When revolutionary rap duo Dead Prez released their classic 2000 opening salvo, Let’s Get Free, the outspoken hip-hop tandem of stic.man and M-1 were lauded and criticized for their two-fisted rebuke of systematic racism in all its forms. Nearly two decades later, Dead Prez is still fighting the good fight: stic is set to release the book The Art of War: Hip-Hop and Social Activism later this year, and M just dropped the track “Sacrifice” in celebration of the prison release of Black Liberation Army member Sekou Odinga. In the polarizing aftermath of the Ferguson, Missouri, grand jury’s decision to not indict a police officer for killing unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, OZY reached out to the pair to hear their views on a community and city on fire.
“What I think is even more constructive … is an economic strike aimed at some of the pressure points of the system.”
— stic.man
We here at the decryptedmatrix love these guys and their candor and message. We can only hope for more artists of all kinds to embrace the chance to speak truth to those who will listen to them. Model artists like this are what we need more of to inspire the next generation and to create content that we all enjoy. Without more guys like Dead Prez we fear that music industry will continue to be corrupted by the same corporate influences that have so far shaped what is on the radio and the top of the billboard charts.
The Wu-Tang Clan is an elite group of ninja revolutionaries and mind control cult, under the leadership of reverend Bob Diggs, that arose in the early 1890s to challenge the authority of the various secret societies ruling the world, including the Illuminati, the Freemasons, Newscorp and the Spanish Inquisition. The Clan pledged to free the world from impending doom and usher in a brave new era in which everyone will be stoned, wear their own clothing line and talk in incomprehensible but nonetheless impressive speech, a.k.a Wu Ebonics.
Before Jay-Z and other members of the entertainment world were thought to belong to the Illuminati, rap group Wu-Tang Clan spoke of the mysterious organization many years ago. The Illuminati is believed to play a role in the exchange of power that has a hand in controlling the public on many different levels. They possess an influence that is detected in the movie, television, and music industries. Before the obsession with who belongs to the Illuminati really kicked off, it was about 1995 when members of the Clan sounded off about the Freemasonry, the Illuminati and a New World Order.
The June/July issue of Vibe (published in 1995) highlighted an article that included the thoughts of Wu Tang Clan group members Raekwon, U-God and Ghostface Killah, who discussed the possibility of changes coming in the year 2000. Raekwon mentions a videotape that they’ve watched, which speaks of the “Masons’ plan for New World Order. He says, “Right now, we’re preparing for the Illuminati 2000, which is the Masons’ plan for New World Order. We got a videotape of these mothafuckas droppin’ all types of sh*t about how they plan to run sh*t in the year 2000 and better.”
U-God agrees with Raekwon and adds that there are plans to place microchip implants in babies so that people can be found wherever they are. He also spoke of all money being replaced by plastic credit cards.
Raekwon continues in the article to state: “Brothers dont realize these are the last days. Thats why we so tightly knit. We gotta blow this sh*t up now, or else we aint gonna have another chance. When you really think this whole world is corrupted to an extent…everything! Illuminati is a belief, but at the same time, its no religion. We dealin with facts, just like we dealing with the planets and all that. Its deep.”
Another member of the group warns to stop speaking on the topic, and the conversation ends with their belief that people can get killed for talking about the subject. The rest of the Vibe article goes on to mention a book titled, ‘The New World Order’ printed by Publius Press, which highlights the conspiracies associated with the Illuminati.
The Wu-Tang Clan is a rap group from New York City that is recognized for their commanding, creative lyrics. Over the years, various members have mentioned theories of mind control and higher authorities programming music listeners with the types of music that get the most airplay and publicity. In their song, ‘Impossible,’ the group touches upon some of their beliefs regarding certain aspects of America that are meant to control and deceive the public. The intro starts the song by telling listeners that the lyrics will touch upon fate, destiny and the state of humanity, and later on, one member specifically mentions the Illuminati: “We want sanitary food / Planetary conquest / Thug peoples on some hard cold body sh*t / Get your sh*t together before the f**kin’ Illuminati hit.”
Other significant lyrics in the rap song include:
“Electric microbes, robotic probes Taking telescope pictures of globe, babies getting pierced with microchips Stuffed inside their earlobes, then examinated Blood contaminated, vaccinated, lives fabricated”
The Clan uses their words in the above lyrics to create imagery that highlights their views on technology taking over, and forces uses advanced technology to control and track communities. They feel that the government (or other entities) purposefully contaminates the population with disease so that they can sell vaccines and wealthy companies benefit from the profits.
Another twist to the tale of Wu Tang Clan in regards to the Illuminati is the belief that one of their former members, Ol Dirty Bastard was killed because of his views on the Illuminati. The rapper would speak openly about the secret organization and of suffering from “harassment from the government.” While some deemed the musician a drug addict and on the brink of insanity, you may also wonder about the common tactic of the Illuminati of making people appear crazy so that their words and messages are not taken seriously.
