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Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | 6:48am
Nas’ Open Letter to ‘Young Warriors’ In Light Of Chicago Gang Killing
says “killing each other is definitely played out
The senseless beating death of a 16-year-old Chicago boy by gang members has stirred this country. Derrion Albert, an honor student was repeatedly stomped in the head, punched and beaten with planks in a gang-related brawl outside of his school.
Though four teens have been arrested the incident has left the community and the nation at large scurrying to respond and motivate for action. Yesterday on his Facebook account, Zack (Highbrid Nation since 2008) talked about the demonstrations in his hometown.
Zack Isaacs: wants to cover the anti-violence rally tonight, but is really getting sick of just rallying and marching. Seriously…
That’s an excellent point. So often we’re rallying and marching, demonstrating for a cause but all it does is leave us with more questions than answers. As a black community we need more action.
Feeling his ability to influence the thinking of young fans, Nas wrote an open letter to allhiphop.com directed at teens involved in senseless violence. Nas is no stranger to such loss as he still honors the memory of his close friend “Ill Will” Graham who was killed back in ’92.
Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong wars!
Killing each other is definitely played out. Being hurt from the lost of a love one was never cool. Dear Young Warriors fighting the wrong war! I know that feeling, that frustration with life and needing to take it out on someone, any one. But we chose the dumbest things to go the hardest for. I remember seeing deaths over 8 ball jackets, Filas, and name plate chains. Deaths over ‘he say she say’!!!!! ‘I’m from this block or I’m from that block”, or ‘my moms n pops is f***ed up now the whole world gotta pay!!!
I remember feeling like I was the hardest n***a breathing. And I couldn’t wait to prove it. But let’s think. What are we really proving? And proving what to who? Everybody knows Chicago breeds the strongest of the strong but I just feel, me, being your brother from another state feels your pain as if I grew up with you in your very own household. You have the ability and mind power to change they way we are looked at.
Look who’s watching us young warriors, look who’s throwing us in jail constantly, look at the ignorance in the world. Look at the racist dogs who love to see us down. Loving to bury us in the ground or in jail where we continue this worthless war on one another. Young warriors, we are wasting more and more time. We got to get on our jobs and take over the world. Cuz this movie left the theaters years ag Juice, Menace, Boyz N the Hood , Blood N Blood Out, Belly!
When we see each other why do we see hatred? Why were we born in a storm, born soldiers, warriors, and instead of building each other up we are at war with each other. May the soul of this young person find peace with the Almighty. I’m with you young warriors. You’re me and I’m you. But trust me! You are fighting the wrong war.
Great letter. Its not overly sophisticated but touches the true essence of the problem. DISPAIR. The unfortunate thing about it is many of the “Young Warriors” probably won’t read it or dare I say can’t. So I’m doing my part. I’m going to post it. Lets brainstorm some REAL solutions how we can stop all the killing. Peace.
FILED IN Editorials, News
Damn! And this is all over the country, HN. There is so much said, but in reality, so little done by those in power. Money going in all the wrong places, but education and social programs cut. Billions per month in wars that are accomplishing nothing good, billions to greedy bankers who continue to screw us…it’s sickening…I do what I can. I’m happy to see NAS is doing something also. We all must do SOMETHING! DAMN!
So, you swagger jackin a brotha’s Facebook quotes now? LOL!
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Of course, I live in Chicago and I agree with Emerson (GASP!) that this is a national problem. Chicago just has journalists who care about this and the whole Presidential connection doesn’t hurt either. But it’s interesting that this violence trend began the moment Chicago put it’s name in the hat for the Olympics 2 years ago. Before then, it was BAD but not THIS bad.
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We are fed up! What can we do? Our mayor wants the Olympics so badly that he coerced our Prez into taking a trip to Denmark, just so we can hear Madrid’s name called. But this is bigger than the Olympics. This is about City Hall ignoring the plight of poor kids in every city. I’ll tell you what we can do: we can BLOG and let our voices be heard and thoughts be read.
showing love fam. Its interesting that you mention the olympics. I for one don’t think it has anything to do with it. Being from New York we’ve seen an influx of gang activity in the city in recent years but mostly young high school aged kids trying to belong and see who can come up with the craziest daps. Very rarely do we see blood/ crip killings in the news. It happens but rarely.
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In my very few trips to Chicago however, the last being at least 5 years ago, gang activity was on full blast. Without looking for it I would regularly notice entire units of Gang Police patrolling problem areas and social functions. Seeing that made me uneasy, but its clear there is a problem.
It depends upon where you go in Chicago. Even First Lady Obama dismisses the Olympic claims because the proposed stadium is a few blocks from her house. But you miss what I’m talking about. The gang activity has gotten out of control since we began our Olympic bid. Know something about a city before you make a judgment about it or dismiss the judgment of somebody who ACTUALLY lives there. (I await your apology in my inbox). LOL!
