Rod Parsley A-hole Alert: Media Gives McCain a Pass on a Pastor Who's Truly Crazy and Should Be Considered a Threat to Freedom
McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Wants America to Destroy Islam
The headline might sound like a joke but I'm perfectly serious.
Rod Parsley should be considered a threat to freedom by all sane humans.
Note: If you're into issues of demon possession, I believe Parsley is possessed by forces of evil and you should avoid close physical contact or extended exposure to his verbal flow unless you've got some heavy iron shirt training.
Well, Google finally fixed Blogger and I should be able to get up the posts that I've missed and be back on schedule with Hip Hop Logic.
Nevertheless, I'll soon be moving to a WordPress version because I think it's in almost everyone's best long term interest to find as many options to Google services as possible.
The Wild Pitch reissues, whose album cover art I posted last week, don't seem to be getting the coverage I expected but their Amazon sales are looking good, especially for The Coup's Kill My Landlord.
This actually would have been more effective without the little animated heads. Barack's got presence and timing and he's funnier without the added junk.
First Annual Washington DC Hip Hop & Peacebuilding Festival
[Press Release]
The First Annual Washington DC Hip Hop & Peacebuilding Festival features 5 Days devoted to Hip Hop promoting peace in the world!
Wed, 16 Apr 2008
From D.C. to Dakar there is only one universal language: Hip Hop. The first annual DC Hip Hop & Peacebuilding Festival will showcase Hip Hop as a cultural global movement that is transforming a generation toward a future of peace. This event will feature 5 days of hip hop events and nightly live performances with artists from five nations, coming together in one place to increase awareness of political and social turmoil in the world and the role hip hop can play in empowering youth to maximize their potential. With an alarming number of youth turning toward extremism and violence, new approaches to conflict resolution and peacebuilding must be crafted. As Hip Hop continues to spread and connect with youth on a global level it is important that this artistic cultural movement be understood and harnessed to facilitate conflict transformation and transcend conflict narratives.
The first of its kind, DC's Hip Hop & Peacebuilding Festival will bring hip hop artists together with conflict resolution experts, community leaders, educators and activists to examine what is working in Hip Hop and how together we can do more to empower and transform communities by uniting the hip hop generation. DC artists will perform alongside artists from Uganda , Haiti , Tanzania , and Senegal & Palestine bridging the divide to achieve global impact. This event is a gift to the community in celebration of the energy and heart of hip hop and its potential to achieve positive social change in the world.
Stacy Willyard Festival Director: "The core of hip hop lies within the beat, the beat is what you can feel, and it is the element that connects. In order to prevent destructive conflict we must find more ways to connect and humanize one another. Hip hop allows us to do this by finding a common beat."
DC premiere of "Diamonds in the Rough" A Ugandan Hip Hop Revolution
3:00 pm Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Kick Off International Hip Hop Show featuring Da Negus (Haiti/France), Regime Change (NYC/Haiti), Rah-P ( Tanzania ), Babaluku ( Uganda ), Flex Mathews (DC), and others.
9:00 pm DC9 Music Club
Thursday April 17
African video conference call with Kenya's Hip Hop Parliament
9:00 am Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution
Sounds of the City DC Hip Hop Showcase featuring incredibly talented artists from throughout the Metro DC area.
8:00 pm Bohemian Cavern Jazz Club
Friday April 18
Academic Panel "Can Hip Hop Beat Conflict?"
2:00 pm United States Institute of Peace
DC Hip Hop Summit & Freestyle Cipher
6:00 pm Atlas Theatre
Sat. April 19
Peacebuilding & Arts Workshop
4:00 pm Atlas Theatre
Academic Panel "Hip Hop 2.0"
6:30 pm Atlas Theatre
Global Hip Hop Global Citizenship Hip Hop Show featuring DC artists performing alongside Sabreena da Witch (Palestine), Baay Musa (Senegal), Azbac (Senegal), Dumi (Zimbabwe/USA), Bavaluku (Uganda), Rah-P (Tanzania)
8:00 pm Atlas Theatre
Monday April 21
African All-Stars "Democracy in Dakar "
12:00 pm George Mason University
This Festival was made possible by the following organizations, United States Institute of Peace, Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Project Nur, Rosetta Stoned, Nomadic Wax, and Subterranean Network.
