DON'T BE QUICK TO JUDGE
 
To the heart of the mind of this human spirit that radiates to the
sounds of the distant drums beaten by the fallen martyrs.

To this black temple that stood the test of time and withstood the
numerous diverse faces that has the pretence of smile.
To the nose of this innocent soul that had been repeatedly fooled and
bullied by corrupted and demented souls of heartless beasts and
hypocritical saints.

On the larger scale, we are different creatures who came, from the
cold, surviving different storms and most of our innocent souls had
been destroyed by creatures who had been declared as our own.
Most of us had been crippled morally, emotionally, psychologically et
cet-era by our own, and compromises had been forced to our souls, in
the name of protecting the dignity of our homes.

Most people carry permanent invisible scars and remnants of invisible
unhealed wounds as a consequence of justice denied.
All the pressure that continuously boils in the core of the soul will
always be manifested through anger and sometimes self annihilation.
Sometimes actions speaks reactions.

Don't be quick to judge.
Don't be quick to judge young girls who prostitute themselves by
sleeping with young men, old men, any men who can purchase a drug or
a liquor so she could have fun, and her pain vanished for a minute or
two, even though the pain shall return when the substance vanishes
from her system.

Women who sleeps around just to kill time and disregard their own worth.
Those are the wounded souls, wandering, searching for a refuge that could heal.
Sometimes actions speak reactions.
Don't be quick to judge.
Don't be quick to judge young men and old men who behave like
monkeys even in decent places.

They are dealing with something.
The young people who kills each other for nothing.
People who smile so sad because they were hurt so bad.
Sometimes actions speaks reactions.
 
Regards,
Anele

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The fly machine sessions

By Mpho Mogano

I was invited to the FLY MACHINE SESSIONS which took place on the 3rd of November 2012, in Pretoria by house 28. This was a very indie hip hop show very contrasting from the “cap-city rap-city” Pretoria hip hop scene that many know Pretoria as, this was very Avant-garde, very vary. The scene encapsulated various dimensions of hip hop, there were two pairs of turn tables, two mixers and corded microphones with monster speakers. Vinyl bags, a stall that had vintage hip hop caps and hats and works on display. Various individual boarded the Fly machine and what a journey it was.

The djs played all sort of music that was related to the indie hip hop, we had Patrick Mac-p who laced a soulful old school jazz with drum pattern that had that boom bap head bopping hypnosis. Nok2 also came with some incredible diggings of jazz sounds ranging from 50’s (which you could distinctly tell they influenced the likes of Mad-libs and Jay Dilla’s production styles). Then Mono-Sono brought dumb and bass which left us all dehydrated and in a bass trance from the tunes he was swinging, he just kept them coming, the floor had people hopping and jumping, the energy was beautiful and serine amongst all that scrimmage look alike jumping. Melo and Ends-the-otherness both killed their sets, they bumped old school and new school germs which we didn’t think were on vinyl, these two lady dj’s dig. Ends played the likes of Cannibal OX-the F word (getting a hard copy of that album is near impossible in this country I wonder how she got the vinyl) Despot-home sickness (one of my favorite joints had me reciting the whole song).Melo brought some had bangers people couldn’t control themselves it was epic, hip hop would have been proud that night.

There were four of five ciphers at a time, different energies, concepts and executions. Different mc’s on different platforms the night only got better. We had performances from Stoep-so-low, the Grammaton clerik, Rendu, Onederous one, Vision of spirit, the illusionist and Dynamicshapshifters. All the acts were on point with different influences. Rendu aka 9th gate came with it “I don’t have swag but I do have daggers “ was one those tracks that stimulated mad responses in the crowd. Stoep-so-low was off the chains coming through with drum and base beats by Hiroshima-sun, they’re set was really dope. Dynaminshapeshifters brought that androit, mechanical sound schisms, it was bonkers to see the reaction of the crowd go wild and some in awe. The night flew past very fast, the Fly machines sessions took us into orbit, we were meteor surfing, the pilot were skilled taking us into black holes.
Hip hop was the order of the night that night and day. The was all that was needed for one to be influenced in many aspects of hip hop, the show was diverse and well balanced, hip hop was a success that night. Each and every one that attended left with one resounding question buzzing in the air….. when is the next Fly machine sessions orbiting again?

