Goodbye Empty Entertainment, Hello Green Media

While mainstream media attempts to indoctrinate our children to be wasteful consciousless consumers, we can bless their minds with life empowering independent media. It is our responsibility to celebrate true spirituality: celebration of life, not celebration of destruction.




Visit:
http://www.greengorilla.com/


Thanks Danielle

June is Black Music Month?

note:

This was written and posted last year for Brig Feltus' blog, but I'm bringing it out again for thought and commentary. I think it's ridiculous that we're pacified with Black Music Month.




June is Black Music Month?

It's kind of amazing that there's a black music month, when we revisit the fact that music has its direct origins in the Motherland, and its peoples, regardless of their more recent cultural names. Perhaps a great deal has been forgotten, or we've been distracted by and large by the trappings of modern remix culture, forgetting the contribution Kemetian/African culture has made in the reality we enjoy so fleetingly today.
Maybe fewer of us then we realize see reality, let alone appreciate what it tells us.
It would be a mistake not to bring the truth to light so we can all have another look.

Do we embrace the entirety of the black music experience beyond the 'beats'?
Do we respect the historical legacy of what this 'honorary' month calls 'Black Music'
enough to stand for its root significance or are we just living in a politically correct culture that has yet to adequately answer the real questions a month commemorating 'Black Music' signifies?

What is Black Music if not the origin of all music?
Soul has its roots in the motherland. Rock has its roots in the blues.
Chuck Berry is in those roots.
Muddy Waters is in those roots.
Lady Day is in the roots.
All of the Ancestors have lent their spirit to the amalgam that has come into development.
Would our time be better spent during this American government sanctioned month remembering the music as a 'Black Genre', or would it be better spent remembering the passion of a people and the light of a people struck in times of abject darkness from whose passions popular artists gain their framework, as shamans would gather ancestral bones for presentation to their inheritors?

Shall we remember the struggles of our forebears, and the tears that went into their musical poetry? The ache that bound the strands of genius tonal tapestries that so many are still sampling and using to reinvent?
Shall we even endeavor to remember beyond the month of June?
When we turn on the radio will we remember where that sample came from? Will we go to the library and take out some vintage cd's to get in touch with Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk? Will we allow John Coltrane to soothe our souls when we're restless?
Will we still be able to feel them? Are we connected enough to what's happening in world society to feel on the level that they felt in worlds that were not padded, or even afforded distractions to a quarter the degree we have available to us now?

More importantly will we remember that music used to be sacred, or will we commence to shaking our 'moneymakers' and 'pimpin those hoes' 'juss like those black bucks was 'spected to' when they were driven from plantation to plantation with a feather in their caps to mount their female counterparts and produce, produce, produce for those good ol' plantation owners?

Pimpin' ain't easy right?

Kind of sounds like what's happening now, doesn't it?
I mean... are any of these hiphop labels still owned by people of color? What about Black Entertainment Television, or Essence magazine? Do we care about our wealth any more, or are we so depressed we don't try for fear of loss?

Too heavy?
Really?
Or has it just been awhile since reality has been reintroduced?
When do the divisions and the commemorative labels start becoming helpful and stop seeming like charity for those of brown skin? Charity instead of reparations for the people whose resources are the origins of the wealth world society has enjoyed?
I could be wrong but I don't think I am.

I'd like a little reality in my holidays and commemorative months...
So for the ancestors, I'll leave you with this, because I am sure this would be the best way to commemorate them.
Take back your culture. Feel your art.
Remember but don't be chained by memory.
Do something with your wisdom.
Be the profound creations that you are.

You ain't nobody's nigguh, and you ain't nobody's hoe, unless you buy into that concept and wear those mental chains willingfully on account of those impressive beats... The beats that are so hot, the message of the words that essentially tell you, that you're nothing, can't hurt right? They certainly can't hurt your children...can they? I mean...the kids don't really know what they're listening to right? The beats are just soooo hot. You gotta move a little somethin' to it...give it some of your spirit in appreciation.

What's consciousness anyway when you can get them dollars?
Isn't that the message hidden in the beats (of your heart)?
I'd say get with the program, but which programming are you gettin' with?

Happy Black Music Month.

-
Your sister Dazjae

Unleashing the Green Future

For more information and updates to this video series please visit:
http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=22080

Featured Friend: Danielle of BlackKool

Danielle in an on-point purveyor of all that is slick in its beautiful blackness, and she has to be mentioned, as does her blogspot, Black Kool.
Black Kool is a vibe experience for the soul and mind with a smooth celebration of swagger, and fluid excellence. Already having covered swaggalicious titans such as Muhammad Ali, Basquiat, Nana Boateng, and Wentworth Miller, it's a glorious realm of flavor and timelessly styled beingness ready to languidly infuse inspiration into our day.

