AWKWORD – Notes From A Different Kitchen (Blog Rap)

As featured on the blog by the very same name…

The big homie Sha Stimuli told us “the blogs are gonna eat it up” — so we had to shoot this new freestyle over to yall… AWK drops 46 blogs in 24 bars!… Did you make the cut?

Vocals by AWKWORD; production by The White Shadow of Norway.

This is one of many collaborations between AWK and White Shadow, who is also serving as co-executive producer of AWKWORD’s forthcoming Word View album, the first-ever 100% nonprofit global hip hop project. With production from 15+ nations and every continent on earth, and all proceeds going to combat youth street violence, the album is designed to connect us all, and better our communities, through the transformative power of hip hop.

Expected to drop in late 2010, the album features AWK alongside such hip hop heavyweights as Sha Stimuli, Jadakiss, Punchline (eMC), KRS-One, Main Flow, AWOL One, Poison Pen, Reks, C-Rayz Walz, Mazzi (S.O.U.L. Purpose) and more.

LINKS (high-quality mp3):

- Option 1
- Option 2

LYRICS:

… we goin in!…

2dopeboyz, unkut, on smash /
white shadow, awkword, beats and rants /
in the smoking section, ask miss info to dance /
i got cocaine blunts and hip hop tapes in my pants /
east coast critics are biased, so they say /
but we been cloud kickers, since back in the day /
its not all 4 arrogance, i got poisonous paragraphs /
and fraud’s 38th notes, embarrass that ass /
you got elite taste?, and every chicks a fiya starter? /
oh word, okay player, nah right, dont bother /
im sicka than average, youre something like a rapper /
go paint the world pink, youre just a nod factor /
im the calm and the kaos effect, day in the lyfe /
work harder, up north trips, to dr. jay’s live /
real talk ny, sucker free, that real ish /
mbc digi, necole bitchie even feel this.

ALSO FROM AWKWORD & THE WHITE SHADOW OF NORWAY:

The White Shadow of Norway Named Co-Executive Producer of World View (the album)

Although somewhat less well-known than his European bredren The Snowgoons, The White Shadow of Norway is a global hip hop legend in his own right. Not only does he produce, he’s got the DJ and mix game on lock out there.

White Shadow has worked with the likes of Supastition, Illmind (G-Unit), Wordsworth, Malik B (The Roots), Easy Mo Bee, Celph Titled, Vinnie Paz & Jedi Mind Tricks, Block McCloud & Brooklyn Academy, J-Zone, Tash (The Alkaholiks), Pace Won, Maylay Sparks, Reef The Lost Cauze, Grand Agent, Louis Logic, Krumbsnatcha, Esoteric, Slaine, Clockworx, Jamalski, Infinito 2017, and Azeem (Spearhead).

White Shadow has shown unwavering support for AWK and the World View project. This is AWKWORD’s brother from another mother. Hence, he has been named Co-Executive Producer of the project AWKWORD has called his most important contribution to hip hop (and society) to date.

Click the logo below for more.

AWKWORD Live at Southpaw

On January 22, 2010, AWKWORD appeared live at Southpaw in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, alongside Jabba (a.k.a. Hip Hop Pantsula) of South Africa, Asheru (of Boondocks fame) and Umi (dead prez affiliate), for a hip hop show benefiting the fight against AIDS in Africa, as well as promoting hip hop in education.

To read the original article, please click here.

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

AWKWORD - Live at Southpaw

BY THE WAY, IF YOU SEE THEM CATS RESPONSIBLE FOR (VIDEO) FILMING THE SHOW, TELL ‘EM TO HOLLER AT US. WE WANT THE FOOTAGE!

Anti-Injustice Movement Named World View Co-Sponsor; AWKWORD Joins AIM Roster

The Anti-Injustice Movement (AIM) has been named co-sponsor of AWKWORD’s forthcoming 100% nonprofit global hip hop project World View, along with The Morgan Stanley Foundation and End of the Weak (EOW; EODub).

