I will preface my comments by saying that I am prepared for the backlash.  I already know that people that don’t know me and people that know me alike may not like what I have to say.  The thing about me is I will never be afraid to say things that I feel are truly important to anyone that is willing to listen.  The other day, a co-worker and I were looking at images of slavery.  One image that stood out to me was an overseer ready to crack a whip on a slave that was laying face down.  In one fell swoop, a statement played in my head.  Drug dealers are overseers.  As many times as I have looked at images of the triangular slave trade, at that moment I was able to look at another trade in a similar light.

Let's look at it like this.  The government is responsible for pushing drugs into our communities (whether they are illegal, prescription, or over the counter drugs.  They are creating the slaves.  That would make them the slave masters.  The drug dealers are responsible for distributing the product inside of our communities.  The are monitoring the slaves and keeping them as such.  That would make them the overseers.  And well…the drug users are the slaves.  They have allowed themselves to become slaves.  They have allowed themselves to totally dependent on mind altering drugs that no longer allow them control of their own faculties.  Does that sound familiar?

The thing about this particular goods and services trade is that the slaves don’t realize that they are slaves and the drug dealers don’t realize that they are overseers.  Some slaves accepted that as there role.  Whether you where a house slave or a field slave, you were lucky to receive your food, clothes, and shelter.  Through generations of the triangular slave trade, slaves were no longer conditioned act as kings and queens who made their own decisions and control their own destiny.  Now believed to be in excess of 500 years, the mindset from that captivity is still alive today.  And let's not forget about the overseers.

A consistent worldview from drug dealers is that if I don't do it, someone will.  To my understanding, that means that they will not let themselves be the drug addicted as they want to maintain control of the own destiny.  Furthermore, they have to profit in some way because they no longer want to live in poverty and succumb to the same ills that we all go through.    They feel that someday they will be above all of this.  The problem will that thinking is that they may strictly get comfortable getting more privileges then the slaves…the ability to eat more, spend more, and maintain more of the finer things in life…the love of the life, the love of the attention, and the love of the position.  Lastly, they lose the desire for the grandiose dreams that they once wanted to achieve.

The common denominator is this deplorable system is the government/slave masters.  My theory is that it's all about money.  We all know about the cash crops of that time, such as sugar, cotton, and tobacco, for example.  Also, the goods of that time, such as guns, ammunition, and precious minerals were profitable items to procure.  But in order to take people against their will and get them to work for you, you have to break them down psychologically.  You have to break down their families.  You have to separate their families.  You have to force them to forget their history.  You have to force them to be unintelligent.  You have to BREAK THEIR SPIRIT.

This is not only what they did before, but this is what they are doing now.  The images on TV and movies, the popularization of social media, and the messages in music fully illustrate this.  Drug dealing, drug use, and prison culture in music appears to be at an all time high.  At one time, I only remember seeing Cops as the show that fully depicted criminal activity.  Now, there is Lockup, The First 48, American Gangster, Gangland, among others that achieved prominence within the last decade.  This is all while sitcoms like Black-ish are few and far between.

While we are on the subject of TV, let's take a look at this.  In most sitcoms depicting affluent families, there are normally 2-4 children.  However, let's take the Maury Show, a show that almost revolve around people having blood tests for children that people are non-committed to raising.  And that's where it starts.  It starts with the youth.  The system of the drug trade continues to doom children from the start.  Of course, if good parenting is absent from the equation, then that is exactly what will happen.  The women like the bad boys.  When the women like the bad boys, they often attach themselves to instability.  When you attach yourself to instability, there isn't much hope for structure.

Which leads to many mentally disturbed children that become mentally disturbed men and women.  I don't want to confuse that with mental retardation or the mentally challenged. I lot of these children are bred from drug dealers and women that love them.  Or maybe even worse, the guys that idolize the drug dealers and hustlers that would never do it.  Either way, we are producing young men and women that are not ready for the world.  They have no hope for the world.  Furthermore, they have no hope of getting out of their own world.  Thus, we are perpetuating the trap.  The trap only transports us between the block, the penitentiary, and the cemetery.  This is our new triangular trade.

