I really enjoyed this Anthology not Just because they respect my work:) and pains and joys.But because it gives Woman like me and other Artist more of a voice!! and levels the playin feild for us to make a few chips on our craft and not have to do it all just ''for the love''.

1. Amazon.com: Check the Rhyme: An Anthology of Female Poets & Emcees ...","","","&#49&#50&#32&#103&#114&#101&#101&#110&#32&#100&#111&#119&#110&#108&#111&#97&#100&#115","&#76&#105&#110&#107&#101&#100&#32&#116&#111&#32&#103&#114&#101&#101&#110&#32&#115&#105&#116&#101&#115","&#48&#32&#112&#111&#112&#45&#117&#112&#115","More info...16&#104&#111&#108&#111&#103&#121&#32&#111&#102&#32&#70&#101&#109&#97&#108&#101&#32&#80&#111&#101&#116&#115&#32&#38&#32&#69&#109&#99&#101&#101&#115&#32
   

   Featuring: DuEwa, Shakka, Carolyn Baxter, Heloise & Karast Is ..... Women Leaders in Hip Hop, Feminist Thought, and Spoken Word: A list by Rhymes, ...
   www.amazon.com/Check-Rhyme-Anthology-Female-Emcees/dp/0971905231 - 281k - Cached - Similar pages
   More results from www.amazon.com »

2. Professor speaks on black history, activism, hip hop - News

   Ella Baker, who was involved in both civil and women's rights ... He encouraged the importance of education to the hip hop generation. ... My name is Carolyn Baxter a writer who just completed here second book platinum Dreams Lead reality her second book.on Harlem Dawn Press, a fine collection of short stories,some material which was smuggled out of Prison. The Press ...
   www.thecampuspress.com/news/2007/02/12/News/Professor.Speaks.On.Black

BANDANA REPUBLIC/ANTHOLOGY

A Great New Book on works by Very creative Gang members and people'' in the life''.Louis reyes Rivera Poet He's been on the scene for a min. He has many awards and his work is ..well amazing would be to light a word.

Poet Louis Reyes Rivera is a professor of African American, Puerto Rican and Caribbean Literature and History; his latest collection, Scattered Scripture, won the 1997 Poetry Award from the Latin American Writers' Institute.
He edited the New Anthology Bandanna Republic. He is Jazz and poetry and a man of wisdom. and I am Honored to have him respect my work.I fist discovered his work with Pedro Petri. The Famous ''Puerto Rican Obituary ''came barreling at me at lightning speed in the Gym of NYC Community College one overcast evening.When I heard it I was mesmerized..I realized that People I knew had an identity, had a VOICE..I had a Voice .and they,,we, were IMPORTANT.We went Totally invisible. our Black Brown Tan skin had stories of Laughter,Sadness and pain and that we could share it!! and most of all people would understand it...Our People. Mattered.I knew then in that moment that I was to write to Focus and to really find a medium to communicate.

Mr .Riveras work comes from that school and much more. in the Bandana Republic it is the Pinnacle of that type of writing /story telling from Gang member.ex offenders,and street people.It is a great read,and a collectors item and a one of a kind. Their on to something here and It will continue...It is Long overdue.And again it is an Honor to be affiliated with the Bandanna Republic Crew in artistic Projects.

INTERNATIONAL CLOTHING

CLOTHING--HIP HOP HOODIES---
WITH A FRENCH FLAVA
KREYOL SPICE
WITH THE ISLAND SUN
AND URBAN HARDTIMES
DESIGNED BY ACLAIMED ''HIP HOP''GRAFITTI ARTIST - ''YESWOO ''-
WHO CAPTURES STREETPEOPLE,HUSTLAS,PIMPS AND HOES ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MAMA TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM.
JUST A taste
of the ''PIMA-LIOUS'' FLAVA OF ''-YESWOO-''
IN YOUR FAVORITE HIP HOP CLOTHING STORE ON THE L.E.S GREENWHICH VILLAGE'S LOWER EASTSIDE
In ''GRAMHATTEN ''OF NEW YORK .

AT BUKINAS CLOTHING STOTRE ON HOUSTON/ALLEN ST. ASK FOR US BY NAME ALL ORIGINAL AND ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUT MADE FOR A COLLECTION ITEM LINE OF ''HIP HOP WEAR.
'' FROM ''CREATIVE CONVICT'' INC.

