Posts Tagged ‘immortal technique’

A quick reflection on the Immortal Technique and Lowkey gig

I really enjoyed the Immortal Technique and Lowkey gig in London last night. First time I’ve seen Tech live. He’s a great performer and an inspiring guy, and he had the audience properly pumped up and feeling like they were part of a movement for revolutionary change. That’s cool. A lot better than feeling inspired to get ‘Rich Off Cocaine’.

The problem is when you wake up the next morning and you’re *not* part of a movement for revolutionary change, because that movement doesn’t exist, and hardly anyone has even considered why that is the case, and hardly anyone has given any serious thought to what the idea of revolution means in the 21st century in the heartlands of imperialism. There’s no leadership, no critical reflection, very little analysis of the failures of the past, very little strategic innovation, very little ideological clarity, an almost outright hostility to political/economic/social/cultural theory, very little willingness to challenge (or even recognise) the colonialist/racist/sexist prejudices we inherit, no willingness to *unite* with one another in any meaningful way, and so on. In summary, we have too much division, confusion, prejudice, ignorance, inertia, dogma and cowardice. Yes, there are a few small groups that consider themselves revolutionary, but they have no connection with the oppressed people they want to lead, and they show no real willingness to address their shortcomings. They’re waiting for external conditions to arise that will make the masses flock to them. Meanwhile, the ruling class continues full speed ahead with its programme of demobilising and diverting (and destroying) oppressed people.

So some inspiring radical culture is nice. It made me feel good; I’m sure it made others feel good. But unless it encourages us to face up to the difficult issues of creating a movement for change, then we shouldn’t kid ourselves that going to a gig is some sort of revolutionary act.

Interview with Immortal Technique

Via I am 808

This October we get hit with a dose of some real underground Hip Hop! With only a matter of weeks left until the highly anticipated Immortal Technique ‘Return Of The Rebels’ tour, I was lucky to catch up with the man himself for an exclusive interview to find out what we can expect!

Finally you return to the U.K with a strong line-up of artists supporting you, Tell us a bit about what we can expect from the Return Of The Rebels Tour?

Me, Poison Pen, Dj Static, Swave Sevah are all coming to represent for the Hardcore Underground Hip Hop fans, already about half these shows are sold out so I’m just hoping that there is enough room in some of these places so that people won’t be left out in the cold. Get your tickets now, you were warned.

What material are you looking to perform at the show? Any new tracks that touch on any current issues?

I’m going to hopefully have a chance to perform songs from the last album I put out for free “The Martyr” that coincidentally had over a million downloads. The 3rd World, Revolutionary Vol.2 and Revolutionary Vol.1. I think it’ll be a big mix of what people know me and love me for. As far as whether it touches on current issues, all the music I have does that.

What do you love about coming to the UK? Are there any spots that you love visiting when you are here?

London is a very wild city that reminds me of New York City about 10-15 years ago the way they show so much love for Underground Hip Hop. It’s actually bigger in many places than regular mainstream music. I have always had such love shown to me from the people of England. I actually studied a great deal of middle age and early British history as I have an ancient Norman ancestor, I love to visit historical sites and also to see some of the Reggae clubs that I always have a good time in. And even though mutton is disgusting they actually have delicious food from around the word, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, etc.

With the elections coming up in the USA how do you respond to people who push for re-electing Obama especially when much of the world sees him as a war president? And is the negativity and the danger of a Romney president make pushing for Obama legitimate?

The two party system has become so corrupt people are losing faith in Obama, yes very much so, his drone strikes, unwavering support for the IDF military action. But then again he’s really an impossible position. In the United States of America, it is political suicide to say anything critical about the foreign and domestic policy of Israel. And this lack of debate is perhaps some of the most dangerous methods of silencing real criticism. Because there are real idiots out there, who are Holocaust deniers and frauds, but labelling anything that’s critical that will put the world community in a position where you will not be able to tell the difference one day and that is not only alienating it’s defeating the purpose of defensive mechanism that Jewish people technically have to determine who is a real Anti-Semite. When it comes to Romney, there are so many people on the Right wing (not even the left) who despise him; they don’t see him as a real Christian, since in his Mormon Faith they believe that Jesus Christ was not the last prophet but that a man named Joseph Smith from the 1800’s was a prophet from God. The conservative elements of the society here are very religious and they are barely warming up to the premise of him as president, but I think that ultimately it will be decided in swing states. But fundamentally this process of choosing a candidate has hurt Romney by giving Obama a head start but his debate stumbling has closed a little bit of the gap.

How are your other projects outside of music coming along?

The orphanage in Afghanistan is doing great. The scholarship program is almost complete. The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique did great and like I said The Martyr had over a million downloads and The Middle Passage is coming along.

What are you currently working on?

