Vglnk
Friday, April 3, 2015
Legalizing Marijuana
Slowly but surely marijuana is being passed in certain states as being not only medicinal but recreational as well. Marijuana over the years has been getting a bad reputation as making one lose their memory or not being good for health. There are now studies showing that this information was actually all wrong. There is in fact some good news for people who indulge in this. It was shown that smoking marijuana was better for you than smoking, drinking alcohol,cocaine, meth.
Colorado was the first US state to legalize marijuana with no incidents following behind them doing so. Why can't the rest of the states get on board and follow suit? Is there something more spiritual about smoking weed that they don't want to legalize it.
Everything is a choice. Whether you smoke weed, drink alcohol, use cocaine or meth, it is your choice as an adult. Will it make you go on to harder drugs like coke or meth? In my opinion, No. In my opinion people who go on to harder drugs do so by choice. They can't deal with their reality so they go to harder stuff to forget. In the end everything we decide to use or try is a choice.
For those whose want to buy legal marijuana, you can online. They do not sell to minors. They sell more than this. Check them out. For those who have websites and want to be affiliates, you get paid monthly and make 35% commissions. This is the site that has been around for a very long time before making marijuana legal was even an idea.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Our New Solar System neighbors
This video brought to my attention why the sudden pop up of UFO videos have been spreading. This video also clears up for me why the chemtrails are constantly being sprayed in the sky. Don't know what chemtrails are then its time to do your homework. It brought more understanding to why most people have seen more than one sun in the sky. The pictures I've seen are beautiful. We have new neighbors in the solar system.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Race
Every since I was in my 20's I have become disgusted with the division that I see. There is division in class, race, religion and its all just like can we get over this? The thing that has bothered me the most is how we are divided as a race of people. There were many stories that I heard in my life time like.. The Africans had among them a light skinned hue of people who they escorted out of Africa up into the Caucasus mountains because they simply looked different. Over the years they mated with one another and there line stayed fair. The civility they had and learned while among the Africans soon dissipated and they became uncivil, unmoral. It would take a Moor years later to find them and teach them again what they once knew. The other story was told by Elijah Muhammad by way of Fard Muhammad. This was the Yakub story. How Yakub hated black people so much because they teased him when he was younger because he had a big head. So to get back Yacub's plan when he got older was to create a lighter race of people. According to the story he did.
So in my estimation wouldn't that make all "white" people albinos? We all hear the story that all peoples ancestry started in Africa. Yes, there were Albinos among them at the time but I don't believe they were ran out. The first wave of migration out of Africa was to Australia. The second migration out of Africa was Northward to Southern Asia and China. The Albinos who migrated in this wave are said to have stayed in Central Asia and Europe without migrating any further.
According to The Real History of Whites "the European "White" is actually an Albino whose migration out of Africa ended up in Central Asia before making there way into Europe. The Albino is descended from the Dravidian who were of darker hue."
So where did the classification of whiteness come from if these are just Albino versions of darker hued people. In 1795 German Scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach divided the human species into five races: Caucasian, the "white" race; Mongolian, the "yellow" race; Ethiopian, the "black" race Malayan, the "brown" race; the American, the "red" race. So here is where we find the division of people according to skin tone. He also considered the Caucasian the first race which is known to be a lie.
So in my estimation wouldn't that make all "white" people albinos? We all hear the story that all peoples ancestry started in Africa. Yes, there were Albinos among them at the time but I don't believe they were ran out. The first wave of migration out of Africa was to Australia. The second migration out of Africa was Northward to Southern Asia and China. The Albinos who migrated in this wave are said to have stayed in Central Asia and Europe without migrating any further.
According to The Real History of Whites "the European "White" is actually an Albino whose migration out of Africa ended up in Central Asia before making there way into Europe. The Albino is descended from the Dravidian who were of darker hue."
So where did the classification of whiteness come from if these are just Albino versions of darker hued people. In 1795 German Scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach divided the human species into five races: Caucasian, the "white" race; Mongolian, the "yellow" race; Ethiopian, the "black" race Malayan, the "brown" race; the American, the "red" race. So here is where we find the division of people according to skin tone. He also considered the Caucasian the first race which is known to be a lie.
