My Name is Pj, I have autism and i live in the north east of England. My story is about discrimination in all sectors including that of hip-hop and the general music industry. 

I have had a discriminative past through my time on earth, i have been excluded from four primary schools, 3 high schools, 2 colleges because i fought those who discriminated against myself or others. I have been sacked from almost 30 jobs and only lasted one week per job, however i write in this section of the abuse particularly within hip hop and the music industry.
　　
My story begins in the year 2000, my dad just bought me a new computer, i have no social outlook or any kind of interaction with the outside world, new to the internet i wanted to reach out to people, the computer, was much like my best friend.
　
I got in contact with a girl who guided me to express my oppression and exclusion from society by writing poems, she offered that this would heal my internal pain, as i started to develop theses poems she sent me some music, a new kind of music to me, it was entitled "changes" from Tupac yes that's what i needed, change.
　
She said to me as i listened to this music "why don't you rap?" i thought was this what this guy was doing? Rapping? i liked what i heard i researched hip hop and i saw it stood for social justice, freedom and equality, based on love and not money, based on peace and not war.

I thought this would be a perfect example to reflect the internal pain out to the world. Sadly, i soon found out this was not the case, actually was the total opposite and seemed a world away from the creation of what hip hop was founded on.

 

I bought a small production software for my computer and decided to try out some new songs, i put them on a website called soundclick, within my first two week i was number one on the website charts, i never knew what type of reaction i would get next.　On the internet numerous of comments came flashing before my eyes "your wack" "you're sh**t" through hundreds of people, some good comments were given but however the sheer hate from these individuals paralyzed me in to distinction, my world on the outside was crippling me, now my own world was killing me.
　
I wrote to my local paper informing them on being number one on soundclick.com and soon had my photo and story across the whole town, eventually been ridiculed and tormented for expressing my past oppression, i stood silent, frozen wondering what am i doing? i must of been crazy ( more troubling than my own disability), i was saying to myself should i stop this and hide behind a rock? No i thought i shall continue.
　
After a few more exposures in the paper as a regular feature i was becoming a town star, numerous appearances within three years including the local radio station, eventually i had a call from a woman over the phone who informed me of her book about a disabled boy who had turned to hip hop.  She wrote that book based on me and i had given her the inspiration.   This made me continue. She asked me to come to the local town library where school children were there waiting for me. I was nervous and anxious but i knew i had to do this.  From where i started, in just over 3 years, i was becoming more known by the day.
　
I eventually wanted to create a hip hop group which at the time was creating a buzz, we was touring, playing at different events and supporting the local big names in our county. Then once again things turned horrid, group conflicts arised and the group disbanded, i was left alone again, with a status that was not as rewarding as i thought, sometimes on the bus minding my own business some strangers asked me are you that rapper in the paper? It wasn't fun or good anymore to be known.
　
Through the years I developed my lyrics, my rapping and my music and networked with the biggest names in UK hip hop, eventually producing my best track with a big UK hip hop producer.
　
In 2007 i met my now to be wife, honored a distribution contract and i eventually released my first song, i moved home and as i moved home with my wife to be i was getting hate mail from where i used to live, eventually i had to stop the producing, rapping all together to have a deep breath of fresh air and my wife realizing i needed closure and understanding about helping me understand my persona.  I eventually been diagnosed officially as having asperger's syndrome.
　
Once I found this out, i knew exactly why i had been ridiculed, i knew why i had wanted to make music and i knew then that nothing can stop me in my ventures, finding about my disability never made me feel weak, it made me or the first time strong, very strong.
　
This was a gift to me and i was going to use it, me and my wife set up an organization on a social networking site "stop discrimination against special needs" because i felt victimized, it was just a group i made because i was upset, it wasn't meant to be a group were thousands could join.
　
Over two years other disabled people felt my pain and a movement began, 3,000 people have joined this movement just in the UK, another 5 thousand in South Africa, 1,000 in Romania and two thousand in America which is still growing. As this started i began to think and i thought i need to go to London and voice this out, i need to bring every disabled person together to stop the discrimination which is so wide spread and nothing has been done about it.  my wife and I made a organization and we made a website www.nserd.org which combats all forms of disability discrimination and our aims and goals.
　

