This record was recorded right after Joe said his two cents about Inspectah Deck. As you know Fes Taylor is Inspectah Deck’s man and protege. Fes Taylor has been affiliated with the Wu since the 90’s. Anyway the story goes, that it was put on hold because it might have made the situation even more tense at the time. In other words, this was going to be in the hidden vaults forever. However, after Joe Budden’s latest BlogTV show, the song is being released. Please keep in mind, Wu-Tang is family at the end of the way. Somebody will make it their business to state how they feel. That is just how family works. As Deck said, you involve one of us, you involve all. Note: This is in no way affiliated with Raekwon or his camp.
i have never wanted to participate in any sort of public ugliness with people i once considered friends. its negative and builds nothing. its only purpose is to hurt. its a shallow action. a desperate attempt to satisfy the ugliest parts of your ego. there is no example of me disparaging, insulting, blaming, defaming or casting doubt on anyones character who i've had any type of real love for and considered crew at one point no matter how things may have turned out... no matter what they may say about me or what i may think about them behind the scenes. for me, i always thought it made one look small and angry. i always felt like that type of public ranting and vitriol reflected failure, weakness, insecurity and pettiness and i've seriously regretted it when i've been involved in anything that resembles that, even peripherally. as good as it feels in the moment it almost always backfires. the same person who (non artistically) desperately seeks public affirmation of his anger and resentment ends up actually hurting himself more in the eyes of the strangers he's trying to communicate with. by the same token, defending yourself against that type of attack plays right in to the whole thing and immediately puts you on the same level as the person attacking you. beyond that the fact is that for me, the relationships that i've had in my life that have fallen apart make me sad, not angry. the friendships that have ended in my life are a source of huge regret for me and i constantly wonder if there was something i could have done to change the outcome. so i don't have it in me to kick and scream and curse the world for not handing me everything i think i deserve. i'll do that in my music, if need be. its better that way. that much i have learned.
I'm also not the type of person who feels like he's a victim of circumstance. every choice made along the line has different results. it seems irrational and immature to me to create a world in ones head in which somehow, magically, there is an external reason that justifies every single reality of your life... and not one of those reasons is you. a world in which you are just in every action and innocent in every interaction. a life in which you only consider and retain the ideas that justify your perspective and completely ignore all other realities that exist and might, if you took a moment to consider them, make any (rational) person think a little longer before they lashed out and tried to destroy some one else's character.
it takes a special type of ego to literally delude oneself in to thinking that you have the moral right of way in every scenario. it takes clinical insanity to think things are one way when in fact they are the opposite. for instance:
lets say (as a metaphor, of course) someone was morbidly obese but thought he was a ninja. that would be kind of crazy, wouldn't it? or if that morbidly obese person didn't make the connection between his eating habits and his weight. crazy. now if that same massively, morbidly obese person walked around calling people who were less than half his weight "fat", how should they react? on the one hand its obviously crazy for this hugely fat man to be calling you fat. but on the other hand he keeps fucking saying it. over and over. to anyone who will listen.
i've tried to ignore it. i've tried to squash it. i've tried to take the high road because i assumed that like me, everyone must have better things to occupy their time with. apparently not. every other day there is a new vitriolic rant aimed at dismantling me or someone i care about, despite the fact that i haven't fired one single shot in the direction they are coming from. not one.
now i don't have any interest in trying to make anyone see things the way i see them or arguing about/defending the past. i wont do the back and forth point by point defense with someone whos only path to generate any type of publicity for himself seems to be exactly that type of public argument. a person who literally is interviewing himself in order to push a smear campaign forward. a man who has made it his personal mission in life to focus all his energy on the very people who were close to the friend he claims to have loved with a constant barrage of misspelled and badly punctuated lies, insults, accusations, epithets, slander and threats. someone who seemingly has no humility or perspective on his own fallibility. someone whos anger has driven him to the edge of sanity. whos own life is seemingly so joyless and directionless that the only thing he can think to do is reach out and try and inflict pain.
