A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
And even though gangsters don't dance
And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while.
But September made me shiver
With every MTV report I'd quiver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldnt take one more step.
I cant remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.
So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
Singin, thisll be the day that I die.
Thisll be the day that I die.
Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that youre in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.
I was a lonely teenage broncin buck
With a Cam'ron pink carnation and a Ford pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.
I started singin,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
And singin, thisll be the day that I die.
Thisll be the day that I die.
Now for ten years weve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin stone,
But thats not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,
Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while lennon read a book of marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.
We were singing,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
And singin, thisll be the day that I die.
Thisll be the day that I die.
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
It Is Bigger Than Us
It is Bigger than Us
It's bigger than us. And by us I mean the 21-35 generation x kids who grew up watching 106 and Park and TRL and barely can remember when rap music wasn't on MTV. It's bigger than us. Because we didn't have to walk on Washington and we sat in the back of the bus because that's where we wanted to sit, not because we were forced to or have to riot because one of our leaders was assassinated. Since we had no political leaders that related to us, we turned Tupac into our revolutionary and rappers became the voice of a misguided generation that had nothing to hold on to or nothing to look forward to. A man is a dangerous animal when he has nothing to live for.
And with that came the rise of American Gangsters and dope boyz in the trap and drug dealers became local legends and later in their careers music moguls. While single mothers in the hood told little boys and girls you can be anything you want to be, you don't have to be like the rest of them. Drugs and basketball aren't they only way out. And some replied yeah I'm going to be a rapper. And she told you that's not what she meant, you can be president. And I myself was one of those children and looked at her and thought this lady is on that shit, because my name isn't Bill or William, or George or any other presidential name and then I thought; if she wanted me to be president she should have started by giving me the right name to start. Then I also realized none of the presidents looked like me and she was just pumping my head with noise because it sounded good.
But as I said when I started it is bigger than us. This moment in time, while we pivot role in it was not really for us. It is bigger than us. It is for our grandparents that day dream and have nightmares when you mention things like Selma, Willie Lynch, a young Atlanta preacher named after a catholic revolutionary Martin Luther, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Malcom Little aka Malcolm X aka Malik Shabazz. This moment is for then for everything that we took for granted, that they indured. This is their time to rejoice and praise God for the dream that has come to fruition. More importantly this moment is for the next generation, for my two year old son Davin that will never question me when I tell him that he can be anything he wants to be including president and he doesn't have to have a presidential name or presidential background to win. This moment is for my son who is to young to get it yet, because 2am is way past his bed time. This is for our kids that we must realize have far fewer obstacles in front of them than our parents did. Kids who not only play football and basketball, but golf and tennis as well. This is for those who will grow up believing YES WE CAN.
Posted by H.W. Sparks at 7:54 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Opinion
It's bigger than us. And by us I mean the 21-35 generation x kids who grew up watching 106 and Park and TRL and barely can remember when rap music wasn't on MTV. It's bigger than us. Because we didn't have to walk on Washington and we sat in the back of the bus because that's where we wanted to sit, not because we were forced to or have to riot because one of our leaders was assassinated. Since we had no political leaders that related to us, we turned Tupac into our revolutionary and rappers became the voice of a misguided generation that had nothing to hold on to or nothing to look forward to. A man is a dangerous animal when he has nothing to live for.
And with that came the rise of American Gangsters and dope boyz in the trap and drug dealers became local legends and later in their careers music moguls. While single mothers in the hood told little boys and girls you can be anything you want to be, you don't have to be like the rest of them. Drugs and basketball aren't they only way out. And some replied yeah I'm going to be a rapper. And she told you that's not what she meant, you can be president. And I myself was one of those children and looked at her and thought this lady is on that shit, because my name isn't Bill or William, or George or any other presidential name and then I thought; if she wanted me to be president she should have started by giving me the right name to start. Then I also realized none of the presidents looked like me and she was just pumping my head with noise because it sounded good.