Black Kool says, just chilllllll, and be.

And we will Danielle, with a little guidance.
Gracious thanks for the groovefood.

We Have Officially Entered The Twilight Zone

This is not a joke. There are now companies selling land on Mars in the tradition of 'Total Recall'.
Click the image for a closer view of the screenshot.


Read More


Related Intel:

Brooklyn Realtor Only Sells To Whites

Grow Asparagus in Mars Soil

Green Presidential Nominee Cynthia Mckinney Reveals New Image

The Green Party's Presidential Nominee, Cynthia Mckinney recently revealed a new image in a photo shoot recently in Atlanta.

Lookin' Good Cynthia.
Much Respect.




Vote McKinney '08


Grazi Felix

Mainstream Bites IndieStream (as usual) in the tradition of Radiohead and Saul Williams' Music Pricing Model

Yep. The Mainstream is crumbling, and Warner Music Group has decided they're going to mimic the pricing model of Radiohead and Saul Williams, with choose-your-price digital music. There not as dim as I thought, but then they do have Talib Kweli in their roster so they can't be too short on intelligence.

Told y'all we have the power to make a difference. Support the genius of independent minds. Mainstream will follow. It changes the world.


Thanks IllMami for the intel

EarthBalance

Vegan products prove again that we don't have to miss a thing by switching up our diet to something more humane and healthy for body and soul. Earthbalance is no joke for those who don't know. Its taste is identical to butter, except no cows were robbed or abused during the process because it is made with organic (Non-GMO) soybeans.

Love.

Try your local grocer (they will usually stock items that customers request), or see if veganstore.com stocks it.

OLPC Two Years Later

Visit Their Web Dimension




Related Intel:

Gerald Horne Speaks On Zimbabwe Election

NYOIL Speaks On Possibilities and Obama

NYOIL offers an interesting perspective regarding The Most High revealing in this era that anything is possible. He also sounds off on Barack's Black experience.





Related Intel:

Mumia speaks on riding the wave of anti-Bush sentiments.

Obama Supports Wiretap Immunity?

Why she's voting for Obama

Afrolific Marketing

Erykah Badu stuns in an ad for Tom Ford's reinvention of patchouli in a blend mixed with white floral, jasmine, peony, and bergamot.

In other Badu news:
New Amerykah rolling papers are claimed to be on the way.
Because one of these days Amerykah will legalize the ganja.


Grazi OKP

Hustle Simmons 'The Rundown Feat. 84 & Fel Sweetenberg'

Rhyme Skills Alert.
Mild language warning.



Grazi Scheme Mag.

Talib Kweli- Eat To Live

A necessary message in uncertain times. Food influences thought and action. We must watch what we put in our mouthes; youth and elders alike.



Merci Beaucoup OKP

Indiefied- Nucomme

Nucomme's voice possesses a soft strength, smooth hint of grit, and the kind of contemplative and welcome reminiscing quality that draws you in as a listener. Her voice promises to pull a neverending library of stories from the heart, that it will tell with applicably unique affection.

Nucomme's brand of soul is deliciously comfortable, heart lulling wonder.



Visit her digital dimension:
http://www.myspace.com/nucommetoejam

Amanda Diva Mixtape Alert

Amanda Diva says:

Folks. I’ve been busy. I am working with all my might to bring you “Love Experience” the next ep in the trilogy before the summer is over but I figured why not give ya something to wet your pallet. I bring you “Foreplay the mixtape.” GET IT?! Cuz it’s comin before.


PurpleZoe says:

To my shame I haven't posted a review about the flyness that is Amanda Diva's: Life Experience EP, which is way more off the hook than I thought it would be. Highly recommended Ol-skool brewed dopeness. Invest.

Download the fire that is Amanda Diva's rhymespittin' here (in the sidebar).

More here

Am I Not Human?

Download the June ebook here.


Visit the RootsofHumanity blog.
Thankyou to everyone who participates in raising awareness for our human siblings
bearing the weight of corrupt and procrastinating governments. Our voices make a difference.

Be persistent. Be creative. Be heard.

crossposted at RootsofHumanity.

note:
We're accepting art and poetry dedicated to our suffering human siblings for the next ebook. You can send your submissions to: RootsofHumanity at gmail.com


Update!!!:

G8 Warns Sudan Of More Action To Come

JAPAN: Group of Eight powers warned Friday they could take further action against Sudan at the UN Security Council unless it complies with demands to bring Darfur war crimes suspects to justice.

