By Simba K. Nkulah.
(News of the South)-The following interview was conducted by Simba Kyle Nkulah [S.K] exclusively for News of the South with Draze, Zimbabwean-American rapper based in Seattle US elaborating more on the release of his video “Ain’t nobody talking about real sh*t.”
On the eve of Africa Day,the living and late founders of the African Union the late Julius Nyerere, Kwameh Nkrumah, Samora Machel as well as greatest people in the movement of black freedom Marcus Garvey,Martin Luther King jr must all bé smiling from their graves and of course the current non agenarian President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe must be smiling seating on his masseuse “wheel chair” he received from his party as a birthday present. Zimbabwean-American hip-hop sensation, advocate for black supremacy is releasing his damning video “Ain’t Nobody Talking About Real Shit”castigating treatment of the black race with whites.
[S.K]You advocate a lot for African-Americans in most of your songs and Africans or black people as a race will be celebrating 54 years of self-rule on the 25th of May.Do you feel as if blacks are still served or viewed as a minority compared to other races considering its been years since the abolishment of slavery?
[Draze]Honestly, I’m just trying to make good music that moves people. It ends up speaking to and for black people because that’s what i am and that’s what i know.In regards to blacks achieving equality around the world we have a long way to go.The sad part is that on almost every continent the seeds of white supremacy are still baring fruit. It’s sad to see that in such a progressive time racism, power and privilege are still as live as ever.
[S.K]There are some disturbing scenes in your video of white police officers bitterly assaulting black youths, shooting them and exerting untold sufferings. In the song you reiterate,” They killing us in the streets… white supremacy black fraternity.”Take us through the motivation behind the video script and your opinion on white supremacy as well as gentrification.
[Draze]The inspiration for this song came from a quote from D’Angelo who was looking at the state of popular black music and said” Ain’t Nobody Talking About Real Shi*t.”When he said it, it was like he was echoing the sentiments of so many real artists like myself. The video is really exposing the myriad of issues that we as a generation are facing. Who you watch it,it’s dense, weighty, and heavy because there is so much thrown at you. I’m challenging black artists to bring some of that pain and those stories to their music.
In regards to Gentrification,I think it is one of the new faces of racism. It operates through a system that allows the perpetrators to absolve themselves of feeling guilty because the whip is not directly in their hands. White culpability is one of the most dangerous arms of racism.
[S.K]An array of ironic scenes appear in your video. You are calling out,”I need a fair trial… the problem is white cops don’t value black life.” But then in your video the judge is white,the jury is white.Barack Obama was black but did almost nothing to avert this ordeal for blacks,now with an extremist white,Donald Trump on the hot seat…do you see this trend changing anytime soon and the black folks getting fair trials in this “white justice system?”
[Draze]I don’t see it happening but if i had to find some positives to Donald Trump it would be that the so-called Progressives could finally wake up and see that Racism is not only alive but it is actually thriving here in this country. The second positive would be the Black people that are finally waking up to know that the only ones who are going to save us is us. This reality was always true with the Democrats as it is with the Republicans but now we are simply forced to accept it. Democrats say they will help then don’t. The Republicans simply let you know, you are on your own.
[S.K]Screenshot of at least 25 missing black teen girls in DC appear on your video, viz a viz that disturbing alteration, only African-Americans converged at the DC town hall to merge a way forward.I recall Steve Harvey on one of his shows under the hash tag #ChicagoGunViolence saying, “Let’s not make it a ‘race’ issue but a people driven issue.” Clearly the system ain’t working, so what’s the way forwad, what’s the solution to curb this out?
[Draze]You always hear that crap about how this is not a race issue, it’s a people issue but the picture doesn’t lie. That room was full of black people because there were black women missing. If it were simply about people then why weren’t there a bunch of white people in that room demanding answers about those missing girls? It’s like i said in the song “These hipsters claim they for equality, show up to the pride fest but absent at the black lives rally.” If you’re really for equality you would stand with every people group that is mistreated.