But as I said when I started it is bigger than us. This moment in time, while we pivot role in it was not really for us. It is bigger than us. It is for our grandparents that day dream and have nightmares when you mention things like Selma, Willie Lynch, a young Atlanta preacher named after a catholic revolutionary Martin Luther, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Malcom Little aka Malcolm X aka Malik Shabazz. This moment is for then for everything that we took for granted, that they indured. This is their time to rejoice and praise God for the dream that has come to fruition. More importantly this moment is for the next generation, for my two year old son Davin that will never question me when I tell him that he can be anything he wants to be including president and he doesn't have to have a presidential name or presidential background to win. This moment is for my son who is to young to get it yet, because 2am is way past his bed time. This is for our kids that we must realize have far fewer obstacles in front of them than our parents did. Kids who not only play football and basketball, but golf and tennis as well. This is for those who will grow up believing YES WE CAN.
Posted by H.W. Sparks at 7:54 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Opinion
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
So Why Would You Walk With Wing?
So Why Would You Walk with Wings?
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you have been given the ability to soar above your situation
When you can transcend, transfigure and transform generations
Living testimonies to the glory of God
So, why would you walk with wings?
When the Most High stepped out of time and space and spoke you into existence
Breathing interpretations of His Word
Ooh prophets of the Lion of Judah rise up and proclaim the truth to the dumb, deaf and blind walking aimlessly in the wilderness
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you were intended for so much more
When you have been given authority over the earth
Because you are a god
You are a god
You are a god
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you do not have to die as a mere man
And the problems of this world should have no effect over you
And angels wish that they could be in your position
So, why would you walk with wings?
When Jehovah himself has given the world notice
To touch not his anointed and to do his prophets no harm
You are the realization of a dream that has been fulfilled
And you have something in you that is so special it will lead your life
To finally being actualized, realized and complete
So why would you walk?
Why would you walk?
Why would you walk with wings?
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you have been given the ability to soar above your situation
When you can transcend, transfigure and transform generations
Living testimonies to the glory of God
So, why would you walk with wings?
When the Most High stepped out of time and space and spoke you into existence
Breathing interpretations of His Word
Ooh prophets of the Lion of Judah rise up and proclaim the truth to the dumb, deaf and blind walking aimlessly in the wilderness
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you were intended for so much more
When you have been given authority over the earth
Because you are a god
You are a god
You are a god
So, why would you walk with wings?
When you do not have to die as a mere man
And the problems of this world should have no effect over you
And angels wish that they could be in your position
So, why would you walk with wings?
When Jehovah himself has given the world notice
To touch not his anointed and to do his prophets no harm
You are the realization of a dream that has been fulfilled
And you have something in you that is so special it will lead your life
To finally being actualized, realized and complete
So why would you walk?
Why would you walk?
Why would you walk with wings?
Live from the Muthafuckin' Pen
Music has moved me. Hip-hop has allowed me to see the world, meet thousands of cool, weird and interesting people, and party in every five-star club and hole in the wall this country has to offer. While I love the music as a whole, southern music has a special place in my heart. The rest of the culture may focus on the Soulijah Boy's and Hurricane Chris' and the other commercial rap music that radio programmers prefer. However, for those that have been raised on this music, know that that's not a true testament of our brilliance.
In 1996, two young men from Port Author Texas created a classic that helped raise a generation of Southern boys to men. Chad Butler and Bernard Freeman spoke on much more than drugs, money and prostitution. While they preached on those subjects in abundance, they painted a mural of southern urban life in a way that we could understand. Tupac was gone and Biggie, while New York right fully loved him didn't connect with us like Butler and Freeman did. Ridin Dirty was narrated from a place to many young black men know to well. The album begins with the introduction of its narrator Smizznot muthfucking D "Live from the muthafucking Pen"; As he tells you of the life that he lives everyday, in a Texas maximum security penitentiary and Butler and Freeman tell you of life in the streets. The similarities of the two stories that should be worlds apart, but aren't is remarkable and shameful at the same time.
The first piece of this journey begins with a soulful Isley Brothers sample called One Day, Butler's production while erie, sooths the spirit and leaves you with the image of late night walk through a cemetery. As Ronald Isley reminds us that "One day you are here the next day your gone," the pair tells stories of decisions that lead to demise of the innocent as well as guilty. They do not fall into the trap that most gangster rap does of glorifying drugs and drug trafficking. It is always last resort of being dealt a bad hand by the circumstances of life in the the hood.
