Princeton University scholar, Dr. Cornel West, will release a hip-hop influenced album, Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations (Hidden Beach Forum), on June 19. According to Billboard.com, the LP features songs by Prince, Andre 3000, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, Killer Mike and others. “This isn’t commentary on hip-hop. And I’m not coming in as a hip-hop scholar or critic,” Dr. West tells Billboard.com. “This is an attempt to go back to hip-hop’s prophetic roots, which are about truth-telling, exposing lies and having fun. It’s what I call a danceable education or a singing paideia, the Greek word for deep education.”
Among the topics on Never Forget are September 11th, racial profiling, the “N” word and the Bush administration. “This is a very political album that doesn’t pull any punches,” West tells Billboard.com. “There are critiques of the Bush administration as well as of unaccountable corporate power, unaccountable police power and homophobia. We’re trying to get young people to wake up and recognize they’re part of the great tradition of struggle, to become organized and fight for freedom of justice.”
One artist Dr. West is very fond of, even though he is not featured on Never Forget, is Lupe Fiasco. “I’ve never met Lupe Fiasco, but I like that brother,” West tells Billboard.com. “Oh, lord, he’s a free, young brother who honestly speaks his mind. That brother hits American terrorism, the American empire and still talks about his skateboard. I love that kind of freedom because, in the end, we’ve all go to be ourselves and that takes courage.”
The complete tracklisting for Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations is as follows.
“Bushanomics,” featuring Talib Kweli
“America,” featuring Black Thought, Rah Digga, Iriz & Lucky Witherspoon
“Still Here”
“Dear Mr. Man,” featuring Prince
“911″
“N Word,” featuring Tavis Smiley & Michael Eric Dyson
“Welcome to Chi,” featuring Rhymefest, Neo-Abassy & Malik Yosef
“Mr. President,” featuring KRS-One & M-1
“Keep It PI,” featuring Killer Mike, Doey, Roc & Lucky Witherspoon
“Chronometrophobia,” featuring Andre 3000
“Gonne Be Alright,” featuring Dave Hollister & Chuckii Booker
“Matter Of,” featuring Lenny Williams
“Soul Sista,” featuring Daryl Moore
“The Man’s Gonna Getcha,” featuring Gerald Levert
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May 15th, 2007
at 4:58 pm
First says:
LOL at “The Man’s Gonna Getcha,” featuring Gerald Levert
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 5:10 pm
wacks says:
lol
firsties
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 5:28 pm
x-mas kid says:
i am cornel west side chi-town rive…seems interesting..i just might cop that…find lupe
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 7:10 pm
lol says:
he’s reachin
this is too muchhiphop aint gonna save the world nukkas
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 10:53 pm
traebiz says:
The movement is back the revolution will be vocalized.
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 10:58 pm
Blaksteel says:
I’m feeling Dr.West and what he’s bringing to HIP-HOP.Edutainment, remember KRS-1,Brand Nubain,X-Clan,PE to name a few,we dance and learned alot from this form of Hip-Hop and felt good about learning something that was new being brought to us in a different type of way.Hip-Hop is dead but the resurrection is in effect.You haven’t heard that slang in a while I bet.Old school miss me with that, Original School to be exact.Long live B-Boys and B-Girls,the foundation that this culture stands on.
Peace
Reply
May 15th, 2007
at 11:12 pm
panthergod says:
Cornel West is the TRUTH…bruthas need to step their knowledge game up and read his shit..hell go to youtube and look this guy up..he’s ILL.
Reply
May 16th, 2007
at 1:01 am
BklynBandette says:
Thank God! We’re getting some leadership from our elders. I always say that our biggest mistake was not allowing HipHop to grow up. When the subject matter became narrow that alienated most of the listeners past the age of 25. I remember as a young kid when “The Message” came out, my 40 something year-old dad loved it as much as my 30 something year-old uncle, my 20 something year-old cousin,and me and my sisters and brothers; whose ages were in the single digits. Even in it’s early stages HipHop spoke across age and gender lines.
Let’s see what happens. Let’s see if we can get that old thing back.
Just A Woman’s Perspective.
Holla If Ya Hear Me …
Reply
May 16th, 2007
at 9:38 am
Mike Jones says:
k
Reply
May 16th, 2007
at 10:54 am
smog says:
yeah truth were is Lupe? Put him in and cut out the micheal dyson and the Tavis Smiley n word track. Also put in Pslam one. O Yeah Chi-town, whut?
Reply
May 16th, 2007
at 1:20 pm
EReal says:
Seems like a backpacker’s wet dream. lol
This - “We’re trying to get young people to wake up and recognize they’re part of the great tradition of struggle, to become organized and fight for freedom of justice.” - Is some real shit.
Not young black, or young latino, just young people. All part of the same struggle and thats what real hiphop is supposed to represent. Not selling your soul for a chain and a set of dubs.
Imma peep that out.
Cant wait to hear what Jabbah has to say about the Lupe reference.
” “I’ve never met Lupe Fiasco, but I like that brother,” West tells Billboard.com. “Oh, lord, he’s a free, young brother who honestly speaks his mind. That brother commits terrorism, against the American empire, and still talks about his skateboard. I love that kind of freedom”
What?!
1 hunned.
Reply
May 16th, 2007
at 1:57 pm
J-Reese says:
hey its good to see some of our elders supporting hip-hop unlike some of these sell out.. Yall know who they are fake revs and talk show hosts. Do ya thing and put the older haters up on the hip-hop movement.
Reply
May 18th, 2007
at 8:27 am
11kap says:
Cornel West is the man, but they had to make him mention homophobia, so this puts a damper on the message.
Reply
July 12th, 2007
at 9:12 am
Nah Right » Blog Archive » Cornel West ft. Talib Kweli - Bushonomics says:
[...] A new joint off Dr. Cornel West’s album, featuring Talib Kweli. [...]
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