Since moving and being married i have been supported unanimously by my wife and her family and i am for ever grateful from the hardship i received not just in music but in general, i am now a fighter, an activist and advocate for disabled people, i am fiercely passionate about the people that care and the people that are disabled, i am fully focused on that issue.
　
Since i have become stronger i have met some rather uneducated rappers who have stated lines such as "I will fight disabled people, f**k em" "you need to sort your mental illness out" " disabled people should not rap" "neurotypicals should not be apart of disabled and should have separate groups....."
　
i was astonished but i thought well you're going to get a backlash of many who believe they know it all and are more powerful, it reminds me of a roman conquest were the Celts push them out of the north and are barracked by the Hadrian's wall indeed this is now where disabled people are at in this century.
　
We are fighting back and i am full runner to make a point.  I have always been rebellious, confronting, and yet i can sustain vulnerability. I am kind, gentle and i have an innocent almost angelic personality with soul of passionate fire.
　
People today want justice weather that be with the governments, the banks or the conspiracies of new world order however theses same people who want truth and unity are ignorant to who have suffered since time began: the undesirables.
　
Since ancient Greece or even before people with disabilities have been used, poked at and ridiculed, from medieval woodcut of witches to circus "freaks", what a lot religious people do not realize is that the majority of all prophets were disabled, any Muslim or Christen who laughs at a disabled person is laughing against gods own prophetical children, these same people are blasphemous against their very own god and prophet, i speak for god because god protects the disabled, disabled are the most valuable to god, not because they are weak or disabled, but because the disabled believe!.
　
One example of a disabled prophet is Mohammed peace be upon him and Moses peace be upon him, and shall we not forget Jesus loved disabled people like his very own.  Therefore I continue this trend today!  Stay Tune for more of my words right here on Poor Magazine/Krip-Hop Nation

By Pj DoubletheTrouble of Northeast of England

HOUSING FIRST: IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME ISN'T JUST A SLOGAN

Krip-Hop Nation, DADA Festival and The British Council in Uganda have really pulled out everything to get Ronnie Ronnie of Uganda here at DADA Fest  but time was not on our side.  Ronnie Ronnie was faced with bureaucracy in the beginning but DADA Festival and The Director at the British Council in Uganda tried to cut through this red tape but time was not on our side.    Ronnie Ronnie is a key member of Krip-Hop Nation and MWD and wrote/sang the theme song for DADA Fest this year.  We will miss him so I wrote this song that MWD will perform here at DADA Festival plus we will play Ronnie Ronnie’s songs and speeches.  I wrote the song below not only for Ronnie Ronnie but also for all people who are poor and disabled who face institutional roadblocks when it comes to travel.  We, Krip-Hop Nation recognized individuals in institutions who are trying to cut down these roadblocks…

Krip-Hop Passport    

Chorus

Hey embassy in Uganda

Who need ya?

Trying to take down our brotha

Wait its not all Black & White

People stepped up and fight

DADA & British Council Director in Uganda

Stripped off the red tap wrapped so tight

Krip-Hop Passport

Welcome to our world

No more asking for stamp of approval

Now we rule

Verse 1

Freeing our people

Its simple

We will travel with Krip-Hop passport

Accessible airports

Roomy airplanes

No pat downs

Chorus

Hey embassy in Uganda

Who need ya?

Trying to take down our brotha

Wait its not all Black & White

People stepped up and fight

DADA & British Council Director in Uganda

Stripped off the red tap wrapped so tight

Krip-Hop Passport

Welcome to our world

No more asking for stamp of approval

Now we rule

Verse 2

We will travel

In packs going here and there

On water & in the air

Krip-Hop music you will hear

On airwaves & in accessible concert halls

Calling one calling all

Bridge

Ronnie Ronnie

Will be free to spread his wings

From Africa to America

Sing his songs

All daylong

Come one come all

Big time musicians

Keep your charity

Can’t u see clearly?

Don’t need your pity

Share your power & money

Free our people from red tape bureaucracy

Chorus  

Hey embassy in Uganda

Who need ya?

Trying to take down our brotha

Wait its not all Black & White

People stepped up and fight

DADA & British Council Director in Uganda

Stripped off the red tap wrapped so tight

Welcome to Krip-Hop world

No more asking for stamp of approval

Now we rule

Verse 3

Krip-Hop passport

Delivering justice

Not only for us

Thank you British Council & DADA

For trying to get

Mcees With Disabilities togetha

Cause Nothing About Us Without Us

How funny

Travel is no problem in wealthy countries

Not funny

African disabled man

Was denied has things changed in our time

Chorus

Hey embassy in Uganda

Who need ya?

