Maestro Knows - Season 2 Intro from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.
Maestro Knows - Episode 1 (Bread & Butter) from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Five Percent Nation
what the group called the Five Percent Nation believes: Ten percent of the people of the world know the truth of existence, and those elites opt to keep 85 percent of the world in ignorance and under their controlling thumb. The remaining percentage are those who know the truth and are determined to enlighten the rest. They are the Five Percent Nation.
In 1963, a student minister named Clarence 13 X founded the Five Percent Nation when he split with the Nation of Islam. He was a student of Malcolm X, but left his mosque because he disagreed with the Nation of Islam over the nature and identity of God.
The Nation said its founder, W. D. Farad Muhammad was God. But Clarence reasoned that only a pure black man could fill that role — and to him, there was nothing “purely black” about Muhammad, who was bi-racial.
Clarence 13 X also rejected the traditional Mulsim belief that God was separate from man. Instead, Clarence 13 X claimed that the black man was God personified, and that each black man could cultivate and eventually realize his godliness through meditation, study, and spiritual and physical fitness.
To Clarence 13 X and a handful of close friends, these new ideas were a revelation. To the Nation of Islam, they were heretical. So Clarence 13 X split with the Nation in 1963 and changed his name to Allah the Father. He took his message to the youth on Harlem’s city streets, teaching them that black Americans had inherited a legacy stretching back to the great civilizations of Africa, and that they should reclaim their greatness by fighting for racial equality and self-determination.
To help his students tap their divinity, Allah the Father also taught an elaborate philosophical system called “Supreme Mathematics” and the “Supreme Alphabet.” By applying both, devotees believe they can interpret ordinary numbers and words as spiritual messages to guide them through life.
Allah the Father’s students took responsibility for spreading his message across the nation, even after the 1969 murder of their leader in a Harlem housing project.
The echoes of that message eventually found their way into hip-hop culture. Phrases and symbology of the Five Percent Nation endure in songs by some of the genre’s best-known musicians, including Busta Rhymes, most of collaborators in the Wu Tang Clan, and Lord Jamar of the rap group Brand Nubian.
Lord Jamar, who also played the Five Percenter Kevin “Supreme Allah” Ketchum in the HBO series Oz, says it’s no surprise that the ideas of the Five Percenters continue to have an impact on popular culture.
“There’s something about us — and how we’re respected on the street — that enables us to do certain work in the community,” he says. “I know there is no mystery to God. This is not faith or belief — this is knowledge. And once you have knowledge, it takes away any fear.”
Allah B, a former student of Allah the Father, has dedicated much of his life to teaching youth. He says it’s the best way to keep the memory of his mentor alive.
“We could have been little hoodlums in the streets of Harlem — high school dropouts,” Allah B says. “But he showed us the love… He not only had the care and courage, but also the knowledge, to empower us and give us a sense of direction to actualize our fullest potential.”
Words: Christopher Johnson
In 1963, a student minister named Clarence 13 X founded the Five Percent Nation when he split with the Nation of Islam. He was a student of Malcolm X, but left his mosque because he disagreed with the Nation of Islam over the nature and identity of God.
The Nation said its founder, W. D. Farad Muhammad was God. But Clarence reasoned that only a pure black man could fill that role — and to him, there was nothing “purely black” about Muhammad, who was bi-racial.
Clarence 13 X also rejected the traditional Mulsim belief that God was separate from man. Instead, Clarence 13 X claimed that the black man was God personified, and that each black man could cultivate and eventually realize his godliness through meditation, study, and spiritual and physical fitness.
To Clarence 13 X and a handful of close friends, these new ideas were a revelation. To the Nation of Islam, they were heretical. So Clarence 13 X split with the Nation in 1963 and changed his name to Allah the Father. He took his message to the youth on Harlem’s city streets, teaching them that black Americans had inherited a legacy stretching back to the great civilizations of Africa, and that they should reclaim their greatness by fighting for racial equality and self-determination.
To help his students tap their divinity, Allah the Father also taught an elaborate philosophical system called “Supreme Mathematics” and the “Supreme Alphabet.” By applying both, devotees believe they can interpret ordinary numbers and words as spiritual messages to guide them through life.
