Category Archives: Jasiri X

Video: “Do We Need to Start a Riot?” Jasiri X

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“Do We Need to Start a Riot?” is a response to the recent report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement that states 110 Black people have been killed by the police in 2012, one every 40 hours

Filmed on location in New York City at the historic march to end Stop and Frisk, and in Los Angeles on Florence and Normandie, where the 1992 LA rebellion began, “Do We Need to Start a Riot?” features words from legendary Activist/Comedian Dick Gregory and Henry Watson, one of the “LA Four”, charged in the beating of Reginald Denny and highlighted in the recent VH1 documentary “Uprising: Hip-Hop and the LA Riots, and appearances by the Universal Zulu Nation, Occupy the Hood, the Sound Strike, the League, and Hip-Hop Artist Tahir Jahi.

“Do We Need to Start a Riot?”  was directed by Paradise Gray and Radee Westfield.

Here’s the Free Download of “Do We Need to Start a Riot?“

LYRICS
Ramarly Graham, they shot him
Alan Blueford, they shot him
Ken Chamberlain, they shot him
Kendric McDade, they shot him

Darius Simmons, they shot him
Bo Morrison, they shot him
Wendell Allen, they shot him
Justin Sipp, they shot him

Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You’re in the presence of warriors

Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You’re in a warrior’s face boy
You can’t call this a race war
Cause we the only ones they got hate for
That get shot down when the gage roar
But we always willing to take more
From Emmett Till on that lake floor
To Trayvon, Rekia Boyd
Mumia, Troy it’s we destroyed
Since I’m public enemy I bring the noise

Marissa Alexander, they locked her
Jasmine Thar, they shot her
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don’t get justice do we need to start a riot?

In 92 those riots grew
Peace treaty
red unites with blue
In LA the Crips and the Prius
Put aside the feud and started riding true
said the NOI was behind it to
Then Police came in to divide the crews
Steal a homies car them drive it through
Another gangs hood then fire the tool
Our unity is our biggest weapon
When I asks this question you feeling threatened
But imagined your child being killed for less and
It’s 45 days for the killer arrested
mad at me cause I’m given a message
But if we can be killed by Zimmermans
And they can get off cause of privilege
Then our we really citizens
Get beaten to death if you a immigrant
Go back to your country is the sentiment
They call us monkeys say we ignorant
So we get killed they don’t give a shit
Now what would you do if you were living this?
To protect your kids from this?
If ya child got killed would you live with it?
Would you slit you wrists would you get the fifth
Would you care about ya job our ya benefits?
If they said they murderer was innocent
No trial no jury no sentencing
And you saw how foul this system is
but they keep telling us to be patient
They keep tell us to keep waiting
They keep telling us that we hating
And when we’re killed cause we black that we racist

Howard Morgan they shot em
Then for 40 years they locked him
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don’t get justice do we need to start a riot?

Video: “Dear Debra” Jasiri X

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This is a open letter to BET and their CEO Debra Lee. “Dear Debra” is a critical but loving letter exploring the possibilities of Black Entertainment Television.

“Dear Debra” was produced by Kai Roberts and directed by Paradise the Arkitech of X-Clan. No ducks were harmed in the making of this video.

Free Download at http://jasirix.bandcamp.com/track/dear-debra

LYRICS
Verse 1
Dear Debra,
You’re giving me the blues mo betta
said that I can flow forever but I ain’t got no chedda
and we can’t got together cause I’m too controversial
plus you said ya time is money like a commercial
but my music’s universal
I didn’t mean to hurt you
but that’s what truth does
I did it with true love
see I gave you my heart and you said it was irrelevant
you said that I was smart but that I was too intelligent
I offered you my soul from the start but like the devil did
you said it would rank on ya chart unless I selling it
you said that your just playin ya part that of the ghetto chick
cause that’s what people what you to be
that sounds like frontin to me
see to me you’re more than something to see
baby you and me could set this whole country free
my queen you stepped out of a dream on to the screen
like a vision you was the only one I’ve ever seen

Verse 2
you had religion you was quick to tell em you was christian
but now you hang with gangstas so much you’ve been imprisoned
but you convinced yourself that that’s how we living
but life is so much more than champagne sippin
listen what this isn’t is a black male’s hate
give me one chance I promise it won’t be a hell’s date
we can go to college hill or 106 and park
make love from the sun up till when it get’s dark
I’ll sooth you no matter what level the stress
you are a righteous black queen not a hot ghetto mess
and yes I believe that you’ll switch one day
but now you’re so exposed that I wanna rip the runway
and I know they say that you should shake what ya mama gave you
but you are a reflection of how ya mama raised you
and you get what you give so don’t let karma enslave you
I’m willin to campaign like Obama to change you
for real