Trying to take down our brotha

Wait its not all Black & White

People stepped up and fight

DADA & British Council Director in Uganda

Stripped off the red tap wrapped so tight

Krip-Hop Passport

Welcome to our world

No more asking for stamp of approval

Now we rule

Outro

Krip-Hop music

Dancing through boarders

To unite our disabled brothers & sisters

Ronnie Ronnie we will defend

This will never happen again

Thank you to all who stood up

Krip-Hop Nation will unite and fight to the end

Written By Leroy Moore

Sung & Spoken by Lady MJ, Binki Woi & Leroy Moore

For Ronnie Ronnie in Uganda, Africa

Pacquiao: A Security Guard’s Perspective
By Revolutionary Worker Scholar
(Note: I am co-editor of POOR Magazine (www.poormagazine.org), an indigenous led, poor people led organization based in San Francisco that produces revolutionary media. Our writers re-port and sup-port people struggling with poverty globally and locally—people whose voices are silenced by corporate media. My day job is security guard. The following is an interview I conducted with a fellow guard, a Filipino elder (Manong). We spoke at our post amidst stacks of Filipino newspapers adorned with pictures of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. My fellow security officer gives his impressions of Manny Pacquiao after his victory over Antonio Margarito).

Poor Magazine: What do you think of Manny Pacquiao?
Manong: What is there to think? He won…that is all.
Poor Magazine: Did you see the fight?
Manong: I want to but it is too expensive. It is…pay to do?
Poor Magazine: Pay per view
Manong: Yes…they were charging fifty-five dollars. TV is too confusing now. I do not have a digital TV, just my old one and I couldn’t figure out how to install that converter box so I just forget it.
Poor Magazine: That’s expensive
Manong: I could by a lot of chow mein with that
Poor Magazine: So, you don’t watch TV?
Manong: Not anymore. I just read thenewspapers.
Poor Magazine: I see you got all the Filipino newspapers. Looks like Manny Pacquaio is on the front page of all of them.
Manong: Yes…Pacquaio…he is the best.
Poor Magazine: Of all time?
Manong: I don’t know about all time. There were many great ones. I was in the Philippines in the time of Ali and Frazier. I was there.
Poor Magazine: The Thrilla in Manila?
Manong: Yes, I was there. I was an engineer back in the Philippines. I work on bridges. I was in the audience when Ali and Frazier fight. It was hot in the arena, like an oven. They fight hard. In the 13th round Ali hit Frazier and his mouthpiece fly out. It landed in my lap. I was sweating very hard. I lose 10 pounds and I wasn’t even fighting.
Poor Magazine: Really?
Manong: Yes, the mouthpiece is in a jar at home
Poor Magazine: So manong, do you rank Pacquaio as one of the greatest of all time?
Manong: Has to be. You cannot deny him
Poor Magazine: He has won 8 world titles in 8 different divisions. Nobody’s ever done that.
Manong: I come close to doing it
Poor Magazine: Close, how?
Manong: Back home when I was younger I have 8 kids. It was hard but I carry all of them…on my back, my shoulders, arms…all 8 at the same time. One of my kids even looked like Pacquaio. It was a hard life.
Poor Magazine: Can anyone beat Pacquaio?
Manong: Mayflower is the only one that can test him.
Poor Magazine: You mean Mayweather?
Manong: Mayflower, Mayweather…it’s all the same. He has the speed to give Pacquaio trouble. That would be a great fight. In my heart I would want Pacquaio but my brain says that Mayweather is very dangerous. He is a slick boxer who can punch too. We can only know when the bell rings.
Poor Magazine: What do you think of Pacquaio’s singing?
Manong: He is good. I saw him on that show at my friend’s house, the Kibble show.
Poor Magazine: You mean, Jimmy Kimmel?
Manong: Yes, Jimmy Kibble. His voice is ok. I think he does it to be around the pretty girls.
Poor Magazine: Manong, you still didn’t answer my question.
Manong: What question?
Poor Magazine: Is Pacquaio the best boxer of all time?
Manong: It is hard to say. Who is the best or the greatest changes every day, every month and every year. If you asked Ali who was the greatest, he would say Joe Louis. If you asked Joe Louis, he would say Sugar Ray Robinson.
Poor Magazine: Who do you say Manong?
Manong: I think Roberto Duran. If he fought Pacquaio it would be a true battle. It would be like Pacquaio fighting against himself. What I mean to say is that Pacquaio is the best right now…the best of his time. This is his time.
Poor Magazine: And in politics, wasn’t he elected to the Philippine House of Representatives?
Manong: I pray for him

(Our interview abruptly ended when our supervisor Riley J. Tipsy (not his real name) arrived)


© 2010 Revolutionary Worker Scholar

The Wall Heater

(For my father on Thanksgiving)

By Revolutionary Worker Scholar

i was in my bed

which was basically

a mattress that sat flat

on a hardwood floor

it was near a heater

that was mounted in

the wall covered in a layer

of dust

on the other side

of it was my father's

bed where he slept with

his wife

sometimes i could hear

them through the heater

in the middle of the night

one night as i was

dozing in the space between

sleep and the other part of

who i was i heard my

father cry out

I'm nothing!

then there was

mumbling followed

by silence

i fell asleep with

my belly empty yet filled

with my father's words

I'm nothing

I awoke and looked at

my 15 year old face in the

mirror and left for school

and i looked again

and i was 20, 25, 30,

35, 40...

and some nights

i woke in the middle

of the night and

cried

...

