The Audacity of Dope

Well, that escalated quickly.

A lot of eloquent words by folks more intelligent than I have been written this week, plus I’m burned out from the emotion of it all and traveling from Australia to New York (24 hours straight on the move is no joke), so I’ll keep it as brief as I can.  There are three points I want to stress to everyone:

1. Almost 50% of the eligible voting population sat this one out.  Voter suppression occurred both via laws (reducing early voting windows, requiring additional identification, etc.) and by killing all enthusiasm for being a part of the process.  In such a close election (where the Electoral College has failed the will of the people for the second time in my life), every vote is crucial and we simply couldn’t afford so many people to stay at home.  Shameful, in my opinion, especially with local races and propositions on the ballot too.  It’s interesting watching this happen while I’ve been in Australia, where voting is required by law.  Sure, that gets abused too, but it definitely looks like a better system to me.  The Republicans have decided not to update their platform to move with the changing world, so they know their best chance to win is to have as few people vote as possible.  Credit to them, it worked this time around.  It’s on us to ensure more people, from all parties, get out to the 2018 midterms.
2. Trump won just 25% of the vote.  I would hope that the hardcore racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia he based his campaign on is only embraced by a small percentage of that group, say up to 10%.  Perhaps we’ll never be able to reach those people.  Maybe they’re just stuck in their ways.  But the rest of his voters amazingly decided that all of this nonsense was NOT a deal-breaker, which, at best, tells all the targeted people, “I don’t hate you…but I don’t care about you.”  These are the people we need to have conversations with, to ensure they understand that they have just emboldened and validated this rhetoric by putting him in the White House.  Those values are NOT shared by the vast majority of America and we cannot let a small few hijack the narrative in attempts to normalize this.  Speak up and stay vocal, shouting this down at every turn.
3. We gon’ be alright (c) Kendrick.  Sound Session has been here during the Bush years, the Obama years, and we’ll be here during the Trump years too.  So will you.  You are valued.  You matter.  You are loved.  Be the change you want to see at the local level and control what you can control.  Progress is not a straight line and we’re going to continue on our path to a more perfect union, one day at a time.

And now, some music for your soul:

Show #576 (11/13/16)

1. ASAP Mob ft. ASAP Nast & Onyx – “Nasty’s World”
2. Common ft. Bilal – “Home”
3. The Game – “Grew Up On Wu-Tang”
4. Like – “Diamond”
5. Mibbs ft. Blu – “Tell Me ‘Bout It”
6. Notorious B.I.G. ft. 112 – “Sky’s The Limit” (Throwback of the Week)
7. Meek Mill – “Blue Notes”
8. Khalid – “Hopeless”
9. Alicia Keys – “More Than We Know”
10. Mickey Factz & Nottz ft. Phonte – “Treat You Right”
11. Jay Prince – “Smile Good”
12. Dame D.O.L.L.A. ft. Lil Wayne – “Loyal To The Soil” (Local Music)
13. TYuS – “Shapes and Sizes” (Local Music)
14. Jalen Santoy – “Foreplay”
15. Big Sean – “No More Interviews”
16. Mayer Hawthorne – “A New Love”
17. JAHKOY – “Don’t Beg”
18. Solange ft. Sampha – “Don’t Touch My Hair”
19. Ray BLK – “5050”
20. All-Star Opera ft. Warm Gun – “Lifeline” (Local Music)
21. starRo ft. Masego – “Yams”
22. Childish Gambino – “Me and Your Mama”
23. Daniel Caesar ft. Kali Uchis – “Get You”
24. Nas – “I Can” (Throwback of the Week)
25. A Tribe Called Quest ft. Andre 3000 – “Kids”

Link to download – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B72U-rgJjvmWaFdjcjJNQTV3Q2M

If you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and stream/download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

One of the most eye opening parts of this election has been the lack of discussion around the rampant sexism and misogyny allowing these two candidates to be seen anywhere near equally qualified. When I worked on the Obama campaign, I encountered racism quite often (mostly indirect, sometimes explicit) and I was happy we were going to get him elected in spite of it. I thought it was awesome how we were going to overcome this ridiculous self-constructed hurdle, and anticipated future doors being much easier to break down as a result.

