The personafied gun / bullet is something of common motif in Hip-Hop but no one does it like Pharoahe Monch. “Damage” is third part of his Bullet Triollogoy following “When the Gun Draws” off of Desire and “Stray Bullet,” a pioneering track from the Organized Konfusion days. This drop off of Pharoe’s forthcoming P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) project continues to deal with of the tragic reality of violence and guns in our communities. Stay tuned!
Pharoahe Monch is releasing the third and final installment to his bullet trilogy. Socially prophetic and politically relevant, “Damage” chronicles the tragedy of inner city killings and mass murder. The song provides a chilling reminder that bullets have no name.
The track, produced & mixed by Lee Stone, is the lead track off Pharoahe Monch’s upcoming digital-ep ‘P.T.S.D.’ (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) out late Fall on W.A.R. Media / Duck Down Music Inc.
This is a letter to Troy Davis, who was murdered by lethal injection on 21 September 2011, in spite of a massive international campaign for clemency. Sampling Billie Holiday’s classic song ‘Strange Fruit’, the song highlights the parallels between traditional racism – where black people could be lynched by paramilitary mobs like the KKK – and the modern systemic racism where black people can be legally lynched on the orders of appointed officials.
Forward against the racist system, by any means necessary.
LYRICS
[Intro]
Another lynching has gone down in the US
And it’s 2011. Nothing has changed.
[Chorus]
What up Troy, I can’t believe they actually did it man
To tell the truth they ain’t never gone kill you man
You live forever in the hearts of those who fought for ya
You fought for us, you gave us strength like a true soldier
[Rodstarz verse]
I feel the pain, I feel the anger and I raise to show it
I hit the streets and spread the word so the world knows it
I’m sorry we didn’t save you
Shoulda been braver
But at times I feel alone when I’m surrounded by these strangers
2009 we first spoke, after I met Martina
I got the shirt but since then I haven’t really seen her
Been on the road with these raps just tryin a spread a message
But when I think about our talks they were such a blessing
You was in jail reading your poems on the phone
And all I did was just listen, back stage of the show
Then I heard the crazy news about a week ago
That the date had been set and they wanted you to go
11.08pm, September 21st
Never forget, my inner being still hurts
Obama stayed quiet, like he did for Oscar Grant
Clarence Thomas b**ch ass never gave you a chance
See, you was innocent, there was too much doubt
7 of 9 witnesses wanted their testimony out
They was scared, police threats, serious like cancer
But you know it wasn’t true, years later they recanted
I wish I had the answer what to do next
Gotta do more than tweet, Facebook and send texts
We need freedom, organise like Zulu
Feel the pain of injustice even tho I never knew you
[Chorus]
What up Troy, I can’t believe they actually did it man
To tell the truth they ain’t never gone kill you man
You live forever in the hearts of those who fought for ya
You fought for us, you gave us strength like a true soldier
[G1 verse]
They still lynching from plantations to the prisons
Methods changed but it’s the same system
White robes used to burn a crucifix
Now black robes sign a death sentence
Instead of Jim Crow and legal segregation
It’s yuppie condos and cuts to education
And I ain’t gotta say it Troy, you said it in your last letter
Thanking your supporters worldwide for they past efforts
More than half a million signed them petitions
The pope, the archbishop, stars and politicians
A who’s who on Twitter weighing in like Mayweather
But what happens to my bro after the storm let up
New day
Pray you in a better place
Over here we coping, tryin a channel that rage
To abolish these legal lynchings, abolish they broken system
Abolish the need for prisons, in defence of the human spirit
[Chorus]
What up Troy, I can’t believe they actually did it man
To tell the truth they ain’t never gone kill you man
You live forever in the hearts of those who fought for ya
You fought for us, you gave us strength like a true soldier
Free Download: http://jasirix.bandcamp.com/track/do-we-need-to-start-a-riot
“Do We Need to Start a Riot?” is a response to the recent report by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement that states 110 Black people have been killed by the police in 2012, one every 40 hours
Filmed on location in New York City at the historic march to end Stop and Frisk, and in Los Angeles on Florence and Normandie, where the 1992 LA rebellion began, “Do We Need to Start a Riot?” features words from legendary Activist/Comedian Dick Gregory and Henry Watson, one of the “LA Four”, charged in the beating of Reginald Denny and highlighted in the recent VH1 documentary “Uprising: Hip-Hop and the LA Riots, and appearances by the Universal Zulu Nation, Occupy the Hood, the Sound Strike, the League, and Hip-Hop Artist Tahir Jahi.
“Do We Need to Start a Riot?” was directed by Paradise Gray and Radee Westfield.
[LYRICS]
Ramarly Graham, they shot him
Alan Blueford, they shot him
Ken Chamberlain, they shot him
Kendric McDade, they shot him
Darius Simmons, they shot him
Bo Morrison, they shot him
Wendell Allen, they shot him
Justin Sipp, they shot him
Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You’re in the presence of warriors
Scared rappers be quiet
Scared preachers be quiet
Scared leaders be quiet
You’re in a warrior’s face boy
You can’t call this a race war
Cause we the only ones they got hate for
That get shot down when the gage roar
But we always willing to take more
From Emmett Till on that lake floor
To Trayvon, Rekia Boyd
Mumia, Troy it’s we destroyed
Since I’m public enemy I bring the noise
Marissa Alexander, they locked her
Jasmine Thar, they shot her
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don’t get justice do we need to start a riot?
In 92 those riots grew
Peace treaty
red unites with blue
In LA the Crips and the Prius
Put aside the feud and started riding true
said the NOI was behind it to
Then Police came in to divide the crews
Steal a homies car them drive it through
Another gangs hood then fire the tool
Our unity is our biggest weapon
When I asks this question you feeling threatened
But imagined your child being killed for less and
It’s 45 days for the killer arrested
mad at me cause I’m given a message
But if we can be killed by Zimmermans
And they can get off cause of privilege
Then our we really citizens
Get beaten to death if you a immigrant
Go back to your country is the sentiment
They call us monkeys say we ignorant
So we get killed they don’t give a shit
Now what would you do if you were living this?
To protect your kids from this?
If ya child got killed would you live with it?
Would you slit you wrists would you get the fifth
Would you care about ya job our ya benefits?
If they said they murderer was innocent
No trial no jury no sentencing
And you saw how foul this system is
but they keep telling us to be patient
They keep tell us to keep waiting
They keep telling us that we hating
And when we’re killed cause we black that we racist
Howard Morgan they shot em
Then for 40 years they locked him
They keep trying to kill us
But they never get indicted
Our people crying loud
But them scared rappers stay quit
And if we don’t get justice do we need to start a riot?
![Pharoahe Monch – Damage [Single]](https://hip-hop4blackunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Damage.Cover_.500x.jpg)
