Fresh Era
In this crazy era of “swag,” rented mansions, bling on lay a way plans, it’s beautiful to find a true diamond that would rather shine through the rubble to shed a little light for those who would otherwise be left in the dark. My spotlight poet this month is Luqmon Abdus-Salaam also known as Wiseservant.You can catch Luqmon on twitter (@wiseservant) ranting about the NBA games but on occasions you can take part in an in depth view of Hip Hop, the artist, and society at the time of an album release. Many Hip Hop enthusiasts today are new to the true spirit and sport to put all of these aspects together to get a greater grasp on the message an artist like Nas was trying to convey at the specific time his album was released. I soon found myself asking @wiseservant about class, we called Hip Hop 101.
Wiseservant was a freelance journalist for many years. He interviewed Hip-Hop artist from Afrika Baby Bam, De La Soul, to Biggie. These big names never stopped his drive to work with the youth in and around his neighborhood of Pittsburg where he continues to shine today sharing his knowledge of the industry and history of Hip Hop with an unbroken chain of Isnad.
Wiseservant also works with Pittsburg native, Akil Esoon on ‘Blended Blue,’ which is a compilation of work built from the ground up. ‘Blended Blue’ allows the music to inspire the poetry, the spoken word. A poet, activist, essayist, blogger, teacher, and artist all words that loosely describe Luqmon, but the inspiration his work fashions in those around him tie it all together.
Twitter: @wiseservant
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/wiseservant
Contact: Wiseservant70@gmail.com
Hijabs and Halos
As the truth in the case of Shaima Alawadi’s brutal murder is tested in labs, coffee house circles of intellectual, on Facebook and Twitter the human of us have to put our egos aside and recognize that there are five children waking up for Fajr without their mother. There is a family that will have to live with the fact that someone beat this woman to death with a tire iron. I saw a post on Facebook and I didn’t just want to tweet it or share it on my own Facebook. I felt that it needed more attention than that. I decided to post it on my blog.
"Dear World:
...over a week ago, an Iraqi Mother named Shaima Alawadi was found in a coma from being beaten by a tire iron, sustaining injuries from which she would later die from. Her death, originally believed to be a hate crime, is now being speculated by some to be an honor killing.
a) What I KNOW is a mother was murdered, and THAT is why I mourn, not because of the shade of WHO did the murder.
b) Our denouncing the taking of innocent life should not be contingent upon who pulls the trigger & swings the tire iron.
c) In my opinion "Honor Killings" ARE hate crimes.
*Justice for ALL lives stolen. | *HoodiesHijabsAndHalos. ~ Mark Gonzales"
https://www.facebook.com/wagebeauty
"Dear World:
...over a week ago, an Iraqi Mother named Shaima Alawadi was found in a coma from being beaten by a tire iron, sustaining injuries from which she would later die from. Her death, originally believed to be a hate crime, is now being speculated by some to be an honor killing.
a) What I KNOW is a mother was murdered, and THAT is why I mourn, not because of the shade of WHO did the murder.
b) Our denouncing the taking of innocent life should not be contingent upon who pulls the trigger & swings the tire iron.
c) In my opinion "Honor Killings" ARE hate crimes.
*Justice for ALL lives stolen. | *HoodiesHijabsAndHalos. ~ Mark Gonzales"
https://www.facebook.com/wagebeauty
3-24-12
During pregnancy she nurtures her unborn child with her own blood. She carries her unborn child for more than nine months providing from her own body. During child birth the danger of possible death is over shadowed by the excitement of meeting her unborn child. Once that child is born she again feeds from herself.
The ignorance of this crime is implausible.
To assault a woman is cowardly.
To attack a woman with a weapon is weak.
To beat someone from behind in their own home is terrorism.
To leave a note saying, “Go back to your country you terrorist” is ironic.
Trayvon, We Can Do Better
Many of us have seen that beautiful baby face in a red Hollister t-shirt. This face is one that moves many to feel emotions that their cognition has not connected words to. This is the face of seventeen year old Trayvon Martin.
As parents, we move our children from rough and dangerous communities to keep our children safe, to provide them with opportunities, and to have a peace of mind when allowing them to walk to the corner store. The last thought in our mind would be that a vigil-anti would gun them down for … looking suspicious and black.
On February 26, 2012 George Zimmerman confessed to fatally shooting Trayvon Martin and has not been arrested. A murderer walks free in Florida and it catches no media attention until February 29th. This grown man playing in his fantasy world of cops and robbers wasn’t registered as neighborhood watch. Of course, why would we expect anything less?
Zimmerman has reportedly called the police with over three dozen false reports. He has also, violated the rules of the Neighborhood Watch which state that you are not to carry a gun nor are you to approach the assailant. Please note that the 911 dispatcher told him not to approach him as well.
Florida’s sorry excuse for a police department sent drug enforcement officers to the scene instead of homicide police. Also, they knew Trayvon was on his cell phone with his girlfriend the whole time. She heard everything that happened and to no surprise, the Florida police never speak to her because after all Zimmerman is claiming self-defense.
I know that many of you are starting to feel that doubt creeping up of the pit of your stomach. I want you to know that the doubt you feel is the whispers of the shayatin. When we rise, when we speak, we smack those people lying to themselves in the face with the truth. Not much has changed. Hip-Hop don’t believe the hype.
Over you will catch new tracks here regarding Trayvon. R.I. P. Trayvon Martin and may your family find peace.
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