EDULUTION

Wild! [Track 01]

Apollo’s Music [Track02]

Dionysus Rhythm [Track 03]

“Dionysus Rhythm” is how you wish you could rap! … let alone write. Bursting in without warning I get straight to the point. What if I just broke it down for you and made it ill about math, chemistry, and physics because, like pi, I derive no limits! 

The entire song is a clear display of talent, skill, and lyrical ability. As with the tradition of Apollo, the seasoning of lyricism is peppered with an Ancient Greek mentality and, thanks to Dionysus, spiced up with selective popular-culture references. The hook is pretty truthful... and the last two sentences express Apollonian and Dionysian thoughts. “Apollo make you follow when he holla bout the stigma” should be looked at as “Apollo will make you think differently about your biases or markings of discontent.” “Dionysus rhythm is an infinite enigma” speaks to the ever pervasive mystery of rhythm, music, and emotion. 

One of the differences between Dionysus and E$ is that (although they both are obsessed with sex) Dionysus is not materialistic. Unlike E$, Dionysus does not look for flashy or covert signs of wealth because that is a hedonistic motivator attached to the relationship. If you think about it, judging whether a future spouse is applicable for marriage  based solely on their socio-economic status is really a product of narcissism. What you should really be focused on is finding someone who makes you happy and share your life with (Dionysus). The motorcycle I am sitting on in the picture will always be my baby. It's a 2004 850cc V-twin Suzuki Intruder that everyone mis-took for a Harley Sportster because the muffler was de-baffled. It sounded beautiful with a chromed-out engine block, an after-market Mustang seat, and high-way pegs my baby drives and shines like a dream! ... and I sold her so I could afford to finish the album. Some things should be worth more to you than any dollar amount. One of the themes I like to put in my music is reference to Lady Gaga. I am a huge fan and I find her to be the biggest inspiration. I have often left “hate” out of my music just because she told me (through television interviews) I shouldn’t put negativity in my music. She is one of the reasons I made my message simply: Peace, Love, and Unity. I honestly find her to be such a beautiful person that when I think about hip-hop I think of Lady Gaga. I want to see hip-hop as a strong, independent, and talented woman because it makes me ask myself, “What would I say to hip-hop to impress something so powerful in stature and important to culture?” 

Apollo [Track 04]

M.V.P. (Most Venerable Poet) [Track 5]

“M.V.P. (Most Venerable Poet)” starts the Unity act because it makes a statement that these words were written to have historical relevance and meaning. Fredrick Nietzsche had an idea that man was only a bridge, only a segue to a more sentient being, and he called the new species pinnacle, Ubermensch. Ubermensch literally means the superior, or super, Man (and yes Jerry Siegel based the comic book character off Neitzsche).

"My flow is Neitzche’s, I’m a whole different species! I got fang and tusks, I’m dangerous!”

Robin Hood [Track 06]

Robin Hood is about real life heroes whose actions align with that of the merry men. The strategy for aesthetics and cadence were laid down for this song before the conceptualization of the lyrical content began. From the start, I wanted this song to be about “The Hero’s Journey” (as Joseph Champbell would put it)... while also being a song people could embrace and dance too. The hook compares MLK, Gandhi, and Socrates, while the verses illuminate their connection to Robin Hood (the mythological  character) and contemporary American society!

The intro makes reference to Obie Trice’s album Cheers, and his rather ambiguous placement in Eminem’s song "Without Me" were Mr.Mathers says “And Moby, you can get stomped by Obie.” I think Eminem is saying that the confrontation is not worth his time but he will send Obie Trice to cause physical pain. However, I’m using the reference to say that beef/argument is irrelevant/bologna--and there are more important things to talk/fight about. Then continue by exclaiming I have the ability to usurp those in power, I do not speak of deceit, but rather to teach, and I will now articulate my discontent... 

"Let's test the hound of the Nobel pound. Obama Wow! ...your a big dawg now, with ya pull-up pants, advance ya stance...." At the time of writing these lyrics Obama had received the Nobel Peace prize without any real justification for it's issuance. It seems the international community did it as a jester in "good faith" pressuring him to pull out of Iraq through expectation rather than accomplishment. 

For the Republic (Tiberius Gracchus) [Track 07]

In my music and poetry Tiberius Gracchus is more of a mentality or character than an accurate representation of who Tiberius was as a historical figure. For the Rupublic (Tiberius Gracchus) is an intense lyrical spoken word poem, ultimately about exposing the truth and condemning those threatening the American democratic republic. Problems in America are therefore unabashedly explained with a vindictive tone and condescending rhetoric. “Amputate antecedence, leave regents in grievance” is the same as saying; I will remove/cut/truncate those who govern or are in power because I am a disobedient intellectual (“heathan of reason”) who will “poetically defeat men” that act in a hedonistic fashion (i.e. immediate self-gratification) and with a disregard for humanity and their fellow man. 