Only later, when Hillary won the nomination, did I realize that old racist white men were actually more willing to accept a black man than a white woman. Not knowing how these people think, I just always assumed they valued race over sex. After all, they came from white women, married white women, and fathered white women. Logic would indicate their fear of the “other” would apply to a group outside their own immediate family.

Turns out, I was wrong. These folks will begrudgingly, while fighting every step of the way, accept the fact that a minority male can join their inner circle, but ask them to do the same with a woman and that’s where they attempt to draw the line.

Tiger can join the golf club. After all, he’s a male. He “gets it” (though perhaps too fervently and too publicly, as it turns out in that case). A woman though? Bollocks. Read the sign: “No Girls Allowed.”

Well, we are here: at the last stand of the patriarchal Alamo, and we are poised to make history.

If that’s not exciting enough, this is merely the beginning!

With all the negativity and pessimism surrounding us, we must recognize that progress takes time and we continue to steadfastly march down that path, undeterred by the delays and extra effort it requires. We will not see “the end” in our lifetimes, because it doesn’t exist. The goal continually moves because we continually evolve. The only constant is change and living life is to embrace that change.

This week we will take a massive step forward, one that will change the perception of what is possible for every generation of girls AND boys that follow. I’m so excited to take that step with you all.

Vote! And I will see you on the other side…literally in this instance.  I’ll be coming back to the States for some business in New York City from the 10th to the 20th, so holler accordingly NYC homies!

Onwards.

Show #575 (11/6/16)

1. Meek Mill – “Blessed Up”
2. Dame D.O.L.L.A. ft. Lil Wayne – “Loyal To The Soil” (Local Music)
3. Apollo Brown & Skyzoo ft. Patty Crash – “One In The Same”
4. Common ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “The Day Women Took Over”
5. ASAP Mob ft. ASAP Nast & Onyx – “Nasty’s World”
6. Onyx – “Last Days” (Throwback of the Week)
7. No Panty (Bodega Bamz, Joell Ortiz, & Nitty Scott) – “The Afterparty (Live At Jimmy’s, Pt. 2)”
8. Action Bronson ft. Big Body Bes – “Durag vs. Headband”
9. Like – “Lamped”
10. Jalen Santoy – “Foreplay”
11. Dave ft. Drake – “Wanna Know (Remix)”
12. Big Sean – “No More Interviews”
13. Ari Lennox – “Night Drive”
14. GTA ft. Jarina De Marco – “True Romance”
15. Jay Prince ft. Raheaven – “All In”
16. Drake – “Fake Love”
17. Taliwhoah – “Alright”
18. Khalid – “Hopeless”
19. Manatee Commune ft. Sol & Flint Eastwood – “What We’ve Got (Remix)” (Local Music)
20. All Star Opera ft. Warm Gun – “Lifeline” (Local Music)
21. JAHKOY – “Don’t Beg”
22. NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) – “Sidepiece”
23. Mayer Hawthorne – “A New Love”
24. Joe Budden – “Forget”
25. Brent Faiyaz – “Invite Me”
26. Mickey Factz & Nottz ft. Phonte – “Treat You Right”
27. De La Soul ft. Usher – “Greyhounds”
28. Ray BLK – “Chill Out”

Link to download – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B72U-rgJjvmWbzhjN2hkUGNuSDQ

If you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and stream/download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

Now this is the Bill I remember.  I can’t believe we impeached this man because of a booty call while George ‘Strategery’ Bush literally broke law after law while ruining our country and his only punishment is going down as the worst president of all time.  What a world.

Anyway, at last night’s Democratic National Convention, Bill dusted off his boots and got that old Clinton swag going with an excellent speech in support of Barack Obama.  Again, my late night blogging hours are killing me, so I won’t get too in depth here.  I just wanted to toss it up on TAOD, along with Hillary’s (good, not great) speech from Tuesday and Biden’s rousing performance, to remind y’all that tonight is the main event.