"We call on all parties concerned to abide by their obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions; we would otherwise support further appropriate action in the UN Security Council," a G8 statement said after two days of talks in Kyoto, Japan.

"We urge the government of Sudan and all other parties to participate fully with the International Criminal Court in order to put an end to impunity for the crimes committed in Darfur," said the ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

[Read More through above link]

DNice TV 'Dana Dane

Much Respect and Thanks Dnice for the intel

The HipHop Soulfest Celebrates Music July 26th

Update:

Correction. The Fest hits on July 26th.
0.O
Forgive me.
I haven't had my homemade cup of java and soy creamer this morning.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yay! Music will be celebrated at Capitol's HipHop Soul Fest in July.

Unfortunately, we've spent all of our travel coinage, but we're gladly accepting your submissions of photos and footage from the event (post links in the comments or send us an energy mail: purplemag at gmail). Much respect to Moon for putting together such an important event. It's all about reconnecting with the heart of the arts, and breaking away from the taint of commercialism.

If you weren't aware of the festival in the DC area taking place from the last post, click here for details.

Enjoy the below audio/vid from one of the many talented artists you'll find at this year's festival:

Substantial- My Favorite Things

Rock The Bells '08

Hosted by:
B-Real, Supernatural, Scratch, and DJ Lantern

Featuring:
A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, De LA Soul, Method Man & Redman, Reakwon&Ghostface, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs, Spank Rock, Wale, Jay Electronica, Santogold, Cool Kids, B.O.B, Kids In the Hall, Amanda Blank.

PZ says: They are not playin' this year! I couldn't have asked for a better lineup.

Limited VIP tickets include:
Meet n greet with members from A Tribe Called Quest plus additional artists, access to the VIP lounge party, limited edition festival backpack, official Rock The Bells T-shirt, commemorative poster, souvenir credential, and 2 drink tickets. All items to be received at the show.


Get tickets to Chicago Show

Get tickets to Toronto Show

Get tickets to Columbia, MD Show

Get tickets to Boston Show

Get tickets to Miami Show

Get tickets to New York Show

Get tickets to San Bernardino Show

Get tickets to San Francisco Show

Get tickets to Denver Show

Get tickets to George, WA Show


Additional Details Here

Skillz Feat. Talib Kweli 'So Far So Good'

This is the first vid off of Skillz' upcoming album The Million Dollar Backpack available via your local record shops July 22nd. The album version of 'So Far So Good' is rumoured to have a verse from Common as well. Shine on Skillz. You're return has been needed in the halls of sound for some time...




Grazi OKP.

Medicine For Melancholy

Screened at this year's Los Angeles Film Festival nnd being described as a smart and sexy film, Medicine for Melancholy is said to investigate the declining presence of color in major cities at the hand of gentrification, while also looking at romance coupled with self-awakening.
The story follows a young black woman and man who awake in the same bed with no idea how they've gotten there.They make their way through San Francisco streets eventually ending up at the Museum of African Diaspora, where they realize their intellectual and spiritual connection is more harmonious than they'd previously imagined.




Grazi CocoaLounge for the intel

Slave Blood and the MSM

We really shouldn't be surprised at this recent disrespectful commentary on race in a society that has divided society by race lines since its inception, but it's disappointing nonetheless to see the devilish ethos of racists spouted proudly over Mainstream airwaves, which is why I continue to say people of color of all cultures and creeds need to come together and buy their own studios. Enough is enough.

In the meantime peep Brightline and add racial offenses you spot in media to the wiki collecting them so advertisers can be given the opportunity to pull away from supporting racism in media.

Here is the latest offense from Racist Limbaugh's gaping maw:

CALLER: Yeah. Hi, Rush. Yeah, the reason I’m calling is, I… You know, I’m not a big supporter of John McCain, but one of the things that’s kind of getting me to think about voting for him is my concern that Michelle Obama will be the next Hillary Clinton.

RUSH: Not true, because Michelle Obama has slave blood. Hillary doesn’t.

Look, the state of race relations in this country has always been appalling but the MSM has shown its contempt for people of color very clearly as of late. Fox news, A&E, and others have let their masks slip. It is time for us to pull our support from these racists and place it with green media companies that respect diversity and social progress across the board.

Use greenpages.org to identify companies that respect life in all of its forms.
Use brightline's wiki to report racial offenses of people of color.
Use responsibleshopper.org to identify companies that don't.

It's up to us to use our spending power to support the people who will impact the world responsibly. We've seen enough of the horns of the folks who won't, no matter how much we protest.



