Tuesday, July 26, 2011

You can take my life, but you can't take my soul!

First off, how the hell did they add advertisment links into my blog? Kinda pissed about that!

Anyway, here's some soulful and truthful tunes that I have been chillen to.... check em out!

I'm looking forward to Soundtrack to the Struggle.





Friday, July 22, 2011

Tyler the Creator of Immorality

The story: I have been a fan of both B.o.B and Bruno Mars since they first hit the mainstream. I am not usually a fan of radio singles, but I have always had respect for both artists. B.o.B is a rapper that has given us over-played but outstanding tracks involving a higher level of maturity. He has chosen not to rap using violence, hatred, sex, drugs and money as the main themes. Bruno Mars I have loved for his style diversity and amazing vocals. Where every mainstream song has sounded the same the past few years, Mars has switched up the game by fusing rap, r&b, pop, rock, doo-woop, blues and jazz in his works. These two young artists have given a spark to popular music.

The MTV video music awards are coming up in late August. A young face has emerged named Tyler the Creator and he has been granted 2 nominations for the biggest awards that will be given on the night of the VMAs. Jay Z and Kanye West have recently shown support for Tyler the Creator and his quest to obtain recognition for his work. Now, Jay Z and Kanye West aren't exactly saints in all that they do, but I have also supported their art for reasons, as well. However, there is a conflict.

The conflict: While Jay Z and Kanye West are not the most pure at heart, neither has really in sighted violence and hatred toward any specific individuals. Upon their request for votes on the behalf of emerging artist Tyler the Creator, I am disgusted. I do not want to place blame for Tyler's actions upon Jay Z or West, but I am saddened that they, as well as MTV have promoted Tyler the Creators vile video for his song "Yonkers."

So, you may be asking, why is Tyler the Creator not a wise promotion? Let me answer. The song "Yonkers" is an attack upon Hayley Williams of Paramore, B.oB and Bruno Mars. 

Here's the lyrics:  "(What you think of Hayley Williams?) Fuck her, Wolf Haley robbin' 'em / I'll crash that fuckin' airplane that faggot nigga B.o.B is in / And stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus / And won't stop until the cops come in"

How is a video with this type of lyrics invoking hatred, violence and threat upon another artist being promoted for national television awards programs? And how is it that Jay Z and Kanye West are going to support this video and ask people to vote for Tyler's song? Especially, when Tyler tweeted about the other nominee "IF I FUCKING LOSE TO FUCKING BRUNO FUCKING MARS IM GOING ON A KILLING SPREE. DEADASS."  He also stated "if I lose to any of those wackass videos, I'm gonna be mad because they all suck." 

Later, Tyler tried to justify his immature lyrics by saying "I don't hate B.o.B but I just hate that Airplanes song," like that should justify using the term faggot or violent language toward a particular person over a difference of opinion in art. He went on to say "Bruno Mars? Oh dude, I hate that guy. Have you seen his face? You don't want to hit him?" Now I'll admit, Bruno Mars is not the best looking cat, but have you seen Tyler the Creator? Tyler is the ugliest rapper I have ever seen. No joke. 

I have even more respect for Bruno Mars after his reaction to Tyler's immaturity. Mars responded, "He's going to have to wait in line to stab me, he is not the first person to say such things and he won't be the last. This kinda comes with the job." Mars also congratulated all other nominees including Tyler the Creator telling them that they all had great videos worthy of the award and good luck. B.o.B responded to Tyler with a "diss" track telling him that he has no future, especially if he keeps attacking other artists who have proven themselves to be better. 

Tyler's immaturity doesn't only shown through on this track, but on every track and interview that he has been a part of. A lot of tracks he talks about raping women, murdering them and having sex with their dead bodies and similar actions. Teagan and Sara sent a letter to Tyler the Creator telling him that he should be ashamed of his disrespect towards women and gays. He responded by tweeting "if Teagan and Sara need hard dick, hit me up."

