tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47135399535701614122023-11-15T07:39:59.304-06:00DEFIANTA revolutionary emcee's views on social issues and activism.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-65414983266874710482010-04-25T12:51:00.009-05:002010-05-24T10:45:32.729-05:00Hip Hop: A Struggle Against Oppression<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=immortal-technique.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/immortal-technique.jpg" border="0" alt="Immortal Technique"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Hip Hop is a cultural phenomenon that now consists of many elements and many different types of people. It is a fragmented subculture in the United States in which one part of it is at risk of extinction by assimilation into the U.S. mainstream culture. The Hip Hop culture in the United States can be broken up into two main parts: the mainstream culture and the underground culture. Each of the halves of the culture receive ideological influence from a separate source. The underground culture made up of mostly minority ethnic groups receive positive, self empowering, community oriented, and pro-critical thinking ideology from intellectual members of the underground culture. These members that have passed on knowledge for decades are mentors to the youth. This is the opposite of the self absorbed, pro-capitalist, sexist, and hate filled ideology that is taught to the mainstream hip hop culture which consist mostly of European Americans (whites) whose mentors are the record label CEOs and Hip Hop sellouts. Therefore in this essay, I will explain (1) the two main ideologies in the Hip Hop culture, (2) where they come from, and (3) who they benefit. Who they benefit and don't benefit is particularly important because this is where one can see the struggle of the oppressed minority classes and where the Hip Hop mentality started.<br />
It was all said to begin in the 1970s in the South Bronx of New York. A time of economic hardship for minority groups and single parents due to discrimination in the workplace and racial stereotyping in the media. Even though suffering was inevitable among minority groups the South Bronx was teeming with youthful life, mostly African Americans and Latinos, and those youth had no outlet for their creativity to call their own. With the introduction of turntables and the looping of rhythm breakdowns in old Rock n Roll and R&B records something new was created. It is said that this is what sparked the movement and its many elements. Therefore in order for one to understand race and ethnic relationships in the Hip Hop culture one must first be familiar with certain terms and the main elements that make up Hip Hop. The five main elements of performance are: MCing, DJing, graffiti, b-boying, and beat-boxing. MCing is performed by a MC or emcee which stands for master of ceremonies. The emcee's performance can be with or without music (acapella) in the background accompanied by the emcee's rhythm applied poetry (RAP). The DJ also know as the disc jockey manipulates records with turntables to compile a rhythm and melody. Graffiti is a form of street art with a message that is often done on the sides of buildings with spray paint and stencils. B-boying is the art of hip hop dance that has many different styles depending on the region and is sometimes referred to as 2-stepping. Last but not least, beat-boxing is the art of simulating the sounds of drums and other instruments with the mouth and vocal cords. These elements laid the foundation for the South Bronx youth. Thus in the beginning Hip Hop was exclusively for African Americans and Latino Americans. Soon after the culture’s birth it spread like wildfire among the inner cities and suddenly a new culture was born. A culture that the Latino and African American communities could call their own. It served as an educational tool for people who were not given the privilege of a middle class European American education. Public Enemy's political front man Chuck D referred to Hip Hip as the CNN of the black community. So through Rhythm and poetry, Hip Hop endeavored to address racism, education, sexism, drug use, and spiritual uplift. (Gladney) Just like in the 1960s, this new generation had created their own form of political protest, consequently though it's popularity would in the end jeopardize its cultural authenticity. <br />
During Hip Hop's dramatic ascendancy in the 1990s, artists and fans found themselves in a contradictory situation that other subcultural groups (such as Punk) confronted previously: being “inside” a mainstream culture they had, in part, defined themselves as being against. (McLeod) The assimilation of the underground Hip Hop culture into the mainstream culture of Hip Hop happened because media corporations saw a potential to make profit off of the new found popularity of the underground culture. They made a parody version of Hip Hop and with it came a different ideology, one that promoted the interest of the record label owners and European American upper class capitalist (the oppressors) instead of the interest of the oppressed lower class. Immortal Technique, a revolutionary emcee from Harlem has criticized the black mainstream record label owners in many of his songs. He compares them to the “house niggers” of the slave days. The house niggers of slavery served the slave owners in the their homes and received a few extra privileges such as old clothes and left over food, but were still oppressed by the systemic slavery. A house nigger can be described in modern words as a black person that does their best to please white people even if it means disowning their own racial identity. This is where many emcees claim Hip Hop was betrayed by its’ own people for money and the promise of fame. Therefore it wasn't hard for the mainstream culture to gain immediate popularity with the right marketing tools and right figureheads to be the faces for the new Hip Hop. The success of the mainstream culture could also be because people are fascinated by black culture's differences, drawn in by mainstream social constructions of black culture as a symbol of rebellion.(Cutler) So it can be said that Hip Hop has been commodified as suburban rebellion and sold to the masses. Now in 2010 it is evident more than ever how much hip hop has become a part of an American’s every day life. The music industry is booming thanks to Hip Hop and its many sub-genres. In the mainstream music world more than 70 percent of Hip Hop albums are purchased by whites. (Morrell and Duncan) This is not hard to understand because the majority of people who have access to television, radio, magazines, and financial resources are of European descent. The mainstream Hip Hop culture most certainly caters to the white American Hip Hop enthusiast and therefore the ideology it portrays is transferred to the already majority racial/ethnic group in United States. Media conglomerates like Viacom own many media outlets such as: MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Block Buster, BET, Comedy Central, CBS News, and the list goes on. Now one can see how mainstream Hip Hop became so popular throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, nonetheless the underground culture survived this take over by the media giants and has maintained its' genuine cultural elements, but is always under constant scrutiny.<br />