Thanks BlackSnob for the intel


Vote for BlackSnob
as Best Overall Political Blog

Bandit Queen Press' 'Bureau39' Zine Call For Submissions

{Repost}



Bandit Queen Press is Proud to Present
The first edition of the zine
Bureau 39: The Ultimate Weapon
This is an Open Call for Complete and Utter Submission:
Bureau 39 wants your creation:
Writing (creative or otherwise); illustration, photography.
Send in your creative response by July 31st , subject line "Bureau 39" to submissions@banditqueenpress.com.




Be sure to include in
your byline, any websites or creations you want others to know about.
Bureau 39 is spearheaded by Brooklyn born writer Lesley-Ann Brown and
NYC writer/musician Claudius Pratt.
Visit www.blackgirlonmars.blogspot.com for more information on Bandit Queen Press.
Bureau 39 will be published in Copenhagen, Denmark and at a website near you…




Also, cartoonist wanted: For more information contact cartoon@banditqueenpress.com
-Bandit Queen Press




PZ says:
I'm very hyped to find out the Bandit Queen Press is unleashing a zine and look forward to reading the works of the underground geniuses that submit their work. Spread the word and do share your flagrance *_^

Cheezly Is A Winner (Request this From Your Local Grocer)

So in an unplanned expansion into the realm of vegan eating from a previously content vegetarian state of being, I've found myself sampling soy, nut and rice cheeses, as well as their milks, creams (sour cream and the like included), and butters.

The good news is, there are definitely options that don't rob any of the taste experience one would be used to as a dairy consumer.

And as a very adept maker of Baked Macaroni and Cheese, you can trust that I know my cheese. Cheese has been a staple in our house, making me, I think, a very good judge of who is on the mark and who is not in their creation of soy cheeses, nut cheeses and rice cheeses.

Though there is plenty of Green Soulfood info waiting for you in the Purple Mag mini cookbook coming in the Fall/Winter Modern Myth issue, I couldn't resist dropping some gems in the form of faux cheese ratings. The faux cheeses we're rating here today are casein-free and GMO-free. Casein is a milk protein that is used in some soy cheeses (always check the label to be sure your not sabotaging your chosen green path).
GMO means "Genetically modified". It's a horrid food experiment you want to avoid, we're sure. If a package does not read GMO-free, claim to be free of genetically modified ingredients, or list their soybeans/ingredients as specifically Organic, write to the company to ask if they are GMO-free before you buy. You don't need to grow a third ear. The two you have are quite nice already.

Q. also chimed in to give his assessment.


Cheezly


PZ rates it: A
Q rates it: B-

Cheezly smells at tastes like cheese, seriously. It also melts in vegan empanadas (see the Fall/Winter Green Soul mini cookbook in PurpleMag) like nobody's business. We recommend the White Cheddar. We plan to give word on other Cheezly flavors. Rest assured you can make baked mac and cheese with this flavor of Chezly and swoon over it. You will have to find an egg substitute for the recipe though, and we recommend steering clear of Morningstar's genetically modified products in addition to using rice milk or almond milk in the recipe as dairy substitutes.

Sheese


PZ rates it: C-
Q rates it: C
Okay... I had a strong reaction to the smoked gouda version of Sheese. I spit it out.
Feeling bolder later I tried it again. This time I could chew it and see that it's not really terrible, just... different and strong in a weird way. You might want to try other flavors. Q dislikes the aftertaste. I just think it's... a little off in a currently undefinable way.


Teese Cheese


PZ rates it: D

Q rates it: C

Teese Cheese melts interestingly but it's bland and tastes like buttered popcorn. Teese does not taste remotely like cheese. I don't know who decided to lie and say it does. Trust us. It doesn't.


Definite no's:


Galaxy Rice Slices


Extra Intel:
Tofutti's sour cream is off the chain and very authentic. We believe it's made with non genetically modified soybeans, as we read it in their FAQ. If you know otherwise, please drop us a line: purplemag at gmail.


Non GMO brands we love:
Dixie Diner Faux Meets
Tofutti
Silk brand Soy Milk
EarthBalance Butter (Tastes JUST LIKE BUTTER)
Lightlife
Nasoya

These cruelty free, non-toxic items can be purchased at: Veganessentials.com
& Veganstore.com

note:
Nut-based and rice-based vegan-dairy items and even flour, can actually be made at home (this includes soy actually-- and tofu can be made form other beans), recipes forthcoming in Purple Mag's Fall/Winter issue.