AIM has also recruited AWKWORD for its full-time roster of hip hop “raptivists”.

TO VIEW THE OFFICIAL AWKWORD AIM PAGE, CLICK HERE.

AWKWORD will be featured on AIM’s forthcoming mixtape “The Lyrical Warfare: Mixtape Volume One”, with previously unreleased tracks, alongside fellow AIM emcees/poets Capital “X”, Monte Smith and others.

About AIM

(As written by AIM.)

The Anti-Injustice Movement (aka The AIM) is a global movement of activists, political emcees and protest poets who are fighting together to achieve the slow but steady destruction of global injustice. We struggle via non-violent and creative means against injustices perpetrated by corrupt governments, political and fundamentalist factions of organized religion, and corporate vampires. To do this we utilize the five elements of hip-hop (knowlege being the fifth), protest poetry, and grassroots campaigning as a means of awarenes raising and political revolt. We are against Western Militarism, Political Islam, and Zionism in equal measure and will combat them all because we refuse to choose between three evils.

We have no overall political affilation as a movement although one could say our flavour is distinctly libertarian, but what we do share is a determination to create a just, tolerant, and equal society which values both human and animal rights. We will fight against all forms of oppression and discrimination because we believe that regardless of one’s sex, race, sexual preference, religion, or culture, we should all have the same basic universal rights (this includes freedom of speech and expression). We are against the US death penalty, the ‘allies’ oil driven wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for freedom in Palestine. Nevertheless we oppose the barbaric Islamic regimes in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, and stand with the people against these militant religious oppressors. We are a secular organization that is comprized of people of different theological beliefs but we are all for the seperation of religion and politics, and vehemently oppose political and fundamentalists elements of organized religion. Thus we protest against Sharia and other faith based laws, faith schools, and any religious practices which are discriminative, intolerant, or violate human or animal rights. We seek to maintain freedom of religion and also freedom from religion. However we contend that human and animal rights trump religious expression because they are essential to the foundations of any civillized and just society.

We also oppose corporate amorality in it’s many forms and stand up for animal rights, equal rights in the workplace, environmental ethics, fair trade and against child and forced labour. We boycott and raise awareness about any companies who are engaging in any forms of unethical practice.

We will also attempt to deprogramme the minds of those who have been lulled into sedation by the soothing lies that surround us because apathy is no longer an option. The time has come to stand up, throw your fist in the air and pledge to take AIM for the ethical revolution.

[AIM uses Campaigning, Direct Action, Underground Hip Hop, Protest Poetry, Academic Articles, Awareness Raising and Networking to peacefully combat the rise of theocracy within secular democracies; Sharia and other faith based laws; female inequality within religions and the wider society; homophobia within religion and the wider society; racism within religion and the wider society; the indoctrination of children through faith schools; discrimination against those who reject religion; all forms of animal cruelty, and particularly vivisection; and corporations and companies who engage in unethical practices (against humans, animals or the environment).]

AWKWORD Featured on RealHipHopForever.com

The good folks at HipHopForever featured your boy AWKWORD in a recent post entitled “Awkword – ‘See The Light’ Album (World View Revolution)”, showcasing my upcoming project, amongst other dopeness. Special thanks!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE…

About HipHopForever

(As written at realhiphopforever.com.)

This is a community of real hip hop heads from all walks of life who come together to represent the hip hop culture and all that is represented by this term, to share our passion for hip hop, and to make others more aware of underground hip hop, real hip hop and good music.

Most people here listen to underground, golden age, and old school hip hop, among other forms of great music, and see hip hop as both a representation of the society around them and a vehicle for social change. Our goal is not to wipe out mainstream rap music, but rather to balance the airwaves and make people more aware of the great hip hop artists that get little to no attention. We demand that underground emcees, conscious emcees, lyricists, experimental hip hop artists, etc., get the same amount of airplay as their (currently) more popular counterparts.

This movement began in early 2007 when DJ Just One, a DJ from Bronx, New York opened our YouTube group and began inviting members. From here we rapidly grew in numbers and started expanding our operation. We started by opening a MySpace page, a Facebook group, and eventually our first website. It was apparent at this point that RHHF was more than a social network; we were a movement.

