Scarface Speaks Out on The Severity of His Health & COVID-19 For the First Time

I am in shock, & ask you all to keep Scarface in your thoughts. This post is dedicated to him surviving, to serve as a thank you for what he gave me growing up in his music, and still gives me in those same songs… I also want this to be a testament to the amazing things he has done, such as Houston City Council. The most important thing about that was his reasoning… But more on that below.
I had no idea he was this seriously sick… May he be blessed and heal, to see a long life, as he deserves… Ankh Udja Seneb…. 

The Diary.

That has remained my favorite Scarface album since I first discovered his music. I can relate to the songs so well, especially back then. He cut into me deeply, his voice absolutely unmistakable, I played his album relentlessly. I still do from time to time.

“I’ve got the man in the mirror, so I’m looking at me vaguely, but I can’t seem to fade me.”– Scarface

He remains the one and only Houston rapper I respect as a person and a musician. His sharp, on point lyrical skill, depth and creativity; his confidence in talking about topics many shy from, are but a few of the reasons I love his music.

No nurse rhyme rapper, like most today, he instead used his distinct voice and knack 

Scarface on “Smile”

for telling vivid, intense stories with a beat that somehow melts together with his voice; so many reasons, he has remained in my top 5 favorite rappers.

Then he did a song with my *father* Tupac, Smile, and I decided I loved him. I take music very much to heart and very seriously; as I do most things in life.

I just saw that he has been very ill due to COVID and kidney failure. My heart literally sank. The good news is the 49 year old man is still living, and can make it through. He seems to be optimistic, I think, regarding recovery and I hope everyone will keep him in their thoughts and hearts as he battles his way through this.

He describes for the first time since the announcement of his being ill his diagnosis and condition in the video interview below. A quote from the interview:

“I gotta do dialysis … four times a week, three hours a day. And that’s taking all my blood out, cleaning it and putting it back in my body. Before the COVID, I never had any kidney disease.”

[Regarding being in the hospital] “Everybody they’re putting on ventilators is f*cking dying, bro. I don’t think there’s any real way to treat the COVID. So I would be in the hospital on a fucking ventilator and I would rather died at home, you know? Than a little hospital room with no toilet, no shower, no nothing, have me quarantined at the hospital. I could have just quarantined at the house. So that month I quarantined at my house was hell bro. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t breathe bro. It was the worst time of my life because I couldn’t do nothing. My kidneys failed, bro.”

“Hanging on that string of death will make you appreciate life. If you let the doctors tell it, they don’t know how I’m alive.”

Before I end this, I have to add that I had no idea he had run for Houston City Council and on top of that, he almost won. You can read about his almost successful run for the “fourth largest city in the United States” and can read more about it here.  

I will end this with a quote from his campaign, what he says is so true and sadly too often forgotten. It is a message of truth and hope that needs to be spoken of often, and taught to children, youth and even adults, nationwide…perhaps now, more than ever.

“Let this campaign be a reminder that you can grow up and still live in the ‘hood, and still be the mayor of the fourth largest city in the United States of America. My dad and mom said to their nine kids, ‘You can compete. You can do well. We may not have what somebody else has. We may not drive what somebody else drives. But Sylvester, you can still compete.’ And tonight in this city, you have reaffirmed the message of my parents.” ” 

I couldn’t get the embedded code to work, so, here is the full interview [5 minutes] where Scarface talks about his medical condition, and his concern over Texas, Georgia and other idiotic places re-opening right now. You can visit video on YouTube by clicking here.

 

Dr. Dre to Donate $10 million for Compton High School’s New Performing Arts Center

Sharing a bit of good news out… 🙂

by Gerrick Kennedy via latimes.com Dr. Dre has pledged to donate $10 million to help build a performing arts complex at the new Compton High School, the Compton Unified School District. “My goal is to provide kids with the kind of tools and learning they deserve,” Dre said in a statement. “The performing arts center will be […]

via Dr. Dre to Donate $10 million for Compton High School’s New Performing Arts Center — GOOD BLACK NEWS

Black Lives Matters- New Vid- Please don’t Give up

I apologize for the length, it’s bit of ‘personal’ video i guess, or how racism by cops has impacted me and still impacts me …. But it’s being said for a reason.