I was saying if its worse from when I was there I can imagine the state of things in the city now.
To be honest i don’t think its a US of A problem, without a doubt it’s a global problem. I’m from Jamaica and its the same out here, we’re fighting a WAR where there is no winners but losers…I don’t even want to mention the powers at be, we are too quick to blame and rely on the so called ‘powers that be’ that’s an ideology or thinking that needs stop…don’t get me wrong i know i’m at fault cause i’m here not doing anything out of the ordinary, cause i know in doing nothing i may as well be guilty as the perpetrators…but the question still remains as everyone has or will cite ‘What can we do?’…….
Well see that’s what I was talking about in my post. We’re always left feeling hopeless and with questions.
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From MY personal expereience, I see gangs as an alternative to a nuclear family unit. Mom’s strung out…kid leaves family to get away, winds up selling the same drugs that ruined his life. Or dad’s a drunk beating on mom, Kid leaves to escape winds up beating on some honor student.
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I want to emphasize family. The Highbrid Nation isn’t just a blog, a website. I believe in us as a nation being able to make a difference. Yeah we look at Fat Back, have some fun but we are leaders in our individual communities.
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To take a stand we need to emphasize family. Before you impregnate that young lady you’re sleeping with, think about if you’d be able to handle your responsibilities if it did happen. We as the middle generation need to teach the HipHop2.0 generation that being a Man, taking care of home is not to be applauded but just the norm.
Last night a kid from my block tried to sell me an ipod nano. It was scuffed and dirty, he said it worked but it wasnt on, and he didnt have a charger for it. He was asking $30 dollars for it. He pleaded with me to buy it because he needed money to buy food and to get home. After several “no thank you’s” and a price drop to $15 dollars, I began to since the frustration in his voice. He tried but couldnt do it.
He may have thought it would be alot easier to rob someone for the money. Beat, even kill somebody to releive the frustration, or just to regain the dignity lossed by having to almost beg for $15 dollars.
I asked if I could take another look at the ipod. I asked if he had the charger, and he said no, but that his friend had a extra one. I told him his presentation was all fucked up and proceeded to educate him on the presentation of a sale. He questioned it. Thought it was too much to do for $15 dollars. I agreed and told him after doing the things I was suggesting, sale it for $50. He looked at me and smiled. He asked for $2 dollars to catch the train home. I told him after he sales it to give his friend $5 for the charger.
When I was growing up on the block, I was educated by the older guys on the block. As a teen no rally, march, townhall meeting, community symposium, etc. ever influenced my perception of life in the streets. My influences of the street life came from those in the streets, so did my education.
That’s 100% right there. I grew up the same way. I was lucky to have been provided with a solid foundation from my parents. After I made it through my wild years, I was able to draw from all my experiences and upbringing. So many young people today don’t have that and the “old G’s” are dead or in prison. So, young ones are learning from each other.
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Brother asked, “what can we do…?” This is what I do:
I never walk by anyone without acknowledging them. I always talk to people when they ask me a question. In the street, when someone asks me for money, I don’t know if I’m a mark, so I don’t go in my pocket, I tell them where they can go for help. I have driven people to get help myself. I talk to young people in schools, community centers, sports teams, all the time (at least once per week) about the ills of substance abuse (and I keep it very real with them). I encourage and educate, rather than condemn, point the finger, or talk down to. I don’t take advantage of people in need. I share what I know. As the old saying goes, “give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
You two brother dropped some knowledge there I’m not gonna front. Unfortunately the reality is the reason he probably didn’t have a charger is because he stole it from “his friend” who he said he could get it from or some white boy on the train.
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adifuluv is right. As a budding entreprenuer I see you understand the importance of presentation. Not just of your product but of self because in the absence of product, its you that you’re selling. Go to a white middle class neighborhood at 7:30AM. You’ll see folks scurrying around like they’re going to work, grabbing the paper, drinking coffee. Do the same in the hood and you see women in their head wraps pushing a shopping cart to the laundromat, Dudes looking hopeless and kids late for class horsing around. Our presentation is “fucked up” as adifuluv said.
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I think one thing we CAN do is step our work presentation game up. Even if you’re not a white collar worker. Don’t go to your security job in your work slacks, button up, a tie, Jordans a doo-rag and fitted. You’re setting a bad example. Show these 2.0 kids presentation is important even when you have nothing to sell. Good work men.
It’s a sad situation but I dont think a letter from Nas is going to help. This is not a case of “bad kids”. This is a case of some serious social economic issues taking place in Chicago and urban areas all over the country.
True speak but we’ve gotta do what we can. I can’t change the economic balance in Chicago. I can change my own community one kid at a time.