T.I. to Headline National Hip-Hop Summit in Philadelphia
[Press Release]
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a special appearance, Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist, film star and hip-hop icon Clifford "T.I." Harris, Jr. reaffirms his commitment to community service by participating in the upcoming Turn Up the Vote National Hip-Hop Summit at Temple University on Sunday, April 20, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA. The Summit is sponsored by The Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund (HREF), PowerPAC and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN).
"I am pleased to have the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia to participate in the Hip-Hop Summit," T.I. emphasized. "We are going to encourage young people to go out to vote. I personally know the value of having the right to vote and it taken away from you, but I will add my voice to help inspire others to take seriously this right and responsibility."
Russell Simmons stated, "T.I.'s commitment to serve and to give back to the community is a shining example of the best of hip-hop. The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund continue to provide opportunities for artists and others to empower youth. T.I. will join me, Ciara, Jim Jones and a host of other artists to get out the vote across the state of Pennsylvania."
The Turn Up the Vote National Hip-Hop Summit takes place two days before the Pennsylvania primary and will educate young adults on the issues in the upcoming Presidential election. 2008 has been described as the "Year of the Youth Vote." Millions of 18-35 year olds across America are being encouraged to go to the polls and vote in record numbers.
"T.I. has supported the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network from the beginning. We are pleased to salute and recognize his leadership and commitment to help others. His presence with us in Philadelphia will greatly enhance our ability to mobilize young voters," declared Valeisha Butterfield, Executive Director of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.
"America is undergoing a profound change led by a cadre of young, talented and inspiring hip-hop leaders. The Philadelphia get-out-the-vote Hip-Hop Summit will be truly historic. Thousands will be gathered and their voices will be heard and felt by millions of young voters," concluded Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President of the Hip-Hop Research and Education Fund.
T.I. will headline the event with entertainment mogul and philanthropist Russell Simmons and R&B superstar Ciara to discuss topics that effect American youth, including: Overcoming Poverty, Healthcare, Education, Alcohol and Drug Prevention, Stopping Violence in Urban Communities, Ending the War in Iraq and the importance of Civic Engagement.
Additional confirmed panelists include: Jim Jones, Flo-Rida, Webbie, Lil Boosie, Rosci and Terrence J (hosts of BET's 106 & Park), Chrisette Michelle, Rich Boy, Styles P, Lyfe Jennings, Lil X, Green Lantern, Gorilla Zoe, Latino hip- hop/reggaeton stars Alexis y Fido; O'Neal McKnight; Emily King and NAACP National Director, Youth and College Division, Stefanie Brown.. Doors open at 12:30pm. For more information and to download free tickets, log onto: www.hsan.org.
On this rare occasion, competing radio stations, Clear Channel's Power 99 and Radio One's 100.3 THE BEAT, have come together for this historic mobilization, under a common cause, to get young people out to the polls on April 22nd.
Press Contact
JLM PR, Inc. Jody L. Miller Pamela Lipshitz 212-431-5227 jody@jlmpr.com lip@jlmpr.com
NEW YORK, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Alicia Keys has released the following statement regarding her recent interview with Blender Magazine:
"I feel it is necessary to clarify the comments that were made during my recent Blender magazine interview since they have been misrepresented.
Anyone who knows me and my character, knows that I am not a conspiracy theorist or, by implication, a racist. My comments about 'gangsta rap' were in no way trying to suggest that the government is responsible for creating this genre of rap music. The point that I was trying to make was that the term was over-sloganized by some of the media causing reactions that were not always positive. Many of the 'gangsta rap' lyrics articulate the problems of the artists' experiences and I think all of us, including our leaders, could be doing more to address these problems including drugs, gang violence, crime, and other related social issues.
Additionally, regarding the AK-47 reference, AK-47 is a nickname given to me by some of my friends in jest, as an acronym for Alicia Keys and a metaphor for wowing people with my music and performances, "killing 'em dead" on stage. The reference was in no way meant to have a literal, political or negative connotation.
