Kanye West’s ‘New Slaves’ & 3 Other Dope Songs U Should Know that Tackle This Subject

Kanye West

I’m loving the way Kanye West got his anti-prison message across with his new song ‘New Slaves’.. He stepped outside the box and had the video beam on sides of buildings in 66 cities.. That got every talking.. His appearance on Saturday Night Live added to the hype and of course him calling out private prisons (CCA-Corrections Corporation of America) took it over the top..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BKGp1XqddM

peep the lyrics to Kanye’s song..

[Verse 1]

My mama was raised in an era when/Clean water was only served to the fairer skin
Doing clothes you would have thought I had help/But they wouldn’t be satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself
You see its broke nigga racism/That’s that “don’t touch anything in the store”
And there’s rich nigga racism/That’s that “come in and buy more”
What you want a Bentley, fur coat and diamond chain?/All you blacks want all the same things
Used to only be niggas /Now everybody play me
Spending everything on that Alexander Wang/New Slaves

[Hook]
You see it’s leaders and it’s followers/But I’d rather be a dick than a swallower
You see it’s leaders and it’s followers/But I’d rather be a dick than a swallower

[Verse 2]

I throw these Maybach keys/I wear my heart on my sleeve
I know that we the new slaves/I see the blood on the leaves
I see the blood on the leaves/I see the blood on the leaves
I know that we the new slaves/I see the blood on the leaves
They throwing hate at me/Want me to stay at ease
Fuck you and your corporation/Y’all niggas can’t control me
I know that we the new slaves/I know that we the new slaves
I’m about to wild the fuck out/I’m going Bobby Boucher
I know that pussy ain’t free/You niggas pussy, ain’t me
Y’all throwing contracts at me/You know that niggas can’t read
Throw him some Maybach keys/Fuck it, c’est la vie
I know that we the new slaves/Y’all niggas can’t fuck with me
Y’all niggas can’t fuck with Ye/Y’all niggas can’t fuck with Ye
I move my family out the country /So you can’t see where I stay
So go and grab the reporters/So I can smash their recorders
Yeah they confuse us with bullshit/Like the New World Order
Meanwhile the DEA/Teamed up with the CCA
They tryna lock niggas up/They tryna make new slaves
See that’s that private-owned prison/Get your piece today
They prolly all in the Hamptons/Braggin’ ’bout they maid
Fuck you and your Hampton house/I’ll fuck your Hampton spouse
Came on her Hampton blouse/And in her Hampton mouth
Y’all ’bout to turn shit up/I’m ’bout to tear shit down
I’m ’bout to air shit out/Now what the fuck they gon’ say now?

Brother J

While folks ponder over Kanye’s lyrics and the overall concept behind this song, we should keep in mind other artists who have hit on the subject of the prison industrial complex..and a return to slavery.. One of my favorites is Prisons by X-Clan‘s Brother J..along with jazz man Christian Scott.. This song came out a few years ago and went all the way in on this topic.. it starts off with political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal speaking and was a good precursor to Michele Alexander‘s ground breaking book the New Jim Crow.. which hit a year or so later.. Brother J’s lyrics are searing much the same way as Kanye’s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5BddCHDfs

dead prez

The classic cut that everyone should re-listen to is Police State by dead prez.. This is off their debut album Lets Get Free and features Chairman Omali Yeshitela of the Uhuru Movement.. Like Brother J.. dead prez goes all the way in on the topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c_UdWo4Zek

sister souljah

This next song/video is a serious throwback to the hey days of Public Enemy and the Golden Era of Hip Hop.. Long time activist Sister Souljah was introduced to us via the song Buckwylin, put out by Terminator X of PE ..This led to her securing a record deal with Epic Records.. This song Final Solution: Slavery is Back in Effect was her first single..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcWgPEUT_x0

Lastly if folks want more info on prisons and their connection to Hip Hop be sure to read this article we posted a few weeks a back from rap artist Homeboy Sandman..Here he talks about the investment BET and MTV have in CCA and other private prisons.. You can peep that article HERE

Fighting Back & Winning over Black Male Images Meet the Game Changers

Game Changers: Shaka Jamal, Jasiri X, Cheo Tyehimba Davey D

Click the link below to listen to the conversation on Hard Knock Radio about Black male images and how to go from negative to positive..Our guests include Oakland  film maker Shaka Jamal, Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X and Game Changer Project Executive director Cheo Tyehimba

The Game Changers Project is the hands down answer to the mass amounts of negative images that  of Black people,  in particular Black men that have long bombarded our community..For those who have bemoaned that situation, then you definitely wanna peep out the solutions offered and call to action, put forth by the brothers I had on our Hard Knock Radio show yesterday.  We went into depth about heroes in our community and how and why they should be highlighted.

