Thursday 5 June 2008

Old School

Old School

2Pac

Here we go; we gonna send this one out to the old school
All these motherfuckers in the Bronx,
and Brooklyn, and Staten Island Queens,
and all the motherfuckers that laid it down, the foundation
yaknowhatI'msayin?
Nuttin but love for the old school
That's who we gonna do this one for,
ya feel me?

"
What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way
-- [Grand Puba] [repeat 3X]


Nothin like the old school/ain't nuttin like the old school
What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way

[Grand Puba]


I remember Mr. Magic, FLASH, Grandmaster Caz LL raisin hell but,
that didn't last Eric B. & Rakim was,
the shit to me I flip to see a Doug E. Fresh show,
with Ricky D and Red Alert was puttin in work,
with Chuck Chill Had my homies on the hill gettin ill,
when shit was real Went out to steal, remember Raw,
with Daddy Kane when De La Soul was puttin Potholes in the game
I can't explain how it was, Whodini had me puffin on that buddha gettin buzzed, cause there I was
Them block parties in the projects,
and on my block You diggi don't stop,
sippin on that Private Stock
Through my speaker Queen Latifah,
and MC Lyte Listen to Treach, KRS to get me through the night
With T La Rock and Mantronix,
to Stetsasonic Remember


was the bomb shit, nuttin like the old school
"What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way" --
[Grand Puba]

Heheheh, it ain't nuttin like the old school
"What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way"
-- [Grand Puba]


Ain't nuttin like the old school "
What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way" --
[Grand Puba]

Yeaheheh, it ain't nuttin like the old school
What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way

[Grand Puba]


Nuttin like the old school
"What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way
[Grand Puba]

Ain't nuttin like the old school
What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way

&Grand Puba]

Heheh...
I had, Shell Toes,
and BVD's A killer crease inside my Lee's
when I hit the streets I'm playin skelly, ring to leavey,
or catch a kiss before the homies in my hood learned to smack a bitch,
I remember way back, the weak weed they had
Too many seeds in the trey bag I'm on the train headin uptown,
freestylin with some wild kids from Bucktown,
profilin cause the hoochies was starin, thinkin,

Why them niggaz swearin?
I'm wonderin if that's her hair,
I remember Stickball,
pump the hoochies on the wall or takin leaks on the steps,
stinkin up the hall
Through my childhood, wild as a juvenile
A young nigga tryin to stay away from Riker's Isle M
e and my homies breakin nights, tryin to keep it true
Out on the roof sippin 90 proof,
ain't nuttin like the old school


"What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way

[Grand Puba]

Heheheyah, that's right,
it ain't nuttin like the old school "What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way
" -- [Grand Puba]
Ain't nuttin like the old school "

What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today
if the old school didn't pave the way" --
[Grand Puba]

Nuttin like the old school "What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way

" -- [Grand Puba]

Nuttin like the old school "What more could I say?
I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way" --
[Grand Puba]
Ain't nuttin like the old school
"
What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today if the old school didn't pave the way" --
[Grand Puba]

Hahah... remember poppin and lockin to Kurtis Blow, the name belts And Scott LaRock the Super Hoe back in Latin Quarters When Slick Rick was spittin La-Di-Da-Di Gamin the hoochies at the neighborhood block parties, I remem-ber breakdancin to Melle Mel Jekyll and Hyde, LL when he Rocks the Bells Forget the TV, about to hit the streets and do graffiti

Be careful don't let the transit cops see me

It ain't nuttin like the old school! [Grand Puba sample repeats every bar to end]

It ain't nuttin like the old school Hahahah, it ain't nuttin like the old school Hey, heheaha, on the real though, ain't nuttin like the old school ...


