“Do you remember the song, “Cool Like Dat?
It was by a group called Digable Planets, and it had this amazing baseline?”
She replied, “YESSSSSSS! Of course I remember! I loved that song!”
After laughing and loving the fact that she actually remembered this ultra dope song from the 90s, I told her that I was going to see a band tonight with one of the groups members. She got excited!
Well, the group came and went from 1990-1995, and then again between 2005-2011, but since, the members have done a few artistic projects on their own. Tonight in Cleveland, one of its members will be performing in his duo, Shabazz Palaces at Mahall’s in Lakewood, Ohio, which is 5-10 minutes west of Cleveland. Check out Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler aka Palaceer and Tendai “Baba” Maraire as they introduce us to “experimental hip-hop.”
Come rock with me. Tickets are only $14 at the door or through will call. Doors open at 8:30 pm, and show starts shortly after at 9 pm. Let’s have fun ya’ll !!!!!
Since the first time I heard her voice, I have been in love with the sound of her. I don’t care how she looks, or how she wears her hair. I don’t care how crazy they say she is, or how many kids, I just love to hear her speak. I see myself reflected in her eyes, and I get weak. Her art is ministry. Her words are from the most high, she is god. And sometimes, I kneal, for, I am thankful for the gift of her experiences, revealed, through her poetic verses, Lauryn Hill… I hear you, as your soul transitions into happiness, keep blessing the best of us. I hear my ancestors speak through you, triumphant woman of the moon, peace to you.
It’s national poetry month ya’ll… Selah… and then he came…
Nothing can be done against the truth
No matter how we remain in denial, yeah
Wasting time, replacing time
With each empty excuse
But that’ll only work a little while…
Coping with despair
Knowing you’re not there
Ashamed to just admit I’ve been a fool
So I blame it on the sun
Run away from everyone
Hoping to escape this ridicule
Trapped in misery
Wrapped so miserably in this deception I wear it like a skin
Dying to maintain, oh I keep trying to explain
A heart that never loved me to begin
Oh I’m such a mess, I have no choice but to confess
That I’ve been desperately trying to belong
Lying to myself and everybody else
Refusing to admit my right was wrong
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means, did ya think about that
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means, praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means that it is sieved
How beautiful his fruits, still in denial of its roots
My guilty heart behaved so foolishly
This treason from within that reasons with my sin
Won’t be happy til it sees the death of me
Selfishly addicted to a life that I’ve depicted
Conflicted cause it’s not reality
Oh what’s left of me, I beg you desperately,
Cause me to agree but what I know is best for me
Please save me from myself
I need you, save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal
The choices that I make, oh have been nothing but mistakes
What a wasted use of space
Should I die before I wake?
In all of my religion, I’ve fortified this prison
Obligated to obey the demands of bad decision
Please save me from myself
I need you to save me from myself
Please save me from myself so I can heal
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means praise and meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means did ya think about that
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means meditation
And then he came, selah
Oh and it means that it is sealed
And then he came
And then he came, then he came, then he came
And then he
And then he came
Use poetry to tap into your ROOTs.
Let the true spirit of your ancestors, shine through.
Our people were scattered into the desert, across the sea, over and away from their homeland; and they have forgotten how to recognize themselves. We will wake up. -shila
“I’m planting seeds wherever I go.”
Performing collectively…
I am an artist with a mission. That mission is to always be about uplifting people of African descent, and to be instrumental in the restoration of our true identity. This is why artists like Saul Williams inspire me:
“I am the streets
The white lines only separate me from me
You hydroplane in false god’s name and still crash into me
Sign and tree; mountainside; guard rail; into the sea
They thought they stole you from my arms then carried you to me
Here’s the key: DNA encoded in a beat
White rocks in a vial, nigga, ain’t got nothin’ on me
Bitch I’m free, ask these editors at MTV
Far as they know, they’re publishing some new school poetry
Let it be
Cause even that will do to turn the key
Doorways into other worlds, the truth shall set you free
You are me, I am you, but also I’m he
Shepherd of a bastard flock that grazes in the streets… ”
– from DNA by S.W.
Every day, I am a poet. I have been writing since I was 7.
Sometimes my words rhyme, but most often I use free verse.
From free verse, came the rise of spoken word poetry.
Many artists have chosen this form as their primary means of communicating.
Try it. It can be quite liberating.
SAUL BOOKS:
If you are in Northeast Ohio, tomorrow, April 15, Saul Williams will be reading at MOCA and then performing at the Grog Shop. If you attend the MOCA event for $12, you can get into the Grog for $10. Of course advance purchases are better, because you save a few dollars. Check him out. I’ve seen him at least 4 times, in different cities, and I really dig him because each performance is different. He is fully committed and true to his art form and that is admirable.