Verse 3
I’m so serious I’m so sincere
name the place where ever you wanna go I’m their
we can go to rap city I can get us a booth
cause the ones that’s there now they don’t be spittin the truth
you ask me how do I know the way they living is proof
claimin they freestylin what was ghostwritten for dudes
I wanna kick it with you
I’m on a mission to prove
that I’m a honest dude
this is not a comic view
see I wanna honor you and give you an award
but the ones that sponsor you I wanna give em the sword
they not fond of you they just wanna get you on board
and then they lie to you that’s just like pimpin a whore
see they don’t care what you mean to me or the community
how we can teach the seeds or promote unity
they just want coonery more and more buffoonery
so they can watch those videos like shake that booty b
but I’ll never call you out of your name
just consider this a lane to get you outta the game
cause I’ll take on all 50 states for you miss Debra
and you can call the battle Hip-Hop vs America

Video: “F*** the Police” B.Dolan ft. Toki Wright, Jasiri X, Buddy Peace, Sage Francis

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DOWNLOAD THIS MP3 FOR FREE on the homepage of http://StrangeFamousRecords.com right now!

B. DOLAN’s “FILM THE POLICE” pays tribute to N.W.A.’s infamous “F*ck the Police,” serving as a call to action for the digitized media movement while responding to the recent explosion of police brutality all across the world.

This free MP3, courtesy of STRANGE FAMOUS RECORDS, features a reconstruction of Dr. Dre’s original beat, brilliantly reanimated by UK producer BUDDY PEACE. Label CEO, SAGE FRANCIS, opens the song by picking up the gavel where Dr. Dre left it 23 years ago, introducing a blistering, true-to-style flip of Ice Cube’s original verse by SFR cornerstone, B. Dolan. TOKI WRIGHT (Rhymesayers Entertainment) follows up by stepping into the shoes of MC Ren, penning the people’s struggle against cops as a case of “Goliath Vs. a bigger giant.” Finally, Jasiri X (Pittsburgh rapper/activist) rounds out the track by filling in for Eazy-E, reminding us that police brutality disproportionately affects poor people of color.

With the Occupy Movement bringing various forms of injustice to the forefront of people’s consciousness, “Film the Police” is a reminder that cops have been a continued and increasingly militarized presence in public streets. Thanks to the widespread use of smartphones and video cameras, along with the popularity of social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, the power of the media has been put back into the people’s hands as they document the injustices perpetrated by those who have sworn to serve and protect them.
#FilmThePolice bandanas are now available at http://www.strangefamousrecords.com/store/filmthepolice-bandana-p-540.html

The lyrics are available at: http://bdolan.net/film-the-police-lyrics/
http://facebook.com/BDolanSFR

This video was directed by Mason Johnson (Klepticenter Productions) and edited by Weston Woodbury.

“Film the Police” will be included on B. DOLAN and BUDDY PEACE’s “HOUSE OF BEES VOL. II” mixtape at http://StrangeFamousRecords.com


New music from Jasiri X “Etta”

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In the wake of the passing of Etta James, my good friend and producer from London, England, Agent of Change, sent me an incredible beat sampling her unmatched voice for a dedication. The result is below. I pray it’s a worthy tribute to a phenomenal woman. -Jasiri X

FREE DOWNLOAD: Jasiri X – Etta (prod Agent of Change) by agentofchange

follow @jasiri_x @agent_of_change

New music from Good Company ft. Jasiri X “The Dream”

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Good Company (Ayatollah Jaxx & Fundamental), the Torontoburgh Tandem released This Time Next Year in April which is available on iTunes now. The duo linked with close affiliate Jasiri X to produce “The Dream”, the remix to “On The Go Back” off their recent album. This political tune addresses Tyler Perry, Police Brutality, Osama Bin Laden and Terry Jones’ Qu’ran burning.

follow @ayatollahjaxx @fundamental10


New music from Jasiri X “Harry Belafonte”

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Pittsburgh emcee Jasiri X pays tribute to his elder and mentor on “Harry Belafonte”, produced by Wandering Worx labelmate DaiN. “He’s the standard when it comes to artists using their fame and wealth to bring about social change,” says Jasiri of Belafonte. “Mr. Belafonte will go down in history as a freedom fighter that was unafraid to risk his career to speak out on behalf of the poor and oppressed. I’m striving to live up to his great example.”