Exactly! I feel that at that particular moment, I need to do something and if I don’t, maybe that kid will never hear it and continue to do wrong. But even if he continues down the wrong path, he may remember later (just as I did). But at least I know that I tried to help. Everyone has to make their own decisions.
Thank you Mike! And YOU live in Pittsburgh of all places. You all have a team that lost to the Bears and a lot of foreclosures.
worse than the bears…The Bengals.
Everybody wants to be the hardest cat in the streets. You can have a march, rally, protest, or even write a letter but it can not and will not change a person’s personality. These kids today are hard-headed and only see their way as the right way. Sad to say but I doubt this will change. They will have to go through some tough times to ever change……..
I think the underling problem is a shift in morality of youths today as opposed to the youths of yesteryear. I was reading adifuluv comment and something struck me i don’t even have a ipod nano, let me put it this way the kid didnt need the ipod in the first place its not like he’ll die from not having an ipod but granted he’ll die from not having food…that right there is the problem we focus too much on the unnecessary things in life that’s why so many of us are frustrated…..its just how we think and the choice we make, growing up i couldn’t ask for things and expect to get it plus my mother will have disciplined me if i never go according to her words, and whatever she got me, i was grateful i got it…..people choose to place too much value on the wrong things nowadays…..
That is a problem…unfortunately not a problem that I believe contributed to this incident.
But you don’t live here.
I was speaking of Gang violence at large and the desensitization of youth.
EDUCATION! We need to school this kids on who they are and where they come from. So instead of seeing a foe in the streets over some stupid sh!t, they can learn to see what’s more important, pertaining to their current situation (Family/School/Self preservation/etc…). Violence is never a good answer, just an ignorant reply! Seems like the young kids can’t think past “The Moment” and always choose aggresive action over conversation or debate…… CRAZY!!!!
Exactly! “We” means the entire village. Everyone is saying good things here, but things just continue to roll along because good people are not standing up and helping the situation.
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That discipline that comes from our strong parents doesn’t seem to be there for the kids out in the streets today. In the past, someone used to look out: an aunt, older cousin, neighbor, “adoptive grandmother”, someone….the situation is so bad now that older people are afraid to talk to young people in the streets because they’re afraid of getting hurt. I can’t blame them for being afraid, either….I have gotten cussed out by parents for correcting their children in public, but hell, if I don’t, he/she may never hear that she is doing wrong!
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I take responsibility for me and for mine. Taking responsibility means correcting someone in the best manner when I see them doing something wrong.
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I know someone whose 9 year old was killed by a stray bullet while they were sitting on their front porch having some ice cream on a nice summer day. Before that, she used to walk by those boys who were hustling down the street and never said anything because it didn’t involve her. She is involved now.
I don’t know if you guys remember but I’ve been volunteering as a Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. I encourage you all to do the same. They’re especially looking for Black Men because we often do as Emerson suggested the “play brother” thing but sometimes we need to be in a more structured environment with the backing and guidance of rules and some experts.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters still hasn’t gotten back to me. I don’t need an organization to give me the opportunity to do what I should already be doing.
Pittsburgh’s G-20 story: Take an expressway from town and disappear into desolate ‘hoods and encounter the civilization of menace. Pittsburgh, a dual city! The glass wonder of PPG Place and/or the G-20 Summit is a faded memory. Here in the ‘hood lives lie abandoned as far as the eye can see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEukcWW5dM0
That is: For the most part, African-American Pittsburgh seems to be invisible, not only to the public relations hucksters who tout Pittsburgh’s successes, but we are equally invisible to the protesters.
Certainly, black Pittsburgh is as proud as anybody in that the black President we worked so hard to elect has selected Pittsburgh as the host of the G-20 Summit. We even enjoy the re-invention of Pittsburgh from a dirty, smoky steel-churning history to the bright, clean, green financial success that the business leaders and politicians boast about so loudly. Nobody is more proud of the Super Bowl winning African-American coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin. But none of that feel-good stuff erases the pain of the stubbornly high unemployment among African American young adults and the staggering dropout rate for young black males from the public school system.
What do you suggest we do?
SHIT IS CRAZY. BUT THATS HOW MY NIGGAS GET BUSY IN THE CHI. IT SHOULDNT HAVE WENT SO FAR ESPECIALLY NOT DEATH. BUT AN UNWRITTEN LAW IN THE CHI IS IF YOU WERENT INVOLVED YOU WOULDNT GET HURT. TOO BAD HE WAS TRYNA SAVE A FRIEND. BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE IS TERRIBLE. BUT HAY WE NIGGAS!
“BUT HAY WE NIGGAS!”
That says it all right there!!!
God created man. Who made “Niggas”?
More importantly, how does a “Nigga” turn into a Man?