Dreamless sleep
refreshing, sometimes
not to think
Just lay, in peace
and listen to the sound of my heart beating
thumping,
Mind free of matter
Body free of desire
All I have is ______
In this space,
I am wicked, spinning,
three sheets to the wind
awakening
In this bed,
on the clouds,
brown linens, the earth
gathering my wetness
I am breathing in,
exhaling, stretching,
Opening my eyes,
I see
you.
Together, we climb into the night
PEACE
Are you ready?
THE LYRICS:
People climbed into the night like space suits
People stepped into the night like moon boots
Marching like moon troops
In their zoot colored zoot suits
People climbed into the night like cool wells
Shiney bottles in their hands
Drinking their new selves
They say it’s their true selves
People climbed up in the night like green trees
They were hanging from the night like green leaves
Buzzing like queen bees
People climbed into the night like space suits
People stomped inside the night
Stomping and stomping and stomping and stomping and stomping
Where are they going?
What’s the rush?
Everybody in the place was so out of touch
Hey
Night-time is when the things get heavy
You feel alone and you want somebody
Loneliness whispers desperate measures
And your frantic all by yourself
Night-time is when the things get heavy
You feel alone and you want somebody
Loneliness whispers desperate measures
Baby don’t make no fast moves
Baby don’t make no fast moves
Baby don’t make no fast moves
Baby don’t make no fast moves- Tonight
La La La [humming…]
People stomped inside the night
Let me climb into the night…
Let me climb… [vamp to fade]
CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO READ THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON CUEPOINT
Stevie Wonder’s song,Happy Birthday, was one of the forces responsible for rallying support to make Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday a national holiday. This is a very important part of history that is sometimes overlooked. Art has often influenced political change. There were many people who fought alongside Martin, including artists, even after his death. I’d like to remember other social activists of that time, and some who came after. When I think of Martin, I think of many names including: EL HAJJ MALIK EL SHABBAZZ MALCOLM X CORETTA SCOTT KING MARTIN DELANEY LORRAINE V HANSBERRY NAT KING COLE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY ROY WILKINS W.E.B. DUBOIS FRANTZ FANON JAMES FORMAN ELIJAH MUHAMMAD RICHARD WRIGHT RAY CHARLES JACKIE ROBINSON HARRY BELAFONTE ASA PHILIP RANDOLPH WHITNEY YOUNG JR JAMES B PARSONS OTIS M SMITH JAMES H MEREDITH KENNETH B CLARK FRED SHUTTLESWORTH MEDGAR W EVERS ROBERT C WEAVER LENA HORNE JAMES BALDWIN EDWARD J DWIGHT JR MUHAMMAD ALI BILL COSBY EDWARD KENNEDY DUKE ELLINGTON KWAME TURE STOKELY CARMICHAEL ARETHA FRANKLIN LANGSTON HUGHES JAMIL ABDULLAH AL AMIN H RAP BROWN THURGOOD MARSHALL GIL SCOTT HERON ELLA FITZGERALD ROBERT NESTA BOB MARLEY and finally, MARCUS GARVEY, who came before this time, but inspired every Black freedom fighter of the 20th Century. The story of this 3rd Monday in January, is very deep. So start digging! The answers can empower you. I am sure you have many other names to add to this list. Ase (Yoruba for, “it is so”)!
“If you are going to speak to the people, you gotta be the people.” –Chuck D
On December 12, 1963, two very important books were published: Why We Can’t Wait, by Dr. King, and The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon, a Martinique-born psychiatrist. Both books made history. King’s book came about from his Letter from Birmingham Jail, written on April 16, 1963, and Fanon’s book was known as “the Bible of the oppressed.” These are books that every activists or American of African descent should read. They are enlightening and uplifting and help to pave the way. They are relevant to this day, this hour, and this moment.
Lastly, across the world, a lot of us attended MLK programs today. I really hope that we all took the time out to listen to the messages and reflect on our history. I’ve noticed that when I attend events, fewer people are concerned about internalizing the messages and taking notes so that we can create plans and blueprints. It seems that it is more about recording videos and taking pictures/selfies and posting them to social media networks, and less about actively participating in the MOMENT. Listening and engaging is becoming a lost art. I truly heart the idea of clandestine behavior as a method to organizing for change; and I support Gil Scott-Heron’s notion that the REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED. We should try engaging on a different level. That means that we can’t give it all away, by attempting to share every move that we make. Mystery is a lost art as well. We must focus on what’s in our faces. We cannot possibly be performing at our best, holding phones, trying to document ourselves at every event. That job is for videographers and photographers. Let us play our part, by actively listening. No one needs to know that you were there, you know, and that is most important. Let’s think deeply, study, and plan:
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young
Being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy Wilkins
Strolling through Watts in a red, black and green
Liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion -Gil Scott-Heron
“Peace and blessings manifest with
every lesson learned
If your knowledge were your wealth then
it would be well earned” -Erykah Badu
________________________
Today’s Kwanzaa theme is NIA otherwise known as Purpose. When I think of purpose, I think of my Identity, of our identity, and the restoration of the traditional greatness in the Black/Brown family. Our greatness has been repressed because we have been oppressed, but I can feel the blood of my ancestors running through my veins. It feels amazing. I know that I am wonderful, and I know that it means something to have this history inside of me.
