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So I know I know, I said Liberation will be out in November. I like to be a man of my word and believe me, I really tried! There are just politics with putting out a free album that I wasn't ready for. Everyone has to be on the same page, and I got a lot of business on my plate right now. The album is done, and it will be out shortly, trust. The More or Less video will be available on the internet soon as well. I did however, just barely, get the Blacksmith the Movement mixtape out in time for the holidays! We sold it at the shows in Denver and Park City Utah, so thank you to everyone who purchased one, or two. You can go to Okayplayer.com or Spitkicker.com for now to get one, and soon they will be everywhere. It is featuring Hell Raza, Mf Doom, Fonsworth Bentley, John Legend, Planet Asia and of course my Blacksmith soldiers, Jean Grae and Strong Arm Steady. Happy belated B-day to Jean, who I heard had a kick ass party. For a supposed underground rapper, Jean can out party the best of them, trust! I was busy on the road. First I was in Japan, then I was on the west coast. I haven't been in NY in a month, it's a wonder I got any music done at all! I ran into my man Brooklyn Yaz in Japan, who I went to Cheshire with. He told me he was banned from the U.S.A. for arguing with a stewardess a month after 9/11/01. She had him arrested and he was put on the blacklist. I wondered where he was...
The tour was great! I was able to help organize community events in Seattle, Oakland and L.A. around the issue of Katrina evacuees having the right to return home. The people who remain in New Orleans are heroes, because they have to rebuilod that city with spirit. The money allocated to rebuild is being hijacked by the Governor Kathleen Blanco and the Louisiana Recovery Authority. The people from these nieghborhoods should get the money and contracts to rebuild, not interlopers. This is very similiar to what Dick Cheney is doing with Halliburton in Iraq. They work to destroy something, and then pay themselves to clean it up. If you think the situation in the gulf was purely a natural disaster, think again. The hurricane came from God. The neglect that left thousands dead came from man. This behavior from our government reminds me of what Barbara Bush said a week after Katrina while visiting the superdome. She said a lot of those people were underpriviledged anyway, so living in the superdome was working out just fine for them. Anyway, there are people who rented, even owned homes that will never be compensated, and will be forced not to return by the direction of the development. New Orleans is in danger of becoming the Las Vegas of the south, which is great for corporate interest, but horrible for the people who make up the fabric of that city. This situation is like gentifrication on steroids.
Buckshot from Black Moon joined me on the west coast, so on stage it was a real Brooklyn affair. It was great to see him rip thru classics like Shit Iz Real, Crooklyn Dodgers and Buck Em Down, along with Who Got the Props. I'm from Brooklyn and I came of age in the early 90's, so Buck's music is part of my cultural DNA. The industry may be dying, but my audience is always at the shows whether I got a record out or not...I love y'all for that. The Blacksmith movement is growing, and y'all are helping me set it up for 07. Also, I encourage y'all to check out Papoose's 50 shots about the Sean Bell shooting in NY. And big ups to Nicole Paultre, his fiance. Shawty did her thing on Larry King Live! He thought because she was young and black, she would be breaking down crying, talking crazy, but she was collected poised and stuck to the issue..JUSTICE. Black people live with the fear of being killed by cops, it is a sad reality. Maybe for someone else, it seems impossible, unthinkable, but for us it happens as naturally, as well dying naturally. Also if you are spiritually in tune, you accept that the spirit is in a better place. But a spiritually in tune, intelligent young woman is not what Larry King expected, these shows need sensationalism. He was looking for soundbites, she was looking for justice. She represented her family, and all of us very well..She is strong, and we are proud of her. Til next time, Talib Kweli, BKMC, Blacksmith