Cariñito

Los Hijos Del Sol.

Sing About It

Andrés.

Wild Heart (live)

Stevie Nicks.

The Thief That Stole My Sad Days

Moodymann.

Wise

Ghostface Killah.

Trauma Unit

House Shoes.

Sawala Sayale

Theo Parrish.

Ras_G @ SpaceBase circa 2007

for Ras_G: Invocation

BRTH OF THA BLKKLGHT

Ed. Note: originally written with the intent to accompany the release of Zeroh's 2016 LP Tinnitus and until now, unused and unpublished. 

Odilon Redon - The Smiling Spider

AFTER NOW ND BEFORE TIME, INSIDE A BURNNG SUN LIVED THA RAWEST STRONGEST
MOSTMUFFKNPOTENT, THIK ND INKY L I G H T.
FRM A QUIET STORM, A SPARK OF CREASHUN SHOT A BLKK DOT OUT OF THA
BURNNG SUN,

A  C R   O S    S T  H A C    O S M I C           R O A D,

THA BLKKDOT TRAVLLD MILLENIA IN SECONDS BEFORE CRASHNG DEEP IN2 LONELY ROK.

“…ZZZZZZZ…...”

THEY WOKE IN A POOL OF FIRE, A BLKK BUD IN A MOLTEN WOMB.
THA FIRE BEGAN 2 BREAK THRU THA ROK,
UNTL RED OOZED FRM BLKK. BLOOMING FRM THA BLOOD, THA BUD OPENED ND SPRUNG.
THA BLKKLGHT CHLD BLED OUT OF THA ROK, DRIPPIN W LIFE, OOZIN MANA FRM THA TIP OF HIS
CHINNY CHIN CHINNN. A MILLION LIVES BUZZD INSIDE THE BULBOUS CRANIUM,
MULTITIDES OF LIVES ND XPERIENCES COMIN ALIVE AT ONCE. BLKK TEETH ND TONGUE,
NO EYELDZ ND DOUBL JOINTD JAWZ, BLKK FLESH SMOKN LIK FRANKINCENSE. BREATHN IN AIR ND
BREATHN OUT ASH, SLIK BLKK WINGS GAVE FLGHT 2 ZEROH THA BLKKBRD.

LIVIN IN THA SKY, THA BLKKBRD CIRCLD THA ROK THEY LANDD ON, GIVING IT A SLOW SPIN.
THA CIRCL KEPT HARMONY ON THA ROK, KEEPING WATER FRM MOUNTAIN
ND GIVING DARK ND LGHT TIME 2 WALK ABOUT.
THA BLKKBRD SPAT LIFE ON THA GREEN GROUND BELOW.
FLOWRZ ND TREES GREW FROM HIS SPIT. THEY MADE MOUNTNS, CARVD RIVERS ND ATE LEAVES.
IN TIME, THEY SAW FLAT FOLKS CRAWLNG IN CAVES ND GAVE THEM HIS FIRE.
FROM ABOVE, THEY SAW THA FLAT FOLKS BUILD LANGUAGE, CUT TREES ND MARK THEMSELVS.

AFTR LIVIN IN THA SKY FOR THOUSANDS OF SUNS, THA FLAT FOLKS HAD BUILT THEIR OWN MOUNTAINS,
CLOGGD THA RIVERS ND DUG IN2 THA GROUND, MAKIN METAL FROM DIRT ND FIRE.
THA BLKKBRD SAW A WRLD OF FLAT FOLK WHO DID NOT RESPCT THA LGHT,
FLAT FOLKS WHO KILLD LIFE ND ATE MEAT. THA BLKKBRD FELT A STINGNG INSIDE.
UNDR THA MOONLGHT, THEY DUG IN2 THEIR BODY, RESHAPING IT IN2 SOMETHN TALL ND SLENDR
ND HUMANLIKE BUT SLIK WET BLKK SKIN, EYEZ, HAIR ND WINGZ REMAIND.