They take 13 tracks to speak on everything from single parenting, drugs trafficking, unsafe sex to poverty and lack of education in the under-developed third-world neighborhoods of our inner cities. Freeman reminds us that our government would rather build prisons and projects than schools and provide job training. The simplicity to which they are able to paint a picture with only a few words is amazing. "A man will commit a crime because the fucking crime pays" says much more than the 11 words would let on. Mass media would rather you believe that the black community is filled with sociopaths and lunatics that are merely criminals that are wired wrong as opposed to looking to why I man would turn to a life of crime to feed his family. Ten years later after I had my first child I truly understood what Butler who at times goes by the moniker of Sweet James Jones' meant when he says, "I got a baby but his momma act like he ain't mine" on Diamonds and Wood.
The sadness of this whole thing is that Butler and Freeman lived more like their ultra egos than most entertainers do. The realness that captivated us to them ultimately lead to the early death of Chad Butler also known as Sweet James Jones but better known as Pimp C. Leaving behind his partner in crime and music Bernard Freeman better known as Bun B to carry on the flag of the Under Ground Kingz as a solo artists. In 1996 UGK release Ridin Dirty on Jive Records and with no major label promotion, video play or radio friendly records and they were still able to influence a generation of young southern boys who were looking for something to hold on to and guide them into manhood. In their attempts to simply tell their story as they knew it, they created a masterpiece. So as that album ended with Pimp C, with his ultra cool never changing voice pleading with us for 3 shout outs for Larry Hoover, I end this piece in memory of him.
Chad Butler 3 shots, free Chad Butler, free Chad Butler, free Chad Butler. Long live the Pimp and Underground Kingz forever.
In 1996, two young men from Port Author Texas created a classic that helped raise a generation of Southern boys to men. Chad Butler and Bernard Freeman spoke on much more than drugs, money and prostitution. While they preached on those subjects in abundance, they painted a mural of southern urban life in a way that we could understand. Tupac was gone and Biggie, while New York right fully loved him didn't connect with us like Butler and Freeman did. Ridin Dirty was narrated from a place to many young black men know to well. The album begins with the introduction of its narrator Smizznot muthfucking D "Live from the muthafucking Pen"; As he tells you of the life that he lives everyday, in a Texas maximum security penitentiary and Butler and Freeman tell you of life in the streets. The similarities of the two stories that should be worlds apart, but aren't is remarkable and shameful at the same time.
The first piece of this journey begins with a soulful Isley Brothers sample called One Day, Butler's production while erie, sooths the spirit and leaves you with the image of late night walk through a cemetery. As Ronald Isley reminds us that "One day you are here the next day your gone," the pair tells stories of decisions that lead to demise of the innocent as well as guilty. They do not fall into the trap that most gangster rap does of glorifying drugs and drug trafficking. It is always last resort of being dealt a bad hand by the circumstances of life in the the hood.
They take 13 tracks to speak on everything from single parenting, drugs trafficking, unsafe sex to poverty and lack of education in the under-developed third-world neighborhoods of our inner cities. Freeman reminds us that our government would rather build prisons and projects than schools and provide job training. The simplicity to which they are able to paint a picture with only a few words is amazing. "A man will commit a crime because the fucking crime pays" says much more than the 11 words would let on. Mass media would rather you believe that the black community is filled with sociopaths and lunatics that are merely criminals that are wired wrong as opposed to looking to why I man would turn to a life of crime to feed his family. Ten years later after I had my first child I truly understood what Butler who at times goes by the moniker of Sweet James Jones' meant when he says, "I got a baby but his momma act like he ain't mine" on Diamonds and Wood.
The sadness of this whole thing is that Butler and Freeman lived more like their ultra egos than most entertainers do. The realness that captivated us to them ultimately lead to the early death of Chad Butler also known as Sweet James Jones but better known as Pimp C. Leaving behind his partner in crime and music Bernard Freeman better known as Bun B to carry on the flag of the Under Ground Kingz as a solo artists. In 1996 UGK release Ridin Dirty on Jive Records and with no major label promotion, video play or radio friendly records and they were still able to influence a generation of young southern boys who were looking for something to hold on to and guide them into manhood. In their attempts to simply tell their story as they knew it, they created a masterpiece. So as that album ended with Pimp C, with his ultra cool never changing voice pleading with us for 3 shout outs for Larry Hoover, I end this piece in memory of him.
Chad Butler 3 shots, free Chad Butler, free Chad Butler, free Chad Butler. Long live the Pimp and Underground Kingz forever.
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