In the For the Republic video I use the cover of Noam Chomsky's spoken-word lecture series called Propaganda and Control of the Public Mind. I flashed it in mocking a subliminal advertisement. Not only does Chomsky talk about who (Edward) "Eddie Bernays" is and how he "made a toy of the public stage" but it also expands upon how and why leaders in government and business have been trying to 'regiment our minds.'   One of the more important details of Chomsky's recording is that he talks about, what James Madison would call, the minority of the opulent against the majority. To make a long story short, there is a wealthy business class in the United States that consciously and actively sees the American public as a group to be marginalized and manipulated so that the important decisions in society are handled by those in power.  

The Corporation [Track 08]

The Corporation is a song about exposing the economic model that the corporation functions from. The information and inspiration comes largely from the international award winning documentary called “The Corporation” (www.thecorporatoin.com). In the documentary they outline that (thanks to the supreme court and the 14th Amendment) corporations have become legal persons. 

The only difference is that these “persons” have immense influence, control, and power but cannot be held responsible for their actions.Share holders hold no liability and financial fines are capped so the corporation (effectively) gets away with following a detrimental economic model that manifests itself as environmental degradation. 

It is my firm conviction that our economic model is a sham for the super-rich! We have designed an economic function to attain capital that supports rampant consumption and infinite expansion in a finite world. A goal of an overall increase in per capita GDP by 3% each year is still exponential growth! In order to legitimize what most with common sense would call an irrational model, those in power highlight, promote, and place individuals in positions of power that are sympathetic to the current power structure. Some examples would be Ben Bernanke, Thomas Friedman and Milton Freidman. In 2005 Thomas Friedman wrote a book call "The World is Flat" which received a lot of support by the establishment. The book’s premise is that (due to social movements and other ‘flatteners’) there is a level playing field for all nations to participate competitively in a (seemingly and inherently) equal market. The book was criticized by the Nobel winning economist Joseph Stiglitz by saying “but the world is not flat, not only is the world not flat: in many ways it has been getting less flat.” Still, the book won the inaugural Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award in 2005. This is the same year that the BCC published an article about how global inequality has been rising over the last decade. (Click Here to read the article)

Address to the Nation [Track 09]

The Death of War [Track 10]

This entire track is just two verses. Jacques Rousseau's political philosophy influenced the french revolution. Black Water is a company that hires and trains mercenaries that were widely used in the Iraq war. They changed their name to Xe (pronounced "Z") because, naturally, their name and public image was tarnished.

"Reform like Solon in the Parthenon." Solon was an ancient Athenian statesmen who instituted agrarian reforms (like Tiberius Gracchus did). "Destroy Sauron, roll like Aragon" is a Lord of the Rings reference. Sauron is the evil wizard and Aragorn leads the fellowship of the ring. "Whirl wind with the pen like M. Shamalon" is referring to the movie Air Bender which was still not in theaters when I wrote this.

"Obama just a pawn of U.S. pentagon cuz Wolfowitz wrote a neo-Monroe doctrine so, profit flow grow dough for forever with power unfettered." This is referring to a whole lot of American military history in a small segment. When I wrote this Obama hadn't made any serious steps toward changing the direction of foreign policy that the Bush administration left in place. Regardless of this our president is a pawn of the military establishment (U.S. Pentagon) because the Wolfowitz Doctrine is a contemporary Monroe Doctrine that protects American imperialism. 

Neo means post or "second." So when people talk about the "neo-cons" they are talking about neo-conservative or what being conservative mean now (politically), compared to what it did mean. The Monroe doctrine was a military plan to prevent European intervention in the Americas and was introduced by President James Monroe in 1823. The Wolfawit's Doctrine is a private government document that leaked to the New York Times. The proposal sparked controversy and was criticized for being imperialistic, outlining preemptive military action to prevent any other nation from rising to super-power status. In essence, the document allowed American foreign policy to enforce the U.S. military as the sole world super-power.

"Cause the Budget grew for Project new, American century steer'n the industry." The Project for a New American century PNAC was a think tank whose members included such leaders as Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Richard Pearl. From the beginning in 1997 this group advocated conflict and the invasion of Iraq. Knowing this group's motivations, it is obvious to see why we ended up in Iraq although there was no connections between Iraq and 9/11 or Iraq and WMDs (Weapon of Mass Destruction). To me, it is easy to see that the Bush administration, with the help of an unquestioning media, blatantly lied about intelligence initiatives to fulfill a pre-conceived plan thought-up years in advance. 