“…ZZZZZZZ…..EEEERRRRRRR…….”

STRETCHN A BIT OF SKIN 2 MAKE A CAPE, ZEROH ST. LUCIEN HAD ARRIVD 2 A WRLD
OF SWORD, STONE ND RAIN. THEY KEPT HIGH BUT NO LONGR LIVED IN THA SKY.
THEY LIVED IN GREEN MOUNTAINS ABOVE FOG, SCALED CASTLES ND HAUNTD LORDS ND KINGZ.
DRAWN 2 THA PURE ND THA TRU AMONGST THA FLAT FOLKS, HIS NAME WAS FOUND IN SCRIPTURS
ND FOLKTALES. THA FEW WHO CROSSD HIS PATH CALLED HIM A GARGOYLE ND DREW HIS BLKK BODY
W HORNS ND FANGS.

SOME FLAT FOLKS BEGAN 2 CALL HIM “ANGEL” ND OTHERS CALLD HIM “DEVIL.”
ST. LUCIEN PROTECTD THA BLKKLGHT FOR MANY FLAT FOLK LIFETIMES, KEEPNG CIRCL
ND MAINTAINING HARMONY, UNTIL THA FLAT FOLKS BEGAN 2 SICKEN.
FLAT FOLKS BURNING IN PILES, SQUALOR ND VILLAGES ABANDONED DREW THA BLKKCHLD AWAY.   

THA BLKKCHLD WENT 2 WATR ND GREW POROUS SKIN 2 BREATHE THRU THA BODY.
THEY MEMORIZD THA OSHUN FLOOR ND FOR HUNDRDS OF MOONS KEPT IN HARMONY,
KEPT IN CONSTANT CIRCL. SHADOWS THAT PASSD THRU THA LIQUID SKY FROM TIME 2 TIME
DIDN’T BREAK CIRCL, UNTL THEY STARTD DROPPN BLKK BODIES. BLKK BODIES SANK ALONE,
THEY SANK IN BUNDLZ ND THEY BROKE THA CIRCL, DULLING THA BLKKLGHT SGNAL.

THA BLKKCHLD FELT A TEAR INSIDE, DISRUPSHUN IN THA TRANSIMISSION. CHAOS. FEAR. RAGE.
THA BLKKCHLD SPILT MURKY, THIK BLAK TEARZ ND SANK 2 THA DEEPST DEPTHS,
HOWLNG FOR A LIFETIME.
EXHAUSTD ND ALMOST DEPLETED OF LGTH, THA BLKKCHLD BLOATED INTO A SMALL ISLAND
ND FLOATED ALONE. AS THA LGHT FROM THA SUN POURD ON2 THA WATER
ND FOUND ITS WAY INSIDE THA BLKKCHLD, THEY BEGAN 2 RUMBLE.

AS THA LGHT FILLD THA BLKKCHLD W LIFE, HIS BLOATED BODY SHRANK ND EYEZ CRAKD OPEN.
WASHNG ON SHORE, THA BLKKLGHT CHILD AWOKE 2 A CIRCL OF LIGHT IN ALL COLORS.
HIS JAWZ SWUNG OPEN, THEY FELT IT WAS THA LGHT OF HIS BURNNG SUN HOME, BRIGHT ND THIK.
BUT IT WAS NOT A BLKKLGHT. IT WAS NOT THA SUN OR EVN THA LIGHT OF THA MOON.
IT WAS A COLD LGHT, ARTIFICIAL, LOUD ND EMPTY.

THA BLKKLGHT CHLD EMERGED IN2 A WRLD OF ODD ND STRANGE.
THA FLAT FOLKS WHERE EVERYWHERE. THEY HAD BUILT SMALL MOUNTAINS.
THEY HAD CAUGHT FIRE ND GAVE IT ALL THE COLORS OF THA NATURAL LIFE.
THEY POURED BLAK ROK ON TOP OF EARTH ND TRAVELLD IN METAL BOXES.
THEY FOGGD THE SKY W POISON ND CLOUDED THA WATER W SLUDGE.
THEY LOOKD WEAK ND FRAIL W PALE SKIN, STARNG IN2 MAGIC SQUARS THEY ALL CARRIED.
THEY CREATED DEATHMAGIK ND ATE FABRICASHUN.
THE FREQUENCY OF THA LGHT, SO LIFEGIVING BEFORE, WAS NOW FAINT ND FUZZY.