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Video: “City of Steel” Jasiri X & Rel!g!on

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Most people when they hear about Pittsburgh think of one thing…the Steelers. Unless you’ve lived here or visited the neighborhoods of Homewood, the Hill District, or parts of the Northside (to name a few), you probably don’t know about the level of violence in Pittsburgh. If you watched our video“America’s Most Livable City” you might assume that a city with the poorest Black community in the nation, also has it’s far share of homicides, and you’d be right.


This year, Pennsylvania finally relinquished it’s title as the state with the most Black homicides, now we’re in second place behind Missouri. Most people credit Philly for that dubious distinction, but last year Pittsburgh saw it’s number of murders increase by 41%. To make matters even worse, Pittsburgh Police’s homicide clearance rate dropped to it’s second lowest rate in a decade. Plus the city’s new crime prevention program called, “Pittsburgh’s Initiative to Reduce Crime” is already being labeled a failure.According to the New Pittsburgh Courier : 

“The average homicide victim in 2010 was a 33–year-old Black male with four prior arrests, most likely shot on the North Side, in the Hill District or the East End with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the early morning hours of a Saturday in July. The average shooter was a 29-year-old Black male with four prior arrests. The motive was likely retaliation. And according to the clearance-rate data, there is a 46 percent chance that he is still at large.”

 

This is why we decided to dedicate our latest video to the problem of violence in our community.“City of Steel” was filmed on Pittsburgh’s Northside at, Northview Heights housing project, Allegheny County General Hospital, Zone No.1 Police Station, Union Dale Cemetery, and the newly reopened state prison, SCI Pittsburgh. “City of Steel” was produced by Rel!g!on and directed byParadise Gray.

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A Few Bars with Jasiri X

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Your favorite Pittsburgh hip hop artists fill in the blanks.

Jasiri X

When it’s summer in Pittsburgh you definitely have to hit the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, great edutainment.

If you come to one of my shows you’ll be surprised that every song I do isn’t “politcal” lol.

If I could work with anyone it would be DJ Premier because he’s a legend and has worked with almost all of the greatest rappers ever.

My current project is Ascension and features raw lyricism and incredible production.

When it comes to making music talent is more important than swag.

I hate the plastic side of the music biz.

Beedie is one of my favorite Pittsburgh hip hop artists.

www.RepPghHipHop.com has helped me to increase my exposure worldwide.

follow @jasiri_x

Next: A Few Bars with C.H.R.I.S.

 

 

Jasiri X to debut new video “City of Steel”

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Jasiri X Addresses Pittsburgh Urban Violence

On Tuesday, July 26, 2011, at the Homewood Library at 7:00 p.m. Jasiri X will debut his newest video entitled “City of Steel” a montage set to introduce the viewer to the real Pittsburgh, a landscape not necessarily forged of skylines and reemerged economies, but instead the viewer will be introduced to the stark juxtaposition of a landscape wrought by violence and bereft of hope.  Jasiri X will also moderate a community based discussion surrounding the

effects of a community plagued by violence, its negative impact, and possible solutions; with special guest speaker Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed, former gang leader turned acclaimed director who will host a free screening of “To Live and Die in Amerikkka” an honest study of the causes, effects, and results of urban youth violence on society, documented by “real life footage detailing the harsh realities of violence” documenting “the brutal nature of today’s youth in real time footage”.

This is the third of the four video series entitled “The Pittsburgh Press” and forums planned; each subsequent presentation will include a discussion to specifically identify solutions to issues raised in each episodic study.  The Pittsburgh Press was made possible by a generous Seed Award from the Sprout Fund.

Emcee and community activist Jasiri X is the creative force and artist behind the ground breaking internet news series, This Week with Jasiri X, which has garnered close to one million internet views and thousands of subscribers.  His most recent and most popular video to date is “What if the Tea Party was Black”, has resulted in a variety of opportunities showcasing the singular ability of Jasiri X to adequately surmise a situation within a the confines of a verse. Jasiri X continues to travel the world opening minds via multiple speaking engagements and performances.

Paradise “The Arkitech” Gray, founding member of legendary rap group X-Clan and the Blackwatch Movement, is the man behind the camera responsible for framing the images that make the Hip-Hop series so unique. Paradise’s work as a pioneer, photographer, writer and archivist in the Hip-Hop community, is rivaled only by his work as a dedicated activist in our community.

If you would like more information regarding this topic, or to schedule an interview with Jasiri X or Paradise Gray please contact us at 412-404-2347 or email jasirix@gmail.com.