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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