The recent implications about me are too radical and too dramatic a departure from whom I have continually demonstrated myself to be. I work so hard and give so much of myself to bring about positive change to this world, and I only wish those efforts received as much press and attention as the misinterpretations of the Blender article."
Source: J RECORDS
CONTACT: Theola Borden of J Records-RCAMG, +1-646-840-5673, Theola.Borden@SonyBMG.com, Patti Webster & Aliya Crawford of W&W PR, +1-732-469-5955, Patti@w-wpr.com, Aliya@w-wpr.com, both for J RECORDS
Dare Not Walk Alone Premieres April 25th in Los Angeles
Dare Not Walk Alone Trailer
[Press Release]
New Civil Rights Film Opening in Los Angeles April 25, Documents Obama's "Gap Between the Promise of Our Ideals and the Reality of Their Time"
BROOKLYN, NY--(Marketwire - April 3, 2008) - The independent feature film "Dare Not Walk Alone" (www.darenotwalkalone.com) opens April 25 at the Laemmle Grande 4-Plex in Los Angeles. Acclaimed as "brave filmmaking" by the San Jose Mercury News, this award-winning documentary delivers a new generation's take on civil rights, set to a soundtrack that flows from gospel to hip-hop.
"Dare Not Walk Alone" vividly portrays the heroism of campaigners for equality, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., alongside grim realities of life today on streets where those campaigns were fought, in a place that symbolizes what Sen. Barack Obama has called "the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time."
Hailed by critics as "a powerhouse of a picture... a triumph of outrage and empathy" (Aaron Mesh, Willamette Weekly); "a powerful and important film" (Orlando Weekly); "the grittiest version of civil rights history I've ever seen" (Peter Miller, Co-producer of Ken Burns' Jazz).
The film's young writer and director, Jeremy Dean, used rarely seen archive footage, like Dr. King's arrest in Saint Augustine, Florida, during a campaign of non-violent protest against segregation. Says Dean, "A lot of people who visit Florida don't know about the courageous campaign of civil disobedience coordinated here by Dr. King, the SCLC and the NAACP. Tourists of all races now vacation on beaches where blacks once braved club-wielding whites to swim."
The 1964 campaign culminated in passage of the first civil rights act after the world witnessed a motel owner pouring acid into a swimming pool of black and white bathers. The film illuminates these moving images from the past with present day interviews of the participants, including Ambassador Andrew Young, who was beaten up in Saint Augustine. In the only interview such ever filmed, motel owner James Brock describes his encounter with Dr. King.
To this mix Dean adds the perspective of African Americans living in Saint Augustine today, teenagers who see hip-hop as "the only way out" and kids to whom Dr. King's dream of a "Beloved Country" still seems like only a dream.
The film shows signs of hope, like a 2004 service of reconciliation at a church that banned blacks in 1964, but the film lets viewers draw their own conclusions about how far we've come and where we must go from here.
About "Dare Not Walk Alone"
Picked for non-theatrical distribution by THINKFilm after a strong showing at Cinequest in 2006, the film was signed for theatrical distribution by Indican Pictures after winning Audience Award for Best Film at the 2007 Deep Focus Film Festival. Written and directed by Jeremy Dean; produced by Stephen Cobb, Jeremy Dean, and Richard Mergener; executive producers are Stephen Cobb and Chey Cobb.
Contact: Dare Not Walk Alone Productions, LLC Email Contact: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=3CE98B87EFF05018
Stephen Cobb 904-377-5528 Email Contact: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=2BBA621958A6FC71
Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program to Expand
[Press Release]
Pioneering Educational Hip-Hop Program Ready to Expand
National education crisis motivates schools to look at nontraditional program to help close achievement gap
LOS ANGELES, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A unique educational Hip Hop program offered at a public school in Los Angeles is now preparing to expand to other schools and colleges. The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program, now in its second year, is currently taught by its creator, Sebastien Elkouby, and is one of the only full time educational Hip Hop programs in the country being offered as an elective to 7th and 8th grade students.