THA BLKKLGHTCHLD CREPT DEEP IN2 A FOREST BY THA OSHUN ND REMEBRD EVERYTHNG.
THA EMERGENCE OF LIFE. THA BIRTH OF THA FLAT FOLKS. THEIR WRLD OF FABRICASHUN.
THA BLKK BODIES SINKING. THA WEAKENING OF THA BLKKLGHT FREQUENCY. IN A BLINK, THEIR BLKK EYEZ
TURND WHITE. THEY STRIPPD BARK, SCOOPD SAND, MXED ASH W OSHUN 2 CREATE A SKIN.
THEY SQUEEZD ND SLIPPD IN2 THA SKIN, STRETCHNG ND ADJUSTNG HIS BODY 2 FIT THA FORM,
TUKIN IN WINGZ ND PULLNG BAK FANGS.

NOW SPEAKNG THA LANGUAGE OF THAT FLAT FOLKS,
THA BLKKCHLD HAS BARE FEET ON GRIP TAPE,
CIRCLING AN EMPTY POOL ON A BOARD WITH WHEELZ.
A TRIBE OF YUNG FLAT FOLK AROUND HIM,
IN A CIRCL, OPEN ND READY 2 HEAR THA BLKKCHLD SPEAK.  
THEY UNHINGES HIS JAWZ ND THEY FLY OPEN,
EXHALNG A PUNGENT SMOKE,
READY 2 TELL THA PURE FLAT FOLK ABOUT THA BLKKLGHT ND THA ORIGINAL CIRCL…

“…..ZZZZ……EEEERRRRRR……..OOOOOOHHHHH…..zzZZEEEeeEeEERrRrrRrooOOoOoOhHHh…”

MOVEMENT GENERATION: Beyond The Nation State--A Critical Look At Venezuela’s Current Crisis

Movement Generation members, Brooke Anderson and mateo nube, discuss the growing humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela, critically analyzing its root causes.

Brooke Anderson: The U.S. has a long history of interventionism in Latin America. Now the Trump Administration is positioning itself for a possible military intervention. What should the demands of the U.S. Left be of our own government in this moment?

Mateo Nube: We need to call for a non-interventionist, non-military path forward. The U.S. Special Envoy to Venezuela, Elliot Abrams, is a horrid man who was at the center of U.S. efforts to crush revolutionary movements in Latin America in the 1980s. So the intents and interests of the U.S. government are clear and cruel. We need to challenge both military intervention and sanctions. We need to support the self-determination of the Venezuelan people.  We need to actively oppose the U.S. government’s destabilization offensive in Venezuela.

Uruguay and Mexico are calling for a peaceful, negotiated transition and have articulated a thoughtful path forth. It calls for free and fair elections, which we know cannot happen in a week. The level of chaos induced by both sides trying to delegitimize the other makes that too hard right now. So, they’re saying “Let’s take 10 breaths and figure out what the timeline is on which new elections can happen.”

We can stand against U.S. interventionism while acknowledging that Venezuelans are deeply polarized and that the Maduro government has mismanaged the state and brought its own legitimacy into question. We often denounce U.S. empire building, but don’t criticize the Venezuelan state out of fear it will be used against us. But we are stronger if we stand in our principles and say both. We can hold all of that complexity and we are stronger if we do. That’s my invitation to other leftists.

READ THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE

IMIXWHATILIKE: An Interview with Boots Riley

Jared Ball speaks with Boots Riley.

Godspeed (cover)

Stormzy.