Remember seein Brooklyn go crazy up in the motherfuckin party?
Member how fuckers used to go, "Is Brooklyn in the house?" and motherfuckers would lose they GOD DAMN MIND

That's the old school to me; that's what I'm sayin (Su-per, Sperm) I remember goin places that motherfuckers was scared to say they was from anywhere but Brooklyn;

that shit was the bomb Back in the motherfuckin old school nigga Remember skelly nigga?
Knockin niggaz out the box, poppin boxes? Member stickball?
Member niggaz to run that shit like that?
Member the block members screamin up at your mom from the window?
(LL Cool J is hard as HELL...) The ice cream truck, member all the mother...

Member the italian icey's yo? Yo remember the italian icey's the spanish niggaz comin down with the coconut icey's and shit? I came through the door, said it before That was the SHIT!

News from Arusha

Kagame calls for more efficiency in regional trade at Arusha summit
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Arusha


President Paul Kagame has repeated his call for more efficient regional blocks as an effective measure for Africa to increase domestic investment and spur economic growth and development on the continent.

The president first called for cross boarder reforms in custom operations in a speech he presented to the Common Wealth Heads of States meeting in Kampala November 2007.

Speaking to a a parked hall today during the ongoing 8th edition of the Leon H Sullivan summit in Arusha's International conference centre, Kagame emphasised that only more investment and efficience of regional integration will ensure Africa's escape from poverty.

He said that the absence of regional economic infrastrcture is a major hinderance to Africa's growth and social economic transformation. Kagame lamented the unneccessary administrative bureacracy that makes doing business in Africa very difficult, he said that researchers had discovered that African investors spend a lot of time filling paper work than carrying out commercial actual transactions.

The delays, he said reduces the volume of trade on the continent and is counter productive in the fight agnaist poverty on the continent. "Each additional day an export transaction is held up in a country, that country distances itself from its trading partners by 1 percent," emphasised Kagame.

He also questioned the wisdom of a container of goods which he said in the case of Kigali costs $5600 on transport costs from Kigali to Mombassa and the cost from that sea port to Antwerp in Belgium reducing to only $1200.

He added that the delay in carrying out commercial transactions was not down to poor infrastructure in Sub Saharan Africa alone; " but also the result of regional bureacratic obstacles such as cumbersome trans boarder custom procedures, clearing, cargo inspections and corruption."

Kagame said that the above challenges are even worse for land locked countries including Rwanda; "whose products need to comply with different requirements at every boarder post."
He gave an example of one African country where preparations to for exporting involved 11 documents, 17 visits to different offices, 29 signatures and 60 days to move goods from the factory to the shop. He said that such practices have made doing business in Africa very expensive' "and our competition dismal." K

agame said as measures to solve the poor economic infrastructure the East African Community had set up the East African Infrastructure strategy 2010 which calls for the rehabilitation of major interconnecting trade corridors and renovation of airports. R


wanda and Tanzania are set to instal a railway line to connect to Rwanda to Dar Salaam to ease regional infrastructure problems said Kagame.

Ambassador Andrew Young a representative of the US government and one of the organisers of the summit sang to the tune of Bob Marley's famous song 'One love' and empasised African unity as one of the sparks to African growth investment.

James Patterson the former prime minister of Jamaica extensively quoted Pan African intellectual Marcus Garvey as he appealed for Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to unite and develop each other.
He said that Africans would be able one day to defeat poverty as they had defeated colonialism.
Leon H Sullivan was African-American cleric international humanitarian. He preached positive messages encouraging commitments and resources of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa to promote positive change in the world. He also championed self-help, social responsibility, economic empowerment, and human rights.

The Eighth Leon Sullivan Summit, whose theme is "Tourism and Infrastructure Development", will focus on education, investment, environmental sustainability, energy, infrastructure and tourism. It aims at advancing physical and economic infrastructure, especially power, transport and information technology through regional economic community discussions.

The summit is geared towards attracting investment in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism as an engine of economic growth in Africa. The summit brings together the world’s political and business leaders, delegates representing international organisations and academic institutions.

