A Little Change
He asked me if I could spare a little change
As I stood there shaking my head no
I thought I could use a lot of change
Change like I heard three poets talking about
Not the kinda change that comes from breaking down dollars into 4 quarters
I decided to give up my briefcase
Let me tell you how much it meant to me
My life couldn’t have been better
But the strain of the 9 to 5 had started taking a toll on me
The drag of fake friendships, business partnerships, and home ownership
You know the corporate life
Good job, great credit, pretty wife, and a freaky chick on the side
After listening to this homeless guy
I decided I could spare a little change
I dropped the 9 to 5
Went home to love my wife
Helped my kids with their homework
I realized that a little change could make a big difference
So now I’m here asking you
sista can you spare a little change?
What about it brah…can you spare a little change
Mothers can you spare a little change
Become the heart and soul of your family
Set an example for the little girls
Teach your sons how to love their baby mamas
Fathers can you spare a little change
Start living out your Godly duties
Take care of your families
Teach the boys how to be strong and sensitive men
Show the girls how a real man loves, respects, and uplifts all women
The smallest change in theses kids lives will make the biggest difference in our communities
I am begging you all for a little change
Lives are being lost everyday
I asked the president for a little change
Try making peace not war bring a change
Order the troops to drop knowledge not bombs
Change our young soldiers patrolling urban battle scenes
To streets filled with Iraqi people celebrating one year of peace
Mr. President please end the wars right here on our streets
Gang violence, domestic violence, and drug dealing
Our kids need real education the same way Iraqis need peace
A little change can mean the difference between life and death
Can I spare a little change
I look around and all I see is war torn nations
I see kids led astray with false promises
Big money if they can rap or dunk
Parents working on jobs that ran out of hope a long time ago
Government taking away more and more everyday
Giving democracy to people who don’t want it
Yes…I think I can spare a little change
Can you spare a little change
If we all could spare just a little change
We just might make this world a better place...
And then I realized he was still standing there
He said do you have any money?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT…
Preview from the June 2008 issue of Rock & Rap Confidential
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT…
by Danny Alexander, Associate Editor
“Hip-hop needs to find the next subject. Politics and social stuff—those are going to be the next real subjects groups get into.”—George Clinton, Detroit Free Press, summer 2007
Too many in the hip hop audience accept the big lie promoted by opportunist preachers and politicians that hip-hop is only about madness and misogyny. The truth is very different. There are many, many hip-hop songs reaching millions of people which carry a message of unity, songs whose protests and promise promote a vision of a world without war, poverty, and racism. The truth here should set us free, free of false divisions between mainstream and underground, between bling bling and backpack.
Let us know what we've missed.
"Black and Brown," Xzibit—"80% of inmates are black and Hispanic/They're trying to wipe us off of this planet/Dammit….That's why we've got to sit down/And talk about the black and the brown." A love song to brothers thrown against brothers in Los Angeles, nationwide and worldwide, with a dream of what could happen if we learned to focus on our real enemy.
"Concrete Jungle," Jim Jones, featuring Max B, Rell, Dr. Ben Chavis and Noe—There's power to Jones's shout out to his "political soldiers" behind bars—without romanticizing the streets, he’s dreaming of the world that can come out of making the culture of those streets work for us.
"Do Your Time," Ludacris with Beanie Siegel and C-Murder—A roll call of friends and loved ones locked down by a justice system "fucked up," bolstered by details of life behind bars, suggestions for how to support these brothers and sisters and contemplating what MLK would think of how far we have to go.
"Georgia Bush," Lil' Wayne—Sums up the first year after Katrina, calling the President out for ongoing genocide. A sample of Ray Charles's "Georgia" not only emasculates the president but restores the power of that refrain free of nostalgia.
"Ghetto, Arab Remix," Ali B featuring Yes-R & Akon—This call for worldwide unity features Morrocan rappers Ali-B and Yes-R joined by R&B singer Akon, who has his own roots both in St. Louis and West Africa.
For the full listing please check out the June edition of Rock & Rap Confidential at www.rockrap.com.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT…
by Danny Alexander, Associate Editor
“Hip-hop needs to find the next subject. Politics and social stuff—those are going to be the next real subjects groups get into.”—George Clinton, Detroit Free Press, summer 2007
Too many in the hip hop audience accept the big lie promoted by opportunist preachers and politicians that hip-hop is only about madness and misogyny. The truth is very different. There are many, many hip-hop songs reaching millions of people which carry a message of unity, songs whose protests and promise promote a vision of a world without war, poverty, and racism. The truth here should set us free, free of false divisions between mainstream and underground, between bling bling and backpack.
Let us know what we've missed.
"Black and Brown," Xzibit—"80% of inmates are black and Hispanic/They're trying to wipe us off of this planet/Dammit….That's why we've got to sit down/And talk about the black and the brown." A love song to brothers thrown against brothers in Los Angeles, nationwide and worldwide, with a dream of what could happen if we learned to focus on our real enemy.
"Concrete Jungle," Jim Jones, featuring Max B, Rell, Dr. Ben Chavis and Noe—There's power to Jones's shout out to his "political soldiers" behind bars—without romanticizing the streets, he’s dreaming of the world that can come out of making the culture of those streets work for us.
