s by the late reporter Gary Webb . Apparently Freeway Ricky Ross is miffed that rapper Rick Ross has the nerve to use his popularity of contributing to the genocide of thousands of children in the 'hood to sell records that glamorize the genocide of thousands of children in the 'hood. Not to mention the die hard Tupac Shakur fans who are hatin’ on him for having the audacity to proclaim himself the reincarnation of the " father of THUG LIFE." However, the main people upset by the revoking of Rick Ross's ghetto pass are members of his Caucasian crossover fan club who ,vicariously, live the ghetto life thru their favorite rappers from the comfort of their spacious homes in the 'burbs. Someone once said, insubstantially, that 80% of the kids who buy rap music are white. While we are not sure how he, scientifically, arrived at that figure,he's probably darn close if you look at whose parents have the most disposable income . During the mid to late 70's, Hip Hop started as an obscure form of party music barely known outside of four of the five NYC boroughs. However, with the release of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message,” rap music became white America's long range telescope for viewing urban blight. During the late 80’s, Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, proclaimed rap “the CNN of Black America.” Shortly after this pronouncement , NWA brought gangsta rap to the forefront and rappers became the epitome of Tall, Dark and Dumb, the dudes that all of the cool white guys wanted to be like and the hip white chicks wanted to be with. The best example of the origin of this idea would probably be the miraculous transformation of nerdy" Bud Bundy" to “Grandmaster B” from the early 90’s sitcom “Married With Children.” So for white kids, “gangsta rappers” were the perfect Christmas gift, like a life size, thugged out version of a GI Joe with the kung fu grip. Or Shirley Temple’s “Mr. Bojangles” with street swagger. willing to buck dance at the drop of a dollar. But last week, the charade came to an abrupt ending, when middle America had to come to grips with the fact that maybe their superheroes of the ‘hood weren’t so super ,after all. They finally had to deal with the reality that it was all one big joke and the joke was on them. Although the music industry marketing gurus could spin the well known fact in Hip Hop circles that Rick Ross was a former correctional officer, earning him the title ala rapper 50 cent, “Officer Ricky," the idea that a feared gangsta rapper is scared of gangsters is an unforgivable sin in Hip Hop. He might as well have done a duet with Barry Manilow. But it's not just William Roberts who is perpretratin a fraud , many of the fiercest gangsta rappers and producers in the industry are actually college educated, from Suge Knight to Sean “Puffy” Combs. Even Robert ‘s fellow Grammy nominee Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps attended college on an athletic scholarship during the mid 90’s, despite his lyrical content that centers around “big booty hoes.” But the question is, now that the jack- in- the- box is out of Santa’s bag, where does Hip Hop go from here? The music executives can either allow Hip Hop to grow up and once again become socially relevant or they can continue on their fool’s errand of trying to fool all of the people all of the time. History teaches us that they will probably try to make a feeble attempt at the latter. I mean if they can turn a C.O. into an O.G., I guess anything is possible. But in reality, the future direction of Hip Hop depends on the gullibility of the consumer. Just like the cop- out that a parent gives his child when she finds her toy pony hidden in the garage two days before Christmas. "Santa exists as long as you believe he does" So does gangsta rap, Virginia. So does gangsta rap." TRUTH Minista Paul Scott's website is No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or Follow on Twitter @truthminista

Rick Ross and Wall Street Gangstas vs Real Gangsters

There are numerous videos on Youtube with the Gangster Disciples in many states threatening rapper Rick Ross. The North Carolina Gangster Disciples have also made a video which is interesting since Rick Ross will be in Greensboro and Charlotte this weekend.

Rick Ross is a formjer Corrections Officer and he doesn't rep "the streets." He reps Wall Street. And the multi national entertainment corporations couldn't care less about blood being spilled on the streets as long as they can cash in on the blood money.

Interesting news clip below


http://www.wcnc.com/news/crime/Death-threats-follow-rap-artist-at-Charlotte-concert-182272511.html

Saigon Said Knock You Out

Saigon Said Knock You Out:
Necessary or Unnecessary Roughness ?:
TRUTH Minista Paul Scott


“Shadow boxin’ when I heard you on the radio.”
Mama Said Knock You Out-LL Cool J


Recently, on the top rated, "Chicken and Waffles Morning Show," something happened that shook up the rap world. The hosts were kickin’ it with militant Hip Hop artist, “Songhai” when he started name checkin' rappers who he claimed were part of a diabolical conspiracy to destroy the youth. Songhai threatened to pimp slap the top five commercial Hip Hop artists if they didn’t change their wicked ways, ASAP. Strangely enough, he issued a retraction the next day , claiming that what he said was that he was gonna give the rappers a “hand clap.” But the damage had already been done. The seeds of revolution had already been planted in the minds of the people....

Last week, Hip Hop artist, Saigon created a controversy when, during a visit to NYC’s Breakfast Club Morning Show, he announced to the rap world that he was gonna punch rap’s top dogs, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross, in the grill if they didn’t stop making songs that were detrimental to the children. Immediately, the Twitter-verse was flooded with people who were proclaimin’ him Hip Hop’s new Savior. Then a few days later, in a whirlwind change of events, he announced on his Facebook page that some of his words were “ignorant” and part of a “strategy.”