STRUGGLE

Your struggle has never been my STRUGGLE
Never known Black pride Or Lived my Hustle
Your blood never spilled like wine.
to many places in Society to hide
In costumes You play roles But the ‘’Co’s in prison don’t let You wearYour own Clothes
who you know on the outside
Even with a Jar full of ass kissin an saved dollars from non profit coalitions
Inside commissary has more convictions

Your Struggle has never been my STRUGGLE YOU
Never known Black pride Or Lived my Hustle
saved 51 people at 9-1-1
How many you saved?one?..non...?
would you RUN?
Mexican Pizza Guy mugged ‘’
stop or I’ll pull my gun’
’you Pulled a gun to save a life.?
got stitches in Your head from The PO- LICE BOOT?
How many funerals you been to?
of Black men who’s last words heard were ‘’stop or I'll shoot‘’?

your struggle has never been my STRUGGLE
Never knew Black pride Or Lived my Hustle
I slept in Prison Camp’s with' Great' People
it wasn't you
I’m not a college Kid
you Dinosaurs Speak the past to
or flint your Ego’s on
were there no money in it
yall would be GONE.

I am The kid who was cold
In places you’ve never been
a Solitary cell Billy Holiday was sick an kicked Heroin in
where The F.A.L.N gave me a Blanket and Never spoke with a Reactionary gist
I am the kid who was Hungry and The B.L.A. Gave me there Last Piece of Fruit
an went without.

That’s where I Learned what The' struggle' was about.

as weak Weather People
afraid of a black storm
watched Black rain of pain through gilded windows
standing on Persian Rugs and Political Clout turned their backs and Locked me
Out
of housing ,
education
Corporate Jobs.
was no money in the Hood then to rob
So Progress stood still
silently staring at people who starved.

C.I.A. pressed the alarm and the Revolution went in Poor folk's arm
I’m The Kid who came up hard
The Kid Marvin Gaye Screamed What's Goin on!

atThat's How I Learned what the Struggle's about
From the blood running under the doorway of my own House

No….
your STRUGGLE Could never be my STRUGGLE
as Black men’s LIVES rot on Death Row
Imprisoned in stone your ancestor’s honed
Grab greedy African diamond blood flow
sellin profitable discount designer' ghetto Clothes'
No ….
Your Struggle will never be my STRUGGLE

Now your Heritage came back to The Urban Jungl
eafter the ‘’white flight’’
Black assassinations
apologies of reparations
Back with smiles of Gentrification.
No ….
Your Struggle has never been my STRUGGLE
That’s Part of how it began
Leaving out lie’s deception And In-fil-trat-ion.

You Dinosaurs that killed the Love the first time
The ones After
The Homes
The COKE
the Doctorate
the Divorces
Tummy tucks
an Family Rehab
Are takin a stab at it again!

Made HUEY P Take that First Hit on the Crack pipeAfter where he’d been.
I know the Script from Open to end

Celebrity’s jump in Limos
When The head crackin begins
It’ s ‘’The Peoples’’ pain
neighbors,
grandmas,
Friends

who are the Bloody stand in’s.
No.....
you could truly never be part of my STRUGGLE
Cause you just aint GOT MY BACK.

you aint GOT MY BACK

I AINT GOT YOURS
The Pain to Long
Time to short to speak of how it began
if I can’t call you friend

I can't call you sista.

WAR

WAR In The Land of The White Hot SunMama don’t you Recognize me ? its your Son..I went to the land of Sand and White SunUniform on my BackM16 Gun...A Land I knew no oneMuch different When I was injured in 9 - 1 - 1Explosions deception24/7.

They cut out my left eyeWhen I longer wanted to kill baby’s Hearing them cry because their mommy diedStepping on tiny body’s crunch on the roadside.bloody broken bones ripped raw ragged flesh flaming flag of Death

naked fingers reached for the sky

windwaving
won Last Goodbye As I drove by.

They cut out my right eye when I no longer wanted to seecolors Red white an BlueBut Humanity's Hue Harmony reflecting peace.I was not allowed to see or Dream Don’t be ashamed of me Because I no longer believe

The things they asked me

to do to SurviveTo stay aliveDeath all around me

So I no Longer needed my eyes

no more water came out no longer could I cry.

I don’t know If you’ll Ever see me again

Or I'll ever hear dads Voice say ’’hey kid hi ya been?