Jesus El a True Game Changer

As Jasiri X noted there is a lot for us to celebrate.. Many in our community are hungering for the spotlight to be shun on folks who are beating the odds and making it crack for themselves and the community. During yesterday’s compelling show we focused on the micro documentaries done on Oakland native Jesus El who does acrobatic dunking and Pittsburgh activist and X-Clan co-founder Paradise Gray

We talked about an array of topic starting with the death of Margret Thatcher, to the how corporate media develops images, to the systemic dehumanization of Black people to the controversy around Rick Ross.. We also focused on the specific steps that have been taken to bring about victories and why we should be getting behind and celebrating the success of Game Changers.. Check out two of the mini-docs below.. For more in-depth information on the Game Changers Project go to their website http://gamechangersproject.org/the-project.php

Jesus El: http://vimeo.com/52181079#

Paradise Gray: http://vimeo.com/55547420

Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards roll with the punches

Jasiri X won Best Album of the Year at the Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards

Monday, February 22, 2010

By Deborah Todd, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 In a year when the forces of nature, lengthy delays and a stage-clearing brawl threatened to bring the fourth Annual Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards to an abrupt end, the fact that the show went on at all could be considered a victory in itself. At least, that’s how organizer Dwayne Muhammad, CEO of 360 Entertainment, classified the evening.

“People dwell on the negative and I don’t have time for that,” he said. “No one else in the city is putting on events of this caliber for our local artists. This is Pittsburgh’s Grammys and not only do [the artists] benefit from the Pittsburgh Hip Hop Awards, but local businesses benefit, everyone benefits.”

However, any discussion of Sunday’s highlights — including performances by hip-hop legends X-Clan and the numerous awards showered on rising star Jasiri X — won’t dismiss some of its obvious lows.

The Hip Hop Awards kicked off Sunday evening with a red carpet event at 5:30 and a show scheduled to start at 7. The crowd was smaller than previous years due to rescheduling from snowstorms, with about 850 attendees. The show itself started about an hour late in an attempt to ensure all nominees were seated. And an enthusiastic performance by F-Block Records turned to a battle royale after an audience member threw trash in their direction and a member of the crew jumped off stage to settle the score.

But even as attendees saw the worst hip-hop award show stereotypes unfolding before their eyes, they also saw a level of cooperation not often associated with the aftermath of such an event. Paradise Gray of X Clan as well as other “elders” of local hip-hop broke up the fight and diffused tempers so that the show went on with an apology from F-Block not long after the disruption.

After emotions were calmed and the show was back on track, guests discussed how Mr. Muhammad could learn from what happened this year. Best Battle MC nominee Anymal said he could invest in more security, but should also allow nominees in the VIP section without paying for seats.

“People don’t have money to pay for $900 [VIP] tables,” he said.

Best Mixtape Nominee S-Money said performances should be limited to nominees and artists showing dedication. “It should be just certain people who perform because it’s a privilege to take the stage at an awards show,” he said.

Mr. Muhammad said he is open to suggestions for next year’s show, and even asked Sunday’s audience for ways to make it better. But if you ask him about this year, it’s hard to say if he’d change anything or simply embrace the lesson.

“Its always a highlight for me to have the awards show begin and end with no one hurt or killed,” he said. “So this fourth year’s highlight is to be able to have a better year for the fifth anniversary.”

2010 Pittsburgh Hip Hop Award Winners (partial list):

• CD of the Year: “American History X” Jasiri X

• Single of the Year: “Dear Debra” Jasiri X

• Best Male Artist: Wiz Khalifa

• Best Female Artist: Nina Ross

• Mixtape of the Year: “Deal or No Deal” Wiz Khalifa

• Producer of the Year: J Webb

• Best Video: “Live Free” Mac Miller

• Underground Artist of the Year: Commonwealth Family

• Performer of the Year: GMG

• Best Duo/Group: Formula 412

• Record Label of the Year: Sinate Sound

• Lyricist of the Year: Boaz

• Inspirational Artist of the Year: Jasiri X
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10053/1037776-388.stm#ixzz0gN5pAc2S

 

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