Today, my NIA gift to you is Baduizm, an album that helped me to realize my Greatness.
It’s been seventeen years since Erykah Badu released Baduizm. I was 13 at the time, and I remember being mesmerized by her music. I saw the video for On and On and was hooked! Good for me, my mom was into Badu, so she purchased the tape and played it frequently. I was right there by her side, listening to every lyric.
“I can’t believe
That we’re still livin’
Oh, in this crazy, crazy world
That I’m still livin’
With all the problems of the day
How can we go on? Hey
So tired of hearin’ people say
“How can we go on?”
Fantasy people
Make believe people
How can you go on? Yeah
But you’re still livin’ ” – from the song “Drama”
Erykah’s energy seemed to awaken something inside of me. At the time, I couldn’t identify what it was, but it seemed more spiritual than anything. To this day, she is still intoxicating and her lyrics touch my soul. I don’t exactly feel like I am a fan of hers, I feel more of a ethereal kinship to her. I feel the wealth of her knowledge reflected through her music.
As a gift, please enjoy the messages behind the music. Let the baselines take you into the lands and into the hearts of your ancestors. If you can, check out this book on Badu:
Sometimes we get knocked off course. We get lost in love, sick, distracted by technology, confused, hurt, but we have to remember that we are GREAT. We are more than whatever they told us we are! We should look to ourselves to find our history. KNOWing yourself is fulfilling your purpose.
A few years ago, I saw this chair in a handmade furniture/art store on the east side of Cleveland. I’ve not seen anything close to it since. This is a piece of furniture worth having!
This year, the AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn, New York was amazing! I had been wanting to go for 2 years, but once again I almost flaked out and stayed home. However, some wonderful ladies pushed me to go. I got my small amount of disposable income together and went for it! I am so glad that I did. I would estimate that over the course of 2 days, August 23 and 24, at least 50,000 people got to experience the funk of AfroPunk!
The 10 Major Cool Things About AfroPunk…
1. The beautiful Afrikans! -Gazing into the crowd, we looked so good ya’ll! Go Brown people! Everyone was fly! The Diaspora was well represented.
2. The Music- Oh my! LiAnn La Havas, D’Angelo, SZA, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Shabazz Palaces, and The Internet were among my favorite.
3. The Vendors- Handmade goods galore! We are so talented! These were the best vendors that I have seen at a festival, ever!
4. The Free Things- they were giving away some very valuable merchandise. No contest, just walk up. Lovely.
5. The Good Vibrations and Energy of the Crowd- Everyone was so welcoming and full of love! “I got the vibrations to change the nation, lick shots in the air, crowd participation!”
6. The Photographers- AfroPunk is well documented.
7. The Artists- There were so many expressionists and bold people who were just rocking eccentric styles! I appreciated the confidence. Keep ya head up!
8. The Bonding Experience of Going with People- Although the ladies I went with only recently joined my Universe, they were great to experience AfroPunk with. We were on the same frequency.
9. What AfroPunk represents and the AfroPunk Official Merchandise. Everything sold out. This festival represents so much positivity.
10. The Appreciation- The people who organize AfroPunk are so appreciative of the participants. They walked around and mingled. So wonderful. They send out nice emails to thank you for attending:
THANK YOU
There are few words that can express the amount of gratitude that we have for the AFROPUNK community. People who consciously make an effort to join us year after year at the festival and online, supporters from around the block and around the world that come together for two days to celebrate culture and freedom with us. For that and more, thank you! See you next year!
Shila Iris for AfrikanEssence… I like saying AfroPunk… smile. Lol.
I love the wonderful, artistic, and eccentric expressions from the tribe we call African Americans, Afrikans, or the colorful people of the Diaspora! The beautiful and poetic faces. The funky and stylish kindred spirits.
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AfroPunk tends to attract the fearless ONES. Those who travel on that untouchable frequency. They levitate. The vibe is heavy. Who wants to go and check out “the other” Black experience? Here’s the website. Dates: August 23-24, 2014. BK, NY.
The type of music that you could hear at an AfroPunk Fest.
COME CHECK out the band, Intercourse the Collective, this FRIDAY, JUNE 13 AT LIL’ AFRICA AKA THE KITCHEN located at 6816 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103.
This show will feature myself and my wonderful playmates- vocalist: RaShimba WildBloom, Drummer: Ali Boyd, Keyboard Player: Egan Ammerman, and the Digital Griot: jAfterDark. We will be doing a special tribute to the late Rayshawn Armstrong who was a well-known Cleveland poet and community driven activist. Thank you to poet, Bianca Michelle and artist, Latoya Kent for their participation in this show. Peace and love! See you there.
Earth & Ether 