A blend of reality and fiction, hip hop is a contemporary response to conditions of joblessness, poverty, and dis-empowerment. (Smitherman) Today's nation-conscious emcees, DJs, and graffiti artists draw their inspiration primarily from the black power movements of the 1960s. (Decker) The lyrics and graffiti often express with raw emotion their discontent with the system and how it oppresses the people of color while giving privilege to those not of color (European Americans). Underground Hip Hop to this day is still dominated by African Americans and Latino Americans even though they do welcome people of all races and ethnicities it is very rare that an European American is at ease enough to step out of their comfort zone made of suburban neighborhoods and shopping malls to go down to the “ghetto” or the lower income part of town. The gangster rap ideology of mainstream Hip Hop has taught European Americans to fear these neighborhoods because they are full of gangsters and people who want to harm them. This is a stereotype of these low income neighborhoods and the people who live in them. Yes the people might be angry at the corrupt political system they live in and from time to time might take it out on someone, but that does not mean that they will do it all the time like the media portrays. Portraying violence in lower income neighborhoods is a scare tactic to keep the people stratified and weaker as a mass. The underground Hip Hop culture recognizes this problem and tries to reach out to the regular American people, but at the same time they do no want to jeopardize what little culture they have left by putting it in the hands of “trendy” or fashion oriented hip hoppers. It shoulld be noted that explicit anti-white sentiments are rarely made in Hip Hop. Instead, pro-black statements are more typical. (McLeod) Reaching out to people is a very tedious process because you have to constantly check and recheck the “realness” or “fakeness” of the hip hopper before letting them into the underground culture. They have to make sure you are true to yourself and true to hip hop and not the mainstream hip hop created by the bourgeoisie, they call this “keepin it real”. In other words keepin' it real means not disassociating oneself from the community from which one came. (McLeod) For instance, Tupac raps in his song “I dont give a Fu*k,” “The Grammy's and the American music shows pimp us like hoes, They got dough, but they hate us though, You better keep your mind on the real sh*t, and f*ck trying to get with these crooked a$$ hypocrites.” Tupac was one of Hip Hop's more successful artists. He recognized that unlike the mainstream Hip Hop culture there are positive social and tangible gains to being in the underground culture and know where you come from. <br />
Hip Hop can be a tool to help raise the consciousness of the listener and writer. One study showed that students in the non-mainstream culture who practiced writing lyrics were exhibiting the critical and analytical skills that the teachers wanted them to get out of their textbooks. (Morell and Duncan) Encouraging students to participate in non-mainstream Hip Hop showed the teachers how to raise the students social awareness and writing skills. This is only one of the positive effects to come from underground Hip Hop. Another positive effect of Hip Hop is that it creates political consciousness. Emcees in the underground constantly rap about politics and what is happening in the world at the time. This teaches the youth, who listen to their words closely, what to look for and how to empower themselves and their community, as well as teaching them a new form of communication called African American Vernacular English (AAVE). AAVE functions as both a resistance language and linguistic bond of cultural and racial solidarity for those born into an oppressed status. (Smitherman) The unique pronunciations of certain words and the use of slang can quickly identify an insider or an outsider to the culture. For example, In the Hip Hop culture the sound that the letters (er) make together are often pronounced as uh or ah (i.e. Nigga, Brotha) and (s) is sometimes pronounced as a (z). (Cutler) Because “nigger” is a racialized epithet in the English language, AAVE embraces its usage, encoding a variety of Black meanings (i.e. homie, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, acquaintance, brother, sister). And “crazy niggas” are the rebellious ones, who resist racial supremacy and draw attention to their cause by acting in ways contrary to the inscribed role for African Americans. Unlike other subcultures Hip Hop is one of the few to develop its' own language and as a result the members might seem ignorant to those who don't know anything about the culture. On the contrary the people who are involved in Hip Hop are some of the most intellectual people in their community yet they are stigmatized because of stereotypes and racism.<br />
