Redemption

As I work to post more consistency I thought I would highlight one of my videos from time to time. I am going to start this with the video for my track Redemption which just turned one year old. The song itself is over 14 years old but yes, the video was just born.

The video hasn’t received all that much love. It’s stuck at 134 views. Just a side note YOU can help change that. It has 12 thumbs up and of course one thumb down. Someone needs a hug. I have two awesome comments both coming from beloved comrades of mine. I love my peoples.

What can I say. Redemption which is off of my debut album 305375 The Voice of the Voiceless vol. 1 which was released in 2010 is one of my favourite songs. This track was written in 2006 and is dedicated to the memory of Stanley Tookie Williams. I remember writing this song. I was both furious and heartbroken at the same time. I spent months fighting, trying to save Tookie Williams from being executed. I can’t put in to words what it feels like to fight for someones life and in the end, lose. In my decade and a half of being a death penalty abolitionist Tookie was the first death row prisoner that I got involved with personally only to see him executed regardless of our efforts. He wasn’t the last one and let me tell you with every loss, a piece of your soul dies along with them.

I had always wanted to do a video for Redemption. I actually had plans to make a video for every track on my debut album but life had other plans for me that I couldn’t ignore. The first chance I got though I backtracked and filmed this video by myself. I also did all the editing as well. Man listen. I would love to have $10,000 budgets to make elaborate videos but I don’t. Even if I had that kind of bank I probably still wouldn’t spend that much to create visuals when I could do just as I did. To me, this is Hiphop.

Hiphop came from nothing straight up. Back in the day, we didn’t have shit. But we managed to create a culture that spread throughout the world. You know the deal. And yea I was fortunate enough to be there for the beginning of it all. There was no money for instruments or music lessons so we made music using records. When my crew didn’t even have turntables, we made pause tapes so we would have instrumentals to rap over. We couldn’t afford to go to clubs or dance studios so we danced in the streets. We made something out of nothing and I hold firm to this. Where others may scrap the idea of making a video due to lack of a budget, I rather find a way.

I shot this video at home. I used a single camera on a tripod obviously. I used work lights that were laying around for the lighting. I hung sheets on the wall for a backdrop which I was able to key out during the edits. I did the editing in a bootlegged version Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. Well not bootlegged I basically installed it on my computer from the disc I came across while staying at someones crib during my travels some 12 years ago. Thank you Timmy Grins. If you didn't know, now you do. I have had it ever since. Taught myself how to use the program watching youtube videos and reading instructions on various websites. I’m saying it doesn’t get anymore Hiphop than this. The entire project from filming to editing took me three days and cost me nothing but time.

Redemption may not be a high budgeted video with paid actors and elaborate locations but it was definitely light years ahead of the very first video I ever edited using Windows Movie Maker with all those funky transitions. I give myself a thumbs up no doubt about it. And a fun fact is the blue tones were to pay homage to Tookie who was a cofounder of the Crips. No disrespect to all my Bloods out there. It's all love.

The song and now the video is in a small way my own personal Redemption. That is what connected me to Stanley Tookie Williams in the first place. I had only been out of prison a few years and I was struggling to find my place. I was dealing with the harsh reality that an ex-prisoner is marked for life. People refuse to see you for who you are. Who you have become. They only see you as you were. They can’t get passed what ever you did or allegedly did. A majority of people are just incapable of forgiveness. It was bad enough that I dealt with racism and discrimination all my life. To add insult to injury now I was an ex-prisoner, a felon. During my last sentencing in a packed courtroom the judge said he felt I was incapable of changing, unrehabilitatable. I thought he was full of shit and clueless as to who I truly was. What did he know? He was no different than those that sentenced Jesus to be crucified.

I vowed I would never return to prison once I was released. Thus far I have managed to remain free the longest period of my adult life 18 years. After being under the constant supervision of the state for over 25 years with 13 being in custody yes, this track and video is a big fuck you to that judge and everyone else that stood on my back. This is a huge part of my personal Redemption.

