Rapper Wiz Khalifa Sparks Controversy w/ New Song Called 'Huey Newton'

Pittsburgh artist Wiz Khalifa has been making a lot of noise as of late. Most recently him and rhyme partner Currensy did song called Huey Newton which has ruffled the feathers of more than a few people who feel like the Black Panther Party co-founder who fought tirelessly for the liberation of Black people is being disrespected.

The song in question has nothing to do with Huey or the Panthers. It’s about smoking weed and kicking it. Hence it left many wondering why name check Huey? Was it to bring controversy or was it a reflection of one’s ignorance where freedom fighters and civil rights icons are seen as fair game for dismissal, ridicule and attacks?

Outkast caused quite abit of controversy with their Rosa Parks song

When I heard the song, two things went through my mind. First was the controversy surrounding Outkast when they used the name of Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights Movement in the biggest hit single off the critically acclaimed Aquemini album.

Many felt it was a huge disrespect, including some of Park’s people who wound up suing Outkast for using her name without permission. According to her representatives, Ms Parks didn’t like the fact that the group used profanity in a song that in no way reflected what she had stood for.

Outkast felt they were being mis-understood. They claimed that they were paying tribute in an artistic sort of way. Parks’ name was used as a metaphor to lay claim that the group was putting others on notice that it was time to make way, ‘move to the back of the bus’ and make way for Outkast.

Many in the Civil Rights community wasn’t buying it. While many in the Hip Hop community questioned the motives behind a lawsuit. Was this really Rosa Park’s sentiments or her people trying to make a buck? The counter to that question and ultimately one of the basis for the lawsuit-was Outkast trying to make a buck off of Rosa Parks?

Eventually famed lawyer Johnnie Cochran got involved on behalf of Parks. The lawsuits were dismissed on freedom of speech grounds but Outkast wound up settling with Ms Parks. They shot her some money and agreed to do a few community benefits for her foundation.

The other thing that went through my mind were the recent name checks where iconic freedom fighters are publicly clowned.

We saw this two years ago when a young columnist from Ebony magazinenamed Jam Donaldson of Hot Ghetto Mess fame took shots at political prisoner and former Panther Mumia Abu Jamal. In her piece she stated;

Mumia Abu Jamal

“One day I’m like, ‘Free Mumia’ and other days I’m like, ‘That n***** probably did it.’ And I’m not afraid to admit it, and I’m not afraid to write about it.”

Donaldson’s remarks angered many of Mumia’s supporters who felt her flippant remarks in a respected publication like Ebony not only added but in some ways legitimized an already poisonous climate set by police department unions who had been on a mission to see Mumia put to death.

Donaldson noted that her remarks and take on things are a reflection of how many in her generation feel these days. They’re sarcastic and have no problem crossing what many in the past may have seen as sacred lines. In her case she saw nothing wrong with dissing a man who was fighting for his life on death row. A few years prior comedian Cedric the Entertainer saw nothing wrong with clowning Rosa Parks by calling her lazy in the movie Barbershop. Parks boycotted the NAACP image awards in which Cedric was appearing as a result.

Today an artist like Wiz Khalifa may see nothing wrong with naming a song after Huey Newton without reflecting his legacy. These are just names to people who now live in an increasingly disposable society.

Here’s a video to the song Huey Newton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu1kpwbx_fU&feature=related

Needless to say… the Huey Newton song got a quick rebuke from more than a few people including Minista Paul Scott of the Militant Mind Militia. Below is his video response where he goes in on Khalifa and Currensy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jo7rV5VTPA&feature=player_embedded

Lastly, weighing in on this is fellow Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X who feels like situations like this can lead to teachable moments. He knows both Wiz and Paul Scott and feels that we should be building bridges and not causing further divisiveness.