and by the way, when i say "close to the friend he claims to have loved" i mean close. I'm talking that our lives will never be the same close. the real deal. the kind that comes with pain no one wants and that no one with a soul would brag about as though it were a credibility issue or as though love were something you had to prove as opposed to just feel. not the idea constructed to make you feel good about yourself or justify your perspective in the eyes of other people or yourself. friendship isn't the collective little favors you've done for someone that you keep record of and hold against them even after they die. its not a song you may have recorded with someone years ago and its not a conversation you may have had. its bigger than that.
its sad to me that you, and you know who you are, don't understand that. its painful to sit here and take your abuse knowing the true nature of your character and how utterly easy it would be to expose it. the temptation to publish certain correspondences you've been a part of is overwhelming. i have no doubt in my mind that any one who would see those would walk away from reading them with a very different perspective on your moral fiber and your character in general. a younger me would do it in a heartbeat. and yet what good would come out of it? what are we all trying to prove to each other? it would only lead to even more ranting, more insults and more bullshit. no one would learn a thing and i would have wasted another minute of my life.
and i don't hate you. i don't want to hurt or destroy you. you were my friend. i wanted you to succeed. now i just find you to be a sad character. twisted, angry and resentful and squandering your time on mean spirited pursuits. its depressing.
now i'm sure the person i'm writing this all about will just respond in his usual manner after reading this. denial, anger, threats, capital letters, misused question marks and exclamation points and more accusations. but i've got a suggestion for a better way to proceed... just let it go. you've gotten your rocks off. you've said your peace. now make some music. stop lecturing the world and contribute while you still have time. none of this shit means anything. at all. go make the art you believe in and spend not one more second trying to take other people down or blaming people for the place you find yourself in life. spend time with and cherish the people you love while they are still alive so you dont find yourself feeling like you have to defend the validity of your commitment to them after they're gone. be grateful for the things you have and wish no man harm. be happy or die trying. i know i will.
by the way if you truly did love Camu and were close to him then I'm sure you feel the same pain my friends and i do. if that really is the case then I'm sure the futility of arguing and fighting with people has never been more obvious to you. it is to me.
if you loved him then you are one of us... the heartbroken members of a club we never wanted to join... and I'm sorry for your loss.
el
ps: im not going to be approving comments about this blog. i didn't write it to rally people against anyone or to create "sides".
I wrote a very long Journal entry on my travels to Latin America and the Reaction to the President’s healthcare plan but I feel like there is one or two parts left to finish so I will wait a few days. I have not been here to post things too often because I felt that as a Revolutionary there was more to do than just put my thoughts on-line and I would rather be out there in the world being a part of it. But informing you of it would help that cause whatever it is so I will try stay in the loop more, I just hate the idea of being considered one of those rappers who blogs more than they release music. To those of you who have devoted your time and energy to the causes I have fought for I am eternally grateful and indebted. I hope that we continue to work together as a unit, a rebel army that has a reach that can travel the planet in a heartbeat.
The 14th of August is coming up, and I look forward to seeing some of you at The Knitting Factory, if you haven’t gotten your tickets already, they’re going fast. This last benefit show will help to continue funding the orphanage Omeid and I created in Kabul. I dedicated a great deal of time out of my life to this and when I saw the kids so overjoyed and bewildered by the idea that someone cared enough to give them a chance to live and learn I felt humbled beyond belief, I felt stronger than ever. As if a bullet or a death threat didn’t matter. The support base of the Rebel Army has grown so much that together I feel we can meet any challenge. Some would call that confidence, some would call it insanity, but I call it finding inner peace, and I don’t give a fuck what other people think about it.