In conclusion, Hip Hop is a struggle against oppression and only one example among many of the cultural styles pushed by entertainment and fashion industries, pulled by youth eager for the latest happening thing, and circulated by a wide range of media outlets eager to draw readers and to sell products. (Condry) The underground culture is doing everything in its' power to keep it real and authentic while the mainstream culture seeks to assimilate and destroy the underground culture to validate its' own existence. Thus the European American mainstream Hip Hop culture exploits, manipulates, and oppresses the African and Latino American Hip Hop culture so it can continue to capitalize off it's popularity and turn Hip Hop into a commodity. As emcee KRS-One once rapped, “understand that rap (hip hop) is a rebellious music therefore only the rebels should use it, the pop artist abuse it, when the audience hears real rap music they boo it, see rap music is a culture and every one outside that culture is a vulture, the vulture that makes money on the culture”, therefore the vultures most of the time are European American business men. The existence of dominant commercial concerns has meant that mainstream successes have almost invariably lacked Hip Hop's political, racial, and social consciousness, as well as being insensitive to many of the aesthetic principles such as vivid metaphors that are fundamental to the music.(Gladney) Underground Hip Hop will continue to empower its' people of color and educate them on who they can trust. They know as long as they continue to live in a system that is dominated by European American culture the light of their culture and other cultures will not shine as bright as they have the potential to. And inner city youth will continue to fight in the struggle for their rights and the rights of generations to come through what is called underground Hip Hop.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-84296605448985345072010-03-12T16:36:00.002-06:002010-03-12T16:43:10.994-06:00Genius: An Artifact of Social Design pt. 1Today I was contemplating on all the times that people have called me or someone else a genius, I asked myself "what defines genius?" Come to find out according to the internet and many sources there are many kinds of genius, which I will not elaborate on for times sake. So now I'm thinking a genius is actually something that is socially constructed by culture and is attainable by anyone with the power to do so and if so then why does our society see it as such a rare and inherent label of human intelligence. Could be our overall lack of resources among the middle and lower class? I could argue so, but instead I'm going to talk a bit about becoming a genius.<br />
<br />
As I was thinking about this idea of being more intelligent than the average person it hit me that the notion that only some of us can have the status of genius is actually creating less geniuses. Many people see this as a barrier, a cultural truism that has yet to be challenged, and that we are either born with genius or not born without it, but in reality it is just result of our socialization. Anyone can be trained or taught to be a "genius". For some this might take a longer amount of time and for others they might experience a shorter amount of time. It is pretty simple to become a genius if you weren't socialized to be a genius already, all you have to do is educate yourself about whatever kind of genius you want to be preferably something you're passionate about. For example if you want to be a musical genius all you'd have to do is be very familiar with all styles of music and how they are made. Then practice writing and playing all those styles of music as well as many different kinds of instruments. Depending the the pattern in which you do this you will come out with a different end result, the "genius" is simply another way of saying something/someone on a level of infinite levels that has never been seen or heard before. This is just one of many ways to become a genius. It almost seems too simple to most people but it does require a lot of dedication. And this is because the idea of genius that has been created by our society is based on someone's ability to understand and interpret ideas and then creatively regurgitate them. This idea of creativity is based on creating something new and abstract and is subjected to all norms and natural laws therefor it changes with time as the amount of new things become old things. So the genius is constantly changing as well to meet the societies standards of creativeness. Everyone has the ability to be a genius, it's just that not everyone has the chance to be one considering their social context. <br />
<br />
"One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius"<br />
- Simone de BeauvoirDefianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-20966073365288130822010-03-11T14:11:00.003-06:002010-05-05T21:12:49.470-05:00SELU Students Defend Higher Education March 4th<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lSXgnQbV6Ng&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lSXgnQbV6Ng&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<p>At my school (Southeastern Louisiana University) two of the activist groups I'm in (National Organization for Change and Southeastern Sociological Association) Organized an open forum discussion about our states budget cuts to education and our school raising admission standards. We invited hundreds of students to come be a part of it. If you watch the video you will see that barely anyone showed up. Why is this? I would argue it is because our society is mostly an apathetic society in which people don't care about being educated or about future generations being educated. It seems obvious that our country is trying to turn schools like mine into diploma mils and the students really don't have a problem with it because it has yet to immediately affect them. Most of them just want to increase their price tag anyway. The consequences of cutting state funding to schools and raising admission standards will severely impact our peoples power to make informed decisions in the future, creating a bigger gap between the rich and the poor. The people who come from poor communities with schools that are not properly funded for whatever reasons and because of that are not properly prepared for standardized tests are going to be forced to go into community colleges or a trade schools against their desire and dreams. I'm not saying those are bad things, but not everyone wants to go to those schools since they create a whole other set of problems for the certain students and have statistically shown to have high drop out rates. I would also like to add that just because you are doing poorly at a underfunded high school does not mean you will do poorly at a well funded university. Schools like my school all around the country are dealing with budget cuts by cutting classes, firing staff and teachers and getting rid of whole departments and at the same time they are raising tuition prices and admission standards!? Who exactly are they trying to attract? Or rather keep it out? Think about it. I'm starting to get very agitated with the students here on campus. Their vision is too short sited and their ability to care almost doesn't exist. When will they stand up for their rights!? When!Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-84619163254428371792010-02-25T14:35:00.000-06:002010-02-25T14:47:37.533-06:00Diffusion of Responsibility in ActivismThe social phenomenon of Diffusion of Responsibility in Activism is nothing new, but it's role in activist groups has rarely been discussed. In a group of usually 10 or more people the individual feeling of responsibility to take action is lesser than if it were a group of only 3 people. This conflicts with the idea of power in numbers because the more people you have the less responsible each person feels to take the actions necessary to reach the desired goal which means each person exercises less power to make positive social change. This is not the wanted effect of a activist organization. When organizing a group of individual people to protest something it would be much more effective to have a smaller group when assigning more detailed tasks and a larger group to handle one task (usually the actual protest/boycott). <br />
<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=prochoice.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/prochoice.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />
<br />
The smaller group would feel more responsible to do the more detailed actions necessary to complete their goal, but if it was the larger group handling the more detailed tasks each person would feel less responsible to make things happen, communication would be more difficult, and some people will rely on others to do the tasks they were assigned which could lead to them not being done at all or being done very poorly. Another way to increase participation in a group is to create a sense of belonging and privilege. This is much easier with smaller groups, for example you can do things such as; create a stylish t-shirt or jacket with the organizations name on it to create a sense of belonging, build up the reputation of your organization so that it is socially desirable to be a part of, or make an initiation process that when completed makes the people who passed feel like they have accomplished something. Another way is when unwanted actions are performed like a boring task and it is rewarded with a small token of appreciation or a sense of belonging instead of a large reward. The person will change their negative feeling of boredom to match their now positive feeling of happiness (which are on a spectrum of negative to positive) and belonging in order to justify their behavior of performing the boring task, so the boring task becomes something they enjoyed or don't mind doing. If it is a larger reward the person will not change their negative feeling of boredom to a positive feeling to match their feeling of happiness because the reward now justifies the behavior. This is just one way to apply the theory of cognitive dissonance. This can also be done with the larger group with modifications. Activism in a sense is an art form, it requires the right amount of skill when stroking the brush of action to get the desired change you want in your socially constructed painting.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-46616329347279725922010-02-23T14:04:00.001-06:002010-02-23T19:29:52.115-06:00CUT THE CORDsighing instead of crying will never suffice <br />
for every person who is emotionally crippled will die not once but twice. <br />
Once, the day their mind crumbles under societal pressures, <br />
oppressors stop pulling down their psychological levers, <br />
stop using them for a resting place for your heavy hand, <br />
let them be free! they are able to withstand.<br />
or maybe, just maybe it was their own choice, <br />
they came to a split in the road and took the one with no voice.<br />
the path of least resistance some might call it<br />
more like the path of oppression which we're all fronted. <br />
Twice, is the day when they can no longer go on, <br />
they look back to see they were just a pawn. <br />
"How could it be that I never broke from my role?" <br />
maybe it was because of all that bullshit you learned in school. <br />
Cant you see the time is now to pull the plug!?<br />
the plug that resembles chains in which we tug. <br />
This invisible force that keeps us down <br />
and when seen can be most profound. <br />
It must be destroyed, we must be freed, <br />
some be weaned, some must lead, <br />
with every blink of the eye our minds secede <br />
So cut the cord and let the bullshit bleed!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=podbaby.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/podbaby.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-87085473620186767052009-12-31T14:27:00.001-06:002010-02-23T19:56:26.974-06:00FEAR pt. 1Can you see how our fears are organized and specified?<br />
We are taught to live life by the standards of lies<br />
They make us fear what’s going on in our streets<br />
So that we will forget about the injustice in the Middle East<br />
Women walking to their cars are so afraid of blacks<br />
That they carry anti rape weapons prepared for attack<br />
The truth is most women are raped by family or a friend<br />
So on the streets is not where the problem begins<br />
Just like cancer sources are already recognized<br />
It’s the products of those who manufacture the lies<br />
They tell us to fear what is not the truth<br />
So they can sell us their story as a substitute<br />
How long will we wait to get an answer to why<br />
We live in fear till the day we die<br />
I’m sick of all the fake revolutionaries getting in my way<br />
Telling me to chill and wait another day<br />
We‘ve done enough waiting and we can get the answers now<br />
It takes all of us to take back the power!<br />
It takes all of us to start to understand<br />
That with every commercial there’s a hidden plan<br />
The common folk would begin to revolutionize<br />
And strip away the pollution from within their minds<br />
The fear for years that has been holding them back<br />
Will become nothing more than fuel for their attack<br />
And those who sit back and watch will not be glorified<br />
Shit you’d be lucky live the rest of your life<br />
Because the fear that stopped you from the start<br />
Will begin to rip your corrupted soul apart!Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-60259118664445136342009-12-17T16:58:00.000-06:002010-02-23T20:05:51.693-06:00DecadesIt’s been decades since I was brought into this world<br />
