dj/taf i
<F it ted fain men f
WWMM
TO BEG! But the night liad just started...for real though!!
T he liglits cam e on. 1 seen huddles of girls across die coliseum bracing dieinselves for JoJo,
K.C., Devante. and Mr. D alvin.JO D E C I in full effect. T he lights slowly dim m ed and the
iheers rang synonymously to reach ap eak never before reached d iatn ig h tin Portland. KGi,
Lets Get It Started
...For Real Though
Devante, and Mr. D ah m walked onto the stage. JODECI m inus JoJo, due to illness, stilled
m oaned an d groaned their way into die hearts of many ladies an d a few brodias w ho
couldnt help b ut cheer because they h a d paid good money for a ticket Ih en Devante
stepped forward an d 1 actually saw girls jum p out their seats bum ru sh the stage, only to be
stopped by security. W ith a Kool-Aid smile an d a monotone voice he said DONT TALK
JUST LISTEN which was the cue for die breakout of intense paranoia. Some girls cned.
some hyperventilated, som e screamed, an d some couldnt scream. Hiere were those well-
B y Eric Island
dressed an d those who decided to undress. Overall ] ODECI h it Portland wadi a bang an d
took various men an d w om en on a n de they wouldnt soon forget
Its aro u n d sevenin the aftem oonand the w ind is blow m gaw arm breeze throughout the city.
Last b u t not Leastof theopem ng groups, to HAMMERTIME, was the boys from Phillytowm.
All day the 1 >eauty salons a n d barbers Iiave been ft ill to capacity. Teenagers rushing to every
PA with the D apperdan shirts an d ties com bined widi matching shorts and shoes better
11 util in town searching for the perfect o u tfit while anxiously anticipating w hat was to beone
known as the Boyz to M en look But diere werent any boys in this show only men who put
of the hottest conceits to touch ground m Portland at the Memorial Coliseum.
togedier a spectacular show from beginning to end. Higldighted with upbeat dance tunes
T-Boz. Left Eve, and Chilli better known asT.L .C . opened die show widi an energeticvibe
an d emotional love ballads such as Motownphilly an d 1 he E nd of die R o ad 1 rom
dial seem ed to intensify as die night went on. BABY, BABY, BABY got the brothas
¡11 m pin an d tl le ladies singii i. Only to topped off by dieir first platinum: single IA INT TO
beginning to end, in my opinion this was one of the hottest shows to hit Portland an d was
definitely too legit to miss.
to this sad an d alarm ing state. But I am sick an d tired of hearing diat same old talk diat the
white m an is holding m e down. We have got to stop pim pingeachother.robbingeach other,
doggin" each other and not trusting one another an d killing each odier. We need an inner
heaEng. W eneedtoretum toyesterdayw henw elovedeachother.T oatiinew henm ybrother
would w atch my house for m e instead of burglarizing it. 'Alien my brodier would pray lor
me when I was sick instead of saying “Well, too b ad for linn". 'Alien we would Iiave picnics
and parties together an d everyone would come an d enjoy themselves without die threat of
violence. T he biggest threat to die black man today is not the white m an but die black man.
T he blaik m an continues to self-destruct. We have placed ¡ill of die b urden of die family on
die shot ilders of the black woman. It’s time for strong brothers to stand up and accept die
responsibiEty of helping o u r people. Raise vour sons a n d daughters. Educate diem an d
protect diem. Teach them moral values . Teach diem about our heritage so diat they w ill Iiave
self pnde. I need your help my brothers. This is a m ajor battle. T he black m an is an
endangeredspeeies.A lthoughw em akeupapproxim ately 12%of America, w em akeup50%
of die prisoners in jail. I identify with the brothers in jail because it could very easily be me.
I Iiave friends diat I love a n d respect (my El’ partner from Oaktown) who are locked
way. Victims of conditions estabEshed before they were b o m . Lives now wasted. Intelligent
m inds of young men. Sm art enough to run organizations. They receive product (cocaine),
process it (chemicals mixed to produce crack), distribute die product with enough mark-up
to make sizeable profits an d keep the com pany rolling. Establish distnets (turf), an d
advertise, front & flash (cars, g o ld parties) to draw customers an d future managers into the
game. They have die wits diat a H arvard graduate could never have. They recognize the
weaknesses in competing organizations and exploit diem to die fullest. These m inds could
have m ade great contributions to our society. Instead they chose (and in some cases h a d no
choice) to try to make a living in an occupation diat has no place for the living. T he game has
no retirement plan. If I asked would you Eke to live like die nch a n d famous for four of five
years in return you give m e the rest of your life, woidd you accept? Of course not. T he dope .
I sincerely thank you for allow ing me this opportunity to entertain you wadi my music. This
album is my labor of love an d of concern. 1 enjoy dancing an d performing but. H am m er die
person goes way beyond a song and a clance. My thoughts about the condition of o u r world
and ou r society are reflected in this album. Racism, prejudice, the homeless, spirituality,
oppressiori an d depress« in an- heavy on my mind. W hy’ My success lias helped to o pen my
t
eyesw idetotheoonditioiiofourconim unitie8.M ybrodierneedsm yhelp.lt sn o t about black
game is die same scenario. Most drugdealers in die inner city only surviveforfourorfive years,
then it's jail or hell. Yet even as I write this, I understand how the young drug dealer feels.
School isn’t working, nothing is being taught to you that you can relate to. M am a works her
butt off to pay die rent. D addy’s nowhere to be found. M am a makes fourteen thousand
dollars a year. She’s getting older a n d you see and fed tier pain T here’s no chaixe of Mama
moving u p and making m ore money. She has no real future. It hurts. 'A hen and if Mama
or white: it s about people. I was fortunate enough to have Eved an d w< irked widi people of
retires, how w illshe survive. Can you imagineyour m other 65 years old an d on welfare? After
many diverse ethnic backgnlunds in my childhood. I can I k mesdy say dial I judge people
forty-five years of sw eat an d tears. T he pain cuts deep into your so u l I kin iw die pain. I pray
based on die content of their character a n d not the color of their skin 1 Iiave h ad many
sleepless nights in die recent past. I have felt guilty ab o u t my success. I possess ¡ill of my
m aterial dream s yet diere is a void. God has shown m e his mercy and reclaimed me. T hat
brings m e joy. But diere is a h u rt an d a burden dial 1 feel. I need to help my people. T he black
family is altnostexti net. Yes. the re are m any social conditions past and present th at contribute
for answers. It goes way beyond black or white. We Iiave to find a way to advance our
economic situation. T h e street game must not be our prim ary hope. Education is die key.
H ie v
system does oppress us but we must work to remove racism aiul prejudice out of the
system so that people ofall races, n e e d s an d nationaEtiesisin live an d work together in peace
an d harmony.
MetroMotion 10
August 1***2