election. Anybody excited about that? Anybody still into politics? I mean, I'm not. It's weird. It's like, there's politics, and then there's Adult Swim. I'm going to watch Adult Swim. That's pretty good. Anybody going to vote for Barack Obama? I'm glad I asked that, because some people get stuffy about that. I'm not going to disclose what I'm voting for. Why not? That's no big deal. Yeah, that's good. Am I giving up for Melvin H. Mount Johnson? I think he used to play basketball, right? Oh, yeah. In my younger days. Yeah, okay. They don't say that when they're younger. But if you give them a call, they'll know. Yeah, I was like, yeah. My uncle said that. I mean, my uncle's like a thousand pounds, but he's like really good at basketball. And I told him on that day, I said, I'm going to buy you one, Uncle. I'm going to have a ball in my clothes. I got you. Are you sure? I said, yeah. Then he got the basketball commercial voice. Are you sure? I was like, yeah, of course. He beat me zero to play all. It was a sad day in my life. It really was. I really felt really good to have to take the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to the giants to Is everybody ready? Has anybody ran and hear some of this talent that we got at Soundy Law? You guys ready for the talent? Let me tell them a little about drama. Okay, here's another one. A little bit of conversation. Thank you so much for coming out. I want to tell you a little about Drama Stage Program. You know, we didn't come around and have a seat and enjoy it ourselves. We've been in existence for about six years going on seven years. Our mission statement is to use community theater to impact the violence in the individual homes, schools, and communities. The area where we work in, this area, the area down here where they have a mission set, is called the recovery zone. The recovery zone, simply because they have so many programs, missions, except there. Also, when you come to Los Angeles, you're in the homeless capital of the United States. At any given time, it's from 80 to 100,000 people in the county of Los Angeles that sleep on the streets every night. So, that's one of the whole purpose of our theater company is to try to address that. We do plays like Nailhead or Surviving the Nympho. This is the Nympho right out here, Fifth Street, that runs straight through the Kid Row area. Also, some of the people that work with Drama Stage Program is Earline Anthony. Earline Anthony is right there. This is Isaac Clay. Right here. Tyrone Robinson. Right back there. And quite a few members throughout here. Julius. You heard Julius that came up here a minute ago. What we'll be doing tonight, we got about four or five special guest artists that you really gonna enjoy. The first one we're supposed to have is Michelle Hartree. She's supposed to go on at 7.30. And Dr. Mongo, right here, he's supposed to go on at 8. But what we're gonna do now, we're gonna reach into our little jar. If you wanna sign up, if you wanna do some open mic, you got five minutes. You can sing, you can do some comedy, anything that you wanna do, you're welcome to do it. Pop. Politics. You know, religion. You know, anything you wanna do. Now, what I recall of MC Host is, are we ready to bring Jamal or Andrea up? I'm here. Let's start off with Jamal. Jamal, we're proud of you. And that's your, I'll keep collecting names and stuff. But you can pull. You can pull. I'm gonna give you a little bit of a hand. He loves to, he should probably love to propose to some pins and needles while he decides who's gonna read for five minutes. We got K.D. Brown. I am. All right. All right. All right. All right. That's Andrea. Come on, me, me. Sorry. No, no. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Everybody likes me to do Old Man River. Yeah, you know what? I'm gonna go with that because I had an audition December 1st, and I got five minutes. Don't move, don't watch me. Julius, where's Julius? This man, let me tell you how God works. I had an audition for American Sky Challenge December 1st, right? It was in Long Beach. And we got there, it was over a thousand people. I was number 662. And right before I got my name, I said, Julius, I can't audition. I gotta go pick home. He said, why? I left my stove on. I left chicken in the stove. And God spoke to me. He said, call the ex-manager of the building. Not the new manager, the ex-manager. I called him, I said, brother Whitfield, I left my stove on, I left some chicken in the stove. And I'm out here in, where were we at? Anaheim, right? Anaheim, I wanted to audition, but, you know, I got it on low, but my mind is gonna be on that chicken. I'm gonna come home and play some blue. I'm gonna play some blue. I'm gonna play some blue. So I said, I did something today I haven't done in a month. I put some extra keys outside my apartment by the trash can. Could you please, he cut it off. I said, don't worry about it, I got you. He went over, oh, went into my apartment, turned the stove off and took the chicken out. I auditioned out of my group. They were telling everybody, you don't get callbacks today, no callbacks. Out of my group, they already asked three of us to come back in. I was one of the three. I was one of the three. And I said, you said, because they told us that judges who show no emotion whatsoever, it's just their story. So I'm expecting, when I went back in, they said, we just want people to come back in and pay for work. They don't want to offend other people. I went back inside and said, what you been having is this great voice. And she showed all kinds of emotions. So I wasn't gonna sing Omero River at first because I said, I sing it too much. But they wanted to hear something that they were able to meet with, so I sang Omero River. So I guess I'll sing Omero River tonight. Woo! That was a thousand words to just say I'm gonna sing Omero River. One of the most beautiful musicals of our time came from the poetic pens of Mr. Jerome Cairn and Mr. Oscar Amistad. And one of the most beautiful songs in our time from that musical was made even more famous than the musical by the late, great Mr. Paul Rose. Before I say, ladies and gentlemen, this is a tribute to Paul Rosen. Let me see the hands of people who know who I'm talking about. Well, my goodness, look at all these hands. I'm impressed. Why don't we volunteer right quick to tell us who Paul Rosen is. Paul Rosen was a great, great African American in our country who had a voice that would knock your socks off so deep and so pure and so clear. And he was also very involved in looking for civil rights before the day when an African American man could speak up for civil rights. Because of that, he was black-polled. He was called a communist. Well, he wasn't a communist. He wanted everything perfect. And he ended up moving to a country where most of his life was framed by the caller England because of his politics. That's what I actually called him. He also was a professional lawyer and a football player. A lot of people don't know that. I didn't know that. And so, ladies and gentlemen, this is a tribute to Paul Rosen. There's an old man called the Mississippi That's the old man that I long to be What does he care if the world's got troubles What does he care if the land ain't free Don't look up and you don't know What does he care if the world's got troubles What does he care if the land ain't free Don't look up and you don't look down You don't ask, make the rich folks frown Bend your knees and bow your head And pull that rope until you're dead Let me go away from the Mississippi Let me go away from the rich man's farm Show me that stream called the River Jordan That's the old stream that I long to grow Old Man River That Old Man River He must know something But don't say nothing He just keeps a-ruling He keeps on a-ruling along He don't plant beetles And he don't plant cotton And if that plant's on It's soon forgotten But Old Man River He just keeps a-ruling along You and me, we sweat and strain Body all licking and a-rack with pain Tote that bodge and lift that bill You get a little drunk And you land in deep Heart is weary And sick of trying I'm tired of living But scared of dying But Old Man River He just keeps a-ruling along And I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I can't bear to bear to bear I was at Bally's one day, and I had forgotten to bring a part of my workout clothes, so I just went to the steam room. And I laid down, and this big burst of steam came out, and I sat straight up and I wrote this song. I just went straight into it. There was no ifs, ands, buts, or apologies. I just wrote this song. It goes like this. Hey Mr. Producer, man, I got a question I want to ask you right now. Might not want to hear it, but I'll ask you anyhow. When I turn on my TV, all I mostly ever see is blue-eyed Americans staring back at me. But when I do see brothers that are mostly drug dealers or dirty whitewashed human beings, I can't relate to them, they can't relate to me. This is one very confusing thing. I'm not trying to say that it's only up to you to show our people's true identity... But don't make it worse than what it is as we're all there to be free... So I ask you... Is it because I'm black... Is it because I'm black... It ain't before your ass to tell me the truth... Is it because I'm black... Is it because I'm black... Is it because I'm black... before you ask them to tell me the truth. Is it because I'm black? Now to all my brothers and sisters out there, and to all the white people that want to be fair, when OJ was on trial, a lot of whites couldn't stand to hear the facts. They wanted their brother found guilty so white America could relax. They said he killed a white woman and they couldn't stand for this. But when my brothers were dragged down the street, most of white America was not on the protest list. So I ask you, is it because I'm black? Is it because I'm black? Before you ask them to tell me the truth. Is it because I'm black? Is it because I'm black? Is it because I'm black? Before you ask them to tell me the truth. Is it because I'm black? Thank you. is our new assistant, Isaac Clay. One more time for Isaac Clay. We have a chance of donation. It is an open mic, so there's a lot of things that I wanted to say too as host, and welcome you down to Skid Row, welcome you to Los Angeles if you came from out of the city or out of state. 