THE ARCHIVE P.IX: IN REMEMBRANCE OF STRUGGLE

"ITS BEEN A LONG..A LONG

TIME COMIN'" -


SAMUEL COOK

The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights in Southern states. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1954 and 1968, particularly in the South. - Wikipedia

Wikipedia asists thursday's A.L.I.H.S.T series, published in the wake of MLK Jr's birthday/day of acknowledgement:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"-MLK Jr.

-The civil rights movement is one facet of social struggle. The archive focuses on the inspiration and drive of an against the grain perspective; words from MLK Jr with an early 60's journalist about american solidarity, and the seeds of his own legacy in his own words:

"Gandhi’s salt march in 1930, the US civil rights struggle in the 1960s, the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1977–79, the ‘people power’ revolt in the Philippines in the 1980s, the campaigns against apartheid in South Africa, the various movements contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989–91, and, in this century, the revolutions in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine – all have involved the use of civil resistance. So too have certain movements that have been repressed, including China in 1989 and Burma in 2007"-

Wikipedia

The above wikipedia quote lists examples/reflections of the term "civil resistance". By personal accounts the social unrest of the times propelled controversial leaders as Stokley Charmicheal(Kwame Ture), by the hungers of wanting social justice, and seeing oppression, took a militant stance through grassroots political groups, coining the term "Black Power".

Though leaders like Ture's views were radical; moving with a collective of ideals challenging capitalism to imperialism, his last years of pan-african struggle were spent on reflection's of spirituality, restoration and a sense of equality for people of any nation. In conclusion we can draw the elements of struggle of a people from history, or current events. Today's A.L.I.H.S.T.'s feature viewed as a Black history month pre-cursor; or as in the late MLK Jr's views the struggle of any people devoid of color consciousness. In any case, In remembrance of struggle was witnessed in the past, and the world stage of the present. Peace.

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LANGUAGE OF ONE P.XIII: VANCOUVER LIGHTS

"ITS INHERITED IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY"-

WILLIAM MICHAEL GRIFFIN(RAKIM ALLAH)

Vancouver(/væn.ˈkuːvər/) is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from Coevorden, a city in the Netherlands

Monday travels up north to vancity; a unique city that holds its own identity who has treasured the influx of hip hop. Each diverse community in vancity tells its

own story,with hip hop being 100% condusive to the socialogical aspect; from graffiti to the music. As told by my brother and producer/DJ "Steps nessacery", vancity has its own testament. The word according to the foundations of hip hop:

- Common Cyhpa

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010

MUSIC IS LIFE P. XIII: CONSCIOUS VS. COMMERCIALISM(THE PRELUDE)

"CASA DE MUSICA"-



NNEKA

"Popular music belongs to any musical genres "having wide appeal",[1] and stands in contrast to art music,[2][3][4] and traditional music which was disseminated orally.[2][3][4] Although popular music sometimes is known as "pop music", the two terms are not interchangeable. Popular music is a generic term for music of all ages that appeals to popular tastes";[5] on the other hand, pop music usually refers to a specific musical genre."


"Conscious hip hop or socially conscious hip-hop is a sub-genre of hip hop that focuses on social issues. It is not necessarily overtly political, but it discusses social issues and conflicts. Themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence, African American culture and advancement, the economy, or simple depictions of life in the projects/ghetto that reveal the struggle of ordinary people. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was an early and hugely influential political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time."-



Wikipedia



Thursday hosts the prelude to an exclusive blog feature: "CONSCIOUS VS. COMMERCIALISM"; 1/3 part of a U.P.G blog series called "CONTEMPLATION AND RESISTANCE" (Authors Zion Antoni and Cesar "Yedeed" Espinoza). Contemplation and resistance is a blog series that moves in the train of thought to simply "stop, look, and think" at a present situation or circumstance. Conscious vs. commercialism takes a brief view in the contrasts between the two. We start with a video on the reflection of the messages exchanged in pop music, and cultural influence, featuring today's leading figures.

With this.. we conclude with the official "Contemplation and Resistence" series:(click link)

http://contemplationresistance.wordpress.com/

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.

THE ARCHIVE P.VI : JAZZ: AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC

“It is an honor to be here.”