And many more years since revolution’s had its’ turn<br />
Because there are still people too blind to see<br />
That our system teaches us a self fulfilling prophecy<br />
The majority of people buy into the same type of propaganda<br />
That Hitler and Stalin used as racist commanders<br />
But now it’s called something else by those who use it<br />
They changed the name to television so don’t confuse it<br />
They show subliminal messages of racism, hate, and greed<br />
As the bright lights dilate your pupils to see<br />
What they want us to think is right and the norm<br />
But it’s a type of control that they’ve formed<br />
Starting from birth we are taught to play a role<br />
We are told its natural but it’s really for control<br />
Take some time to look back to our history and other cultures<br />
You’ll see a variety of genders and different colored lovers<br />
You see the worlds never been just black and white<br />
And this country is not an exception so get it right<br />
Studies show poverty brings crime in on its back<br />
So to blame a race for it we know that shit is whack<br />
In the 1800s Native Americans lost most of their land<br />
And were encouraged to enslave some Africans<br />
And Adopt European Christian ethics<br />
In order to save their lives and be protected<br />
Learned how to pick and choose<br />
Which bible verses to follow and which ones to lose<br />
Just like the southerners who took lives and also worshiped Christ<br />
Shot the heads off kids and didn’t think twice<br />
So remember when you fools are praying to your man made god<br />
Of all the innocent people who suffered and died.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-74824714144520523442009-12-17T16:49:00.000-06:002010-02-23T20:03:48.858-06:00The PatriarchyGrowing up as a male it took a while to realize<br />
That I live in a culture where men are always on top<br />
And women aren’t suppose to question why men have more power<br />
Men don’t see the truth because the media blinds them more by the hour<br />
And ignorant people sit by thinking everything is alright<br />
Well its not you stupid fucks otherwise there wouldn’t be this fight!<br />
A struggle of power that shines brighter every day<br />
Clearing away the old ignorance for equal rights and equal pay<br />
If too much power is obtained by some then it can corrupt them all<br />
A seeing eye that won’t let us see but will let us fall.<br />
So when someone asks you do you believe in equal rights? <br />
If you truly think so then you are a feminist for life!<br />
3 percent of babies are born both male and female<br />
The government hides this to make the patriarchy harder to derail<br />
We buy into their propaganda and ideas of how we are suppose to be<br />
Because it’s easier to go along with it then be who we want to be!<br />
Having male genitalia doesn’t make you any better<br />
It’s just like when white American’s were plantation slave masters <br />
One group being oppressed by another<br />
Both sexes being controlled by big brother<br />
Illusions put in place to make everything seem right<br />
To allow men to exploit women every day and night!<br />
Tell me what seems fair about men getting paid more<br />
Or women selling their bodies and becoming disease infested whores?<br />
There is no justification to male dominancy<br />
And if you think this is a lie then ask why you can’t see?!<br />
Because the only reason you would have a problem with this<br />
Is if you think this threatens your idea of manliness <br />
For once stop thinking about only yourself<br />
And think about making life better for everyone elseDefianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-87244366329948208042009-12-17T15:48:00.000-06:002010-02-23T20:03:00.607-06:00The InvisibleThey call me the tea master<br />
Always brewing up shit to save the disaster<br />
Faster! I move with quickness <br />
Leaving no one behind to wonder and witness<br />
Jammin on the time I saved to write a rhyme<br />
Getting higher on the notes as the minutes fly <br />
This beat is inevitably going to pulse in your ear <br />
But it’ll only happen once so record what you hear<br />
Before people never use to think about getting fat <br />
Now Americans take speed filled pills and smoke crack<br />
The poor person’s entertainment is prescription pills <br />
And the middle class crack is drooling over the show the hills<br />
A fat persons’ exercise is lifting up the remote <br />
To watch Christians persecute gays and recite biblical quotes <br />
While the invisible men are pushing us slavery made devices <br />
And smuggling drugs into our country for black market prices<br />
Remember you always get what you pay for <br />
When you buy slave made products at the retail store<br />
Slaves who are trapped by the same people that make sex a commodity <br />
Who steal your money in our consumer based economy<br />
Leaving everyone in their path raped<br />
Making sure all your actions are video taped<br />
Before their invisible hand comes in to take you<br />
They make sure there’s no way left they can rape you!Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-13761867313212157052009-12-17T15:13:00.001-06:002010-02-23T20:01:46.372-06:00WAKE UPI wake up in the morning and I try to figure out<br />
What went wrong did I lose myself?<br />
Is that everything is continuously changing?<br />
Or in my head my memories are constantly rearranging?<br />
With every single day that passes me by<br />
I look back and I wonder and I ask myself why<br />
Didn’t anybody stop!? and try to realize<br />
that we repeat the same motions and our lives are a lie<br />
As if that’s how its supposed to be<br />
Waiting for all the blind folk to open their eyes and see<br />
Well I’m changing and so is the world but<br />
I’d be a damn fool to keep my mouth shut<br />
Some folk say I’m too demanding, I want people to start changing<br />
I want business to come back and stop outsourcing<br />
So ill tell you my thoughts and show you that I’m not afraid<br />
And if you want to follow or lead, then go ahead !<br />
Don’t only blame the powers that be for all the destruction<br />
It is us who sits by and allows their pollution<br />
And when you’re sick and tired of being the only one<br />
Rise up throw your ideas out, but still have your fun<br />
Step back and watch their motives change<br />
If nothing else happens, you’re not the only one to blame<br />
