“ It’s easy to get bedazzled by the spectacle of tempestuous supermodel Naomi Campbell testifying against a power-hungry dictator about a pouch of mysterious blood diamonds delivered in the dark of night by some henchman long after the other guests of a luxurious villa have gone to bed for the evening. Add a violent storm to cut the phones and a muffled gunshot in the night, and you’ve all the ingredients of a pulp mystery. But the truth behind this tale hardly needs another body added to the tens of thousands for which former Liberian leader Charles Taylor is said to be responsible.Fictional embellishments are not necessary to turn the world’s attention again to the issue of conflict diamonds that tore apart the West African country of Sierra Leone from 1991-2002. For that, you need only the involvement of a celebrity..” READ MORE

This whole thing with the world press all of a sudden being interested in the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor after so many years of having it on the back burner just because it now involves notorious super model Naomi Campbell is pathetic at best.  Naomi Campbell met Charles Taylor in 1997 at a dinner for Nelson Mandela. The whole connection between Taylor, Campbell & blood diamonds is strictly based on hearsay of Mia Farrow & an ex employee of Ms. Campbell with their own personal & political motives. The whole idea of the Hague Court serving Noami Campbell with a supoena to forcibly make their war crimes case against Charles Taylor based on the selling of blood diamonds is hypocricy at its highest levels. If one is to be put on trail for war crimes for inhumane casualties of war then where is the trial for Dick Cheney & George Bush whose violations of world war decrees are clearly documented? Where is the Dutch Royal Family’s trial for the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade & the continuing atrocities in Africa in the name of profiteering? Why isn’t Nelson Mandela , the South African Government & companies like DeBeers being served with supoenas to testify since the allegations against Charles Taylor involves him being in South Africa to sell blood diamonds in excahnge for weapons.

Naomi Cambell probably knew very little about who Charles Taylor was at the time she met him, knowing only that he was an African head of State who was invited to the dinner that she was attending, which in the world of fabulosity automatically brings you into the circle of being worthy to present gifts to the queen! I think people are giving Naomi more credit in her knowledge of blood diamonds than she really possesses. Most of these celebrities etc. have no clue about blood diamonds or even any education on diamonds period, outside of it’s blingy, shiny, expensively fabulous & the bigger the better! I am sure Naomi was disappointed that she was not given a designed necklace instead of “dirty pebbles” as she called it-LOL !

This whole celebrity culture is a global disease -all these years of trying to bring this man to trial & Naomi is the best they can do? SMH! How about the fact that he was in South Africa specifically to trade diamonds when he met Naomi -so where are those people he traded diamonds with-DeBeers /SA Government / Mandela -were they questioned or subpoenaed? This whole Naomi situation is tomfoolery at its finest. Mia Farrow & a disgruntle former employee are who had to help the Hague make its case against Charles Taylor? As Charles Taylor says ” total nonsense”! Mia Farrow is hardly who I can consider having good judgement as she watched her then boyfriend molest her daughter while acting oblivious then turning around to blame her daughter for seducing said boyfriend. She may need to worry about matters in her own home & protecting her own family instead of judging Naomi Campbell in wanting to protect her house & home. The Hague Court has unnecessarily put Naomi’s life in danger & who is to know for sure if  they will protect her from any backlash or revenge for her testimony.

I find it interesting that both Mia Farrow & Naomi Campbell say that the diamonds were given to Nelson Mandela’s charity, but  somehow the Hague just allowed them to say they  had no record of it & have it passed over without full investigation into it until Naomi had to publically accuse them in order to exonerate herself of  being in possesion of the diamonds.

“The former head of Nelson Mandela’s children’s charity is to face a criminal investigation after he admitted hiding “dirty diamonds” given to him by the model Naomi Campbell for the last 13 years to protect her and Mr Mandela.Mr Ractliffe contacted the South African authorities on Thursday through his lawyer and handed over the diamonds to police after Miss Campbell implicated him during her evidence at a war crimes tribunal in The Hague.” READ MORE

If these diamonds given to Naomi are so crucial in making the case against Charles Taylor to warrant this much media attention to this case that has been going on for years without resolve as Charles Taylor continues to spit on the court in full throttle arrogance, while continuing to live the high & mighty life with so many voyeuristically looking for the mighty to fall, then why didn’t they investigate Mr. Ractliffe & Nelson Mandela’s charity as soon as they recived this information years ago? The whole world was so quick to yet again throw another Black Woman under the bus without knowing the whole story & those who should have protected her like the honorable Nelson Mandela & Jeremy Ractliffe failed her in coming to her aid  & being honorable men in seeking & delivering truth. It’s a joke that Africans can not be entrusted to put their own criminals of war on trial, instead we have to go to the Hague, the former colonizers & original gangsters of Africa. I guess there is no court for criminals who impose their will on a continent to a point of physical, mental & systematic genocide because it is not technically considered a war by the war mongers who create the rules.

