Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Mos Def Hip-Hop with a Consciousness

"Mos Def: Arrested for Guerrilla Performance of 'Katrina Clap'," by D. Firebrand, on September 24 2006:So it was an incident of actual social and cultural import—not to mention courage and heroism—when Brooklyn ambassador to the Universe, Mos Def, rolled up the Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan’s midtown on a flatbed truck. Days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which was fresh on the minds of millions of Americans, Mos Def staged a guerrilla performance of “Katrina Clap” (itself a remix of New Orleans’ rapper Juvenile’s “Nolia Clap”). Recorded immediately after the Hurricane last year, at the beginning Mos Def dedicates “Katrina Clap” to “the streets affected by the storm called America.” (source: Revolution #62)

Listen, homie, it's Dollar Day in New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and people dead in the streets
And Mr. President he bout that cash
He got a policy for handlin the niggaz and trash
And if you poor you black
I laugh a laugh they won't give when you ask
You better off on crack
Dead or in jail, or with a gun in Iraq
And it's as simple as that
No opinion my man it's mathematical fact
Listen, a million poor since 2004
And they got -illions and killions to waste on the war
And make you question what the taxes is for
Or the cost to reinforce, the broke levee wall
Tell the boss, he shouldn't be the boss anymore
Y'all pray amin
God save, these streets
One dollar per every human being
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
God save, these streets
Quit bein' cheap nigga freedom ain't free
Feel that Katrina clap
See that Katrina clap
Mos Def Interview Pt 1


Mos Def Interview Pt 2


Mos Def Interview Pt 3


Mos Def Interview Pt 4

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