Remember if no one out in the world is loving you<br />
At least you know that to yourself you’ll always be true<br />
<br />
And the world goes on…<br />
As life goes on…<br />
<br />
It seems like there’s too many people doing blaming<br />
And not enough people doing the changing!<br />
When will the world come to realize<br />
That the number one country hides behind a disguise<br />
Its like Halloween 24/7<br />
Except underneath is the fucking ugliest section<br />
It’s as though the whole world has an infection<br />
And the worst spot, is this spot! the most corporate<br />
infested<br />
I always wonder where are the Revolutionaries?<br />
The activist and the humans rights armies<br />
It’ll be a sad day…<br />
When you hear that the last of the open minded passed away<br />
I’ll be damned if I let that happen<br />
As long as I’m here I’ll keep my mind clean and mouth rappin<br />
I wont ever let it be in my time<br />
And when I leave this world I’ll pass on my rhymes<br />
Metaphorically speaking that’s how ill keep the torch going<br />
I’ll make sure that the young and old are always knowing<br />
About the corporate lies and the hate crimes<br />
On countries and people who want peaceful lives<br />
I dare any of you to try to stop me,<br />
I’ll hail down on you with a mirage of lyrical bullets hard<br />
and swiftly.<br />
Hopefully it’ll never come to that<br />
I rather chill with my homies, make progress, and kick back<br />
Because right now it’s a lonely world<br />
There’s so much poverty it could start take us all over<br />
So keep protesting their profit over people plans<br />
I have faith one day our earth will be in better hands<br />
<br />
And life goes on<br />
As the world goes on…Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-70429247887840715962009-12-17T14:55:00.000-06:002010-02-23T19:34:06.433-06:00THIS IS A CALL!In a world filled with Desperate Times <br />
and from Birth to Death people are Fed ignorant Lies.<br />
Where the Unification of those who Seek Change <br />
Is stratified and rearranged.<br />
Who will be the ones to put Others Before them self? <br />
The ones willing to Sacrifice their commodities and health!<br />
Remind the World that everything is Not that Nice <br />
Fight Back to bring People in Poverty paradise!<br />
Social change is Not a walk in the park <br />
Nor is it Hiding in shadows or in the dark.<br />
I hope when these Words Reflect off the walls of your skull <br />
in the place occupied by your Brain which will Never be Full<br />
You Find something Inside that Calls to resist <br />
This is a Call to Raise Arms and your Consciousness.<br />
Start speaking the words that Cant be Erased <br />
Time is Running out so yes this is a Race!<br />
Unite those who Protest and those who don't consent<br />
Watch where your Energy and Time is Spent.<br />
This is a Call to Raise Arms and your Consciousness <br />
Now Search Inside for the Courage You do Possess.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-55191287063580405792009-12-17T14:41:00.000-06:002010-02-23T19:33:38.801-06:00Rapist BlindsNow that my eyes are eternally open<br />
I wont stop my thoughts from being provokingly spoken<br />
And I can see who lives their life on a leash,<br />
And none of them deserve the privileges that they reap.<br />
Like the fraternity jocks who can never show some respect<br />
And even though their infected they’ll never tell the rest<br />
It’s a shame 1 out of 4 women in college get raped<br />
By the same horny fucks that will proudly say<br />
The sororities need to hurry up and convert some more hos,<br />
Because the unused sexual commodities are running low.<br />
You can try to burn me back but you know it's the truth,<br />
And if this hurts your feeling then this must be you.<br />
<br />
It makes me sick to think of this idea in your head,<br />
That women are only for sex from birth till death.<br />
You’re a victim of your own sexes social bigotry,<br />
So I dare any of you to take a stab at me.<br />
Try to justify your actions of upper class breeding,<br />
And ill open your eyes and show you you’re culturally bleeding.<br />
You’re taught its just the way it is to commoditize women,<br />
And leave them there lying as hopeless victims.<br />
I hope one day you can see through those blinds,<br />
The ones that say rapist over your eyes.<br />
Don’t try to change me because I can never return<br />
Back to the mentality that I unknowingly learned.<br />
<br />
Instead I’ll fight back till the day your mind is disarmed<br />
And I’ll show you the damage you’ve selfishly done.<br />
Like the corporate execs who destroy villages for fun<br />
And the right wing media who justified Vietnam<br />
Don’t forget about the historians who changed our past<br />
So that the youth could grow up as an ignorant mass<br />
Maybe you’re one of them who doesn’t know the truth<br />
And will take my words for granted and live your life as a tool<br />
But I’m telling you now that this is not a lie<br />
So you can live consciously and be at peace when you die<br />
Because the odds are from death there is no return<br />
So fight back motherfuckers or forever you’ll burn.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-27078178465609593592009-09-09T18:33:00.000-05:002010-02-23T19:31:22.207-06:00Black Goldplease watch this series of videos! its about how starbucks exploits the people of Ethiopia.<br />
<br />
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E8r4Fut8cvM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E8r4Fut8cvM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-64729518868258799702009-06-24T15:20:00.000-05:002010-02-23T19:32:44.020-06:00IndividualismIn broader context people seem to think that individualism is merely trying to be different from their family and peers, but that train of thought is only one of many preconceived mindsets that is enthralled and fixed into our society. It is a result of people only being aware of their immediate surroundings and influences and not the context in which engulfs us all (meaning everyone in the world). The problem with this idea of individualism is that they are trying to experience something other than what is expected of them but it’s limited to their little bubble of comfort. In order for them have a broader perspective and understanding of their self, their culture and their world it is almost necessary to look at ones self from the outside, as if you were looking down on the planet from outer space and you see