Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Paul Scott
If you live in Greensboro, NC, chances are you've probably heard of Jorge Cornell. To hear the cops tell it, he's a Latino version of O-Dog from Menace to Society. But to many in the black and Latino community he is a modern day Huey P. Newton.
In an interview, earlier today, NWSF.com wanted to know why Cornell is loved by some and hated by others.
"They downplay the positive," says Cornell who says that he has been active in the Greensboro community doing everything from feeding the homeless to trying to establish black and brown unity.
A New York native, Jorge "King J" Cornell, "Inca" (leader) of the Greensboro Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) says that he was politically active up North and carried that same spirit below the Mason Dixon where he says that racism is 10 times worst than it is in the Big Apple.
According to Cornell, it is not his gang affiliation that has gotten him in trouble with the law but his political activities.
He says that the Latin Kings have been harassed for a while but it escalated after he made his "Call for Peace" last June.
Since then he says that he has been charged with 13 felonies, all of which have been dismissed.
Coincidentally, Cornell says that he has been shot twice since last August.
However, he says that his brushes with death only gave him more motivation to fight for the people.
When asked about the media hype of the tension between the black and Latino communities Cornell said bluntly, "Totally false."
"If Black and Brown come together, there is so much that we can accomplish, we are the same people," says Cornell.
"They brought you here in shackles and they ship us off in shackles, says Cornell, referring to immigration laws, an issue that is dear to his heart.
He mentioned his concern over Section 287 G of the Immigration and Nationality Act which, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, allows "the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions."
http://www.ice.gov/partners/287g/Section287_g.htm
Although, some would say that there are two sides to every story, there is one story that has never really been told. That is the political suppression of oppressed people. Until that story is told, all the facts aren't in and we can never arrive at a clear consensus of whether gangs like the Latin Kings are helping or hurting their communities.
With all the drama that activists have to go through, why doesn't King J just take an early retirement?
"I'm wiling to die for this," says Cornell. "If I can make a change for my people, that's what it is..."
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
White Daddies, Pink Caddies and Black Bastards
White Daddies, Pink Caddies and Black Bastards:
The Truth Behind Cadillac Records
Paul Scott
There is a scene from the new movie, Cadillac Records where disc jockey and payola hustler, Alan Freed tells Rock and Roll pioneer, Chuck Berry , that he is going to make him famous but tells record label owner, Leonard Chess that he is going to make him rich.
Although the movie takes place in the 1950's, we see the same power relationships happening within black music today, especially Hip Hop.
Cadillac Records tells the story of the rise and fall of one of the early exploiters of black talent, Chess records. The company was owned by Leonard Chess, a Jewish immigrant with an ear for black music, which at that time was referred to as "race music."
The movie chronicles the careers of such blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Lil Walter, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James, the founders of what would become known as Rock and Roll. While the film deals with multiple topics such as rocky relationships and drug abuse issues that have plagued many artists, the moral of the story is the commercial root of the exploitation of black talent by whites. Unfortunately, since many young Hip Hop heads will only go to the movie to gaze at Sasha Fierce (I mean Beyonce), who plays Etta James, this theme will be missed , as well as its connection to the Hip Hop empire of today.
While the movie deals, primarily, with the period just before the rise of the Rock and Roll era , the origin of the exploitation of black music started with the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
In his outstanding book , "White Labor, Black Wealth: The Search for Power and Economic Justice," Dr. Claud Anderson traces the roots of white fascination with black music back to the slave ships when the captains let the captives blow off some steam during rituals known as "dancing the slaves." This trend continued on to the plantations when the enslaved Africans' renditions of "Camp Town Lady" helped the plantation owners get their party on.
As pointed out in the movie, during the early years of Rock, white artists like Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones "borrowed" the styles of black artists like Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry, quickly diminishing their value in an industry that would much more readily accept white artists who could sing "black" instead of blacks, themselves.
Also, the black artists often signed weak contracts that paid them only a fraction of what white record owners, who didn't sing one note, were making from their talent.
According to Fredric Dannen's book, "Hit Men," which goes into detail about the rise of the major labels, while the early record executives, such as the owners of Chess, King and Savoy Records saw that race music had a bright future "many of them were crooks...their victims were usually poor blacks."
As in the movie, Dannen goes on to write that a black artist would get tricked into getting paid with a big shiny "Cadillac worth a fraction of what he was owed."
This leads us to the Hip Hop Era, where white corporations found a new source of black talent to exploit that came gift wrapped with a low overhead and an already established fan base.
So just like in the 50's, black Hip Hop artists are still selling their souls, both liberally and figuratively, for Cadillacs in the form of pimped out Escalades.