Origin of White People
Dr. Nell Painter
Dravidian's The Real
Lets face it we are all one human family that has been divided by lies. The point I see of my "white" family is that most of you have to work yourselves back into the human family. Some have. Some will still not except this. Its 2014 to much information has come to light about ourselves to be still stuck consciously in a 1950's mode of thinking. The ancestors are showing us who we are. It is documented that there are "white" couples having black children. Now she either slept with a black man or genetics are kicking in. A black couple can have children from Albino to blue black. That's just how its always been.
Skin Trailer- About a white couple who have a black child in 1960's South Africa
The racial tension in North America is so high because after the 1960's riot there was never any real dialogue about race in this country. It was all swept under the rug and black history taught as if slavery was the beginning of black people's history. Which it is not! So under the surface you still have a high tension brewing. The murders of black men in North America is tragic, most of it plays in the left over tensions from the 60's and the other having a victim mentality. A lot of people don't want to hear that.
Its time to raise your vibration and get it together.
Booker T. Coleman
Origin of Human Race
Black People Ruled Europe, Spain and Russia
Blacks in Asia
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Sensual Collection
The Diary
By D. Imani Muhammad
The Sensual Collection E-book
You can purchase the full ebook for .99 cents. All Rights are reserved. No part of this book can be duplicated in any way without D. Imani Muhammad's permission.
By D. Imani Muhammad
The Sensual Collection E-book
12/31/2010
Why do I find myself in the damnest positions. I’m in the sixty-nine with this man’s tongue in my pussy sucking me so well that I had to stop a few times giving him head. I never had someone sit in and watch me fuck my client – especially a client’s woman. She had the look of enjoyment in her eyes as I sucked her man’s dick. I was enjoying her watching my damn self. She watching me sucking her man’s dick, and I’m getting off on this shit. I never felt so turned on having someone watch me. I think it could probably get a little addictive feeling this adrenaline rushing through me. The more excited I became the wetter I get, and the wetter I get the deeper this man was sucking and playing with my clit. I found his tongue in my pussy and would masturbate saying to him, “Fuck me! I need you to fuck me like it’s yours!”
I never had anyone to suck my pussy like that, and when he finished sucking and licking my pussy that was it. It was over. He got up, slapped me on the ass and said, “That was some good pussy”, and walked out the bedroom leaving me wanting more. Didn’t he hear me say fuck me or did he think this shit was sexual banter? My pussy is throbbing and I needed the dick fucking me right about now. His woman is still sitting in the room watching me with this perplexed looked on my face, and says, “Did you expect him to really fuck you?” “Well, yeah I kind of did. That’s fucked up how he left me!” “Sweetheart that’s my job. I understand his needs and I have no problems with it as long as I’m present, and I can fuck her too.” She approaches the bed and I have to admit she was beautiful. If I were a man I would be loving to get with that all the time. She climbed in the bed and massages my back. Got damn it felt good, and then she kisses it. I’m nervous as hell, but I can’t show it. I can tell this one would feed off that. Rule number one, never show your client emotional weakness. “I don’t fuck women.” “You have already been paid for, so I don’t think you have a say in the matter.” “Well, if that’s the case I’m fucking you like I want to fuck you.” She pulled off her blue silk dress to reveal her naked body. Her beautiful smooth coco brown skin, her breasts were firm, hips wide, ass medium sized, but round. I found myself sucking gently on her nipples and caressing her back and her ass. I flicker my tongue over her nipples and sucked her breast. “I need you in the starfish position darling. Your man left my pussy throbbing and I need to fuck.” My left leg over her right, my right leg under her left and our pussies touched and I began to grind, and she does too. Oh, how I wish I could actually fuck her pussy. Our excitement rising and I go in for her breast again. When we came we were like two uncontrollable animals, moaning, grabbing, and grinding on one another. I hope she enjoyed that because it was the last time I would fuck a woman. I do envy the man that does, because fucking her was enjoyable.
©
2/11/2011
I don’t have the most glamorous or admired profession in the world, but it pays. It pays beautifully. I’m not saying that this is a life style to shot for because its not. It wasn’t one that I was shooting for or even thought about having. So, I guess your wondering how I entered this world of ‘sex and sin’. I actually got into this because of a guy that I was dating while I was in college. He didn’t get me into it. I am an engineering major and college is very expensive and I did not want to ask my parents for the money so I decided to find a way to earn the money myself. Robert, the guy I was dating, was the son of rich parents and he invited me to a party back in July. The people I met, all were not pretentious fucks like I thought they might be, but in the course of this party I met a lot of people who could get me in the field of Engineering once I graduated. I kept in touch with a lot of people that I met through Robert, even though he and I grew apart our last year of high school. It broke my heart. People thought we were going to go to the same college and one day get married, but it didn’t turn out that way.
