Hip Hop has responded. Too many tribute songs, benefits and donations to name -- and I'm NOT complaining... Enough has been written about the amazing results of the Hope For Haiti Now benefit organized by actor George Clooney, so I will focus on some of the more obscure efforts:
I. "Hip Hop Helps Haiti" - hosted by The Aphilliates' DJ Ace McClowd; organized and sponsored by HipHopDX
II. Duck Down Records iTunes Sales Donated to Yele for the Haiti Relief Effort
III. Joell Ortiz - "Exhibit H(aiti)"
Props to 2DopeBoyz for covering it all in real time.
To donate, SMS text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts; SMS text "YELE" to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti's Earthquake Relief efforts.
I.
Click the album cover to read the HipHopDX article and download the full album for free. (But please donate to show your support.)
1. Freeway - Time 2. Joe Budden - 40/40 ft. Royce Da 5'9" 3. Donny Goines - No Apologies 4. C-N-N - Exibit C-N-N 5. JR Writer - Who The Hell Are You 6. Ras Kass - Since You Been Gone ft. Tracy Rhey & 40 Glocc 7. Roccett - How We Roll ft. Dae One 8. Jay Rock - Ballin' ft. Kendrick Lamar & Bow Wow 9. The Game & Nu Jersey Devil - We Stand Alone 10. Method Man, Ghostface & Raekwon - Our Dreams 11. Bobby Creekwater - Pardon My French 12. Fashawn - Father 13. Sha Stimuli - What Are We Living For 14. Skyzoo - Salute That 15. Nottz - Shine So Bright 16. Copywrite - Aftermath 17. The Illz - Come In 18. Ali ft. Nelly & St. Louis - Sum n' Bout it 19. Murphy Lee ft. Seven Li - Age of 21 20. Ben Jacobs - Hundreds 21. Wordsmith - The Daily Word 22. Lil' Flip - Feel It In The Air (Haiti Version) 23. Jay-Z, Rhianna, Edge & Bono - Stranded
II.
On January 16, 2010, beginning at midnight, for a 24 hour period, all sales from the entire Duck Down Records iTunes catalog was donated to Yele to assist in the relief effort. That covers Sean Price, KRS-One & Buckshot, B-Real, Kidz in the Hall, 9th Wonder, Marco Polo & Torae, Boot Camp Clik, Smif N Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, Black Moon, General Steele, and my fam Skyzoo and Ruste Juxx.
III.
Joell drops knowledge. Click the image above to listen to -- and download -- the song.
Overruling two important precedents about the First Amendment rights of corporations, a bitterly divided Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections.
The 5-to-4 decision was a vindication, the majority said, of the First Amendment’s most basic free speech principle — that the government has no business regulating political speech. The dissenters said that allowing corporate money to flood the political marketplace would corrupt democracy.
The ruling represented a sharp doctrinal shift, and it will have major political and practical consequences. Specialists in campaign finance law said they expected the decision to reshape the way elections were conducted. Though the decision does not directly address them, its logic also applies to the labor unions that are often at political odds with big business.
The decision will be felt most immediately in the coming midterm elections, given that it comes just two days after Democrats lost a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and as popular discontent over government bailouts and corporate bonuses continues to boil.
President Obama called it “a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans.”
The justices in the majority brushed aside warnings about what might follow from their ruling in favor of a formal but fervent embrace of a broad interpretation of free speech rights.
“If the First Amendment has any force,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority, which included the four members of the court’s conservative wing, “it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech.”
The ruling, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No. 08-205, overruled two precedents: Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a 1990 decision that upheld restrictions on corporate spending to support or oppose political candidates, and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, a 2003 decision that upheld the part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 that restricted campaign spending by corporations and unions.
The 2002 law, usually called McCain-Feingold, banned the broadcast, cable or satellite transmission of “electioneering communications” paid for by corporations or labor unions from their general funds in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before the general elections.
The law, as narrowed by a 2007 Supreme Court decision, applied to communications “susceptible to no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate.”