Eminem has hinted that his story-telling talents ended up being a curse in recent albums, such that he has been forced into becoming a slave and pawn of the music industry mega corporations. Rapping now about a multitude of Satanistic and Illuminati related subjects we are left to wonder if he is Enlightened and sending us a message, perhaps telling us to stay away? Showing the Horns of Baphomet, and One-Eye Illuminati signature isn’t subtle, so perhaps instead now a fully converted practitioner of Satanism by choice. keep in mind, Enlightenment can be used for positive or negative.
Looking closely at Eminem’s lyrics, he was a troubled man with a talent exploited by the system he let create the rap legend that is Eminem. Insiders have claimed that he has been threatened, bribed, and/or coerced into continuing participation with industry demands exploiting his talents with an esoteric agenda. Close friend and confidant, Proof, may have been a ‘hit’ designed to force him back into the game, producing chart topping singles. Rumor had it that he has wanted to retire & disappear for some time, to focus on being a father.
“Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go fight his own war; Let him impress daddy that way; No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil; No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain’t loyal; If we don’t serve our own country, we’re patronizing a hero; Look in his eyes its all lies; The stars and stripes, they’ve been swiped, washed out and wiped; And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die; If I get sniped tonight you know why, Cause I told you to fight!”
It’s long been speculated that Lauryn Hill disappeared from music because of her fear of the “media protected military industrial complex”,.
Grammy award-winning singer Lauren Hill has been ordered by a judge to “undergo counseling because of her conspiracy theories.” What was her conspiracy theory? That the music industry oppresses people with actual talent in favor of pumping out mindless nonsense.
Hill was sentenced to 3 months in jail followed by three months’ home confinement after failing to pay a tax bill because she had withdrawn from society following threats to her family.
In June last year, Hill posted a diatribe to her Tumblr account complaining of how themusic industry is “manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex.”
Even other recording artists have made it clear that anyone who doesn’t conform to the strict demands of the music industry or even, as Nicole Scherzinger recently remarked, sell their soul to satan, tends to find success hard to maintain in an industry that punishes individuals who dare to speak their mind.
In numerous performances and speeches over the last few years, Hill has attempted to warn young people about how “pop culture cannibalism” and the deliberate reductionism of art and music is damaging a whole generation and turning them into passive, unthinking consumers – destroying inspiration and true creativity in the name of profit.
The Judge’s order that Hill undergo what amounts to brainwashing and re-education simply for publicly proclaiming the fact that the music industry is designed to strangle true talent while promoting amoral, vacuous, mindless, turgid drivel, is part of theincreasing trend towards labeling common sense as a mental illness if it goes against the establishment grain in any way.
Paz is known for his raw and gritty lyrical delivery. His lyrics frequently contain references to religion, war, politics, mythology, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal.[2] His more recent albums such as Servants in Heaven Kings in Hell show a more obvious approach to politics and world issues. This gritty style of Paz became apparent with the release of Violent by Design, and has become progressively more defined since its release. Vinnie Paz has a number of aliases, such as: Ikon the Verbal Hologram, Louie Doggs, Boxcutter Pazzy, Hologram, Paz, Vinnie P, The Pazmanian Devil, Ikon The Python, and Pazienza. Raised Catholic, Vinnie Paz is now a Muslim, which plays a major role in much of his lyrics, often controversially, as on Heavenly Divine, where he rapped “I’m with Allah ’cause he chose me, I broke into the Vatican, strangled The Popewith his rosary.”[3] Vinnie is also a heavy metal fan, and occasionally uses song titles and band names in JMT tracks and lyrics.
Prodigy released an autobiography during spring 2011 entitled My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy. It was co-written with Laura Checkoway and was published by Touchstone Books. Prodigy was recently featured in the 2011 documentary Rhyme and Punishment a film that documents Hip-Hop artists who have been incarcerated. The film documents Prodigy’s trial and his last days before starting his prison sentence. During 2011, Prodigy released a free EP called The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP which is his first project since being released from prison. On April 21, a song titled “The Type”, with Curren$y, was released on Curren$y’s free album, entitled Covert Coup.[7] Prodigy has spoken out against the secret society Illuminati.[8][9] In 2013, Prodigy released his second collaboration album with The Alchemist titled Albert Einstein. Then on April 1, 2014, Mobb Deep released The Infamous Mobb Deep their eighth studio album.
Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to retain control over his production,[3] and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to a combined total of 200,000 copies of his three official releases.[4]
Beast 1333 is a well known underground Hip Hop rapper of Puerto Rican descent with a huge global cult like following, born in Brooklyn NY (Jan.13,1982). Anti-NWO Storyteller leaves no conspiracy stone un-turned. UFO’s, Aliens, Cover-Up, Genetic Engineering, Space Travel, Time-Travel, you name it. Friend of Anonymous.
Iraqi from the United Kingdom. Social Justice Activist. Anti-Obama, Anti-Drone, Anti-War. Pro-Palestine.
