Hip Hop Congress

HHC and Tavis

My blog should be chosen because it is a blog that not only presents
my perspective but the perspective of hundreds, if not thousands of
others throughout the United States. It’s not simply an individual
blog, but it is also a collective blog and so automatically I come to
the table as the representative of an organization and an extended
real time social network. I come to the table with the perspective of
a black man, but also a member of the Hip Hop Generation. Further,
I’ve been involved not just as a journalist, but as an artist, an
educator and community organizer. Lastly, I come from the west coast
and Silicon Valley, and a result my organization and political thought
process is shaped within the context of technology, innovation and new
possibilities. With that, my ability to contribute unique and
productive thought I believe is clear and present.

As is indicated by the website I am President and Executive Director
of a national non-profit organization that has been in existence for
over 10 years. As a result, I’ve had the opportunity to work in
several communities throughout the country in the West Coast,
Northwest, Midwest, South and East Coast. I’ve worked as a radio show
host, columnist, as an A& R of an independent label and youth programs
director. I’ve worked on political campaigns for candidates and issue
based campaigns as well as community based organizing campaigns. I’ve
worked and lived in black, white and Latino communities and have
struggled publicly with some of the more challenging questions of our
day.

Also, I come from Silicon Valley; a place where the innovation of the
last 20 years and the economic roller coaster of the last ten has had
an incredible impact on the communities that we work in. In many ways
I credit the very existence of our organization to the type of
creativity and faith in technology that has helped get Barack Obama
elected this past November. During the year, I was involved with
quite a few initiatives including the March For our Lives at the RNC
(horribly covered by mainstream media; fantastically covered by
independent media and bloggers).

As a whole, I find the concept of selling myself for this contest kind
of strange and arrogant, as what my job entails for the most part is
finding leaders and empowering the voices of others. However I believe
that this is a great opportunity for me, my organization and the
constituencies that we represent. Should I be chosen I would take the
opportunity as seriously as I possibly could to learn, to connect and
the push the whole of the African American community in America
forward in any way that I could. Thank You for this opportunity.

The President Who Cried Wolf: Shamako Noble

The President Who Cried Wolf:

We’ve all heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. If you haven’t it’s the story of a little boy that’s supposed to be watching sheep, and he always cries wolf even when there’s no wolf to cry about, thereby summoning the services of sheepland security. At one point there’s really a wolf and the boy yells and nobody believes him because he’s done it so many times already while there was no wolf anywhere in securities line of sight. So the wolf eats all the sheep like a greedy finance capitalist and the people lose all their sheep related opportunity.

Our president pleaded with the American people last week, begging for folks to support his plan to bail out the economy to the tune of 700 billion dollars; the single largest financial intervention in the history of mankind. Sweet. Congress, in what will undoubtedly go down as one of the sorriest moments in American history, Congress dropped the vote that shocked the world, and rejected the President’s request. Even sweeter.

Some felt it was due to partisanship. Some felt it was due to poor outreach on behalf of the president and all his men (he didn’t even go directly to Congress to plead his case). Whatever the situation, one thing was certain. The market was not happy. Market centers in Europe, South American and Asia all felt the response of the rejection instantaneously and simultaneously with drops in numbers that could only signify one thing: shit is f&$($p up. You started to hear a lot of phrases like “panic seizes market” and “investors are struck with terror” and “credit freeze” and “fear drags market to the back alley and kicks the shit out it” and the numbers are there to prove its not all hyperbole. Asian stocks opened four percent lower than normal today and two of china’s biggest banks were down by eight points. European banks that were putting up a front like it was nothing are asking for bailouts from their government and falling one by one. France, Germany and the UK all profoundly impacted by the fall out and subsequent earthquake that has stuck at the heart of this global economy. South American markets, particularly Brazil is feeling the impact, although it reports that it is confident iron ore manufacturing, agriculture and other markets will allow it to ride out the coming recession.
Read more »

New video from vegas

Hollering in Seattle: An interview with Asun and Jerm of Alpha P

Hollering in Seattle: An interview with Asun and Jerm of Alpha P
Shamako Noble

“The way is in training,”

Miamoto Musashi-The Book of Five Rings

“Cause if I don’t say I’m the best tell me who the hell will”

Fife Dog-Worldplay

I will confess that it is often difficult for me to write any interviews or articles without having a perspective that is influenced by my experience as an emcee. So it is with no light heart or mind when I say that the story of Alpha P (First Platoon)-one of Seattle’s greatest Hip Hop progeny- strikes me very much as the story of independent Hip Hop from the Mid 90’s to now. Not necessarily the whole story; as Hip Hop history and herstory is too large to be told buy one group. But, most certainly it is the story of the emcee: their choices, their trials, their philosophies and their codes.

To begin with, Asun and Jerm are dope. And, while, this statement may very well betray what is known about the nature of art, I feel as though this is more truth than fact or opinion. Not a subjective truth, but the type of truth that emerges from trial, experience and the undeniable ability to affect a state of being with your own. Over the last year I’ve had the chance to see the both of them in individual and collective environments. Both cats operate with a unique sense of self-knowledge and intuition as well as with an understanding of the game that would betray interpretations of their position in Hip Hop. Fortunately, their integrity and self honesty makes it difficult for them to care. In my time with them I’ve had the fortune of seeing them on stage separate, together, in bars, in workshops and on the block. We’ve joked, talked about the most serious of issues, and of course, been in many ciphers.

Asun aka Suntonio Bandanaz is a fast talker, an emcee and thinker of the greatest speed. His demeanor is calm and assuming, but his insight is obvious, his humor razor sharp and his ability to hit the sound bite on the nail unmatched. He is, perhaps, one of the world’s greatest freestylers and is most certainly the greatest I’ve ever witnessed (these days you can just never tell where someone dope is going to come from so I know I haven’t seen everything).
Read more »