JFK [Track 11]

The Rebirth of Hope [Track 12]

The Rebirth of Hope is a track about the death(s) of MLK, JFK, and RFK. The first verse presents the historical setting. Jean Piaget is an eminent developmental psychologist who wrote the "Theory of Cognitive development."  John Lewis was part of the freedom riders. And, James Meredith as the first African American to be admitted to the then segregated University of Mississippi.

The second verse talks about MLK, his message, and death. Martin Luther King helped organize a march from Selma to Montgomery Alabama. After crossing the bridge that connected the two cities the protesters were met by violence and arrests by police under the command of Sheriff Jim Clark. Joseph McCarthy was a politician that charged opponents of being “card carrying communists.” In other words, he accused individuals of being Soviet spies without any real provocation. 

Guns and Butter is a macro economic model that presents a balance or decision between national defense and domestic goods. Martin Luther King defied the system (especially in his later life) by opposing the Vietnam War and therefor, advocated butter rather than guns. This and many other aspect of King’s life made him a real Christian (opposed to everyone else who claim Christianity but only seem to follow for their own selfish means like feeling they will be redeemed with personal salvation). 

The third verse explains how JFK tried to remold our capitalist economy in order to stop (what Dwight D. Eisenhower called) the Military-Industrial-Complex. It is my firm conviction that JFK’s death had everything to do with his goal of regressing the military establishment. 

John Kennedy died in Texas after his motorcade was re-directed to go through Deale Plaza. The moment the motorcade came to the middle of the plaza the driver slowed the car to an abnormally slow speed. It is claimed that Oswald got 3 shots off within 6 seconds from his single-action rifle in the library depository. This is called the “Magic Bullet” theory because that one bullet would have had to cause eight wounds over two people. If you ever look into the JFK assassination it isn’t hard to deny the official story-line.

The forth verse expands on the JFK assassination while illuminating how and why Robbert (Bobby) Kennedy was killed. Abraham Zapruder caught the assassination on film and not only contradicts the official story-line but shows that there looks to be three shooters (from how President Kennedy's body moves) from different angles. I accuse the CIA for being responsible for JFK’s death due to the fact they are the only institution that has the experience, resources, and will to kill such a powerful individual. The lyrics explain the relevance and reasoning for this sufficiently. 

Mind Control [Track 13]

"None are more helplessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Mind Control picks up where “The Rebirth of Hope” left off. The intro sets the stage for the song's intensity and creates an allure that the listener is not going to necessarily like what s/he hears, but it is necessary to recognize because people are playing with your mind like it is a Nintendo game. The use of the word 'Nintendo' here is suppose to be as an inter-connecting reference to "Puss & Cush (Nintendo)." 

The first verse touches on the reality of conspicuous consumption, how it is promoted by the corporation, and then continues to be perpetuated by mass conformity. This pursuit for material wealth has us to the point of having trash heaps which leach methane gas. 

The second verse is a whole mess of knowledge and information crammed into 16 bars! Pluralistic Ignorance is an illusory group correlation where the actual popular opinion is thought to be the minority view. Cognitive Dissonance is holding two contradicting ideas simultaneously without realizing it. It is often a product of environmental forces and manifests itself as rationalizing and/or justifying unfortunate event in life. Not only does JFK literally talk about a conspiracy against the public, so does Carol Quiggley in his book "Hope and Tragedy." Quiggley was a well respected professor and teacher to Bill Clinton who attended classes of his at Georgetown. I am recognizing that the Warren Commission and 9/11 (Building 7) demolition happened but they are irrelevant to the aftermath which, in the case of 9/11, was the patriot act. Along with the Patriot Act, Citizen United--which basically lets corporations buy elections wholesale--is a classic example of George Orwell's concept of 'double speak' from his book "1984."

In 1913 both the Federal Reserve and the Federal Income Tax were established. "Money Changers" is a biblical reference. Jesus threw the Money Changers out of the Temple for trying to corner the market on a half shilling and selling it to the churches followers for an absorbent cost. International bankers is what James Madison called men who tried to set-up central banking systems. 

Most people don't know that there was an assassination attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt by wealthy capitalist who tried to convince Smedley Butler, one of the most widely decorated military men in American history, to rally veterans and (literally) over-throw the United States government.

The CFR refers to the Council on Foreign Relations which is a group of important figures in business and industry congregating to talk about foreign policy. In conspiracy theory circles it is seen as the apex of a secret society conspiring against the public in a kind-of seemingly harmless multi-billion dollar corporation "chamber of commerce" club. I mention it here because it is rather "shady" and exemplifies an unpopular warning from Adam Smith:

“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.”

