Mos Def & Talib Kweli Respond to Diallo Verdict

From: Manire, Aaron D (amanire@indiana.edu)
Date: Wed Mar 08 2000 - 18:40:31 MET

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    from http://www.pdomeradio.com/news3700.htm#defdiallo

    respect,
    adario
    ___________________________________________
    Following the acquittal of the four police officers who killed Amadou
    Diallo, Rawkus Entertainment artists Mos Def and Talib Kweli respond by
    remaining on the cutting edge of artist activism.

    "The saddest thing about this," said Kweli following the verdict," is that
    I'm not surprised. This is just further confirmation that Black people in
    this country have no rights that white people or the government are bound to
    respect. Still, we must recognize that police brutality is not a Black
    issue, it is a violation of the rights of human beings everywhere."

    In Mos Def's comments, he emphasized the fact that one of the aquitted
    officers, Kenneth Boss, was also involved in the killing of Patrick Bailey
    in 1997, in which another unarmed man was shot 27 times in Brooklyn. "This
    took place less than 2 years prior to the Diallo killing," said Mos Def. "At
    this rate can we expect the hail of 55 bullets to be unloaded on another New
    Yorker by next fall? 69 bullets the fall after that? To New Yorkers who feel
    that this is a "Black" issue, I say this is a HUMAN issue. To those
    tinkering with the semantics of "crime" and "tragedy," I say what happened
    that night in the Bronx was both. To people who seek justice, to the Amadou
    Diallo family, and to everyone who speaks against oppression, I say, FEAR
    NOT, Allah is the best of judges."

    But while the entire country discusses the Diallo verdict, Mos Def and Talib
    Kweli are responding with both words and actions. The next two weeks will
    see the release of a new Video and CD maxi-single, the launching of a new
    foundation, and a benefit concert in California.

    Following the tragic killings of Amadou Diallo and Tyesha Miller by police
    in New York and Los Angeles, Mos Def and Talib Kweli put out a call to the
    hip-hop community to address the issues of police brutality. Due to the
    overwhelming response, what was slated to be a single evolved into a
    four-song maxi-single called "Hip Hop For Respect." The video for the track
    "One For Love- Pt. 1," featuring Kool G Rap, Pos (De La Soul), Common,
    Pharoahe Monch, Sporty Thievz, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Rah Digga, Talib Kweli, and
    Mos Def will be available March 6th. The highly anticipated 'Hip Hop For
    Respect' project will be released March 21st.

    Proceeds from the maxi-single will go to the Hip-Hop For Respect Foundation
    (HHFRF). HHFRF is a non-profit organization that strives to encourage those
    who profit from the entertainment industry to accept responsibility and
    leadership roles in the very communities in which their fan base lives,
    works and plays. The HHFRF is planning a high school tour and an educational
    campaign that will focus on instructing youth on what to do and what not to
    do if stopped by the police. Not since the days of Stop The Violence and We
    Are The World have so many artists come together to unite, educate and
    create change. HHFRF will carry that tradition into the new millennium.

    In addition, Mos Def and Talib Kweli will be performing with Meshell
    Ndegeocello and Ozomatli in Santa Cruz, CA on March 3rd in a benefit concert
    for youth organizations working to defeat Proposition 21, a legislative
    effort that seeks to increase efforts of police gang units, treat juveniles
    as adults in court, and further criminalize youth.



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