2012, how about that? We lost a lot of people last year. I'd like to just take one moment. Martin Luther King's birthday's coming, and it's also a good time for remembrance. Anybody have anybody that you want to remember from 2011 from past away? Joe Freedman. Joe Freedman. Welcome Joe Freedman. All right. Anybody else? Lily May. My grandmother. Lily May. Lily May. All right. My grandmother. All right. My uncle. My uncle. All right. How about Liz Taylor? Yeah, Liz Taylor. Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs. Oh, he was a repressor. He was a repressor. He was a repressor. Anybody that worked for him could tell you. He drove you like he was a slave master. He okay then. I'm glad to have your family now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. I need to take a break now. Mr. Lee Sharma. How y'all doing this evening? Fine. It's kind of funny that everybody's been talking about politics since last year, 2011. You see now, political women shrink. You know? And what I'm gonna do is give you some statements of the women in the current. You know something? Women don't need to lie. It takes a lot to make a lie. If you force it to a woman, she'll have to cry. Then they ain't gonna lie. I'll tell you the truth. Men... Did you have something they don't know? I tell you, I've never touched a woman. I don't even know her. Especially our partner, Big Daddy King. Now, you tell me. One woman... Say... Well... Yes, I know her. But we had sex. Right? I don't know that woman. Never seen her before in my life. Then two, then three, then four, then five. Man, everybody ain't lying. But you ever know somebody? Who stands over you. All I want you to do is stand next to the door. You know? Stand next to the door. Stand next to the door. You know why you stand next to the door? Because that big old closet of theirs got a lot of skeletons in it. Most of the time, they have that slightly carnet. But it took me... Me and the age boy and I, we just push a button at the top of the door. And they get a pop into the door at the right. You know? For about the last 20 years, about 5,000 candidates said, I don't know what's wrong with that. I mean, spontaneously. No, no way. You know? And then, about a month down the road, I must just continue my campaign because of family reasons. It's coming. You know? But most of them, they should have took notes from Vito. Vito knows what to do. See, Bill, you were filed like Jacob Hoover did. So when you start talking, I can buy it. Yeah. I'm opening up your door, too. Bill, you have a sex with that woman. No, I did not. What's that spot on her? What's that? I thought it was on one person. What's that spot? Oh, I must give the file to anybody. Stop. No more Bill. Don't even talk about it no more. No. Everyone. What are you doing? What you say? I don't know what's wrong. She was just working on my campaign. And for some reason or another, she just had a baby. I'm going to win her over. It ain't mine. And then? They on? Like that. I cannot tell a lie. I had sex with the one. You know, politicians are some of the biggest liars in the league. They lie for no reason at all. If you know that the car is loaded, why even try? Why run for president? Unless, you know, you're a cop. And most people, that's the last thing they want to do. But these jokers sit up there and try to grab moves in the whole United States of America. I did not tell a lie. I don't know her. You think I'm sick? No. You sick. But we ain't sick. You know, I remember one guy, he had to go all the way out to the United States to have an affair. I mean, you flew him from all the way to South America. I will not get caught. You better find me. Here we go. Here we going into New York. And they just knock him off one by one. Lie by lie. You can't lie, can you? What's the reason to lie? You know, the other crew is coming out. They're going to come out today, tomorrow, or the next day. And the way they play these days, any day goes. So, and I know y'all, I know y'all see it right now. I'm telling you, you already know who you're going to vote for. And I'm going to tell you how you know. Because you're going to vote for the guy with the little bitty collar. You don't stop. With his suit, his tie, his shoes. You know, no bone, no skeleton. You know, you're going to sit back, and you're going to change. My fellow Americans, we need leadership in this world. America needs strong leadership. People that know what to do. And I tell you, I know what to do. And I tell you, fly. Fly, you. Fly. Thank you, Rick. Especially, you know, we have a mix of wild people with a lot of opinions, a lot of community activism. And we do have a program that we're supposed to be going by, but we're going to go off in a little bit. I'm going to bring up my dear friend, Dr. Mongo. Mongo! Thank you very much. Thank you very much, thank you very much, you all. I don't think I'll be using this mic tonight because I have paper in my left hand and I hold the mic in my right hand. My brain doesn't function. We can put it on the stand. Hopefully, we can hear you. Hopefully, you can hear me? Good. Alright. So, if you start off with this, I'm flying high. The sky is mine. Acres of blue caress my eyes. On the move, I've found my groove. I'm feeling fine, fine, fine, fine, fine. How about you? No responses? No responses? No responses? No responses? No responses? No responses? No responses? I would like to do this here at first point. It's called Pick up Jack's... Shower's Play... With a little bit of fiction coupled with facts... This part deals with the subject of every man's jack... Jack's... Crackered... Jack's... Spring Hill Jacks, Lumber Jacks, Steeple Jacks, and One-Eyed Jacks. But alone came this Jack from the far side of the tracks, Crawling, slithering, past security checks, A leader and perpetrator of terrorist attacks. Now this Jack is on the loose running wild, Here there's a hawky stalking unsuspecting prey, Destructive ideologies his forte foreplay, Making for a bad hair day. Now if you help me get him hunted down, Forced him underground, I'll keep him in sight, Make his life a miserable 24-7 nightmare. See I had him once, when he got away, Disguised as a Jack Tart sitting on the dock of the bay. This Jack is on the loose running wild, A murderous psychopathic child, An egotistic monster with a jack leg slant. He turned the engine to a mile, Now there's three Jacks, Boy Jack, Pickle Jack. This Jack, that Jack, A radical, fanatical, maniacal Jack, A crackpot, jack-ass Jack, Looking for a jack butt, He'll jack you up, jack you off, High Jack, Sky Jack, Car Jack, Bushwhack, straight Jack at you. This Jack is on the loose running wild, And tracks a ton of jacks, Biological, chemical, electromagnetic jack, Uranium, plutonium, nucleic jack, Homocyte, Pseudocyte, genocyte jack, Five, six, seven Jacks, Pickle Jacks. This Jack's a jacko, With an international criminal jacket, A wild coyote, Tasmanian devil, Jack, a ruff, a Hortian Jack. This Jack is on the loose running wild, A murderous psychopathic child, A jack, a jack, a jack, a jack, A jack of all trades, Jack Smith, Jack Lighter, Jack of laddering, Jack of nails, Jack in the box is as fast as a cheetah sliding boxes. This Jack is nimble, light, and quick, With an AK-47, Jack Knight, He can reach your fingertips, Ready to shoot, kill men, Then hop away like a jack racket off a post. This is no Jack in GeoJack, JingoJack, Spratt, Jack of Norrie's nursery rhyme, No Jack in the Beanstalk Jack fraud, Fairytale, this Jack is on the loose running wild, Wrapped in a peep jacket, leather jacket, And a ladder jacket in the house that Jack, Jack, your boy. Some of these Jacks will get away, While others are made to rue the day, Flush from camouflage, hideaways, Chambered caves and catacombs, Rideways, I-ways, C-ways, Two, four, six, eight Jacks pick up Jacks. Fourteen, twenty-four, eight K-Jack's. The time is running out because it's inventory time. You've got to hit the road, Jack! Ten, nine, eight, seventy-six, five, Four, three, two Jacks pick up Jacks. Five, two, three, and... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... Five... but I do believe in hyperbole because I don't consider myself a poet. I'm a dramatic denunciator in the tradition of, uh, Vincent Price, Bridget Burton, just to name a couple. But this is my first love. She came riding on the mane of a wild black stallion. Her eyes darted back and forth in quick observance, flickered with the intensity of something for some. Ruby pierced her ears. Emeralds, diamonds, sapphire, gold spoke of who she was. A goddess of love and beauty. A tempest-y, curious Pandora betraying Delilah, destructive Jezebel, who understood the serpent's tongue to double-scalp God's intention. She came riding on the wings of an ill wind, searching for love in a heartless man. Seeking to extend her free spirit, her coming signaled the death-beat of chauvinistic egos, dewy principles, and the micro-many morals of a damning and astray man. And with the roar of oceans and the sound of thunderclaps echoing in a, uh, reverberating in an echo chamber, her voice sped forth. She said, I want freedom and happiness. I want to be loved. I want others to understand me the way I understand myself. I need the spirit of truth in order to survive. Warm, strong hands to caress my soul, but above all I need and must have joy. She said, touch me. Understand this. Kiss my lips for my salvation. Soothe my spirit to come immortal. Tell me you love me. Be mine alone, and I'll make you God. She rose on the devil's oars, searching for the one man who would not play psycho-physical, spontaneous, prostrate male and female, but exact me. The truth. A man in one. Her hair inked in disguise as she'd gone out. Is there one man among you who'd give me no reason to question, need to doubt, betray, destroy? Is there one man among you who'd wire my circuits, navigate my stormy seas, corral my passions? If so, if there is such a man, I pray there is, for I know there is. I'll become your mate, and I'll be your totality. Thank you. Applause. And in the, uh, in the, uh, spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, being that we are here this day to celebrate his memory, this is to all my black brothers and my sisters. Okay. What's that? What's that? And those of like mind. Who are we? This universal race of people known as blacks, scattered throughout the white world, scheming, conniving, dying, surviving. Why are we hated? What have we done? Why should our history bleed? We shall overcome it. Have we ever made an endeavor to conquer the world? Was Caesar, Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler blacks? Why are we hated? What have we done? Why should our history bleed? We shall overcome it. Blacks. subjugated by many nations of the world. Captives in their own backyards. Mass human cargo shuttled from land to land. Economic assets easily identified in the nation of thieves to be dehumanized, emasculated, raped, maimed, murdered, martyred. Never once crying out for sanctuary or asylum. Who have we hurt, caused to suffer or killed in mass other than ourselves? Ymiranda, the Congo, Hutus, Tutsi, Blood, Crips. Who are we, this universal race of beings known contemptuously as knitters, apes, black men? Or squirts and little monkeys? Who have we chained and shackled, sold like animals on auction blocks, forced on reservations, concentration in internment camps? Where have we sent missionaries and archaeologists with guns and bibles, kicks and shovels, to rape and fling? Where have we found wonder, women and children, land and treasure? Why us? Why are we hated? What have we done? Who have we conquered, nay, all mainline? Did we, bombs away Hiroshima, Nagasaki, kill six million Jews? Have we divided countries, created parallels, condominiums? Whose leave have we wounded? Whose gold did we steal? Whose diamonds, ivory, uranium, plutonium, heritage, culture, spirit? Aren't we the authors of imperialism? Colonialism? Militarism? Fascism? Racism? Why are we second-class citizens in this and that country? We are the darker hue. What international wars have we ignited? What global catastrophe? Who are we, this struggling entity known as jiggeroos, darkies, coons and sambo, scattered throughout this world? Carbon copies of jiggeroos? Carbon copies of different masters, earth-blood servants and scapegoats? Why should our history be we shall overcome? What is thearkoercity to us and to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to the free and free to Uncondictive, ruthless, an eye for an eye, the counter-stroke last ditched the nerve-safe guide. A heartless, ferocious, grossly inhumane, fiendishly satanic, a low-toward, dirty shame. A law-signal nature, repulsive, devout, arrogant, treachery abuses my style. My name is Penitentiary. I am made of steel and stones, and should you land in my domain, I'll break your flesh and bones. You're not as tough, and rightly so, when without your knight, you're a slave. For God's sake, I'll have your ass before you blink for right, and I walk on. There's also ways to handle you as if you like it rough. Ways to hurt and break a man I haven't found enough to push me forth in betwoon. I know you will not win. I've been around for quite some time, and since then, since the span of sin, I've held the toughest men at work behind my cold gray stalls. Watched them risk their worthless lives trying to scramble my walls. While some were killed, feared escape, later to return for crimes far worse than before, and then I watched them cry. My name is Penitentiary. Let me come straight from the cup. I'll crack your head, rip out your heart. I dare you call my blood. You flapped your huge illicit wings, you crushed the purple floor, until you made that one mistake that trapped you in his claw. You prided upon the wick of old and made him fear you through. Well, listen, faggot. Bitch, take note that the table's turned on you. I'm in command. I hold the cards, and I call the do's and don'ts. Create the dreams and feed the hopes of all your needs and wants. Now, should you thirst for freedoms and fire, I'll light your smoldering wick. Supply the gas. Provide the flint. It will take to light your bed. Woo! Hell yeah! One of my favorite poets of all time. Dr. Joe Mungo. What about that website? Yeah, I was gonna say, what about that website? www.jomongodoctor.com Thank you again for listening. Thank you for letting me be a part of the downtown neighborhood, the Skid Row neighborhood, the nickel neighborhood. And for Ishmael, before I introduce my other co-hosts, Andrea, I'd like to read one of my poems from my book, One-Eyed Dogs, available on Amazon. Jazz is life, and life is jazz. I used to name my poems after jazz songs. I mean, I grew up with jazz. I can remember back in 1962, the Newport Jazz Festival. Yeah. I used to fall asleep under the jazz all-stars. My mom, her sister, and my first uncle took us on a trip, as a family, on a trip. For me, jazz comes straight out the womb, pulsating with a heart and soul. When they told me Miles died, or when Dizzy died, I cried. I grew up with jazz. I knew it was like a genius leaving the room. Like Charles White or Gordon Parks, Richard being rolled up in order to be seen and felt, or heard from again. Now don't get me wrong, there's still some bad cats out there. Like Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington, or Grover's dog. But there's also Donald Byrd, and the rule of law goes on. And on and on. But for me, jazz is life. And life is jazz. All improvised and coming out simply beautiful. I'm here to run. Thank you, come on. Let's give you all another hand, you guys. Thank you all for coming out. Let me extend a personal welcome to everyone here at the Exchange on the Art Walk tonight. Thank you for coming out. Give yourselves a hand for coming out. I am proud to be a part of the Drama Stage Coup d'En Ronde, and I'm also a poet, and a few other things that I won't elaborate on tonight. And right now, I'd like to interject a little humor into the audience. By a round of applause, how many people know anything about love? By a round of applause. About love. How about it? You probably don't know, but I'm getting ready to tell you about love. This piece is entitled, Love Madness. Then, insanity speaks. Crazy, insane, and ludicrous. Amazing, confusing, and more. What can one say about love? That it's good when it's bad. But when it's bad, it's so much better. Now you explain how these opposites tie in and come together. I love you madly. I am madly in love, but how can this be when they're quite the contrary? You do, you don't. You will, you won't. We're over with, bro. So what do you do? Break up, switch up, make up again. It's crazy. It's insane, this ludicrous. Amazing, confusing, and more. But sure, how does one hate and adore the same person today who becomes a stranger tomorrow? Do you remember yesterday's hurt, pain, sorrow? No, you don't? Well, dammit, yes you should. Because you're the one who said it's not working, it's over, it's no good yet. 24 hours later, you can't be without him. And she cannot breathe without you. I'm through. It's crazy. It's insane, this ludicrous. Amazing, confusing, bizarre. By far, the madness of love is strange. When it brings joy, pain, and sadness along with the madness, you go figure. I can't rest in a lie, nor make sense of it all. It's a negative, positive, counter-reaction, trying to figure out this mad love versus mad hate faction. And I say it's crazy. It's insane, this ludicrous. Amazing, confusing, and more. But sure, if you like to love madness, madness, madness, madness, madness, madness, madness. Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip. I've got to get a grip. Get a grip. I had a grip. I had a slip. I had a slide. Glide through my mind, double time, double time. Am I blind? Am I blind? Can I think? Can I feel? Am I lost from a duel? Am I standing on a brink? Should I go? Should I stay? Should I take it all away? Change my facts? Change my view? Matter of fact, I'm just going to change you. But I say, will it hurt? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. baffling idiot with an extreme severe advanced case of love madness. Thank you. Thank you very much. And that's real. And I know everyone in here has found themselves in one lyric in that piece. Am I right? Yes! Okay. We're gonna keep this moving. I have a few names back in my little jar over here. Next victim coming to the stage. And I say victim in the license. Steve. Come on up here Steve. That's gonna be my name. That's what they say. I'll be off the clock. See what I'm trying to do? I'm trying to get out of here. I feel like I'm breaking into the light. I smell the dead out here. No, no, no. I smell the dead out here. See, I've only been born to be six feet. You're gonna manage to it. It's really an honor and privilege to be here. And, uh, you're talking about love. I guess there's different versions of death and that. But, do you ever have someone that really loves you? And you're like very willing to see them express your love with your shit? And you're like, I don't know, madness a little bit? Well, I have a sister like that. And I started realizing, well, maybe I should be able to put up with other people's shit and lift them up to where I am. I love, you know, it's deep because I get lost going around the block and that's, you know, that's nuts. But, I have something I want to share with you all. I'm gonna do, uh, this is, uh, dedication.my.com. And, uh, Is everybody ready? Yeah, I am. Early morning, April 4th. Shots ring out into Memphis sky. Free at last, they ask for your life. But they could not take your pride. No. Miles from nowhere. Mmm. I guess I take my time. Oh, yeah. Get there. Miles from nowhere. Mmm. I guess I take my time. Oh, yeah. Get there. Look at the mountain. I have to climb. Oh, yeah. To reach there. Lord, my body has been a good friend. But I won't need it when I reach the end. Miles from nowhere. Mmm. I guess I take my time. Oh, yeah. Get there. Miles from nowhere. Mmm. I guess I take my time. Oh, yeah. Get there. So, what has been lost and what will be gained on this morning? Where is it? Okay. So, what has been lost and what will be gained on the morning when this is over? Is it better not to tread? Well, you should dare not tread. Or is it instincts and the tendency towards survival that determines the answer? Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't care anymore. I am tired and wasted, scorching with it by the sun just like you. And I just don't have the energy, strength, and stamina to march another mile. But when we're retraining on the high pavement, I'll step forward and march anyway. Thank you, everybody. All right. Great. Great. Thank you. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. Great. allies and I would like to bring her to the stage. Michelle. Michelle Autry, where are you? Come to the stage, Michelle. Give her a hand as she comes to the stage. Michelle Autry ladies and gentlemen. I'm so happy, I'm so excited. I'm so happy I'm here. It's nice to see everybody. Let's just give thanks and praise. It's a whole new year. Thank you. There are a lot of interesting new people. Where's Ricky? He's on the way. Okay. Well, like I said, like I said, like I said, it's a whole new year. It's a whole new year. And we're just We're just hoping that with Occupy LA We're just hoping that with Occupy LA with everything that's happening internationally with everything that's happening internationally and everything that people are going through it's really important that we come together it's really important that we come together and organize and mobilize and build an increase in the and build an increase in the positive presence and this positive energy. So, you know, I want to give another round of applause to Melvin Ishmael Johnson of Erie. to Melvin Ishmael Johnson of Erie. to Melvin Ishmael Johnson of Erie. Thank you. Thank you. And also Russell, And also Russell, because this is his space. Thank you, Russell. Thank you, Russell. I'm not that negative. I'm not that negative. That's just all. And, you know, I've just, you know, my poetry is, I just, you know, write whatever I feel. I'm not that negative. I don't care. Okay, I don't. Well, you know, somebody's got to. Right? So it kind of fell on me. I got that cross to bear. But it's alright. Okay, you know, we get thanks and praise. Look at so many wonderful, beautiful I wish somebody could raise some money. Okay, I wrote some good food and even better poetry and some music. Frenchie's gonna sing. Alright, Frenchie's in the house. Let's hear it for the little beautiful people. The beautiful people. Yeah, so you know, and she's beautiful and she's clean. You have the big people too, but you know in America, it's always bigger is better. Well, I don't believe that because Bruce Lee was little king. David was a baby when God chose him. So that's what I'm talking about. I love you too, but don't be hating on the little beautiful people. That's right. God made a garden with all colors and all shapes and all sizes. In America, they seem to forget all that. You know, I don't have this negative PR for Catholicism. I don't know. But okay, this is to celebrate life in every shape, every size, every color, wherever your freckle is or is. But I wrote this at a time I'm still, I'm blacklisted. I'm labeled a terrorist in this country. I'm serious. And I don't own any guns. I was a vegan for eight and a half years simply because I'm serious. Simply because I stood up for my civil rights. And I'm a political activist and a lot of my poetry is politically motivated because in America, when you actually exercise your first, second, third, and numerous rights, they label you a terrorist, especially as a black female that they can't box. And you keep getting out. And I'm like, public enemy number one, right? So I'm so grateful to my friends because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be alive. I'm serious. And I wrote this poem. It's pretty hard. I'm not doing it in English. It's called J.O.V. I don't hate anybody. Okay? The system has a lot of iniquities and institutionalized, deeply rooted isms. Okay? And to say it doesn't exist is a lie. And that's the worst travesty. Okay? So whatever it is you've been counting, it's not being made. If you address it, it's overcoming. That's all I'm saying. Okay? And we overcome and we get to the horizon and the rainbow. But this is called J.O.V. You have lied on me, defamed, framed, and smeared me so violently because you are afraid of me. You call me crazy because I refuse to be me. You know you use lasers and microwaves on me. You refuse me jobs and at first you develop and use all of my God given natural abilities and energy and chemistry and synergy because you know people like me, we will rule over you. It is our destiny. You see to live in man and same divine prosperity when we are really happy in unity in our communities which arise when we're truly living together harmoniously. Don't you steal. I don't need your J.O.V. and I will leave my own nation and my own company. You know people like me, real revolutionaries, we came to destroy your evil, fucked up society. That's just the way it be for real revolutionaries like me. You see, society be hating me because I'm really and others like life being some other galaxies you see. So you know I don't want your fucking J.O.V. taking and shoving straight up your ass just for me. Please. I fight the good fight to use all my divine energy, power, love and might. Even now in this 11th hour you cut me off. You spread lies on me. You think that no one will hire and help and support me. You think I will be a prostitute in the street. Well I help the homeless every day that I can. Yes I work for them with L.A. Can. You call me crazy and then you falsely accuse me of having a bad vibe, a getting high, a getting high smoking weed, drinking alcohol and doing crack homestead. Sexuality, pornography and all of that. Well you really don't know me really because my God has gifted me with infinite wisdom, talent, abilities and divine authority. You feel this and you know this to be true really that's why you know one day we gonna rule over all of you. You fear this because you know it is our destiny to eventually live in mind blowing divine blessing and sane prosperity. Well you falsely accuse me of trying to hurt and kill my very own baby. My very own baby and this is the type of smear campaign I'm talking about I love my child. Because my little boy is the greatest joy. Thinking that for sure nobody will hire me. Nobody. Not just maybe but for sure. But