Brooklyn, New York rapper Yasiin Bey recently took time to address current events involving the deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner, during an audio recording posted by Stop Being Famous. While offering his commentary, the lyricist stated that we’re at a critical time and added that this critical moment has provided “an opportunity for necessary change.”
“Where are we? We’re at [a] critical time,” Yasiin Bey said. “We’re at [a] watershed moment for humanity. I imagine we’ve been here before and I imagine that we’ve probably been here for longer than we realize. I think many of us are becoming even more aware of where we are. And the urgency to change this miserable condition on this Earth, as Malcolm X said, is occurring to many of us and reaffirming itself. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It’s an opportunity for necessary change. Positive change. And it’s not necessarily convenient or comfortable. As I’m sure it is with any period of growth.
“I read somewhere that in order for an arrow to fly the bow has to be drawn back with some pressure involved and I think we’re all feeling that pressure,” he added. “Some of us are more aware of it than others. Some of us are trying to drown it out. But we all feel it one way or another in indelible ways in these times and days.”
Yasiin then began to read a portion of Max Ehrmann’s 1927 poem, “Desiderata.”
In the second audio recording, Yasiin began his commentary by stating that he was upset and hurt following recent events, and then proceeded to address the power of human beings. He referenced Malcolm X and The Wizard Of Oz while speaking on the power “with us.”
“We have a great deal of power as a people, as human beings,” he said. “To change ourselves and our environments. I think that we’re being tested on that. How much do we believe in our own ability. How much do we believe that we have a right, a duty to defend our quality of life. Our very lives. Do we believe in the system, an oppressive, murderous system, more than we believe in our ability to change it…We’ve been bamboozled, as Malcolm said. We’ve been run amuck. We out here thinking that the wizard of Oz is a giant when the wizard is just a frail, scared figure behind a giant curtain projecting the image of power. And really the power is with us, in us.”
Part one and part two of Yasiin Bey’s audio recordings can be found on Soundcloud.
Black people need to stop acting like savages when they get mistreated by the police. Just cooperate with them and everything will go well. Rioting and looting solves nothing.
PS. How come black people never protest over black on black crime? Sharpton? Jesse? NAACP? New Black Panther Party?
Only ones acting like savages here are the cops. I agree with the rioting and looting part but that ain’t my fucking problem cause none of them businesses are black owned; plus you can buy all that shit back. And all the people you mentioned have been protesting against black on crime, as a matter of fact black on black crime has dropped 67 per cent
How about the the cops not profile and the systematic oppression fuck off. PS. Why aren’t white people protesting white on white crime? Oh yeah, Sharpton, Jesse, NAACP and Black Riders are fighting black on black crime also dumbass. Educate yourself.
why these devils keep making excuses for police killing young black kids, it bogs me.
Now they’re looking for, where’s the a national out cry for the little white girl please!!!!! you can bet your ass somebody gonna pay for that a thousand times over!
it is no secret that the enemy still wants you to “cooperate”, he still needs you. his greatest asset was never the gold (look at those nations that are poor now, spain, portugal, france), the materialistic gains (anybody can have that), nor the natural resources (he doesn’t control them), it’s his former slave, who had to submit to his deviancy and be dependent on his goods and services. Once you see the bigger picture, you can retort to their ignorance with how THEY protest (tea party=guns and racial slur signs with the klan present. occupy=concluded with a bunch of homeless addicts in tents surrounded by funk & needles). and how their own pundits NEVER protest.
“who had to submit to his deviancy and be dependent on his goods and services” – you just described gang culture which rules over the black community using violence and fear
a turf war isn’t the same as rigging the rates by a utility company. I don’t know what world you live in but gang members pay utility bills too. it’s to the point now where either your attempts at being a devil’s advocate or bigot are failing miserably, you’re a plant, or just this badly assimilated.
ETK & You’re a Dumbass – It’s because cops profile and because of their “systematic oppression”
that the crime rate has dropped 67%
Fuck this nigga. Talking loud and saying nothing, keep quoting Malcolm X as if that’s gonna destroy white supremacy. Plus you talking all that inspirational shit all the way from South Africa lmao I can’t take these hotep niggas seriously. Niggas go to an asian owned store to spend 10 dollars on a kufi and dashiki that cost 50 cents to make and think they’re changing the system. And don’t he got like 4 children by non-black women???
how do you know he went to an asian store if he’s in south africa and you’re not? I can’t take dudes like you seriously, we speaking on this age old topic and you bring up gossip. hardly revolutionary, “down with the struggle” talk man, go fix yourself
I respect this brotha, but some people are too smart for their own good..Why the man stop rappin?
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Hey Dante, ‘proud’ black man, how many of your kids you actually raised? None? Had to run your cornball ass back to Africa to avoid child support? So who’s the ‘oppressor’ here, exactly?
Mos Def is a fucking fraud on every level, an insult to Malcom, Martin– an insult to fucking Malcolm Jamaar Warner even!! Proof that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and though, broadly, his ideas are sound, his misunderstanding of pretty much everything makes him sound like a motherfucking retard. Eat too many paint chips growing up, Dante?
The Problem of Police Brutality
The evidence shows that white policemen are the main perpetrators of police brutality against blacks and minorities. The outrage about the unjustified killing of black men by white policemen should focus on the cause of the problem. This incidence is largely due to inappropriate recruitment and training personnel. Recruitment personnel should be properly trained to identify and reject applicants with undesirable character traits like racism and xenophobia. Training personnel should be equipped to include a cultural sensitivity component in the training program. Any improvement in the quality of policing would require a complete reorientation of police recruitment and training programs and procedures. In addition, police officers who display undesirable character traits should be removed from the police force. Police officers are given overwhelming authority and lethal weapons to exercise that authority. It is therefore necessary that these officers be thoroughly vetted. Responses kr0636@shaw.ca.
Cephas Keith Reyes, PhD.
Well said. You should post more often on here.