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[Black Lives Matter] [Culture] [Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 79]
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The Dwindling of Power

Democracy is an illusion of the mind that misleads the blind.
Who are they fooling? What are we doing? What are we
actually pursing? They’re talking about equality and
we dying in the trenches. Starving on the sidelines.
Aches and pains while the rich is completely full, staring
out of the skyline. How do we rise above the equation?
A broken nation with no vision. Our only dreams is to have
bricks of cocaine in the kitchen. Oh, and residue on the
dishes. How can this be a democracy and the homeless got
bread and water on their wish list? And the rich got the
poor on their diss list. And you want me to turn christian so I
can be like my ancestors praying for a “white” Christmas?
When the symbol of the church represent a white supremacist.
A blonde hair and blue eye’d lie… Naw. I’ll take my chances
with the Revolution. These hungry kids got thirty round drums
and they’re shooting. And Black Lives Matter protest turn into
looting? This is not the rise of amerika– We are living
in the days of its ruins.
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[Rhymes/Poetry] [First World Lumpen] [ULK Issue 80]
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The Hypocrisy of the System

The FEDs gave me 20 years in prison
For being a high ranked GD
And other alleged GDs committed crimes
But that didn’t have nothing to do with me.

They say when others commit crimes
Allegedly under your chain of command
This is what they do.
But I just have one question to ask, shouldn’t
This apply to those running the system too!?

Because Derek Chauvin kneeled on
George Floyd’s neck for 9 min and 29 seconds
A blatant murder for the whole world to see.
So why isn’t his superior officers
Locked in a KKKage doing time right next to me?

OH!
Because they took no part in it?
Well let the records show neither did i

Court document 3580-107
Clearly states “Remaining GD” is my only crime.
But if that’s not enough
i have some more hypocrisy to show you
that i’m sure will blow your mind.
Where are the superiors of the officers
Who savagely murdered Amadou Diallo?
What about brother Michael Brown?
Are the superiors of those who murdered sister Breonna Taylor
Ever going to be held accountable for how that lynching went down?

Who is going to be held accountable for Oscar Grant
And let us not forget Ramarley Graham.
And WE can’t even get criminal justice reform passed
Proving once again that this system is a sham!

How many of you remember Michael Taylor in Naptown?
Handcuffed behind his back and shot in the back of his head?
And what about Major Davis beaten in his front yard and left for dead!

The hypocrisy of this system disgusts me!!
Ain’t no such thing as Equal Justice Under the Law.
Or else Donald Trump would’ve been charged with RICO Conspiracy
For all those under his chain of command that committed fraud..

My Big brother Christopher Calhoun
Was shot over 30 times at the West End Mall in Atlanta
My baby brother Grant King was murdered in Indianapolis the same.
My little sister Khalalah was stabbed multiple times in the neck and survived
And all this was done by UNIFORMED POLICE!

My first cousin Kevin Hicks
Was shot in the eye
This was done at point blank range.
My “FAMILY” has been the target of political repression
Body cams, ain’t stopped a damn thang!
But you want to give me 20 years
Just for remaining in a so-called gang.

Nah the real reason you gave me all that time
Was because I was organizing these so-called gangs
To bang for change.
You saw me organizing voters registration drives
You saw me marching down Bankhead in Atlanta
Chanting “I can’t Breath”.

You got scared because you seen Stones, Lords, Crips and Bloods
Marching right along-side of GDs.
And don’t try to lie because I seen the video and pictures on my discovery!

You saw us standing together protesting police brutality.
You saw us at Stone Mountain in 2016
Standing against the Klu Klux Klan
You saw all OUR flags tied together
Black fist in the air screaming
“Free the Land”,

Yeah, you can jail the revolutionary
But you can never silence me.
You ain’t nothing but a bunch of hypocrites
And I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

~The Big Homie IZ~
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[Revolutionary History] [Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 78]
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Black Power Black August