If we are to every break the chain of this trade, we must get into a better space emotionally, mentally, and socially.  We must break the dependency of others.  We must break the dependency from substances.  And not only the dependency from substances but the fascination of it (which may be even worse than the dependency).  Otherwise, we will continue to be the slaves and overseers of the slave masters.  I refuse to be a slave.  I detest drug dealing and drug using.  I detest the fascination of it.  I come from a neighborhood and live in a neighborhood now where that is very prevalent and that is unacceptable.  Yet, we continuously accept of environment.  We continuously accept the images that portray us.  And we must all say NO MORE from now on.  Otherwise, we will continue to be controlled by forces that are lesser than us. 

I mean, hell, the government makes far too much money off of our blood, sweat, and tears.  Are we to just hand it over easily now?  By inhabiting their prisons for them to obtain our cheap labor?  By pushing their drugs to destroy our own communities?  By perpetually turning on ourselves and killing each other?  The system started with pitting ourselves against each other.  The system remains with pitting ourselves against each other.  To keep us as slaves.  To keep us as overseers.  To keep us as cash crops.  To keep us inferior.  Hopefully, some people will wake up after reading my words today.  If not, I pray for all as I know that today will not be the end all be all for us.  PEACE TO ALL!

    There is controversy in hip hop right now.  It's something that I did not want to speak on, but it is still a hot topic.  The Grammy Awards were a few weeks ago and it is arguably the most important music award show.  Going in there was somebody that was heavily favored by the public to win the Rap Album of the Year Award.  That person undoubtedly was Kendrick Lamar.  He set the mainstream hip hop scene on fire; dropping a platinum selling debut album.  Someone else was in the category, however, that appeared to upset Kendrick for the award.  That person was Macklemore.  There has definitely been audacious uproar over this subject.  People believe that Kendrick was robbed, and even Macklemore said it himself.  But hear me out...Macklemore deserved to win the award.

    Macklemore deserved to win the Rap Album of the Year Award at the Grammys for one reason that people seem to forget...it's the Grammys.  Is this not the award show that barely shows any coverage of hip hop on it's show?  Is the not the award show that numerous hip hop artists have boycotted due to previous events of the best hip hop artists not getting their well-deserved shine?  Is this not the award show that was seriously considering not even having Macklemore on the hip hop ballot and leaving him pop?  Yes, this is that award show.  It is clear that the Grammys aren't a patheon for hip hop music.  Therefore, who really values their opinion?

    I believe that there are people that love to be upset; blinded by the fact that they can be upset at the wrong things.  I don't go to the Grammy Awards to be a great critic of hip hop music.  Just like I wouldn't go to a restaurant to talk politics with the waitress.  Just like I wouldn't go to church to to talk sports.  And I definitely wouldn't look for an award show that gave Milli Vanilli recognition some time ago.  There is definitely a problem with the portrayal of mainstream hip hop.  However, consumers around the world love pop records.  And someone who has rap skills but has a niche for pop records, Macklemore has been winning in the mainstream hip hop scene. 

    Us as the hip hop audience cannot ignore that.  Yes, he's white.  Yes, he's pop.  Yes, Kendrick Lamar may have more substance.  But this is what gets spins.  This is what gets accolades.  And this is what gets awards.   I don't look for critics to tell me what's hot or to confirm what's not.  I critique for myself.  I study for myself. I formulate my own opinion.  Because as much as I would like to hear more substance with my hip hop on the radio, I know that real hip hop is NOT on the radio.  And who I believe is the best hip hop artist holds more weight in my mind then what the BET Awards, MTV Awards, Billboard Awards, or the Grammys think of hip hop.  And that should go for all of us.  

    In conclusion, The Grammy Awards should never be a judge of hip hop music.  It's clear that they don't know that they don't know what they're talking about (in my opinion).  Like I said, Macklemore can rhyme though he makes the songs that pop in the club.  Hell, if I'm sipping I'll put in work on that dance floor to those same records.  But in the same category with Kendrick Lamar and other artists, he doesn't compare for my taste.  That's why I listen to hip hop music, because it's apparent that the Grammy judges don't.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to not caring.