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Madness has a formula

By Mpho Mogano

The altering perspectives in information overload are at its peak and rapidly increasing speed. Technology is crafting and always innovating itself (somehow we believe is for our benefit but we wrong).  The giant steps that scientist take with every improvement of new technology is only emphasis on how gullible mankind is. We read any label or manual and expert the product to work as described in the pamphlet (in actual fact that is the ideal not practical). None of is willing go and test the theory or the product, we are lazy to act and slowly going to a point where it will end up being lazy to think. We somehow wish they could create a technology that will read minds and do what we thinking. The flip side of this is that we then can be manipulated because if it can read our minds it then has the potential plant and manipulate our thinking as well. We always concentrate on the benefit and no paying enough attention to what we risking or have to lose.

Adverts play at our vulnerable side, they will demonstrate what they claim the product will do but the trick is they will capture it and edit it, make it seem remarkable. Then when we get the product it’s not as smooth, it doesn’t glide nor does miraculously make the dirt disappear with one swipe, but then we are lazy to take it back and we stuck we something we don’t want. But we never learn because a month or so later the new and improved version is on sale and they promise us better results than the previous model and they say is on special promotion. Chances are we will buy it and after say we won’t again but we always go back.

Madness works on the same concept, it’s the repeated actions that harden to form habitual act to end up being normal every day behavior, but being doesn’t exempt you from hunger and companionship. Mad people are seen alone but they have their own company (imaginary or not) they believe they are not alone. Belief is the most powerful and dangerous thing humans have but due to perspective we see things different. Mad people brain wave is on their own frequency that is why we cannot connect with them on the same reality though we share the same space. We all have different opinions about the same thing, further emphasizing our own beliefs and perspectives.

We are all mad people as we all have the same molecular structure and choose to operate individually with set different paths, opinions and credos. And this is the universal law of sameness by letting each and every living and none living to take its path (regardless of direction, intention or influence) we all going to take our own paths, stationery or moving regardless. Madness has a formula. 

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Are you still with yourself?

I met myself the other day, bewildered weary weak and inhuman. I died again and no one noticed what a relief. Dawn grew larger and darkness was happily waiting 4my return.  Today I walked past him and ignorance conversed with me and I missed my surrounding. The next day I changed my direction, lost tourist wit déjà vu pieces fragmented here and there. I walked slowly, dragging myself hoping my sense would awake, I started picking up this and that, then luckily I met myself the other day and we both spoke and silence answered the rest. I walk with him beside me,  déjà vu sometimes gets the best of us and my sense still picks up, I see with my ears and nose and smell with my taste buds and eyes, faith and belief leads as we follow....from that day till the future will get old I don’t want to look for myself again.

Some situations in life require maneuvering and this alter our perspectives, sometimes alters who we are (for the better or worse no one can really say). There are no good or bad decisions, it is the consequences that one has to live with that matter.  Holding on to who we are is impossible if we are meant to construct ourselves on daily basis but possible if you won’t let external influence quake internal foundations that held us together till now. Intelligence is knowing what is right but wisdom is knowing where to apply it. We have a lot intelligent people out here (level headed individuals) and few people of wisdom.  We quick to react to situations that required questioning, patience and further examining. To find that we made the situation worse by such things as “I told you so”, while our ego remains gluttonous, we forget who we are. Then we fall for the over rated pleasures and find no value in under rated treasures.

“if you are not used, you are useless” funny isn’t it but factual as well, don’t let bad experience encapsulate who you are but make you hold on to yourself tighter. Remember the deeper the gorge the more you can fill it with, being hurt is one experience no one can avoid but that doesn’t have to mean you have to inflict the same pain you wished you could have been protected from. No one makes out of life alive, live and learn to take defeats but smile in the process.

