Brotha's Keepa Interview pt1
Brotha's Keepa Interview pt2
http://odeo.com/audio/18076543/view
There are two types of people in this world, those who put in work and those who 'really' put in
work. When you closely examine those who put in work, you often find that their work whether its reporting to a 9-5, hustlin' on a corner or taking out
folks for their set, is designed to keep the plantation functioning and the masters that run it happy.
Those who 'really' put in work are committed to and constantly finding new ways to destroy that plantation.
That clearly fist the description of the hardest group from Memphis, Tennessee-Brotha's Keepa.
Group members J'Malo and Ayele are the types of cats you always wanna have in your corner. They're loved by the community and feared by those who wish to exploit and terrorize the hood. These are the types of cats who don't run from police, they run to them and will put them in check when they try to punk and put fear into the community.
They don't run from the homeless, they run to them and find resources to feed and cloth them which they have done every Sunday for the past few years.
They don't run from gangstas, they run to them and show them the proper way to put in work.
Over the years, through their Youth Prison Prevention Program, they been successful at getting scores of young men and women to redirect their energy, change their lives and stay out of the the nation's largest public housing projects/concentration camps better known as prison.
Oh yeah, and at the end of the day Brotha's Keepa are also gifted emcees and spoken word artists. As J'malo bluntly put it; "We're revolutionaries first. We just happen to rap which allows us to make money to pay for the various programs we developed that serve the community".
We sat down with Brotha's Keepa the other week while visiting Memphis for the Dream Reborn conference and 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. J'malo and Ayele were quite candid as they let us know the progress or lack of progress that has occurred in Memphis and Black America ion general since King's assassination. Their words were sobering to say the least.
The first thing they let us know was that 40 years ago Dr. King came to Memphis to support Black sanitation workers and to make sure they were given safe working conditions and a pension. For the 40th anniversary thousands of people came to the city from all over the world to talk about King's legacy, see how much of his dream had been fulfilled and put forth a lot of pomp and circumstances. Sadly when everyone left the garbage workers that King came to help still don't have a pension. Brotha's Keepas noted that there were no marching orders or agenda laid out to make sure King's mission to help out those garbage workers were executed. Part of the challenge facing Black America is holding our own folks accountable when they get into office.
Ayele noted that Memphis is a city that has a Black mayor, Black police chief and numerous other African Americans in power but they have not been as effective as they should. He talked about a crippling mindset held by many that has resulted in progress being stagnant as those in high profile positions try and do only for self. He cited the recent decision by city officials to close down public libraries while devoting more money to prisons. He noted that as typical backwards ass behavior. He talked about how many of the Black leaders are puppets who are are controlled by powerful families that have long called the shots from behind the scenes in Memphis.
Both men went into great detail about the historic role of the Black church and how it had been severely compromised by individuals who fit the description of 'Reverend Porkchop', a faulty preacher who tells his people to calm down and happily accept oppression in the name of God while lining his pockets with money from the church offerings of his congregation.
This new prosperity based religion as personified by people like TD Jakes and Creflo Dollar has compromised and weakened the Black community. They laid out how today's Black Church has stiffled the movement.
The two talked about the prophetic/liberating tradition which has been best personified by Barack Obama's embattled preacher Jeremiah Wright
Speaking of Barack Obama, our conversation concluded with an in-depth discussion about the Obama campaign and what it means to Black America. They noted that while they are proud of his accomplishments, their concern is that he isn't dealing with a lot of issues troubling the community.
They felt that Cynthia McKinney who is running for nomination with the Green Party has a much more solid Black Agenda.
To get a hold of Brotha's Keepa peep out their website www. brothaskeepa. com or drop them an email at jmalo@brothaskeepa. com.
There you can find out more about their two albums including the 'Re-Education of the Negro' and 'Ressurrection'.
