Final Call
By Toure Muhammad Contributing Writer

Hip Hop and the New Slavery

Artist statements about the music industry, the prison industrial complex hit home. Are we seeing a new trend in rap music?

(FinalCall.com) - Rappers talking about oppressive, unfair record deals, the false trappings of capitalism and the prison industrial complex is not new to hip hop, but it's usually the underground, unsigned and/or activists, artists who talk about it.

But well-known artists, including Kanye West and rising star J. Cole, have raised these topics in recent music. Kanye and J. Cole had CDs released on the same date, June 18, the day before the annual Juneteenth celebrations in the Black community. Could this be a new trend with more artists unafraid, fed up and/or frustrated enough to confront and analyze more complex, relevant social topics in their music?

"After years of some of the most self-hating and ignorant music our people have ever been forced to digest, this is definitely new and refreshing what J. Cole and Kanye West are saying. I hope it spreads like wildfire to other artists," said Kevin Powell, president and cofounder of BK Nation, a new national organization based in New York.

Egypt's interim government: 'Muslim Brotherhood protests threaten security'

By -Asst. Editor-

Egypt’s interim government has declared Muslim Brotherhood’s sit-in protests in the capital Cairo as a threat to “national security”, saying it would “take all necessary measures” to put an end to the mass protests.


Black Louisiana town latest victim of ‘Environmental Racism’

By -Asst. Editor-

A handful of free Black men and women led by an ex-slave named Jack Moss settled along the rich bio-diverse region of Southwest Louisiana in the late 1800s, and created the town of Mossville, covering 5.4 square miles. In its heyday, Mossville boasted of being home to over 3,000 families; today there are a mere 310 families left.


No Time to Grieve

By -Asst. Editor-

ORLANDO, Fla. - The blood of the martyr may be sacred but the pain of his loss is deep and lasting for his family. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin were everyday people until their 17-year-old son was killed by a single bullet to the heart.


Hip Hop raises its voice for Trayvon

By -Asst. Editor-

The Hip Hop Caucus works nationally, in part, to organize youth around social issues that impact their lives so it was natural that Hip Hop artists and the Caucus raised their voices in a unified response to Trayvon Martin’s death and the acquittal of George Zimmerman, his killer.


Jobs still key issue 50 years after historic D.C. march

By -Asst. Editor-

PHILADELPHIA (NNPA) - One of the primary goals of the 1963 March on Washington was finding or creating jobs for Blacks. At a panel discussion during the annual convention of the National Urban League, jobs was mentioned more frequently than any other topic as leaders discussed the famous march 50 years ago and an upcoming one planned for Saturday, Aug. 24.


No Time to Grieve

By -Asst. Editor-

ORLANDO, Fla. - The blood of the martyr may be sacred but the pain of his loss is deep and lasting for his family. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin were everyday people until their 17-year-old son was killed by a single bullet to the heart.


Hip Hop raises its voice for Trayvon

By -Asst. Editor-

The Hip Hop Caucus works nationally, in part, to organize youth around social issues that impact their lives so it was natural that Hip Hop artists and the Caucus raised their voices in a unified response to Trayvon Martin’s death and the acquittal of George Zimmerman, his killer.


Jobs still key issue 50 years after historic D.C. march

By -Asst. Editor-

PHILADELPHIA (NNPA) - One of the primary goals of the 1963 March on Washington was finding or creating jobs for Blacks. At a panel discussion during the annual convention of the National Urban League, jobs was mentioned more frequently than any other topic as leaders discussed the famous march 50 years ago and an upcoming one planned for Saturday, Aug. 24.


Sister saviours soldier for peace

By -Asst. Editor-

CHICAGO - It was Saturday afternoon during the last few days of Ramadan. The sun was bright and hot as more than 50 women in the Nation of Islam joined just as many men going door-to-door to offer expressions of love, friendship and to extend a special invitation to a free meal and Block Party at Salaam Restaurant located in the heart of the poverty stricken Auburn Gresham community.


Black America needs Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint

By -Asst. Editor-

CHICAGO - According to recent numbers, there has been an uptick in employment for Blacks in the U.S. Despite these small gains, however, Blacks and others locked out of jobs can’t afford to ignore harsh economic realities and rely on others aboard a sinking ship to save those often excluded in American society.


Egypt's interim government: 'Muslim Brotherhood protests threaten security'

By -Asst. Editor-

Egypt’s interim government has declared Muslim Brotherhood’s sit-in protests in the capital Cairo as a threat to “national security”, saying it would “take all necessary measures” to put an end to the mass protests.


CIA scales down Afghanistan operations amid troop pullout

By -Asst. Editor-

The CIA is seeking to reduce the number of its Afghanistan bases of operation from a dozen to as few as six over two years, going with the overall American withdrawal. But even after 2014, it will maintain a significant footprint.


Rand Paul slams Obama’s plans for military involvement in Syria

By -Asst. Editor-

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) had harsh words for the White House with regards to the Obama administration’s consistent inching towards a war in Syria.


UN deploys women protection advisers to curb sexual violence

By -Asst. Editor-

UNITED NATIONS (IPS) - Despite the United Nations’ “zero tolerance” policy against sexual violence, there has been a rash of gender-based crimes in several of the world’s conflict zones, including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Northern Uganda, Somalia, the Central African Republic—and, more recently, in politically-troubled Egypt and Syria.


Congolese girls abused by teachers, authority figures

By -Asst. Editor-

KINSHASA (IPS) - In some Democratic Republic of Congo schools, teachers and senior authorities are using their status to abuse girls who do not know their rights, according to the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights.


Socialism and Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint

By -Asst. Editor-

For me, the essence of socialism is two-fold. First, a socialist society is one in which the decisions concerning production, work, and the distribution of goods and services are democratically determined by workers and communities.


Payday lenders prey on seniors

By -Asst. Editor-

According to the Center for Responsible Lending, Social Security recipients now account for more than a fourth of all bank payday loan borrowers.


Detroit files for federal bankruptcy, marking largest case in U.S. history

By -Asst. Editor-

The city of Detroit has filed for federal bankruptcy, or Chapter 9 protection, which could mean municipal employees are laid off, assets sold and services like trash collection, which have already been cut to the bone, further scaled back.


Many U.S. workers pay a fee to get paid

By -Asst. Editor-

A former employee has filed a class action suit against a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania over payroll options. An increasing number of hourly workers in the United States are required to first pay a fee in order to receive their wages, a report says.


Lawmaker accuses Google of dodging taxes

By -Asst. Editor-

LONDON (AP) - An influential committee of British lawmakers accused search company Google of dodging its taxes in a scathing report that said the U.S. Internet company took on highly contrived arrangements serving no purpose other than to avoid paying its fair share.


Come Out of Her, My People

By the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

I want to talk to you today, about that voice in the 18th chapter of Revelations, a voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her my people, that you be not partakers of her sins and her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven.” » CONTINUE

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