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AU

by Jamii Tata

/

about

The story behind this piece is I was building with Piper & some youth at the 5E gallery on Sept 23rd. We started talking about survival and how some folks be on that well we got to do this that or the third (illegally) to make ends meet and take care of our fams. I commented well if it’s about feeding your fam, I got the seeds and I will gladly give em to you. And Piper was speaking on how we take time to realize that we are creators, we become powerful. Not only can create our circumstances by making wise choices but also we can be on some exponential growth type stuff when we harness our creator energy.

While reflecting, I applied this to Hip Hop and the number of people getting into the “industry” (not culture), to mass produce music that violently assaults the ears of the populous (misogyny, ignorance, audio shucking & jiving) to get a check. But if only they had access to their own creator energy and realization that could get mad creative on some positive wholistic growth type stuff, their impact would be long lasting and they could possibly leave a legacy like a Rakim, like a KRS-1 instead have a 2.2 year career.

It also made me reflect on how I ventured out to listening to other music. As a DJ, I strive to listen to all music. But two of the reasons I started to listen to other mediums of music is because, 1 I was already doing so in part, becoming introduced to other genres of music by Hip Hop sampling and wanting to know what music was sampled. And 2, when I was still listening to the radio 6 years ago, rap music had become wack. So those reasons led me to find many other genres of music including one of my favorites: Afrobeat which I reference in the lyrics.

P.S. I have no idea what sparked people to start using “turn-up”. I just hear it so often that I decided to include it. It sounded a lot like turnip to me so I tried to capture that parallel here.

lyrics

You're sonically secluded
I'm alluding to the illusion
of Dope Beats & Rhymes
Pardon the Intrusion
of the value of Gold

"I'm paid in full"-ness
While you reaching for your piggy bank
of 50cents to buy two chains
Watch out for that gangrene
Get some healing from the Red, Black
And Green Pastures
Dead Presidents
Aren't the masters

Independence - Nigeria - 1960
'67 - Afrobeat - Fela Kuti
Young, gifted, free, and Black
Check out our melody

Song of the universe:
Water No Get Enemy

Save your punches, you need water to grow
Sarin Gas is toxic, watch your spit in your flows

Stop the Violence
(of) Get down & Lay down
Stop the Violence
So we can boogie down (boogie down)

Turn up! I mean, turnips!
Onions, Black Eyed Peas, Collards & Potatoes for the stew.
We got the seeds and would gladly give them to you.
We not about pennies, we about AU
The 5 Elements is the strongest of Roots
The 5 Elements is like Mother Africa:
It keeps bearing, it keep producing fruit

credits

released September 25, 2013
Dviousminds on the beat.

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all rights reserved

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about

Jamii Tata Detroit, Michigan

Jamii Tata (born in Detroit, MI) is a spoken word poet who draws inspiration from the late great Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X and Fred Hampton. Intertwining poetry, beatboxing and emceeing he has performed in MI, IL and TX. He sets to release his first official mixtape entitled Justice Journal in February of 2012. (Food) Justice Journal will follow in 2014. ... more

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