July 2013

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THE COME UP

JULY 2013

GOD BLESS TRAYVON On July 13, I was on the basketball court in a predominately white town

WHAT’S UP 2

Is Kendrick Lamar Hip-Hop’s New Hope?

(Lyndhurst, New Jersey) when my friend received a text message from his wife that said George Zimmerman was found not guilty.

While on the basketball court I began to pay attention to my surroundings and I noticed that besides my friend and I there were only three other black people in the park and on the court. What was crazy about my observation was that the other 3 people in the park were teenage boys no older than 16 years of age. These 3 young men were interacting with a group of at least 30 other white teens without a problem. However, the first thing I

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Lupe has a message.

thought about was what if any one of these young white girls were to accuse these young men of sexual misconduct? Would these boys probably end up getting a lifetime prison sentence? After that thought crossed my mind, the second thought I had was what would happen if one of these young men walked one of the girls home? Would they be murdered and labeled a villain like Trayvon Martin? If I said no, I would be truly lying to myself; just like many Americans believe we are living in a post-

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Is Kendrick Lamar Hip-Hop’s New Hope ?

You have heard him with hip-hop’s

Lamar’s story, which is told

elite like Dr. Dre, The Game, Drake,

vigorously on his album “Good Kid

Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Talib Kweli,

M.A.A.D. City,” details some of his

Busta Rhymes, E-40, Bun B, Tech

adventures on the streets of

N9ne and Lil Wayne ... he is Dr.

Compton, Calif., where no matter

Dre’s newest protégé, and I say

how he tried, bloodshed and gang

hip-hop’s future, TDE/Aftermath’s

violence followed him and was

newest artist Kendrick Lamar.

ever present.

Dr. Dre’s track record has been

Lamar felt driven to give a real

tremendous when it comes to

assessment of what a young, Black

individuals he has blessed the hip

male goes through in urban

hop world with, in essence gifting

environments like Compton. He did

hip hop with the likes of Ice Cube,

so in an over 12-minute song,

Snoop Lion (Dogg), Eminem, 50

called “Sing About Me, I’m Dying

Cent, and The Game. So why

of Thirst,” something

would consumers of the culture

unprecedented in today’s hip-hop,

expect anything different with his

or rap music.

latest protégé in Lamar?

“I had to make it a true story and The name Kendrick Lamar has

being able to challenge myself to

been an underground fixture in hip-

make it still interesting for the

hop for years now, bringing an

listener, without boring them, so the

innate lyricism to West Coast hip-

details had to be real intricate,”

hop; he is surely one of the best

said Lamar.

that hip-hop has to offer at this present time. Lamar has had a

This new hope for hip-hop is

loyal following that has been

gaddddining ground in a major

galvanized by his diligent presence

way, debuting with the No. 2

on the internet.

album in the country on the first week of its release, and now

“I just wanted to keep doing

months later the album has gone

everything that got me here, the

past gold-selling status. Lamar still

dedicated fans that bought the

seems surprised and humbled by it

album, I just wanted to keep that

all.

and take it up a notch and tell my story,” he said.

“I must stay with my feet firmly planted to the ground,” he said.

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July 2013

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Lamar cited a West Coast hip-hop legend as one of his greatest influences.

Ice Cube’s classic and platinum selling album, 1991’s “Death Certificate,” deemed controversial by the mainstream for its Nation of Islam influences, was often played by his father throughout Lamar’s childhood.

“My pops played the Death Certificate album all day; Cube in general always had that influence on part of my style. And the way I write and rap comes from Cube’s style, he spoke from that zone of speaking truth, from a street perspective, but at the same time having a message behind it,” declared Lamar.

Lamar has utilized his influence in hip-hop to say what needs to be said. He recently spoke out about the drug craze in rap culture, called Molly, a new name for ecstasy pills. According to MTV he recently said, “Sometimes you have the trends that’s not that cool. … You may have certain artists portraying these trends and don’t really have that lifestyle and then it gives off the wrong thing. And it becomes kinda corny after awhile. It’s really about keeping hip-hop original and pushing away the corniness in it.” He also addresses the use of Molly in his newest music video for “Don’t Kill My Vibe.”

Lamar continued his talk with The Final Call by giving his thoughts on violence troubling inner cities throughout America. “I can tell them to stop the violence all day. They going to do what they want to. What I represent to them is know the consequences, only a few make it out that game, to do something else. At the end of the day, you reap what you sow,” he said.

It’s reflected in riveting lyrics in “Sing About Me,” “Tired running/tried hunting my own kind/but retiring nothing” Lamar is the truth right now.

(Jihad Hassan Muhammad is the managing editor for The Dallas Weekly and co-founder of Dynasty Hip-Hop Inc. Mentoring Program.)

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July 2013

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(Continued from page. 1)

racial society. The result from the

myself.” This is the kind of

message he left behind addressing the

Zimmerman and Martin case is just

people we are living with.

criminal justice system. Cocharan said:

another example of the prejudge,

With murders, not friends,

racism, and justice that black folks in

but murders.

America receive. For example, forty-

In the criminal justice system the presumption that you are

Eljiah Muhammad wrote this

innocent until proven guilty just

excerpt in 1965 and in 2103 his

doesn’t exist, particularly if a

words are still a description to the

suspect is black or Latino. But if a

Every day our lives we are

hell black Americans receive in the

defendant – a black, brown, or

at your mercy. An army of

United States of America and

white defendant – has enough

policemen throughout the

throughout the world. Besides the

money, if he can afford a

country with clubs in their

racial aspect of the Zimmerman

competent lawyer, if he is

hands set out to beat the

and Martin case, there was also

fortunate enough to find a judge

“nigger” and to shoot the

the issue of resources.

who understands what the

“nigger” if they feel like it.

Zimmerman’s father was a retired

constitution means, if he is

judge and had all the connections

innocent – he might be

to make this case a walk in the

acquitted, although there is no

park for his son. Zimmerman had

guarantee of that. It’s all about

the resources to create a lot of

money.

eight years ago, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad wrote that:

Nothing is hindering him. He is not going to go to prison for doing it. All he has to do is to tell the judge that he shot that old “nigger” and

“testalying” on the stand.

the judge will wink his eye at

After hearing the results from this

him and say “wish I had a

case, I immediately thought of

chance to shoot him

Johnnie Cocharan and the

I concur; Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict was just that, All About MONEY!

Trayvon is not the first and will not be the last person that will have to experience injustice in America

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July 2013

Hip Hop Quote of the Month Hey shawty, ain’t no future in no gang-bang And ain’t no manhood in no bang-bang Ain’t no honor cleanin’ interstates inside a chain-gang Know some rap niggas put that shit inside your mainframe Pills make you stupid and liquor do the same thing 'Raris too expensive and they way too hard to maintain Get yourself a Camry, "nigga said a Camry?"

Watch that ho depreciate and then you’ll understand me It’s called being fiscally responsible Don’t let these lying images up in hip-hop here conquer you The TV’s not your father fool, that video’s not your momma Try your best to be a man and your worst to be a monster Lupe Fiasco from Roses

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