360 Degrees of Perception

Hey Soul…
What if you were actually born a white man?
Would you still stand there like a militant rebel?
Preaching to everyone about that blue-eyed devil.
Would you still complain about black people’s pain and suffering,
or would you go on with you life like it was nothing?
Would you still be adamant about our black President
or would your political ties lie more towards the Republican side?
Would it still have hurt your heart to see what was done to Trayvon
or would you have cared less?
Yes, that’s something to weigh on…
Right now, it’s a fact that you are pro-black
but would you still be a part of that pack if God
came and took your melanin back?
And you…
What if you were born a black man?
Would you still stand on the sidelines gazing;
while black men are experiencing police brutality,
senseless shootings and tasings?
Would you still be affected by the black man’s plight
or would you grab a megaphone and jump in to the fight?
Trying to climb out of the ghetto but never seeming to gain any traction.
Would you finally praise and appreciate the government’s affirmative action?
Would you understand the source of the black man’s anger?
Always being looked at as an animal; a permanent danger?
Everywhere you go, you draw looks of suspicion…
I bet then you would probably start paying attention…

– Jah Soul

The Flip Side

As I was watching the news yesterday, the first three stories ran in this order: a 15 year-old black girl was thrown and slammed to the ground by a white police officer in McKinney, Texas. Second, a white man is currently on trial for shooting an 8 year-old black boy in the face at their apartment complex. Last, a white officer is currently on trial for shooting and killing an unarmed 60 year-old black man in the back as he ran from his car during a traffic stop.
If you are not, as America labels it, “black”, would these stories have any effect on you? Can you relate to them in any way? Do any of these stories disturb you? Well, let’s take a trip to what I call, the flip-side. Doodle-doo-doodle-doo-doodle-doo-doop.
As I was watching the news yesterday, the first three stories ran in this order: a white, 15 year old (a minor), female was thrown and slammed to the ground by a black police officer in McKinney, Texas. Second, a black man is currently on trial for shooting an 8 year-old white boy in the face at their apartment complex. Last, a black officer is currently on trial for shooting and killing an unarmed 60 year old white man in the back as he ran from his car during a traffic stop.

Okay… How do you feel now?

Whether the person is black or white, wrong is wrong and right is right…

– Jah Soul

Since When?

Up at night with God discussing habits
Exchanging knowledge, conversing ’bout supreme mathematics
Coming to clever conclusions again and again
At the end of our session, his question was “since when?”
Do we not compliment our women but address them as ho’s and bitches?
Hang around cats, and knowing rats like it’s cool to
congregate with snitches?
Since When?
Do we support chumps that abuse our mothers, daughters and sisters?
Let these youngsters disrespect our elders by using their name
instead of Miss, Mrs. or Mister?
Since When?
Has the government stopped the rhetoric they spoke in the Declaration
Loosening up the rules in the book they used to run this Nation?
Since When?
Did we start hating each other acting like a bunch of crabs in a bucket?
Giving up on the next generation, no influence and just saying “fuck it”
Since When?
In the black community, we stopped offering what we got?
Can’t go next door to borrow sugar – too much have and have-nots
Since When?
Could we not sit out on the porch without bullets flying by at night?
What happened to settling our differences by talking even probably a fair fight?
Since When?
Did shooting become so manly and the final say?
Why did these cowards shut down Ms. Harriet’s candy house
by robbing and assaulting her yesterday?
Since When?
Did we let music and television raise our kids or run from
opportunity when it knocks or kicks the door in?
Since When?
In the streets there is no respect, love or loyalty?
When did we start treating our elders like lepers instead of royalty?
Since When?
Did disciplining my child get equated with abuse
or the 360 (degrees) I spit get twisted, becoming obtuse?
Since When?
Would I even have to write this to get my peoples attention?
We’re supposed to be further down the line, steadily rising to ascension…
I’m just saying, since when?

– Thomas D. Payne

Where you at?

