“Playing the Race Card in America Today”

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The sad truth is that in the year 2012, we still have a race problem in America.  Stories like the Trayvon Martin case happen almost everyday in America; these hateful actions are motivated by nothing more than hatred.  I feel like hatred and racism is an easily curable disease, if Americans of all races work together to find the cure. Too many Americans are influenced by social pressures that inflict discriminatory and hateful judgments on people because of their race and national origins.  Too many African Americans learn to hate themselves and disrespect others because of social pressures that oppress the black community today.  I look back in my history books and I read stories about strong, determined black people who fought for their rights by any means necessary so we could have freedom and equality in America today.  I think proper education and entertainment could positively empower African Americans today.  In this essay, I would like to address the cause and effects of racial prejudice in America and what we can do to alleviate the issue in the future. 

It is almost as if African Americans have taken ten steps forward and twenty steps back since the 1960’s.  Discrimination and prejudice has become a trap for black people. It is as if all bets are stacked against the average black male not only because the color of their skin, but because of the lack of positive examples that surround them. It is probably accurate to conclude that most black people have to work harder and be stronger to overcome the negative influences that they face every day in order to become successful in life.  It is a sad truth that most minorities live in drug infested, violent and poor communities, which causes a lot of reckless and violent behavior.  It is now acceptable for blacks to refer to themselves and their peers in insulting terms, which increases low self-respect and value for others as well.  In order to end the malicious cycle we must empower more people.  African American people need new leaders and educators, who set better standards of living in order to end the impoverishment of the black community, but first I would like to remind you of how it used to be.

In the past, black people had no choice but to form strong communities in order to protect each other from the racist hate crimes and discrimination that were legal to practice in America.  For example, once civil rights leaders became aware that Rosa Parks was wrongfully arrested for violating the harsh segregated bus laws in the south they immediately rushed to support her.  Martin Luther King Jr. and many of his followers successfully led a year-long bus boycott in Montgomery and inspired many southerners to stand up against the authority that discriminated against them.  The southern black community was successful in sticking together and eventually they accomplished great change, starting with this bus boycott.  For nearly ten year strong, the African-American community was seen marching and protesting together all over our nation, against all odds.  This strength proved to be the main reason Americans seen positive change during this era, yet this story seems to be forgotten in the black community today.

What happened to the respect and sense that blacks used to show towards each other?  The honorable Malcolm X once said, “There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity…. We cannot think of uniting with others, until after we have first united among ourselves. We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.”  These words still remain as true and powerful as they did fifty years ago, yet they are replaced by frequently listened to vulgar rap lyrics that encourage sex, curse words, drugs, and gun violence.  I believe that my peers are too worried about being cool or fitting in with what these rappers and there peers are telling them to do that they either don’t care or don’t know what they are doing is causing terrible damage to our communities.  And we all know: if you know better, you do better.

            Inappropriate behavior is a contagious disease, when a child constantly sees reckless behavior growing up they are more likely to do as they see.  This is called social pressure. Social pressure forces a person to act a certain way based on how they see others behave in order to be accepted.  I think people in my community should be more aware of the negative damages that are caused by the consistency of negative social pressures, starting in the household.  When more people are aware of the consequences of their actions, I believe we can make a difference in America.

TRAPPING AINT DEAD…BUT THESE TRAPPERS ARE DYING

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before the shots rang out, I heard em screamin trappin ain’t dead 

then they shot that boy right in his head

“im afraid we can’t save em” thats what the surgeon said

and the cries echoed through the hospital as his mother cried.


whole hood in shock, never thought he would die so soon,

now his baby will have a world of troubles to go through,

tears dried up after hours of mourning,

his homies are plotting.

they done heard who did it and that nigga is next to die

but don’t you realized that an eye for an eye 

leaves the whole hood blind?

 

its a trap turned genocide.

hurt people, hurt people

so instead of suicide they choose homocide

the block is hot, can’t go to the club without watching ya back

guess cause they never had love, daddy gone, mama on crack.

makes em value money more than life,

how can a soul can been taken everynight

for something so trife?

 

in this country, theres a war goin on

and guess what since 2010, theres been 200 soldiers gone

and thats just in my community

yet they still importing guns and drugs 

to give to little kids and make-up thugs

trappers and hustlas, oh mercy mercy me

things just ain’t how they used to be

too many trappers not enough degrees

too many mothers not enough daddies

too many dead to this game of insanity.