Elkouby, founder of the Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation, an organization which uses Hip Hop culture as a tool for youth empowerment, created this program to address the educational crisis that affects approximately 50% of inner-city students throughout many major urban centers across the nation.
"For a variety of reasons, many students feel disconnected from the traditional educational process and ultimately give up. This program helps students develop a sense of global awareness and critical thinking skills by using Hip Hop culture and Rap music to analyze pop culture, current events, and social issues, while simultaneously teaching language arts, history, social studies, cultural diversity, and geography," said Elkouby. "Using Hip Hop as a medium to reach students makes sense considering they have such a strong connection to it."
With the growing success of the program, various high schools and colleges have now voiced their interest in offering this course to their students. Elkouby adds, "This is an exciting time as educators are increasingly aware of the urgent need for innovative, culturally relevant instructional models that can motivate students to improve their grades and value their education. Thus, our program has now been restructured to also meet the needs of high school and college students. We are looking forward to working with new schools this year and beyond."
The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program is currently in session while working toward expanding its reach to other schools for the 2008-2009 school year.
About the Global Awareness through Hip Hop Culture Program
The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Program is the flagship component of the Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation, a Los Angeles organization founded by Sebastien Elkouby. Since 2001, this organization has used innovative methods to reach at-risk youth. Through a variety of workshops ranging in themes from job training to teen parenting, the Foundation has always used Hip Hop culture as a medium to reach its audience. The Global Awareness through Hip Hop Program was created to address the high dropout rates in L.A. schools and was implemented at its first school on a full time basis in 2006. This program capitalizes on Hip Hop's generational relevance to help students become socially aware while complementing core subjects such as English and history. For more information, visit http://www.thefoundationonline.net/.
Contact: Sebastian Elkouby Founder, The Urban Youth Empowerment Foundation Phone: 310-654-1681 E-mail: info@thefoundationonline.net Website: www.thefoundationonline.net.
Paradise Gray on the Take Back America Conference 2008: Confrontation with Fox News
Paradise of X-Clan
Take Back America Conference 2008: Confrontation with Fox News By Paradise Gray
This years "Take Back America Conference" in Washington D.C. was much more exciting and energetic than the one I attended just a year ago. There were more young people of color present and everyone seemed to have extra pep in their step.
I began the weekend with The League of Young Voters, taking their empowering "Tunnel Building" leadership training program at the offices of The People For The American Way. The training sessions were good, and included veteren and aspiring organizers from all across America, some as young as 17 years old. The new National Director of the League Rob "Biko" Baker and National Political Director Khari Mosley handled many of the training workshops personally. It was a pleasure to work with these brothers and I learned some great new ideas and concepts to use for organizing effective actions and successful campaigns. I was happy to contribute by helping to teach a workshop on using new media and the internet (Myspace and Facebook) as organizing tools.
On Monday March 17th we headed over to the The Omni Shoreham Hotel where Van Jones the President and founder of "Green For All" brought the heat to the take Back America Conference at this morning. Speaking to an overflowing room full of progressive Democrats Mr. Jones passionately explained the benefits of an emerging Green Economy. His inspiring speech informed the diverse crowd about policies and initiatives that could create jobs, efficient energy, reduce carbon emissions and improve local economies.
Mr. Jones received thunderous applause when he noted that by retrofitting American cities with renewable energy sources such as wind, solar panels and other alternate sustainable energy sources it would ensure that we would never have to wage war for oil again! In the crowd I noticed the Reverend Jessie Jackson, Davey D as well as members of the League Of Young Voters, One HOOD, the National Political Hip-hop Convention, Reverend Yearwood and The Hip-hop Caucus and members of The Gathering. Keep your eyes on Van Jones and the concept of a Green Economy and Green-Collar Jobs. Van Jones is a dynamic speaker with a great plan, his final words "I am not here to "Take America Back, I'm here to take America forward" connected and resonated well with this large progressive crowd.