Sonia Sanchez





"By 1808 the Atlantic slave trade had brought almost half a million Africans to the United States. The slaves largely came from West Africa and brought strong tribal musical traditions with them.[16] Lavish festivals featuring African dances to drums were organized on Sundays at Place Congo, or Congo Square, in New Orleans until 1843, as were similar gatherings in New England and New York. African music was largely functional, for work or ritual, and included work songs and field hollers. The African tradition made use of a single-line melody and call-and-response pattern, but without the European concept of harmony. Rhythms reflected African speech patterns, and the African use of pentatonic scales led to blue notes in blues and jazz."


"The origin of the word jazz is one of the most sought-after word origins in modern American English.[citation needed] The word's intrinsic interest—the American Dialect Society named it the Word of the Twentieth Century—has resulted in considerable research, and its history is well-documented. The word began as West Coast slang around 1912, the meaning of which varied but did not refer to music or sex. It came to refer to the music in Chicago around 1915. The music was played in New Orleans prior to that time but was not referred to by that name." -


Wikipedia



One of the greatest genre's of music in the african diaspora, Jazz, in its many forms. Late jazz historian, and a friend of my mine and teacher Harrison Riddley Jr. who tuaght at temple university,once spoke and said "jazz should be rated as traditional as classical music that have its origins in europe, due its legacy and longevity" :



-The list of american jazz greats is seemingly endless. Harrison once stated that the institutionalized slavery of africans is one of the worst; but here post 21st century from then the greatest genre's of music and artists issued out from the african diaspora, from soul, bebop, jazz, and ultimately hip-hop. We close this brief archive spot tonight with a throwback of one of the greatest..and one of my favorites; a late 60's performance of "Favorite things" by the late philly native John Coltrane.




THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.

MUSIC IS LIFE P.XI : THE LOST BOROUGH:Y.O.

“Don't Waste Your Time,”

- Mary J. Blige







"Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York (behind New York City, Buffalo and Rochester), and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 196,086 (according to the 2000 census), and an estimated 2008 population of 201,588.[3] Yonkers borders the New York City borough of The Bronx and is 2 miles (3 km) north of Manhattan at the city's two respective closest points."

-Wikipedia

"Ayo, yonkers is the lost boro" a sentiment spoken to me by a friend which is also a native. A region that graced the industry and world on international level. Music is life abroad.. especially in the city of yonkers:

"Yonkers is struggling to overcome its violent image. This violent image of Yonkers has been endorsed largely through hip-hop culture. Many hip-hop songs can be found where crime and violence in Yonkers is praised. Many neglect to realize that almost all of this crime in its entirety takes place in the Southwest section of the city. Other sections of the city (particularly the eastern side) are, in fact, wealthy neighborhoods with low crime rates."-

Wikipedia

"B, yonkers is L.A without the colors" - expressed in music, arts and entertainment is the struggles and issues of a city; even in politics. Four years ago yonkers native Victor Earl ran for mayor; someone who has come through the rites and passage of the social ills, and sought to establish reform in the city, and proggressive change among the youth. Figures in the industry, as D Blocks Styles P holds on to social consciousness of his hometown, and the black and latino diaspora's under the umbrella of the urban plight. My family Jayonez, CEO of up and coming "Moneyshotfilms" film company was there to cacth footage of styles p realease party of his fiction novel "Invincible" in june:


<-To close we have behind the scene's footage of Joell Ortiz "Project boy" video narrative..and the official cut..a story too familiar amongst america's inner cities.

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.

LANGUAGE OF ONE P. X: RASTAFARI: THE GLOBAL FRONT

"NO MAN IS AN ISLAND"-




DENNIS EMMANUEL BROWN

"The Rastafari movement is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, new religious movement that arose in a Christian culture in Jamaica in the 1930s.[1][2] Its adherents, who worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, former Emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1936 and 1941–1974), as the Second Advent, are known as Rastafarians, or Rastas. The movement is sometimes referred to as "Rastafarianism", but this term is considered derogatory and offensive by some Rastas, who dislike being labelled as an "ism".[3]

"The name Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafari, the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie I, composed of Amharic Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Haile Selassie's pre-regnal given name, Tafari. Rastafari are generally distinguished for asserting the doctrine that Haile Selassie I, the former, and final, Emperor of Ethiopia, is another incarnation of the Christian God, called Jah.[5] They see Haile Selassie I as Jah or Jah Rastafari, who is the second coming of Jesus Christ onto the Earth" -

Wikipedia

The vibration of the rastafari movement is globally known. Thursday gives a brief insight beyond the common themes of cannabis, and universal rythyms of reggae (regal music); The honorable Robert Nesta Marley O.M communicated unity, love and peace in prophetic resonance. As an international third world artist, in his own lifetime he was involved in the religious, but mystic practice and idealogies of the rastafari movement. In my early years of study, i found most of the masses had little knowledge of the deep origins of ras tafari mokennen, the religious aspect (mansions of rastafari, boboshanti, nyabinghi and twelve tribes) and the movement of rastafari, aside from what's communicated through the culture:

-A culture globally known and celebrated, is also considered a language of one. We close june with a exclusive interview of lauryn hill through NPR.org's Zoe Chase, on the lauryn hill past, present and the future moves of the modern day's leading voices.