Although, some may point to the early success of small record labels such as Enjoy and Sugar Hill Records as examples of black economic empowerment with the popularity of their early Hip Hop releases, it was not until Hip Hop began to cross over to the white market that the mansions and limousines that many Bronx teens rapped about became a reality. The crossover appeal of Hip Hop was not so much because of the talent of the black artists but "culture bandits," as writer Del Jones once referred to them, such as the Beastie Boys and later Vanilla Ice.
As much as many Conservatives have decried the rise of "gangsta rap" in the late 80's/early 90's as some kind of moral deficiency on the behalf of black folks, they often overlooked the white financed origins of the genre by record moguls such as Jerry Heller (Ruthless Records) and Jimmy Iovine (distribution of Death Row Records.)
What should also be noted is that while the destructive lifestyles of the early black artists, though tolerated, were bad for the bottom line, as in Chuck Berry's imprisonment and Etta James' drug addiction, the self destructive lifestyles of the Hip Hop artists were seen as a boost for record sells. If we look at the tragic lives of some of the Death Row artists such as Tupac Shakur, we see that although "Self Destruction" was denounced in a unity record by early Hip Hop top artists in 1988, by 1992 it had become celebrated.
If Tyrone Jackson goes to his job at Mickey D's drunk, he gets the boot. But if TJ, the rapper comes to work high off Sizzurp (codeine and liquor), he gets a bonus.
Also, although there has always been a high level of competition between black groups (check out Funkadelic's 1975 diss to their rivals "Let's Take it to the Stage,), the record labels soon found out that it was more cost effective to add guns to the mix. And when the events climaxed to the predictable outcome, the industry realized that dead rappers actually sold more records than live rappers. Not to mention the movie deals such as Tupac Resurrection (Paramount) and the upcoming movie, Notorious (Foxlight Search).
So, while many black artists of the past were tricked into signing iron clad life long contracts, the contracts of today also cover the after life.
Although, the genesis of the white gangsta rap phenomenon was nearly 20 years ago, the impact can still be felt today as evidenced with the success of Iovine's Introscope/Universal Music Group's, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent the latest cultural exploiter, Eminem.
But the question is, with all the talent, as well as wealth that today's artists posses, why have they not come together and developed some process of Afrocentric "vertical integration, which Dr. Anderson defines as when " a single entity or group controls all aspects of the creation and sale of a service or product, including obtaining the raw materials, processing and manufacturing then distributing, marketing and selling the finished product."
Perhaps the answer lies in the most symbolically, powerful subplot of Cadillac Records. While the character "Lil Walter" refers to Leonard Cress as his "white daddy," Etta James is in a constant search for love from pool shark, Minnesota Fats whom she believed was her white, biological father.
Until black artists start believing that they can become self sufficient, they will forever be the music industry's little black bastards looking for a white daddy to take care of them.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's, blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
The Truth Behind Cadillac Records
Paul Scott
There is a scene from the new movie, Cadillac Records where disc jockey and payola hustler, Alan Freed tells Rock and Roll pioneer, Chuck Berry , that he is going to make him famous but tells record label owner, Leonard Chess that he is going to make him rich.
Although the movie takes place in the 1950's, we see the same power relationships happening within black music today, especially Hip Hop.
Cadillac Records tells the story of the rise and fall of one of the early exploiters of black talent, Chess records. The company was owned by Leonard Chess, a Jewish immigrant with an ear for black music, which at that time was referred to as "race music."
The movie chronicles the careers of such blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Lil Walter, Howlin' Wolf and Etta James, the founders of what would become known as Rock and Roll. While the film deals with multiple topics such as rocky relationships and drug abuse issues that have plagued many artists, the moral of the story is the commercial root of the exploitation of black talent by whites. Unfortunately, since many young Hip Hop heads will only go to the movie to gaze at Sasha Fierce (I mean Beyonce), who plays Etta James, this theme will be missed , as well as its connection to the Hip Hop empire of today.
While the movie deals, primarily, with the period just before the rise of the Rock and Roll era , the origin of the exploitation of black music started with the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
In his outstanding book , "White Labor, Black Wealth: The Search for Power and Economic Justice," Dr. Claud Anderson traces the roots of white fascination with black music back to the slave ships when the captains let the captives blow off some steam during rituals known as "dancing the slaves." This trend continued on to the plantations when the enslaved Africans' renditions of "Camp Town Lady" helped the plantation owners get their party on.
As pointed out in the movie, during the early years of Rock, white artists like Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones "borrowed" the styles of black artists like Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry, quickly diminishing their value in an industry that would much more readily accept white artists who could sing "black" instead of blacks, themselves.