Things got kind of heated on Tuesday morning March 18 when the Rev. Jessie Jackson was scheduled speak on a panel "Progressive Movement In A Democratic Era: The Lessons Of King And The Civil Rights Movement".The energy was already elevated as everyone was anxiously awaiting 10:30 when Barack Obama was scheduled to give his historic speech on race relations in America. As I approched the Regency Ballroom I noticed the Rev. Jessie Jackson being interviewed by Griff Jenkins from Fox News. Griff Jenkins was being very aggressive as he demanded that Rev. Jackson answer the question: "Do you or do you not condemn Barack Obama's former Pastor Rev. Wright?" When Rev. Jackson refused to answer in the way that Mr. Jenkins was asking, the FOX reporter would interupt him and ask the same question over and over. Rev. Jackson then accused Mr. Jenkins of using divisive tactics instead of covering the issues that are important to this election, and the American people such as the war in Iraq, health care and the economy, once again Mr. Jenkins rudely pushed his microphone towards Rev. Jackson's face and forcefully reiterated "Do you or do you not condemn Rev. Wright?"
I did not appreciate the way Mr. Jenkins was treating Rev. Jackson and loudly voiced my opinion as Rev. Jackson (annoyed by Mr. Jenkins un-professionalism) walked away.
Mr. Jenkins then interviewed me and and when asked the same question of whether or not I condemned Rev. Wright, I responded that when you are face down in a mud puddle with someone's foot on the back of your neck, you should not be judged by the words that come out of your mouth at that moment, anger is the appropriate natural human response to oppression!
I argued that Rev. Wright's sermons were based on real feelings within the black community and had foundations in fire and brimstone preaching directly from the bible. Mr. Jenkins attempted to cut me off in the middle of sentences but I continued that I could quote him hundreds of statements from the bible that he would not agree with and he would not even recognize that I was quoting the bible unless I told him in advance. I commented on the fact that although we have named a holiday after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we have renamed streets after him and put his image on postage stamps, America did not exactly love him nor his message while he was living nor did America have a love affair with Malcolm X. In my opinion after seeing the aggressive way that he was coming at Rev. Jessie Jackson, if Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and EL-HAJJ MALIK EL-SHABAZZ (Malcolm X) were alive today, FOX News would have microphones and cameras rudely shoved into Senator Obama's face, demanding that he condemn and reject them both!
I also questioned Mr. Jenkins about why he was interrogating Rev. Jackson so hard when Barack Obama would be addressing the situation in his own words in less than 2 hours, I suggested that Mr. Jenkins that we should all wait until we have given Senator Obama the opportunity to address it personally before we form our opinions.
I guess that wasn't enough for Griff Jenkins because as soon as the panel was over, his FOX News TV crew pushed past other journalists on the stage who were asking Rev. Jackson questions about the 5th Anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Davey D happened to be one of the journalists who was patently waiting for his turn to ask Rev. Jackson some questions, when Griff Jenkins barged in and started dominating the conversation, repeatedly demanding Rev. Jackson to answer, and diverting from the questions that others were asking about the war Davey had seen and heard enough, he began asking Griff Jenkins why are you here? Aggressively pushing his mic in Griff Jenkins face as he had done Rev. Jackson, and stepping in front of a retreating Griff Jenkins asking, why are you here?
Davey encouraged others to flip the script on aggressive TV reporters that come in and try to set a tone that is contrary to the way that you are coming from, "you have a right to stop them from dominating the conversation and regain control. Fox News has declared war on people of color and puts them in a defensive position, has not given them a fair chance to answer back to salatious charges and assertions. They have one sided conversations by asking you questions and cutting you off before you have a chance to answer them. Fox News creates an agenda and then places people of color within that framework to underscore what they are trying to say.
Davey D said that what they tried to do to Rev. Jessie Jackson was a perfect example of "ambushing someone with the cameras" they kept asking Rev. Jackson over and over "why don't you denounce Rev. Wright?" ' And as Rev. Jackson tried to answer they would interrupt him with "why don't you denounce Rev. Wright?" Davey D thought that it was disrespectful, not as much towards Rev. Jackson (who Davey says can handle himself) as much as it is towards millions of people who can discern what is outrageous or offensive on their own without aid from someone who doesn't go to the church so they don't know how to put things in the proper context.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