yourself and every action you do compared to every action everyone else does. Only then may you understand your part in the greater society of the world. It’s kind of like a puzzle, but this puzzle has billions of pieces and is extremely complicated. In that case being an Individual would certainly be a hard task to achieve. Trying to obtain true individualism is a sort of self curiosity that many people lack due to their fear of rejection by society (aka the puzzle’s picture). One can only truly understand how the world works once they understand how it is that they work in the world and if you so choose to be an individual and you achieve it, you will certainly find that it is not easy and the odds are against you, but there is still hope! If enough people like yourself choose to follow the same path as you, then you can create a new puzzle, one that lays on top of the old one you use to be a part of, a layer of hope I call it. With this layer of hope their will be new pieces and a new picture, but once again you are no longer an individual. So tell me is that truly what you want, to be an Individual? Or do you want to find more people who fit into the same part of the puzzle as you? Don’t worry this question has no right or wrong answer just a solution.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-88202275729583886432009-02-17T15:07:00.000-06:002010-02-23T19:09:20.411-06:00Start Supporting Your Local Businessesfor every hour you work you're making someone else at the least 10 times as much as you're getting per hour sometimes as much as or more than 100+ times your hourly wage before taxes. We continue to act as though that is normal and its what is necessary<br />
but that is not the case!<br />
<br />
as little as thirty years ago people made around 30% more money per year than we do now. as companies yearly gross profit percentage goes up, our yearly pay goes down or stays stagnant in certain job areas. Majority continue to overlook this problem b/c they make excuses such as:<br />
at least we are getting something or I have to do what is necessary to survive. Well the truth is we are just settling for the bottom of the barrel. We are suffering in the long run as most of the money goes into a select few's pockets and less of it goes back into ours and our communities. As the majority of the population we should get majority of the money!<br />
<br />
That is why i propose we all start supporting local business more and more with each new day and start boycotting big businesses such as Walmart, Starbucks, McDonalds etc.<br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kardsofredemption" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/breakthecorporatechain.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />
<br />
If you want to make a difference in your life and future generations lives even one small little change in your life right now can influence the future and make it a little better for everyone else yet to come. Stop being the greedy individual society has socialized you to be and realize that there are others who are less fortunate and will need us to make smarter more informed decisions to insure that prosperity and security of their future!<br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kardsofredemption" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/keepyourcoinsiwantchange.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-67500856784739946772008-09-21T01:19:00.000-05:002009-12-30T13:53:43.584-06:00Coffee Shop Secret Survey Part 1While working for a cafe in a little bookstore I shall not name for legal purposes I secretly conducted a survey which to my ability is as accurate as possible without offending people. The Data is as follows:<br /><br /> Body mass index (BMI) is how i measured most of these people. Since I did it secretly I had to do it by eye. It was very obvious which people were overweight obese or not. I probably cut people a lot more slack than they deserved, but with that said here is the BMI percentages I used and how i roughly judged by eye which category they fell under.<br /><br /># A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is normal weight (meat on their bones or skinny)<br /># A BMI of 25.0–29.9 is overweight (protruding stomach and thick legs/arms/neck)<br /># A BMI of 30.0–34.9 is class I obesity (overlapping fat and as well as the overweight symptoms)<br /><br /><p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view&current=1punkfist.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/1punkfist.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />this guy is way too hardcore to drink coffee! haha<br /></p><p></p><p>Approx 1/3 or 33% of the coffee customers were found to be not overweight, but they weren't in top physical shape either. 80% of them bought regular brewed coffee the other 20% either got coffee with flavored syrup or with liquid ice cream in it.<br /><br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view&current=fatguy_248.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/fatguy_248.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>Around 45% of the coffee consumers were most definitely overweight and seemed to favor the espresso coffee with more syrup and ice cream than the lower weighted consumers.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view&current=fat_girl_GI.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/fat_girl_GI.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>The Obese customers which comprised of about 22% of the coffee customers also found the sweater syrup filled coffees and ice cream based coffee malts more appealing.<br /><br />I believe the Age relation to these weight levels has a lot today with how each of the generations was raised. Here's that data:<br /><br />Ages 10-14 99% loved the ice cream based coffees<br />Ages 15-19 80% purchased the espresso coffees with syrup or ice cream base.<br />Ages 20-29 about 90% of them went with the espresso coffees adding syrup and whip cream<br />Ages 30-39 purchased approx. the same data as the 20-29 year olds<br />Ages 40-50 were split down the middle, 50% going with regular old fashion coffee<br /> and the other 50% branching off to try the newer generation's choice of<br /> high calorie and sweat caffeine beverage.<br />Ages 50+ there wasnt a large number elderly coming to the shop to buy coffee, but<br /> if they did buy coffee it was just a regular brew either medium or dark.<br /><br /><br /><br /> With this rough data and my own personal experience of selling this product every day it seems to me that people over the age of 40 are more prone to buying a regular brewed coffee as compared to one made with espresso shots and liquid ice cream. The espresso drinks with added syrup and the ice cream based coffees are more popular with the younger crowd. could this be due to some cultural changes in the past couple of decades? I would think so.</p>Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-74943316132007833422008-09-18T00:19:00.000-05:002010-02-23T19:08:42.252-06:00Oppression, and Do We Have It!?The signs of being oppressed are all here. Just like the signs of a cold, you may have one or two or maybe all of them at once, sometimes they don't show up till a later time. Sometimes they are so common that you get use to the idea and shrug it off like it's no big deal until it gets worse that is... <br />
