And so we have the change that we fought so hard for; a gigantic monumental

step towards the next phase of American evolution. The election of Barack Obama

is more than a victory for black people or for any racial subset. More than

anything else it was a triumph for the power of youth; for the voice of the

generation that has yet to make its mark on the face of America outside of pop

culture manifestation.

 

You can segment them with Generation X’s and Y’s and Next’s but this

generation (or group of them) has been defined by its underachievement and

apathy for anything non-immediate.  Today

was the day that Generation Now got off its collective ass and voted against

the mortgaging of their future to preserve a present that has little regard for

their destiny.

 

Congratulations. Welcome to the first day of the New World Order. Not the

Illuminati world order but the real one. The one where you get out of the baby

seat and take the wheel of the street car named desire. The one where you vote; where you voice. The one where you

buy the politicians. The one where you

lobby.  The one where you become aware of the way the world

works.

 

If nothing else, Barack Obama has shown you that there is strength in

numbers. That three million people with 100 dollars is even stronger than 10

people with 30 million.  That a bundle of

that many branches are unbreakable.  Not

by slander, not by hate, and not by negativity. The lesson you should take from

this historic event is the power of organization and the true force of

mobilization.

 

The lesson you should take is that if youth culture marshals their

forces and puts the resources behind them, there is no power on earth that can

withstand it.

 

These opportunities don’t come once in a lifetime.  They don’t come once every four years. They

come daily. They come when corporations think that old white men in an office

can determine what is cool for you to consume. They come when your favorite

artist goes double wood while some cat who can’t spell is selling hundreds of

thousands of records.

 

You have been informed.  You have

been shown the power of your collective voice on a macro level. Do not lose

sight of how to apply that on a micro level in your own lives. Your families,

your crew, your blocks are all there. Be a bundle not a branch.

 

Don’t surrender your power to apathy and laziness. Long Live Barack

Obama. Longer live the spirit of youth. You can do even more than this. Change

is like marriage. It’s not a destination it’s a journey. President elect

Obama’s… (wow) ascent is not the end but the beginning. The beginning of the

New World Order. Will you be the driving force, or will you continue the

mistakes of the previous world? This time you have a choice.

I watched

something necessary the other night, necessary for the

legitimacy of America and it’s interests around the

world. Necessary for it’s religion of capitalism and

it’s imperial ambition, which were not curbed in anyway

with the election of an African American. Instead they

gained perhaps the greatest spokesperson for their

cause that they could have ever received. People that

never felt inclusive now feel like part of America, like they

have a personal stake in its success and for people that

truly love this country, isn’t that what you wanted? To have

more people who live here proud of being an American? For

many people Bush was never their president, to them he

stole the first election and railroaded the second

one with mired swift boat attacks on John Kerry’s

character while dodging facts about the

mischaracterization of Iraq as somehow being

involved in 9/11 and how the intelligence that led us to war was

so badly distorted. Some surrogates even went as far as

to suggest that Mr.Kerry might have inflicted the

wounds on himself in Vietnam to receive a Purple

Heart…http://uk. youtube.

com/watch?v=JoM90bAsr1MThe

same smear tactics were used all throughout this

election, the same fear mongering and questions brought

about Obama’s faith, place of birth and his

“relationship with terrorists.” This cost the McCain

campaign and it’s supporters, opportunity and

legitimacy about their complaints of the

future 44th President. They went beyond the simple

implications of the Clinton campaign deep into the

territory of arousing the fear and hatred ingrained in the

minds of white citizens all over America. And yet they were

denied yesterday for good reason. The mob would not have

tolerated it. His victory was a restoration of the

crumbling belief in our democracy, because the loss of

faith; that, my brother’s and sisters is how empire’s

fall, not from simple military failure but when their

people no longer believe in it. During the last few

years of Bush, this is what I saw. I cannot answer if

there would have been rioting would he have not won, but his

ascension to the Commander in Chief has made a strong case

for the people’s choice being what and who control’s

America. When in truth the strength and power of

Military Industry and Corporate Conglomerates saw more

of a champion than any urban working class citizen

could have, in Obama.Through careful planning,

timed responses, tactful alienation and one of the

best organized campaigns, at long last the people of

America have a man that they WANT to believe in, a man they can

point to as an example of the death of racism, the

birth of hope and the inclusion of member’s of

disaffected society in the United States.But is this to

be?Michelle Obama was right when she talked

about feeling proud to be an American for the first

time. And white conservatives took it out of context.

