Op/Ed - USA TODAY

Hip-hop's grim undertones

Tue Oct 29, 7:33 AM ET
Mark Goldblatt

The mainstream media are slowly catching up with the buzz on hip-hop Web sites about a possible connection between John Allen Muhammad, indicted in the Washington-area sniper case, and a virulently racist black group called the Five Percent Nation of Gods and Earths, to which several of today's most popular rap acts have acknowledged longstanding ties.

The Associated Press has reported that notes left at two shooting scenes contain language and symbols associated with the Five Percenters, who splintered off from the Nation of Islam (NOI) in 1964 and consider themselves a culture, not a faith. Muhammad was once a NOI member, but the FBI (news - web sites) declined to comment on any connection between the sniper's notes and the Five Percenters, whose leaders also did not comment. If the connection is proved true, however, the repercussions will be felt throughout an element of the hip-hop community that already is rife with suspicion and animosity toward white society.

The group's philosophy rejects most accepted authority and history. It teaches that 85% of people are ignorant followers and another 10% try to lead those ignorant masses to enrich themselves. The enlightened Five Percent who remain have true knowledge and must wage war against the 10% for control. The details of what the Five Percenters believe and how they act on those beliefs are disputed. Some in law enforcement deem the group a racist gang. South Carolina's prison system has rated all Five Percenter prisoners security threats.


Black male Five Percenters are ''Gods'' and will refer to themselves as God. One letter from the sniper contained the demand that police call the author ''God'' and a stock Five Percenter phrase, ''word is bond,'' along with five stars, also used by the group. A tarot card left at another shooting stated, ''I am God.''

'Open season'

As the Anti-Defamation League and a few scholars have noted, Five Percenter theory stands behind the apocalyptic visions of race war expressed in the rap music of some of the more influential hip-hop performers. In Goin Bananas, Da Lench Mob raps: ''We're having thoughts of overthrowing the government . . . it's open season on crackers, you know; the morgue will be full of Caucasian John Does . . . oh my god, Allah, have mercy; I'm killing them devils because they're not worthy to walk the earth with the original black man . . . I won't rest until they're all dead.''

Sunz of Man, an offshoot group of the wildly popular Wu-Tang Clan, repeats similar ideas in the song Can I See You: ''Camouflaged for the mission; use your third eye to see the Israelite; detect those who tell lies . . . carry .45s in these last days and times . . . I was born to survive a soldier, and I strive, with a duty to civilize these 85s . . . an original black man with a plan to run these devils off our . . . land; now listen real close while I explain the operation.''

A rap by the group Brand Nubian is even less subtle: ''It's all about brothers rising up, wising up, sizing up a situation, but getting fit within the Nation . . . I sing sounds of math on behalf of the Gods and the Earths . . . now face your maker and take your last breath; the time is half past death.''

Wide influence

These acts' appeal is largely limited to hard-core hip-hop fans, but even artists who've crossed over to mainstream audiences and whose videos turn up regularly on MTV, such as rappers Busta Rhymes, Rakim and Nas, have flirted with Five Percenter concepts. What's unnerving is that these acts are not only among the most critically acclaimed hip-hop stars, but they are acclaimed precisely because they're considered the most politically sophisticated rappers.

The question, of course, isn't whether hip-hop performers have a constitutional right to express crazy, or even racially incendiary, ideas. Clearly, they do. The question is to what degree their fans are taking them seriously as they try literally to drum an us-against-them mind-set into young black people.

Pubic Enemy's Chuck D., the first overtly political rapper, once called hip-hop ''the black CNN.'' It will be a terrible development if it turns out that John Allen Muhammad was tuning in for the news.

Mark Goldblatt, the author of Africa Speaks, a satire of hip-hop culture, lives in New York.

http://story.news.yahoo.c...ay/4572416

Woah...we're all headed for hell in a handbasket...

I don't feel so good.

sag10 said:

I know...damn!

Ice, you seem pretty uptight lately. What's the matter honey? Why don't you chill out, sit down with a nice hot cup of dark coco, and imagine yourself on a hot, whitesand beach with all the pretty ladies dilly dallying over your thang. Explore new wonders, maybe your posts will become a little more non... Well, I'll let you finish the sentence. Your avatar speaks for itself, seems so ...ooo scurry! (Scurry - an adverb of the word Scud - a verb - In Ebonics that's scarry and scared!).

As a "whitebread" or a "cracker," sometimes called a "white devil," I feel very frightened and hurt by the five-percenters.

I will now retire to a corner to stand in a puddle of urine with a snot bubble in each nostril while I wait for the racist menace to do their evil bidding.

SweeTea said:

How am I uptight?

I did not write the article, but I thought that some people might be interested in reading it.

IceNine said:

Go back and review your posts, examine the gist of them, and tell me you're not uptight bout something.

SweeTea said:

Oh come on SweeTea, now why are you getting on IceNine's case?

sag10 said:

i dont think SweeTea is getting on Ice's case...Ive been asking him the same question for the past two weeks...Something's going on...