I’m ashamed to say that because of the ‘color’ and tone of my skin i am given a “pass go” card; i don’t want that shyt never have. But sadly that’s real. But that judgment they make right there on skin color proves racism against non-‘whites’ is -for lack of better words- STUPID, IMMATURE, SMALL MINDED BS. It’s NOT real nor true they just want people to think it is. Sadly too many do buy into mainstream media; my hope is though that some at least will open their eyes.
In this video I share the pain I’ve seen all my life, the pain that I still feel horrific grief over; and that’s Black children, family, friends, kids I worked with, etc,…. all sharing the same fear of COPS.
I end by asking anyone down to please hit me, I have an idea and work to prove it, I just need to find a group of real people to talk to… Please do…

A Powerful Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I was reading through Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poetry book and wanted to post a poem from him. Finally I decided on this one, though it’s very tragic and very heartbreaking, it also is sadly true. He is a poet that needs be remember more often, and this poem is so powerful because of the content; the content of the poem should make one cry. It did me.

The content is heartbreaking and though now a days there are new methods doing the same tragic thing to innocent men and women…

Truth hurts. And so below is the poem that hit me so hard tonight… It is called ‘The Haunted Oak’ by Mr. Paul Laurence Dunbar: Never Forget!!!

The Haunted Oak

Pray why are you so bare, so bare,
Oh, bough of the old oak-tree;
And why, when I go through the
shade you throw,
Runs a shudder over me?

My leaves were green as the best,
I trow,
And sap ran free in my veins,
But I saw in the moonlight dim and weird
A guiltless victim’s pain.

I bent me down to hear his sigh;
I shook with his gurgling moan,
And I trembled sore when they
rode away,
And left him here alone.

They’d charged him with the old,
old crime,
And set him fast in jail;
Oh why does the dog howl all night long,
And why does the night wind wail?

He prayed his prayer and he swore
his oath,
And he raised his hand to the sky;
But the beat of hoofs smote on his
ear,
And the stead tread drew nigh.

Who is it rides by night, by night,
Over the moonlit road?
And what is the spur that keeps
the pace,
What is the galling goad?

And now they beat at the prison door,
“Ho, keeper, do not stay!
We are friends of him whom you
hold within,
And we fain would take him
away

“From those who ride fast on our
heels
With mind to do him wrong;
They have no care for his innocence,
And the rope they bear is long.”

They have fooled the jailer with
lying words,
They have fooled the man with
lies;
The bolts unbar, the locks are
drawn,
And the great door open flies.

Now they have taken him from the jail,
And hard and fast they ride,
And the leader laughs low down
in his throat,
As they halt my trunk beside.

Oh, the judge he wore a mask of black,
And the doctor one of white,
And the minister, with his oldest
son,
Was curiously bedight.

Oh, foolish man, why weep you
now?
‘T is but a little space,
And the time will come when these
shall dread
The mem’ry of your face.

I feel the rope against my bark,
And the weight of him in my grain,
I feel in the throe of his final woe
The touch of my own last pain.

And never more shall leaves come
forth
On a bough that bears the ban;
I am burned with dread, I am
dried and dead,
From the curse of a guiltless man.

And ever the judge rides by, rides by
And goes to hunt the deer,
And ever another rides his soul,In the guise of a mortal fear.

And ever the man he rides me
hard,
And never a night stays he;
For I feel his curse as a haunted
bough,
On the trunk of a haunted tree.

Amazing Girl of 7 Creates Book to Inspire Other Young Girls to Embrace Their Skin- *This is Hope*

I love seeing kids going for their dreams; especially when it is to empower themselves and inspires confidence and self-esteem… I also love the energy and positive message she is sharing so brilliantly…. This is the future, and if she is part of it, there is hope yet.

