FEATURE ESSAY-RITES OF PASSAGE:PROPHETIC SURVIVAL

PART.I-THE INTRO

In this essay i coined the term "prophetic survival", the overall move of a people, a self-actualization to overcome obstacle's to move toward a goal, or greater purpose.
In the ways, concepts and philosophies of the world, especially in a western world view, most overtly, or discreetly use the likes of greed, selfish ambitions, to pillage their way to the top, especially in a capatilistic society. From poor class to middle to rich, from spiritual oppressions to political, countless ills plague a society. To where one must reach to find his/herself, and reach even harder to find their purpose in this lifetime. In the case of self realization and pursuing goals i note some figures we all know. 1st is d-blocks jadakiss(jason phillips).


When asked asked about his hometown yonkers n.y he replied " its like a black cloud over there" he said in a spring 2009 interview. There's alot of love, but there also is alot of hate. You gotta get out of your hood, thats with anybody, mary j blige did it..you gotta go do your thing and then come back."
Jada speaks in reference to though people applaud his accomplishments, in pursuing his career he had to leave due to those that were jealous, and carried hatred.. that may have killed him. In this point survival meant knowing who is who among him, staying aware of the challenges that may have held him back.
Another the honorable Robert Nesta Marley O.M. In an 1977 interview, when asked about surviving the trenchtown settlement of kingston jamaica, he replied" well surviving was easy..the only thin you hafe' wacth fa is de police." Dey come and say whey ya from? .. you say trenchtown! ... ya gone". I also note the fact the marley's father was white, which was very unpopular in his day. Which caused him, in spite of his humble nature tranform to "lion" or his nickname "tuff gong" to survive the taunts and attacks of being racially mixed.


Below is an in depth interview of the late tupac shakur, which he covers everything in his life from the system, jail, and testament to his own prophetic survival, Through gang violence, the industry, and politics, after viewing his interview peep part 2 to the P.S essay, Divine intuition.

___________________________________________________________________________

PART.II DIVINE INTUITION

One example of prophetic survival for a people, was the civil rights movement of the sixties. During this time of segregation and political oppression for blacks in the south, leaders came forth, strengthening all points for the people to survive, and implementing change in so that future generations wont have to go through the same oppressions and conflict. Kwame ture and bobby seals had the black panther socialist political party which focused on protecting their people from political direct violence from the government. Martin luther king jr, medgar evers and malcolm focused on the spiritual aspect of it..the means of survival was to iradicate the social ills of the people, create more unity, improve the consciousness of the people and establish a better way of life. The ultimate roots of prophetic survival is always spiritual. In my own experience, i found its keeping a close ear to God, being in touch with your own spirit, and listening to one of man's greatest gifts, the conscience. I had to do it to survive the social ills of city life, from my youth till now, to survive the violence, drugs and strifes that many know and live with. This divine intuition, for me was even practised in the realm of religons, from me not only studying the nature of religon, but not clinging to the instutitions and social structures of religon, being as though i have experienced my own share of direct wounds. Instead i lock in to the spirit of God for guidance, not nessecarily the hearts of men. In our grassroots journalism/activism group, sha thomas, author and speaker stated "if i didnt listen to God coming this far, and listened to man i would have been in worse situations". I go back to the examples of Marley and tupac. There was an attempt on marleys life in 1976 due to political warfare that raged in this time. A perfect example of divine intuition, he spoke on the incident" I went home about t'ree o'clock in the mornin' to get some sleep at a place called putney..and at this time i saw a vision.. and i vision i was in barrage a gunshot, but some'ting in de vision say stand up..don run..and i see mi mother get hit..but i neva get hit". Nights later marley experienced the same situation, and he did jus that.. stood still while the gunmen fired in his house. The end result was marley suffered a graze, and his wife rita marley was hit near the skull area. They both survived the shooting. As tupac explained in the above interview, he seen, and spoke most of the things he seen come to pass. Even his own demise. Being as though he did see his death.. which he remarkably detailed in description, maybe he could have avoided it, maybe he was ready to go..only God know.




Nonetheless prophetic survival is an reality, whether practised on a personal or a grand scale. I hope more understanding is gained from this, you may have seen these movements in your very own life. If you have, keep in mind the roots of prophetic survival is spiritual, and its always towards a greater purpose.-

Zion Antoni

POST SCRIPTZ-
WORDS FROM SOME OF HIPHOP'S GIANTS...

KRS One & Talib Kweli (in studio) from gregthedude on Vimeo.