I have always wondered why, when real Hip Hop artists keep it real about one of the cashin' out rappers, within 48 hours they release an apology or some sort of “clarification.” A few years ago, OG rapper, Ice T, apologized to Soulja Boy and more recently, Lupe Fiasco issued an apology to upstart Chief Keef regarding comments they made that were based on nothing but the pure, unadulterated truth.

So what gives?

Although Saigon has said that he didn't want to single out anybody in particular for the ratchet state of Hip Hop, since you can count all the rappers who are gettin' heavy radio play on one hand and still have a couple of fingers left, how can you not name the names ? Also, since we agree that someone has committed grand larceny on the culture, how can you have a crime without having a criminal?

It must be noted that when artists like “The Game” actually punch rappers they never apologize, they just say “Yeah, and if I see him in the streets, I’m probably gonna punch him again!” But “conscious” rappers go from Malcolm X to Martin Luther King in 2.5 seconds.

While some people may believe that the remarks of Maybach Music Group affiliate ,Gunplay, may have had a little something to do with Saigon’s sudden change of heart, I doubt that’s the case. I’m sure that the rapper risks gettin’ snuffed out by 10 Gunplay look-alikes every.day on the NYC subway. So it’s probably not the street thugs, but the Wall Street thugs that make rappers nervous. They are more scared of Morty Schiester, corporate attorney than they are of some rapper.

And who can blame them ?

If the rumor is true that 50 Cent has the power to shut down projects at rival record companies, how much power do you think his boss, Jimmy Iovine has ? That is why there is this code of silence between industry rappers, whether conscious or commercial.

When Saigon, called out 2 Chainz and Rick Ross, he was not messin’ with individuals. He was messin’ with brands that people have invested a lot of cash creating and they weren’t gonna let some rap revolutionist cancel their meal ticket. Contrary to popular belief, industry beefs are not handled by the rappers but their image consultants. So, the same, " Pierre Escargot," that picks out your favorite ratchet rapper's outfit for the BET Awards is the same cat who handles his beefs.

When Saigon went on his rant he committed an unforgivable industry sin. He made people start to think. Also, as an industry insider, he co-signed something that we already knew. The masses are pissed off at the current state of Hip Hop and they were just waiting for an industry cat who was as pissed as them to articulate their frustrations in a large forum.

And it’s not only the brainiacs that are outraged. It’s the thugs too. Although rappers like Rick Rozay are flashin’ their jewels, the streets are just tryin’ to eat. While members of the Hip Hop Millionaire Boys Club are ridin’ around in Maybach’s with heated seats, the boyz in the hood are out in the cold rappin’ that line from Freeway’s “What We Do.”

“If my heat stops workin’/Ima rob me a person”

Already there are videos on Youtube of Rick Ross catching heat from members of the Gangster Disciples in various states. And America’s greatest fear is that the gangstas get politicized and stop stockin’ bullets and start pickin’ up some books. That’s why politically educated artists pose such a potential threat.

We may never know how many brain cells were sparked by the power of the Saigon interview. Even with the retraction, once words come outta your mouth, you can't call them back.

As omniscient as the heads of the multi-national corporations that control Hip Hop claim to be, they will never be able to discern where rap ends and revolution begins.

But that doesn’t stop them from trying. Many people have had their lives destroyed or ended for daring to wake up the masses.

J. Edgar Hoover's COINTELPRO “fear of a Black messiah who could electrify the youth” is still in effect and the rap industry is part of the program. So I don’t fault rappers like Saigon for being guarded with their words.

I blame us.

The blood of the martyrs is on hands of those who claim to want socio-political change but have not formed a Hip Hop United Front to make artists, writers and activists with a message feel secure in speaking truth to power

Remember during the 60’s, it was the student movements on college campuses that held Muhammad Ali down with speaking engagements after he was banned from boxing for speaking out on the war in Vietnam. Unfortunately we don’t have that structure any more.

We must rebuild it.

Also, as powerful as the music industry executives appear, they are not gonna put guns to our heads and force us to buy our children Chief Keef cds this holiday season. So we must join the “Take Back Hip Hop Black Friday Campaign” and only spend our money on music from artists with a message this holiday season.

And I’m not talking about those artists that are just using conscious Hip Hop as a marketing scheme or an entry level way into the industry. I’m talking about those who are actually involved in our physical and mental liberation.

This way we can honor those artists and activists , past, present and future, who sacrificed their lives for speakin’ the truth and were either blacklisted, put in jail, or, like Saigon said on his latest video, “Blown Away.”


TRUTH Minista Paul Scott’s weekly column is “This Ain’t Hip Hop,” a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. His website is No Warning Shots Fired.com For more information on the “Take Back Hip Hop Black Friday Campaign” contact info@nowarningshotsfired.com or follow on Twitter @truthminista