Americans have to stop saying that George Bush won the 2000 election because he did not!. LOOK AT THE FACTS. And the fact is that George Bush lost the popular vote to Gore and was then appointed by the Supreme Court to the presidency (which was unprecedented). We don't have to look any farther than the Bush family, and how the Bush administration (basically) operated with impunity while they were in power , to understand who really has control in America. It's simple really. The influences that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about--and the entities JFK tried to shut down--used their power, wealth, and resources to first control our money supply, then neutralize threats to their power, and then put leaders into power that were sympathetic to their rule/ideology. Is it really that outlandish? Have you ever heard of the Quiggley, Butler, the CFR, or pluralistic ignorance before now? This is what I mean by Mind Control: the systematic manipulation of a mental picture that paints society as a free republic by omitting evidence that portrays a plutocratic elite who rule as an aristocracy. Just think of ideas or information as a tree. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

RFK [Track 14]

God’s Flow [Track 15]

God's Flow is a hyper-egotistical display of lyric creation that uses the same syllables over and over. A cypher is when a bunch of MCEEs (get in a circle and) spit over the same beat in succession. "Nazis in the cypher" is referring to the fact that there are some acts in hop-hop that are wildly outlandish and to the detriment of American culture. Many of these artists think music or the effect it has on society is just a game. 

I think a lot of artists in the music industry get backed artificially by investors who want to see a certain rhetoric. It's just like the News media all over again but for a different industry. God's Flow is me saying I see all the lies, deception, and exploitation, I have the superior approach (through philosophy), and I will eradicate those who are pious to an inferior ideology.

Edulution [Track 16]

The “Edulution” track is the “capstone” track which seriously explores and criticizes American culture. It encapsulates and associates our humanity to the various topics by making us more humble in self-reflection. The words are so potent that it feels “toxic, noxious.”

“We need Apollo not Dionysus. Cause a ruckus, wake the public, get pissed and riot; I’m non-violent unless you wanna fight, bitch.” These lyrics represent the Apollonian vs. Dionysian dicotomy. Apollo is non-violent but Dionysus (more like E$) is ready to provoke a fight. The first verse is a tribute to the legendary hip-hop group “Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five,” who is known for their song “The Message.” This song is seen as the quintessential representation of what hip-hop should be... a genre of music that explores and illuminates life and culture, and sends a positive message. Sending a message that is conscious and culturally relevant is seemingly unheard in hip-hop these days. “Grand Master Flash, just a thing of the past, but I came to make sure that the legacy lasts” is me saying that I will continue the true legacy of hip-hop.

This is why I start the second verse with “don’t console me (un)less you wanna know the truth;” because that is what you are going to get from Apollo whether you like it or not. So, if you don’t like the truth, don’t listen! (Good thing there’s Dionysus and E$ for the parties though!) “You’re a bipedal tetra-pod, obsessed with demigods, impressed by any god that give you answer all’s.” This lyrical sentence represents the following philosophical sentiment: You are a multi-cellular organism that has four ligaments (tetra-pod) and propels itself forward with two legs (bipedal). And, you believe in gods that give you the function to supply all your own answers (and that function is faith). It’s the classic dialog of: How did the world begin? The big bang. Well, who started that? God! ...It’s just an answer with no validity without faith. Faith’s (lack of) validity is a whole other discussion.   “You’re obsessed with yourself, this species need help” is another way of saying that we have reckless disregard for life other than humans. The truth is that every ecological system is in decline and the biosphere as a whole is horrendous thanks to human malfeasance.  The human form is anthropomorphized everywhere in our society, especially in commercials. (Actually look at how many things acquire human characteristics.) Part of this is because we are wired to see faces and human figures due to evolutionary purposes, but I think a lot of it comes from an over-worshiping of humans as being divinely created. To be frank, we, as a species, are not “that” great (especially considering what we have done to the world) and we need to get over ourselves because the “self reflected portrait” is only “wishful(ly) perfect.”   “You still eat, sleep, shit, fuck, like a bonobo” is inciting the similarities between yourself and a bonobo. Bonobos are a type of monkey that is so similar to humans, especially in their sexual escapades and sound, that most zoos refuse to house them because it makes the visitors “uncomfortable.” The reality is if you take bonobos out of that sentence and replace it with any animal the sentence would still hold true.

I then continue to explain the similarities between humans and monkeys (which is due to a common ancestor). The vivid imagery that is then created paints a picture of a more primitive version of human warfare. The point of this is to knock humans down a peg and force us to realize we are no better than monkeys in the jungle if all we do is war, rape, and kill. “98 percent genetically aligned, so I represent my cousins on the vine; arboreal insignia, orangutan, simian.” You share 98 percent of the same genetic material with a chimpanzee. You have more in common with a chimpanzee, genetically, then a chimpanzee does with an ape!. Arboreal locomotion means the movement of animals (swinging) through trees. And, Insignia means a symbol.