It quickly became apparent that a large group of our founding members, who had once felt a responsibility solely to advance hip hop, began realizing a goal that was much more grand in scale: promotion of the civic responsibility of hip hop as a vehicle for social revolution.

As many of our members grew more aware of this goal, they began to form opinions on topics such as politics, economics, etc., and eventually a libertarian socialist (anarchist) ideology became dominant amongst our founders. This would explain the structure of our site.

RHHF is a collectively-managed social network and movement that operates on an entirely democratic basis and maintains the goal of bringing light to aspects of hip hop culture and music that are otherwise shunned in the mainstream culture around the world. We represent hip hop as a vehicle of social change and hold to anarchist principles (though we do not require members to become anarchists) as a platform for change within hip hop, business, and eventually society as a whole.

VIDEO: AWKWORD – “Before” ft. PaceWon and Block McCloud (prod. The White Shadow of Norway)

Posted by the big homie White Shadow on his youtube channel. Song appears on his album “Victory”. The remix, produced by Anno Domini and featuring surprise guests, will appear on AWKWORD’s World View.

VIDEO / FREE AUDIO: AWKWORD – “That’s That Shit” ft. Shi 360, L.I.F.E. Long & IDE (prod. The White Shadow of Norway)

Posted by the big homie White Shadow on his youtube channel. Song appears on his album “Untouchable”. The ‘Shit Aint Sweet Remix’, produced by Amsterdam’s MistaSweet and featuring Access Immortal, Cans and L.I.F.E. Long, will appear on AWKWORD’s World View.

To download the original for free…

To listen to the remix…

AWKWORD Named to Top 10 Volunteers of 2009 by Morgan Stanley

Each year, as part of the What A Difference A Day Makes initiative, Morgan Stanley recognizes its top 10 volunteers.

In 2009, AWKWORD donated 625 hours to his World View project, the earth’s first 100% nonprofit hip hop project co-sponsored by End of the Weak (EOW), The Anti-Injustice Movement (AIM), and The Morgan Stanley Foundation.

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, AWKWORD’s named appeared on New York City’s 1585 Broadway “electronic ticker tape” that streams across the building as seen in the image above.

World View is scheduled to drop later in 2010. All proceeds from the album are being donated to Guns 4 Cameras (a.k.a. Aim to Live), a 501c3 recognized nonprofit, led by survivor Hezues R’ (and hip hop icon Pharoahe Monch), that is dedicated to eradicating gun violence through the hip hop-inspired education and empowerment of our inner-city youth.

For more information on World View, please click here.

To become a member of the Guns 4 Cameras (a.k.a. Aim to Live) cause, please click here (you must be logged in).

Music Monday: LEAK: AWKWORD – “The Black Book” (prod. by Blended Babies) [Rare. Circa 2005.]

Jabba, Asheru, AWKWORD, Umi Live Jan. 22: Combating AIDS in Africa + Promoting Hip Hop in Education

A Live Early Weekend Show Benefiting the Fight Against AIDS in Africa, as well as Promoting Hip Hop in Education…

SHOW INFO

Performing Live – Jabba, Asheru, AWKWORD, Umi, the BloomBars Artists in Residence (Terrence Cunningham and Carolyn Malachi), and Special Guests!

Date: Friday, January 22, 2010
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn, NYC, NY 11217
Address: 125 Fifth Avenue (at Sterling Place)
Info: 718.230.0236

Performers:
Jabba
Asheru
AWKWORD
Umi
Terrence Cunningham
Carolyn Malachi

Established MCs: E-mail Lewis[dot]Hegeman[at]gmail[dot]com to be added to the Special Guest Performer List.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Umi

www.umirbg.com
www.myspace.com/umisworld

Umi (P.O.W. / People’s Army / RBG Fam) was born in Tuskegee, Ala. His rebellious nature helps remind people everyday that their true independence is still waiting to be claimed. He continues to show listeners that music can be used not only to get money, but also to mobilize and motivate the people.

