But first, a little text.

Hip-Hop and the Corporate Function of Colonization

Jared A. Ball, Ph.D.

Green Institute Communications Fellow

Having elsewhere looked at the function of mass media as primary mechanisms of the maintenance of colony, recent events have again emerged requiring further investigation into the function of corporate control over the cultural expression of colonized populations. Though not specific to hip-hop the example as explored through that most popular of cultural expressions may help to make more clear the imperative of organization and political struggle in 2007. Within the last few weeks alone we have seen recent decisions and trends evolve demonstrating the intent and need among those in power to further ensure that mass media will perform its primary (only?) function of manipulating popular consciousness for the purpose of manipulating behavior of the audience (victims). These developments can only be understood in the context of a continuing process of subjugation in which media play a primary role in suppressing dissent.

Click here for the entire article

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VOXUNION MEDIA
voxunion.com
FreeMix Radio
May 28, 2007

A special statement and call to action regarding the Copyright Royalty Board, copyright law and intellectual property rights as they relate to a lock down of our cultural expression and thought. The recent ruling of the Copyright Royalty Board threatens to further limit our ability to communicate freely. The decision has already caused VOXUNION MEDIA to cease our online archive of our Pacifica Network radio show here in Washington, DC, threatens to force into bankruptcy roughly 85% of all internet radio stations and continues to demonstrate the importance and necessity of FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show. Click here to listen to our special report/announcement regarding this concern. Stream options and more available at voxunion.com.

VOXUNION MEDIA
voxunion.com
FreeMix Radio
May 10, 2007

We sat down with Dedrick Muhammad of the Institute for Policy Studies to talk about the Black/White Wealth Divide. Click here for this first of an on-going series where we look at the actual economic condition of African America and how this relates, is essential to, the political economy of the United States. Stream options and more available at voxunion.com.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz & Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM wpfw.org (live stream)

April 16, 2007

Today we discussed DC Emancipation Day and its international implications with our guests Rick and Michelle Tingling-Clemens. We also heard music from Gil Scott Heron, Jayne Cortez, DJ EuRok, NYOIL, Head-Roc, Eddie Kane, Freddie Hubbard and more. We also heard clips from Dr. James Turner of the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University. Here’s the first part, and here’s the second. Visit voxunion.com for the stream/download options and much more.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz & Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM Washington, DC
wpfw.org
Mondays 1-3p EST

This week was part 2 of our tribute to Malcolm X and part 1 of our two-week pledge drive.  We were joined in studio by Dr. Todd Burroughs as we paid homage to Malcolm and Mumia Abu-Jamal all the while spinning music from Wu-Tang Clan, Archie Shepp, Mos Def, Vijay Iyer, Nex Millen and more.  We also aired rarely heard audio from the documentary “Brother Minister” and speeches on Malcolm X and his image by Amiri Baraka and Dhoruba Bin-Wahad.  Download the show by clicking the links here and/or visit voxunion.com for stream options and much more. 

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz & Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM Mondays 1-3p EST
wpfw.org

This week we conclude our portion of the pledge drive. Thank you all for your support. But we did this in style. Head-Roc joined the show to donate his Negrophobia album as a thank you gift and we chopped it up with his music and that of Archie Shepp, Killer Mike, Charles Mingus, Asheru, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane and much more. We talked about the Black Power movement and mass media, Black “leadership,” DC’s underrepresented views of war protest, the music industry and more. Click to download parts 1 and 2and visit voxunion.com for stream/download options, show archives and much more.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
FreeMix Radio
March 21, 2007

The Hip-Hop Caucus Launches its Make Hip-Hop Not War Tour

Reverend Lennox Yearwood and the Hip-Hop Caucus was in DC this week to launch their “Make Hip-Hop Not War” tour.  FreeMix Radio was there and caught up with some of the artists involved, including Head-Roc, Hasan Salaam, DJ Chela, A Alikes, ReadNex Poetry Squad and Akir.  For more, visit hiphopcaucus.org. 

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz & Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM Mondays 1-3p (EST)
wpfw.org

This week we completed our winter pledge drive by having a discussion of political organizing with Bill Fletcher.  We also played portions of an interview with Soffiyah Elijah and Claude Marks of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights who are currently working to free the eight former Black Panthers arrested in January on 35 year-old charges.  We also heard music from Head-Roc, Charles Mingus, Pharaoh Sanders, Amina and Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, Mos Def and more.  To download the show, click here and here and visit voxunion.com for much more, including the latest from Roots Revolution. That show paid tribute to Burning Spear and honored Woman’s History Month by airing words from Angela Davis.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show (FM9)

FM9 is here! The mixtape as emancipatory journalism is hitting the streets but we do make an online version available for download here and at www.voxunion.com, where you can get both the stream and download options.