The Adventures of Moxie Girl is a children’s book inspired, designed and co-written by 7 yr old Natalie McGriff. Natalie, a delightfully funny brown skinned girl previously suffered from low self-esteem regarding her hair texture and skin tone. Through much encouragement and constant adulation from family and friends, Nat’s esteem began to rise and she is now proud to be herself. She is now seeking to encourage, uplift and empower other young girls of color that may be suffering from low self-esteem by creating a children’s book which transforms what many may see as flaws, into super powers. The goal is create positive images of girls of color, causing them to take pride in themselves. – See more at: https://onespark.com/festival/2015/projects/natalie-mcgriff#sthash.br8NOT9v.dpuf

There’s only so Many Times One Can Nicely Ask… Video

I’m posting two short videos which I hope any and all who care about what’s going on- as well as those of you who don’t, will at least give the one minute video a chance. Think about what Tupac says in the 1 minute video. This is real knowledge; after all that has gone down how in this world do and if you do, HOW can you expect people to respond to poverty and the very people or government who did -and have- been doing the same thing for hundreds of years?

On a side note click here to read a brief entry about where I am and why my responses are so slow lately, especially today.

I feel the same; how he beautifully worded it; that’s of survival of the fittest from the kindest side. I fully, 100% support self defense against cops. I think that’s common sense. If I know I’m innocent but I also know you plan to kill me, why should I stand there and allow it if it can be stopped? That’s just basic common sense; I’ll speak more on why self defense and many other things don’t work in America in the report I spoke of in an upcoming video or blog.

Additionally, if you are a person and somehow you can’t comprehend what Black Lives Matters is about, who don’t understand why people are rioting, why people are finally getting fed up and acting out… I hope you will please take a minute or so, listen to these words of wisdom; these words of truth…
AND FINALLY,
To all of those who are racist, or, who have hate-filled hearts due to misunderstanding, listen and pretend it’s you talking; a hell that can be resolved easily, both your world, and the people you love as well. But it isn’t getting fixed because all of the American government’s money is sent to other countries; to anything that doesn’t support the prosperity in the Black community, it seems.

Interviews: Street Artist Aaron Maybin and the Movement for Black Lives Conference

Cali Rap Artist Facing Life in Prison For Words & Album Cover…

“It’s shocking. He has no criminal record. Nothing in his lyrics say go out and commit a crime. Nothing in his lyrics reference these shootings, yet they are holding him liable for conspiracy. There are huge constitutional issues…” -Brian Watkins, Duncan’s attorney.

Brandon Duncan, AKA Tiny Doo, is a rapper in California. Recently, he’s been taken to court because the California government disagrees with the method in which he expressed himself lyrically. How is this possible, you may ask. Read on, get outraged and spread the information.

Let’s step back for a second; when Tupac released 2pacalypse Now in the early 1990s the government wouldn’t leave Tupac alone. He spoke truths they didn’t want to hear any more than they wanted the PEOPLE to hear. Even the Vice President had anger over someone talking about the truth in such a way as Tupac did; how dare he! (sarcasm). His complaints against Tupac and the brilliant album were made public, and he remained under government watch.

The moment you start speaking up and getting attention to be the point in which the government swoops in…to do everything BUT protect his from harm… Instead, they want to ‘protect’ us from truth and self expression

While Tupac and his situation was bad enough,  the current issue related to rapper Tiny Doo, or Brandon Ducan, takes the hatred for rap lyrics a step further. This man has no criminal record (nor did Tupac at that time), and doesn’t incite violence. Even if his words did, however, every person must be responsible for themselves. How many other rap artists DO talk about killing? Far more than just this one man and his album. No matter what the fans do, their actions are not to the fault of the musician! The government knows this, there has to be some hidden reasoning for wanting to put this man away for LIFE…

No record, no arrests, yet still it is prosecution and life in prison which he faces. Not because of any actions taken, other than writing. The content in his album landed him with the charge of