Also, the black artists often signed weak contracts that paid them only a fraction of what white record owners, who didn't sing one note, were making from their talent.
According to Fredric Dannen's book, "Hit Men," which goes into detail about the rise of the major labels, while the early record executives, such as the owners of Chess, King and Savoy Records saw that race music had a bright future "many of them were crooks...their victims were usually poor blacks."
As in the movie, Dannen goes on to write that a black artist would get tricked into getting paid with a big shiny "Cadillac worth a fraction of what he was owed."
This leads us to the Hip Hop Era, where white corporations found a new source of black talent to exploit that came gift wrapped with a low overhead and an already established fan base.
So just like in the 50's, black Hip Hop artists are still selling their souls, both liberally and figuratively, for Cadillacs in the form of pimped out Escalades.
Although, some may point to the early success of small record labels such as Enjoy and Sugar Hill Records as examples of black economic empowerment with the popularity of their early Hip Hop releases, it was not until Hip Hop began to cross over to the white market that the mansions and limousines that many Bronx teens rapped about became a reality. The crossover appeal of Hip Hop was not so much because of the talent of the black artists but "culture bandits," as writer Del Jones once referred to them, such as the Beastie Boys and later Vanilla Ice.
As much as many Conservatives have decried the rise of "gangsta rap" in the late 80's/early 90's as some kind of moral deficiency on the behalf of black folks, they often overlooked the white financed origins of the genre by record moguls such as Jerry Heller (Ruthless Records) and Jimmy Iovine (distribution of Death Row Records.)
What should also be noted is that while the destructive lifestyles of the early black artists, though tolerated, were bad for the bottom line, as in Chuck Berry's imprisonment and Etta James' drug addiction, the self destructive lifestyles of the Hip Hop artists were seen as a boost for record sells. If we look at the tragic lives of some of the Death Row artists such as Tupac Shakur, we see that although "Self Destruction" was denounced in a unity record by early Hip Hop top artists in 1988, by 1992 it had become celebrated.
If Tyrone Jackson goes to his job at Mickey D's drunk, he gets the boot. But if TJ, the rapper comes to work high off Sizzurp (codeine and liquor), he gets a bonus.
Also, although there has always been a high level of competition between black groups (check out Funkadelic's 1975 diss to their rivals "Let's Take it to the Stage,), the record labels soon found out that it was more cost effective to add guns to the mix. And when the events climaxed to the predictable outcome, the industry realized that dead rappers actually sold more records than live rappers. Not to mention the movie deals such as Tupac Resurrection (Paramount) and the upcoming movie, Notorious (Foxlight Search).
So, while many black artists of the past were tricked into signing iron clad life long contracts, the contracts of today also cover the after life.
Although, the genesis of the white gangsta rap phenomenon was nearly 20 years ago, the impact can still be felt today as evidenced with the success of Iovine's Introscope/Universal Music Group's, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent the latest cultural exploiter, Eminem.
But the question is, with all the talent, as well as wealth that today's artists posses, why have they not come together and developed some process of Afrocentric "vertical integration, which Dr. Anderson defines as when " a single entity or group controls all aspects of the creation and sale of a service or product, including obtaining the raw materials, processing and manufacturing then distributing, marketing and selling the finished product."
Perhaps the answer lies in the most symbolically, powerful subplot of Cadillac Records. While the character "Lil Walter" refers to Leonard Cress as his "white daddy," Etta James is in a constant search for love from pool shark, Minnesota Fats whom she believed was her white, biological father.
Until black artists start believing that they can become self sufficient, they will forever be the music industry's little black bastards looking for a white daddy to take care of them.
Paul Scott, the Hip Hop TRUTH Minista's, blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Saturday, December 6, 2008
NWSF Bullet: Slavery is Back in Effect
The Associated Press is running a story about a white teacher, Eileen Bernstein, in Haverstraw, New York who is "sorry" for binding two black middle school girls and making them crawl under a desk during a class slavery reenactment.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gc0c1hB9MlLCLoAjdsaRHOWOraWQD94SR4I81
According the the story, Bernstein was just tryin' to keep it real with the slavery thing.
Problem is it really upset one of the teens who had to miss a day out of school.
Yeah, I guess for some girls being made to crawl around in front of a bunch of teenage boys, who at that age can find humor in a car wreck, would be kinda humiliating.
But I guess that was real authentic since her ancestors who had to crawl around in front of mobs of white men probably didn't like that too much, either.
I'm just glad that the teacher wasn't doing a lesson on pimps and ho's.