Huey Newton

I agree with Jasiri X and I like the video he did in response to the song. At the same time one thing that all of us need to keep in mind is the importance of empathy. We need to walk in each other’s shoes. We need to keep in mind that each generation has heroes and sheroes they hold dear and sadly there are outside forces that routinely malign those leaders and important figures in our community. Hopefully all of us young and old understand this and don’t add to the attacks or in Wiz’s case neglect.

In my generation the icons were Chuck D, KRS, X-Clan, Minister Farrakhanand others who we rallied around. A generation before that, it was the Malcolms, Martins, Shirely Chisolms and Hueys.

The generations after mine came to admire Tupac, Biggie, Diddy. and later Jay-Z.

For today’s generation those figures don’t hold the same emotional cache. They have their own heroes. Is it Lil Wayne? Souljah Boy? Rick Ross, Beyonce? The best way to find out is to ask the young folks around you and build. Who are the heroes and sheroes for today’s generation?

Remember we are in a date and time where ethnic studies is being cut from college campuses all around the country and history text books are being re-written as we speak. Freedom fighters like Thurgood Marshall and Cesar Chavezare being removed and replaced with Newt Gingrich and Jerry Falwell. Community leaders are less and less known while pundits seen on TV and entertainers and music moguls have become the new Civil Rights leaders Should we be surprised if a Wiz Khalifa doesn’t hold a Huey Newton close to his chest in 2010?

-Davey D-

Here’s Jasiri X’s remarks:

I saw the controversy over the Wiz Khalifa and Currensy song calledHuey Newton, including the video response by Paul Scott of the Militant Mind Militia, and being that I know both Wiz and Paul I thought I should weigh in.

I certainly understand why the conscious community would be upset with Wiz and Currensy considering the subject matter of the song, but I just wanted to offer some perspective. I grew up in a very conscious household, however in my early 20s, I dropped out of college and spent most of my days smoking weed, writing rhymes and hustling to support my habit. I figured I was gonna be an MC so I was gonna have as much fun as I could on the way to the top.

Eventually, that lifestyle got old and by the grace of God I regained my conscious mind and began trying to use my talents and gifts to uplift humanity. Wiz grew up around conscious people and he’s one of the most mature young men I’ve ever met. Where he is now…experiencing the tremendous highs of living his dream…does not mean he’s going to stop growing as a person.

I don’t know Currensy, but I did find it interesting that Huey Newton was born in his home state of Louisiana.

I don’t think Paul Scott was wrong in expressing how he felt and his frustration with the state of Hip-Hop. Knowing Paul, I know he spoke out of sincere love for his people and a desire to see us do better. But, I felt like instead of creating more division, I could use this as a teachable moment, so I grabbed the instrumental and did what I do. Paradise recorded the session at James Webb Studios, we added a interview Huey Newton did with William Buckley plus one of his speeches and pieced together the video we called “The Real Huey Newton”.

One Hood,
Jasiri X

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfotb2pwNI

Historic Non-Violent Prison Strike in Georgia Reaches Day 3

Former Black Panther Party chair Elaine Brown has been on the case keep[ing everyone up to speed on this historic Prison Strike in GA.. Click HERE to listen to interview

On Thursday morning, December 9, 2010, thousands of Georgia prisoners refused to work, stopped all other activities and locked down in their cells in a peaceful protest for their human rights. The December 9 Strike became the biggest prisoner protest in the history of the United States. Thousands of men, from Augusta, Baldwin, Hancock, Hays, Macon, Smith and Telfair State Prisons, among others, initiated this strike to press the Georgia Department of Corrections (“DOC”) to stop treating them like animals and slaves and institute programs that address their basic human rights. They set forth the following demands:

• · A LIVING WAGE FOR WORK
• · EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
• · DECENT HEALTH CARE
• · AN END TO CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS
• · DECENT LIVING CONDITIONS
• · NUTRITIONAL MEALS
• · VOCATIONAL AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
• · ACCESS TO FAMILIES
• · JUST PAROLE DECISIONS

