Conscientization 101

On this episode we interview Donnie Mossberg! Donnie is a musician, technician, videographer, and a member and organizer of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party. If any of you have ever looked for a YouTube video with talks from John Henrik Clarke, Kwame Ture, Amos Wilson, and so many of our other ancestors, you probably watched a video Donnie edited/posted. We first noticed his name pop up every time we watched one of these videos on YouTube, so we did the research to learn more about his work. Fortunately, brother Donnie posted a video putting out a call for people who wanted to do media production to hit him up, and of course, we did!

In this two part series we cover colonialism, struggles in the streets, the state of the African world and so much more! Donnie’s work proves that we don’t have to wait for people with the “big bucks” and “influence” to report on things happening in the world. We have the ability to conscientize ourselves and with filming, editing, and broadcasting technology readily available, we can report on our own stories.

You can find Donnie on SoundCloud, Instagram, and Twitter.

This podcast episode features Donnie Mossberg’s Tragedy and Fire is Coming from Black the Ripper’s Outlaw, Vol. 2 album.

This is part 2 of our discussion with Dr. Julian Kunnie about his book Is Apartheid Really Dead?: Pan-Africanist Working-Class Cultural Critical Perspectives. His book argues that the path of capitalism the post-apartheid government has taken signifies a pro-bourgeois position that adheres to the dictates of global market forces.

This episode features music from Akala from his albums Knowledge is Power Mixtape, Vol.1 and The Thieves Banquet the tracks are “Get Educated” and “Maangamizi”, respectively.

On this episode we talk with Dr. Julian Kunnie about his book Is Apartheid Really Dead?: Pan-Africanist Working-Class Cultural Critical Perspectives. His book argues that the path of capitalism the post-apartheid government has taken signifies a pro-bourgeois position that adheres to the dictates of global market forces. We had a really important discussion with Dr. Julian Kunnie addressing the issues and contradictions that still exist in Azania (South Africa) and the African world. This is part one of a two part series.

This episode features music from Akala from his albums Knowledge is Power Mixtape, Vol.1 and Knowledge is Power Mixtape Vol. 2 the tracks are “Get Educated” and “The Fall” ft. Amy True, respectively. We also feature music by Chairman Maf from his Dusted (EP), the track is “Still Water”.

Alright everyone, we got part 2 of our interview with Raggo Zulu Rebel! We continue our discussion about the fierce competition involved in the music industry and how it creates a myriad of distractions. We also discuss how competition engenders an environment where everyone is attempting to stake their place in the different “degrees of pimping”. Raggo breaks down the fallacies of charities and talks about the concepts behind his latest album Holy War. There is so much covered in this interview, it’s impossible to include it all in a summary, you just gotta listen!

The music featured on this episode is:

C-101 presents part one of a two-part series featuring excerpts from our interview with highly creative and prolific hip hop artist Raggo Zulu Rebel! We discuss many aspects of the music industry, including how it is used to dominate and control people through cultural hegemony, the proliferation of “key word lyricism”, and music’s quotidian influence on people’s lives. We also discuss the various aspects of organizing, self-understanding, spirituality, health, and building relationships. In listening to this episode it will be apparent why Raggo is so influential to Conscientization 101. His music and personality are genuine examples of constant development.

This episode features the following songs from Raggo Zulu Rebel’s music catalog:

If you were to ask the average African in the Diaspora if they considered themselves free, chances are they would exclaim with tremendous fervor, “Hell yeah, I am free! Slavery was back then in them times long ago. Fool we got a Black president; we can do whatever white people do, so that means we are free!” When you hear something like that, you have to ask yourself is the agency of an oppressed group to be judged by their ability to ape their oppressors? Why is it that freedom isn’t necessarily equated with sovereignty in the minds and actions of Africans in the Diaspora or the rest of the world? Well these are some of the questions Ezrah Aharone attempts to resolve in his books Pawned Sovereignty: Sharpened Black Perspectives on Americanization, Africa, War, and Reparations and Sovereign Evolution: Manifest Destiny From “Civil Rights” “To Sovereign Rights”. In this discussion with Ezrah, we talked about sovereignty, the contradictions of the so-called “Black Lives Matter” movement and recent Selma commemoration, and much more.

Music featured in this episode includes: Akala’s “Get Educated” from his album Knowledge Is Power – Mixtape, Vol. 1, Chairman Maf’s “Paint”, “Sundown”, “Never”, and “Whistle” from his album Paint, “Set U Free” from Wise Intelligent’s The Talented Timothy Taylor album, and “Gonna Be A Change” from Big Cakes’s album CCC.