I’d give anything to hear him say that

Instead of Things insistedwhen I enlisted...

Weapons of mass Destruction Lives Traded For Death

My Honest Trusting.

I saw nothing...

They Cut off my Hands

Because I wanted to carry foodNot Guns

They left me to die in the white Hot sun..

When I greeted a brother A salaam lakum

They cut out my Tongue

They Left me to die in the white Hot Sun

The Bullet ripped through my skull From the Snipers Gun

I wasn’t The only one

who died on the Hill with others

I realized were all one

even the Sand Choked when The blood started to run.

They shipped me back in this body bag with Dead Honor’s Cover

the American Flag..

Days to years

young men to corpses

years dragged

I knew it wasn’t going to get any better...

Just know I love you mama

that’s why I wrote this letter.

WAR In The Land of The White Hot SunMama don’t you Recognize me ? its your Son..I went to the land of Sand and White SunUniform on my BackM16 Gun...A Land I knew no oneMuch different When I was injured in 9 - 1 - 1Explosions deception24/7.They cut out my left eyeWhen I longer wanted to kill baby’s Hearing them cry because their mommy diedStepping on tiny body’s crunch on the roadside.bloody broken bones ripped raw ragged flesh flaming flag of Death naked fingers reached for the sky windwaving
wonLast GoodbyeAs I drove by.They cut out my right eye when I no longer wanted to seecolors Red white an BlueBut Humanity's Hue Harmony reflecting peace.I was not allowed to see or DreamDon’t be ashamed of me Because I no longer believeThe things they asked me to do to SurviveTo stay aliveDeath all around me So I no Longer needed my eyesno more water came outno longer could I cry.I don’t know If you’ll Ever see me againOr I'll ever hear dads Voice say ’’hey kid hi ya been?I’d give anything to hear him say that Instead of Things insistedwhen I enlisted...Weapons of mass Destruction Lives Traded For Death My Honest Trusting.I saw nothing...They cut off my Hands Because I wanted to carry foodNot GunsThey left me to die in the white Hot sun..When I greeted a brother A salaam lakum They cut out my TongueThey Left me to die in the white Hot SunThen the Bullet ripped through my skull From the Snipers Gun I wasn’t The only onewho died on the Hill with others I realized were all oneeven the Sand Choked when The blood started to run.They shipped me back in this body bag with Dead Honor’s Cover the American Flag..Days to years young mento corpses years dragged.I knew it wasn’t going to get any better.....Just know I love you mamathat’s why I wrote this letter.

Razor Neck Hood Child

A NEW FLAVA 4 YA Coming soon

Death is Never Late

Death is Never Late
I’m Gon Have ta slam it like it is
Not ‘’Dumb Down’’
Like when you kick it
with ya Peers.
So If ya got fears…
Cover Ya kids ears
Cause I’m gon have at go back with no Tears.
Not meant to offend this is how it began
From Shackles an Slave Ships
To semi auto with Clips
Aimed random acts at Welfare mothers
an Foster kids
Sayin Its Your ‘’Hood ‘’ You Rep
But the Landlord the One Collecting that Check!
Think he care who’s Blood on his Steps?
Bullet in the Head laying on the Curb
Not a Dream Deferred Ya Heard?
Or get on ya ‘’swerve’’.
Nightmare of Retaliation
aint no way to Build a Nation.
Grindin On The Corner timin the Coroner
Concrete a Satirical Mourner
on a Sunless Fate.
Death aint Never Late
He may miss you once or Twice
Let you Slide from a Drive By
But Death aint Never Late
He’ll Be Back
Cause Death Don’t Roll No Blunts
Or Smoke no Crack
He Jus Carry Shredded Body’s On His Back.

Platinum Dream Lead Reality at Amazon.com

THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY URBAN BOOK A SUCCESS

Rap Words and the People who Follow them

Most people that re concerned with ''Rap''Lyrics . Do not Create them for the most part

and hold Rap accountable for being their Kid's perverted X Rated, Cussing Baby sitter.Heaping a Great Responsibility,and the task of Raising their kid's to a large extent on Rap, and the ''Culture of Hip Hop.

Most people who are even a teenie bit Socially and Politically aware, know The American System was not Created for Black People, and least concerned with Black Art. No not the Great African Art in the Museum thousand of Year's old..I mean ''Urban'' Art, in all it's Variations. Racism, Covert, overt and all the other Bitter Flavas, are at an all time High. It's ''So''Comfortable that when It slips,slides and Slithers out of the Mouth of the user...Their Ultimately Shocked!