They assumed that the Black and Latino community who have

had the right to vote for the past 40 of the 221 years of this

countries existence should kneel and kiss the ground of

a land that is only now acknowledging their service and

contribution. Truthfully I am more inspired by her

words than most of his. And, I am reinforced in my

understanding that a man (especially one that

aspires to achieve anything significant) without

the right woman to support him and offer him guidance

will never amount anything. Her words were prophetic

for they truly did speak to the manner in which urban

Black and Latino people have embraced the USA.As I said

before this was necessary for America to do… To not follow

in the footsteps of the Roman Empire in its alienation

of the people’s that it conquered. Their great

mistake was NOT to include their allies and offer them

the benefits of citizenships and partaking in the glory

of what the empire gained as a reward for assimilation.

Africans were on this side of the world before Columbus, but

in US history they were brought as slaves, kept

subservient through a Europeanized

Christendom, and lied to about their glorious

past, and their contributions to the history of

humanity. After all it was Africans who comprised the

power ranks of the early church, Africans who

nursed the philosophy of the ancient Greeks and

African Muslims who ruled Western Europe for over 700

years, that’s more than 3 times as long as the United

States has existed as a country.They are a people who have

fought hard for every small victory and seemingly

insignificant right taken for granted nowadays.They fought and died

in every major US war going to back to the very founding of

this nation when Crispus Attucks was the first

person to ever die for American Freedom from British

Imperial rule. Yet every time they proved their

bravery and willingness to lay down their lives for the

nation of their captivity, subsequent birth

and allegiance to, they were denied the honor of a

well-deserved recognition. They were denied loans,

given substandard housing, redlined into the

ghetto, had their communities filled with drugs

and their addictions criminalized whereas the

upper class of white society had theirs treated as

an illness. Africans have had their commitment to

family and values overlooked by a media

highlighting of the worst sections of society. The

Black family did not fall apart until the crack era,

for even during the times of slavery, it came together with

more strength than ever! Because there were sisters who

were looking after children who weren’t theirs and

brothers who played the father when their father’s were

sold off and gone.Black people for all

intents and purposes have a right to have certain

cynicisms and grievances with America. Perhaps not as

much as Native Americans but they wouldn’t be the only

ethnic group in the world to have a difficult

relationship with the nation they live in. After all the

world’s nations are actually comprised of many nations

most of which are included by right of conquest and not

willing consent.And yet November 4th I saw Black people in Harlem

waving American flags proudly and loudly. I saw them

painted red white and blue, chanting and cheering

“USA, USA”. I saw cops shaking hands with brothers from

the hood who hate cops. I saw white college students who

have gentrified Harlem and the last of Harlem’s bulk of

Black residents welcome them with open arms dancing in the

streets because they were wearing Obama buttons or

carrying Obama posters. He truly is a unifying

force. He has changed the FACE of America, but now the

question remains can he actually change America? Can he

stop the war? Or can he just change it.America has a new leader. To me

personally I have always seen race a great illusion to

justify slavery and build the capital for

capitalism. His race is not as important as his design for

the economy. But those who would think that we live in a

post racial America are blind, and those who think that

his minor experience will prevent him from acting with

all the force of the greatest military power in the

world will be surprised. His great strength is in his

ability to listen and remember, to communicate and to

inspire. To convince and to come up with the best

explanation possible instead of perhaps some of the

worst excuses for leadership, rationale for war and

political nepotism that we have seen in America’s history

during Bush II.But his victory, he was right to say was not his victory

alone, it was also the resounding failure of the Right

Wing Republicans. So much so that it seems as if people from

the very onset on the right might have aided McCain’s

downfall to have the president they thought would be

better for business in the neo liberal world of

globalization.McCain lost this election for

many reasons though.-McBush: His

inability to distance and separate himself from George

Bush and the fiscal crisis that came as result of economic

policies of the 43rd president’s administration.

His pathetic attempt to make the difference known at

the end of the 3rd presidential debate was too little, way

too late.-The “Right” Enemies: A

person is often judged by their enemies, McCain

lost to Obama because of his inability to curb what was

first seen as the fringe of his party and eventually

came to be seen as a significant % of the base. In some

videos you can even see his own surprised and disturbed

reaction to what his supporters believed. The rallies

became more and more about hatred and not any issues of real

consequences. I know Christians and Right Wingers

that are logical independent voters and when they saw the

Republican base questioning him being a Muslim (as

if that was a crime), an antichrist, a socialist, and

screaming out “terrorist”, even the many of which had

planned to back McCain/Palin were disgusted.They looked at

their own party as if to say I can’t really believe

that you’re doing this to us now. If I were Obama I would

have not feared these people, I would have

engineered these people, and right now I would

thank God for them. They cost McCain the election. Any

rational debate that true fiscal and family values

conservatives would have had were mixed in the same bag as

these people.www. youtube.

