CARTER Magazine: Black Masons

Please check out the new piece I did in the June/July issue of @cartermag about the Black Masons:                 Black Masons/Black Wall Street

Word Is Bond? Integrity 101

The Gospel of John in the Bible,speaking of the creation of the universe, says, "In the beginning there was the word, and the word was with God, and the word is God" -John the Baptist

In The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, the first and most important Agreement is Be impeccable with your word. According to the book, being impeccable with your word means to "speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love."

In relation to the word integrity I automatically thought of the phrase that is commonly heard in rap lyrics, "Word is bond." What does this really mean? In hip hop we constantly make promises to ourselves as consumers, the MC's and their crews all make agreements about trust and loyalty.

 So I went to Webster's dictionary and looked up the meaning of integrity:

Integrity 

1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility

2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness

3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided

Then I went to the Urban Dictionary and looked up word is bond:

Word is Bond 

1 : Shortened version of "My word is my bond". You're saying that what you're saying is true and without reproach.

2 : Late 80's early 90's term...in the bible it is said not to swear, let your word be your bond..hence word is bond; this was at first used by 

members of the 5 Percent Nation AkA 5%ers. 

"The R" -Eric B & Rakim
Pull up in the park and then pop the trunk
Turn up the bass and let the system thump
A block party starts to form, people start to swarm
Loud as a ghetto blaster, word is bond
"Gimme The Loot" -Notorious BIG
And I'm stressed, yo Biggie let me get the vest
No need for that, just grab the fucking fat
The first pocket that's fat the tec is to his back
Word is bond, I'm smoke him yo don't fake no moves
"Nas Will Prevail" -Nas
I catch wreck with my intellect, suckers are incorrect
I'm gonna win cause you slept
on Nas, word is bond, I leave the microphone torn
False rappers, you need to write your own song
"Moment of Clarity" -Jay Z
My balls and my word is all I have
What you gonna do to me?
Nigga scars'll scab
What you gonna box me homie?

If our word is our bond why aren't we using it intentionally to bring what we are doing up a whole new level?

Cash Money: Hustlin' Music to Hustlin' Books

In an article by the Wall Street Journal: Rap, Parlayed Into Books they informed us that the good folks at Cash Money Records will be investing in a new industry. Publishing! This is not surprising by any means,  I personally think the music industry and publishing industry go hand in hand and unfortunately both are declining. However it could be a great venture for these guys if done correctly. Meaning they are extremely specific of who they have write books, topics and promotion. One person that I think this has the possibility to really bring their new venture to another lever on the CM/YM team is Nicki Minaj. Since her fan base is mostly teenage girls and or grown ass women, if she came out with a book it will most definitely sell. 

“According to a Gallup Poll, we're talking a $24 billion dollar industry. Women read more than men and women buy more books than men. These conclusions support the theory that the concerns of women's lives are very important in today's

literature.”

On a random note, I'm trying to imagine what it looks like if Lil Wayne is telling people to "Go get that new book that just dropped" hummmm

Kanye x J.Sakiya: Thank You And You're Welcome

Kanye West and  J. Sakiya Sandifer Present...

6 Reasons Why I Like this Book:

1. Short, sweet and straight to the point
2. It's colorful
3. It's a Jewel Dropper
4. It's a Quick read
5. Easy to refer to
6. They are thanking me in advance

 Some quick quotes that are hella dope are...

" Love your haters, they're your biggest fans!"

"Life is 5% what happens, and 95% how your react!"

Thank You And You're Welcome :)

I wish you insight so you could see for yourself...

"Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself." Jay Z

Reading is fundamental!
This is a list of Jay Z favorite books! Be Inspired!

My Chain's too Heavy: The Reading of James Baldwin "My Dungeon Shook"

"If rap was Harlem, I be James Baldwin" -Common

As the story unfolds it has taken me a while to read this prolific piece of work suggested by my good friends Fritz, E and Perea! So finally in a dark room in DC (my friends new apt & there aren't any lights yet except the kitchen) I start to read this & POW the battery gets inserted in my back instantly!

James ughhhhh. I pay tribute by re writing these words for this is what I can solely do currently in this moment in time.

Did you hear what this man said:

"The limits of your ambition were, thus, expected to be set forever" "You were not expected to aspire to excellence: you were expected to make peace with mediocrity" "Any upheaval in the universe is terrifying because it so profoundly attacks one's sense of one's own reality. Well the black man has functioned in the white man's world as a FIXED STAR, as an IMMOVABLE PILLAR: and as he moves out of his place heaven & earth are shaken to their FOUNDATIONS." "For this is your home, my friend do not be driven from it, great men have done great things here & will again and we can make America what America MUST become. It will be HARD James but you come from a sturdy, peasant stock, men who picked cotton & dammed rivers and built railroads and in the teeth of most terrifying odds, achieved and unassailable & monumental dignity. You come from a long line of POETS some of the GREATEST since HOMER. One of them said, THE VERY TIME I THOUGHT I WAS LOST, MY DUNGEON SHOOK AND MY CHAINS FELL OFF.