Umi is perhaps best known for touring the globe, performing and recording with now-legendary revolutionary rap group dead prez. But Umi has also opened for — or shared the stage with — The Roots, Dave Chapelle, Mos Def, Styles P, Method and Redman, Busta Rhymes, David Banner, Erykah Badu and others, as well as released several street-classic mixtapes, solo and with his group P.O.W. In 2008, Umi teamed up with Sony Red and DJ Child of Project Groundation to take his solo career to another level. His 2009 release, Project Groundation & Umi present “I’m Just A Prisoner” the mixtape/album, features dead prez, Ayatollah, Mistah F.A.B. and 9th Wonder, among others.

AWKWORD

www.AWKWORDrap.com
AWKWORD on facebook

AWKWORD was born the same day as MTV. Some say he was made to make music. But AWKWORD is a paradox, an anomaly, a contradiction… Descendent of the 12 Tribes of Israel, I am the fallen angel of hip hop — my wings are clipped, torn and tattered, bloodied. I am a tragic personality, the Charlie Brown-slash-George Costanza of rap — that is, someone who has gotten so used to bad luck that he has learned to turn around and laugh at it. I am the Hunter S. Thompson of hip hop — brilliant but dangerous. I am the modern-day Abba Kovner — I risk my life fighting for the underdog, the impoverished, the powerless. I am the people’s champ. In high school, I had a 4.3 grade point average but was suspended half the time for beating up racist hicks and misogynist jocks. This didn’t stop, until I found hip hop. For me, this music, this culture, is, and always has been, my outlet. I love hip hop, because it saved me, and I would therefore do anything to keep the culture creative, instead of destructive.

AWKWORD is the mastermind behind World View, the earth’s first 100%nonprofit global hip hop project, brought to you by The Morgan Stanley Foundation and the world-famous EOW (End of the Weak; EODub).

All proceeds from World View, the album, will be donated to Guns 4 Cameras (a.k.a. Aim to Live), a registered 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to eradicating gun violence through the hip hop-inspired education and empowerment of our inner-city youth. The organization’s founder, Hezues R’ was shot at 22 times at age 22 — and survived to re-dedicate his life to saving the streets. The organization’s Spokesperson is hip hop icon Pharoahe Monch; he and Hezues travel the country speaking to the youth about hip hop and making the right choices.

With World View, AWKWORD is continuing that tradition of using hip hop music to connect people for positive change.

AWKWORD stands behind a decade-plus in the music business. His first release, “the Sub-Way mixtape,” featured such hip hop icons such as Raekwon, Killah Priest and Remedy of Wu-Tang, ILL BILL and Necro, Tragedy Khadafi, GURU of Gang Starr, Scram Jones and others, and received rave reviews industry-wide. According to Elemental Magazine, AWKWORD showed the most heart on the album, while Juicy Magazine said standing out from Eminem would be easy…

The AWKWORD solo debut, “See the Light” (an Exit 97.7 Top Album of 2008), was the inspiration for World View, which is growing as a phenomenon on a daily basis.

Throughout 2009, AWKWORD recorded tracks for World View (as well as for other projects, such as the World View promotional mixtape, dropping a month before), with artists such as Jadakiss, KRS-One, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, ILL BILL, Pace Won, Main Flow, AWOL One and Josh Martinez, amongst many others. He appeared on the hit single “New York Minute,” produced by Harry Fraud and featuring Jadakiss, Vast Aire, Mazzi (S.O.U.L. Purpose) and Punchline. And in January-February 2010, the official World View / Guns 4 Cameras / BloomBars collaboration single (prod. by Harry Fraud) is coming to fruition, featuring AWKWORD, Asheru, Jabba (South Africa), Sha Stimuli, Lil Cease, G Fella, and surprise guests.

When World View drops in First Quarter 2010, it will feature production from 15+ nations and every continent on earth — along with a number of befitting MC cameos (as referenced aboved). “New York Minute” and the World View / Guns 4 Cameras / BloomBars collabo will appear on the album, which is being digitally distributed worldwide.

