Get Mad !

For anyone who is still stewing over the Sean Bell verdict, this speech from "Network" (1976) is so relevant today.

MLK Day

Today is the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

Leader of the American Civil Rights movement. Voice of the disenfranchised and oppressed. Inspiration to the young generation.



Honor his memory and never let his spirit die.

Download: Common (feat. will.i.am) - I Have A Dream

Searching for Rick Rubin

Who do you think gets more death threats, Barack or 50 Cent?
- Netic from Game Rebellion

Brooklyn rap/rock group Game Rebellion and producer J.Period bring a healthy dose of consciousness in a brilliant reinterpretation of some Rick Rubin classics. Check the scathing indictment of the president on "99 Problems," Martin Luther's silky smooth vocals "Under the Brooklyn Bridge," and ode to my favorite borough, "No Sleep Til BK."

Comparing George Bush to AJ Soprano, criticizing the nonsense on rap radio, confronting police brutality, and urging listeners to "get mad," Game Rebellion tackle serious issues without coming across as preachy or heavy handed.

The shit is dope. Don't sleep.

Happy Xmas !

This song was written by John Lennon almost 40 years ago but the message still resonates today.


Download: John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

More Legal Fuckery

The U.S. Sentencing Commission decreased federal prison terms for crack cocaine offenses earlier this month. However sentencing for crack-cocaine offenses are still 100 times harsher than similar powder cocaine offenses -- an egregious disparity that remains a major issue among civil rights activists and politicians alike.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, a first-time offense of possession of just five grams of crack receives a felony sentence of at least five years in prison without parole. Where a first-time offense of 499 grams of powder cocaine, a misdemeanor, could qualify for probation with no time at all in jail.

The 100 to 1 sentencing guidelines, date back to the 1986 and 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Acts where lawmakers established excessive mandatory jail sentences as a reaction to the crack epidemic of the 80's.

The sentencing disparity only masks racial discrimination that still occurs in our legal system everyday. In 2006, blacks constituted 82% of those sentenced under federal crack cocaine laws while whites constituted only 8.8% despite the fact that more than 66% of people who use crack cocaine are white.(1)

Sentencing guidelines have relaxed slightly, but not nearly enough to reflect justice. Take action by sending this letter to your congressperson or senator.

(1)US Sentencing Commission, Special Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy. (Washington, DC: US Sentencing Commission, May 2007)

Download: 2pac - Changes

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action

Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop, Won't Stop, drops some knowledge in this really interesting article for MotherJones.com on hip-hop's activist roots and what's happened since. Check this passage:

For many, this is what hip-hop has become: an omnipresent grisly, übermacho soundtrack. Don Imus unleashed the latest hip-hop backlash when he noted that in calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos” he was using an argot popularized by rappers. The frenzy of finger-pointing that followed culminated with the spectacle of Bill O’Reilly lecturing hiphop advocates on sexism and the “n word,” while Oprah berated Russell Simmons and other industry executives. The talk show circus aside, there’s plenty of evidence that people are weary of corporate rap. Only 59 million rap albums were sold in the United States last year, down from 90 million in 2001. According to the University of Chicago’s Black Youth Project report, youths—particularly minorities—overwhelmingly believe that rap videos portray women of color in a negative light.

Once a cacophony of diverse voices, the genre now looks like a monoculture whose product, not unlike high-fructose corn
syrup, is designed not to nourish, but simply to get us hooked on other products, from McDonald’s to Courvoisier.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. The article is a bit long but a great read!

photo: taken from Chang's blog.

Download: Public Enemy - Fight The Power