Despite that the prisoners’ protest remained non-violent, the DOC violently attempted to force the men back to work—claiming it was “lawful” to order prisoners to work without pay, in defiance of the 13^th Amendment’s abolition of slavery. In Augusta State Prison, six or seven inmates were brutally ripped from their cells by CERT Team guards and beaten, resulting in broken ribs for several men, one man beaten beyond recognition. This brutality continues there. At Telfair, the Tactical Squad trashed all the property in inmate cells. At Macon State, the Tactical Squad has menaced the men for two days, removing some to the “hole,” and the warden ordered the heat and hot water turned off. Still, today, men at Macon, Smith, Augusta, Hays and Telfair State Prisons say they are committed to continuing the strike. Inmate leaders, representing blacks, Hispanics, whites, Muslims, Rastafarians, Christians, have stated the men will stay down until their demands are addressed, one issuing this statement:

“…Brothers, we have accomplished a major step in our struggle…We must continue what we have started…The only way to achieve our goals is to continue with our peaceful sit-down…I ask each and every one of my Brothers in this struggle to continue the fight. ON MONDAY MORNING, WHEN THE DOORS OPEN, CLOSE THEM. DO NOT GO TO WORK. They cannot do anything to us that they haven’t already done at one time or another. Brothers, DON’T GIVE UP NOW. Make them come to the table. Be strong. DO NOT MAKE MONEY FOR THE STATE THAT THEY IN TURN USE TO KEEP US AS SLAVES….”

When the strike began, prisoner leaders issued the following call: “No more slavery. Injustice in one place is injustice to all. Inform your family to support our cause. Lock down for liberty!”

Here’s the link to our recent Hard Knock Radio interview w/ Elaine Brown on this historic strike

http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/65925

Here’s an article written by Bruce Dixon editor of the Black Agenda Report on the strike

GA Inmates Stage One Day Peaceful Prison Strike, Authorities React With Violence

http://www.correntewire.com/ga_inmates_stage_one_day_peaceful_prison_strike_authorities_react_violence

Bruce Dixon

In an action which is unprecedented on several levels, black, brown and white inmates of Georgia’s notorious state prison system are standing together for a historic one day peaceful strike today, during which they are remaining in their cells, refusing work and other assignments and activities. This is a groundbreaking event not only because inmates are standing up for themselves and their own human rughts, but because prisoners are setting an example by reaching across racial boundaries which, in prisons, have historically been used to pit oppressed communities against each other. PRESS RELEASE BELOW THE FOLD
The action is taking place today in at least half a dozen of Georgia’s more than one hundred state prisons, correctional facilities, work camps, county prisons and other correctional facilities. We have unconfirmed reports that authorities at Macon State prison have aggressively responded to the strike by sending tactical squads in to rough up and menace inmates.Outside calls from concerned citizens and news media will tend to stay the hand of prison authorities who may tend to react with reckless and brutal aggression. So calls to the warden’s office of the following Georgia State Prisons expressing concern for the welfare of the prisoners during this and the next few days are welcome.

Macon State Prison is 978-472-3900.

Hays State Prison is at (706) 857-0400

Telfair State prison is 229-868-7721

Baldwin State Prison is at (478) 445- 5218

Valdosta State Prison is 229-333-7900

Smith State Prison is at (912) 654-5000

The Georgia Department of Corrections is at http://www.dcor.state.ga.us and their phone number is 478-992-5246

This is all the news we have for now…

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Military Bans Flash Drives, CDs, etc.

The United States Military is no longer allowing any current member of the military to use any form of removable media (such as flash drives, removable hard drives, cds, etc). After being told this information by a member of the Marine Corps who wished to remain anonymous it was easy to find credible news sources which validated the claims made.

Editorial Cartoon. 2010 Universal Press Syndicate Copyright

CBS News reports that on December 3, 2010 a "Cyber Control Order" was issued by Major General Richard Webber, commander of Air Force Network Operations.