[S.K]”I can’t watch my people die…”Draze you have been the voice of the voiceless, you have taken the initiative to advocate for black supremacy with songs like” irony on 23rd”,”The hood ain’t the same” and now “ain’t nobody talking about real sh*t”.Do you feel as if other prominent blacks in America are taking a step back and not coming in the open to castigate these atrocities being pondered upon other blacks with white folks? Is this political?
[Draze]I think there are a ton of celebrities doing a lot. I however think we could be doing so much more. To think what King did with limited resources is remarkable. With all of the financial and political resources that we have,we should bé shaking up the world. Not so that they can marvel at the beauty of our culture and the range of our gifting but rather the contents of our hearts. Adopting the individualistic ideals of our oppressor creates an environment where the comforts of wealth and celebrity cause you to forget that the dream was for equality, not comfort and prestige. Not only that,the dream was for the community not just for self.
[S.K]Tell us morè about your dream to push for 100 new black entrepreneurs in Seattle before the end of the year. Any significant progress as we approach the first half of the year?
[Draze]I have been searching for some effective and practical way to slow and reverse the effects of gentrification. One of the first steps to me is to get back to owning. Owning businesses gives us the access we need to capital,capital is what we need for more ownership and the cycle goes on and on.This summer i am going to kick off a campaign to launch 100 black businesses in a calendar year in the Northwest.I am already receiving calls and emails from folks saying they have businesses that they want to launch.This model is something that any city or community can adopt.We are focusing our efforts on two things :
1.)Launching new businesses in a variety of fields and
2.)Challenging the community to support those businesses. If we can do those two things there is absolute no way we can lose.
[S.K]Out of curiosity, in the video, you’re wearing a black t-shirt with an American flag and you accessories it with a chain engraved with an African map.Any symbolism behind that?
[Draze]Absolutely! The American flag represents Black America which is really African Americans. They should be proud to be Americans!They should however be proud of their African heritage. No one gets mad when Mexican Americans celebrate Cinto De mayo.No one gets mad when Irish Americans celebrate St Patrick’s Day.But let black people start embracing African festivals and the like and it becomes a problem. Inherently the message is that blacks are property without rights. My attire was symbolic of reconnecting us with the full circle of our journey.
That African chain is also a part of a jewelry line that i am getting ready to release in collaboration with a company out of Portland Oregon called “Sticks and Stones.” In honor of my camp “The Chosen Few” they let me design my own line with chains and rings reflective of my movement. That’s what you see me wearing in the video. All of which is dropping this summer.
[S.K]I’m one of the few people to have had the honour and privilege to watch the video, “Ain’t nobody talking about real sh*t” before its official release to the public and i owe you one for that. Just by watching the video one can’t help it but to marvel at the scintillating production, any people you want to give credit to, who made this video a success?
[Draze]Absolutely.I gotta thank Josh Arnold who co-directed the video with me.My supportive life partner Ja’Net and daughter Nyasha.My teammates:Cream, Zahra and Rob.My man from Sneaker Wars Shantae;The band Jaisen, Art B,the man on the drums, Paul Stoot;Jabari, and my guy James who let me use his crib (laugh).A lot of folks helped me pull this together and i appreciate all of them.
Draze is quite a sensation doing it big at the epi-centre of U.S Seattle and he is taking the initiative to advocat for black rights, supremacy, fight against gentrification through his bars, rhymes and enterpreneurship. He has been the voice of the voiceless through songs like” irony on 23rd”,”The hood ain’t the same” and now “ain’t nobody talking about real shit.” Draze has mad soundtracks for popular US TV shows, Empire, NFL Network, Love and Hip Hop,Sports Center,as well as opening acts for Snoop Dogg and Wale.Instead of being disgruntled with Donald Trump’s extrimist policy in silence,black empowerement and supremacy, Draze has become the voice of the voiceless, the voice of African-American, the voice of black supremacy, the voice of black freedom.
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