Indiefied- Charles Saunder's 'Dossouye' Book One

Charles Saunders is a legend few of you are aware of (thanks to the lack of promotion for black artists of speculative media), who by universal grace is back and continuing to bless us with his intricate weaving of lush fantastical worlds. He may very well be the first African-American author of straight up Fantasy fiction having released the Imaro stories in the 80's, among who knows how many others that weren't placed in our line of vision in our formative years. I only found about him this year along with Troy and Nnedi, and heard about the honorable Octavia Butler in 2005, and Nola Hopkinson in 2007. It's a shame speculative authors of color aren't common knowledge.

I ran across Mr. Saunders new publishers at Ecbacc this year, and was given a copy of Dossouye to review. It's an honor certainly, and I hope to do the review of this tale of a strong warrior women hailing from original origins justice.

To comment on holding the book in my hands; the physical presence of the book has the power to beckon hands to the shelf it will be perched upon in stores. It is awesomely designed by the hand of Mshindo I, and the internal layout and typesetting are very well done. I look forward to the coming projects of Sword and Soul Media, as even on an indie level they took the task of putting Dossouye into book form very seriously.

Dossouye is a tale that is written seamlessly as a novel comprised of stories previously published in short story and novella form. Mr. Saunders wrote and rewrote them to weave them together, and with writing that is as smooth as silk, he accomplished it while championing the power of belief and illuminating the tethers of tradition. Dossouye speaks beautifully a message the world is finally beginning to grasp: We create what we believe. ...And we no doubt uphold those creations in the form of traditions.
Tackling little understood Motherland traditions in his alternative version of Africa, Mr. Saunders helps us to understand the diversity of beliefs in so large a continent, even while making the metaphysical suggestion that our beliefs also imprint upon the ethers and create things in the unseen realms that we may not see because we don't completely comprehend our power as a species.
I was in awe with the subtle way he handled the suggestion, and found it very difficult to put the book down.
Dossouye has a flow that creates a desire within in you to follow her throughout the pages, though at times she seems to have no sense of direction. It is the uncertainty that she possesses despite her larger than life warrioress skills, and keen mind, which kept me wondering where she was traveling in self-imposed exile, and which reflections of herself she might find? How long would her will last without a sense of direction? Had she given up? Could she accept her identity outside of lifelong traditions and beliefs her mind and spirit were communally shaped by?
The loss that she continued to experience was heavy and saddening but didn't overpower the story or weigh it down. Dossouye somehow maintains a level of innocence as a character; a resilience that helps you to forget the harsh realities she's survived for a time, despite their severity, so you can continue to follow her, watch her break a few villians off something proper, and explore facets of herself that are both obvious and mysterious to the reader. She is as tender as she is fierce and as childlike as she is seasoned.
The exquisitely written magik in the book mirrors, I think, the part of Dossouye that she is most unfamiliar with. The imagination in her vulnerability. The wings of beauty in the part of her that does not wield a sword. The child she might have been if her parents had been given a different fate. I especially cherished the beautiful relationship she shared with Gbo, her faithful companion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read, and marveled at Charles' pacing. Just as I began to wonder where Dossouye was heading next, I realized the answer was already prepared to be revealed in layers just at the time the reader might ask it. Charles Saunders is a wonder of an author, who intelligently and with amazing grace has created a fierce warrioress on a continent most prefer to ignore, who reveals a fascinating world of human and at times superhuman interactions that reveal the inherent vulnerability in everything, and how our perceptions wrap themselves around those weaknesses with hopes of protecting that vulnerability from both external and internal threats, usually to no avail.

Masterfully done.


concept art created by Joseph R. Wheeler

Dossouye at Goodreads.com


Concept art done by Astrid Vollenbruch

Visit SwordandSoul Media on Myspace to purchase and congratulate the publisher

Little Jackie- 'Black Barbie'

The ever inventive Imani Coppola is back as Little Jackie in a satirical reenactment of Hollywood dolls and their exploits.



Visit Little Jackie's Realm here
myspace.com/littlejackiemusic



Grazi Jasmyne Cannick for the video

RIP George Carlin

The fabulous and controversially genius George Carlin passed this Sunday to the shock and loss of a community that respected him for his wisdom, clever mastery of language and strong sense of purpose in speaking the truth about power with unflinching honesty.
He has left us with a book 'Brain Droppings', and performances that cause the heart to lighten with laughter while simultaneously engaging the brain in a well needed workout.



George, rest in peace, you will be missed.



"I found it was an honest craft and that art was involved," Carlin said. " I do like to point out that there is an artistic process involved in observing the world, interpreting it, and then writing something about it and performing it. It's the low end of the scale in art. Perhaps it's not fine art. But it is art. I found that out and it gave me a purpose and strength."
-Keming Kuo, VOA News

Read A Bit About George Carlin's History Here


Thanks Villager for the intel.

Youth For Liberator Mag Present: Word on The Street

Thanks Achali