 

trapping ain’t dead, nope its never gonna die

as long as they keep you keep your mind on the money

and not to the sky.

the game is hard to kill,

america has always valued nothing over the dollar bill

nobody is immune to the epidemic, destruction and violence

but nothing will change if we keep walking in ignorance and silence

blacks are dying breed, raped by miseducation, hunger and greed

escacy, dope, ciroc, coke, patron and weed.

 

a trapstar got you wearing true religion 

yet you dont truly believe that life is worth livin

without material things.

hood angels please spread your wings

and fly to thugs mansion tell god to send his grace

so more of these thugs and children can sing:

 

i once was blinded by the bling

but now i see, since HE walks with me

was lost in the trap game but god showed me a way out

amazing grace, stop the gunshots and hear how sweet the sound

of peace, celebration and unity,

it twas god’s grace that has protected the last of a dying breed

and who saved a wretch like me.

WAKE UP

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the drugs pouring into my community

weapons comin into my community

dirty cops in my community

hustle rocks in my community

and you question where is the unity

no church in the wildness so

where’s the Christianity

where’s the humanity.

too much insanity

too much vainity

too much i gotta sell bricks cause i gotta get the jordan number 3s

i gotta sell my ass cause i gotta feed my family

puttin a pricetag on something godly

cant go outside at night alone cause these kids out here will rob me

quick street cash is valued more than a degree

its time we remember our history

blacks and browns have been the pioneers of all society,

slavery is still the backbone of our economy

no need to whip and hang us into submission its done easily

it is done subliminally,

when will you realize KNOWLEDGE REIGNS SUPREME?

 

 

I hope to enlighten many people through my blog

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Wake Up World. Wake Up America! Wake Up. We all  have something to offer this world.  We all have people we must educate.  Wisdom taken to the grave is selfish and disappointing.

Here (Hear) are some words for thought:
A soul with no conscious is nothing more than a dead body.
A talent with no orchestration is a meaningless life.
Love what you do so you define your life, it cannot define you.
You never know what’s next in this universe racing with stars and galaxies.
Think beyond the rules its ok to break em, you may wake the ignorant
Don’t be afraid to seem alone because there is no such thing.
Let the god inside you bless those whom you are surrounded by. 
-S. K.
Peace & blessings be with you.

Hip Hop: More than Music, Its a Religion

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I worship hip hop music.  I love the hard-hitting 808 drums and funky beats that often accompany spectacular word play and unique rhythms that make me bob my head. I admire the talent, intellect, eloquence and creativity distinctive to many hip hop artists.  Most of all, I recognize that hip hop culture has had a radically extraordinary, historical and artistic significance on American culture and the world. As controversial as this music genre may be, there is no doubt that a constructive, pious and special bond is often formed between a fan and their favorite hip hop artist.  Hip hop legend Kanye West said in a recent interview, “Hip hop is a religion, to a certain extent.  You can look at the music as the scriptures, concerts as the churches and the rappers as the preachers. My fans are my congregation” The moguls of this industry are worshipped like gods, saints and priests.  I believe we can perpetuate this notion that hip hop as a religion, belief system or way of life, to educate and empower young people worldwide.  Hip hop has the ability to heal our society from scars of ignorance, depression and oppression and teach creativity, self-respect, education and spirituality.   

Hundreds of years ago, many Africans were removed from their native land and literally stripped of their culture and history in order to become slaves and less than human inAmerica.  This may surprise many Americans today, but Christianity was the main justification for whites to stage racism, murder, rape and war against minorities during the development of this great country.  Although they were forced to become Christians by European colonists and missionaries, a lot of Africans held tight to their roots, which in due course, enabled them accomplish liberation.  For example, in earlySpanish America, enslaved Africans formed communities where they would play instruments and hold religious ceremonies that derived directly from their African cultures.  Eventually, the African culture was redefined as what we now identify asCaribbean, Mexican and Brazilian culture.  Freedom of expression and religion was accomplished through this soulful African music, dance and spiritual practice.  I believe that if creativity and art led to freedom from slavery and exploitation during a time of ultimate disparity, we can use hip hop to fight the oppression and inequality many face today. 