This piece of work is so prolific because not only does Mr. Baldwin have this conversation with his future self, but also he is trying to teach himself how to deal with the future in a white world. The dialogue expresses how it is the love that got him and his family through those tough times, and how it is imperative to survive if for solely love alone.

At birth you were given a deck of cards and due to the circumstances you must now move with your back against the wall. He explains the intent that the ghetto has among its people, it wants us to fail. He explains what we were dealt, solely because we were Black in America, and therefore what society expected you to attain or not due to your Blackness. Because of something you cannot control, not only were you not supposed to be dope but also no one even dreamed that you would be, and that is the problem.

It is highlighted the importance of knowing where you come from, the type of people you were born from and the experiences you hold. Even those people that don’t expect anything from you, you must still show them love. Because in order to create a world where you feel comfortable you must make the first move towards change.

take too long for niggas to get their turn, 

probably be cremated before I get my urn, 

they try to tell that aliens built the pyramids, 

I swear life's a bitch on a period, 

For every inch they cut the nose off the Sphinx, 

I made my jeweler add a few mo links, 

you can look at me and tell I don't care what nobody think, 

and my face always lookin' like somebody stink. 

Specifically in reference to My Dungeon Shook Kanye describes some instances of the importance of knowing what great people you come from. And how sometimes it’s unfortunate that the story we get is the one they want us to know rather than the truth. Some people try to erase these gifts, works of art & thoughts behind the revolutionary work that Black people specifically have contributed & implemented to create CHANGE. But love them anyway!

My chains heavy my chains to heavy, they say my chains broke the levees- Kanye voice

Ahhhhhman so if you can imagine I would be GOING IN standing on desk getting my Malcolm X by any means necessary on. This is an extremely powerful piece, as my good friend G$Money would say so #8000.

Here is the full My Dungeon Shook

I ain't nicest MC, I ain't Cornel West

"You could have been anywhere in the world, but you’re here with me, I appreciate that”-Jay Z

I’ve always wanted to display not only my genuine love for hip hop and its culture but how I have been taught, influenced, challenged and inspired by it. One of my friends calls me the “Hip Hop Oracle”. I believe it's because of my ability to drop (yes, just like Funkmaster Flex) a dope line so relevant to the cipher that you might miss it even though its reference is profound to the conversation at hand. What can I say it’s a gift!

This blog was intentionally created for my my publishing class but it's a perfectly purposeful opportunity to brain vomit my thoughts about hip hop, as a cultural phenomenon. These upcoming posts illustrate who I am and how it's shaped me. I remember the first time I sat back and reflected on how hip-hop exposed me to an idea, person, place or thing. The knowledge dropped in infamous hip hop lyrics was self taught, not introduced in school let alone college in that matter. It was just something that I kind of stumbled upon. I am great listener when I want to be, but what captivates me most are thought provoking lyrics. I am quick to Google something I'm not familiar with, and I am most intrigued by aspects that I don't recognize.

One day I was listening to Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor album (needless to say it is absolutely brilliant). I was vibing to a track called “Just Might Be OK” and he starts spittin'...

I'm cool I don't for tell best

I ain't nicest MC, I ain't cornel west

I am cornel west side chi town Guevara

Malcolm eXorcise the demons

Gangster leaning

My first thoughts were, “WHOA WHOA WHOA”. I immediately run the entire track back, pull out a pen and paper, and write down all the names he shouted out. Yes, I’ve heard of Che Guevara assuming Lupe was speaking of Che in the context of that specific bar, and of course I know Malcolm but Cornel West was a first. So on my journey home I was amped because I’m thinking I have to know this dude, who and why is he relevant for Lupe to mention. A flux of questions fire through my mind, is he from South Side Chi-Town?, what type of people would be named with Malcolm and Che? He for sure has to be some revolutionary type dude. I get home and Google him immediately. Philosopher, Check! Pro Black, Check! Discusses Biggie & Jay, Check! So now I am caught up. I look into purchasing something that he has published. His latest book at that time was, “Hope On A Tight Rope”, and it includes a free CD, let’s do it! I get the book and I fall in love. Dr. West has so much to offer to the world and I am blown away by his work. I love Cornel to da West because he uses language that forces me to expand my vocabulary. In some way I felt ashamed that I didn’t do my homework on him prior but I guess in due time it was meant to happen. While reading this book I found a speech he did called, Festivals Of Ideas, which has been something that I now use in a lot of the workshops, I run. In this video he compared Charles Darwin to Biggie, enough said! To say the least, this book was tight!! One of my very favorite quotes in the Identity and Race chapter was:

“The black middle class in the United States has become drunk with the wine of the world- materialism, narcissism, and hedonism. And then we wonder why the younger generation does not have access to the traditions of the struggle. Preach to young folk to be success rather than to be great and they will think it’s all about success. Do you really believe that Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman Marcus Garvey, A. Philip Randoph, and Malcolm X died so that you can just be successful? Do you think they died so that you can just be peacocks, walking around saying, “Look at me, look at me, look at me!” Somebody needs to remind everyone that peacocks strut because they can’t fly.”

Just re-typing that gave me the “BBM UGH” face. I will discuss in later posts the parallels in Hip Hop. I appreciate Lupe introducing me to one of the most remarkable philosophers of our time.

Until Next Time…