Wired Magazine reports that the Cyber Control Order:

Directs airmen to “immediately cease use of removable media on all systems, servers, and stand alone machines residing on SIPRNET,” the Defense Department’s secret network. Similar directives have gone out to the military’s other branches.

“Unauthorized data transfers routinely occur on classified networks using removable media and are a method the insider threat uses to exploit classified information. To mitigate the activity, all Air Force organizations must immediately suspend all SIPRNET data transfer activities on removable media,” the order adds.


The reasoning behind this is because of WikiLeaks. As CBS News confirms:



The move is probably in direct response to an earlier investigation that implicated former Army PFC Bradley Manning as the source of WikiLeaks' Iraq and Afghanistan war documents, leaked earlier this year. Manning later claimed he downloaded a trove of documents off SIPRNET onto a CD marked "Lady Gaga." Manning also claimed to have downloaded the hundreds of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables recently leaked by WikiLeaks, as well as other unknown materials.

Manning worked in the intelligence operations of the 2nd Brigade in Baghdad. He was supposed to be examining intelligence relevant to Iraq, but defense officials said he was using his "Top Secret/SCI" clearance to download classified documents, CBS News reports.




So, this is how it begins. This just makes it seem like there is more that needs to be hidden; obviously to an extent to protect the country and the national security and troops there needs to be secrecy, but isn't there some information that after a period of time SHOULD be released? And by serving this country as a part of the military does that mean serving the GOVERNMENT or serving on behalf of THE PEOPLE?

Metrodome Roof Collapse: Roof Maker Recommended Replacing It This Year

At 5 am CST Sunday December 13, 2010, the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome collapsed due to high winds and up to 24 inches of snow that collected on it overnight. The damage to the roof caused the cancellation of several events, and one, the Vikings game against the New York Giants, to be moved to Detroit.

While the disaster took the public, and thanks to New Media, the World, by surprise, featuring a dramatic video of the action as it happened, a document that is the meeting notes from the
"Regular Meeting of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission" Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 9:30 a.m this blogger obtained online and is linked to here reveals that the roof was inspected in April of this year by Birdair, the roof maker.   Before I continue, here is that video:



In a report to the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, which manages and obtains financing for the Metrodome, Birdair explained that the roof should be replaced, and that while it's outer fabric "is performing well as compared to the original fabric specification," the inner membrane "has exceeded its service life of 20 years."

The stadium is 28 years old and the roof has collapsed four times over that period, including Sunday's disaster.

This part of the Commission report is particularly troubling:

Birdair also noted the inner liner is dirty and has some holes in it. Birdair recommends monitoring the areas with holes to avoid large tears from enlarging. Birdair rated the inner liner’s condition fair to poor. In addition, Birdair noted some minor areas on the outer membrane that needed repairing. Those areas have been repaired by staff.

What this means is, taken as a whole with both inner and outer membrane conditions, the roof was not in good condition, and had "large tears" that could enlarge.  Apparently, under the weight of a tremendous snowstorm, they did.  Moreover, it's not clear to what degree the condition was worsening in the time between the inspection in April and the roof collapse of Sunday.

Finally, Birdair recommended roof replacement, stating "As in the prior inspection report of five years ago, Birdair suggests the Commission consider planning for replacement of the roof fabric." In other words, the roof has been in a state where it needed to be replaced for at least five years, and the Commission was aware of it.

Birdair also attached an estimated cost to replace the roof at $12 million to $15 million, and said that it took five years to plan and implement a roof replacement.

With all of that, staff of the stadium believed the "roof continues to have serviceable life and will schedule testing again in another four years." Or, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission was willing to just have the stadium operate with the roof in condition where it needed to have been replaced long ago.

Until Sunday's events, that is.  

Now, the stadium is arguably unsafe to be in, and even though work is underway to make the stadium ready for the planned ESPN Monday Night Football Game pitting the Vikings against the Chicago Bears, next week, given the events, will patrons want to watch the game under a roof that just collapsed the week before?

Stay tuned.