In fact, hip hop music derives directly from West African griots, who are folk poets that told stories and recited poems accompanied by percussion instrumentals.  Since the hip hop genesis in the late 1970’s, MCs have mixed clever rhymes and wordplay that express the struggle many minorities face in urban America.  For the last few decades, hip hop artists have done much more than illustrate the beauty and reveal the beasts in their communities.  Hip hop has the unique ability to not only let an artist speak about the pain and struggle he has had to face, but he is generally speaking for millions of people going through the same suffering. Rap entrepreneur Sean “P. Diddy” Combs equates hip hop songs with old Negro Spirituals by saying, “They were sung in the cotton fields to help us not kill ourselves by going crazy under the worst oppression in the world.  The music, the soulfulness, the spirituality expressed in song helped us get through another day.  That’s the same impact hip hop has had on this generation… Hip hop has helped us make it through our lives in the inner city.”  There is no doubt that hip hop music is a spiritual bliss for people who are underprivileged, oppressed and who otherwise felt like they were alone in the struggle.

Although hip hop is constantly corrupted by messages of violence, hate and bigotry, the power of its spirituality and social influence is inevitable.  Lawrence“KRS-One” Krishna Parker, a hip hop genius and pioneer, recently published a 600 page hip hop bible called The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument.  Parker says, “I’m suggesting that in a hundred years, this book will be a new religion on earth…I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free us from all this nonsense garbage right now.”  Like the Christian and Hebrew Bible and other religious scriptures, hip hop music has the power to affect people and teach them how to deal with the harsh pressures of the cold world.    It could create a constructive nation of hip hop connoisseurs that are bond by a common positive belief system, regardless of where they come from or what they look like. The Hip Hop Gospel movement has the incredible potential to drastically affect and change the minds of many young people who were never taught a religion and led astray by lyricists that preach messages of self-worship, drug use, transgression, bigotry and hate.

There have been many instances where religion was perpetuated as a means to subconsciously oppress many people and greatly empower others; and the same can be said about hip hop music.  We live in a country where young people are constantly under attack by negative messages like sex, violence and discrimination from the media. Hip hop music is adding to flames of despair by glorifying materialism and possession and leaving respect and education at the door.  Some of the most influential rappers of today surely recognize the divinity of their music and their reputation, yet they exploit this power and commonly send the wrong messages.  For instance, famous hip hop artists including Kanye West and Tupac Shakur have depicted themselves as Jesus in the media. Sean “Jay Z” Carter, who is arguably the most influential rapper alive, calls himself by the name J. Hova, a take on the word Jehovah, meaning god.  Rappers frequently call themselves kings, bosses, queens and god sons, which attract many followers and believers. The reasons why these rappers are considered the most influential people of minority American culture is not solely the things they say or their skills, people are more attracted to their money, cars, clothes and jewels.  This is a poisonous revelation. 

Most people have heard the saying that money is the root of all evil. Well, that is not quite true.  It is the love of money that has historically corrupted the world from all angles.  Greed, power and money have been the prime motivations of tyranny in all aspects of history, especially religiously and in hip hop culture.  TheUnited States would not be such a dominating world power if authorities and corporations did not validate their murderous and discriminatory actions on serving their lord and working towards god’s will.  Conscious rappers who talk about social issues inAmerica usually do not make more money than those who talk about material possession. Christmas is usually identified as a holiday for spending a lot of money on presents and food, not to revere the birth of Jesus. It will take a total cultural reformation of priorities and moral understanding inAmerica for the new age hip hop religion to reach millions.

I believe that hip hop could subsist as a more relevant and effective belief system for the disaffected youth in America, more so than any other religion.  The truth is that in our society, Christianity has manifested as a huge money making corporation and less of a spiritual guidance for people.  It is much more convenient for young minority Americans to idolize and imitate their favorite rap artists and relate to their music than it is to go to church and idolize Jesus and relate to the scriptures in the Bible.  This may be because a lot our young people are not raised in a society where authorities stress the importance of religion, since declaration of the separation of church and state.  With the current information age, many people have also questioned the corruption and prejudice ancient religions have caused through history.  The Gospel of Hip Hop may possibly create a new innovative religion that derives from ideas and experiences of equality, struggle and reality; and solely not ancient myths or solely on faith. I am not denouncing the power of any other religion in the world; in fact the hip hop gospel should include messages from any religious scripture as long as it is a message of equality, truth, relevance, respect and education.