The song and video may not reach millions of people but truthfully I don’t give a fuck. I set out to accomplish something and that’s just what I did. I share in hopes of reaching one person. I share in hopes of inspiring and motivating just one individual. I don’t need a million streams and a million views. I do not need the approval of others. I know who the fuck I AM. Though I may be brash and speak harsh I did what the judges and many others could not do. See I forgave all them assholes for they knew not what they were doing. They was blind baby, blind to the facts.

ThanX for reading and thanX for watching. Peace, Love and Light to ALL.

X

Lyrics: Redemption

I've waited decades for my turn, now without concern

I'm a spit this fire, sit back and watch the world burn

man this is for every cop, that's ever called me a spic

as I was pistol whipped, and beat with night sticks

and this is for every public pretender, that conned me into taking a deal

made me think I was hitting the streets, but wound up behind bricks and steel

and this is for every judge, that sent me up state

where I grew bitter and cold, filled with anger and hate

man I've been misunderstood, from the second I came out the pussy

no I ain't no killa, but don't fucken push me

I've been plotting this, since my days in solitary confinement

where I prayed to God, to show me the light through the darkness

well to your dismay, my prayers have been answered

and since that day, my words have been spreading like cancer

no you can't stop it, cause truth always prevails

man every letter of this verse, is like a bomb being mailed

to everyone that's wrote me off, and said I was worthless

a born loser, that served no purpose

and to every C.O. that told me to lift up my nut-sack

spread open my ass-crack, and said I'd be back

man fuck that, I'm over turning every sentence

coming with a vengeance, and claiming my redemption

(Break)

Man I was born guilty, in the eyes of my oppressors

kept under surveillance, and under constant pressure

They've been feeding me lies, ever since I was an adolescent

well now watch me flip the script and teach these fucks a lesson

sure I've lied to survive, but I've never lied to myself

I know I'm going to heaven, cause I already been through hell

lock down in a cell, a corporate slave

but now I'm rising, like Christ from the grave

and I ain't talking on some Bad Boy shit, or Roca-Fella

I'm talking Filiberto Rios, and Nelson Mandela

Malcolm-X, Karl Marx and Medgar Evers

I'm wielding my machete, till the dragons 7 heads are severed

I ain't just talking about, we need a change,

man I'm breaking the shackles, handcuffs and chains

they tried to break me, but they just made me stronger

they thought they silenced me, they couldn't have been wronger

I'm bringing the noise like Public Enemy, speaking the truth like Technique

seeking vengeance for my people like an Arawak Chief

talk is cheap, so I'm backing my words with action

draw first blood, and we'll see what happens

don't forgot the golden rule, what goes around comes around

and keep in mind, that you can't keep a real nigga down.....

(Break)

Like Q-Unique, vengeance will be mine

that's why I be coming at ya's like the judge, just gave me an asshole full of time

I got homicide on my mind, revenge pumping through my veins

for every inmate locked in the hole, literally going insane

man I feel their pains, tears falling like acid rain

I know most of ya'll don't give a fuck, except for capital gain

so I spit with a ferociousness, that will rattle your brains

make you see today’s prisoners, are just like yesterdays slaves

captured enchained, locked in a cage

forced to work like third world children, that are under age

housed in conditions, the ASPCA would find inhumane

surrounded by TB, HIV and AIDS

365 days, could turn into a death sentence

but they keep on warehousing, inmates by the millions

I served13 years, and it made me worse not better

cause their plan from day one, was to make me a repeat offender

but like Ojeda Ríos, I refused to surrender

man they ain't never seen me, as anything more than a commodity

but now they're looking at me, like I'm their worst fuckin enemy

I'm armed with verses of truth, that reek of revolution

I got these fucks trying to raise, Willie Lynch from the grave

to try to regain control, of this runaway slave.....

(Break)

Capital-"X" 305375 for Unstoppable Productions LLC 2006.

I.G.W.T. Records: Written and performed by Capital-"X"

Music produced by Capital-"X", and DJ Emergency ©2006 IGWT305375

Executive Producer Capital-"X" For Unstoppable Productions. 2006