9 Responses to “Immortal Technique: radical rapper takes on the ‘American dream’”  

1. 1 Jack Stephens Jun 11th, 2008 at 2:27 am

   I’d be careful about Immortal Technique Hossam. He’s fucked up in more ways than one. He’s extremely reactionary and juvenile in his analysis. He is extremely sexist and homophobic. He has lyrics that talk about “bitches” shoving “cum up their pussies” and getting “bitches pregnant” plus a whole slew of other fucked up shit. The best rappers whom are radical and don’t fall into his faults (he also has a song insulting vegans) are Boots Riley from The Coup, Kiwi, Bambu, Geologica from Blue Scholars, The Attik, and DO D.A.T.

2. 2 Hossam el-Hamalawy Jun 11th, 2008 at 2:39 am

   Your concerns are valid Jack.. I know he uses on occasions these expressions, but these have to be put in context of his own personal experience in jail and in the ghetto.. And remember there are many activists like him who started on this side of the politics, but their ideas progressed as they became more involved in the movement.. like for example the panthers (and others) who started as homophobes, but came around later to accept gay rights, etc..
   I still like him.. and I think one should engage and debate with him, rather than shunning him off completely..

   “The Coup, Kiwi, Bambu, Geologica from Blue Scholars, The Attik, and DO D.A.T.”
   All of these are GREAT musicians, and I’d add S.O.N. as well as Red October, who are fantastic revolutionary socialist hiphop singers too..

3. 3 Renegade Eye Jun 11th, 2008 at 4:19 am

   Rap music has its own dialectic, with struggles within.

4. 4 Hossam el-Hamalawy Jun 11th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

   Indeed

5. 5 Jack Stephens Jun 12th, 2008 at 2:35 am

   Hossam: While I understand that one has to put his terms and sayings into context there are plenty of rappers out there that come from the ghetto and working class backgrounds that don’t fall into the trap that Immortal Technique does. When somebody says, “I’m cold blooded like reptiles/Touch a pregnant bitch and make her give birth to a dead child” has some serious issues. If he is truly revolutionary than we have to crtisize him relentlessly on his backward ass attitude on women and gays. There are tons and tons of rappers out there that have come from prison, jail, the ghetto, etc. and have never used language such as that.

   I agree with engaging in debate, that is vital, and I agree that many folks have their own dialetical struggle within in, especially hip-hop, but saying hip-hop has its struggles with how it treats women and LGBTQI folks is just a cop out and an excuse that isn’t valid because there are plenty of rappers out there who challenge that dialectic and are succesful at it.

   As for shunning someone off completely, since Immortal Technique has lines such as this:

   “I’ll rape your mom/I still murder rappers on the street for sport ”

   I have no problem with shunning this dumb ass off completely.

6. 6 Jack Stephens Jun 12th, 2008 at 2:42 am

   I also found this quote of his from one of his albums:

   “How dare you niggaz criticize the way that I spit/you coffee shop revolutionary son of a bitch”

   It looks like people have criticized him on this and he has shown his true self by reacting in a completely reactionary and childlike way by calling those folks “coffee shop revolutionaries.” This despite the fact that many of those who criticize him are the true revolutionaries and real Marxists who view women’s liberation and gay liberation as being equal to that of the class struggle. And its not just the bourgeoisie that is criticizing him but the proletariat as well.

7. 7 ash-shakkak Jun 13th, 2008 at 3:33 pm

   Did the ‘coffee-shop revolutionary’ charge touch a nerve, Jack?

   Those reactionary lines are poetry. It’s meant to make you a little uncomfortable. Art should.

   Plus it sounds better than:

   uh uh check check
   working together
   as brothers, arm in arm,
   will we raise agricultural production
   by 20 percent
   in the next five years
   destroy the neo-imperialist tyranny
   of the Bretton Woods institutions
   yeah yeah
   yo

   which is what I assume you would prefer the poor to say.

8. 8 Jack Stephens Jun 14th, 2008 at 6:05 am

   ash-shakkak: No, it didn’t as I’m not a coffee shop revolutionary. Plus, why are you assuming I’m trying to say what’s best for the poor? And that rap you made up, that’s not a good line, and no, I wouldn’t prefer that.

   Plus, as an urban proletariat and a union leader I take offense to the fact that you are somehow assuming I’m talking down to the poor. But here is a line I do like from a rapper who has a similar urban proletariat and pro-people of color background.

   Check out the introvert
   In the corner with the rip in her skirt
   Stomach pains so she grippin’ her shirt
   Ain’t never had dinner
   So she know she ain’t gettin’ dessert
   Don’t try to tell me it’s her mission to hurt
   I got faith in the people and they power to fight
   We gon make the struggle blossom
   Like a flower to light
   I know that we could take power tonight
   Make ‘em cower from might
   And get emergency clearance from the tower for flight
   I ain’t sittin in your pews less you helpin’ me resist and refuse
   Show me a list of your views
   If you really love me
   Help me tear this muthafucka up
   Consider this my tithe for the offer cup

   That’s by Boots Riley from The Coup, a radical Black Marxist rap group from Oakland. Now that’s good, not the homophobic and sexist vile from Technique.

   Also, you did not address any of my concerns with Technique, you just spit out some bull shit assuming that I was trying to talk down to the poor by criticizing a fellow revolutionary. Why don’t you actually address the concerns I was trying to point out in Techniques lyrics. He seriously has a lot of growing to do. And the coffee shop revolutionary line was just reactionary bullshit because those whom are criticizing Technizue are his own folks, radical Chicanos and Chicanas and fellow Marxists whom organize their own folks against deportations, immigration raids, and imperialistic wars.

   So before criticizing me as some bourgeois white dude who doesn’t work for a living and doesn’t know something about class struggle please get your facts straight and actually address the argument. Techniques lyrics speak for themselves and those are quite damning. Plus, are you assuming that somehow Techniques sexism is synomous with working people of color?

9. 9 Jack Stephens Jun 14th, 2008 at 6:09 am

   Oh, and Stuff White People like is a fucked up site that is a perfect picture of white privilege. Check out my blog here:

   http://2xconsciousness.blogspot.com/2008/04/white-privilege-and-stuffwhitepeoplelik.html

   Plus this blog post which sums up many anti-racist folks disdain fore Stuff White People LIke.

   http://www.theroot.com/id/45371

   For a good site on white privilege and supremacy in America check out Stuff White People Do by my friend Macon D.

   http://stuffwhitepeopledo.blogspot.com/