The five opinions in Thursday’s decision ran to more than 180 pages, with Justice John Paul Stevens contributing a passionate 90-page dissent. In sometimes halting fashion, he summarized it for some 20 minutes from the bench on Thursday morning.
Joined by the other three members of the court’s liberal wing, Justice Stevens said the majority had committed a grave error in treating corporate speech the same as that of human beings.
Eight of the justices did agree that Congress can require corporations to disclose their spending and to run disclaimers with their advertisements, at least in the absence of proof of threats or reprisals. “Disclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way,” Justice Kennedy wrote. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented on this point.
The majority opinion did not disturb bans on direct contributions to candidates, but the two sides disagreed about whether independent expenditures came close to amounting to the same thing.
“The difference between selling a vote and selling access is a matter of degree, not kind,” Justice Stevens wrote. “And selling access is not qualitatively different from giving special preference to those who spent money on one’s behalf.”
Justice Kennedy responded that “by definition, an independent expenditure is political speech presented to the electorate that is not coordinated with a candidate.”
The case had unlikely origins. It involved a documentary called “Hillary: The Movie,” a 90-minute stew of caustic political commentary and advocacy journalism. It was produced by Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit corporation, and was released during the Democratic presidential primaries in 2008.
Citizens United lost a suit that year against the Federal Election Commission, and scuttled plans to show the film on a cable video-on-demand service and to broadcast television advertisements for it. But the film was shown in theaters in six cities, and it remains available on DVD and the Internet.
The majority cited a score of decisions recognizing the First Amendment rights of corporations, and Justice Stevens acknowledged that “we have long since held that corporations are covered by the First Amendment.”
But Justice Stevens defended the restrictions struck down on Thursday as modest and sensible. Even before the decision, he said, corporations could act through their political action committees or outside the specified time windows.
The McCain-Feingold law contains an exception for broadcast news reports, commentaries and editorials. But that is, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote in a concurrence joined by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., “simply a matter of legislative grace.”
Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion said that there was no principled way to distinguish between media corporations and other corporations and that the dissent’s theory would allow Congress to suppress political speech in newspapers, on television news programs, in books and on blogs.
Justice Stevens responded that people who invest in media corporations know “that media outlets may seek to influence elections.” He added in a footnote that lawmakers might now want to consider requiring corporations to disclose how they intended to spend shareholders’ money or to put such spending to a shareholder vote.
On its central point, Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion was joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito, Thomas and Antonin Scalia. Justice Stevens’s dissent was joined by Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.
When the case was first argued last March, it seemed a curiosity likely to be decided on narrow grounds. The court could have ruled that Citizens United was not the sort of group to which the McCain-Feingold law was meant to apply, or that the law did not mean to address 90-minute documentaries, or that video-on-demand technologies were not regulated by the law. Thursday’s decision rejected those alternatives.
Instead, it addressed the questions it proposed to the parties in June when it set down the case for an unusual second argument in September, those of whether Austin and McConnell should be overruled. The answer, the court ruled Thursday, was yes.
“When government seeks to use its full power, including the criminal law, to command where a person may get his or her information or what distrusted source he or she may not hear, it uses censorship to control thought,” Justice Kennedy wrote. “This is unlawful. The First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves.”
-- Liptak, Adam, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit", The New York Times, January 21, 2010
TO DONATE TO THE MOVEON.ORG EFFORT TO "ROOT OUT CORPORATE INFLUENCE IN WASHINGTON", PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Umi (P.O.W. / People's Army / RBG Fam) was born in Tuskegee, Ala. His rebellious nature helps remind people everyday that their true independence is still waiting to be claimed. He continues to show listeners that music can be used not only to get money, but also to mobilize and motivate the people.