More Interracial Marriages in America Than Ever Before

The Pew Research Center reports that in 2008, 1 in 7 marriages, or 14.6 percent, were interracial or interethnic. Moreover, over one-third of those surveyed report that someone in their family is married to someone else outside their race.

That proves what this blogger has said before, that the American mainstream is diverse and to not approve of diversity is to fall outside the norm of what people think in The United States.

In other words, for all practical purposes, no one in their right minds cares about this stuff anymore. That's something to celebrate.

How to Pay for Unemployment Benefits: In One Easy Step!

So how do you pay for unemployment benefits in one easy step? The following is a guest post from Bud Meyers - graphics extraordinaire and founder of http://acompanyofone.org

[In fact Bud Meyers is responsible for the great graphics in this article here]

December 12, 2010 - Last year at this time the GOP had bitterly complained (as I did) that the Democrats were ramming Obama's healthcare plan down our throats. But now it's the GOP who wants to ram tax cuts for the rich down our throats! Both are equally costly to the deficit and it's the working-class Americans who will have to pay for it all, one way or another.

The "bosses" had generous increases in their incomes over the past 30 years. But had their "workers" also received an equally proportionate raise, there would be no deficit today. In fact, it would be just the opposite - we would have either an unbelievable and massive surplus, or at the VERY least, we'd have a perfectly balanced budget.

And all the social programs (such as Social Security, Medicare, and UI benefits) would all be 100% paid for (and even with a growing population base and many more retirees). We'd also have an infrastructure that needed no repairs at all. Because all along those workers (with their higher incomes) would have been paying more in income taxes.

And maybe there wouldn't have been all the fuss about the cost of Obama-Care. But the "bosses" gave themselves massive raises while wages for the "workers" remained almost stagnant, and didn't even keep up with the cost-of-living index. The rich got richer, the poor got poorer - the people had less to spend, the economy went into decline, the country fell. History repeats itself. It's the same old story, but our government leaders have either never learned, or were complicit with this mass re-distribution of wealth to the richest people in this country.

And it's still happening today, right now, at this very moment.

On Fox and Friends this morning Alisyn Camerota emphasized that some working-class Americans will get a tax cut of up to $1,000 a year if we kept the tax rate as it is, and extended the "Bush Tax Cuts" for everyone. ($1,000 a year = $19.23 a week).

First of all, nobody is getting any tax cut - we'd get a tax increase if "the Bush tax cuts" are allowed to expire at the end of the year - everybody's taxes will just go back to the previous tax rate. And some working-class Americans might see a little less in their pay checks.

And EVERYBODY in the media is ignorantly reporting that unemployment benefits are being "extended", and averaging working Americans believe this - but it seems it's ONLY the jobless that knows this to be patently untrue...only the funding for the present UI program is being "extended".

The GOP is trying to scare all of us poor working-class people by threatening us with an income tax Armageddon and a total collapse of the economy if all the tax rates aren't kept as they are, thus "extending the Bush tax cuts" for everyone is necessary for the survival of the American people and of the nation.

The GOP is saying that if you only raise taxes on the wealthiest 2% (i.e. the investment bankers at Goldman Sachs and AIG, or the CEOs of Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft), no jobs will be created and America's "weak" economy will go into a double-dip recession. But they had these tax cuts for ten years, yet instead they laid off people and out-sourced jobs until we had 15 million unemployed Americans. Just who are these supposed "job creators"?

The GOP complains that extending the funding for current unemployment benefits for 13 months (for those who still qualify) will only add to the deficit, as if extending tax relief for the wealthiest 2% for 24 more months (and denying the U.S. Treasury this additional funding) doesn't affect the deficit at all!

The GOP lies and claims this will affect all small business owners, when an alternative proposal was only to tax personal income a mere 4% above $1,000,000 a year. The average small business owner's personal income averaged less that $250,000 a year as of 2007, and business taxes are separate - as are corporate earnings. Business expenses such as expansion and inventories are not directly related to personal income taxes (And instead of the big corporate CEOs getting a 20% raise next year, they might only get a 15% raise. Boo-hoo!)