To state in a song that you think mainstream music is not good, or that you do not agree with a group of individuals is one thing, but to insight violence and hatred towards a particular person is taking things a bit too far. To promote this artist and his immaturity and hatred through the media is also wrong. To award Tyler and give him the attention that he wants would be irresponsible of the media. I could even understand hatred and violence towards a particular person if it be for a cause, but this isn't for the protection of others. This hatred isn't towards a politic or corrupt person, but this hatred is over a difference of opinion in art. This may seem minuscule to you, but one individuals negative behavior accounts for our complete character as a whole. We shouldn't let our culture be defined by people like Tyler the Creator.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Truth Be Revealed

I find it odd, there is a lot about the 911 terrorist attacks that I never knew and there is a lot about our relation to Afghanistan that I do not understand.

Washington Funded the Taliban… Seriously. In early 2001, The U.S. gave a 43 million dollar grant to the Taliban in Afghanistan to "help end poppy fields and drug trafficking." The Kabul anti-drug efforts did not even minimize the production of drugs. Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan, actually reported an increased amount of drugs crossing their borders from late 2001-2002. What was shocking was that the Taliban was linked later that year to the 911 terrorist attacks that occurred in September. After receiving 43 million dollars from the U.S. Government. Perhaps, our involvement (giving the 43 million dollar grant to end opium production) pissed off someone causing the terrorist attacks. Or perhaps our money funded these attacks. I do not know, but I find it all very interesting and what I find most interesting is that none of these grants were even mentioned to the public through the media around the time of 911.

Before any of this,  beginning in 1979 on through the 80's and so on, the U.S. has also given billions of dollars to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Bin Laden received intelligence and training from the CIA. 

As far as 911 is concerned, we've heard a lot of the conspiracy theories. Whether they involve how the buildings fell or the probability of the U.S. having prior knowledge. I am not claiming to know the complete truth behind what happened on that day, but I do know that we are not getting the full story. It may sound ridiculous, but 911 could have been used as a reason to invade multiple countries, like Iraq, which was clearly not related to the attacks. 911 could have been the beginning of a process set in place to bring about the New World Order and consolidation of power. Or most likely, the war on terror is just a war over oil. Just speculations, of course, but I refuse to believe that the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 were just born out of jealousy of our freedom. I believe that religion had little to do with those attacks, but rather the anger of other nations could have stemmed from Americas extraction of natural resources, pushing worthless overpriced goods, involvement with other countries political systems or pushing of democracy. America tries to play mediator and executive power over all other nations. Who is America to set the standards for foreign nations, who is America to be mediator of all things? From what I have read in the Quran, I have found no more violence than the things mentioned in the Bible. In fact, I found it odd that the first two chapters of the Quran were all the exact same stories in the Bible (Adam, Moses, similar proverbs, etc.). The passages that are considered violent say things like (in my own words) "if you meet an unbeliever in battle, do not turn your back on him... and if you die in war, fighting for what you believe, then Allah knows you truly believed and you will be rewarded." Which is no different than Americans who believe Christian soldiers go to heaven when they die in battle. Really, what is the difference? Christian soldiers believe they reap the blessings of God when they die, even-though they were involved in murderous deeds. So clearly, the Quran is not what is insighting this violence toward our nation, but perhaps we (America) have provoked the violence in some fashion. 

Now let's say that some extremist comes along and takes these passages out of context and uses them to fuel violence. First off, you have to give him props because his faith is strong enough in the afterlife to die for a cause, whereas, Christians have such weak faith that they fear death and this shows that they do not truly believe in their afterlife. Second, what is the difference in a Christian extremist and an Muslim extremist? Many Christians have killed, raped and stolen and claimed their God told them to. How is this any different? Have you ever read the violence, sex, adultery, slavery, racism, etc. mentioned in the Bible? People will make the doctrines of any religion say what they want it too. 

Let me give you some definitions....