com/watch?v=xVFWahLTdUowww. youtube.

com/watch?v=Gl2EndLZv7wwww. youtube.

com/watch?v=KjxzmaXAg9EI

would like to personally thank these idiots

should they ever muster the courage to actually leave

their Petri dish rural environment.-The Palin

Factor: Like I said, I know a few conservatives, most of

them aren’t religious zealots (although I do have some

family like that) and they told me that in good conscious they

couldn’t vote for their ticket. The right wing talking

points said that Obama and Palin had the same amount of

experience. To which a Military officer who is a

friend of mine snidely but honestly from the bottom of his

war hardened heart responded, “experience

being the same, she’s incapable of answering a

straight question, she’s incompetent, she can’t

stand up to Putin or anyone else. I voted Obama.”

Truly her champions were people who cheered during the

procession of The Emperor’s new clothes. She was no

Hillary.http://www. youtube.

com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGgAND

OH MY F#####’ GOD. Caribou Barbie…Shut up

about having the LA Times hold back pictures of

Obama!!!http://www. youtube.

com/watch?v=MWZHTJsR4Bc ( THIS IS

FRIGHTENING ) And this is the GOP was making excuses for.Smart move

old friend…Right Wing Defectors:Colin

Powell put the nail in McCain’s coffin for all

Republicans who were creatures of logic over blind

faith. He spoke for those who wanted understanding

about the real issue, the economy. McCain choose to

focus on Ayers and other old professors instead.

He lacked vision, thinking his party could

influence the moderates and the independents with this.Instead Scott

McClellan, Christopher Buckley, etc… became

a testament to Obama being able to win over not just working

class whites, but conservative whites, which he

proved to be able to do in the home stretch.http://tips.

webdesign10.

com/politics/more-conservatives-back-obama-346.

htmlDuh, Economy: These are all

compelling arguments, but none of them more of a

resounding factor than the economy. Which McCain

avoided!!! Had McCain chosen for example Mitt

Romney as VP this race would have been much closer in some key

states. Here was a well-spoken, respected and

successful businessman. He was the most well known

Republican after McCain. He made millions from his

business, he understood the crisis from a

definitively fiscal Republican base, and

would have won independents who found no answers in the

2008 GOP ticket. Instead the economy became the blow that

McCain/Palin never recovered from.But what does this

all mean?Is the Revolution over? Hardly. Are the

world’s problems solved, not at all. Is Mumia going to

get out of jail? I hope Mr.Obama looks into that but I bet

it’s not high on his list. The threat of terrorism isn’t

over nor is the threat of preemptive strikes. Should

people of color now sign up for the Military now that the

president looks like someone in their family? Stop

it.In

order for Mr. Obama to have become America’s president, he had to back

Israel 100%, not mention of the suffering of Palestinians, so the

Middle East will not change drastically. Rahm Emanuel whose father was

a soldier in the Zionist paramilitary organization called “Irgun” was

recently selected as his Chief of Staff. I reserve my judgment and

approach with an open mind so as to not give into hypocrisy because a

man is not always his father. I just hope Obama can inject different

opinions as well as his powerful logic into that conversation. I hope

he will normalize relations with Cuba, for the sake of everyone who has

family they cannot see, but in order to win Florida he had to change

his tone about it. He will not investigate 9/11 although I think that

now that he has the power do to so he should not be afraid to use it. I

hope he will look into that and into the origin of the faulty

intelligence that led us into Iraq. He will be everyone’s president,

but the majority of white America doesn’t see Malcolm X the way I do,

nor did they see the Black panthers as freedom fighters, they saw them

as terrorists, are we to give up our history and whitewash our heroes

and praise those who kept us subservient because of this victory?

 

Racism

hasn’t disappeared and you can always tell a racist/ignorant person by

their notion that because Obama is president that we live in a post

racial America. It is a sign of progress, it is a great triumph for all

people, (after all we forget Barack is half white too.) It is very

inspirational, but inspiration alone doesn’t complete a crusade.

 

I

am sometimes accused of being too serious, which fools mistake for

negativity. No I just understand that now the idea of Reparations for

Blacks in America will be completely off the table. The powerful will

remain powerful, the rich will stay rich and we gain advancement only

in serving other’s causes that we then accept as our own. He cannot

change the past but he can change the future, and this more than

anything is what I, and others are hoping he will be able to do

expeditiously.

 

After all he only has 18 months

from the time he is elected, until the next congressional election

really gets into the swing of things, and Congress turn to the their

own races. He will need to act quickly.