Superintendent Brian Monahan did say that "if the student was upset, then it was a bad idea."
Duh, ya think?
The child's mother, Christine Shand, thinks that the teacher should be removed from class but Monahan is not saying how the situation will be handled.
(In other words Berstein will be forced to write "I'm sorry" 100 times on the blackboard and sing, "Let My People Go" in blackface during the Black History Month program.)
Maybe, Bernstein really didn't mean any harm and was just adding a little flava to the lesson. But like Grandma used to say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
I wonder what would have happened if black social studies teacher, Tyrone Jackson, had decided to demonstrate the horrors of the Holocaust by marching two little Jewish girls to the ovens in the home economics room?
Somehow, I don't think Mr. Jackson would be getting a paycheck at the end of the month. Nor do I think Ms. Bernstein would have found it enlightening.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gc0c1hB9MlLCLoAjdsaRHOWOraWQD94SR4I81
According the the story, Bernstein was just tryin' to keep it real with the slavery thing.
Problem is it really upset one of the teens who had to miss a day out of school.
Yeah, I guess for some girls being made to crawl around in front of a bunch of teenage boys, who at that age can find humor in a car wreck, would be kinda humiliating.
But I guess that was real authentic since her ancestors who had to crawl around in front of mobs of white men probably didn't like that too much, either.
I'm just glad that the teacher wasn't doing a lesson on pimps and ho's.
Superintendent Brian Monahan did say that "if the student was upset, then it was a bad idea."
Duh, ya think?
The child's mother, Christine Shand, thinks that the teacher should be removed from class but Monahan is not saying how the situation will be handled.
(In other words Berstein will be forced to write "I'm sorry" 100 times on the blackboard and sing, "Let My People Go" in blackface during the Black History Month program.)
Maybe, Bernstein really didn't mean any harm and was just adding a little flava to the lesson. But like Grandma used to say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
I wonder what would have happened if black social studies teacher, Tyrone Jackson, had decided to demonstrate the horrors of the Holocaust by marching two little Jewish girls to the ovens in the home economics room?
Somehow, I don't think Mr. Jackson would be getting a paycheck at the end of the month. Nor do I think Ms. Bernstein would have found it enlightening.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
NWSF Bullet: Only the Good Die Young
Today (Dec 4th) marks the 39th anniversary of the murder of former Chicago Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton Sr.
I haven't heard that many tributes on the radio, today playing his speeches and I don't think that BET is going to do a tribute like they do for Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG.
Guess they can't find much air time in between songs and videos talking about black people killing other black people as a form of recreation.
Then again its not like a lot of folks know about "Chairman Fred," who up until his dying day at the young age of 21 spent his days putting together programs to feed children in the 'hood and organizing gang members to help the community instead of destroying it.
Since most Americans suffer from historical amnesia, they try to forget that not too long ago helping black folks was a crime punishable by death at the hands of the government.
So, while you can find hundreds of videos at Blockbuster and on Netflix with black men being shot over song lyrics and car rims, you can hardly find any footage of Fred Hamptain lying in his bed covered with blood because the enforcers of the COINTELPRO program considered Sickle Cell Anemia clinics a threat to national security.
Until we tell our children about great black leaders such as Fred Hampton we are only fooling ourselves if we think that we will ever stop the "gang problem."
To borrow from Chairman Fred, we will only keep coming up with,
"Answers that don't answer, explanations that don't explain and conclusions that don't conclude."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHzSdniqi4g
I haven't heard that many tributes on the radio, today playing his speeches and I don't think that BET is going to do a tribute like they do for Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG.
Guess they can't find much air time in between songs and videos talking about black people killing other black people as a form of recreation.
Then again its not like a lot of folks know about "Chairman Fred," who up until his dying day at the young age of 21 spent his days putting together programs to feed children in the 'hood and organizing gang members to help the community instead of destroying it.
Since most Americans suffer from historical amnesia, they try to forget that not too long ago helping black folks was a crime punishable by death at the hands of the government.
So, while you can find hundreds of videos at Blockbuster and on Netflix with black men being shot over song lyrics and car rims, you can hardly find any footage of Fred Hamptain lying in his bed covered with blood because the enforcers of the COINTELPRO program considered Sickle Cell Anemia clinics a threat to national security.
Until we tell our children about great black leaders such as Fred Hampton we are only fooling ourselves if we think that we will ever stop the "gang problem."
To borrow from Chairman Fred, we will only keep coming up with,
"Answers that don't answer, explanations that don't explain and conclusions that don't conclude."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHzSdniqi4g
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
NWSF Bullet: The "What tha ?" Sculpture
Now this will probably only interest those readers who live in Durham, have passed through Durham on their way to Atlanta or have kin folks in Durham whom they would like to call right now and have a good hee haw at their expense.