Icebuddy...work getting to ya? whats up?

however...i dont think this thread adds to my concerns...

im more concerned about creating "negativity" threads...

this info is interesting...

SkletonKee said:

Mr. Kee I don't understand?! I thought you and IceNine were in the same corner..

IceNine is the same sarcastic, critical, person that he has always been..Well nevermind he can hold his own..

sag10 said:

You call this getting on his case? I haven't done that yet. He's the one posting all this crazy stuff.

did'nt he kill whites also.i'm afraid this guy was just a nut. he sure was'nt the sharpest pencil in the box. they blamed killings before on rock groups, 4 columbine, and ozzy 4 some fools showing stupidity with a gun back in the day.bottom line if music is the infleunce we are in a world of trouble because its plenty deadly shit out 2 listen 2. lets just hope messages of love.[c the rainbow children] can be sung in the ears of the evil ones 2 make us all love each other

IceNine said:

You think you're slick. You're trying to start a race riot here. Using the same tactics the govenment uses -- fear!

But it won't work. This game is stupid. People are getting tired of all the division. We here are all Prince fans. This is our bonding thread. If you don't like it get the ___!

sag10 said:

Good thing Mr. Kee got a mind of his own. "God bless the child that's got his own!" Never was a truer statement stated!

SweeTea said:

Maybe not, but this is the kind of stuff he has always brought to the attention of the Org...Not for racial undertones, he is not like that. But for conversation, and discussion.

Please don't take it as racial, it is not...Much respect SweeTea...

sag10 said:

ohh yeah, we are on the same side...im on everybody's side here...but my woman intuition..(wait, im not a woman)...tells me Ice is in need of a huge...



hehehehehe...im just having fun. shoot me. wait, after reading this article..i take that back. :hide:

i wonder is it possible 2 have only topics of love and music and positive things on all threads just 4 one day. one day thats all. we could all show each other love 4 one small day, just 2 make everyone feel good. there is enough shit going on as it is in the world, i do look 4 a little peace of mind here just one day. lets call it a day of love. and just 4 the hell of it lets make it. on all days oct 31. what u say guys

SkletonKee said:

You had me scared for a minute..

one 4 the org

sitting chilling with a brew got a little bored
so i'll check my main sight called prince org
want 2 talk about some funk that will butter my bread
but i'll probably have 2 sift through all the hate threads
found one talking bout prince org poets
but ain't none bad as me,i guess they dont know it
cant share all my shit cause u know i have 2 use it
funky ass lines i write i put'em 2 some music
a warning 2 the new bloods who have just arrived
watch what u say about prince or you'll b eaten alive
signing off now, can all ya'll hear it
funky joel comming with sounds
2 go with his lyrics

Hey SweetTea, relax a little... bottom line is that it was an interesting article and it was worth posting I think. I certainly don't think anyone could accuse this of being intended solely as flamebait - so far the only flaming being done has been by yourself

Anyway if you think IceNine is a bit uptight lately, just give the guy hug and cheer him up Group Org hug everyone... ahhh doesn't that feel better!

ian said:

Everybody's always defending him. As I've stated before I haven't flamed him yet. As far as hugs go, I'm all for that. If I've made Ice feel bad, then I'm sorry. I know he always posts these kinds of things, but I don't think he's the objective person he perperates to be. But I'm woman enough to admit my misinterpretation, and if I have misinterpreted his intentions I apologize. Kisses & hugs Ice. But like the old saying goes, "if you can't take it don't dish it out".

Now, with that said and done, what is your response to the article? What are your feelings? Seriously. Let's then get down to the real nitty gritty. Leave no stone unturned. Examine your gut reactions.

Enlightening if disturbing ...

sag10 said:

I'm not trying to make it racial. I didn't post this thread. Thanks for the respect, same back to you. But you mark my word, if people respond to this thread expressing their true feelings, it will end up being racial and full of hate.

Brand Nubian,Da Lench Mob,and Sunz Of Man;three groups that have no relevance in hip hop today. The author tries to make a point that many hip hop acts are associated with a "racist" organization but lists not one current act to make his point. If indeed the five percenters are "racist" is he trying to blame the sniper attacks on their influence of the suspects? Or is it the fault of Louis Farrakhan and The Nation Of Islam as Sean Hannity claims.

I'm just glad to see a "normal" post around this house!

I'm getting tired of "Who can throw a ham further, Prince or Oprah?" style of posts.

To anyone stupid enough to think that this post is racist:

I did not write the article, it is from USA Today's website and was written by whoever it says wrote it. I also included the link to the original site for reference.

There is nothing racist about posting an article about possible racism in a subsection of rap music and I believe that the ones who cry racism the quickest and loudest are the real racists.

Thank you for your time,
Tony

SweeTea said:

Trust me, you don't want to get into a flame war with me...

I am not mad at you and I have not posted anything even REMOTELY racist, so please don't call me a racist for posting something that was not racist in and of itself.

I would truly appreciate it if you would refrain from calling me a racist.

IceNine said:

This obsolutely not racist.