An introduction to Nederhop:

Rotterdam, or Roffa in street slang, has always been the hip hop capital of the Netherlands.
When hip-hop culture first crossed the Atlantic from New York, it was in Rotterdam that it found fertile soil. Winne was 18-months-old when his parents moved from the Surinam capital of Paramaribo to the ‘Old West’ neighbourhood in Rotterdam. When he was in primary school, his dad gave him a cassette tape with music by Public Enemy and Ice-T.

To Winne it seemed natural for Rotterdam to embrace hip-hop. The city doesn’t just look like New York; it also resembles it in character, he says. “This is a fast city, where many nationalities live together.” (Link it)

Today’s Teacher: Winnie

Winston Bergwijn, better known as Winne, is a dutch rapper from Rotterdam. He is signed to the Dutch hip-hop label Top Notch. After his EP Onoverwinnelijk he dropped his debut album Winne Zonder Strijd recently (download the EP after the jump). In the summer of 2005, Winnie’s song “Top 3 MC” was released on the Internet by Kapitein Mo and Winne gained a much wider audience.

Link it.

Download Winnie’s EP – Onoverwinnelijk here.

Keep checking back for some more Nederhop talents to come.

I find this so interesting. I love my Disney movies (I mean really love them), but I must confess I never looked too deep into them when I was 5 years old. This just goes to show you how deep these things are ingrained into our society.

Now do I think Disney movies intentionally set out to promote racism? …..well, no, I don’t think Disney is entirely that corrupt. But I do think the influence of these movies on our development is immeasurable and often overlooked. Most of us probably saw our first Disney movie before we could talk. We learn through visual images before we can learn verbally. Even as we mature, we continue to learn the most through what we see.

Watching these videos reminded me of a lecture I went to see recently on Homophobia. The speaker’s main point was that we have to stop focusing on homosexuality and start addressing the problem of homophobia. During the Q&A period, a student asked, “At what stage do you think it’s appropriate to introduce homosexuality into children’s education?” …. As if to suggest that children should be eased into the knowledge that homosexuals exist. Afterall, isn’t that how prejudices begin… When one idea is introduced as the norm and another is later introduced as being different or the other? Homosexuals are deliberately excluded from mainstream representation, just as most minorities are.

Can’t we look at sexuality in a similar light as race? Since it is a known fact that different types of people exist in this world, it would only make sense to introduce all of these types of people at the earliest stage.

Nelson Mandela and The Game that Made A Nation

Clint Eastwood’s Invictus starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, focuses in on the Rugby World Cup of 1995. Shortly after Nelson Mandela emerged from 27 years in prison and became president of South Africa in 1994, he seized upon using a rugby World Cup the following year as an opportunity to rally the entire nation, blacks and whites, behind the far-fetched prospect of South Africa taking it home.

The film, which hit theaters early December, was originally titled “The Human Factor.” However, the later chosen title, “Invictus” refers to a poem that Mandela recited by William Ernest Henley. Freeman, now 72, was cast for the role of Mandela long before the script was written. During a press conference in the ’90s, the South African leader was asked who he’d like to play him in a movie version of his life. His answer: Morgan Freeman. And once you see the movie, you’ll agree, it’s as if Freeman had been born to play this role.

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Merry Christmas! I just got back from midnight Mass with my family. And that was only the end to a long night of Kibbe Nayye (which is raw kibbe), chicken and rice, and my Dad playing Lebanese drums. There was much more in between, but those were just my highlights.

During the service, the minister brought up how “It is better to give than it is to receive.” I have said before that much of my happiness is dependent on the happiness of the people I love. So I have always found the most pleasure in seeking out the right Christmas gifts. When it comes to presents (especially bad ones), people always say, “It’s the thought that counts.” Well, I say, think harder. I don’t mean think bigger, or more expensive, just harder. When you’re giving someone a present, think about that person. Unless you’re giving a Secret Santa gift, you have to know something about this person to be able to pick out a gift for them. People will always appreciate gifts that show you know something about them, something they are interested in, even if it’s something small. Otherwise, if it’s just the thought that counts, then just write them a card….. with your thought in it.

Anyways, my point is this: Christmas is not about getting the right presents, it’s about giving them! And not just the ones wrapped under the tree. It’s about being there with your family and the people you love, and showing them you care for them. I think this can go for the Holidays in general and is not just specific to Christmas. I can promise you that you will always feel more fulfilled if you give more than you receive.

I made my neice a tree ornament this year for her first Christmas. Even though it cost me next to nothing, I was more excited about making it for her than anything else. When things get tough, she reminds me how blessed we are and how important it is to be thankful for not only what we have but also who we have to share it with. So this year, I am thankful for the people (big and small) that I love and their presence in my life!

