Smashproof
Right now I’m really digging a hip-hop group from New Zealand, called Smashproof, whose songs seem to not have made it here to the US yet, but I think they would do quite well if they do show up here. They have a few hits in New Zealand, including Brother, and Weekend, but my favorite song is Ordinary Life, which you can find on Songza (and precious few other places). Particular poignant to me is how the extended version of that song ends, partially transcribed here:
You don’t get nothing from nothing, meaning you have to put something into it to get something out and even though it may seem hard and you’re unsure what you need, you gotta look to your past. Look to your past, and if you don’t want your future to become a shadow of your past then you’ve got to do something at this present moment in time to change that…
Our ancestors weren’t followers. They weren’t followers. Mom and dad, our grandfathers, they weren’t followers. You think about it. They came here for a better future for you. A better future for you. They left their homeland. They left their parents, their family to come here for a better life for you. Its your turn. It’s your turn to man up. Break the cycle…
You can make this work… Take a good look at yourself and ask the hard question: am I really willing to change?
August 30th, 2009 at 06:49:24 am
Wow. That really is a powerful message…makes you think.
December 29th, 2012 at 11:09:47 pm
I find it funny how New Zealanders say “mum” and you said “mom”
April 25th, 2015 at 12:35:10 am
You don’t get nothing from nothing, meaning you have to put something into it to get something out and even though it may seem hard and you’re unsure what you need, you gotta look to your past. Look to your past, and if you don’t want your future to become a shadow of your past then you’ve got to do something at this present moment in time to change that. I’ll tell ya, struggle, violence, stress,depression it all comes under one umbrella believe it or not, believe me it does. I mean that there should be a motivator for you to get up and out of the storm, out of the rain and under the roof away from the cold. I’ll tell ya one thing, people stay away from preachers who preach false madness that teaches our youth to do violence and crime. Who needs that? Who needs that? You’re gotta follow your own heart. Our ancestors weren’t followers. They weren’t followers. Mum and dad, our grandfathers, they weren’t followers. You think about it. They came here for a better future for you. A better future for you. They left their homeland.They left their parents, their family to come here for a better life for you. Its your turn. This, OK your past wan’t flash but It’s your turn to man up. Break the cycle. I mean our own people are killing each other, killing other people killing other races, hey, this didn’t use to happen. So what has to change? I don’t have the answers, but I am willing to walk to a solution, are you? But I can’t do that on my own. That’s where you come in, you can make this work, I mean think about this, all the different race working together helping each other. No one will be left behind but we are far from that, so far from that place at the moment and only hard work and dedication will change that. And that change needs to come from within. Take a good look at yourself and ask the hard question: Am I really willing to change?