The GOP wants to convince you that allowing capital gains taxes to remain at 15% instead of going to 20% for the wealthiest 2% is good for America, but it's mostly the big corporations and stock traders who benefit from this. The "bone" that they threw at working-class Americans was to allow them a one-time exemption when they sell their principal place of residence without paying any capital gains taxes. The blackmail they use is your 401k plans and pension funds that rely on the value of stock prices. Big real estate tycoons like Donald Trump and big bankers and CEOs get most of the breaks with deferments, stock options, and other accounting tricks that most average working Americans don't enjoy. (And instead of big corporate CEOs paying 15% in taxes on their stock options, they may have to pay 20%. Boo-hoo again!)

The GOP thinks that it's fair and patriotic to allow the average working-class worker to pay an additional $19.23 a week in incomes taxes if those that are earning over $19,230 a week are taxed an additional 4% over that amount. And also, that 2 million Americans who still qualify for federal unemployment benefits should be cut off if the wealthy don't get what they want (hence, the term "hostage"). And the GOP won't even consider feeding 5.5 million Americans who have already exhausted all their unemployment benefits. For the GOP, that's a non-starter.

Yes, funding unemployment benefits does raise the cost of the deficit, and as the GOP as been bitterly complaining about, this MUST be paid for. I agree. So by NOT extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%, the added income to the U.S. Treasury will ensure that not one dime will be added to the deficit for unemployment benefits - for those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own (BUT instead, for the fault of the wealthiest 2% in this country).

The current "compromise" isn't a compromise at all, it's another give-away to the wealthy - a continuation of the disparity of wealth between the haves and have-nots - a continuation of the massive re-distribution of wealth to the richest people in this country. Has anyone else but me noticed the Republican's giddy and upbeat demeanor since Obama had announced his proposal at his press conferences? It was as though they were in Las Vegas and had just hit a jackpot on a slot machine..."compromise" my ass!

How do we pay for unemployment benefits in one easy step? Easy!

All we'd have to do is just let the tax breaks for JUST the wealthiest 2% expire. Nothing is added to the deficit and no working-class Americans will have to pay any additional income taxes. Who knows, maybe even the 99ers might be able to get some relief and another chance at survival too....instead of ending up being either homeless or dead.

And another added benefit for the average working-class American: With the additional income from the wealthiest 2% (who haven't been creating jobs) Social Security and Medicare will also be saved, so the GOP won't need to raise your retirement age to 80 - essentially forcing you to work until the day you drop dead!

If the tax breaks for the rich are allowed to expire for those making over $1 million a year, then the next time you receive an unemployment check, you need not feel guilty or ashamed. You can look your friends, your family, and the GOP right in their eyes and tell them:

I leave you with the following food for thought - also from Bud Meyers:

The Make-Believe "Obama Compromise" The GOP only offered 13 months of continued funding for UI benefits (for those who still qualify) in exchange for 24 months of tax cuts for the very rich. (As an aside: Why not 13 months for them and for 13 months for us - - - to be equal and fair?)

The Dilemma Nothing was ever mentioned about the 5.5 million 99ers and "exhaustees". (Even though eventually everyone will have been incrementally swept under the carpet and soon forgotten.

The Cost $30 billion IS ADDED to the deficit to fund UI benefits (for varying lengths of time for 2 million people) over the next 13 months + another 150 billion in tax breaks that's NOT ADDED to the treasury to help pay down the deficit for the next two years = $180 billion more in debt.

The Solution If we just stopped extending tax cuts for the rich for only 2 years we would have the difference of $150 billion for UI benefits for the next 13 months AND enough to help the 99er and "exhaustees" (until the rich create jobs)

And doing all this WITHOUT ADDING ONE PENNY to the deficit!

So, why aren't we doing this?

****GREAT Question Bud and VERY WELL SAID as usual.......