The ‘’Amerikkkan Way is The Dollar Way. And To Try and Brainwash Distract and Dominate any race of people, it Can for Personal Gain. Since People of Color Black and Hispanic People who ‘’are Citizens’’ in Particular in the Rap game have become Successful, Money is ’’Power’’ They have become a Huge Threat to the status Quo, The Economy.

And the Influence on the Caucasian Kids in a ‘’Undesirable way‘’. So Combining those two elements Rap is to be Dismantled via it’s’’ poetic License.’’ As it’s ’’Legit’’ no other way to attack it. First of all the People who so called want to Curb Rap of it’s ‘’Cuss’’ words don’t Listen to it nor do they create it. Before It ‘’Popular’’ follower stance that is Writers have had Poetic License since the beginning of Time.

It reminds me of the same a similar story of the Drug Game. As long as The Ghettos had it and it was black and brown kids dieing in the street and being thrown in Prison, It was ‘’Ok’’ but when Politicians kid’s and white kids started Puking from Heroin,OD’ing and robbing their Homes for a Hit of Crack. there was ‘’a Drug Problem’’. Caucasians have Created the most Hateful Horrific atrocity’s towards people of Color and fashioned names that have Put a tag of Inferiority on Black Generations since they were brought here as Slaves.And Now there concerned with ‘’Cuss’’ words? A Distraction and a joke. Black Folks must remain True to their ‘’Self’’ expression. As well as ’’Our Identity. That is all we have that is truly ‘’our own’’. We don’t have time to worry about what ‘’others think’’ because the ‘’Others ‘’are not the ones that help us ‘’Get ahead’’ we help ourselves. It’s not Just a Color piece either.

The Russell Simmons’’ Types’’ are paid Businessmen. Capitalists, with their eyes on Politics As well,… most of them.When you see them on the street Like Mr. .Simmons they cower and hold their hand over their face, Like I was going to go running and screaming at him like a Teen smitten with a Rock Group. I looked him in the eye as I passed him on Lafayette St . in Greenwich Village, Like Man you don’t put food on my table you aint nothing to me.

And One must realize that ‘’Gangsta’’Rap is a Billion Dollar Bizz and The ‘’Keepers of the Youth’’ who ever that are.. or think they are. Should ask themselves a question Would you rather your kid hear about the street or go live in the street, or find out by going to Prison.?

If I had someone street Savvy to Pull my coat It would have made a Hell of a Difference and Possibly save me a 6 year sent. In Prison. And Kids are going to hear Cuss words in the Home, In School, at a Basketball game, when in the Car with Grandma, and someone get’s’’ Road rage.’’ Who knows… But the distraction of the way a writer sees the world and expresses it won’t make a difference. Be side’s when it comes to Rap Caucasians’’ Copy’’ us the clothes, the talk(and badly I might add) the Life style. It’s a take thing not a give thing when It comes to the Craft. When slim Shady Rapped he had skills lived the genre and Loved it. And ’’Copied no one’’ Like 2Poc Shakur said He (Poc)Just ’’Diagnosed’’ what he saw.

So when The street is less Violent, cop’s stop killing Black folks, Racism has taken a dirt nap, The same Money maker’s who tried to stop rap in It’s infancy stops making a HUGE Profit from Billion’s they sunk in Product’s that support Hip-Hop Culture, Racism is Gone, and Drug’s are not being sold at the school’s …..Then I’ll stop Cussing.

Carolyn Baxter is an author/Natl. Endowment of the Arts Recipient her books are used in Colleges to teach Various subjects, she performs at HS./University’s Her new Book Platinum Dreams Lead reality at Amazon.com is non Fiction Short stories, and poetry of street Hustlers,playas and Rappers that lost their live's in the street game.

Imus an Snoop in Bed on Welfare?