I was rollin' down the Durham Freeway the other night and I saw this big beam of light shootin' towards the heavens.
(For the wise apple from Iowa ,again, who just said "It was probably a helicopter spotlight lookin' for some of those famous Durham criminals"...That ain't funny)
Anyway, it was not an attempt to contact the Brother from Another Planet. Or for my P-Funk friends who still listen to 8 Tracks and wear high heel boots; an attempt to call down George Clinton's Mothership.)
It was Durham's new toy..Drum roll please....
The Plensa "Bridge to the Sky Sculpture!" Which I affectionately refer to as the "What tha?" sculpture. You know, the masterpiece that Raleigh turned down a while back.
According to a News and Observer story from last October, some folks here think it's a big deal and will be just the thing that Durham needs to become another Hollywood, Broadway or Star Trek Convention host city.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/durham/durham/story/1265376.html
I don't know. Just looks like a light pointing up to the sky to me...
But what do I know, my idea of fine art is that painting of the bull dog with the derby and cigar shooting pool on the velvet background...
Good thing is that our tax dollars didn't pay for the oversized flashlight, Capital Broadcasting is flippin' the bill.
But according to the article, the city is going to pay about 4 grand a year for maintenance.
But that's over a 25 year period!
Some may say that that's not a lot of money but when you watch the news every night and there are tales of folks losing their homes left and right because of the Depression/Recession...
Well, seems like a lot of loot for a glorified, potted light saber.
Oh, well.
Maybe some good will come out of it. Maybe it will bring more tourists to the area. Or maybe the hundreds of homeless people who wonder around downtown can warm their hands from the heat of the 7,000 watt light bulb when temperatures dip below freezing this winter...
I was rollin' down the Durham Freeway the other night and I saw this big beam of light shootin' towards the heavens.
(For the wise apple from Iowa ,again, who just said "It was probably a helicopter spotlight lookin' for some of those famous Durham criminals"...That ain't funny)
Anyway, it was not an attempt to contact the Brother from Another Planet. Or for my P-Funk friends who still listen to 8 Tracks and wear high heel boots; an attempt to call down George Clinton's Mothership.)
It was Durham's new toy..Drum roll please....
The Plensa "Bridge to the Sky Sculpture!" Which I affectionately refer to as the "What tha?" sculpture. You know, the masterpiece that Raleigh turned down a while back.
According to a News and Observer story from last October, some folks here think it's a big deal and will be just the thing that Durham needs to become another Hollywood, Broadway or Star Trek Convention host city.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/durham/durham/story/1265376.html
I don't know. Just looks like a light pointing up to the sky to me...
But what do I know, my idea of fine art is that painting of the bull dog with the derby and cigar shooting pool on the velvet background...
Good thing is that our tax dollars didn't pay for the oversized flashlight, Capital Broadcasting is flippin' the bill.
But according to the article, the city is going to pay about 4 grand a year for maintenance.
But that's over a 25 year period!
Some may say that that's not a lot of money but when you watch the news every night and there are tales of folks losing their homes left and right because of the Depression/Recession...
Well, seems like a lot of loot for a glorified, potted light saber.
Oh, well.
Maybe some good will come out of it. Maybe it will bring more tourists to the area. Or maybe the hundreds of homeless people who wonder around downtown can warm their hands from the heat of the 7,000 watt light bulb when temperatures dip below freezing this winter...
Monday, December 1, 2008
TRUTH Minista vs Sean Hannity Over Color of Jesus
Here's a link to a clip of a debate that I had with Sean Hannity on Fox News over the color of Jesus (Yeshua) a few years back. He actually read part of one of my articles "Tis the Season to be Black " on air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Oq8AcZW_g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Oq8AcZW_g
Tribute to Uncle Bubba
Just wanted to pay a little tribute to the memory of James Fields Sr, known to the Durham community as Uncle Bubba. According to the Herald Sun, Uncle Bubba passed away 11/24.
I, first, met Mr. Fields back around '94 when he helped to produce my cable show "The Scoop from the Stoop."
Uncle Bubba was more than just a videographer, he was a committed activist, giving a voice to those who would have otherwise gone unheard.
Rest in Peace, my friend.
I, first, met Mr. Fields back around '94 when he helped to produce my cable show "The Scoop from the Stoop."
Uncle Bubba was more than just a videographer, he was a committed activist, giving a voice to those who would have otherwise gone unheard.
Rest in Peace, my friend.
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