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

THE FACE OF UNITY: OVERSTANDING PEACE OVER CONFUSION

The following video clip is from a governer's island gathering, the "this is 50.com festival". Many names in the industry came out to support and also perform. Some ranging from members of dipset, dblock, red cafe, cory guns and more. I highlight the principle of unity in this feature blast, due to the nature and competition, specifically in the music industry. This was 1st featured on the actual site, This is 50.com, which is one of the leading blogspots on the net. The entire footage shows some feuds that raged no more than 4 to 5 years ago, and some as early as several months ago. To see groups as dipset and g-unit unite,as well as d-block and brooklyn's papoose, held more weight than most could think. In spite of their own grinds and careers, being as though they are in the spotlight, the level of influence they have is still effective. The fact that these brothers came together, show the industry and tainted media the streets can do the same.. and more.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The conflict between Jay-Z and Nas is one of the more publicized feuds in recent years.[3] Initially, the relationship between the two rappers was respectful with Jay-Z giving a shoutout to Nas on all his albums.[4] After the death of The Notorious B.I.G., the position of most popular New York rapper seemed to become vacant and fans were eager to see who would fill that role.[3]

In 1996, while recording his debut album Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z's producer Ski used a vocal sample from Nas' "The World Is Yours" as the chorus to his song "Dead Presidents". Neither party had asked Nas' permission which upset him. Jay-Z had invited Nas to re-rap the line and he had agreed but never showed up to record the line. After several no-shows, their relationship began to sour and the incident is seen as the beginning of the quarrel between them. The dispute was intensified when Nas assembled The Firm in 1996 with AZ, Foxy Brown and Cormega (later Nature). Jay-Z wanted to release their debut album on his label, Roc-A-Fella Records, but the group decided to sign with Aftermath without telling Jay-Z or Damon Dash, who described the situation in an interview with MTV News:

“ "Nas and AZ was supposed to be on "Bring It On" they kept not showing up. That's when we wanted to put out the Firm. They didn't show up. We was meeting and they was saying, "Yeah", but they wasn't showing up. We would be waiting and we would be getting offended." ”
—Damon Dash, MTV News[5]


Jay-Z continued to show his respect to Nas in 1997 by referencing him on his song "Where I'm From"[3]. Nas responded to Jay-Z on his track "We Will Survive" in 1999 which criticizes several rappers, including Jay-Z, who claimed to be "New York's King" following Notorious B.I.G.'s death. This was seen as disrespectful by Jay-Z and was the spark that kicked off the feud.

SOURCES-WIKIPEDIA



06' THROWBACK..WE STILL CAN LEARN FROM MOMENTS IN TIME..

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

MUSIC IS LIFE:THE POLITICAL FORUM

"THE QUESTION IS NO LONGER BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND NON-VIOLENCE, IT IS BETWEEN NON VIOLENCE AND NON-EXISTENCE"-

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

In closing the week, we peep the blend of hip hop and politics. In today's times the need for change is evident. Here are particular example's of the infiltration of hip hop amongst political matters, combining these two forces for greater change. First up is the teacha', KRSONE with the temple of hip hop movement, in actions with chicago's community leaders, ressurecting the "stop the violence" movement, to bring awareness amongst all inner cities. The second example is "the cornel west theory" out of our nations capitol, washington dc. Bringing culture to preserve the rudiments of hiphop, and socially conscious views challenging the realm of politics, religon, and the music industry. Its a big world we live in.. and as much manifold destruction we see, aint nothin' wrong with bringing things back to roots to save a people...




KRSONE AND THE TEMPLE OF HIPHOP



THE ALBUM PROMO FOR "2ND ROME"

The Cornel West theory is......the sonic fusion of politics, culture, spirituality, and philosphy.
With the blessing of Princeton University professor, activist, and renowned author, Dr. Cornel West, the band's music draws influence from his philosophies, as well as many other prolific thinkers of our time.
....in 2004, there was a brief meeting between the chief spokesman ( T. Hicks ) and Dr. West. From this.....the Cornel West theory was born.
" The mission of our music is to deliver hip-hop that contains deep substance and content. music which forces self analyis, and also creates the spark to open dialogue.....socratic questioning, as Dr. West would say. " - the Chief Spokesman



THE CORNEL WEST THEORY - STUDIO SESSION

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

LOYALTY, WILL & AMBITION: POUND 4 POUND DVD

In today's concrete jungle's i deem it nessacery to highlight the diamonds in the rough, to combat the stereotype's our minortiy's blanketed with by media and industry. Im proud to present my family for monday's feature, bringing to light the principles of hardwork, loyalty and healthy ambition. Pablo "Esco" Santiago and close affiliates gathered their resources, talents and goals together to form "Pound 4 Pound DVD", a magazine showcasing the lives and latest news of todays and yester-year's prominent boxing stars. Esco, being a hard fan of boxing himself, pursued the vision with patience, ultimately praying to see the fruits of his hard work, which he did. A magazine dedicated not only to serve the community, but an international base, as hard work goes into the promotional, and national networking. Esco, utilizes the key of entrepeneurship, also an artist, expanding the borders through his team Paper $oilders, to work towards a brighter financial future for himself, his family and his people. This is my family from deep concrete roots, i say, power to you esco and the family.