Mpho Mogano

I would like to consider myself a hip hop listener, a true fan. Studying the revolutionary visions of the past generations pioneers of the movement to the now forefront runners of our age. Hip hop has taken many forms in shaping the society views, strategically exposing the lack of service delivery promised to the masses by the government. Crooked cops found instigating the crimes they will later investigate and frame someone for it, police brutality against the public. Under hand dealings the mayors were connected to. The destruction drugs craft in our neighborhoods, the set up wars to invade other countries for their natural resources. The illegal acts of the C.I.A, FBI and secret societies that pull strings of the government in the dark.  Hip hop was the voice for the unheard, challenging anything they didn’t believe was right and fair for the public.

Every generation has their own revolution and the new school hip hop is trending in labeling females with derogative terms and how many they have slept with, how much money they have. What sort of mansions they live in, the cars they drive with soft porn like videos. It is a revolution of some sort (not required in my view) but a revolution none the less and the now generation is embracing it whole heartedly. I can’t really blame them as such music is in heavy rotation on radio stations and television, sad enough it is very influential to most people that listen to it. But how else do we expect them to act if they know no better. Listening to the lyrics you soon realize the dismal lack of artistic delicacy but profit chasing formula put in place. Sad as it may be this is commercial hip hop today and it has a huge massive fan base and is lucrative business.

The now generations dress brightly in skinny jeans and tank tops, back in the day baggy jeans and over sized sweat shirts with Timberland boots, using words found in the lexicon was the order of the day. Back then ignorance was the enemy, lack of information was intolerable, one needed to have an opinion based on valid reasons backed by facts or probabilities. We would swap books, information, holding ciphers for hours till it was close to our curfews. Spitting lines that split the atmosphere, topics ranging from science, evolution, religion, space and time, robotics and aliens with substance holding the cipher together. We would attend the ciphers religiously and travel through rhymes, while graffiti writers would swap sketches and plan bombing missions. Time was our enemy as we would’ve prolonged it as much as possible. I know comparing the two is wrong but I’m just trying to show the distinctions. The new generations MC’s don’t hold cipher nor do they freestyle (which in this new day market, they don’t have to) and that is fine with the fans.

Not all revolutions in life are necessary but will continue to feed evolution. I am hoping something will change in this new school hip hop, that it will introduce skilled and artistic MC’s to further distribute information while entertaining the fans. That hip hop will be very different and still be held by morals of the old school. Where issues will be tackled instead of being sugar coated with nonsensical rhymes. I guess living a lie is a luxury too.

By Mpho Magano

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My Silent Moments

By Anele Malahla

My life, my beautiful and my dreadful experiences.
My me, my world, my hell and my strength over my weaknesses.
I am not an extraordinary individual but an ordinary fellow searching for my destiny in this vicious diabolical world.
Which had rejected me numerous times thus far in my endeavours as I am maneuvering my way through with the purpose of achieving my ultimate goal.
I was born where I was born because I am black.

Circumstances gave me no option but to make peace with mediocrity.
I have both good and dreadful experiences just like anyone who is alive, but mine are more dreadful than good, just like most people who were brought up in the ghettos.
I had been wounded, ridiculed, destroyed and dejected by my own.
And strangers that I trusted with my soul.

For every human that had abused me, in one way or another, there was a room that was deliberately opened for that regard, but at times, I played my part by allowing them.
I know that some of my peers shall always ridicule me because I went to CPUT.
They always ridicule me because I'm different.
I'm gifted.
I'm blessed.
They just want me to feel small, the way they do.
And I know one thing though.

That I could move on with my life in peace if I could just begin with self love.
Self appreciation.
Self respect.
Self acceptance.
And in knowing that God is proud of me.
That I am here for a purpose.

That I was destined for something.
So I wake up every morning with these beautiful words:
I am handsome.
I am special.
I am gifted.
I am unique.
I am blessed.
The world needs me.
And God is proud of me.

We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our birth. These are concepts which the Black Consciousness approach wishes to eradicate from the black man’s mind before our society is driven to chaos by irresponsible people from Coca-cola and hamburger cultural backgrounds.”