THIS is the FIRST time anything like this has ever been done in hip hop. AWKWORD is a revolutionary. And WORLD VIEW is just the beginning of his (our) revolution.

Asheru

www.edlyrics.com
www.myspace.com/asheru1

Asheru is widely known for performing the opening and closing themes for the popular TV series “The Boondocks,” as well as his pioneering and innovative efforts to forward the hip hop education movement. Asheru also collaborated with Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder to write and perform several songs for the hit TV series. In 2006, Asheru became the first rapper ever to win the prestigious Peabody Award for Journalism, for his writing of Boondocks’s controversial “Return of the King” episode. Asheru (of the famed duo Unspoken Heard) has traveled extensively throughout Japan, Europe, Canada and the United States, alongside Common, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Bilal, Ludacris, Edo G, J‐Live, Wordsworth and The Roots. He has collaborated and been featured on projects with Pete Rock, Talib Kweli and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Asheru’s recent collaboration with international funk and breaks band, Fort Knox Five, played in NBA arenas the last two seasons.

Born Gabriel Benn, Asheru is the founder of Guerilla Arts, Inc., a community-based organization specializing in innovative education, cultural arts programming, and professional development. Since 2005, his Hip-Hop Education Literacy Program (HELP) has partnered with dozens of recording artists, including Common, Jay-Z, Kanye West, KRS-One, Nas and Rakim. In 2008, HELP received a letter of endorsement from President (then, Senator) Barack Obama. Today, HELP can be found in classrooms across the country.

On January 15, 2010, Asheru’s new supplemental reading workbook series for HELP was released. The workbooks use hip hop lyrics to help students of all ages improve their reading and critical analysis — and help teachers improve literacy instruction. One of the books features the lyrics of a collaboration between international hip hop icon Nas and African hip hop icon Jabba.

Jabba

www.bloombars.com/category/artists-in-bloom-residents/jabba/
www.myspace.com/hiphoppantsula

Recently nominated for an African Grammy and winner of the Best Video Award at the MTV Africa Awards, Jabba’s celebrity is evidenced by his chart-topping songs, regular network and television appearances and acclaim by music critics across the globe. Jabba has shared the stage with Will Downing, Angelique Kidjo, Wyclef Jean, Jamie Cullum, Saul Williams, Snoop Dogg and others. Before the MAMA ceremony, Wyclef, a Haitian-American multi-platinum instrumentalist, rapper and record producer, said he planned to record with Jabba, who, he said, is among the select few “representing the new generation of African music.”

Jabba, whose real name is Jabulani Tsambo, practices Motswako-style (or, “mixture” in Setswana) rap — a combinatin of Setswana, Zulu and English. His music ranges from smooth jazzy vocal harmonies to indigenous rhythms to classic ‘American’ hip hop.

Jabba has received numerous awards and significant recognition for his community work and charity, such as his effort to combat AIDS or promote education and literacy through hip hop. He was invited by Oprah to lecture to students at her Leadership Academy for Girls.

Outside of the United States, Jabba’s a regular in the media. In 2007, he won the third season of the reality dance show “Strictly Come Dancing,” with his professional dance partner Hayley Bennett. In 2008, he starred as himself in 11 episodes of the e.tv musical soap “Rhythm City.” In 2009, he was one of the featured celebrities on the first season of the South African version of the genealogy documentary series “Who Do You Think You Are?” He also appeared on the National Parenting Test episode of the popular quiz show “Test The Nation,” serving as Team Captain for the Fathers.

On January 15, 2010, Jabba, also known as Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP), one of South Africa’s leading hip hop artists for the last decade, arrived in Washington, D.C., for a two-week residency at BloomBars, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to inspire and unite communities through the arts, while nurturing artists committed to serving the community. The goal of the residency, which lasts through the end of the month, is to build a bridge between the hip hop communities in South Africa and the United States, promoting cross-cultural awareness about critical issues affecting those communities.