www.pound4pounddvd.net


P4P DVD TRAILER


INTERVIEW WITH ESCO


P4P DVD FEAT: BENARD HOPKINS

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

KNOW THYSELF: THE ROOTS OF CONVICTION

Based off the afrikan/greek aphorism, when originally coined and written many years ago, it meant the depth of the human spirit, at the same time the author deemed the depths of the human spirit unsearchable. In today's terms i apply it to simply knowing yourself, your role, your heritage, what made you, your contribution. In today's pop-culture, integrity is not a popular thing, life still go on behind the glitz and glamour, and not only do we deal with the world, but ultimately ourselves. An 06' interview by photographer tao ruspoli, if u never caught it, peep stic-man of dead prez story..



THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

___________

MUSIC PROMOTION:

CHARLI-BROWN

HIT UP CHARLI FOR EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THE BEATS




www.myspace.com/charlibrownbeatz

THE ART OF CITY LIFE: THE HISTORY OF GRAFFITI

COPE2 -LEGENDARY BRONX GRAFFITI ARTIST

From the N.Y. to L.A...since its early origins its clearly been a case of vandalism vs. art. As you see years later in 2009 its more than art is the voice of a people in many urban areas. An arena of expression, ranging from brilliant artists, legendary names, crews, and movements. As controversial as graffiti is, it is not only a facet of hip-hop culture, but another reflection of city life. Peep the 2 part series on its origins, and its specific movement in the city of angels.




PART 1



PART 2

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP

IMPRESSIONS OF LIFE: THE STORY OF HK FONTAY(YONKERS NY)

"Homicide Statistics Rise For Black Youths
December 29, 2008
The number of homicides involving black youths — as victims and perpetrators — surged by more than 30 percent from 2002 to 2007, even as overall murder rates across the U.S. have been relatively stable, according to a study released Monday by researchers at Northeastern University.

The study showed that the number of black murder victims rose by more than 31 percent from 2000 to 2007. The number of murders involving young, black perpetrators rose by 43 percent over the same period, according to the study by criminal justice professors James Alan Fox and Marc Swatt.

The report also noted that guns were the weapon of choice in most of the killings.

Last year, 426 black males ages 14-17 died in gun crimes — 40 percent more than in 2000; nearly 1,000 young black males used guns to kill someone in 2007 — 38 percent higher than in 2000.

Fox said the homicide rate for blacks — especially teenagers — has risen steadily and across geographic regions. He said one reason could be the profound shift in priorities since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which means police departments have taken on homeland security duties — often at the expense of community policing.

"Now, I don't want to weigh one life against another, but when you look at it, many more people are murdered every single year in ordinary street violence than were killed on Sept. 11, 2001," Fox said.-SOURCES-WWW.NPR.ORG"Divine Intervention Sought To Curb Youth Gang Violence
Written by Thomas D. Segel
Wednesday, 17 September 2008 12:17
September 17, 2008
Increase in Gang Violence threatens our Homeland Security
Thomas D. Segel(Harlingen, Texas) Gang violence is a rapidly growing cancer eating away at urban America. There can be no better evidence of this than a plea from a police chief in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas for the residents and churches of his city to "enter into their own time of prayer and intercession directed at the issue of gang violence, broken homes, and the deterioration of the family unit that is destroying our youth." -SOURCES -RIGHTSIDENEWS.COM



HK FONTAY

What led me to cover this is two fold..1st is what i call a "minority genocide" going on in todays urban cities, and 2nd the purpose of living: to have a good impact on somebodys life while your here. The current state of mind of todays youth, is obvious to see. On the face of fontay's life, though he left here in his early
30's, he was able to touch not only his family, but his environment with goodness, loyalty, generosity, at the same understanding the ills, pressures, pitfalls of his yonkers ny neighborhood. Understanding we are here but for a short time, its good to keep in mind to leave a good impact while you are here. From close sources of his family, in revealing his character it was stated " There was no such thing as if i have something, you dont have it, with him", says his cousin. "If i have you have, if i eat you eat". Also a man of faith, Fontay passed in spring of 2009, of gunshot wounds near riverdale yonkers. Since being laid to rest the family has raised the legacy he established just by living. Fontay's life is a two fold lesson, a ripple effect stemming from his life spreading throughout his whole influence:

1. To never let your living be in vain..
2. To bring more awareness to the climate of our inner cities, and the violence thereof.


His family and the hash kings movement still carry on his legacy strong..being as tho i know some of his family, it still feel close to home. Peep some clips from fontay's life, the music..the heart, and the legacy..R.I.P. fontay, we'll see you in that day.




HK FONTAY (IN WHITE) "AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER"



HK FONTAY TRIBUTE



HK "STAY IN SCHOOL"

THEE URBANPRIESTHOOD GROUP