<br />
Today's American society is far more worried about obtaining a false sense of wealth rather than what some call true power. The wealth advertised in the media displayed to the united states citizens is just a mere smoke screen to what having true wealth or power is really like. These same people also known as the elite call most if not all of the shots dealing with our economic, political, and social decisions as a nation by what I'd like to call Mass Distributor Influence. That is basically when one or more persons with a highly ranked economic and/or political, and/or social status has enough power to influence one or more huge corporations to shift the direction they are going, whether it be a message or product, creating a domino effect among all the businesses affiliated with the huge corporations to benefit the common interest of the elite. Which there after the products and/or message of these corporations either have a negative or positive effect. Most often a negative effect that is unknowing to the consumers that ignorantly support it and therefor support the elite's interest and agenda. <br />
<br />
This is definitely one of the major ways we are oppressed, by the controlling of products whether tangible or not (information) we are further oppressed by the lack of debate of these issues and the erosion of civil liberties such as freedom of speech. These are most certainly no the only ways the people of the united states are oppressed and we are certainly one of the less oppressed compared to other less fortunate countries, but the guilt resulting from the actions of these corporations should not be thrusted upon the minds of this countries citizens when they are unknowingly contributing to the demise of other countries and their people. Instead they should be made aware of these actions and be allowed to judge for themselves whether it is right or wrong to support the elite and leave it up to people of other countries to see that our country is made up of a variety kind hearted people with individual ideas that are rendered unselfish and that the people hurting the less fortunate countries (a.k.a. corporations) and if anyone should be held responsible it should be the ones oppressing the less fortunate countries as well as the ones that oppress the citizens of the United States.Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4713539953570161412.post-70116969889595982172008-06-08T02:16:00.001-05:002010-04-25T13:07:21.549-05:00PowerPower, the force in which one has the authority and/or ability to control and manipulate something. That is what we all struggle for. Sometimes it's as simple as having the power to make the decision on what you are wearing today or sometimes its about what we want our life to be or mean. Regardless of what you want to have control of it's a constant struggle between you and the opposing forces. <br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=riot-police.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/riot-police.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />
<br />
Who might those opposing forces be? Many people are unaware of them due to modern distractions that are imprinted into our minds thanks to things like our friends, family, and in general the Media. The Media is mostly Controlled by only 5 corporations. The 2nd largest being viacom which owns TV stations like mtv, vh1 and many others along with stations and movie production companies etc. <br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=viacom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/viacom.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />
<br />
The majority of young Americans are influenced to go to college to get a high paying job or to save up to by that fancy new gadget at the local electronics store, but what good is a high paying job if the American dollar is worth less every day? The word power is often used to describe someones physical and brute strength or the might of a nation's military, but it's not just that, It's your ability to make conscious decisions and reactions to your surrounding environment. Next time someone tells you that you can or can't do something because it's illegal, morally wrong, or they just don't want you to, remember everything is for a reason and just because you don't know it doesn't mean it does not exist. Whether you disagree or not and want to make it change is up to you. Changing something big as one person is very difficult. It's the constant struggle between the power of one person and the power of the law or social norms of a society. <br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=protest-london.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/protest-london.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />
<br />
When there is one or more people involved then the sides of power are shifted further from The authority. If a group of people are joined together for the cause of one or more things, then their combined ability to control and manipulate the social norms can shift the situation if they so choose. Therefore, the more people unite together for a single cause, the more control the people have, the less effective corruption becomes, resulting in democratic power being obtained by the people to get what is wanted... <br />
<br />
<p><a href="http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/?action=view¤t=blackpanthers.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b94/SamuraiSka/blackpanthers.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>Defianthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588600967178371792noreply@blogger.com1