Dedication
This book is dedicated to my African Ancestors across the Diaspora, those who died and shed blood, sweat and tears. To my mother and my father and relatives who have helped along the way. This book is especially dedicated to my son/my shining light/my little warrior. My Son, Tayari, this book is dedicated for you. This book is dedicated to my wonderful lady, Schaunda, who keeps me correct. This book is dedicated to the master scholars/leaders present and past whose views have shaped me: Dr. Amos Wilson, Mwalimu Baruti, Baba Omotosho, Dr. Cress Welsing, Kwame Toure, Professor William Mackey, and Marcus Garvey to name a few. This book is also dedicated to all the black musicians, from the Blues and Jazz greats to the Hip-Hop emcee, for it is their creativity that inspired me. This book is dedicated to the hustlers of the streets as well as the hustlers of the boardroom and classroom. I am a man of a lot of worlds and I speak from all of them. This book is a mirror of me and you will look into it and find laughter, pain, real talk, imagination, despair and hope.
I am a child of the Blues and the Funk; a cousin of Hip-Hop. I am a child of the spiritual; my aunt is Gospel. To My Mother-Creator, Revolution, and My Father-Creator, Liberation, I submit this work as a revelation of what my eyes, ears and heart experienced and was exposed to. This is forever a work in progress.
To the reader, please know that this book of poetry or freestyle rhapsody is written like James Baldwin, Countee Cullen or Langston Hughes would write their great literary works (i.e. in the Ebonics vernacular of the character and of the time). Remember, I am a cousin of Hip-Hop, so I write in the urban poetical style of the day. I have been influenced by the troubled man: Tupac, Marvin, Gil Scott Heron, Huey P. Newton, Biggie & Miles.
This book is dedicated to my African Ancestors across the Diaspora, those who died and shed blood, sweat and tears. To my mother and my father and relatives who have helped along the way. This book is especially dedicated to my son/my shining light/my little warrior. My Son, Tayari, this book is dedicated for you. This book is dedicated to my wonderful lady, Schaunda, who keeps me correct. This book is dedicated to the master scholars/leaders present and past whose views have shaped me: Dr. Amos Wilson, Mwalimu Baruti, Baba Omotosho, Dr. Cress Welsing, Kwame Toure, Professor William Mackey, and Marcus Garvey to name a few. This book is also dedicated to all the black musicians, from the Blues and Jazz greats to the Hip-Hop emcee, for it is their creativity that inspired me. This book is dedicated to the hustlers of the streets as well as the hustlers of the boardroom and classroom. I am a man of a lot of worlds and I speak from all of them. This book is a mirror of me and you will look into it and find laughter, pain, real talk, imagination, despair and hope.
I am a child of the Blues and the Funk; a cousin of Hip-Hop. I am a child of the spiritual; my aunt is Gospel. To My Mother-Creator, Revolution, and My Father-Creator, Liberation, I submit this work as a revelation of what my eyes, ears and heart experienced and was exposed to. This is forever a work in progress.
To the reader, please know that this book of poetry or freestyle rhapsody is written like James Baldwin, Countee Cullen or Langston Hughes would write their great literary works (i.e. in the Ebonics vernacular of the character and of the time). Remember, I am a cousin of Hip-Hop, so I write in the urban poetical style of the day. I have been influenced by the troubled man: Tupac, Marvin, Gil Scott Heron, Huey P. Newton, Biggie & Miles.