"Do Your Time," Ludacris with Beanie Siegel and C-Murder—A roll call of friends and loved ones locked down by a justice system "fucked up," bolstered by details of life behind bars, suggestions for how to support these brothers and sisters and contemplating what MLK would think of how far we have to go.
"Georgia Bush," Lil' Wayne—Sums up the first year after Katrina, calling the President out for ongoing genocide. A sample of Ray Charles's "Georgia" not only emasculates the president but restores the power of that refrain free of nostalgia.
"Ghetto, Arab Remix," Ali B featuring Yes-R & Akon—This call for worldwide unity features Morrocan rappers Ali-B and Yes-R joined by R&B singer Akon, who has his own roots both in St. Louis and West Africa.
For the full listing please check out the June edition of Rock & Rap Confidential at www.rockrap.com.
Once Again
What people should really be asking about Rev. Jeremiah Wright is why this man alone represents Sen. Obama real nature? If Sen. Obama really is a Black man bent on revenge against Whites, did his grandmother, a woman who used the n-word in his presence to refer to blacks, contribute to his secret mission of revenge? What about his white uncles, aunts, cousins, and family friends, the ones who distanced themselves from his mother for marrying a Black man? What is the basis for Sen. Obama's crazy scheme to defraud White America and get some payback? This sounds a lot like the plot for the modern day version of the movie "Birth of A Nation.
How is it that a black man can go from being one of the most popular men in America to the most feared presidential candidate ever, based on the beliefs of another person? Bill Clinton has made some major snafu's during Hillary Clinton's campaign. She is not blamed for his antics and they are married (a much tighter connection than pastor and church member). They are more likely to agree on issues and politics than Obama and Wright. All the white media needed was a reason to paint Barack Obama as an angry black man bent on revenge and doing harm to the white establishment. "They couldn't do it based on his record and history, so they got a stunt double, Rev. Wright.
On another note, how is it that one black man (Rev. Wright) can be blamed for embarrassing a whole race of people? That sounds a lot like stereotyping...come on people, don't let them use the same dirty tricks to get us to turn on each other. Rev. Wright has the freedom(???) to believe anything he wants and it should not be assumed that any or all black people agree with him, especially because they attended his church or share his skin tone.
The right wing has done a great job, with the assistance of Hilary Clinton, of painting Sen. Obama as a man that does not care about poor and working class people. They have done so well that people are suggesting that he select Sen. John Edwards as his running mate (Vice-President). They claim that Sen. Edwards can provide a connection to the poor and working class voters for the campaign. This is laughable! Sen Obama spent many, many years of his life as an organizer in Chicago fighting against hunger, homelessness, and poverty. He is more connected to the poor and working class than any of the other candidates combined.
At the end of the day, it is no surprise to me that we are at this stage of the campaign cycle. Sen. Obama is a pioneer and is charting new terrain for people of color in America and the 1st world political order. The tactics,tricks, and lies being used to deny him the presidency are as old as slavery and Jim Crow; it is nothing new to Black folks. The same deceit was used to keep Black men from becoming superviser, manager, and CEO. It is the 'Glass Ceiling' of the highest order. No, unlike most Americans, I have not seen any evidence that America is ready for a Black man to rise to the level of power that makes him the ultimate 'decider'.
Anyone who cannot see the racism in this situation is blind or dumb (or both)!
How is it that a black man can go from being one of the most popular men in America to the most feared presidential candidate ever, based on the beliefs of another person? Bill Clinton has made some major snafu's during Hillary Clinton's campaign. She is not blamed for his antics and they are married (a much tighter connection than pastor and church member). They are more likely to agree on issues and politics than Obama and Wright. All the white media needed was a reason to paint Barack Obama as an angry black man bent on revenge and doing harm to the white establishment. "They couldn't do it based on his record and history, so they got a stunt double, Rev. Wright.
On another note, how is it that one black man (Rev. Wright) can be blamed for embarrassing a whole race of people? That sounds a lot like stereotyping...come on people, don't let them use the same dirty tricks to get us to turn on each other. Rev. Wright has the freedom(???) to believe anything he wants and it should not be assumed that any or all black people agree with him, especially because they attended his church or share his skin tone.
The right wing has done a great job, with the assistance of Hilary Clinton, of painting Sen. Obama as a man that does not care about poor and working class people. They have done so well that people are suggesting that he select Sen. John Edwards as his running mate (Vice-President). They claim that Sen. Edwards can provide a connection to the poor and working class voters for the campaign. This is laughable! Sen Obama spent many, many years of his life as an organizer in Chicago fighting against hunger, homelessness, and poverty. He is more connected to the poor and working class than any of the other candidates combined.
At the end of the day, it is no surprise to me that we are at this stage of the campaign cycle. Sen. Obama is a pioneer and is charting new terrain for people of color in America and the 1st world political order. The tactics,tricks, and lies being used to deny him the presidency are as old as slavery and Jim Crow; it is nothing new to Black folks. The same deceit was used to keep Black men from becoming superviser, manager, and CEO. It is the 'Glass Ceiling' of the highest order. No, unlike most Americans, I have not seen any evidence that America is ready for a Black man to rise to the level of power that makes him the ultimate 'decider'.
Anyone who cannot see the racism in this situation is blind or dumb (or both)!
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