I must stand my ground with these words.  There is a reason why all of us must stand as law abiding citizens of this society.  There is a reason that we must remain cognizant of public policy.  There is a reason that we must react in every day process.  A certain case is left without justice at this point.  It has been concluded without the right resolution.  Another hollywood trial has been proclaimed a circus.  Instead of looking at simple facts, speculation commenced.  In the case versus George Zimmerman, emotional confusion ensued.  The details of a fight took precedence over initial confrontation.  If you call 911 and speak about suspicious activity in your neighborhood, then you listen to instructions.  If you are told to stay in your car, then you should stay in your car.  The minute you step out of your car, you are initiating confrontation.  If a fight ensues after said confrontation, then whatever may happen will happen.  If you draw your gun and shoot someone because you feared for your life, is that considered self-defense?  Not if you were told to stay in your car.  Not if the slain didn't confront you while you were in your vehicle.  There are law abiding citizens and there are vigilantes.  George Zimmerman was a vigilante.  Last time I checked, vigilantes are criminals.  Vigilantes are self-proclaimed crime fighters.  Batman was a TV show.  Death Wish was a movie.  However, Trayvon Martin had no death wish.  He only had a wish to live and breathe.  George Zimmerman had a wish to fight crime.  Now one thing I won't do right now is speculate whether George Zimmerman is a cold-blooded killer.  I won't speculate whether George Zimmerman is a racist.  I have my reservations and I know many of you do as well.  I do believe Mr. Zimmerman feared for his life after he realized he was in way over his head.  Any physical confrontation can result in death of one or more parties.  Furthermore, in this confrontation if Trayvon Martin killed Mr. Zimmerman, then Mr. Martin should have been convicted of murder or manslaughter.  Therefore, I believe that Mr. Zimmerman should have been convicted of murder or manslaughter.  As racially charged as the climate of this case was, the case shouldn't have even dealt with race.  If you are told to stay in your car, THEN YOU STAY IN YOUR CAR.  YOU DO NOT take the law into your own hands.  That, to me, is where the facts stopped.  There were so many details about the fight.  Whose head was getting bashed in the cement (or grass or ground or whatever the case may have been.)  What was said on a phone conversation.  Whether Mr. Martin grabbed the gun or not.  Just stay in your car.  Now I know a lot of my fellow constituents in my neighborhood thought about reacting or lashing out violently.  Of course the thought is that it has happened to us again.  Once again, justice has not been served.  The jury wrong us.  The prosecution spit in our faces.  The stand your ground law is all kinds of wrong.  They-THEY DID IT TO US AGAIN.  My prayers go out to the family.  My belief is that the family does not want my people becoming vigilantes.  Two wrongs DO NOT make a right.  You know what can help?   That we take responsibility for being law-abiding citizens.  To be role models for the youth.  To stand up in our community.  The easiest way this doesn't occur is if we're incarcerated.  With a felony goes the right to vote, the right to carry, the right to stand on a jury, etc. in many states.  A way for us to stand up is to secure those rights.  We don't just yell when these verdicts happen.  We stand by our rights everyday and proceed as such.  Maybe the next time someone leaves their car, justice will be served.  No matter the race, gender, age, sexual orientation, everyone should secure those rights.  Staying quiet doesn't help.  Rioting and pillaging only hurts.  We must keep the moral support going and NEVER forget.  Let's not forget about Trayvon Martin, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Emmett Till and let's see what happens with Jordan Davis.  I'm sorry let me stop myself.  We already know. Another civil rights movement is upon us, sans figurehead.  Only people of action are allowed in this movement.  The revolution will not be televised but it will be heard.  Just like Trayvon's voice in heaven.  There is a deeper problem.  The injustice in my community.  The civil rights infringements in my community.  The increased pessimism in my community.  But the quest for justice is not over.  The justice system can be fixed.  Pay attention to the process brothers and sisters.  Pay attention to our rights.  Martin Luther King, Jr. said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  Let's secure our rights and they will never be taken from us again.  The revolution will not be televised but it will be heard.  And you will hear it from me.  Thank you all and be blessed.