Rap Music

RBG Street Scholars Think Tank's Purpose:
This Educational Program and Research Project is Dedicated to Further Building the Hip Hop--Black Liberation Movement Connection by Integrating Conscious Digital Edutainment with A Scholarly Self Directed Learning Environment.

N.B. June 3, 2007: From this point forward all post in the article /group blog section without thumbnails will be delete by the editor/RBG Street Scholar. This is because such posts compromise the formating of the zine. Furthermore, we refuse to get side tracked with eurocentric rap/pop culture. So, if posts don't jell with the RBG Movement / Rap Genre and the academic nature of the zine,again, they will be deleted. This is not a democracy, but an educational research project; and as such we intend to stay on point regarding our edutainment mission, goals and objectives. Please don't allow the title to make you get it twisted, the full title is RBG Hip Hop/Conscious Rap Music Wikizine.
Anyone who has a problem with this please start your own zine, it's free.
Asante(Thank You) for your contributions.

This Zine is a Hip Hop / Rap Music guide with photos,audio, videos, links, feeds, news, comments, group blog and forum. Special focus on Hip Hop History, Underground /Indie and the Positive and Socio-politically Conscious Rap Genre / Artists, RBG Style; along with links and extensions to each of the integral aspects of hip hop culture. Including Knowledge, DJing, MCing, Break Dancing and Graffiti.
Please take some time to browse.Your contributions are welcome and encouraged if you're looking for a scholarly, and at the same time entertaining, place to expose your work and help build a comprehensive multi-media resource for others to learn from. It's what we make it--a project in evolution and always under construction.The more of us that have something to share on the subject contribute, the better this resource will be for those wanting to do research.

"Of All The Disciplines Of Study, History Is Best Qualified To Reward All Research". Thus, let's commence the discourse with a brief historical overview.

The Political Origins of Hip-hop:

> Historically poetry/ rap/ spoken word, literature and music have been combine to play a pivotal role in black progress and power, rebellion, revolt and revolution.

Political Rap Started With the Afrikan Talking Drum.

> Because of the perceived potential of talking drums to "speak" in a tongue unknown to slave masters / traders and thus to incite rebellion, in 1838 these and other drums were banned from use by Africans in the United States.

> H “Rap” Brown, known to many of the 1960's/70's Civil Rights and Black Power Movements as the original master rapper. Rap, a given nickname, comes from his being such an eloquent speaker he would be rappin. For more see Dr. Errol Henderson on Black Nationalism and Rap Music and our Hip Hop Audio History.

RSS

UHURU SASA Means FREEDOM NOW, Feat. Askari X...Essay by Ayize Atiba and more

Written by RBGStreetScholar on

http://www.myspace.com/Ansar Askari_X

"We Are African People Wherever We Were Born No matter where we were born in the world. African (black) People are historically and culturally linked. Our history, identity, and culture are rooted in the many thousands of years of development of African civilization on the African continent. This is a consequence of the ever forward movement and motion of the African masses. It is from this historical march of our people (African [black] People) that we derive our African culture, the sum total of material and spiritual values created by our people. It is this invincible weapon, African culture, that has always served to fight against all forms of oppression and exploitation, to move forward African People and African civilization."

From Ayize Atiba. 8 March, 1995 / Full essay below

The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.

THE RBG BLAKADEMICS MISSION:

WE GET HIP-HOP HEADZ TO BEGIN TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THEMSELVES.

We challenge students to assess and analyze hip hop culture and its effects (positive and negative) on them and their communities by asking them to contemplate some critical questions.

1) What do the lyrics of a particular song really mean?

2) Who controls hip hop in terms of how rap artists is selected; what rap music is produced; how and to whom it is marketed?

3) What is the role of commercial radio in making rap music hits and who benefits financially from our imagination, creativity and intellect?

4) What personal and community values, principles and ideals does a particular rap song promote?

5) How do we neutralize the exploitation of our creativity by corporate executives/rich white men who largely direct the course of mainstream rap / hip-hop culture?

6) Are too many of our youth using the messages and images of so called gangsta rap and rap music videos to develop both their personal and public identities?

"A Message From Pac to Us"

Where do we go from here?

Text by Ayize Atiba. 8 March, 1995.

Sons and Daughters of Africa, Until Africa is Organized by Pan-Africanism the Masses of Africans Worldwide will Continue to Suffer! Citizens of Africa Worldwide Arise ! ! !

It must be understood that liberation movements in Africa, the struggle of Black (African) Power in America or in any other part of the world, can only find consummation in the political unification of Africa, the home of the black man and people of African descent throughout the world.
- Kwame Nkrumah

The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All African Socialist Government must be the primary objective of all Black revolutionaries throughout the world. It is an objective which when achieved will bring about the fulfillment of the aspirations of Africa and people of African descent everywhere. It will at the same time advance the triumph of the international socialist revolution.
-Kwame Nkrumah

We Are African People Wherever We Were Born No matter where we were born in the world. African (black) People are historically and culturally linked. Our history, identity, and culture are rooted in the many thousands of years of development of African civilization on the African continent. This is a consequence of the ever forward movement and motion of the African masses. It is from this historical march of our people (African [black] People) that we derive our African culture, the sum total of material and spiritual values created by our people. It is this invincible weapon, African culture, that has always served to fight against all forms of oppression and exploitation, to move forward African People and African civilization.