Umi is perhaps best known for touring the globe, performing and recording with now-legendary revolutionary rap group dead prez. But Umi has also opened for -- or shared the stage with -- The Roots, Dave Chapelle, Mos Def, Styles P, Method and Redman, Busta Rhymes, David Banner, Erykah Badu and others, as well as released several street-classic mixtapes, solo and with his group P.O.W. In 2008, Umi teamed up with Sony Red and DJ Child of Project Groundation to take his solo career to another level. His 2009 release, Project Groundation & Umi present "I'm Just A Prisoner" the mixtape/album, features dead prez, Ayatollah, Mistah F.A.B. and 9th Wonder, among others.
AWKWORD was born the same day as MTV. Some say he was made to make music. But AWKWORD is a paradox, an anomaly, a contradiction... Descendent of the 12 Tribes of Israel, I am the fallen angel of hip hop -- my wings are clipped, torn and tattered, bloodied. I am a tragic personality, the Charlie Brown-slash-George Costanza of rap -- that is, someone who has gotten so used to bad luck that he has learned to turn around and laugh at it. I am the Hunter S. Thompson of hip hop -- brilliant but dangerous. I am the modern-day Abba Kovner -- I risk my life fighting for the underdog, the impoverished, the powerless. I am the people's champ. In high school, I had a 4.3 grade point average but was suspended half the time for beating up racist hicks and misogynist jocks. This didn't stop, until I found hip hop. For me, this music, this culture, is, and always has been, my outlet. I love hip hop, because it saved me, and I would therefore do anything to keep the culture creative, instead of destructive.
AWKWORD is the mastermind behind World View, the earth's first 100%nonprofit global hip hop project, brought to you by The Morgan Stanley Foundation and the world-famous EOW (End of the Weak; EODub).
All proceeds from World View, the album, will be donated to Guns 4 Cameras (a.k.a. Aim to Live), a registered 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to eradicating gun violence through the hip hop-inspired education and empowerment of our inner-city youth. The organization's founder, Hezues R' was shot at 22 times at age 22 -- and survived to re-dedicate his life to saving the streets. The organization's Spokesperson is hip hop icon Pharoahe Monch; he and Hezues travel the country speaking to the youth about hip hop and making the right choices.
With World View, AWKWORD is continuing that tradition of using hip hop music to connect people for positive change.
AWKWORD stands behind a decade-plus in the music business. His first release, "the Sub-Way mixtape," featured such hip hop icons such as Raekwon, Killah Priest and Remedy of Wu-Tang, ILL BILL and Necro, Tragedy Khadafi, GURU of Gang Starr, Scram Jones and others, and received rave reviews industry-wide. According to Elemental Magazine, AWKWORD showed the most heart on the album, while Juicy Magazine said standing out from Eminem would be easy...
The AWKWORD solo debut, "See the Light" (an Exit 97.7 Top Album of 2008), was the inspiration for World View, which is growing as a phenomenon on a daily basis.
Throughout 2009, AWKWORD recorded tracks for World View (as well as for other projects, such as the World View promotional mixtape, dropping a month before), with artists such as Jadakiss, KRS-One, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, ILL BILL, Pace Won, Main Flow, AWOL One and Josh Martinez, amongst many others. He appeared on the hit single "New York Minute," produced by Harry Fraud and featuring Jadakiss, Vast Aire, Mazzi (S.O.U.L. Purpose) and Punchline. And in January-February 2010, the official World View / Guns 4 Cameras / BloomBars collaboration single (prod. by Harry Fraud) is coming to fruition, featuring AWKWORD, Asheru, Jabba (South Africa), Sha Stimuli, Lil Cease, G Fella, and surprise guests.
When World View drops in First Quarter 2010, it will feature production from 15+ nations and every continent on earth -- along with a number of befitting MC cameos (as referenced aboved). "New York Minute" and the World View / Guns 4 Cameras / BloomBars collabo will appear on the album, which is being digitally distributed worldwide.
THIS is the FIRST time anything like this has ever been done in hip hop. AWKWORD is a revolutionary. And WORLD VIEW is just the beginning of his (our) revolution.