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.

THE ARCHIVE P.V :HARLEM RENAISSCANCE,BLACK GLORY

"The Challenge of Race.” -

DR. Cornel west

Latter june showcases a legendary dispensation in american history; the harlem renaisscance. One of the highlights of the deep struggle and pain of the african diaspora, the entire era held a heavy musical, social, and even political influence. Places in time like the harlem renaiscance are similar to the "black wall street" of oklahoma. Where blacks thrived in socio-economic prosperity, and made legendary prescence in entertainment, and literary accomplishment:

"The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke. Though it was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, many French-speaking black writers from African and Caribbean colonies who lived in Paris were also influenced by the Harlem Renaissance.[1]
Historians disagree as to when the Harlem Renaissance began and ended. It is unofficially recognized to have spanned from about 1919 until the early or mid 1930s. Many of its ideas lived on much longer. The zenith of this "fertowering of Negro literature", as James Weldon Johnson preferred to call the Harlem Renaissance, was placed between 1924 (the year that Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life hosted a party for black writers where many white publishers were in attendance) and 1929 (the year of the stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression)."-

WIKIPEDIA

-In the modern day of 21st century, the generation today still gleans from this era, from every nationality and backround. History was made during a time of cultural and systematic rascism. The archive series of the A.L.I.H.S.T blogspot gives proggressive insight to landmarks in history to aid in any social unrest and societal ills of today. Below are two features, stars and legends of the jazz genre, and the african diaspora itself; Bille holiday and dinah washington, credible throwbacks in the strecth of black glory, followed by an interview of one of today's voices, mos def (dante smith) on the current industry.

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP LLC 2010.

STREETS CONSCIOUSNESS P. IX : THE CASE OF CONSCIENCE

"We're in an illusion about what our role is in world politics and foreign affairs, and our policies are killing and destroying and doing a lot of things that we are not aware of. " -



Talib Kweli

"Amadou Diallo (September 2, 1975 – February 4, 1999) was a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant in New York City who was shot and killed on February 4, 1999 by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss. The four officers fired a total of 41 rounds. The shooting took place at 1157 Wheeler Avenue in the Soundview section of The Bronx. The four were part of the now-defunct Street Crimes Unit. All four officers were acquitted at trial in Albany, New York"

"The Sean Bell shooting incident took place in the New York City borough of Queens on November 25, 2006, in which one Latino and two African-American men were shot a total of fifty times by a team of both plainclothes and undercover NYPD officers, killing one of the men, Sean Bell, on the morning after his bachelor party, and severely wounding two of his friends.[1] The incident sparked fierce criticism of the police from some members of the public and drew comparisons to the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo.[2] Three of the five detectives involved in the shooting went to trial[3] on charges ranging from manslaughter to reckless endangerment, and were found not guilty."

-WIKIPEDIA

"There is nothing new under the sun"- King solomon. The above cases in recent years, among many in the urban struggle sparked a stream of social awareness of the ills of inner city politics; specifically the relation of minorties and law enforcement. I personally advocate even the more social consciousness among the inner cities; due to the reflection of mass media stereotypes, and the hidden themes of racial profiling. Considerable time has passed in the wake of the above cases, and due to freedom of speech in the fabric of american democracy, these and many other cases of social injustices have been exposed. Nonetheless it is a constant struggle, on camara or off. Specifically in the inner city's, social consciousness is part of the element of survival; to understand the spirit and mindset of your environment; and the activity, apart
from the badge or behind it. A notable project that reflects social injustices is the 2000 throwback "hip hop for respect", created in the wake of the amadou diallo case:

