I doubt that alot of the, “Hot, New” cats even have the capability to rhyme about stuff that ain’t about bling, pushin’ bricks, b#$@!es, h____, and all that other materialistic b.s., and I doubt that they even give a damn. A present-day “Self Destruction” or “We’re All in The Same Gang” would need the pioneers, as well as some UNDERGROUND cats that are really bringing that verbal nourishment. If I was producing a joint like that, here’s some of my lineup:

Afrika Bambatta, Cool Herc & Cindy, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash, Bro. J w/X-Clan, KRS-ONE, Chuck D, Prof. Griff, and Public Enemy, Fine Arts Militia, Konfrontation Kamp, Gift of Gab w/Blackalicious, Channel Live, KMD, Jean Grae, Queen Yonasda, Monie Love, Paris(NOT Paris Hilton), The Conscious Daughters, Nic Nac, Salt N’ Pepa, The She Squad, Crew Grrl Order, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Rhymefest, ATCQ, KAM, Poor Righteous Teachers (that joint with KRS was TIGHT!!!!), Young MC (don’t laugh – y’all know y’all was diggin’ him in ‘Same Gang’ and ‘Bust A Move’ back in tha day), De La Soul, Tha Pharcyde and many, many others.

Peace!

I thought your column was deep, and very truthful, though I have to disagree with you when you wrote, “We never saw or heard that Katrina record, what happened to that one?”.

There have been SEVERAL joints, of which I can recall a few:
1)The song by Jay-Z about Katrina; I can’t recall the name, but I’ve written off Jay-Z as he doesn’t give a damn about the Black people he killed when he was a former drug dealer; peep an interview on Davey D’s website and see for yourself where he does not apologize for it;
2)”Katrina Clap”, by Mos Def;
3)”Hell No, We Ain’t Allright” by Public Enemy.

Also, I recall years ago seeing a website about, and hearing about a “Self-Destruction 2″ joint that was supposed to have been recorded by now. I don’t know if the site is still up, but I recall seeing the names of all the rappers from the original, plus some newer names like Blackalicious.

We sorely need a new one right now as well as a new, “We’re All In the Same Gang”. I still bump those 2 jams to this very day. To me, those 2 jams are what I call the, “What’s Goin’ On” of Hip Hop. Peace!

By the Time I Get to Jena..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39DJqI8puV0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLhuv-kLj_I

“You are the manifestation of money, I am the manifestation of study, therefore, I advance thru thought, not thru what’s manufactured and bought”

Chuck D asked ya’ll “How you gonna say no to drugs, and not say no to thugs?” and
“These Crimminal Acts, don’t have nothing to do with rap”

Ya’ll begging/longing for something that the majority of these cats can’t deliver, (the artist can’t and the label won’t) “knowledge” not simple minded ass “street knowledge” (Ten Crack Commandments) but that real uncut dope knowledge…of self…

“Take the pillow from your head and put a book in it it’s time for the mighty BDP Posse…!”

more Kris “I don’t know about pimping and selling coke for retail, but I do know by the year 2020 our children by the millions gonna be jailed”

Why they gonna be jailed? What will they be doing that will have them imprisoned at such an astonishing, mind blowing rate? (aside from having Black skin)

What they gonna be doing? most likely some stupid ass “Get Rich or Die Trying” bullshit, cause they don’t know nuthing else, wasn’t taught nuthing else, didn’t try an learn anything else..

They damn sure aren’t going to be singing “Close the Crack House”

One of the worst crimes you could commit during slavery as a black or white, was to teach a slave how to read, not write, but read, and you wonder why all this foolishness is going on, but don’t wonder why there are no books in your favorite rappers multi-million dollar house he just invited you and the camera crew into…I can hear him now “What I need books for nigga, check out this brass pole I just installed, and check out my T.I.arsenal I just got, got the the same shit exactly as T.I.P.son!!!

There damn sure wasn’t no “good” books in some of our shitty ass school systems.(they plan it that way)

Hell they ain’t even no “good” books in prison anymore (they plan it that way)…ya’ll remember Malcolm Little?

weed carrier, a little B & E (breaking and entering) could find some ass for you, numbers running etc….

Now take this brother, lock his ass up for several years and insert into the prison a above average library and presto, change-o look what we have here come parole time…

Malcolm X. oh yeah thats real…the brotha read so much after “lights out” he needed glasses…literacy, he became extremely literate, and in the process became unstoppable…until he had to be stopped, cause its one thing to have one El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, but quite another to have 30 million running around the country….thats what I would call “big things popping!”

…so if y’all want some “songs” about positivity and consciousness, start by creating more positive and conscious children/adults/rappers etc, literacy is the key…

And keep an eye “On these new Pied Pipers that gotta a hold on you” Prison Industrial Complex/Entertainment Industrial Complex/Military Industrial Complex….

peace

so props to dudes like Mos Def, Immortal Technique and others mentioned in the article for doing what they do for the benefit of others in less fortunate situations…..

i advocate this new Self-Reconstruction movement, as i felt the same way back when “Self-Destruction” and “All In The Same Gang” was introduced as causes for unity back when i was still being inspired to do what i do musically…..

and no Joey, things beyond those boarders are not too complex, it’s just that alot of things outside of those boarders ain’t really set-up to be beneficial for alot of peoples immediate scenario’s, so they do what they do to circumnavigate immediate obstacles instead of pursuing longterm goals that could lead to immediate obstacles being prolonged to the point of being logically unresolved.

So sports, drugs, and entertainment are nothing more than utilizing talents for the same means as one would use an engineering degree to get his way into working at IBM or Microsoft, which is to get $$$$$ and provide for a cause, be it for self or as a benefactor to others…

Damn. I like that idea. XXL should set it up.

As for Fifty, do young black men, need to see another young black man filled with so much hate and anger who says everything that pops into his head. In my hood (Bedstuy) that’s not safe and Im not saying be a sucker I’m just saying be smart. Truth be told he lives in a palace literally, and he can’t be in it alone, security all over the fucking place because he has nothing but enemies. Even his friends are probably such because they fear him.

Prodigy from Mobb Deep is about to do a serious stint in prison and T.I. is looking at federal time and little Wayne is not going to walk away from those gun charges with nothing.

Everyone says, the “Hip Hop Police” ” The Hip Hop Police” and maybe there is a special task force, but old folks and possibly the Bible say ” You reep what you sew”.

by a mile…….good stuff