Milad Majid!!!

(which is Arabic for Merry Christmas)

(Original piece done by Banksy)

“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

- John Bunyan

I just have such a hard time believing this could be real, but I guess it is…

“If you dare to share your heart, we’ll nod our heart to its beat… I plan to have a whole army by the time that I’m through to load their guns with songs they haven’t sung.”

Brace yourselves, this is a long one. There is just no way to sum Saul Williams up in one word – well maybe, if you asked him, he would say artist. American poet, writer, actor, musician, and above all artist, Saul Williams, is well known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip-hop, transcending genres, as well as his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam. In regard to himself as an artist, Saul writes, “it is the art of self expression that has heightened my experience on this planet and fueled my understanding of love, compassion, and humanity.” Thank you, Saul. If you want to know how I feel about this, take a look back at my post, What’s The Big Idea?.

The artist also explains his motivation for being a musician as a means to become self sufficient. “I write music because I have found that I cannot rely on other artists, or the music industry to provide the release that I need from a days work, a night out, to inspire a mood, a movement, or simply explore the unsaid in ways that are important to me. I’ve sought to become self sufficient.” I think this is something we all need to do more of. By default, we are always looking to others to provide us with answers. Why not create them ourselves? And now, some words from the artist…

The Art of Transformation

“I am in a process of transformation, despite myself. Even with a clear understanding of God as Change, I sometimes fight and resist the changes that are essential to my being and growth. I fixate upon the challenges of accepting greater and greater responsibilities. I begin to desire results without maintaining the discipline that is required to manifest the necessary changes of heart and of mind, of balance, and inner harmony. I lose patience. I acquire doubt and debt.”

“We are songs. In fact, we are anthems, unsung.”

“What I have chosen to embrace within myself are the very values I caught glimpses of as a kid when I questioned how a world so beautifully diverse in it’s simplicity could be made violently complex by the check-points and regulations of man in his quest to control and manipulate the forces of love and nature for the sake of individual gain and power… I am growing and have chosen to do so consciously and creatively while remaining engaged with both my inner and outer audience.

I am a reality show, tuning into myself on a daily basis simply to see which emotion tattled on which unchecked ambition. My mind gossips about the actions of my heart. My fears attempt to seduce the cameras for airtime. My soul would vote them off the show. I am checking my habits, re-acquainting myself with age-old disciplines. I am meditating and staying focused… I am evolving while simply playing my part. I am staring myself in the eye without flinching or blinking, standing still while moving beyond what holds me in my place. But mostly, I am dancing, everyday, and sleeping perched above the skyline. And I awaken to a new day, a new season, the latest episode…”

Last week, I posted Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes. Thought this video was interesting too. I can not believe this happened in 2000, and in Central Park?! Absolutely ridiculous.

“More than 1 million women are stalked by their intimate partners every year.”
…. I don’t know where that statistic fits into this video, but anyways, it’s interesting.

“1 in 5 college females will be the victim of rape or attempted rape.”

“On college campuses, 90% of rape victims know their assailant.”

“1 in 6 women has been the victim of sexual assault.”

In the interview, Diane Sawyer asks, “How could this happen to someone so strong?… People said, [Rihanna] always seemed like the least likely person to be in this situation.” It seems like a reasonable question, but in reality, anyone can fall in love, and it doesn’t matter how strong or independent you are. “So far in love and so unconditional,” as Rihanna says. Love is blind.

During the incident, Rihanna refers to Chris as being “blacked out,” and says that there was no person in him. It’s scary to look in the eyes of a person you love, and not see them there, to see nothing. Rihanna’s right, she didn’t cause what happened to her, and too often, victims of domestic violence turn the blame on themselves. There are a lot of women who have experienced what she did, just not in the public eye, and it’s unfortunate and sad that Rihanna’s personal life had to serve as an example for other girls. I commend her for coming forward and talking about it. She took a huge step in leaving, one that many girls in her position will never see through.

I admire her for getting out and not making excuses. She can admit that she still loves and cares for Chris, and can still even wish the best for him. At the same time, however, she recognizes that their love was unhealthy. Like she says, to be able to get out of the situation and look at it with a clear mind, that is what makes the difference. On the other hand, Rihanna says she does think it’s possible for people to change. This is something that I struggle with. Because I think that sometimes people are so incapable of seeing themselves clearly, it is nearly impossible for them to even begin the process of change. With that being said, she’s a strong girl, and this has only made her stronger.

“I think we all wish we could erase some dark times in our lives. But all of life’s experiences, bad and good, make you who you are. Erasing any of life’s experiences would be a great mistake.”
- Luis Miguel

“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.”
- Thomas S. Szasz

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