The era of being a Louis XVI musician is at it’s death knell, artists are failing left and right because they still have this idea that regular ordinary “non-celebrity” people exist to worship and serve them in some weird semi religious capacity. Who the fuck do you think you are and how long did you think that was gonna last you spoiled bitch. Have you cowards finally begun to understand that people are tired of that? I’m glad some of you rappers are Recession proof, but your fans aren’t asshole and that’s why they aren’t buying your records. Even the diehard underground fans feel the squeeze of salary slashing, job cutbacks, and the local economy in shambles. Cities in Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky, California, have literally seen their economic infrastructure decimated over the past year. I am not a leader in the Underground Hip Hop community by divine right, but rather because my word is unquestionable, my ideas work and I have the power in the street to make moves and command the respect of ideological opposites.
Being independent you can’t exist without earning a more up close and personal amount of support and criticism whether fair or completely unfounded. I love having my personal space and I have definitely checked people seriously for invading it. But besides the handful of incidents, most people just wish to share ideas and when I have the time I am more than willing to politick and as long as this person is respectful answer questions (not straw man arguments), and learn from people of all races, religions, economic situations and walks of life. I hope to run a forum in the upcoming months when www.ImmortalTechnique.com launches (finally) on lifting the Cuban Embargo, Socialized Medicine Vs. America’s Plan, Latin American Revolution: The Next Step, and Sikes/Piko:The Middle Eastern Blueprint.” I hope that you will all join me.
....
People have also been asking me to do a few tour dates before I get back to work so since times are really hard for the supporters of my music so I have decided to announce a “Recession Tour” in September after I finish a couple of dates with Jedi Mind Tricks. The first two shows in Philly and Baltimore (18th/19th) were not by my design so the price is higher but everything else on the tour is about $12adv - $15 day of show. Discount deals will be available on Merch and all that…
The dates are posted on the front page of www.myspace.com/immortaltechnique
Sunday- Sept.20th:Charlottesville, VA
Tuesday- Sept.22nd:Carrboro, NC
Wednesday- Sept.23rd:Asheville, NC
Thursday- Sept.24th:Lexington, KY
Saturday- Sept.26th:Chicago, IL
Sunday- Sept.27th:Bloomington, IN
Monday- Sept.28th:Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday- Sept.29th:Cleveland, OH
Wednesday- Sept.30th:Pittsburgh, PA
Friday/Sat Oct. 2nd /3rd:New York City
Following me on this trip are Poison Pen whose new album “The Money Shot” is in stores right now! J.Arch who is working on his next mixtape, and my old friend Diabolic, whose murderous debut CD “A Liar & A Thief” is being finished up right now. Please support these brothers when you see them. We are all taking a paycut and rockin’ shows for a fraction of what we would get in order to make people know that Hard Core Street Hop is alive and well. Commercial Rap is crumbling and the industry is falling apart but we are staying strong and thriving, because of the support base that wants to hear real music, real lyrics, and tough beats.
I believe that by the time I am out there the article I wrote for the Source will be in stores. You know I have always had a decent relationship with them, even when people were telling me they were a washed up dying entity I never chimed in for points. I think they still have potential for a comeback in the market. As an independent they gave me Unsigned Hype back in the day and even Hip Hop quotable off the strength of my lyrics and grind alone. But this article that is coming out was never proof read, which is what we agreed to, I don’t know what was left out or cut or recut to make it the product it is. So I might release the whole unedited version myself. Also the ½ I gave them has already been divided into 2 parts, which means this is going to be a 3 or 4 part series if they actually seek to continue it. Afghanistan isn’t an easy thing to sum up, it can’t be compressed into the time limit of your average juvenile drama soaked worldstar video. Also the photo credits that should have gone to C.Stuart (because I didn’t take pictures of myself) were absent and on top of it somehow someone over there wrote on the byline that I was born in Colombia instead of Peru. I’m not mad because I was told these things are being corrected. So I just came here to pass along the message they passed onto me. I’m not here to throw a tantrum because a mistake was a made I am still very grateful to The Source for providing a medium for the message, I just want to keep people who support the music and the movement informed about what’s happening.