Being happy. I heard that it’s a lifelong struggle. haha

Buy tickets for the Return of the Rebels tour

Immortal Technique – Rich Mans World (1%)

No doubt you’ve already downloaded the new Immortal Technique album, The Martyr. If you haven’t, you might wanna do that.

This is one of my favourite tracks of the album, with Tech positioning himself as a “one percenter”. Behind the irony, there’s a serious message, and Tech works the double-time flow surprisingly well.

You get up and howl about America and democracy
There is no America, there is no democracy
We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies
The world is a college of corporations
Inexorably determined by the immutable bylaws of business
The world is a business and I have chosen you to preach this evangel

[Intro]
For all my free market, health care-robbing
Stock-stealing, retirement fund fuckin’-with ni**as
Fuck your little credit card-scamming, jewelry-stealing
Crack-selling, liquor store-robbing, motherfuckers
Shout out to the homies Carnegie, OG Willy Randolph Hearst
Farouk, Rockefeller – the real Rockefeller
My main b**ch Leona, pour out a little Louis the 13th
Scott Rothstein, Jack Abramoff, hold ya head
My Rothschild ni**as…
LET’S GET THIS MONEY!

[1st Verse]
I spend my day pairin’ America overseas
Pension for the workers, ni**a please
Embezzlement etiquette, private settlement
I’m better with confederate rhetoric
From my mansion in Connecticut
Foreclose, evict hoes out of tenement
I twist words like a speech impediment
I hope you got good credit, b**ch
If not, better get a new job with benefits
While I play golf with ni**as I get cheddar with
New money buys brand new carats
My old money bought your rich grandparents
You got grills in your mouth, I ain’t mad at ya
I own every goldmine in South Africa
Thanks, baby, you made me a billion
Plus I own a building for each one of my children’s children, that’s the shit
Snort coke in the whip, Miss USA suckin’ my dick
Yeah, what! Fuck the law cause real jail is for suckas
I go to country club prison, you dumb motherfuckers
(I am the 1 percent, fuckin’ b**ch!)

[Hook]
You know my CEO, corporate steeze, please
Overthrow governments overseas in a breeze
Politicians in my pockets for a few hundred Gs
So if I’m ever in court, my assets will never freeze

[2nd Verse]
I got a job and a house and a bank account
When I’m out, I doubt that’s something you can say
And if not then I’ll fake death like Kenneth Lay
Make money everyday the world burns on its axis
While y’all struggling to pay taxes
I’m getting my money the fastest
Memos and faxes, shredded up documents
Slush funds through the corrupt continents
But they don’t want me indicted
Cause they don’t want my dirty laundry aired when I’d fight it
Don’t get my lawyers excited
Cause what good is a law if you can’t rewrite it
I got CIA, traitors
Dictators, so fuck y’all whistleblowers and haters (SHEEEEEEIIIIITTT!)
All of this money from Al-Qaeda
In the bank 9/11 widows go to later
Capitalism’s who I pray to, fuck the state of the world
Money talks so what the fuck I need to say to ya girl
(I don’t pay them to fuck! I pay them to leave!)

[Hook 2]
You know my CEO, corporate steeze, greed
I treat countries like the IMF, down on your knees
Real gangstas run the world, fuck what you believe
I’ll cut down a forest while you ni**as burnin’ some trees
I’ll get your family murdered for a couple of Gs
Cause your working class money ain’t fucking with me
You think rappers are rich cause of songs you heard
My labels make the money and have them rap the fucking words

[3rd Verse]
Yacht in the ocean, coastin’ with the sails out
Hey America, thanks for the bailouts
I made off with the Banco Ambrosiano
Got away scot-free like Il Vaticano
Activists act a b**ch, get mad at me
Cause of my tax-free charity
80 percent to the staff and company
And 20 percent to the homeless and hungry
The country gotta pay the Fed Reserve
Kick back to the banksters, haven’t you learned
You protest cops or patrols on the street
But I bought city hall so I own the police
E-mail, Facebook, and the shit you tweet
All the phone companies, so I heard you speakin’
My suggestion is your correction
No elections, sex with no affection
No invention of benefit to world of man
Will exist till I got the money in my hand
World Bank interest rate damn rape on the spot
But I’m gangsta, you gon’ take my money like it or not
(I got your country in my pocket, motherfucker!)

[Hook 3]
You know my CEO, masonic steeze, cheese
Only little people pay all these taxes and fees
Since you were born we control what you watch and you read
And pretty soon we’re gonna own the fuckin’ air that you breathe
I take what I want, fucker, I don’t have to say please
I convince you that it’s good for you, take it and leave
You think president’s are a face of a nation
I put ‘em all way off, end of the conversation

Immortal Technique drops some gems in this Boikott Israel track

How the fuck you gonna have a peace settlement
When people want a piece of your land to build settlements?

I guess some Americans just don’t remember
There’s a slave graveyard under the World Trade Centre

Stop the criticism of Iranian nuclear fission
Until mutual nuclear disarmament’s the mission

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