Help Prof. Griff!, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Help Prof. Griff!, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Posted by: "Litestar01@
Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:17 am (PST)
Help Prof. Griff!
[col. writ. 2/22/08] (c) '08 Mumia Abu-Jamal
Several days ago I received news of a fire which tore through the home
and property of the man known as Professor Griff, the more militant member of
the legendary hip-hop group, Public Enemy.
While Griff was unharmed (as he wasn't at home at the time), the damage
was total. He lost his home, his studio, and everything he owned to the fire,
possibly sparked by a gas leak.
As one of the group's most prolific lyricists, Prof. Griff contributed
mightily to Public Enemy's sound and messages of black militance, radical
resistance and the resurgence of Black history and memory.
Conscious, as ever, he is thankful that is alive.
Millions of people, Black, white, Latino and global, owe their youthful
political and social awakening to the throbbing beats, provocative lyrics and
moving performances of PE.
In an age when corporate interests have made hip-hop virtually
synonymous with mad gangsterism, PE turned on their legions of fans by exhorting them
to "Fight the Power!" Their albums, infused with the spirit of Black
nationalism and political activism, included works like "It Takes a Nation of
Millions to Hold Us Back" (1988). Today, their works are regarded as modern
classics of hip hop's true golden age.
Please donate what you can to help this great contributor to one of the
planet's greatest bands, and helping to get Prof. Griff back on his feet.
Please contact:
Kaven Shah
P.O, Box 11902
Atlanta, GA 30355
Or touch him on the web at: _www.hdqtrz.com_ (http://www.hdqtrz.com) .
People can donate via PayPal Account.
Griff has spent his time since PE's heyday by lecturing widely on Black
and hip hop history.
He shares his experiences and insights with young people, usually for free,
considering it his duty to do so.
He really is a professor, for he teaches and lectures on African
history, social and political movements, and the like.
In the 1980's and 1990's, Public Enemy provided a glimpse into another
side of Black life, strong, conscious, rich with historic imagery, and trying
to project something positive into the psyches of the young. Prof. Griff was
a central part of that musical and cultural collective.
In this, his hour of need, please let him know that you appreciated his
(and his group's) truly positive contribution.
--(c) '08 maj
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