still I rise like Jehovah's mark for God Almighty has gifted me and that means we with abilities to rise above your insanity, your jealousy and your evil inhumanity. And hate me because I will not bow down and break your surrender. My crown submit to your shit and commit your evil bestiality, homosexuality but that's alright because I'm straight and I'm tight. Better? That's right. Deeper, sweeter and all that matters is I'm good in God Almighty's sight. Everyday and everywhere you try to kill me, kill me, trap me then you'll send your undercover black brother men to hook, reject and then they book. You put my name on a list and you try to ball me out. You have implanted me, mesmerized, traumatized and tried to hypnotize, trying to prevent me from making my phone calls. Just so I'm gonna fall. But through it all, you know what, I will be filled with love because the way, the truth and the light are the only weapons I got to win this fight. But that's alright because I don't want your stupid J-O-B anyway. Because I'm gonna be like Bill Gates one day. Jehovah will bow down and wind up my wings and I will continue to sing. I will rise above on a divine prosperity high. For this I fight and I submit my words to God Almighty for they must only be found right in His sight. I wasn't trying to offend anyone and I have some moral beliefs that I'm sure might not be very popular in today's secular world. I just expressed my self-being and I hope there was no offense taken. You know, we're just expressing ourselves. I don't hate anyone. I don't have any more rays. And so, if there was too much offense, if you wanted it. Do I have more time or is that all? One more? One more? Oh, okay. Just kidding. You know what? I'd like to recognize this gentleman because I have a great love for the veterans and this gentleman has actually done something. He's created an organization and institution to help veterans get housing. So I want to recognize this gentleman right here. I think it's wonderful because you know, I live down the street in downtown and when I get money every once in a while, I try to give it to the veterans. And a lot of them in the wheelchair it just hurts me, especially the Vietnam veterans. You know, so this is a country that lives in the interior. So without a person in a country that doesn't honor its veterans and keeps them in the street until they rectify that, then you know I think that that's a title that's really you know, honorable. You know, a country's only good is the veterans that take care of them. I mean, really, it's just, I mean not just the veterans, but all because you know I've built the country for 400 years. Where's my 40 acres of mule? If I had the mule my great grandmother was supposed to give, you know what I'm saying? That's what I'm talking about. America has broken the trees with the Native Americans. I mean, come on. How could they kill Saddam and Bin Laden and they still have unfinished inhumanity, civil rights violations in this country? You know what I'm saying? I'm a terrorist, right? Well, no, not really. Okay, well, on that note, I think, maybe I can just ask you, I think I'm going to do it in here. I wanted to kind of carry about what's happening in like the Black movies, and I'm trying to do this in a little bit of a puzzle. Maybe it's about, you know, we need to fight the Black Panthers, we need to you know, do everything they could to create a positive change for the Jewish community, and they were they were not only not only was the positive character assassinated, they were given a horrible stigma and stereotype. And they were not hateful, they were some of the most intelligent people. Most of them were scholars, organizers, activists, just to create parity, to provide a positive alternative, not just in providing daily meals for the children, protecting Black women from the police that were raping Black men from the police, or beating them down, but just to create a positive, you know, more of a holistic society. And I was a Black Panther, and that's part of, you know, most of the Black Panthers have either been eliminated, murdered, or recriminated, and they're all either dead or in jail. And they're incredible, because they were not hateful people, they did not hate Caucasian people, they loved their people. Okay? They loved their people, and they loved everybody, basically, that, you know, could work towards an end, and realize that I think where America is in writing, a land for all, I mean, you know, it's supposed to be a republic where all human beings of all colors could realize their close potential. It's never happened. It's never happened. And I hope it will happen before my son gets my age. But she doesn't know how old I am. Okay, we might give a prize in some way, so it's perfect. What do I have? Okay, but I'm gonna guess. That's all right. All right, anyway, I wrote this poem, and I was gonna do something else, but I think I'm gonna do this one. It's called They Take. Again, no offense intended. I've been too angry to laugh. It's called They Take, but I'm not angry. So, when she finishes, is there a poem about that? What's your name? I'm not angry. I'm just saying that she's and I appreciate your encouragement. She's got this big cross. I need protection. I'm under attack. Okay, They Take. I write this poetry and I'm syllabizing and I just don't know how. They take, they take, they take. Yes, they take. They don't know any other way. They take everything from those they hate. They have no respect for those they reject. They just take for the half of it. They take. That is all they know. They take because they are the devils. They're not taking. I ran in Afghanistan. They took my baby away from me. They say I'm crazy. I don't know. I speak three by five languages. Maybe that has to do something with it. Really, they fear me because people, I mean, real revolutionaries come to destroy all evil in this society. That is just how they stay in power and authority lying and stealing and killing, lying, stealing, killing, and blaming the victims. They corrupt perversions, evil, and justices. They whore. They say, we want, we want We want it. We want more. Because today there is no middle class. There is only the rich and then there is the rest. Imperialism, hegemony, they really seek to sell all of our energy to children. And then they take and they take and they're on to take too. Stay away from them because then they will take and they will blame you for that which they do. They call it transgressive. They will play the role to the hilt. The devils lie, steal and kill and they will believe their own lies. They lie and they will take everything from you while their lies murder you. They will commit homicides to justify and they will hide. They look good on the outside because of Botox and plastics. But they buy. But they got a bad vibe because inside they are purely evil. They be riding on the inside while blowing up the lies and defamation and destroying each and every nation that stands up against them and has a nerve to fight and sometimes win. Because that is just how they stay on top. Not just of this nation but on top of the whole world. They take. They take like Hitler. They had that vision. They take everything that they can whether it's mind, body, spirit, child, woman or man. They take. They take. They take faster than you can make it. They don't take it. They take and God, good God, Lord Almighty, please you forgive me because I hate them. But you have promised me that you will repay all of them for their evil sins. Like I said, sister, you need to pray for me. In Jesus name. You know we get thanks and praise but we release. We release all negativity and that's why we're here. To express ourselves and love and then to move forward for a God blessed and beautiful and progressive 2012. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you to the Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and Five-Eleven Action and on the line so give me a five minute break. We'll intermission if you'd like to visit the snack bar. We have snacks, restroom break, five minute intermission and we'll be back on the ground. Thank you. You wanna take someone else? Okay, this name here is Frenchie Joy. Frenchie. Is she behind the back? Yes, little bit. Where she at? Miss Joy, come to the mic please. There she is, come on little bit. I see you back there. Bye, you should go that way. No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. Oh, then you just have to leave. Okay, everybody. I'm gonna do this song, everybody knows it. And we'll be back in a minute. I used to know from the background. Yeah, I'm gonna sing it right now. I think this is gonna mention this song. We'll intermission. Take an intermission. Just tell everybody I'm gonna intermission. Oh, you can't talk now. Yeah, cause he's gonna choose a song. I'm gonna switch the mic up so it's a little better for you. Okay, okay, good. Everybody, me and you. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, let's get going. Hey, what's up? I'm here. I'm here. Frenchie Joy, Miss Joy. Frenchie. Call you back to stage. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Miss Joy. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Alright, Frenchie Joy, let's see. Alright, everybody knows this song, so I need your help with the background, okay? From the background, I want you all to sing it as loud as you can, okay? Alright? Alright. Here we go. He met Mama's eye down in Old New Orleans She put her cup on the stringy She said, hello, hey Joe You wanna give it a go? Mm, getcha, getcha, ya, ya, da, da, oh, ya Getcha, getcha, ya, ya, here Most of the time, ya, ya We're all waiting Mama's eye Hey, hey, hey, hey She got to the street, fair and silky smooth Mama, look how fair they are Made the saddest beast inside Roark to the crowd Oh, oh, oh Oh, now he's back home to his dad's advice. Living that great, well-earned life. But when he turns off the street, all I hear is a scream. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh Thank you everyone, thank you everyone, thank you George. Thank you, thank you, thank you all, y'all, mama. Okay, let me go back to my victory jar, just one second. Is Chris now, Chris? Chris, Chris, Chris. Oh, there he is, he took the jacket off, he's got a body, come on up here, everybody give him a hand, Chris. Alright. And I'm a dark muscle teen junior, that, you know, the civil rights movement is one of the pinnacles of black history. That most people don't know about. Most of the people my age and younger have no clue of what the struggle is to be black. So I'm just gonna talk a little bit about the struggle of a black man. One day when I arrive, I understand that my skin is black as night. But I can't seem to understand why everybody hates me and I'm not part of that life. As I grow up in my life, I'm dealt all types of things. Racism, I'm not light enough. Sexism, I'm a man. Criminalization, because I'm black once against. Death is something that they hold out for me. Whether I be on skin wrong, LAPD has something against me. Whether I be in Beverly Hills, it's the same thing. No matter where I go as a black man in the United States, I'm always looked at as a hated person. Not for something that I've done, but it's for something who I am. When will this stop? It didn't stop 50, 60 years ago. This is still the same thing that plagues us today. But it has taken on a different tone. No longer are they calling me the N-word when I walk down the street. But when I go apply for a job, I'm discriminated against. It's because I'm that same still N-word that you want to call me. When I walk into a grocery store, I'm still that same N-word when I want to buy something and you want to overcharge me for this item. That's the same item you wouldn't do this if we was in a white community. I'm that same N-word. No matter how rich, no matter how famous, no matter how young or how old, you still don't see me as that same N-word. Not only do you see me as that, but you see a population of kings and queens who God has placed here just like he has placed everybody else here with dignity, self-right, and honor. I don't have because you denied me of that. And those of you that are people wake up and realize you can't draw a 40 acres and a mule at me to compensate for the things that you've done to my people. You can't give me millions of dollars of contract for you to play sports with me like the Romans did to the Christians after Linus killed them and beat them to pieces. That same thing they do today. They just call it entertainment. They call it basketball. They call it baseball. They call it boxing. They call it entertainment. They love to see up entertainment at their enjoyment. It's the same thing, people. Boy, they tempt us with these minimum wage jobs. As once I did a felony on my back, I'm sentenced because I'm a black man. If we learn anything from the Silver Right Movement, we need to learn this to have pride in ourselves. To take pride in the fact that we can be somebody. But I can't be nobody if I'm never given the chance to be who God has created me to be. But because Martin Luther King fought for a dream, I can one day walk towards that goal. I'm a lot closer to that. It's still the same thing. Hopefully a hundred years from now, here I am. I can stand up and say I have a dream. Because our dream was lost and stolen from us. But the only person that can make your dream come true is you. So don't make a difference whether you're black, white, blue, green, old or young, you can still have a dream but at first start with you. And if you have a dream, can't no one or anything take that away from you. And this is my message to the black man. Thank you. Alright, yes! Let's give one another hand. Words of knowledge from Tres. Thank you Tres. Martin Luther King did not die in vain in his dream, he does in fact, live on. Next we have coming to the stage a prolific skid row pundit, a good friend of mine. And his name is Twin, Twin, Twin. Come on up here, Twin! Tres Twin, in the mahogany. Words of wisdom and knowledge from Black Luther King. First of all, I want to give all the thanks, all the praise, and all the glory to almighty God. Let's give it up for God. And of course, Martin Luther King. That's who we're here to celebrate. Let's give that to Martin Luther King. And I also want to acknowledge a very, very significant black leader in black history, whose birthday is today. And his name is Khalid Muhammad. Let's give it up for Khalid Muhammad. Hello, hello, hello. Khalid Muhammad was a former Nation of Islam, a Louis Perkins right-hand man, and he broke away from the Nation of Islam and went and started. Excuse me, but the talking on the side is very disrespectful when somebody has the mic. And I'd appreciate it if you show me the same respect you got when you were up here. And y'all give him a clap for that too. And yes, he started his own movement called the New Black Panther Movement. And he had a lot to do with why I started writing poetry. He was a big influence in my life. And I represent Skid Row as a poet. I'm a gang interventionist. I give Skid Row tours. I work with the youth. I go to colleges. I speak at colleges and do poetry at colleges. I have my own workshop here on Skid Row every Thursday, helping the young brothers and sisters, whoever wants to learn how to write and articulate themselves. You know, with all, without all the bitch and nigga and stuff we hear in Iraq. You know. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, I'm very active. I'm just not a poet with a mic in his hand. I'm an activist, a writer, a father, responsible father. Robo-mob if you want to call it that. And I'm just going to get into some poetry for y'all. Is that cool? That's cool. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. No big stones to break my bones to survive and in return look dumb too. No head of fades. No hints at mantra or vato to be shown. No jailhouse stranger hittin' me up in a jail cell to put me on. Cause I grew up in this bullshit like too quick. Not a chip on my shoulder, more like a brick. I was saggin' before I even knew what saggin' was. Brownie gloves. Hate was a crutch that a white Jesus couldn't budge. Only hint of love was the bond with my brothers growin' up. Young nut in a shell of flesh and suicide stunts. So I keep it solo. I walk slow. I stroll with no control. With substance and soul. In the eyes of those who say that's the life his ignorant ass chose. But chemical, I'm not. I have questions in my mind like is it? Did I choose not to eat? Not even a damn biscuit? No, I chose that biscuit cause granny made miracles. But influence stronger than granny? Unpredictable. Refuse to learn, though gifted with intelligence. Cause European curriculum not compatible with my education. Bullion in pot lockin', house parties and slow dancin', Sean in purse snatchin', victim of urban social condition. Thuggin' when it was my time. Let me be popular. Now that it is, I'm labeled a loser cause I got no money to go with that thug image. But add the RIP for my dead homies, then subtract the unity we had from commonality. Only during slavery, I'm original. Only in terms of gang affiliation, I'm socially acceptable. Only in terms of being placable, smooth and cool. Only in terms of those I cater to and don't offend at poetry venues. Poetry venues? Only in terms of what we call it. If entertainment, comedy and exaggeration is in demand. If denied is truth, like my truth being my experience. Like sounds of ruffling and scuffling. Sounds of grunts and anger. Shots ringing, then screaming. No! No! No! Entire screeching, driving away from the scene. Then next is the funeral and more families mourning. All that's left behind is the true victim. Something I never thought about when I was called a fan. Africa is formed to me as that bird in Swahili, my alpha, lingering over the ghetto. Crack cocaine appearing out of nowhere like a magic trick. Jail was my college to come home from with a hard-on and respect. But it was really fear in me and in my own kind. Dark figures looming in the night as if to cry. Except for the pitter patter and dragging of the feet. Dark bodies hovering and huddling over... Oh shit, drop my crack cocaine. Black pipe. Flickers of liars from life. Physically alive, yet non-existent. State of mind inferiority complex. As such, mentally conditioned. A statistic. Plum fuck ignorant. Label a thug, but that label inaccurate. Try misguided. Ball heads, jerry curls, and ferns to