Terrorism- the use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes or to achieve a goal

Now, realize that this definition describes America as much if not more than any other nation. Especially thinking about our self-ascribed duty as mediator of all nations. By this I am trying to show that we must learn to see things from the other side. That just maybe our nation is not innocent. Just maybe our greedy leaders have been sticking their noses where they don't belong and perhaps they have been dishonest in their business affairs with foreign nations.

A lot happened on 911 that I never knew about until recently. Then it occurred to me, surely I was not the only one ignorant to these other occurrences. Did you know that 4 individuals were arrested with a van full of explosives on the George Washington bridge the same day? These individuals had cameras set up prior to the plane crashes and they were cheering and reported as saying things like, "now they know how we feel." Various news stations reported the incident, then these reports completely disappeared by the next day. Also, I had no idea that World Trade Center building #7 also collapsed that day. The issue was that building 7 collapsed completely from just a few small debris fires. However, buildings 5 and 6 are between building 7 and the first two buildings, so the question is how did 7 crumble like it was packed with explosives and not buildings 5 or 6? And why can physicists and engineers not explain how the WTC buildings fell at the rate they did, considering the location of the main damages? How did the complete structures of the towers crumble like that? And what about the pentagon? Does anyone think maybe the terrorists intended to hit the pentagon where they did, not by accident? I mean, the terrorists flew the plane from over KY back to D.C., so I would think that they knew how to fly a plane. But perhaps there was something important in that portion of the pentagon. We will never know the truth behind 911, but I know that we are not receiving the full info. I know that there was more of a motive than just jealousy of our freedom. But learning as much as possible about the circumstances only makes us wiser.

And what about the terrorist attempt to blow up the World Trade towers back in 1993? In '93 after a van full of explosives  ignited in the parking garage below the WTC and it killed 6, injured thousands and caused over half a million dollars in damage. It was speculated that if the van had been parked a few feet closer to a pillar, it could have collapsed the whole tower killing thousands. 

Honestly, I believe the war on terror is more about resources like oil and power.

Before he was tapped as Bush's running mate, Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton, the biggest oil services company in the world. In a 1998 speech to the "Collateral Damage Conference" of the Cato Institute, Cheney said, "the good Lord didn't see fit to put oil and gas only where there are democratically elected regimes friendly to the United States. Occasionally we have to operate in places where, all things considered, one would not normally choose to go. But, we go where the business is." 

Prior to the 911 attacks, Chaney and his relations designed a plan to run oil pipelines through Afghanistan and all across the Middle East. This plan would bring in large profits and resources to Chaney and his company. In 1997 Bush and Chaney met with Taliban leaders in Texas to make a deal. They came to a 2 billion dollar agreement, which would allow the U.S. to run the oil pipeline through their country.

As stated previously, the U.S. had been funding the Taliban since '79 and continuously until the war on terror began. Our funding was pivotal to the Taliban because the Taliban was trying to gain full control over Afghanistan. And America was funding this take-over to get what they wanted from the Middle East. The problem was that the more power  the Taliban gained, the less the U.S. received. In other words, the Taliban used the U.S. for money, resources, power and intelligence then said "fuck you."

I find this all so interesting. Without 911, we could not have a "war on terror." Without 911, Bush Jr could not finish his fathers war. Besides, I think there is more in these nations that the Bush family is concerned with. Iraq had no relation to the terrorist attacks on our nation and their are plenty of other corrupt leaders on the earth alongside Saddam. So why did we invade Iraq? At first the excuse was, "they have weapons of mass destruction." but they didn't. So we had to find another excuse, which was "they have chemical weapons." However, this is public domain because we sold Iraq chemical weapons.

One last time, I am not claiming to know what all is involved behind the scenes, but I am certain that we don't know any of the truth. I am just giving you the facts and you can put it together for yourself and make your own speculations. If our government has nothing to hide, then how could WikiLeaks be considered a national threat. What is it that our leaders fear us finding out?