"Hip Hop for Respect was a project which released one EP for Rawkus Records. It was organized & created by Mos Def & Talib Kweli to speak out against police brutality
Amadou Diallo had been murdered by policeman the previous year, so the subject of police brutality was prevalent.
Rappers featured on the EP include Kool G Rap, Rah Digga, Sporty Thievz, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Common, Pharoahe Monch, Posdnous, Dante & Main Flow of Mood, Nine, Tiye Phoenix, Breezly Brewin' of Juggaknots, Punchline, Imani Uzuri, EL-P & Mr. Len of Company Flow, Jah Born of Medina Green, What? What?, John Forté, Fre, J-Live, Rubix, Invincible, Wordsworth, A.L., Kofi Taha, Tame One, Jane Doe, Grafh, Shyheim, Channel Live, Wise Intelligent, Crunch Lo, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Nonchalant, Ras Kass, Dead Prez, & Parrish Smith."-WIKIPEDIA

-We close with a recent documentry of an artist collective on this very subject. And the request of prayers toward my brother and G.G.O/t.h.u.g. angel wu-tang affiliate hell razah, who recently came out of icu into rehabilitaion after a brain anuerism. We feature a song off his upcoming project "the heaven razah lp". Continue to heal brother.






" STIR OF ECHOES" HELL RAZAH FT. ATARI BLITZKRIEG


THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP 2010

MUSIC IS LIFE P.VI THE AFRICAN DIASPORA P.II

"Message to the Grass Roots" is the name of a public speech by Malcolm X at the Northern Negro Grass Roots Leadership Conference on November 10, 1963, in King Solomon Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.[1] In the speech, Malcolm X described the difference between the "Black revolution" and the "Negro revolution. "Message to the Grass Roots" was ranked 91st in the top 100 American speeches of the 20th century by 137 leading scholars of American public address"- wikipedia












Monday hosts a cultural throwback to a formative time in america: the civil rights movement. The seat of politics always held relation to the african diaspora in many forms, specifically in the civil rights struggle of the 1960's many movements were born. from united fronts, organizations to idealogies to gear the "black revolution". Legendary controversial figures as malcolm was part of a wave of activism, and idealogies like black theology,accompanied with others as martin; and political groups as the black panther party (pan-african socialist group). Below is an example of malcolm's worldview, communicated during a heated time in american politics:


-Strong words at a time that called for social justice- fast forward to the modern day. Where we feature a brief introduction of international artist of social justice, Nneka, whose origins hail from nigeria, africa.

STREETS CONSCIOUSNESS P.IV: THE POLITICAL PRISONER

"Let me just say: Peace to you, if you're willing to fight for it." -
FRED HAMPTON -1948 -1969

"Some understand the term political prisoner narrowly, equating it with the term prisoner of conscience (POC). Amnesty International campaigns for the release of prisoners of conscience, which include both political prisoners as well as those imprisoned for their religious or philosophical beliefs. To reduce controversy, and as a matter of principle, the organization's policy only applies to prisoners who have not committed or advocated violence. Thus, there are political prisoners who do not fit the narrower criteria for POCs-WIKIPEDIA

On the left is a flyer of the recent event in the san francisco bay area.."stop the violence",on feb. 28th, hosted by industry greats and activists.
The plight of the political prisoner has been universal, generations deep. Revolutionary's from the african american diaspora to the cuban, challenged social ills and political strongholds, from the past until now. This event also spoke on the responsibility of the hip hop/entertainment community to social justice issues, to stemming down violence in concerts/events, and the ultimate plight of political prisoners worldwide. Though it focuses on this plight, i noticed in today's time these communities of social activism move on a sub-cultural stream..compared to american pop-culture. To me it moves in a wider spectrum; one example of many: the functions of one of america's biggest buisnessness: the prison system overall: and its relation to minorties. Below is exclusive footage of the conference, and a feature from nas and damian
"jr gong" marley's lp- "Distant relatives".









THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

THE PENDANT: EDUCATION

-Z.A

A philadelphia based educational/self-improvement program, located in temple university, has served and helped the community for close to 33 years. Monday feature highlights not just through the ladder of academics, but consciousness of self, environment and world. A program i attended, and that mentored me at a pivotal time of my youth, still exemplify a light of progressive movement in the community. The feature is a two part tutorial and introduction and guide to P.A.S.C.E.P. Pan-african studies continuing education program. Peep the very corridors i walked, as well as many who had their life enriched in some way by this program. On the flip we have a behind the scenes from one of hiphop's scholar himself.. the student of truth..talib kweli and the movements of reflection eternal.






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