The Billiken's Bluff

I like rap music. I'm usually willing to look past the 'white man as devil' rhetoric and focus on the redeeming elements of a song.

A week ago, in a post that didn't quite get off the ground, Neill and I were all set to discuss the merits of Talib Kweli, who happens to be performing at the NYU Kimmel Center this Thursday at 8pm. Talib has the reputation of being intelligent and 'conscious' of some of the real issues facing America.

Today I was on Sohh.com and read an interview with the 'social activist' hip hop tandum, known as Dead Prez. I was left with the impression that they were completely unconscious. You should read the entire interview but here are a few of the highlights.


As you can see Dead Prez is truly revolutionary, what with the Che Guevara T-shirt and all.

1. What community activism organizations are y'all working with presently?


Stic.man: We're trying to start a company called BOSS UP. Trying to develop independent Black men.

M1: BOSS UP!

Stic.man: sh!t like that.

(Ok fine I'm with them so far, they didn't really explain how BOSS UP will create strong black men, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, remember they are 'conscious' and socially aware)

2. Do you agree with the FCC ban of Howard Stern?

Stic.man: Ban that cracker. Take him off. I don't give a sh!t about no Howard Stern.

(Well that's pretty cut and dry)

3. Reggaeton has a lot of ass shaking involved. I'm surprised dead prez is into it.

Stic: You gotta have ass shaking. Nobody wanna get free if there's no asses shaking.

Stic: I'm militant fo sho'. But I like ass shaking.

(Well put)

4. What does freedom involve? (A tough question that even Plato struggled with)

Stic: Freedom is keeping it G to the fullest. Owning our own and having what we need in abundance. Thinking about what we're gonna do with our time on the earth.

So are you guys going around hugging trees?

Stic: A tree hugger? sh!t, I'll give a tree a hug. To me that's a given. First you have to get rid of this bastard system for you to be focusing in the ozone. The way the system is set up is why the ozone is so f#@$ed up. I don't want the atmosphere to burn up... that's gonna f#@$ the game up. I don't know if I gotta start with that first. When we get rid of these crackers off my back we gonna fix the ozone.

(The ozone needs you Stic.man, make some moves)

5. Stic: Hey I got a tangent question for you. What's worse a cracker or crack?

Well, crackers put crack in our community.

Stic: OK. What's worse... whitey or the White House?

Do you vote? Sometimes I really get unmotivated to do so.

Stic: Nope. Ain't nobody running.

M1: I'll be voting for the Hot 10 at 10. I be hitting that all the time. Vote for "Hell Yeah" dead prez featuring Jay-Z. Vote for that.

(That's the spirit, Rock the Vote, let FunkMaster Flex hear what kind of change the people want!)

I'm reminded of another Talib Kweli line... (who, might I add, is starting to look better and better in contrast to some of his peers, kind of addition by subtraction). Talib says, "The community needs us, but rappers just ain't the right leaders." If that isn't 'conscious', at least that is self-aware.