I loved the fact that Naomi went there & gave them her Eva Peron Cinderella story best. Dressed to the nines, face angelically flawless with a lioness glare, stately coiffed hair befitting her Jamaican English empress stance letting them know she “ain’t nuttin to mess with..so watch your step & protect  ya neck… because is not about to take the fall for anyone not even you  Mr. I hid the diamonds for 13 years to protect Naomi &  Nelsomm Mandela’s foundation,Ractliffe.” From Londontown, to Trenchtown to Russia, Naomi knows about gangster & protecting one’s own. I am glad she spoke out with all due arrogance to equalize the arrogance of the Hague dragging her into a situation that she wanted no parts of & should have had no parts of if they were really serious about prosecuting Charles Taylor & getting out the real truth about blood diamonds & its global corporate funding of wars & the complicity & profiteering of the same nations & individuals who decide whose tactics in atrocity should be & shouldn’t be tried. Naomi Campbell deserves an oscar in letting the Hague know that SHE IS SOMEBODY – “ It’s not abnormal for me to get gifts.. I get gifts given to me all the time at any hour of the night…it’s quite normal for me to receive gifts“. Hague- Welcome to Naomi’s world!

“Africa is Lying Ready for Us & It is our Duty To Take It-” -CECIL RHODES-FOUNDER OF DEBEERS

“At Diamond World exploitation has become nostalgia…Diamonds will serve anyone..anyone with money & power..white or black”
What has diamonds done for De Beers is what he should be asking.

HIP-HOP :THE TEACHER WHO FAILED TO LEARN THE LESSON

In this new decade when great soul filled, lyric driven, make you think & feel type of music seems to be steadfastly taking back the reigns from the usual mindless booty shaking and flashy antics; Wale has cemented the fact that Africa is the future by paying homage to past generations, while taking the children of West African & Caribbean Islanders down memory lane with the same pure, thought provoking, relatable, lyrical realness that he gave us on “Shades”, this time with a special shout out to Ghana & Nigeria as he calls out:

“I needed to feel like.. u know when ur mother use to take u to the African parties…make my jaloff with lots of peppa …God is blessed her…Prada dresser…mix my Guinness with a doctor pepper ..money on the floor throw it on a broad..this is not ballin’.. this is our culture”.

This verse simply takes you from old to new, representing the new generation of global Africans taking the world to another level by taking it back to the roots with the new flavor of its fruits! From Ghana to Nigeria, South Africa to Kenya, DC to New York, London to Brixton, Paris to Marseille, Amsterdam to Rotterdam, Toronto to Vancouver, Milan to Calabria , Gujarat to Guangzhou & all points in between –The new age of Sankofa- returning to get it!

You always know when you roll up into an African party, there will be plenty food for chopping, plenty Guinness to quench your thirst & some special home grown libations tossed in the mix! What better way to honor Black History month & Valentine’s day than to take us back to our original African history in times of celebration of the purest, rawest, most beautiful type of love testimony… “ I was blind but I now can see what happiness is meant to be..U took my body, soul & all.. U make me feel like 10 feet tall..UR my sweetie, my sugar, my baby, my lover, so honey let me hold u …let me love u forever oh yeah, oh yeah!” This is a new decade in time when young Africans honor their roots with a new era global flair.

Wale sampled “My Sweetie” from the 70’s hit song, “Let Me Love You” by Sierra Leonean musician, Bunny Mack . This modern day version by Wale infuses the rhythmic bounce of DC’s gogo music , adding a little extra spice to a classic, just as Bunny Mack did back in the 70’s along with other top African musicians who added the extra spice of funky guitar strings & baselines found in funk music to the traditional drums & strings of West African hi-life.

Most West Africans, particularly Ghanaians, Nigerians, Liberians, Ivorians, Togolese, Sierra Leonean & Senegalese remember the song, “let me love you”, as the ultimate African party jump off song, when the hankies came out, booties began shaking feverishly in the most trible way, the ultimate love song, mating call & celebration of African love, beauty and jubilation! When this song came on you could physically & mentally feel the love in the room between lovers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, cousins, grandmas, grandpas, and just true pure one collective African expression of joy!

Wale goes in as he calls out:
“ If she’s sweating & you got some money in your hands you have to spray her.. There’s money on the floor spray it, spray it”, the ultimate creators & perpetrators of “making it rain” in celebration of life and African expression in tribal culture & body movements, which had you sweating so hard to earn that cash that was stuck to your forehead strictly by the heaviness of your sweat, showing that you put the work into the celebration & testimony of your joy! This was and is traditional African culture, which was never done, seen nor intended in the vulgarity that the concept of “making it rain” is today. Wale has the westside representing hard! Back to a time when we honored our fathers & mothers, when family meant the entire village, when a child always knew his/her place and a junior would never dishonor his/her senior. A time when even with little, we made due and showed our richness in culture, happiness & love of self, nation & continent. A time when I am my brother & sister’s keeper were not just cliché words from a movie, but rather a part of the mantra & way of life of our culture, where we understood and believed that it truly takes a village to raise a child. Wale has allowed his inner Super Eagle to soar with this track, taking us to yesteryear with a modern day haute twist to lace the track just right for a new decade in global consumption!

Go on witcha’ Bad Self Wale Olubo as you put the exclamation point on the track, putting hip-hop on notice & letting them know “ur not hard ur fufu soft…Too much Kanye, where’s my chauffeur!”

New Era

Old Skool
The hi-life songs “Asafo Beson” by C.K. Mann from Ghana & Sweet Mother by Prince Nico Mbarga from Nigeria were also two of the best known & traditional West African party jump off songs of all time, which I look forward to having a new decade spice of fire, giving them new life for a new era of global consumption. Take out your handkerchiefs & let’s take a joyride down hi-life’s memory lane with a little new era hip flavor & education.

It’s all so beautiful in all of our sounds & shades!