You can also find out more about their community programs including; Youth Prison Prevention Program, Summer Youth Theatre Camps and the People's Fund which goes to feeding and clothing the homeless in Memphis
Return to Davey D's Hip Hop Corner
There are two types of people in this world, those who put in work and those who 'really' put in
work. When you closely examine those who put in work, you often find that their work whether its reporting to a 9-5, hustlin' on a corner or taking out
folks for their set, is designed to keep the plantation functioning and the masters that run it happy.
Those who 'really' put in work are committed to and constantly finding new ways to destroy that plantation.
That clearly fist the description of the hardest group from Memphis, Tennessee-Brotha's Keepa.
Group members J'Malo and Ayele are the types of cats you always wanna have in your corner. They're loved by the community and feared by those who wish to exploit and terrorize the hood. These are the types of cats who don't run from police, they run to them and will put them in check when they try to punk and put fear into the community.
They don't run from the homeless, they run to them and find resources to feed and cloth them which they have done every Sunday for the past few years.
They don't run from gangstas, they run to them and show them the proper way to put in work.
Over the years, through their Youth Prison Prevention Program, they been successful at getting scores of young men and women to redirect their energy, change their lives and stay out of the the nation's largest public housing projects/concentration camps better known as prison.
Oh yeah, and at the end of the day Brotha's Keepa are also gifted emcees and spoken word artists. As J'malo bluntly put it; "We're revolutionaries first. We just happen to rap which allows us to make money to pay for the various programs we developed that serve the community".
We sat down with Brotha's Keepa the other week while visiting Memphis for the Dream Reborn conference and 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. J'malo and Ayele were quite candid as they let us know the progress or lack of progress that has occurred in Memphis and Black America ion general since King's assassination. Their words were sobering to say the least.
The first thing they let us know was that 40 years ago Dr. King came to Memphis to support Black sanitation workers and to make sure they were given safe working conditions and a pension. For the 40th anniversary thousands of people came to the city from all over the world to talk about King's legacy, see how much of his dream had been fulfilled and put forth a lot of pomp and circumstances. Sadly when everyone left the garbage workers that King came to help still don't have a pension. Brotha's Keepas noted that there were no marching orders or agenda laid out to make sure King's mission to help out those garbage workers were executed. Part of the challenge facing Black America is holding our own folks accountable when they get into office.
Ayele noted that Memphis is a city that has a Black mayor, Black police chief and numerous other African Americans in power but they have not been as effective as they should. He talked about a crippling mindset held by many that has resulted in progress being stagnant as those in high profile positions try and do only for self. He cited the recent decision by city officials to close down public libraries while devoting more money to prisons. He noted that as typical backwards ass behavior. He talked about how many of the Black leaders are puppets who are are controlled by powerful families that have long called the shots from behind the scenes in Memphis.
Both men went into great detail about the historic role of the Black church and how it had been severely compromised by individuals who fit the description of 'Reverend Porkchop', a faulty preacher who tells his people to calm down and happily accept oppression in the name of God while lining his pockets with money from the church offerings of his congregation.
This new prosperity based religion as personified by people like TD Jakes and Creflo Dollar has compromised and weakened the Black community. They laid out how today's Black Church has stiffled the movement.
The two talked about the prophetic/liberating tradition which has been best personified by Barack Obama's embattled preacher Jeremiah Wright
Speaking of Barack Obama, our conversation concluded with an in-depth discussion about the Obama campaign and what it means to Black America. They noted that while they are proud of his accomplishments, their concern is that he isn't dealing with a lot of issues troubling the community.
They felt that Cynthia McKinney who is running for nomination with the Green Party has a much more solid Black Agenda.
To get a hold of Brotha's Keepa peep out their website www. brothaskeepa. com or drop them an email at jmalo@brothaskeepa. com.
There you can find out more about their two albums including the 'Re-Education of the Negro' and 'Ressurrection'.
You can also find out more about their community programs including; Youth Prison Prevention Program, Summer Youth Theatre Camps and the People's Fund which goes to feeding and clothing the homeless in Memphis
Return to Davey D's Hip Hop Corner
