Chapter Thirteen The Cosmological Rhythmic Essence (CRE) is not confined to music or art. It’s all over us. It shows up everywhere. It shows up on the basketball court. We could not just put the ball in the basket and run back up court. We had to acrobatically, rhythmically hurl ourselves in to the air, way above the rim, and slam dunk. We had to dribble up to our opponent then swing the ball behind our backs while moving it from one hand to the other. Then, almost simultaneously, leaping into the air with a twisting dunk. And then go dancing or swaying rhythmically back up count. And all this is done without effort. Go to any park and watch a basketball game, or watch rope jumping, especially Double Dutch, and you will see poetry in motion! Look for chapter fourteen Sat.

Chapter Eleven In chapter ten I wrote, we ought to care less about personal wealth and luxury and more about collective advancement. That was the second point in my three points regarding our responsibility since what we have are gifts. Now for the third and final point. It is Ownership! Yes, what we have is a gift of God through the Ancestors. Yes, we have to name it and claim it. We have to say, who are Super Stars are! Yes, we have to share our gifts and use our gifts to help others. Now we have got a way to control our gifts! We've got to express, define and interpret our gifts, produce our gifts, promote our gifts, and market or disseminate our gifts. We have been able to some extent to do all the above but we have not controlled the dissemination or distribution. It seems so simple, yet so complex and insurmountable. You got it! I want it! Sell it to me! Why do we need somebody between us to control everything? Or what do those who have control over everything, we don’t have or can’t get. If God gave us the gifts, God intended for us to own the gifts, to control and with the gifts to promote ourselves, and to lift ourselves up! (Remember, I wrote this in 1996, the fifth anniversary of Tupac’s death. There has been some progress. But we still have a long way to go) Look for continuing next week, Chapter Twelve.

Chapter Ten Last week, chapter nine, I dealt with the collectivity of the gift that has been given to Rappers and that it should be used to advance the Race. chapter ten. Who cares about how many cars you drive, the size of the house you live in, how much jewelry you have, who you rub shoulders with, where you go for vacation, how many wives or husbands you have or have had, how many millions you have. What we care about is how are you using what you have to help your mother and fathers, sisters and bothers who are less fortunate and whose early appreciation of you helped to give you the fame and fortune you now enjoy, and whose early purchase of your music started you on your way to where you are now. Also, your gift belongs to our struggle for Human Rights and Self Determination. I challenge you to copy the example of Paul Robeson, who refused to barter away his dignity for society’s praise and goodies. Instead, he decided that his talents would be used in the struggle for freedom. Yes, your gift belongs to us-all of us. We need to make a promise here tonight to Tupac and to our God, that we will do all we can do uplift our people. And let me reassure you, based on the word of God and the Laws of the Universe, What You Give Will Come Back To You With Interest!

Chapter Nine The last chapter I wrote about naming and claiming what God has given to you. Now, the second point I want to make is Rappers ( and others artists but I’m dealing with Rappers now.)are the beneficiaries of a race experience; what this means is that what you have doesn’t belong totally to you. You have a gift! God and the Ancestors have been gracious to you. You have been endowed with a gift that has brought you fame and fortune. But I want to remind you Again, That This Gift That You Have Received Doesn’t Belong Totally To You! It belong to all of us! It belongs to the brothers and sisters who are homeless and I know PAC would want me to tell this. Your gift belong to young brothers and sisters trying to make it, locked in poverty; powerless, purposeless, and personless. Your gift belongs to young sisters ( yea the old too) but young sisters especially who deserve our respect, our protection, our caring, and not our abuse and manipulation! Let us de-emphasize our personal wealth and let us emphasize our collective responsibility! Let us minor in personal ego expansion and major in collective advancement! Look for chapter ten next Sat. In the meantime check out my Traveling…. Thinking with the People Pastor (that’s me I was given that name by the people I hope I have lived up to it) Also other subjects I think you will find interesting. Call us for more information 833 236 7555

Chapter Eight I started writing about our being gifted and the need to be vigilant for there are people who always want to be the boss or the master or in charge. I remember when I was growing up, there was Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Cootie Williams, but they called Benny Goodman the “King of Swing “. Then Elvis Presley became the King and Bruce Springsteen, the Boss and Frank Sinatra was the Chairman of the Board. And I’m telling you that in a few years(remember this was written in 1996) some White Dude is going to hang out with some you Rappers long enough to half way clap his hands on time, once in a while and I guarantee you, he is going to be (King of the Rappers). Yeah but we did our naming too. While other people were claiming top spots for their people, we identified and gave top billing to our people.We called Charles Parker,The(Bird) Nobody could do it with the alto sax what (The Bird) could do. Lester Young was President (The Pres.) of the tenor sax association. Billie Holiday was “Lady Day” and Sarah Vaughan, well, there was not an appropriate description for her, so we called the (Divine One) Aretha Franklin was (The Queen of Sou) and not for from here, Augusta Ga., came James Brown, (The godfather of soul). My point is, what God has given to us we have to Name and Claim!

Chapter Seven In the last chapter I mentioned that Artists, including Rappers were gifted. But if you don’t know, particularly young people, Tupac and the Rappers I knew and know were some of the hardest working people in the world. There are three points I want to make: First, since rapping is in us-God gave it to us we got to be vigilant and not let other people take it from us. I am Gifted!

