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#2273 - Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - Editor: Jerry Katz
Hiphop Kulture is presented lyrically and with commentary by Justin F. Miles, hiphop activist. family counselor, and Buddhist practitioner living in Baltimore. This is exclusive to The Highlights.
People like Justin, KRS-ONE, Saul Williams, Jeru Damaga, Ken Wilber, dj non-d, and others, are consciously bringing some non-d (nonduality) kulture to Hiphop simply by casting a light upon it as it is. Hiphop is a tremendous force for and of young people and not only in a materialistic sense. Yes, there is the capitalistic side of Hiphop, with which everyone is familiar, but there is the spiritual side too. Hiphop is a very powerful communicator and imparter of spiritual force. When the most radical nondual expression on a par with someone like a U.G. Krishnamurti finds expression through Hiphop, and it will happen, watch out. It will be pure scripture and genius. Maybe you can see glimpses of it in the lyrics below.
--Jerry
Jeru the Damaja “The Bullshit”
Ladies and gentlemen Children of all ages It's me, Jeru the Damaja And I'm here to present to you today The bullshit
Yes, this is the bullshit, the extreme bullshit The absolute bullshit This is the, bullshit of bullshit. This bullshit is so bullshit, I NEVER wanna hear this bullshit on the radio, or in my children's ears, cause it's bullshit you know? So, as we talk about the bullshit and what bullshit is I'ma drop the bullshit on you right now. You know, the bullshit goes like this
Jump up in my Rolls Royce, top choice
Make em holler, everything I do is for a dollar
Fuck being civilized, I got dollar signs in my eyes
One day I'll fall, but for now I'll rise
Trust me, as the stink stuff, fries up
I'm cookin up I used to spend the nights in spots run up
buck buck but now I'm all growed up and blowed up
And believe me, baby paw, I got it all sewed up
And the loot is in big bags and all stored up
And the niggaz I used to run with is all locked up
But, I'll keep bubblin, got em on the corners like court jesters jugglin,
avoid the late night mugging Because stick up kids be bugging
I paid my dues so I'm on some exotic island Smilin, sun shinin all off my diamonds
Sippin on martinis bad hookers in bikinis
A airplane load of exotic work from
Plus a squad of killer bitches that all carry uzis
I got a lot so if it gets too hot
Jump in the billion dollar jet, or the million dollar yacht Got the Teflon vest, in case they knock me out the box
Oh no, I think I hear gunshots... *rat-atat-atat-tat*
This is all a dream sequence meant to show the listener, that many of today’s youth believe in these dreamlike messages sent through radio and video that have to do with the lower forms of human and Hiphop development. Through writing songs like this one Jeru and others hope to turn listeners towards what is considered “real Hiphop” or what is Hiphop in general. It is not the hope of this writer nor of many conscious Hiphop artists to eliminate lower forms of development, but to create a sense of balance between lower and higher forms of human expression.
KRS-ONE
A great example of an injunctive message is KRS-ONE’s song called “The Real Holy Place” describing, although abrasively, how he feels one is to truly experience “God”. Hiphop is intentionally in your face and if one is to look at the message of these lyrics clearly, one must look through the harshness of its delivery. KRS is not anti-religions, he is however pro-Black and anti-duality.
Why are metaphysical teachings forbidden?
Why are metaphysical teachings forbidden?
Why are metaphysical teachings forbidden?
The only way to talk to God is in church?
Hah hah hah, you must be KIDDING
For years they kept God hidden
Look for God in self, not in what's written
Turn this up and listen
If your slavemaster wasn't a Christian you wouldn't be a Christian *whip cracks*
If your slavemaster wasn't a Christian you wouldn't be a Christian *whip cracks*
If your slavemaster wasn't a Christian YOU wouldn't be a Christian!!! *whip cracks twice* Your whole culture's missing
Hebrews are African, see they originated Judaism
The belief in one God is monotheism, see the truth is not hard
All you gotta know is the facts When religion mixes with politics... it ALL GETS WACK
You gotta know your history, or they'll tell you that God is a mystery
And when you're born, you're born in sin That's bullshit. That's BULLSHIT!
They're only saying you can't win You can't succeed, you can't achieve.
Don't ask about God, just sit there and believe
Well I ain't tryin to hear that lesson
Cause one thing I know
Cause one thing I know
Cause one thing I know is that the truth can always be questioned
YEAH that's how I'm livin
Ask and ye shall be given
When you're lyin, hah hah hah, you got no answers
You got handclappers and a WHOLE lotta dancers in the church or sanctuary
They all forgot Jesus was a revolutionary
They all forgot Jesus was a revolutionary
They all forgot Jesus was a revolutionary!!!
that hung out with criminals
I would say read the Bible but it's not the original
So it's really misleading If you don't know the history of the author you don't know what you're reading
If you DON'T know the history of the author you don't know what you've read
You can't taste the nectar
That answers the question on why I do lectures
Cause where every MC claims to be the teacher, I be DISSIN professors
Keep that Bible on your shelf God helps those that help themselves
Stop reading from a dead book
Stop reading from a dead book for a live God!
You know how stupid you look!
God reads the Bible with you
You both read the language of the devil that's dissing you
What can the next man do with a Bible in his hand that you yourself can't do?
Whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, or Jew Burning candles don't get you down with the universal crew
So why you dress up on Easter and worship a false Mary that looks like Mona Lisa?
Hah hah, damn you lost On Christ-mas, what's the purpose of Santa Claus? *bells jingle*
On Christ-mas, what's the purpose of Santa Claus? *bells keep jingling*
On Christmas what's the purpose of Santa Claus!!! Or Saint Nicklaus,
I'm sick of this wickedness All revolutionaries check this I'm not synthetic
I'm not anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, anti-Buddhist, or anti-Semitic
But I will set it off in the temple Cause the real holy place is mental
The real holy place is mental
The real holy place is mental *starts echoing*
The real holy place is mental *echoing a lot*
The real holy place is mental! The real holy place is mental!!!
Mental-physical, metaphysical
The True Power of Hiphop
The elements, artists, history, and culture of Hiphop possess the ability to correctly demonstrate a path -- for those who wish to follow it faithfully and wholly -- towards experiencing reality, just as much as the world's largest religions separate or combined. This is the true power of Hiphop Kulture. It should be noted that it is not the author's intent to say that Hiphop is a new religion, but it is a way of life for many and should be seen as a viable way of connecting with spirit.