Also, don't take my word on any of this. Look it up for yourself! Research and learn about these things. Don't just take the answers that the media provides. These issues are so much more important than your favorite t.v. shows. Knowledge and learning is so much more valuable. I suggest going through this blog and looking up the validity of each argument I made. I have spent a lot of time confirming so much of this information. I am thankful that so many different people have inspired me to open my mind and read between the lines. Our political leaders have been so dishonest to us, we deserve to know the truth. I know there are a lot of random facts in this blog, but these are little things brought to my attention that I thought necessary to share.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Viva La Revolucion! I won't trade humanity for patriotism!

I have recently become enthralled with the work of hip-hop artist Immortal Technique. An underground artist from New York that takes pride in spreading truth, open-mindedness and revolution. Though rap music is not my favorite genre, I have found that Immortal Technique has taken the right path to get truth into the media and evoke critical thought. Rap allows him to display emotion and passion for his revolution. He has turned down record deals with Def Jam, Sony, A & R, Mercury and others. Immortal Technique is very talented and could be one the biggest rappers in the game, but he refuses to allow others to censor his music or to have control over what he can say. He may never be considered one of the most popular or highest selling artists like, Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, Eminem or Puffy… but like Tech says himself if your message ain't shit, fuck the records you sold, if you go platinum it's got nothing to do with luck, it just means that a million people are stupid as fuck.”  
Immortal Technique is a genius, no doubt. His music is all politically charged and packed with a message of revolution and seeking truth. Tech shows no fear in speaking his mind and asking questions. He funds various charities, including an orphanage in Kabul, Afghanistan and he travels all over the world to help those in need at a time of disaster.
There are two parts of this blog. The first portion includes the lyrics of an Immortal Technique son titled “The 4th Branch,” which discusses how information gets distorted and how the media hides the truth from people, skews the information and brainwashes the people.
The second portion includes the lyrics to an Immortal Technique speech about how America and other nations manipulate and cheat 3rd world countries. The speech also discusses how classism is the real issue in America currently, not racism. In fact, classism is the new racism. Americas leaders are really no different than 3rd world dictators, they just have a better way to manipulate and hide their evil ways. A dictator does what? Steals from the people, promotes slavery and violence against people? What does the US do? Our leaders steal and manipulate. They extract the natural resources from other nations (3rd world countries), they promote slavery (what do you call the lower and working class) and they steal (think about all the fraud). Our leaders promote violence against other nations and try to control other nations. We just have a system that paints a prettier picture. We just have a nation full of blind and ignorant individuals.
Also, A quick thought that I had the other day. You know how Christians are afraid of someone rising up and stripping them of their freedom to display their religion. And how Christians fear a person of another religion will gain power and control and that they will use that power to manipulate the system? HOW DO THEY THINK OTHER RELIGIONS FEEL? RIGHT NOW? Our nation is controlled by Christianity. We have Christian leaders that oppress other religions. It is other religions that have no say in the system. Americans scrutinize and protest mosques and temples. If you wish to get in an office, you must prove that you are Christian or you will be judged and hated. If you are of another religion you are forced to participate in Christian prayers in schools. If you are not a believer in a god, you are forced to pledge alliance to a god. Christians fear being treated the way that they treat other races and religions. If a Hitler-like figure rises in this nation, it will probably be a Christian-Hitler that continues to oppress other religions and provoke racism and homophobic injustice. In fact, George Bush’s grandfather (Prescott Bush) contributed to Hitler’s rise of power and had direct business deals with the Nazi’s. Karl Roves grandfather helped build Nazi death camps and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father was a ranking officer for the Nazi SA.
Also, can you blame poor countries that have been robbed of their natural resources, manipulated for slave labor and infiltrated with democracy… can you blame them for being pissed at our nation? Our fucking pushy, greedy nation? They are not jealous of our freedom… they hate our pushy, lying, deceiving leaders!
I ask, when is the revolution?
(Also, if you do not want to read through the lyrics of the two songs I will also post videos at the bottom that play the song and shows the lyrics simultaneously.)
The 4th Branch – Immortal Technique
[Talking]
The new age is upon us
And yet the past refuses to rest in its shallow grave
For those who hide behind the false image of the son of man
shall stand before God!!! It has begun the beginning of the end!