Political activism (wikipedia)
Lowkey is a vocal opponent of Zionism and has been become well known for his pro-Palestinian activities as a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, comparing Zionism to colonialism and ethnic cleansing.[30][31][32] He is known to have coined the phrase “Nothing is more anti-semiticthan Zionism” in reference not only to the seldom acknowledged fact that Arabs are themselves Semites but also to what he called the “identical points of view” within Zionism and anti-semitism.[33]
In February 2009, he travelled to Palestinian refugee camps around the West Bank area to perform fundraising shows to help rebuild the Gaza Strip but was detained by the Israel Police for nine hours at Ben Gurion International Airport and interrogated, while having his passport confiscated.[34]Later in 2009, he travelled with M-1 of Dead Prez to carry out a humanitarian aid mission and bring medical aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza; this led to a collaboration between the two on Soundtrack to the Struggle.[35] He was detained for a second time in July 2010, en route to a number of concerts and musical workshops in refugee camps in the West Bank. After detaining him for twelve hours and an online petition was started, he was released.[36]
Lowkey has been a prominent member of the Stop The War Coalition and has spoken on many platforms regarding the occupation of Iraq.[37]Furthermore, he has been a sharp critic of United States and British foreign policy, claiming that the two powers are only interested in supporting leaders who are under their influence or are willing to assist them. He also claims American media overlooks those within the country who do not believe in American military supremacy.[30] Lowkey criticised US President Barack Obama as the “handsome face of an ugly empire” for enlargingGeorge Bush‘s “aggressive foreign policy”.[38]
Storytelling is a lost art in rap. Not many do it anymore. Storytelling is a testament to a writer’s creativity, all great writers have a great imagination. So you have to be able to create a plot that people can visualize. With a movie, you can see whats going on but when you can make someone see what you’re saying as you’re saying it, then thats a special talent. The knowledge comes from my roots in Hip Hop. In the beginning there were songs like “The Message”, “The Breaks”, then Public Enemy, KRS, X-Clan…those groups raised social consciousness in rap and thats the era i came up in, so naturally i understand the obligation to teach in my music, words are powerful and the things you say carry weight. I had to evolve and im still growing to where i dont get too wild anymore because i’ve corrupted enough minds. -KRino
Below is a letter claimed to be written by a former music executive who says he witnessed a secret meeting in 1991 where the prison industrial complex encouraged the music industry to promote rap artists who glorify crime with the goal of encouraging listeners to get locked up in prison, so the private prisons could make more money. It’s a very interesting read, but unless others come forward and confirm his story, there is no way to verify whether or not this meeting took place. This letter first surfaced on HipHopisRead.com after the admin claims he received it in his email anonymously on April 24, 2012. The spelling and grammatical errors have been left as they were in the original and have not been corrected. This ‘Dot’ Connects to Others, namely Prisons – for – Profit, Police Militarization, and plans for Martial Law by way of Racial Divide. All of which we’ve documented for some time. The buttons below will auto-search those keywords.
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.
KRS One saw the reality of the situation a long time ago.
He tried to warn us. How relevant are these lyrics today?
Ask Yourself Why You’ve Never Heard of this OG Truth-Bomb dropper
Now here’s a little truth, open up your eye While you’re checkin’ out the boom-bap, check the exercise Take the word overseer, like a sample Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer Officer, officer, officer, officer Yeah,officerfromoverseer You need a little clarity? Check the similarity! The overseer rode around the plantation The officer is off, patrollin’ all the nation The overseer could stop you, “What you’re doing?” The officer will pull you over just when he’s pursuing The overseer had the right to get ill And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill The officer has the right to arrest And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest
Conscious hip-hop is often confused with its musical cousin, political hip-hop, possibly because they both speak to social turmoil.
A disdain for commercialism is another common thread that weaves the two styles together. Politically charged songs by rappers such as Dead Prez and Public Enemy are usually delivered in a militant fashion.
September 6, 2012: Decrypted Matrix with Max Maverick on Revealing Talk Radio
Prison Industrial Complex Explained: Learn how Corporations are outsourcing & privatizing labor costs to the Prison Industry and how there are massive profits exploding from within this corrupted Incarceration System. Slave Labor Camps, Return of the Debtor Prisons, Products most often created by Prisoners, Recent Wallstreet investments & the Goldman Sachs connection. SERCO, UNICOR, Federal Prison Industries, Inc. and the astronomical nationwide per-capita figures that will make your head spin.
This is the official video for Lowkey’s single Tears to Laughter which has been supported by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Viva Palestine and others. The song has been a huge hit amongst supporters of the Palestinian cause and Lowkey has toured extensively through Europe, Israel and Palestine to promote the song and its message.
You can now buy Lowkey’s album Soundtrack To The Struggle on double disc from www.soundtracktothestruggle.com! All profits made from the single are being donated to the DEC Gaza Appeal.