I got a Pell Grant and two scholarships both for five hundred dollars, to help me out with school, plus I was working at a very upscale boutique. Things were good for a while. I was living near campus in a small apartment within walking distance. The ‘sex and sin’ part didn’t come in until I met Dan. Dan was a gorgeous man that stood 6’2”, tan skin, athlete build, and his hair was always cut close to his head. He was intelligent, with a sense of humor, beautiful light brown eyes, and a smile that would melt any woman, that’s if the eyes didn’t get you first. Getting to know him he was an absolute sweetheart, but he was not one, I would come to find out later that would settle down and claim one woman in his life. I envy the woman that can make him ‘settle’. Dan and I dated in two thousand and ten for about nine months, and it was genuinely a beautiful nine months of getting to know him and being with him, but the one thing that Dan did a lot while we were dating was after having sex he would leave four hundred dollars on the night stand. He would always stay for a while and then leave sometime during the night. I asked him why he did that, and his answer was always because he was helping me out with school. Dan leaving money all time after we had sex was too much for me. It never sat right with me until one day he told me that he did it because I was such a “good lay”, and that we were friends but we were friends with benefits, he was benefiting from me and in return he benefited me by paying me four hundred dollars every time we had sex. The other word he used was that I was “fuckable.” Fucked my world up with that comment. That hurt me so much that I no longer spoke to him after that.
Still had my job at the boutique but my hours were being cut which means that the good money I was making was also being downsized and that shit hurt. I could no longer do it on the salary that I was making, so I had to find a way to help subsidize my income back to what I was used too. I was accustomed to the money I was getting and living a certain way. With the money I was living in a Loft now, and loving my freedom. It was Dan that would give me my first taste of money for sex, but it was me who started to pimp me out. I considered myself a high price ho. An escort to men with money. You couldn’t dish out to me four hundred or more, and then I wanted nothing to do with you. I knew exactly where to find my clientele. I was introduced to the rich in two thousand and nine, so I knew where to find them. My friends never found out what I did, and I damn sure made it a priority that my parents didn’t find out what I did. No one would ever know because no one who personally knew me hung out where the rich hung out, so I was good to go. I first would start with a name change. I was no longer Sheryl Conway, I was Divine. Divine Mitchell.
©
2/12/2011
The thing about selling me out is that I get to work the schedule that I want to work. I have no one to report too, and I don’t have to share what I get with anybody. I still work my job and I go to school. My two worlds do not collide and I made sure that they never do. My clients are one world and my personal life is another. Clients never get real information about who I am. I even have a fake id made up with the name Divine Mitchell. All my friends know when I do work my ‘high end’ job is that I’m going out on a date with a guy. We all have codes we use in case something is not going quite right.
I use to hear when I was in high school, then again my first year of college that if a woman wanted to feel comfortable with her self-esteem, then she should work in a strip club at least for a night because it is there that she can get in touch with her feminine self. I would always think you know what yaw full of shit with that. But now I kind of understand what they meant by that. Here you have a bunch of men looking at you like eye candy, and for that moment in time you are the object of their desire. You are there to make them feel good, but in the same sense because you do make them feel this way it is boosting your self-esteem as a woman, because you are using what the lord gave you and men are naturally attracted to that, if they love and appreciate women. Soon your self-esteem is boosting and you walking around here like the bad bitch you naturally are. Every woman on this earth is a bad bitch, most just don’t tap into her because they were made to feel like being feminine and having the self-esteem of being a woman is wrong. It’s not wrong. I’m not even discussing what I do anymore. It’s about feeling like a woman whether you have a man in your life or not. Nothing should take us out of having our self-esteem and feeling feminine and sexy as hell all the damn time. We need to stop punishing ourselves for wanting to feel sexy even for our damn self. My rant is now over.
