Jasiri X: "Do We Need to Start a Riot?" feat Dick Gregory

Jasiri X:

Free Download http://jasirix.bandcamp.com/track/do-we-need-to-start-a-riot

"Do We Need to Start a Riot?" is a response to the recent report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement that states 110 Black people have been killed by the police in 2012, one every 40 hours

http://mxgm.org/report-on-the-extrajudicial-killings-of-110-black-people/

Filmed on location in New York City at the historic march to end Stop and Frisk, and in Los Angeles on Florence and Normandie, where the 1992 LA rebellion began, "Do We Need to Start a Riot?" features words from legendary Activist/Comedian Dick Gregory and Henry Watson, one of the "LA Four", charged in the beating of Reginald Denny and highlighted in the recent VH1 documentary "Uprising: Hip-Hop and the LA Riots, and appearances by the Universal Zulu Nation, Occupy the Hood, the Sound Strike, the League, and Hip-Hop Artist Tahir Jahi.

"Do We Need to Start a Riot?" was directed by Paradise Gray and Radee Westfield.

LYRICS

Ramarly Graham, they shot him
Alan Blueford, they shot him
Ken Chamberlain, they shot him
Kendric McDade, they shot him

Darius Simmons, they shot him
Bo Morrison, they shot him
Wendell Allen, they shot him
Justin Sipp, they shot him

Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You're in the presence of warriors

Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You're in a warrior's face boy
You can't call this a race war
Cause we the only ones they got hate for
That get shot down when the gage roar
But we always willing to take more
From Emmett Till on that lake floor
To Trayvon, Rekia Boyd
Mumia, Troy it's we destroyed
Since I'm public enemy I bring the noise

Marissa Alexander, they locked her
Jasmine Thar, they shot her
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don't get justice do we need to start a riot?

In 92 those riots grew
Peace treaty
red unites with blue
In LA the Crips and the Prius
Put aside the feud and started riding true
said the NOI was behind it to
Then Police came in to divide the crews
Steal a homies car them drive it through
Another gangs hood then fire the tool
Our unity is our biggest weapon
When I asks this question you feeling threatened
But imagined your child being killed for less and
It's 45 days for the killer arrested
mad at me cause I'm given a message
But if we can be killed by Zimmermans
And they can get off cause of privilege
Then our we really citizens
Get beaten to death if you a immigrant
Go back to your country is the sentiment
They call us monkeys say we ignorant
So we get killed they don't give a shit
Now what would you do if you were living this?
To protect your kids from this?
If ya child got killed would you live with it?
Would you slit you wrists would you get the fifth
Would you care about ya job our ya benefits?
If they said they murderer was innocent
No trial no jury no sentencing
And you saw how foul this system is
but they keep telling us to be patient
They keep tell us to keep waiting
They keep telling us that we hating
And when we're killed cause we black that we racist

Howard Morgan they shot em
Then for 40 years they locked him
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don't get justice do we need to start a riot?

"Every 40 Hours, A Black Person Killed by Police"--James Braxton Peterson on Ebru TV

EbruToday:

 

James Braxton Peterson talks about an increase in police brutality. The crime wave of police killings has increased in 2012 especially in regards to certain ethnic backgrounds.

Police Brutality Across the Color-Line: The Beating Death of Kelly Thomas

RTAmerica:

The brutal beating of Kelly Thomas has two Fullerton, California police officers potentially facing second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges. Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic man, was brutally beaten to death by officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli in July of 2011. Thomas died five days later after he was taken off life support and much of the evidence against the two officers is on video tape recorded by witnesses. Tim Cavanaugh, managing editor for Reason.Com, joins us to explain how video taping law enforcement is a must.

Short Film | Pharoahe Monch "Clap (One Day)"

Starring Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire), Kim Howard & Josiah Small.

"Jordan Miles" | New Music Video by Jasiri X

Jasiri X tells the story of Jordan Miles, the 18 year old honor student who was brutally beaten by 3 undercover Pittsburgh Police officers while walking to his grandmother's house. "Jordan Miles" was mixed by Diezel and directed by Paradise Gray.

Call Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala at 412.350.4400 and demand he file charges against the 3 police officers who brutally beat Jordan Miles.

For more info go to
http://justiceforjordanmiles.com/


LYRICS
by Jasiri X

Now here's a little story I got to tell
about 3 officers you don't know so well
It's started way back last January
with officers Ewing, Sisak, and Saldutte
They ran into boy named Jordan Miles
a real good kid who for sure was mild
but he was found guilty before a trial
cause he's a young black man in the wrong part of town
Jordan is a kid that gets good grades
not a thug bragging that he's hood raised
He takes care of his grandmother cause she's older
went to performance arts school and plays the viola
He never did a crime one day in his life
His favorite TV show is CSI
when he graduated he wanted to learn
how to catch a criminal like Lawrence Fishburne
Then one night like he always did
He made the short walk to his grandmother's crib
cause grandma didn't like to be alone
by her self at night so Jordan stayed in her home
Now these 3 cops were undercover
so they could sneak up and snatch a brother
catch you in the act pull the gat and bust ya
throw you on the ground pat you down and cuff ya
rollin through the hood looking for they next victim
like every other night so they know how to pick em
They saw Jordan walking they lips they start lickin
there's a young black male hell yeah let's get him
They jumped out the car as the tires spun
yelling where's the drugs, where's the money and guns
Jordan stops walking his face was stunned
he thinks he's being robbed so he starts to run
He didn't get far before the cops catch em
Now they got em they gotta teach him a lesson
Because he ran that means they gotta wreck him
they slam him on his neck and start to chin check him
Blow after blow till his face was swollen
He thinks their gonna stop but they just keep going
he calls on God whispering the lords prayer
they grab him by his locks just to rip out his hair
beaten and bloody they finally hand cuff him
but then when they search they don't find nothing
they're minds was boggled then lies start to follow
let's say inside his coat he had mountain dew bottle
and we thought that it was a weapon
we had to hit him cause he resisted arrest and
Let's take him to jail and get him drug tested
because if he's high we won't look so reckless
Now Jordan's Mom is really scared
cause she called his grandma's and he isn't there
What his in jail she headed there on the double
it must be a mistake Jordan's never been in trouble
Outside the jail and she saw this man
who was beat so bad it made her think damn
It looked like he was hit with by bomb
then he walked right up to her and said Mom
She was shocked she couldn't believe
that disfigured face was he's son indeed
she fell to her knees she couldn't even breathe
Her son has been a victim of police brutality
she rushed Jordan to emergency
And every time she looks at him it hurt to see
her son in a hospital bed in pain
police took no blame and claim its how they trained
Jordan got charged but when it went to court
We found out the police falsified they're report
They said a neighbor called the cops crying
She got up on the stand and said stop lying
Now the whole community wants justice for Jordan
And the cops charged for the crimes they reported
Call the DA and tell him to press charges
we demand justice and we just getting started

Remembering Diallo

Bassey Ikpi's tribute to Amadou Diallo on Def Poetry Jam.