[Verse 1]
The voice of racism preaching the gospel is devilish
A fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist
Forgetting God is not a religion, but a spiritual bond
And Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Qu'ran
They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam
When we gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran
This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings
Cause Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings
I break it down with critical language and spiritual anguish
The Judas I hang with, the guilt of betraying Christ
You murdered and stole his religion, and painted him white
Translated in psychologically tainted philosophy
Conservative political right wing, ideology
Glued together sloppily, the blasphemy of a nation
Got my back to the wall, cause I'm facing assassination
Guantanamo Bay, federal incarceration
How could this be, the land of the free, home of the brave?
Indigenous holocaust, and the home of the slaves
Corporate America, dancing offbeat to the rhythm
You really think this country, never sponsored terrorism?
Human rights violations, we continue the saga
El Savador and the contras in Nicaragua
And on top of that, you still wanna take me to prison
Just cause I won't trade humanity for patriotism

[Hook]
It's like MK-ULTRA, controlling your brain
Suggestive thinking, causing your perspective to change
They wanna rearrange the whole point of view of the ghetto
The fourth branch of the government, wants us to settle
A bandana full of glittering, generality
Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's reality?
Read about the history of the place that we live in
And stop letting corporate news tell lies to your children

[Verse 2]
Flow like the blood of Abraham through the Jews and the Arabs
Broken apart like a woman's heart, abused in a marriage
The brink of holy war, bottled up, like a miscarriage
Embedded correspondents don't tell the source of the tension
And they refuse to even mention, European intervention
Or the massacres in Jenin, the innocent screams
U.S. manufactured missles, and M-16's
Weapon contracts and corrupted American dreams
Media censorship, blocking out the video screens
A continent of oil kingdoms, bought for a bargain
Democracy is just a word, when the people are starvin'
The average citizen, made to be, blind to the reason
A desert full of genocide, where the bodies are freezin'
And the world doesn't believe that your fightin' for freedom
Cause you fucked the Middle East, and gave birth to a demon
It's open season with the CIA, bugging my crib
Trapped in a ghetto region like a Palestinian kid
Where nobody gives a fuck whether you die or you live
I'm tryin' to give the truth, and I know the price is my life
But when I'm gone they'll sing a song about Immortal Technique
Who beheaded the President, and the princes and sheiks
You don't give a fuck about us, I can see through your facade
Like a fallen angel standing in the presence of God
You are scared of the truth, when it looks at you hard
Martial law is coming soon to the hood, to kill you
While you are hanging your flag out of your project window


[Talking]
Yeah..
The fourth branch of the government AKA the media
Seems to now have a retirement plan for ex-military officials
As if their opinion was at all unbiased
A machine shouldn't speak for men
So shut the fuck up you mindless drone!

And you know it's serious
When these same media outfits are spending millions of dollars on a PR campaign
To try to convince you they're fair and balanced
When they're some of the most ignorant, and racist people
Giving that type of mentality a safe haven
We act like we share in the spoils of war that they do
We die in wars, we don't get the contracts to make money off 'em afterwards!
We don't get weapons contracts
We don't get cheap labor for our companies
We are cheap labor, nigga!
Turn off the news and read!
Read... read... read...

The Poverty of Philosophy – Immortal Technique
Most of my Latino and black people who are struggling to get food, clothes and shelter in the hood are so concerned with that, that philosophising about freedom and socialist democracy is usually unfortunately beyond their rationale. They don't realize that America can't exist without separating them from their identity, because if we had some sense of who we really are, there's no way in hell we'd allow this country to push it's genocidal consensus on our homelands. This ignorance exists, but it can be destroyed.