Excuse me, Kings and Kweens, but there’s something that I need to speak on that has been weighing heavy on my heart. I’ve been watching the events unfold in Ferguson, Missouri, as most of you probably have. If you’re out of the loop, allow Jah to catch you up.
A young black man, Michael Brown, was shot and killed after a confrontation with a police officer. This is a highly sensitive matter due to the previous deaths of Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Oscar Grant and Sean Bell. They were all shot and killed by Caucasian men, some being police officers. Ferguson was the first city to respond to the killings by protesting and rioting in the streets, but I have some feelings about all of this that I would like to share with all of you.
I agree that the deaths of these young men are horrible, but the truth is that young black men kill each other in greater numbers, at a much higher rate, and also for far less reasons than these travesties I’ve just mentioned. What has me vexed about all of this is that no one riots or organizes marches in protest of these senseless murders. So, I ask all of these people that are currently standing against these crimes committed by white men, where you at?
Black men riddled a young six-year-old girl in Kansas City, Missouri with bullets when she was coming out of a store with her father. Where you at? A week later, a 10 year-old girl was killed while sitting in her living room watching television. It is believed that a person of color, driving down the street shooting up homes, caused the murder. Where you at? In Fort Worth, Texas, a grandmother and her five-year-old granddaughter was killed when a black man walked up to the granddaughters party and opened fire. Where you at? A 17-year-old high school student in Dallas, Texas was beaten and stomped to death in his front yard by a group of black men. One of perpetrators was said to be a friend of the victim. He was beat down over a petty argument. Where you at?
We seem to complain when someone of another color murders one of our own, but, we become mute and invisible when we kill one another. We must take the plank out of our own eye before taking it out of another’s eye. Meaning, we must show a concern and interest in the Black on Black violence that is decimating our communities before we complain, speak on, and protest the violence coming from outside of us. No matter how you justify it, murder is murder. We must concentrate on saving ourselves instead of killing ourselves.

Peace and Blessings,
Jah Soul

A Dirty Game

My homies eyes turned red as he bled from the gunshot.

Two blinks, one tear and then his heart stopped.

On the wings of an angel did his soul leave.

Time slowed down and then I felt a cold breeze.

As he bled, his blood spread like an oil spill.

Eighteen and he’s killed… now, that’s a raw deal.

Another son gunned down, another brother lost.

He balled hard on these suckas, then he paid the cost.

He couldn’t see the jealousy inside their eyes though.

My little homie lived fast but he died slow.

The irony is telling me that I should pump the brakes

but hateful thoughts begin to overtake.

I wanna up the stakes, take them to full throttle.

Pour the gas on, hang the gas out this ‘Lac

and get my smash on.

I could retaliate, but this cycle will never cease.

Immortal enemies, so we will never kill the beast.

That’s what they want; violence, destruction and blood shed

and won’t be satisfied until we’re laying all dead.

So I hold my head and keep it movin’ just the same.

Trying to keep my hands clean but it’s a dirty game.

– Jah Soul

 

No Man!!!

We…Do…Not…Hit…Women! Period!

Young men, sit down, let’s have a session. I see, contemporary America is promoting aggression.

Let hitting a woman be beneath you, something with to never be down.

In my era, we had Emmit Smiths and Luthers, I’m appalled by the Ray Rices and Chris Browns.

We do not hit women! That shows no masculinity, doesn’t make you look hard.

Some won’t learn from their mistakes until they end up on the penitentiary rec yard.

I’ve seen hard men in only two places,

shackled in their cell, locked down, or taking permanent naps, dirt thrown over their faces.

Did anyone teach ya’ll how to treat a woman? Having no father isn’t an excuse…

I was raised by a single mother and would never hit my wife in a dispute.

What happened to being civil or being chivalrous, open communication or discussion?

Having a loving, healthy environment instead of giving your woman a concussion?

We…Do…Not…Hit…Women! That doesn’t define a man.

Raise your hand not to our women but to stop domestic violence in our land.

We’re quick to march when a cop shoots someone we think is innocent,

we come together, angry in cahoots…

But, who do I see march in outrage for the victims of brutality and abuse?

Not many…

I guess until it’s your mother, sister or daughter that Ray or Chris hits, then maybe you will care.

Not cracking jokes like Fox and Friends, the message is to “Take the Stairs”.

This…Is Not…a Joking…Matter, humorless in fact, these men need to check themselves.

Most definitely, they need to learn tact.

We do not hit our women, we LOVE our women, protect our women.

We don’t hate our women or subject our women.

I’m talking to boys, young men and grown men, any male who hits a woman or girl…

I can call you a lot of things but a man will never be one!!!

– Thomas D. Payne

The Reformation

A hard shelled exterior, so they call you a nut.

Ran from your sexuality, from fear of being a slut.

So many scars on your heart, from being broken and stitched.

No wonder you have an attitude, and they think of you as a bitch.

You’ve been purposely pimped and played,

dramatically dragged through the mud.

Dropped you off in the depths of hell, and somehow you still show us love.

Your courage has has been contaminated, siphoned the strength from your soul.

Chilled the warmth that was in your smile

and left your heart bitter and cold.

So many wounds you have valiantly endured by the hands that were meant to protect.

Called you derogatory names for so long,

eventually, thats what you began to project.

What did they do to your spirit?

I can’t stand how they left you.

So I strive to become a better man myself

because that’s the only way I can protect you.

– Jah Soul