When brother Malcolm X died,
I died inside,
When Fred Hampton died,
I became revived,
When George Jackson died,
I blooded in my eyes,
When Huey P. died,
I revolutionized
and realized,
I’m Toussaint, Garvey and Stokely,
Turner, Biko, Prosser and Vessey,
Fanon, Cabral, Lumumba, Sankara,
Ruchell, Jonathan, McClain and Christmas.
My godesses are: Truth Sojourner,
Harriett Tubman, Candos, Kween Nzinga,
Angela, Ericka, Afeni and Assata,
and all the MOVE comrades
Last name Afrika.
I’m MLM to the fullest,
Anti-CIWPS, Anti-misogynist
All the way feminist, egalitarianist,
Lumpen proletarian, street reactionary
Turned radical internationalist
Revolutionary intercommunalist,
My oath is with Mother Earth
Climate Justice.
A prisoner, yeah,
But I’m not the real criminal,
Not the one making the policies,
Which creates poverty for capital
Thus, creating crime and immorality,
which are mostly survivalist, reactionary,
miseducated responses and reactions
to CIPWS miseducation and poverty.
Till we, as a People
Start taking politics personal
We will keep being the victims
of the real criminals, the real parasiticals,
The plutocrats,
Republikkklans and Demoncrats,
Working only in the interest of the tall hats
while their Plutocrat Imperialist Goons
Keep lynching us.
Then they wonder why,
We’re getting politically conscious
Self-defensive and rebellious
Screaming,
All Power to the People, from the soul
Screaming, All Power to the Proles,
Black Power, Black August
Black essential self-determination,
Our number one goal,
Only us could free us,
Black Power as a whole.
Black Power, Black August,
Black essential self control.
Black Power, Black August,
Breaking the mental and physical holds.
Black Power Black August
Black Power Black August.
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[Rhymes/Poetry] [Anti-Imperialism] [ULK Issue 78]
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Get Up, Stand Up

The realization of The Dilapidation
of a so-called ‘Democratic free nation’
Ran and orchestrated by The Illuminati and freemasons
has everybody Divided by social injustice,
bigotry, classism and racial segregation
The nation’s leaders claim “In GOD We Trust”
But their God is “G”old-“O”il-“D”rugz because
they really serve mammon and Satan
instead of peace these imperialists promote
violence, crime, poverty and fornication,
with the primary agenda of bringing forth
Desolation, Degeneration and moral degradation,
Because these ‘Khazars’, Capitalist, and The
rest of these cocky caucasians
are set on achieving Global Domination
by way of 3rd world occupation,
Through means of military invasion
and mental, religious and economic manipulation
The imperialist wants us to bow down and praise them,
and each day our oppressors are gettin more brazen,
These racist-ass crackers know shall us
3rd world people unite, through our melanin
alone we have the power to bring about their
Genetic Annihilation,
and nothing is more Dynamic than our Black
and Brown Genes not even Their “white” Jesus
can save ’em
Black, Brown, Red, Yellow and politically conscious
Whites its time we unite, and mentally awaken,
By all means necessary even if it means comin’ out weapons blazin,
To reclaim all that’s been forcefully taken,
including our cultural names, religion, Ancestral
Tradition, pride and Self-Determination
its time to reclaim our natural resources and
Wealth and oust the imperialists from out
of our Lands and nations!
So Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up for your rights!
Long Live The Revolution!
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[Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 80]
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A Black Man's Confession

A black man’s confession;
I could never escape oppression;
for as long as beauty is black;
ghosts, demon, and devils
breath down my back;
mad cause they can’t trick me
out my skin;
to bask in the chocolate love
that I’m in;

So my punishment is to never
escape oppression;
For this is true as my confession;
At 51 it’s still the same;
penitentiary slavery chains;
When he say “shut up”, and I
won’t comply;
I have to wonder if I’m’a die;
And if I rely on Freedom of
speech;
Then theres a different lesson, he
aim to teach;
So I could never escape
oppression;
300 years and we still guessin;
why they hate us like they do;
A voice whispers "cause they
can’t be you"
So in a way i understand;
How it hurt to be ‘that’ man;
wicked, sick and on the plot;
Slimey gooze covid snot;
Yet ‘n’ still I feel I feel his pain;
His soul is lost without a gain;
Something the devil farted out;
unleashed on me, so I can’t pout;
So before I stink like the rest;
I rather stay black, and be
oppressed!

Suffer with a smile
so how you hurtin me?

WE The People
u dig? dude!
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[Rhymes/Poetry] [Revolutionary History] [ULK Issue 76]
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Pioneers

Is this how Marcus Garvey felt?
Is this how Noble Drew Ali felt?

She asked, “Why does it has to be me?”
Cause clearly I do see
Through all the pain and travesty
The road that will break us free

But I know
That it’s gonna be a lonely road
Most of the time I’ll be left in the rain and the cold
Yes I know
Many done failed on this road
Out their soul they sold
They fell for the fool’s gold
Now they bloodsuck for the light
Because their insides are filled with black mold

Is this how Elijah Muhammad felt?
Is this how Clarence 13X Smith felt?

A lot of my own will disregard me
Say I’m lost in the sauce and fell into insanity
If only they could see the road to the land of milk and honey
Just as vividly as I
No lie I rather die than to compromise for a crumb of the capitalist pie
Seen those that I was close to cower when the
Dragon flexed its false power
All I could do is shake my head and sigh
Then remember that the world is ours
Even though we’re the patch of kids that grew up hella sour

A part of the oppressed we’re nothing less than a survivalist
The pressure of the world where only diamonds can withstand the stress
Like the chosen ones out the bible; you didn’t know that we’re bless?
Ima be Brother of the struggle until the opps leave me bloody and stretch
Or until all the rads are freed and there ain’t no imperialist left.