My work on the documentary that has taken so many years to compile is almost done. I am home from Peru after looking over the lands that I invested in and I am proud of what I have accomplished. My family is proud of me too, they are happy to see me come home instead of just becoming an “Assimilated Latino” that forgets about his culture and place of origin. Once “Urban Warfare” is done with filming I can return to working on “The Middle Passage” and “Revolutionary Vol.3”. I have a bunch of songs done but more ideas come to me everyday. I’m going to go back to working on some more music and possibly will leak some in the next coming weeks if I can get it down when I return from LA. Big up my dude GK (www.prisonpenn.com), Rami my Lebanese brother who stays hitting me up with interesting articles, and all the people who keep up with the newsletters.
I'm not sure if you people are PBS watchers or NPR listeners but im all over both, and recently PBS has this great special called Playing For Change about street musicians which is absolutly spectacular, you can watch the full thing HERE and I suggest you do it's amazing. Peace to Grandpa Elliot who owns Change Gon Come, Dread kills Stand By Me.
PHILADELPHIA - Dana White is always looking forward, so it was no surprise that a frequent topic before and after last night’s UFC 101 was the future.
And in a surprise development - and an exciting one for Hub fight fans - the UFC president announced in a post-fight press conference that his organization is looking at Fenway Park [map] as a possible venue for the UFC when it finally breaks into the Boston market.
The UFC still needs the state to legislate mixed martial arts regulation. And White’s hopes toward that end were boosted two weeks ago by the state Senate’s 34-1 vote to endorse such a bill. Marc Ratner, the UFC vice president of regulation and governmental affairs, told the Herald at the time that a show in the summer of 2010 was being targeted.
Sen. James Timilty (D-Walpole), chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security committee, has said he hopes the bill will be signed into law by October.
The case with Philadelphia should further fuel optimism of UFC supporters. The city hosted last night’s event just five months after MMA regulation was legislated in Pennsylvania, illustrating how quickly the UFC can enter a new market.
my whole block be sippin henrock straight,
we congregate in front of steel gates and curse out jakes
playin makaveli tapes numbers 1 through 8
we the ones to imitate plus the ones you hate
i have never wanted to participate in any sort of public ugliness with people i once considered friends. its negative and builds nothing. its only purpose is to hurt. its a shallow action. a desperate attempt to satisfy the ugliest parts of your ego. there is no example of me disparaging, insulting, blaming, defaming or casting doubt on anyones character who i've had any type of real love for and considered crew at one point no matter how things may have turned out... no matter what they may say about me or what i may think about them behind the scenes. for me, i always thought it made one look small and angry. i always felt like that type of public ranting and vitriol reflected failure, weakness, insecurity and pettiness and i've seriously regretted it when i've been involved in anything that resembles that, even peripherally. as good as it feels in the moment it almost always backfires. the same person who (non artistically) desperately seeks public affirmation of his anger and resentment ends up actually hurting himself more in the eyes of the strangers he's trying to communicate with. by the same token, defending yourself against that type of attack plays right in to the whole thing and immediately puts you on the same level as the person attacking you. beyond that the fact is that for me, the relationships that i've had in my life that have fallen apart make me sad, not angry. the friendships that have ended in my life are a source of huge regret for me and i constantly wonder if there was something i could have done to change the outcome. so i don't have it in me to kick and scream and curse the world for not handing me everything i think i deserve. i'll do that in my music, if need be. its better that way. that much i have learned.
I wrote a very long Journal entry on my travels to Latin America and the Reaction to the President’s healthcare plan but I feel like there is one or two parts left to finish so I will wait a few days. I have not been here to post things too often because I felt that as a Revolutionary there was more to do than just put my thoughts on-line and I would rather be out there in the world being a part of it. But informing you of it would help that cause whatever it is so I will try stay in the loop more, I just hate the idea of being considered one of those rappers who blogs more than they release music. To those of you who have devoted your time and energy to the causes I have fought for I am eternally grateful and indebted. I hope that we continue to work together as a unit, a rebel army that has a reach that can travel the planet in a heartbeat.