Asheru is widely known for performing the opening and closing themes for the popular TV series “The Boondocks,” as well as his pioneering and innovative efforts to forward the hip hop education movement. Asheru also collaborated with Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder to write and perform several songs for the hit TV series. In 2006, Asheru became the first rapper ever to win the prestigious Peabody Award for Journalism, for his writing of Boondocks's controversial "Return of the King" episode. Asheru (of the famed duo Unspoken Heard) has traveled extensively throughout Japan, Europe, Canada and the United States, alongside Common, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Bilal, Ludacris, Edo G, J‐Live, Wordsworth and The Roots. He has collaborated and been featured on projects with Pete Rock, Talib Kweli and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Asheru’s recent collaboration with international funk and breaks band, Fort Knox Five, played in NBA arenas the last two seasons.
Born Gabriel Benn, Asheru is the founder of Guerilla Arts, Inc., a community-based organization specializing in innovative education, cultural arts programming, and professional development. Since 2005, his Hip-Hop Education Literacy Program (HELP) has partnered with dozens of recording artists, including Common, Jay-Z, Kanye West, KRS-One, Nas and Rakim. In 2008, HELP received a letter of endorsement from President (then, Senator) Barack Obama. Today, HELP can be found in classrooms across the country.
On January 15, 2010, Asheru's new supplemental reading workbook series for HELP was released. The workbooks use hip hop lyrics to help students of all ages improve their reading and critical analysis -- and help teachers improve literacy instruction. One of the books features the lyrics of a collaboration between international hip hop icon Nas and African hip hop icon Jabba.
Recently nominated for an African Grammy and winner of the Best Video Award at the MTV Africa Awards, Jabba’s celebrity is evidenced by his chart-topping songs, regular network and television appearances and acclaim by music critics across the globe. Jabba has shared the stage with Will Downing, Angelique Kidjo, Wyclef Jean, Jamie Cullum, Saul Williams, Snoop Dogg and others. Before the MAMA ceremony, Wyclef, a Haitian-American multi-platinum instrumentalist, rapper and record producer, said he planned to record with Jabba, who, he said, is among the select few “representing the new generation of African music."
Jabba, whose real name is Jabulani Tsambo, practices Motswako-style (or, "mixture" in Setswana) rap -- a combinatin of Setswana, Zulu and English. His music ranges from smooth jazzy vocal harmonies to indigenous rhythms to classic 'American' hip hop.
Jabba has received numerous awards and significant recognition for his community work and charity, such as his effort to combat AIDS or promote education and literacy through hip hop. He was invited by Oprah to lecture to students at her Leadership Academy for Girls.
Outside of the United States, Jabba's a regular in the media. In 2007, he won the third season of the reality dance show "Strictly Come Dancing," with his professional dance partner Hayley Bennett. In 2008, he starred as himself in 11 episodes of the e.tv musical soap "Rhythm City." In 2009, he was one of the featured celebrities on the first season of the South African version of the genealogy documentary series "Who Do You Think You Are?" He also appeared on the National Parenting Test episode of the popular quiz show "Test The Nation," serving as Team Captain for the Fathers.
On January 15, 2010, Jabba, also known as Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP), one of South Africa's leading hip hop artists for the last decade, arrived in Washington, D.C., for a two-week residency at BloomBars, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to inspire and unite communities through the arts, while nurturing artists committed to serving the community. The goal of the residency, which lasts through the end of the month, is to build a bridge between the hip hop communities in South Africa and the United States, promoting cross-cultural awareness about critical issues affecting those communities.
I found out today that my mom has cancer, for the third time. Now it's in her bones.
My mom doesn't smoke. She doesn't even drink. She exercises regularly. She eats organic. She uses sunscreen. And she has been a subject of more than one study.
We need more and better research. And one group is doing its best to get us there.
Please click here to donate in the honor of my mother, Debby Mandelbaum.
The next AWKWORD album (after World View) will be The Pink Album, with all proceeds going to fight breast cancer, which is how this all started for my mom -- a gentle soul, a giver, a fighter, a revolutionary...