The Quest for a True Humanity, I Write What I Like, 1978

I think it is safe to say that in the 34 years that this was written, the fate of Black people fell exactly where Biko had beseeched and fought it would not. At the same I can’t help but wonder what words he would have written about the black society today, more than a decade post-Apartheid. Have we lived to be the characters he had created in his mind, are we remotely the figures he had been thinking of when he had first jotted thought to paper of a black nation that was cable to rule themselves. What would Biko write about today, what would he fight for? For we have become people who mind controlled by the ways of westerners and Europeans, walking away from the real essence of who we are as South Africans, without even a flicker of the head over the shoulder to look at what we are leaving behind.

Bantu (people), named as if it was known that he was fated to be the hope of the people. Bantu Steven Biko became an anti-apartheid activist whom founded the Black Consciousness Movement and wrote the book I Write What I like, which had become the bible of the urban black population. He became famed for his slogan, “black is beautiful” and described as meaning, “man, you are okay as you are, begin to look upon yourself as a human being”.

How sad it has become that the ideology he had be known by, that drove the spirits of the black man have been found to be irrelevant in today’s times post 1994.

To me, the notion and ideology of Black Consciousness today is not based on the colour of the skin, it could be clarified best in his words saying, “Being black is not a matter of pigmentation- being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.” It’s the comprehending of the prominence of your true nature as a human before the importance of your nationality, race, creed, gender, or ethnicity. It is self-revival after a death by the hand of the one who opposes you, oppress you and suppresses the being that you are meant to be. If I could re-name it, I would say it is Human Consciousness…

“It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is you realise that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality. First step therefore is to make the black man come to himself; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity. To remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused…”

"After a Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldom boxing match, Tupac along with his entourage were captured on tape in the lobby of MGM Grand Hotel in a violent scuffle with a man later identified as a member of LA based, Bloods, street gang", these were the reports on September 7th 1996. The reports carried on to inform that rapper Tupac Shaker aka 2Pac had been shot and rushed to University Medical Centre with major gunshot wounds. On that night, Tupac was a passenger in a BMW with head of Death Row Records, Suge Knight.

A white Cadillac pulled up alongside them at a traffic lights and released a shower of about 12 shots with 4 hitting Pac and one grazing Suge on the head. Resembling a music video that could have been for one of his songs, shattered glass and streaming blood leaked through the motionless vehicle, while screeching tires scarred the tar road on the getaway.

16 June 1971, in New York, Lesane Parish Crooks was born to Black Panther activist, Afeni Shakur, whom was in jail whilst pregnant with him on bombing charges of which she was later acquitted of. Afeni later named her boy Tupac Amaru Shakur in tribute to Incan Revolutionary Tupac Amaru. She had separated with Tupac's father before he was born. Reference made by him in a track, "...'cause my anger wouldn't let me feel for a stranger..." Though his mother married William Garland in attempt to have a father figure in the house hold, his step father got himself imprisoned for armored car robbery when Pac was only two years. He left his wife, step son and daughter to fed and find their feet under the struggles of extreme poverty.

At a tender age Pac showed signs of artistic flare, landing himself at the Baltimore School for performing Arts studying acting and ballet. He thrived as a young performer alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, his then girlfriend, unfortunately he never saw graduation due a relocation to California leaving him a drop out.

In Oakland, Pac saw a new light, or darkness rather, when he drifted into the gang life compiling a list of criminal records with 8 arrests in the early years of his 20s. The upside of his new environment developed a new skill..though brought on by the misfortune of an accidental death of his close friend by gunshot while playing with a gun. Tupac discovered the art of rap.

1991, Pac landed a job as a dancer and roadie for Digital Underground who packed him along on their tour. (Digital Underground was a hip hop group formed by Shock G and Chopmaster J, made waves during the years of 1987-1999 with associations with KRS-one as producer. The breakthrough came from this arrangement because Digital Underground introduces Tupac to a recording studio by featuring him on their album. Later assisting a young rapper with his debut, This is an EP Release. His relationship with the studio tightened when he later dropped 2pacalypse Now in the same year.