Dad, i never

forgot you or that

wall heater

you both kept

me warm

(C) 2010 Revolutionary Worker Scholar

No thanx to the man
on this day
a lie crafted by uncle sam

no thx to the myths of
supposed pilgrims gifts
no thx to the killin
caused by so many under the lie of thx giving

No - the thx i have
is the thx for the land,
for creator-
our ancestors,
our corazons
our love....

So i have a new list-
not defined by pilgrims myths
coming from our collective lips

the thx i have is for the spirit of uncle al, mama dee
tony's love, tiburcio's heart, marlon's mind, jewnbug's rhymes, bruce's words, muteado's eyes, thorntons' time, charles designs, joes climbs, corazon de ingrid, voce de teresa and all of our lives...

the beauty of of our unending work & struggle
as uncles. mamas, sons and bruddahs...

i give thx for the, care, silence, truth, pain, change, art , poetry, words, resistace and all with the deepest humility-

becuz without u all there would be no me...

THANK YOU, BLESS YOU, and LOVE to YOU ALL!!!

You saved our community from those Who would slay our community with impunity

Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!

In the land of displacement, the e victors are no longer victors

In the lens of racism, you made evil see itself

On a desk of a caseworker holding a pen you scripted lifetime benefits........to every single mom.......her child........anyone poor

Voices to Voiceless Villages. Punishment to every pillage of every village

Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!

Images of broken communities, slain bodies, cultural thefts, and environmental injustice. Inhumanity displaced with humanity

Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!

Out of your struggles came one death. For all of us to have, to successfully and collectively share the one life.

With these very words from us........ to you...........you to us: The Revolution began with I...................ended, and.................. continued with we!

Ancestorship, more practice needed from all towards perfection.

Tafkal first showed an interest in music when he was 16 years old and trying find a way to express his emotions. He has always been a big fan of genres such as UK hip-hop and Grime.

College was a place where there was always hip-hop playing . Tafkals Racial officers were talking to him about music and he did noticed that Tafkal`s real passion and love was for music, They suggested that he should put it into practice so he did and started writing his own music at tender age of 16. He was first heavily interested in commercial side but as he got older he progressed too more to underground real life hip-hop, only a very few have ever influenced him i.e. SkinnyMan (Mud Family),L.Man (N-Double-A),Lowkey,Mike Glc, Genesis Elijah & Jaja Soze (PDC),KRS ONE. Tafkal brings a new lease to the table, Paths the way for more Disabled people to follow in his footsteps. The UK has never had a huge hip hop seen so makes it that little bit hard get into but Tafkal has been doing it on and off for last 8 years and is finally getting supporters, Tafkal now is concentrating on his own solo project as well as having few up projects and working with MWD, Mcees With Disabilities, members.

Tafkal was born on September 6th 1985 in Banbury . Tafkal has a rare genetic disorder known as TAR syndrome (Thrombocytopenia with Absent radius). TAR syndrome effects the limbs (arms and legs), hips and blood. In the blood a lowered platelet count leads to brussing and potentially life threatening haemorrhaging.Tafkal had to grow up quickly at a young age. He had to mature quicker than his peer group due to ignorance and bullying he had to endure from peers and strangers. From a very young age Tafkal has been fighting a constant battle with himself and other people who couldn't accept he was different.Tafkal was a victim of bullying and people would spit at him on the streets. He was verbally abused by people who would say hateful things about how he was different and didnt physically appear like everyone else. This played hard on Tafkal because he couldn't understand why he was different and didnt want to accept it.

Tafkal now tours UK with his group talking to young people about his life and what they can achieve,Hes also now the Founder of an up and coming organization by the name of Express Freedom Empire Ltd & Rhymikal Records. I you want to listen to one Tafkals talks please send all information to the email address provided and someone will get back to you asap,Also please join the "Express Freedom Empire Ltd" Group aswell and support Tafakal`s new project.

Website:
www.Facebook.com/OfficialTafkal
www.Twitter.com/TafkalsLife
www.Reverbnation.com/Tafkal
www.MySpace.com/Tafkal

Peace n Blessings to my MWD Family and the Express Freedom Family

One Love,Jah Bless
Tafkal