It’s always annoying when People who do not listen to Rap or Create Rap write about it. Good or bad. It’s always off the Mark in a sensitive way. Basic understanding, political understanding, lack of a Creative purpose for Rap, And for whom. Or just a Flat-out Put down. Like Earl Ofari Hutchinson. When Imus Put down The Woman’s Basketball Team. That was Flat out Racism, no two way’s about it. He’s done, gone, out of sight. But the fact that the ‘’Hater’s are trying to relate ’’Snoop’’ Dogg to him is just a Lame attempt for Right wingers.. The Liberals? To have a toe hold on rap,To Rap Bash. Using the after stink of Imus’s remark to start a buzz to Motivate, what was done to rap before It went Global .Imus and Snoop would make strange bed fellows indeed. If it weren’t for there abundance of differences.
Fist off Imus Remarks killed Revenue for the station. Snoop dogg Generates revenue. clothing, footwear, the food and beverage industry, his blunt rappers, can be seen in every corner store and Bodega‘s(what’s left of them) on the Road gas stations with the Subways attached. You can get a sandwich, have a Banana flavored blunt, roll up, all with one stop. One shopping. Other than the monetary plus and minuses between Imus and snoop.
If you don’t Like Imus you can turn Him off. People don’t have to pay as he speaks. Where as ‘’Snoop’’ People actually go and seek out his music and pay for it, or pay to listen to a download.’’Ringtones’’included.
His remarks about woman are also Not directed at a’’ particular woman‘’. Like this basketball team or that person per say. Therefore a woman would have to take a derogatory remark or statement ’’ personally.’’ ‘’Hoes’’ do exist. ‘’Bitches’’ do exist. And the times I’ve meet them, I knew it! especially in Prison. Every other person was one or the other. Censorship is a serious matter. The right wingers in the Bush administration have take so much away form People. From affirmative action, to monitoring your phones, the internet, The fact that warrants don’t have to be enforced in many instances to arrest a Person. Just to name a few. All in the name’’To defend Homeland Security‘’. Free Speech is about all we have left.. Where will it end ?When Bush is in Your Bed saying ‘’What’s for Dinner hon?’’
When Snoop was in Court on trial for Murder. His Momma was sitting next to him. He needed her support. she was there positive, dignified and supportive of her son. Also Snoop is married to a Black woman and has 3or 4 son’s that look just like him ,and is a good father who has made donations to groups and is supportive of his sons well being and their football team. school etc. A positive image for a Blackman. For one Moment Let’s assume ‘’Snoop’ stopped cussing. What would happen? He wouldn’t be able to eat or support his family…’’Snoop’’ on Welfare …Not Likely.
So what does that show ?it shows that in Real life, ‘’Reality’’ not the world of commercially controlled Record sales. He is respectful of Black woman. He’s surrounded by. The Black woman that are in his family and circle, I don’t think They would Tolerate that kind of ‘’Putdown’’. He’d be sleeping on the Couch, and might get a fat lip to boot. The Genre of ‘’Gangsta Rap’’ wouldn’t be ‘’Gangsta ’’Rap if it didn’t have explicative Language included. That’s part of It’s draw ,It’s freedom of young teen’s around 15 to 18 or so. His target Market is somewhere between Fantasy and H.S. Graduation. At that age Most people are still under a repressive Family Rule’ i.e. your still living with mom and dad. Your still a Minor for the most part so hearing cuss words, and being able to say them when listening to music with your peers is extremely Liberating. I know it was for me.
I asked a friend of mine who is a Rap basher what is about Rap he didn’t like. Which were all the Thing’s that make ‘’Gangsta Rap’’ Gangsta Rap. The Loudness when you pull next to a stop light and someone is ‘’Bumpin’’ their Favorite track the Cuss words. The ’’saggin’’ pants The whole style of ‘’Hip-Hop’’ he said. I don’t Like it for the ‘’Young People’’ he said. I informed him that he is not the keeper or speaker for all ’’ young people.’’ He said they speak about ‘’Bad’’ thing’s .Then I gave him an option would you rather you kid’s hear about bad Thing’s or Do ‘’Bad ‘’Thing’s ? If I had heard about the street, The games, the Hustles Instead of Being on the street ,Living it. I would have been fore warned. It might have saved me a six year sentence in Prison. So to coin a Phrase that dropped with the Beginning of Rap ’’ Don’t Believe the Hype’’
Carolyn C Baxter is a widely Anthologized Poet/Spoken rap artist she received a Literary Scholarship from BARD College and a Natl. Endowment of the Arts Grant for her poetry in Songs from a free Space Her second Book Platinum Dreams Lead Reality is non Fiction short stories of Rappers, Hustlas, pimps and playas that have lost their lives in the street or in Jail. She speaks at H.S. and Colleges on Urban Crime and Violence.