Having had a stance rooting in factoring, he debuted the on the screens with the hip hop film, Juice.
By now the name, 2Pac had made it way on the street and people could recognize it, he threw the much acclaimed, Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z, offered tracks such as "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up" as factors which lead the album on its way to fourth place on the R 'n B charts making it his first platinum record. About now the masses had come to be accustomed to Pac's controversy and mostly his talents, landing himself comfortably starring side by side Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice.

As much as the fame and successes grew, his criminal record was never far behind, ranging from jay walking, resisting arrest, assault, battery, unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession: marijuana, sexual battery even sodomy. This made real in his gangster rap niche. Rapping about guns and drugs, drive by shooting, murder, adultery and all that was socially unspoken of, Pac voiced it.

Tupac first felt the burn of a bullet in 1994 during the trial to conviction of a 4 and a half year for sexual assault, Pac was robbed and shot in a lobby of a recording studio. In 1995, Me Against The World, made it way to the shelves. This album was an outcry from the rapper, filled with contradictions of his trademark explicit controversy and thought provoking encouragements. The album without doubt dominated the pop and R 'n B charts, though in the same breathe, the rapper had been serving 8months of his 4 and half year sentence.

After coughing out 1.4mill dollars bond for Pac parole, All Eyez on me was release in 1996. As it had become the norm, once again he topped the charts and in turn pocketed a multi-platinum status. Posthumous Albums that followed, The Don Killuminati: the 7 day Theory in 1996, R U Still Down? (Remember Me) in 1997. Between the years 2001 and 2003 albums Until The End Of Time, Better Dayz, Loyal to The Game, Pac’s Life and Tupac The Resurrection were released, having been the work that he done during his living days by saw the day even after his death.

Together with his success on the charts, his acting career was gaining momentum working on feature films such as Bullet(1996), Gridlock'd(1997) and Gang Related(1997) he did not live to see his last two films.

September 13th 1996, Tupac Amaru Shakur breathed his last at the Universal Medical Centre after a lung removal surgery in attempt to save his life after anonymous gun shots were fired onto him. He slumbered in a coma for 6days only to give in on the Sunday of the 13th.

Even still with his remains cremated (ashes smoked by band mates from Outlaws) many believe the rapper still lives and only faked his death live the medieval magician Makaveli (of which he is known by as well), the hope lead on by the constant releases years after his death. The fairy tale was made a reality when at a recent performance in Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Tupac’s former counterparts and hip hop veterans, Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre brought Tupac to life. The means was by a "3d hologram" digital technology that gave the illusion that Pac had walked out of the screen and on stage giving shout outs to Dre and Snoop with a mic in the hand just like old times. The "ghost" like image was created using an old fashion illusion technique known as "Pepper's Ghost"

The murder of Tupac Shakur was never solved, his mother Afeni, sister Sekywia and former wife Keisha Morris (whom he was briefly married to on 29 April 1995 and soon divorced) never saw justice for their talented son and brother.

In commemoration of Tupac Shakur; actor, rapper, poet, screenwriter, producer, writer and activist, son and brother. R.I.P  in Thug Heaven.

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Lauryn Noelle Hill became the epitome of female rap in the 90's. First introduced to us on the silver screen, but only to make a dent in the eardrums of music lovers as front woman of 4 piece, now legendary band, the Fugees back in 1998. Ready or not, she came guns blazing with fury verbal attacks. Conscious was made aware when she wrote her thoughts that provoked thought into lyric. She had both male and female lip sinking on her every word.

Lauryn could just as well be responsible for the up rise of many female emcees doubling up as singers. Hell, she even got me to think I can sing and rap..which I can't. Though none have mastered it as she has.19million was the amount of records she sold upon her release of The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill. Lauryn had a take home of five Grammy awards including the coveted accolades of Album of the year and Best new artist.