You can purchase the full ebook for .99 cents. All Rights are reserved. No part of this book can be duplicated in any way without D. Imani Muhammad's permission.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Dark Eye Beings
I am curious to know if anyone else has ever had an encounter with a dark eyed being. I experience happened when I was seven years old. My godfather, mother and brother where coming back from getting a bed for my brother. As my godfather was driving down the freeway the mattresses began to slip a little a person from another car pulled next to my godfather to warn him. He pulled over to the side of the road and began readjusted the mattresses. Then the strangest thing happened. There was this energy I felt that made everyone freeze besides me. My mother stopped moving, my brother who was in the backseat with me stopped moving and my godfather who was outside of the car still adjusted the mattresses on top of the car stopped moving. Even the traffic ceased to moved. I laid my head back on the seat and looked up at the inner spring mattress. At that time the bottom of the mattress was covered with a sheer covering whereas now its black. When I look up there was a boy inside of the inner spring mattress. I know it sounds weird or crazy, but there he was, eyes closed looking as if he was comfortable laying face down. I just looked at him wondering how in the world did he get in there. He wasn't there before. He was handsome, brown skinned, black hair, and about nine or ten years old. I guessed he sensed me looking when all of a sudden he quickly opened his eyes and the whole of his eyes were black. Quite amazing to me. I just looking at him for a few seconds and then I remember smiling and waving at him. He then smiled and waved back at me. He had nice white teeth, but what stood out about his teeth were that his canines where just a little long. Again I'm thing this is amazing. I sat my head back up and proceeded to tap my mother on the shoulder to tell her what I saw. When I got about two inches from her shoulder I froze and I sat back in my seat again. I then feel this same energy I felt before and then everything returns back to normal. Of course I leaned my head back to see if he was still there but he was gone. I checked again when we got to the house and my godfather got that mattress off the car. Still he was gone.
In my twenties my brother brought home a movie he borrowed called "Prophesy" with the Walken guy whose first name ecapes me right now. In the beginning of the movie the man fall from the sky into an alley butt naked and the camera pulled close into his face and his eyes where pure black. I stopped what I was doing and said, "What the hell." It was at that time I realized that hollywood knows about different entities that come to this world or are still in this world with us, and they are not just making movies out of no where with this entities. Instantly, the image of that young boy with the dark eyes came rushing back into my mind.
What was he? Anyone else have a experience with a dark eyed being?
In my twenties my brother brought home a movie he borrowed called "Prophesy" with the Walken guy whose first name ecapes me right now. In the beginning of the movie the man fall from the sky into an alley butt naked and the camera pulled close into his face and his eyes where pure black. I stopped what I was doing and said, "What the hell." It was at that time I realized that hollywood knows about different entities that come to this world or are still in this world with us, and they are not just making movies out of no where with this entities. Instantly, the image of that young boy with the dark eyes came rushing back into my mind.
What was he? Anyone else have a experience with a dark eyed being?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music & Destroyed a Generation
The following post is from hiphopisread.com
""The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation"
Posted by Ivan at 1:34 PM
This anonymous letter landed in my inbox about a minute ago:
Hello,
After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.
Between the late 80's and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen.
The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the “unfamiliar” group collected the agreements from us.
Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of “decision makers”. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn’t know what a private prison was but I wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we’d be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we’d also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, “Is this a f****** joke?” At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the “unfamiliar” group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we’d want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, “It’s out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement.” He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.
A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I'd like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn't remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I’d probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn’t uncover anything about the music business’ involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged.
As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.
I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a “quiet” life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90’s, having the internet as a resource which wasn't at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they’ve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.
Thank you."
""The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation"
Posted by Ivan at 1:34 PM
This anonymous letter landed in my inbox about a minute ago:
Hello,
After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.
Between the late 80's and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen.
The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the “unfamiliar” group collected the agreements from us.
Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of “decision makers”. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn’t know what a private prison was but I wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we’d be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we’d also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, “Is this a f****** joke?” At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the “unfamiliar” group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we’d want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, “It’s out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement.” He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.
A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I'd like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn't remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I’d probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn’t uncover anything about the music business’ involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged.
As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.
I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a “quiet” life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90’s, having the internet as a resource which wasn't at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they’ve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.
Thank you."