Is this how Fred Hampton felt?
Is this how Bunchy Carter felt?
Is this how Stanley “Tookie” Williams felt?
Is this how Larry Hoover Sr. felt?
Can somebody tell me?
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[Black Lives Matter] [Rhymes/Poetry] [Police Brutality] [ULK Issue 76]
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I Can't Breathe (George Floyd)

I can’t breath, gotta watch out for police
Asphalt in my teeth, underneath da knee
4 deep, 3 pressin on my body
All I can think about is callin on Mommy
I’m almost dead now, Blackin out in da ground
Black faces screamin “He’s almost passin out”
I-phones out people video taping now
Maybe one day my cries will ring aloud
I’m reaching out for help but I cant’ make a sound
It’s gettin blurry, cops yellin “settle down!”
It’s settled now, pick me up off da ground
EMT arrival but I’m already in da clouds
It’s too late to demonstrate the pleadings in the crowd
I’m upset with the way the shit played out
I can’t breath people mobilize the streets
Burn tha city down while the rich folks sleep
Antifa on the scene, nobody tryna be seen
Stupid opportunists lootin on the grief
Please don’t take away the dream
By feelin tha pleasure from releasing dopamines
Money schemes? But was it worth a murder spree?
One phone call and the cops murdered me
Everybody seen the video on the screen
Thanks to the broadcast on the show TMZ
I was on prison TVs the streets seen the feeds
Now the vigilantes roam in the streets
Hand-in-hand singing black symphonies
We don’t want sympathy
We just want to be seen
In the same light as a human being
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[Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 75]
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Prison Tears

I cry and the teardrop is full of metal bars
The bars being another representative for these hidden scars
No one can feel my pain because it’s locked away
How can you sit in a cell and stare at the four walls all day?
Looking this way and that way, right and left, which ever way the tears flow
Pain and the trauma is the very essence that cause the tears to grow
I lost my liberty and the only thing I can do is freely cry

Plastick of MIM(Prisons) adds: I’m sure many of our readers can relate to the pain this poem expresses. The retribution and the brutality the pigs lay out on the masses and revolutionaries strikes us at our hearts. Mao Zedong taught us that all men die, but death varies in significance: death lighter than a feather and death heavier than Mount Tai. Malcolm X in regards to his life as a lumpen gangster said that it is of no shame to have once been a criminal, but the shame comes from staying in that criminal road unwilling to change.

The author of this poem has done more than just cry in prison. Ey has supported MIM(Prisons) financially, reported on local conditions and studied revolutionary theory. Of course these things can all be controlled by the state or the whims of the prison guard, so perhaps they cannot always be done freely, or without retribution. We print this poem as a genuine expression of a USW comrade, but include this addendum since we do not agree with the conclusion as the pages of Under Lock & Key should make clear.

If you are reading this comrade, know that the world is with you! That goes for our readers as well! There’s much more we can do – more that we must do – against the imperialists and the reactionaries. The world is yours!

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[Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 77]
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The Gates

The gates will open, and once more I’ll be free. But there’s a fact that makes me wonder, What will become of me?

Do I have a “future” awaiting me such as the past I’ve known? Will there be opportunity of “employment” for men such as myself? Or will I have to sell drugs, steal and rob again, in order just to get by?

What about my “family” who love me very much? The ones I haven’t seen in years. Can they accept me now without any doubts or fears?

What about the “people” I once knew, but haven’t seen in a while, Will they accept my “friendship” or will I be forced to walk alone?

Yes. The “gates” will open and once more I’ll be free. But there’s a fact to make me wonder, What will become of me?

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[Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 73]
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Fallen (The Empire)

The imperialist capitalist
World super-power; Amerikkka must fall
This bourgeois country don’t deserve
2 stand tall
Not when it was established on slavery
And built on the dressed up lie of equality
Somethan’ it can not live up 2 today
In the face of mass modern-day inequality
And mass incarceration
Which is nothan’ more than modern-day slavery
Come on my people wake-up
Wake up my people
And I’m not just talkin’ about Black people
No
I’m talkin’ about the common man and woman
All of humanity
Don’t you see that We are destroyin’ the planet
On top of that
We are bein’ exploited by the global elite
Got-damn-it
The proletariat of this imperialist
Capitalist world superpower-Amerikkka
Are you and me
The poverty-stricken common man and woman
On our backs stand this unjust country
Just as all things that goes up
It 2 must
Shall fall
Just watch and see
The empire is fallin’
The empire is fallin’
No
The empire has fallen
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