Forty-five years to the day after Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, Barack is set to formally accept the nomination tonight in Denver.  I hate to build the hype, but I’ve been saying for a while that Barack has one of the greatest speeches in history in him, it’s just a question of when he’s going to drop it.  You could argue that he’s already given a couple (2004’s keynote address at the Convention, “Yes We Can” in New Hampshire, and “A More Perfect Union” from earlier this year), but I think he’s capable of an all-timer.  I’m talking MLK meets JFK meets Gehrig meets Jimmy V meets William Wallace.  Will that be tonight?  Will that be his victory speech in November?  His inauguration speech in January?

Regardless, we’ll see history tonight.  Whatever you’re doing, make sure you tune in to watch. It’ll be on every channel and there’s a good chance it’ll be a moment you remember for the rest of your life.

Hit the jump to watch the speeches from Hillary and Biden (especially recommended).

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LOL @ voting for McCain.  Seriously.  First Baracky after the jump if you missed it.

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Yesterday, Barack and Hillary finally made their first campaign appearance together to help unite the party.  In the aptly named town of Unity, New Hampshire, they talked about the importance of coming together to make sure that Barack gets in the White House.  This election is simply too important to let any petty differences get between us.  It’s good to see that Clinton’s supporters are rallying behind Obama, and with everyone on the same page, we’re going to dominate come November.

Today is the day for those “Unite For Change” house parties I told y’all about last week.  Hopefully you’re attending one in your area (last minute Seattle people can email me to find one ASAP), but if not, you can still get involved.  We have about 4 months left and every little bit you can do helps immensely.  Even if that’s just talking to your friends and family to make sure everyone is informed and registered to vote, that’s great.  Let’s do this.

(presidential dap = coolest thing ever)

As I sit here watching CNN (MSNBC shifted to Dan Abrams for the hour, ugh), I can’t help but laugh at the irony of one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest surrogates, Lanny Davis, attempting to carry the “it’s not over till we say it’s over” company line, only to be drowned out by the sound of workers breaking down her stage from earlier in the night. Sorry Lanny, it is, in fact, over.

Now that Barack Obama has secured the nomination of the Democratic Party, I’ve already had a few discussions wondering “where do we go from here?”

My allegiance should be crystal clear with the name of this blog, but for the record, I’m a huge Obama supporter. Without posting the laundry list of reasons why, the bottom line is that I agree with virtually all his policies, including his positions on what I deem to be the major issues in this race (the war, our economy, the environment and alternative energy sources, education, universal health care, and women’s rights). Combine those beliefs with his charisma, candor, intelligence, humility, compassion, humor, and just all around coolness, and he’s the perfect candidate for anyone involved in our hip-hop culture (see above dap and watch this). As I used to always discuss with an old friend of mine in college, there are people in this world who “get it,” and those that don’t. Barack most definitely “gets it,” and now he’s got the nomination as well.

The Obama/Clinton race was truly historic, on a multitude of fronts, most notably the incredible voter turnout and how even with such a large number, it was still almost split exactly down the middle (though there remains some debate over the popular vote totals from Michigan and caucus states, including WA). While all the newly registered voters clearly bodes well for the Democratic Party come November, it’s also left us in this uneasy position where a lot of Clinton supporters are extremely disappointed she lost. Some, in states like West Virginia and Kentucky (surprise, surprise), have even threatened to cross party lines and vote for John McCain if Obama is the Democratic nominee.

These people have a choice. They can either be idiots, or racists…whichever title they’re more comfortable wearing. Simply put, Obama and Clinton share virtually identical platforms on every possible political issue. How they carried themselves in this campaign and the personalities they revealed, however, are different issues. Regardless, McCain’s values lay in direct opposition to what the two Democrats believe. McCain is pro-life and will appoint a Supreme Court Justice that would overturn Roe v. Wade to make abortion illegal. Obviously, and in my opinion, sanely, Obama and Clinton believe in a woman’s right to choose. McCain has famously stated he’d be fine keeping troops in Iraq “for a hundred years,” while Barack and Hillary have both proposed carefully planned phased withdrawls (note to conservatives – a “phased withdrawl” is not “surrender” or “retreat” as you continue to claim). The differences go on and on, running the gamut on everything from gas prices to taxes to diplomacy.