Allah the Father’s students took responsibility for spreading his message across the nation, even after the 1969 murder of their leader in a Harlem housing project.
The echoes of that message eventually found their way into hip-hop culture. Phrases and symbology of the Five Percent Nation endure in songs by some of the genre’s best-known musicians, including Busta Rhymes, most of collaborators in the Wu Tang Clan, and Lord Jamar of the rap group Brand Nubian.
Lord Jamar, who also played the Five Percenter Kevin “Supreme Allah” Ketchum in the HBO series Oz, says it’s no surprise that the ideas of the Five Percenters continue to have an impact on popular culture.
“There’s something about us — and how we’re respected on the street — that enables us to do certain work in the community,” he says. “I know there is no mystery to God. This is not faith or belief — this is knowledge. And once you have knowledge, it takes away any fear.”
Allah B, a former student of Allah the Father, has dedicated much of his life to teaching youth. He says it’s the best way to keep the memory of his mentor alive.
“We could have been little hoodlums in the streets of Harlem — high school dropouts,” Allah B says. “But he showed us the love… He not only had the care and courage, but also the knowledge, to empower us and give us a sense of direction to actualize our fullest potential.”
Words: Christopher Johnson
Pharrell Williams – Despicable Me
Pharrell has been appointed the head man in charge for the Dispicable Me soundtrack. Here you can take a listen of the title track called, “Despicable Me” Just the first of several upcoming drops from the soundtrack. Meanwhile, the movie is slated for release in July 2010.
Pharrell Williams – Despicable Me
Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream 2009 July New Releases
Consistently showcasing their own signature brand of streetwear, BBC/Ice Cream push out their July batch of goods, which once again consist of a wide assortment of traditional designs with the more unorthodox pieces not making an appearance this time around. Included within July 2009 are graphic t-shirts, knits, denim shorts, chinos, and a new range of headwear.
KAWS Interview at STAGES Exhibition Paris
With the STAGES Exhibition in Paris opening the other day, our friends over at La MJC caught up with famed New York-based artist KAWS for a quick interview. Amongst various topics, KAWS talks a bit about his contribution to the STAGES event and future plans. Check it out!
KAWS - STAGES PORTRAITS BY LA MJC from La MJC on Vimeo.
Tyler Perry made Forbes Top 10 Highest Paid Men in Hollywood. Tyler falls at number 5 on the list raking in $75 million bucks! Check out who tops the list under the hood.
1. George Lucas – $170 million
2. Steven Spielberg – $150 million
3. Jerry Bruckheimer – $100 million
4. Jerry Seinfeld – $85 million
5. Tyler Perry - $75 million
6. Dick Wolf - $75 million
7. Harrison Ford - $65 million
8. Adam Sandler - $65 million
9. Larry David – $55 million
1. George Lucas – $170 million
2. Steven Spielberg – $150 million
3. Jerry Bruckheimer – $100 million
4. Jerry Seinfeld – $85 million
5. Tyler Perry - $75 million
6. Dick Wolf - $75 million
7. Harrison Ford - $65 million
8. Adam Sandler - $65 million
9. Larry David – $55 million
JD, Nelly, and Pacman Jones Make It Rain In the Club… Before Shooting
Pacman Jones, Jermaine Dupri, and Nelly are all seen in this video footage from 2007 All Star Weekend, in Las Vegas, Making It Rain on strippers. This video was shot shortly before a gun man shot up the club.
Pacman Jones reportedly spent $100,000 dollars at the scrip club that night and reportedly socked up a stripper. Jones is not on a team at the moment and with him performing those kind of coon antics, we hope he never gets a chance to see that kind of money again. What a waste! Don’t spend it on the kids in your community, spend it on strippers!
Pacman Jones reportedly spent $100,000 dollars at the scrip club that night and reportedly socked up a stripper. Jones is not on a team at the moment and with him performing those kind of coon antics, we hope he never gets a chance to see that kind of money again. What a waste! Don’t spend it on the kids in your community, spend it on strippers!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