Those where the glory days of Ms Hill. Today the days are..well..not filled with roses. Having been the cream to top on features as the most wanted, she worked with the likes on Nas, Common, Carlos Santa, C-lo and the list extends.Today she is barred or forbidden from performing any of the tracks from the album Mis-education of Lauryn Hill. Sony has reserved all rights to any track on the album and performing it in their original form as is in the album, she'll be dancing with the devil and will find herself in unwanted trouble.

Already having faced the tax collectors in the eye when she failed to file her tax returns during the years of 2005 and 2007, around the time of which she was comfortable banking 1.8million dollars.Now, known fact is that Ms Hill had been a bit of an industry rebel during her fame day, causing headaches refusing to go into the direction of sexual artists as it were expected of her in climbing the ladder. This states validity with me.Nevertheless, the X factor is, ducking your taxes will get you burned Ms Hill.

Lauryn birthed 6children, of which the 5 she shared with Rohan Marley, son of legendary reggae father, Bob Marley.
Her exit from the mainstream industry was founded on the ideas of the sexism, ageism, immorality and unscrupulous behavior.

Over the year Lauryn did not only lose her mane but her sanity along with it, according to the media. Sony has cut her off from ever performing her best album tracks, but being a rebel she has found a way around the red tape and performs the same song instead works around them by giving them a rock n roll fever. It good to see that even with the media speculating her as unstable, her creativity has remained the one thing we will never forget about Lauryn. Having released a mix tape in 2010 which obviously didn't ripple the waters, with no doubt the offering might be nothing short of great music that we have known her for.   

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Brainwash formula version 128874.25658

By Mpho Mogano

There are very variants, consortium of beings. This is very frightening as rampant opinions quarantine facts and gives retardation a platform, which many fall for these status quos without questioning. The despicable truth is that we all want to belong, verify our existence no matter the price or what it costs. In actual fact we human are the worst pestiferous existence, using words like co-existence to hide our true colors, the demons we are. “We do not commit crimes and hurt people cause of evil, we do all those things because we are evil” titles may distract us or divert our attentions but our actions have no substitute and eternity is based on this. We justify our actions by trying to convince others knowing that it’s all hot air. Statements such as “the is no peace without war” means we can declare peace as we did war.

I believe that “an influx of information is as dangerous if not worse than the lack of information” this gave many a people some sort of pseudo voice constructing a perfect confusion, where now it is impossible to differentiate head from the tail, this plan was set up to kill unity and any sort of leadership. If we all can talk who then will listen, for we just want to hear our selves (hoping we sound smart or close to that) we have never questioned why we given certain things, quick to jump to sentiments such as “it’s our right” we fascinated with the image of life and not what is hidden beneath it. They will keep flooding the web with information that many of us will believe and not even question for we think we are given answers but we have yet to ask any questions, then I ask what they answering? They will create fake documentaries with made up facts and we need to just fall for it because a so called professor says so? All these things are one sided views, limited exploration with a set goal in mind, planned routes out to prove something instead of discover holistically what could have happened and other possibilities that could transpired the outcomes.

“Always follow those that are in search of the truth, but be very weary of those that claim they found it” the illuminati was a hit and still is on the web, no one questions our credos but we think it’s right to question other peoples. Every existence of any belief system has a dark twisted past, with unfathomable facts but it doesn’t water down or change that a few individual gave that belief system bad publicity. Then again how do we know they even belonged to that congregation? That they were not just trying to hurt the image of that religion?

These are pivotal questions we need to ask, implement always, answers are not as important. The why, how come, where, what happened are essentially paramount to the road less travelled. The mechanics of a moving bridge instead of a simple tar road. Let us conceptualize the existence of the basis that nothing really exists and nothing ever will unless we believe in it (positive or negative, never the less) you need to be on the same density field trapped by the same light-years to then both exist. With that said “we human don’t have a spirit, but we are spirits that have bodies” many see it the other way around but then again it’s not the perfect perspective that counts but the experience of the energies amongst them. The world moves based on back and forth while some of us are trying to move sideways. This universe is my university. Question everything (even this reading) and laugh at everything else.

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