After doing my Sunday routine; 730-8am prayers and camaraderie with the basketball players; 845-915am prayers and discussing issues with men of African Ancestry;1130-1p I preached in our Sunday Service. My subject was, The Power of Sound. The two Scriptures that I used were: Joshua 6 and II Chronicles 20. In both of these Scriptures God’s sound is seen as the dominant weapon, there is power in music! I mentioned over nearly 80 years of committed life and service to Jesus Christ and the people I have been given a song to sing in deepest challenge experiences. I have even written my own songs and/or put my words to the melodies of others. I challenge you to try it. If you are going through tough times, get a song, make up your own song or ask God to give you a song or put some music in your soul. Spiritual music, especially — release Spiritual Energy. Spiritual Energy puts you on continuum or wave length with the Source of all Energy—God, the Supreme Creator of all things! Sing a song, make some music, shout praises, make it joyful unto the Lord God our Savior and watch your walls come tumbling down or feel the surge of energy welling up inside which gives you the confidence that God is with you enabling you to endure or overcome any obstacle or enemy! And let us pray that the Jericho March and Rally we had Thursday 7/7 will bring down the walls of hate, violence racism, sexism etc “A consummation devoutly to be wished”

Back on 7/11, I posted The Power Of Sound. Among the different kinds of sounds, I like to consider Rap or Rapping. At the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, GA. Nov. 10, 1996 at a Memorial for Tupac Shakur, I was on the program to deliver a memorial message. (The Shakur family, mother Afeni, her sister, Gloria, daughter Sekiywa, and Tupac) I said, "First I want to Rap about Rapping. It’s important that we understand Rapping is rooted in our people’s history. The Griots, the story tellers of Mother Africa were Rappers. When I was young, we used to shine shoes, but we shined with a beat. We would pop our rags as we shined the shoes. Also, we did Ham Bone: “Ham Bone,Ham Bone where you been, around the world and back again.” Beating our hip and chest rhythmically as we rapped. Even when we played the dozens we had a beat to it. In fact, we used to say to those who did not want to play, but wanted to laugh and enjoy others playing, “If you don’t want to play, don't pat your feet to the beat.” All real Black Preachers are Rappers. To be continued tomorrow.

7/22 I posted, Rapping is rooted in our history. I cited my childhood years. Rapping was all around us in words and anything. Before I mention more examples of Rapping I want to define what “playing the Dozens” was and the possible influence on our adult years. The players would compete with one another on who could use the vilest language about each other’s mother. It was one of the most despicable manifestations of self-hatred. The practice of desecrating the sanctity of motherhood, even by children, must have been deeply rooted and widely pervasive in other areas. It might help explain why some Black men were abusive to their women. But not only was vulgar language used as it related to motherhood there were gutter or street poems known around the neighborhood; the Signifying Monkey; the day the Titanic went down; the Red Light District of the Coast etc. There was Rapping in the Church too.

Chapter Four The Power in Sound. 7/27/22 I completed chapter three. I pointed out our ability to make music or to create rhythm out of anything. I mentioned; shoe shine rags, in the Church, there were washboards, (of course tambourines and drums) and when there was no physical object, we beat our hip and chest. Rapping I said “was in our genes. It’s in our melanin, It’s in our blood, It’s in the beat of our heart. It’s in the Essence of who and what we are. Nor is it confined to our external reality. It’s woven into an indefinable, mysterious something we call rhythm, which flows from and connects us to the Creator and the Cosmos. I name this rhythmic link to the Cosmological, Rhythmic, Essence (C.R.E.). In our most Rhythmic we are one with the Cosmos and our Artists are one with the Cosmos. They are possessed and they carry us way out or way in until we too become possessed. Look for chapter five next week. Join us today 1p SAVE The PLANET; SAVE The PEOPLE! Monthly Organizing Meeting. Check out our post for more information.

Chapter Six The Power In Sound. Chapter Six The last chapter I wrote about Rapping and Tupac, that rapping was rooted in our history and that Tupac was one of the best (pardon, the bias he was a member of my Church). Let me be clear, when I write of the Power Of Sound, I mean the Rhythm, the Vibration not the lyrics. I think some of the words should never have been attached to the Rhythm. Tupac and I used to have some serious about the lyrics Rappers were using. This much we can say about Tupac, he was a supremely gifted son, who was born and lived in peculiar and difficult circumstances. Let acknowledge that artists, yes Rappers too, are the beneficiaries of the Rhythm bequeathed to them by the Supreme Creator through their ancestors. Let us be clear, what they have is a gift. Especially the Artist need to know that! Watch for chapter seven later to day. Got to go another appointment.

Chapter Five Well, here is the fifth chapter of the Power Of Sound that I promised. The last chapter, I wrote that Rapping was in our genes……in the beat of our hearts. I will continue rapping about rapping. I will take excerpts from my booklet, A Seed Planted In Stone. I mentioned that Tupac and his family were members of my Church. I was asked to speak in Atlanta, GA for his Memorial on the fifth Anniversary of his death. I said, “Tupac in a most unusual, extraordinary way embodied the Cosmological Rhythmic Essence (CRE)” early on when he was writing poetry. He was so smart! Rhyme and lyrics flowed from him so effortlessly and flawlessly, it seemed. Brilliant, genius, pick your superlatives to define and describe him and when you have selected your highest expression, you still will not have fully, accurately, and truly told us who Tupac was. In the end we have to say, “God knows.” To be continued!