hide it. Only to expose it. As a global idiot. Blamed my daddy because of it. But, inheriting history. A thick legacy to also be exploited. Come amongst my own kind. And get the same damn treatment. Self-hatred evident. Duplicating the same judicial system we speak against. Making the white man in government irrelevant. Caught up in social class now. Breathing individualism and favoritism. Comfortable only on the surface. Dare I listen? Where I listen? I'm being held accountable for not paying attention to my own secluded surroundings. Thank you. Now, I'm thinking maybe I did do something wrong. But we really don't know each other. So, I'm guessing the hideous crime I'm guilty of could be breathing? Oh, I'm feeling so uneasy from your saving. Almost believing I'm the creature imposing. Just for simply speaking. Oh, I know what you're thinking. My gruesome appearance and inner city demeanor prevents you from relating. Avoiding eye contact. And I'm not even sure what you're thinking. I'm just a little bit confused. I'm not sure what you're thinking. I'm just a little bit confused. I'm just a little bit confused. I'm just a little bit confused. I'm relating. Avoiding eye contact. Won't look or notice. I won't disappear just to make you happy. Who told you poetry was only in the language of commercial figurative euphony that you define as writing creatively? So, you don't even know what the hell I'm saying but don't care? Cause I said so eloquently, charismatic, and smoothly?! Don't think so. The people deserve reality in the form of raw, blatant honesty. The people deserve reality in the form of raw, blatant honesty. with clarity and relevance like, do I back burn? Absolutely. Like one, two, hand in hand go clicks and politics like married tricks and high-maintenance symbol chicks, misinformation, soulless consciousness, distributing and promoting on persona alone in the absence of true spiritual awareness. So what makes you think your social circle, popularity, peer influence, financial status, a feminine, male, or female can tell me how to be a man or behave just because you see Jesus that way? Don't think so. I think a strong black guy to start my day and acknowledge a very masculine Jesus who don't play, I'll say, like my baby boy waking up to a happy daze. I'm amazed at counter expression. I'm a hearty embrace. And not afraid. Unique like old legal spirituals and I take. But hey, who ain't? Like we all say, I'm for change. But popular opinion cliche remains the same. Like we all gotta eat, but all don't eat. So all don't relate to hunger pains. Like all don't relate to getting paid. Like too busy on that paper dream chase. So the capability to really love escapes. So now I'm the problem to look in the mirror. Yes. The problem to face. No, not who I am. Just not ashamed. How can I let go of what was never mine? No, that's your bad. You can have it. That's your hate. I'll just keep mine. Go against the grain, my state. So no, I'm not antisocial. More like a social tyrant. And no, I'm not a menace. More like indignant. Because looking to be socially accepted is tiring, exhausting. Like that. Giving up all hope feeling. How I have to chase. Like playing hide and go seek. Like the timid, fake, and intimidated. Playing like they're the humble in me. Well, I'm here to break all that up. Like Jesus breaking up the church and calling it a den of thieves. I should speak according to your definition of upliftment? Please. What I used to be transforms into what I've become. Like grabbing hold of a gun just when I'm being raped. Oh, oh, oh. You done. Rage consumes with a grudge. I'm pumped. So I treat that cliche neutral appeal to everybody type expression like junk. Take your conscience and thump. Make irrelevance and misinformation flunk. Keep ignorance in the ass and say, shake the spook. Shake the spot, poop butt. Cause you smell like a skunk. Like the evil in pride that's gone before destruction. So does the foul stench of dead flesh that comes right after it. So how good you look or smell becomes your anger. I gotta nudge. To God, all our sins look and smell like throw up. You can turn your nose up, but my guess? You're Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Mother Mary, Osiris, Isis, Allah, or God. I ain't impressed. Cause your behavior reads biased. My behavior reads self-defense against a majority narcissist, racist ideology, a patriot in bloodshed. Like the many blacks who jump on that bandwagon. Just to fit in. Caught up in their own individualism and justify it as multiculturalism instead. Well, please consider what twit contributes to put in your head. I invite you to the spoken word to get you full fat and fed. Cause I admit, I also live in filth, leg deep in it. But I don't want to win it. I struggle to climb up out of it like I'm homesick. If nobody's a freak. If I would I say, I'm an ironist. If maximum impact with minimum wordage defines poetry, I'm not finished. Hair not nappy enough. Skin not black enough. So you say, dark skin is the closest to a true African? Well, what about loyalty and the soul within? So you still ask, twin, what you mixed with? So I answer, I'm mixed with those unique, experienced genes called black American. Still don't answer your question? Well, that's still the human damn problem. Cause multiply equals plus? I'm just getting started. Thank you. Alright, great, alright. And you can add me on Facebook. Twin Skid Row. That's who I am on Facebook. So please, add me. Let's network. Let's do some Skid Row tours. Let's go out there and make a difference. Let's work with P.U.s. Let's change, like Obama says. And let's live out Martin Luther King's dream to judge each other based on content and character. Thank you, y'all. Thank you so much. Give it up for Twin, you guys. Drop it now. Drop it all around the world and down here in exchange. Come and get your brain fed with that good food. Jack, come on up here and give us a musical interlude if you would so kind, sir. Let's give it up for Jack. He's part of the Six Bar and Monica and him. This man is ready to roll. Come on up here, Jack. Give him a hand, daughter. Give him a favor. Okay, for a while you can stand up. Okay, hold on a second. While Jack sets up, we're going to have a word from... Okay, that's no. Mr. Johnson, you want to drop some knowledge? Your name came up. But there's no mention of Johnson. You want me to substitute? How's Jack? How long have you been with him? One minute. One minute? You know what? Maybe you could... Maybe you could go after him. What did Jack do with him? Jack did with him? Okay. Let me give it up for Jack. One second, guys. Jack did with him. Good evening, folks. Good evening, Jack. I'm Mr. Johnson. I'm here with a couple of these artists here tonight. Hey. You guys can laugh. You guys can say something. I have a couple songs for you. We're going to do a little... I hope you can hear all this. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. I hear you. That refugee was laid to rest And I made a fool to keep him in test And I told her, he's been strong He can't sway, make things wrong I, I did nothing wrong I made a fool to use like a whore But you don't know, so I want you to see What your love has done to me All right now So dear me I, I kicked down the door With Christmas, us like a fool I want you to know What you believe Is the truth, I'll put this deep For you, and I'll tell the truth And I, I did what you told I, I kicked down the door With Christmas, us like a fool I want you to know What your love has done to me Come on now So dear me Ba ba da ba da ba da ba ba ba da ba ba da ba da Ooh sha la la la la Ooh sha la la la la I, you burned down the wall And I got thrown At your heart, at your heart I signed the rule And it's always true I put my head Right through the news Crossed my path There's no peace I admit defeat Baby, you didn't reach I want you to know What a good peace What a good love At the end Come on now Ah...So gi' gi' Ba... passou Ah... passou Ah... passou Ba... passou Ah... passou So tell me, right now, oh baby, you're the deadliest woman that I, that I ever know. Baby, baby, baby. Baby, baby, baby. Baby, baby, baby. Now, let me sound like that, brother. I ain't doing no cold, I wasn't serious. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. And little child, won't you look my way? Absolutely, look that way. Little child, won't you come and play? Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. There's an eye to be seen. And I know my love is real. And I understand how I feel. And ooh, how it can go. And I want you so bad, and it keeps around. And I can't understand. Cause with the good in my hands, I'll always look bad with my eyes. But no, no, no, no. I feel all right. I feel all right. Oh, I feel all right. I feel like a girl. I can't take to the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and the good and 2, 3, 4 Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle And the rider's wheel Can you explain how I feel? Ooh, I want to know And I want to show love And I need you to know So can you? Ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh And you remember? Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Let's give Jack another round of applause! Come on, give it up for Jack! Thank you, Jack! Thank you! We're gonna keep this show rolling right along. Another good friend of mine, Kid Ripper, the dawn of my life, Miss Vicky! Miss Vicky, come on up here! Come on up here! You gotta give her a hand, she's great to stay! Miss Vicky! Yeah! Yeah! Ah! How's everybody doing? I'm blessed! Yeah! Yeah! I'm blessed to have you here today! I'm blessed to have you here today! And I would say, here to show us your... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Uh... Start it over, turn it up. Here's the mic. Here's the mic and voice solution. Try it in the living room. Jack, look at him go. Jack, Jack, can you put something here? Can somebody help me? Can you give me your... I need that mic. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Can you hear me? I got the microphone. Can I have the mic? I want to watch this. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Can we start it over? I do my little favor and follow it up. I don't want nobody always standing around me and my bed. There you go. Come on, girl. I don't want nobody always standing around me and my bed. Well, me and my mother, my brother, my sister. Would you believe I get up when I'm so close and go out and help me find somebody who's as healthy as me. I will. Yes, I will. Now, I don't mind company because company's alright with me every once in a while. Yes, it is. I said, I don't mind company because company's alright with me every once in a while. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, me and that man get close. I tell you, girl, I tell you, well, I just don't have time. I'm sick and chipped and sick and chipped to have a smile. Don't send me no doctor. Well, I'm sick, say this, girl. Fill me up with all those pills. Say what? Sing it to me. Oh, I just feel me need doctors feel good. Oh, yes. Oh, that man takes care of my pain. Yeah. His body is, his name is doctor feel good and warm it. Take care of his mess. He's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, this man can't get out. And after one pill to doctor feel good, you understand what feel good is his name. Nice. Nice. Oh, yeah, whoa! Girl, I'm not a man in a man's show, makes me feel real good. Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about, girl. Hold down. Now, let's go talk to that girl. Hey, hold up. Give her a hand. All right, better. You've got enough side being. You've got a side being we love. You can put down one more. All right. Before you get out that door. Come on, y'all. Get up out there. Encore, encore, encore. I know you got one there. That's all right. Son, I hope you don't want my arm. It's not often we get this type of entertainment, but let me tell you, you got all kinds of talent right down here on the nickel. You just don't know it. If you don't know it, you don't know it. You better ask somebody. Andre. Carmen's coming up, too. Okay. You want me to bring Carmen up now? You want me to let her in? Yeah, yeah. Carmen, you ready, right? You ready? Well, okay, Carmen. Come on up here, Carmen. And then after Carmen. This is another beautiful little woman. You hear it. We're a principle here. I just want to say, anybody that likes Matthew Clark, and didn't find him so expensive, you can go to him. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. He's a great guy. And I want to thank everyone for your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and your time and Oh, Jack, you can go back. Okay, don't be... Oh, Ram, this is a work in progress, which wasn't me at all. Does this sound okay? Does this sound like I'm... Right there. Right there. What struck me was our self-imposed segregation. Separate from experiencing other cultures, annihilating minds from the beauty in other colors. The red or black man who died for the cause of integration. I couldn't help but see the irony. His appropriation to one group as there are many who walk in the light of liberation because the liberation of a slave was a freedom we all nourished in. The constellation of our ancestors links us all to our plantations. But where are women from? Where do women come from? I don't know, but I understand that men are created, and they are people. A supplication of the census, nothing makes sense when your honor rests in the reminiscence of another. What I felt was an inadequate appropriation of a leader in the representing national religion to the faulty child. Fuel for comrades and zombies in the Martin Luther. It seemed concentric. I can't write coherently about something that just ignites pain. But I feel that it's important to me. I feel these individuals move the cause of mankind, not just one nation. Many review them without boundaries. I recently met the man behind the intellect, a Reverend named James Lawson. I couldn't ask much. I was awestruck. He stood before me, a real legend. He instilled those values of peaceful resistance for Dr. Martin Luther. Hmm, James. I am certain there were others, but he is still alive. He teaches these concepts. He seemed a little less tempered and a bit bothered by the occupier's failure to incorporate real items for change. In broad strokes. But you see, Mr. Lawson, the slick presentation and advertising make it even more difficult to see everything that's hidden behind the veil. The cover girls. The dull experiments where we visited recently to the same stark painful results that they had in the 1950s. Little progress. The chains seem to be invisible, but they play out in plain sight. We've changed, however. Mass appeal has made the blind ubiquitous to all nations. The prisons, droopy pant-like style, are now high fashion. Free love converted to polygamous experiments and carnal knowledge, not just the freedom to love without hindrance from other cultures or people, races, or your sexual orientation. The nuance at best and heartless indignation subjecting humans to emotional bondage, that split second when you realize your thoughts are now the latest in a state of incarceration. The purple mountain majesty of El Norte robbed you of your ethnicity and or the twilight zone where the destruction of your soul is just a light stroke away from a glass pipe. The glass ceilings have lowered and the walls are pouring out human vestiges, self-destroying habits in the mind and body. But peacefulness lies in a quest of love, a quest of love, that moral transcendence, moral value that Dr. King spoke about. The value of love, of self, recognizing ourselves as one family, one race, and one nation. Thank you. After a long day's work to be home safely resting, the pleasure of a home communal, the joy of your child's first steps, the blooms of spring, to watch the acorn and the pinecone mark their seasons, the quiet after the storm, the moment you open your eyes to see another dawn, to share fruits with the neighbors, and join the company of strangers as readily as family and friends, all that we tend to with care and with love, the empathy toward humanity, the love of oneself that reflects in the many, and to consciously abide by this on a day to day, on a day to day, to day, to day. Thank you. Alright, come on up here. Thank you, Clon. If you'd like to give her another hand, there's Clon and David. I know that Clon could hold down one as well. The next victim would be Tyrone Perks. Tyrone? Tyrone. Tyrone what? He's gone? Okay. Tyrone? Tyrone. Tyrone, going once, twice. Give me another name over there, son. Next victim. Next victim. Ronald, I think I hear a two. He's afraid. He just went out the door. Ronald? Yeah. Ronald? Is he still outside? Ronald. King Ronald. Ronald. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 4-1. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. 3-4. religion. Our religion is some jacked up video of me being an ass showing up on the internet, you know? Believe it or not, I can't be an ass. I don't look like it either, though, do I? They're going like, uh oh, wanko, whiskey tango, whiskey tango in the house. I was walking down the street, man, did you hear the hair of Christians walking down the street? I may be hairy, but I'm not a Christian anyway. I got to confess something. My name really is Ron, but it's Goh. But sometimes I go by Ron because, you know, I like to have people think about a hamburger. What's wrong, Sadie? Anyway, Ron McDonald, hamburger, sit like that, man. Whoa, hey, alright. Maybe I lost a hat. Anyway. So my name is Goh O'Kray. It used to be Gomez O'Kray, but I lost Gomez because people kept on like, oh, you're Mexican, and actually, I'm Black Irish. You know what Black Irish is? Black Irish is like, my people were seriously getting screwed by the English before they got around to screwing everybody else. Actually, in the early 1800s, they were hanging, like people from being white Irish and Catholic. But then they got around to seriously fucking with some other people. But anyway, so I think I'll play a song, and leave the conversation. Okay. I've got a comedy behind me. Because I have been comedy for many years. I've been comedy for many years now. I've been comedy for many years now. I've been comedy for many years now. I've been comedy for many years now. I've been comedy for many years now. Ow! That was in my back. That's the Supreme! That's the Supreme! The Supremes are all really good at this.