How The Division Of Our Nation Arose

Today Africa is divided into over 50 different and dis-unified countries as a result of the European (white) Imperialist impact on Africa. Prior to European colonialism, Africa was in a historical march that was moving toward the African continental integration of it's resources, economics, politics, cultural life etc.. . . Our forward march towards ever increasing African continental unity was disrupted, disturbed, and derailed (not destroyed), as a consequence of European enslavement and colonization of Africa and her people. The division of the African continent through different artificial borders during colonialism, and the scattering of hundreds of thousands of Africans outside of Africa during the slave trade only helped to advance the interest of European capitalist inside of Europe and America. We must fight for the Unification of the African Continent, and thus all African people in order to advance the interest of the African masses worldwide.

How To Resolve The Plight Of Our People Worldwide

Land is the basis of all Power, Africa is our Land. Until the entire continent of Africa (including it's islands) with all its human and vastly rich natural resources are under the control of the African masses, made up of the revolutionary working, peasant, and intellectual classes, African people everywhere will merely be living at the mercy of foreign interest and not our own. We must authenticate our actions wherever we find ourselves in the world by serving Afican interest.

Africa has more natural resources than any continent on earth. Properly organized we could feed, clothe, shelter provide health care, educate, defend militarily, and develop technologically, economically, culturally, spiritually, etc. In ways that move forward the entire masses of African men, women, and children worldwide. For those African people who were scattered outside of Africa and are now living in the Caribbean, Brazil, Panama Grenada, Britain, U.S.A., etc.. . .understand that this scattering of Africans was part of the division of our Nation. An, like Africans born at home in Africa, we can not truly, completely, and permanently resolve our problems without the total liberation and unification of the African continent under an All-Socialist Government No African people in particular or any people in general began their history on a slave ship. Only a powerfully organized socialist Africa continent can protect her people, feed her people, employ her people, defend her people, and advance her people n matter where we live on this earth. This is real and authentic power, real liberation, and real self-determination. The time for all slave and colonial originated theories, identities, and actions are over. Dignified Citizens of Africa. wherever you were born, arise!

To find out how you can militantly work to build a strong and powerful African Nation that can Advance and protect her people worldwide call (602) 491-6632 or 437-9138.

TODAY, THE TIME FOR MILITANT ACTION IS NOW ! !

For us in Africa, for the people of African descent everywhere, there can be no turning back, no compromise, no fear of failure or death. Africa must and shall fulfil her destiny. Even though revolution in other parts of the world may wither or go astray, the African revolution must reach its goal of unity and socialism. We have taken the correct road, even though hazardous. We face death as we face life with head up, eyes lifted, proud and unafraid. The seed dies that life may come forth. So, we may meet death knowing that we can not be defeated. For the oppressed peoples of the world will one day triumph.
-Kwame Nkrumah.

All Peoples of African descent, whether they live in North or South America, the Caribbean, or in any other part of the world are Africans and belong to the African nation.
- Kwame Nkrumah

RBG Tools For Analysis

1. Nation-Class Perspective: We must analyze everything from the interests of our African nation (i.e., our homeland Africa and our people, Africans) and also in the interests of the oppressed, exploited African masses. We must always try to analyze the nation/class interests involved in everything; historical present-day, and future. Thus it is clear that anywhere you find racism (national oppression) and class exploitation, they must be fought against.

2. There is positive and negative in everything: We must always try to identify opposing forces in everything. We must look for the positive forces and the negative forces in all social processes; at all levels, and in all aspects. When we say positive, we mean those forces which are in line with our goal (Pan Africanism, one unified socialist Africa) and our ideology (Nkrumahism Toureism). When we say negative, we mean anything that is opposed to our goal and ideology.

3. Change is constant: Everything changes: It is the struggle between the positive and negative forces in everything that produces change. We must look for the movement and direction of movement in all things because everything is in motion, although at different rates and speed. Change that occurs slow and gradual without violent or sudden jumps is called evolutionary; while change that occurs rapidly, violently, or with a sudden leap is called revolutionary change (if the change is total and some new quality or state of being occurs). From this we can see then that revolution is a way for man to consciously speed up his positive development. Conflict that causes change is either antagonistic, (violent, principled, intense) or non-antagonistic (non-violent, tactical, less intense and hostile).

4. Always look for the new in the old.

5. Always look for the old in the new.

6. Always remember that the masses are the makers of history. This will help us properly understand the role of heroes and individuals as only catalysts in the historical development of mankind. We know that history is only changed and moved forward through the collective activity of the working, struggling masses of the people.
7. Matter is primary: We know that both matter and mind (spirit) exist, but that matter is primary, and all that is "spiritual" (i.e., not matter) arises from matter. Ideas, attitudes, etc. always arise from specific concrete conditions which must be looked at and understood to properly understand the impact of the ideas, attitudes, ideologies, etc. on the concrete material world.
8. Remember that history is a process, not a series of unconnected events. Look for the interconnection between all social/historical forces. History is also subjective. In other words, while we understand that what has happened and what is happening is objective (factual, independent of man's will), the interpretation or emphasis given to history always reflects the outlook or interests of a particular nation and a particular class, at a particular time in history.

9. The basis or cause for change is internal; i.e., the internal qualities of a thing determine the kind of change it can or does go through. The conditions for change are external; i.e., the changes that a thing goes through are greatly affected by the environment or conditions around it and outside of it.

Companions:

History of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), Including Essay on Dr. Imari Obadele

Black Nationalism: Critiques and Suggestions

http://www.jalumi.com/articles/black...nwa%202006.pdf

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