TURN ON YOUR RADIOS

Talib Kweli's new CD is worth a spin. I recommend it over Mos Def's new disc, which at times is homophobic and generally uninspired. The Beautiful Struggle, however, is smart and makes me wanna dance, cry, and throw rocks at banks. Lyrics are always important to me. Here are some of his:

From Beautiful Struggle:

"Yo, I heard it's said the revolution won't be televised; But in the land of milk and honey there's a date you gotta sell it by; Otherwise it just expires and spoils; And these folks jump out the pot when the water too hot; Cuz the fire boils inside; You go to church to find you some religion; And all you hear is connivin' and gossip and contradiction and; You try to vote and participate in the government; And the muh'fuckin' Democrats is actin' like Republicans"

"You fight in the streets, start bleedin' 'til the blood is pourin'; In the gutter, mothers cry 'til the Lord be livin' by the sword and; All that folks want is safety, they goin' gun crazy; The same reason Reagan was playin' war games in the '80's; The same reason I've always rocked dog chains on my babies; The struggle is beautiful, I'm too strong for you to slave me"

From Around My Way:

"We be takin' gypsy cabs and chasin' 50 bags; They be laced with shitty swag and it really get me mad; The way we saluting flags, wrapping them around our heads; when niggaz ain't become American till 9/11; Feeling like you gotta sneak into heaven; When the reverend looking like a pimp and the pimp look like the reverend"

From Going Hard:

"people ask me how we wearing diamonds; when theres little kids in Sierra Leone losing arms for crying while they're mining; probably an orphan whos momma died of AIDS; he built a coffin working often but he never paid; forever slaving in the world thats forever cold; becoming the man of the house at 11 years old; this reality rap I get inside the mentality that; terrorize you like a cowardly act"

From We Got The Beat:

"yo these soldiers die in petroleum wars; think they fighting for the holiest cause; it don't matter if you muslim, hebrew, or you a christian; information is the newest religion, is a true way of living; ain't no rule to a supestition stop me with going through with my mission; come on man"

This last verse makes me think Talib is becoming a materialist; or maybe I'm reading too much into these lyrics. Anyway, I can't say I agree 100% with his message, but I respect his message. That's pretty rare.

So which cable news network is Colin Powell going to work for? Which AM radio station is John Ashcroft going to work for?