Without placing a value judgment on which belief system is right or wrong, if you believe one thing and vote for someone who believes exactly the opposite, you’re an idiot. If you’re doing that because you don’t want to vote for one candidate based on his skin color, you’re a racist. Actually, if you’re a racist, by definition, you’re an idiot too. So feel free to wear both hats, congrats. In this election, there’s absolutely no reason a Clinton supporter should vote for McCain over Obama. It’s completely illogical, and no clearer admittance of one’s own racist prejudice. For these people, we don’t even need you in our political process in 2008. If you’re going to hold on to the ideas of the last century, please stay there. Don’t come with us in the 2000’s.

Now, for the thousands, if not millions, of Hillary supporters who are threatening to sit out this election because she’s not the nominee, their decisions are more complex and positions more tenuous. These are the people causing consternation in the Obama camp at this very moment, as Barack tries to decide who should be his running mate. Clinton could end this rather easily by enthusiastically endorsing Obama, urging her followers to rally around the party’s nominee, and then campaigning vigorously for him over the next few months. Her supporters would initially be disappointed, but by November, almost all of them would compare Obama to McCain and realize how clear the choice is.

Unfortunately, Hillary knows this, and wants to force her way on to the ticket. Even after the final buzzer has sounded, my tv’s CNN Ticker reads: “Obama Makes History…Clinton Does Not Concede.” Word? I’d love to see this strategy employed in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tomorrow night. Whoever loses between the Celtics and Lakers should just remain on the court after the game is over and refuse to acknowledge the contest has ended.

Reporter: “Kobe, the game’s over. It was hard fought & you played well, but you lost. 100 to 92.”
Kobe: “I…disagree.”

While some of us on Obama’s side may think she’s delusional at times, she clearly knows what she’s doing. If she can raise the pressure by flaunting her legion of support, she might convince Obama to make her his VP. Right now, I think it’s an option he has to look at very closely. The vast majority of Obama voters would like to see him turn the page completely and pick someone new, without all the baggage that Clinton possesses. Many of us have lived our entire lives with either a Clinton or a Bush on the ballot (and watch out for Chelsea in the near future). Barack himself stated that “this election is about the past versus the future.” Picking someone like Kathleen Sebelius, Bill Richardson, Jim Webb, or even Hillary supporters like Evan Bayh, Ed Rendell, or Wesley Clark, would be a much cleaner break with the past than adding the Clinton name to the ballot.

That said, the people who are voting for Obama will almost assuredly remain loyal, perhaps begrudgingly, if selects her. Combining the two sides would absolutely demolish any chance of McCain keeping this election close, let alone winning it. The Democratic support is too high, and the Republicans’ approval ratings are too low. It’s clearly time for a chance, and this would ensure that Obama becomes the next president.

If he doesn’t pick her, then Barack has to spend the next 5 months battling McCain on one front, and trying to remind Clinton’s base that it’s clearly in their best interest to vote Democratic on the other. Sure, it can be done. He can do it, and I think if he selects another VP, he will still win the election. Sadly, it’s just a much higher risk than playing the safe bet and uniting the party with the “dream ticket.”

This election is too important to lose. We cannot survive another 4 years of wasting hundreds of billions of dollars on an unwinnable war (try shooting ideas with bullets…it doesn’t work), when we desperately need that money here at home. Not to mention the fact that the war itself was illegal and we’ve killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Speaking in strictly economic terms, what do you think would have happened if we invested all the war money on researching and developing alternative sources of energy? I wouldn’t be paying $4.25 a gallon, that’s for sure. You never know, perhaps we’d all be driving electric cars right now. Just think how bad our economy would be if we continued to throw money into a war that hasn’t made us any safer and has spawned a generation of people who hate us for killing their families and destroying their cities. It’s a scary thought, and if it happens, I’m moving to Canada. But naw, for real.

So what should Barack do? Where do we go from here? I just ranted for 1,300+ words, and I still don’t know what should, or will, happen. Either way, [Tank from the Matrix] these are exciting times![/Tank]

Just remember that we’re only half way there. Yes, we can.

Pretty much.  Looks like we might be close to ending this thing tomorrow!  gObama.