 

The

price of having hope is sometimes disappointment, but the price of

having no hope is always failure… That said I have a few main concerns

for America’s new Caesar: Repairing, regulating and reforming the

economy, Healthcare for all the people of the richest country in the

world. Bringing logic and reason to the war on terror and “war on

drugs”. And lastly the reason that many Latinos and Indigenous people

voted for him and delivered in key battleground states. Stopping the

criminalization of hardworking immigrants upon whose backs our great

nation is built.

 

I

am just a man, one of 300 million, and though my support base is

massive, one of the largest in the underground. I know Mr.Obama will

never read this. But I have hope for the future you are trying to fight

for us to have Mr. Obama and any change from the last 8 years of this

record gas price, record home foreclosure, record incompetence (Katrina

& Bin Laden’s 8 yr holiday) government is a good start to me. My

cup of hope is full, but I sip it slowly, because hope is a powerful

drug.

 

Remember, all politics is local, our job hasn’t ended with the election it has just begun.

 

 

Que Viva La Revolucion,

 

 

Immortal

Technique

Have you ever seen that movie,

Mo Betta Blues? The lead character is Bleek Gilliam.  He’s a trumpeter;

an inspired musical force with a severe case of tunnel vision and

dedication to his craft.  His desire to use his body as a vessel for

his creativity is surpassed only by his need to stay true to the music

that comes from within.  In many circumstances, this is a true

creator’s edict.  The artist is a slave to the art.  The audience

either follows or they don’t.  Their love for the performer is more incidental than plan. 

Kanye West reminds me of Bleek.  His latest offering 808’s and Heartbreak is a

serious departure from what his fans expect, but it is supposedly the next step

in his artistic growth.  While presently in the throes of both evolution

and grief, I’m sure Kanye finds the music a fitting way to consequently memorialize

what he has lost and project what he may have gained.  I’m not sure

who among you has the contract; the one on which Mr. West signed away

his musical life to Hip-Hop, but you need to tear it up.  It looks like

he may have grown beyond our beloved genre, or at least taken a pause

from it for the time being.  

The art made him do it. 

Some of the fans are not

happy.  I understand you invest in these artists.  You

invest your money with the purchase.  You invest your time when you

listen.  You invest your mind when you dissect the lyrics and if you

love it, you invest your heart.  But you need to understand, this is

not the purpose of his creation, it’s a bonus.  And when that bond is

broken and the artist moves on to greener pastures, your broken heart

is collateral damage.  It’s not for the sake of the fan.   

It’s for the sake of the art. 

If you know this movie I’m

referring to, then you know Bleek had an arch nemesis, Shadow.  And

Shadow didn’t create for the art.  He bowed to the audience.  His music

didn’t come from within.  It was a half-hearted attempt at pleasing the

crowd and we all know once you start trying to please everyone; you end

up pleasing no one.  

The Shadows of the Hip-Hop

world are the emcees who garner the most disdain from those who pay

attention.  They are the leeches of the industry, hiding behind

figurative dumpsters waiting on a creator to walk by so they can steal,

copy and mass produce.  For me there is no grey area, you are either an

artist or a fraud.  However, being a fan of a true artist means taking

the good and the bad from your dude.  It means supporting them through

the awkward periods of their development and it means having their back

even when they aren’t coming with what you want to hear. 

So you don’t have to like it,

but you should try to understand it.  We have watched other artists

evolve in ways we wish they hadn’t. When L.L. dropped “I Need Love” the

most common question asked was, “What in the hell is that?”  The

hushed, sing-song delivery and sappy lyrics were more than many could

bear and different from anything mainstream Hip-Hop had ever offered.

Nas became Esco, left the timbs and fitted on the closet floor and gave

us his best Diddy impersonation. 

Take that.  Take that.  Take that. And we did. 

Wayne looks like he’s on his

way to becoming a rocker, Snoop did country and Flava Flav left Public

Enemy to become whatever that is he is now. (Ok.  Flav is a bad

example, but you get my point.) 

But you should understand West is not Shadow.  He is Bleek (no Memphis) and the art is what he creates for, not the audience. 

So as you listen to yet

another single from the album that you are probably not going to buy

and bellyache about his new style, try to respect him for his

artistry.  The desire to create has led plenty a lyricist down the

wrong path, but most recover (Electric Circus, anyone?).   

On second thought, I could

totally be wrong.  This could be an attempt on Mr. West’s part to

garner that pop money and he may very well be selling out his investors

to buy stock in auto-tune.  But since I don’t know for sure, I’ll role

with the dramatically somber version of this story. Forget I said that.