Conscientization 101 interviews independent UK hip hop artist, Cyclonious The Natural Disaster. We discuss African nationhood and identity, 360 deals imposed by major record labels, and music as a form of social conditioning. Cyclonious also offers his analysis on the sloganeering of “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” and talks about his new project which he says is his best yet (can’t wait for this one!).

We feature Cyclonious’s songs “The Chosen”, “Together” ft. Phoenix Da Icefire & Apex Zero, and “Against the Beast” ft. Nate & JayJayborn2sing from his albums The Chosen , Hostile Leadership with Chairman Maf, and Escape to Reality, respectively. You don’t want to miss this episode!

As promised, we present the second and final part of our series on the book Catastrophism: The Apocalyptic Politics of Collapse and Rebirth. On this part we have a dialogue with Sasha Lilley and James Davis. Sasha’s contribution to the book is entitled “Great Chaos Under Heaven: Catastrophism and the Left” and James’s piece is entitled “At War with the Future: Catastrophism and the Right”. During this interview we discuss the various tendencies on the left and the right toward the ideology of Catastrophism, imperialism, immigration, the state and what it would take to move past the despair inherent in Catastrophism to overturn oppressive realities.

The music featured in this episode is “Get Educated” by Akala from his album Knowledge is Power – Mixtape, Vol. 1, “Life’s a Hustle” by Logic & Last Resort from their album True Talk (The Instrumentals), “False Evidence Appearing Real (F.E.A.R)” by Cyclonious from his album F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real), and “The 4th Branch” by Immortal Technique from his album Revolutionary Vol. 2.

On this edition of C-101 podcast we sat down with Eddie Yuen to discuss his piece entitled “The Politics of Failure Have Failed: The Environmental Movement and Catastrophism”, in the book Catastrophism: The Apocalyptic Politics of Collapse and Rebirth. In this interview we discuss various aspects and tendencies within the politics of catastrophe. We also explore the dynamics of resistance and where/how it emerges, point of production, the neoliberal solutions offered to combat ecological devastation and much more! This interview is part one of a two part series whereby we sat with two more of the authors, Sasha Lilley and James Davis. Be on the lookout for part two soon!

The music featured in this episode is “Testimony” by Logic & Last Resort from their album True Talk (The Instrumentals), “Fuck A War” by The Geto Boys from their album We Can’t Be Stopped, “Pimp Tha Pen” by DJ Screw & Lil Keke from the album 3′ N The Mornin’ (Part Two), and “Get Educated” and “Absolute Power” by Akala from his album Knowledge is Power – Mixtape, Vol. 1.

On March 5, 2013 the charismatic and revolutionary president of Venezuela, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, died seemingly unexpectedly. While it was known that Chávez had undergone operations in Havana, Cuba to remove an abscessed tumor with cancerous cells, it was reported prior to his death that his cancer had undergone a complete remission. Questions immediately began to surface about what turn the country would take now that Chávez had passed away. Media from the United States empire, in its traditional fashion, praised the death of Chávez, while throughout the world oppressed people who struggle against capitalist imperial domination were in severe mourning at the passing of a this man who stood up to the empire so that the Venezuelan people, and all oppressed people, could be free and define their own terms for existence.

On June 17, 2013 thru June 27, 2013, C-101 editors went to Venezuela to get a firsthand account of Venezuela post Chavez. In our extensive travels throughout the country, we saw a politically astute people that were shaken by the death of Chávez but not bowed, and were determined not only to maintain all the progress that was made under Chávez’s leadership, but to take that progress to the next level.  During out stay, we had an extensive conversation about contemporary Venezuelan history, a Chávez-led Venezuelan government, and the future of Venezuela post Chávez with interpreter/fixer/translator Leo Lameda.

Leo was our focal point during our sojourn into Venezuela, is fluent in three different languages (Spanish, French, and English), works with Global Exchange, and is extremely knowledgeable about the political economy of Venezuela.

The music featured in this episode is “This Ain’t Living” and “I Wanna See” by Caxton Press from their This Ain’t Living / Hunger single and album Shame the Devil – Instrumentals, and “Robbers, Barons, And Bankers” by Wise Intelligent from his album El Negro Guerrero. Also featured is commentary from Kwame Ture.