Friday, April 20, 2012
The State of Music
I grew up in the 1970’s on music by Glady’s Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Spinners, The O’Jays, Lou Rawls, The Jackson 5, and so many other R&B artists. Listening to the music, you felt it. It had heart and soul that you just connected with. When I got older my mother bought me my first record player, and the first 45 that I got was Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” I played the mess out that 45. I’ve always been the type of person who just loves music. If it sounds good to my ear, I’m into it.
I was driving home with my daughter one day and I’m flipping through the channels and then all of a sudden I said to her, “I feel sorry for your generation, because a majority of the music on the radio sucks.” All the music on the radio is monotonous. It all sounds the same, but every once in a while I’ll hear something that actually sounds good. Old R&B from the 1990’s on back I have no problem with, its some of this new R&B, but the problem I have with it is most of it has no heart and soul like R&B started out having. I’ve had to go online and find artist who are absolutely getting no airplay on the radio, and I’ve said, “This is where the heart of R&B is hiding.” The artists are online, but you have go and find them. Finding such artist as Jaguar, Janelle Monae, Lizz Wright, Myaisha, and I’m still on the look out for others, has given me hope that the heart of R&B is still alive.
What needs to be brought back is talent. When the artist actually had the voice, and the talent, not just a look, and when you go to buy the album the only thing you like on it is what you heard playing on the radio and possibly one more track. I've bought music like this and was highly upset, that the artist couldn't do any better than what they just put out here for people to buy. I want to hear music that touched and opened the heart. It just made you melt. Music that when you played it you could feel it radiate through you because that's how good the music is. I'm not even going to touch Hip Hop music. I gave up on that back in the 90's.
I just find that now I listen to some new R&B, the old school music still touches me and has me saying to my daughter, "you don't know nothing about this!" I then embarass her in the car singing and dancing a little while at a stop light. I find now that I listen to soft rock, country, classical when I don't want to hear nothing else. I love music, but I don't like the fact that the music has been butchered with monotonous tones being played over and over, through synthesised music instead of real instruments. Song by artist who all sound the same, coming out of the cookie cutter factory while some TRUE artist who deserve the exposure do not get it. And maybe that's how they want it considering the fact that from what I've been hearing and reading a artist has to damn near sell their soul in order to be recognized and be put into the public eye.
Bottom line of it all is that I miss the good music. You all can keep the cookie cutter artist I'm in search of discovering the REAL talent.
I was driving home with my daughter one day and I’m flipping through the channels and then all of a sudden I said to her, “I feel sorry for your generation, because a majority of the music on the radio sucks.” All the music on the radio is monotonous. It all sounds the same, but every once in a while I’ll hear something that actually sounds good. Old R&B from the 1990’s on back I have no problem with, its some of this new R&B, but the problem I have with it is most of it has no heart and soul like R&B started out having. I’ve had to go online and find artist who are absolutely getting no airplay on the radio, and I’ve said, “This is where the heart of R&B is hiding.” The artists are online, but you have go and find them. Finding such artist as Jaguar, Janelle Monae, Lizz Wright, Myaisha, and I’m still on the look out for others, has given me hope that the heart of R&B is still alive.
What needs to be brought back is talent. When the artist actually had the voice, and the talent, not just a look, and when you go to buy the album the only thing you like on it is what you heard playing on the radio and possibly one more track. I've bought music like this and was highly upset, that the artist couldn't do any better than what they just put out here for people to buy. I want to hear music that touched and opened the heart. It just made you melt. Music that when you played it you could feel it radiate through you because that's how good the music is. I'm not even going to touch Hip Hop music. I gave up on that back in the 90's.
I just find that now I listen to some new R&B, the old school music still touches me and has me saying to my daughter, "you don't know nothing about this!" I then embarass her in the car singing and dancing a little while at a stop light. I find now that I listen to soft rock, country, classical when I don't want to hear nothing else. I love music, but I don't like the fact that the music has been butchered with monotonous tones being played over and over, through synthesised music instead of real instruments. Song by artist who all sound the same, coming out of the cookie cutter factory while some TRUE artist who deserve the exposure do not get it. And maybe that's how they want it considering the fact that from what I've been hearing and reading a artist has to damn near sell their soul in order to be recognized and be put into the public eye.
Bottom line of it all is that I miss the good music. You all can keep the cookie cutter artist I'm in search of discovering the REAL talent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)