Niggas talk about change and working within the system to achieve that. The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system from within, it's not you who changes the system; it's the system that will eventually change you. There is usually nothing wrong with compromise in a situation, but compromising yourself in a situation is another story completely, and I have seen this happen long enough in the few years that I've been alive to know that it's a serious problem. Latino America is a huge colony of countries whose presidents are cowards in the face of economic imperialism. You see, third world countries are rich places, abundant in resources, and many of these countries have the capacity to feed their starving people and the children we always see digging for food in trash on commercials. But plutocracies, in other words a government run by the rich such as this one and traditionally oppressive European states, force the third world into buying overpriced, unnecessary goods while exporting huge portions of their natural resources.
I'm quite sure that people will look upon my attitude and sentiments and look for hypocrisy and hatred in my words. My revolution is born out of love for my people, not hatred for others.

You see, most of Latinos are here because of the great inflation that was caused by American companies in Latin America. Aside from that, many are seeking a life away from the puppet democracies that were funded by the United States; places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Republica Dominicana, and not just Spanish-speaking countries either, but Haiti and Jamaica as well.

As different as we have been taught to look at each other by colonial society, we are in the same struggle and until we realize that, we'll be fighting for scraps from the table of a system that has kept us subservient instead of being self-determined. And that's why we have no control over when the embargo will stop in Cuba, or when the bombs will stop dropping in Vieques.

But you see, here in America the attitude that is fed to us is that outside of America there live lesser people. "Fuck them, let them fend for themselves." No, Fuck you, they are you. No matter how much you want to dye your hair blonde and put fake eyes in, or follow an anorexic standard of beauty, or no matter how many diamonds you buy from people who exploit your own brutality to get them, no matter what kind of car you drive or what kind of fancy clothes you put on, you will never be them. They're always gonna look at you as nothing but a little monkey. I'd rather be proud of what I am, rather than desperately trying to be something I'm really not, just to fit in. And whether we want to accept it or not, that's what this culture or lack of culture is feeding us.

I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it's not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don't see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians those are my enemies. The generals of the armies that are mostly conservatives those are the real Mother-Fuckers that I need to bring it to, not the poor, broke country-ass soldier that's too stupid to know shit about the way things are set up.

In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people. As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue. Many of us are in the same boat and it's sinking, while these Mother-Fuckers ride on a luxury liner, and as long as we keep fighting over kicking people out of the little boat we're all in, we're gonna miss an opportunity to gain a better standard of living as a whole.

In other words, I don't want to escape the plantation I want to come back, free all my people, hang the Mother-Fucker that kept me there and burn the house to the god damn ground. I want to take over the encomienda and give it back to the people who work the land.

You cannot change the past but you can make the future, and anyone who tells you different is a Fucking lethargic devil. I don't look at a few token Latinos and black people in the public eye as some type of achievement for my people as a whole. Most of those successful individuals are sell-outs and house Negros.
But, I don't consider brothers a sell-out if they move out of the ghetto. Poverty has nothing to do with our people. It's not in our culture to be poor. That's only been the last 500 years of our history; look at the last 2000 years of our existence and what we brought to the world in terms of science, mathematics, agriculture and forms of government. You know the idea of a confederation of provinces where one federal government controls the states? The Europeans who came to this country stole that idea from the Iroquois LEAGUE. The idea of impeaching a ruler comes from an Aztec tradition. That's why Montezuma was stoned to death by his own people 'cause he represented the agenda of white Spaniards once he was captured, not the Aztec people who would become Mexicans.

So in conclusion, I'm not gonna vote for anybody just 'cause they black or Latino they have to truly represent the community and represent what's good for all of us proletariat.

Porque sino entonces te mando por el carajo cabron gusano hijo de puta, seramos libre pronto, viva la revolucion, VIVA LA REVOLUCION!