Track List/Liner Notes
1. Cartman declares a race war
2. Kidnap the President’s Wife – Shout to DJ Jaheye and Hello… My Name is Capitalism (the mixtape).
3. Wack Media Takeover – a mix from the Borough to Borough mixtape by DJs Al Dente and Cut Chemist
4. NIGGERS! and X-Clan’s Black Boot Stompin’ followed by part one of our East of the River interviews on the Iraq war and war protest in DC
5. That’s Life – Killer Mike
6. Claude Marks and Soffiyah Elijah of Center for the Defense of Human Rights (cdhrsupport.org) talk about the San Francisco 8 and the re-arrest of Black Panthers to suppress political dissent and rebellion
7. Classic – KRS-One and Rakim
8. Part two of the East of the River interviews and specifically the treatment of young Black people by the police in DC
9. Public Service Announcement remix – Omekongo and D’Mite
This is a dope go-go influenced remix of Jay-Z’s classic but with a very different content
10. V is for Vendetta – Everyone should see this film a nd understand the context of this track
11. Black Power and Media – Head-Roc and The Funkinest Journalist explain the historical relationship between mass media and Black struggle. This is a clip from “Jazz and Justice,” which airs on WPFW 89.3 FM every Monday from 1-3p and is archived at voxunion.com
12. L.A. – Murs – Murs is just nice.
13. Media “Reform” – comments from the National Conference on Media Reform and why Black and Latino people need to be more involved in the production of media and in media criticism. Voices include Oriana Bolden and Rosa Clemente.
14. I’m Him – NEW! – Wise Intelligent
15. Black World Imagery – more from Jazz and Justice this time with Michelle Stephens and Suzette Gardner during our tribute to Bob Marley talk about the construction of Black image.
16. Jesse Jackson is not the emperor of Black people! – Napolean’s Dynamite – Mos Def
17. Class and Black Women – part of an old FreeMix interview with Elaine Brown former head of the Black Panther Party.
18. Payola – Paul Porter of IndustryEars.com talks about the latest in payola
19. Mind is Free – NEW! – Hasan Salaam. More great music from this unheralded emcee.
20. Martha’s Table Teen Program – an interview with Tim Jones and his work with DC youth.
21. Who Shot Rudy? – Screwball gets in trouble for making a song that talks about a dream that Rudy Giuliani gets shot. You can shoot Black people, smack women, pimp, sell dope and all that but don’t get it twisted into thinking we are free. It was all a dream…
22. Modern Day Slavery – Joell Ortiz and Immortal Technique – We’re Young Lords!
23. Outro and contact information
24. Whites Win!

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Amos Wilson

James Turner

VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz and Justice
March 26, 2007
WPFW 89.3 FM Mondays 1-3p EST

This week we heard from Drs. Amos Wilson and James Turner and 
community thoughts on yet another “nigger!” incident.  This plus music from legendary DC poet Face, Naima Jamal, new KRS-One, Gil Scott-Heron, The Coup and more.  Download the show here and here or visit voxunion.com for stream/download options and much more.

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Jazz and Justice
April 2, 2007
WPFW 89.3 FM Mondays 1-3p EST
wpfw.org

This week we were joined by Obi Egbuna of the Pan-African Liberation Organization and Head-Roc for a discussion of Zimbabwe and pan-Africanism. We also heard from Kwame Ture plus music from John Coltrane, Dead-Prez, Roy Ayers, Sonny Fortune, Bob Marley, The Coup and more. To download click here and here and visit voxunion.com for stream/download options and more.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Words, Beats and Life/Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture has launched its new website. Educators in need of a great hip-hop-based teaching tool and those looking to expand their own horizons will find this, the original hip-hop academic journal, to be a powerful resource.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz and Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM Washington, DC
Mondays 1-3p EST
Live Online wpfw.org

This week we celebrated the Spring Equinox (some call it “passover” or “easter”) and the birthday of Paul Robeson.  We heard music from John Coltrane, The Els featuring Asheru, Julius Hemphill, Oscar Peterson, KRS-One, Charles Earland, Common and Alice Coltrane.  The celebration included a look at the African origins of major Western religion by Charles Finch and Brother Tehuti.  All this plus the world premier of “Heru Walks,” a remix of Kanye’s original, by Kasba.  Download the show here and here and visit voxunion.com for the stream/download options and much more.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz & Justice
WPFW 89.3 FM wpfw.org (live stream)
April 16, 2007

Today we discussed DC Emancipation Day and its international implications with our guests Rick and Michelle Tingling-Clemens.  We also heard music from Gil Scott Heron, Jayne Cortez, DJ EuRok, NYOIL, Head-Roc, Eddie Kane, Freddie Hubbard and more.  We also heard clips from Dr. James Turner of the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University.  Download the clips here and here and visit voxunion.com for the stream/download options and much more.

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VOXUNION MEDIA
Jazz and Justice
WPFW 89.3FM Pacifica Radio Washington, DC
Mondays 1-3p EST (wpfw.org live stream)

This week Lisa Fager of Industry Ears and students from the University of Maryland joined the show to talk about their research monitoring commercial hip-hop radio.  We heard music from The Welfare Poets, Hugh Masekela, Abbey Lincoln, ReadNex, Fertile Ground, Immortal Technique, A Tribe Called Quest, Eric Dolphy and much more. 

We also heard from Dr. Greg Kimanthi Carr and portions of his remarks at this week’s conference of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (ASCAC).  Download the show here and here and visit voxunion.com for stream/download options plus much more.