The Leon H Sullivan Summit Arusha

I had a unique but embarrasing moment at one of the VIP entrances where President Jakaya Kikwete was exiting from.
I stood oin one corner and posed like a veteran security agent, my UN card of course doing alot to provide cover in case of any emergency.
So while Kikwete was approaching a line of Tanzanian VIPs began forming next to where i was standing, i just joined in the foray.
When he appraoched me my card decoded to get exposed, the guy read my name and asked; "you from Rwanda?" Yes i repled, he said, "Send my greetings to your president."
So Mzee, if you are a fan of my blog, there you are, and i will need pay for delivery.
Peace.
Anyhow, as the summit progressed i learnt better how to position myself and meet the other VIPs that were attending, they were very many.
But for the record, i managed to see and stand next to Rev Jesse Jackson and Ambassador ANDREW yOUNG.

Dont have any illusions, this is not a name dropping contest but notes of a Rwandan journalist stationed i Arusha, where else do you meet such people..and if you are not a hustler journalist?
I will write about the more humiliating encounter with a 'black' American lady who was fooled by the internet and whatever otherbrochure she read that all Africans are ignorant and therefore need translation services to be able to understand anybody from a wesren country.
Fuck that ex slave.................

Wednesday 4 June 2008

Arusha notes 2

Here ICT is a bridge to the ever present Language barrier

BY GEORGE KAGAME
Arusha


Inside the ICTR courtrooms there are installed all sorts of communication technology gadget. This is because the courts proceedings have complex communication issues to deal with that make it hard for detainees, witnesses, lawyers and even judges to communicate between each other effectively.

Apart form the fact that the detainees cannot speak English the main lingua franca of the court, there over 99 nationalities employed at the court-presenting a challenge that would have the hands of Kigali's numerous event management firms full.

First some detainees cannot read or write in any language making an observer wonder how they were effective in masterminding the slaughter of so many people in such a sort time without using any complex technology. The detainees that can speak do so only in Kinyarwanda and or French yet most communication here written or otherwise are in English, so the ICT equipment was primarily installed to deal with this problem.

The language issue is very interesting for me as a Rwandan working here, last week there was the unfortunate death of a Voice of America journalists who happened to be a Rwandan. I did not know him personally but out of professional fellowship I went to attend the vigil.

As the night grew several people joined the vigil crew and normally we were all speaking Tanzanian Swahili, I knew only later that all the people I was talking were Rwandan but who strictly spoke in Swahili as a disguise, they never wanted a new face to know they are Rwanda.

The fallen journalist, (he was Rwandan but will be buried in Tanzania died of a stroke on his way to report to work last Friday morning. The language barrier also ensured that there are many people employed here as translators and that is the only section in which many Rwandans are employed.

The court has a heavy presence of white people; it’s not easy to know which countries they all come from so the colour description is the only way that I can identify them so far. Most of the legal interns are white just as are many senior experts; even the senior security officials are also white apart from the rude senior official who heads security at the UN detention centre. He is also from West Africa.

The middle level executives are mainly West Africans while simple administrative jobs are held by Tanzanians. This simple description goes right to the internal workings of tribunal; many of the suspects are defended by West Africans especially from Cameroon-from where a sizable number of the 1994 Rwanda genocide suspects were arrested. I think this is because the suspects can easily communicate with the Cameroonians in French.

There is a also a big number of defense lawyers from Canada. I thought this is because Canada and Cameroon are big fans of international justice but a seasoned journalist here corrected me that there are several historical factors at play her concerning the issue.


About Cameroon for example, the journalists told me that the suspects had run to that country because they believed the good old theories of early European missionaries who decided with 'scientific evidence' that some Rwandans had come from Cameroon while another section were simply ‘foreign’ and they never agreed on which part of the world the ‘foreigners’ came from.

So when the RPF captured Kigali in 1994, the genocide suspects shifted their government machinery from Kigali to Gisenyi, moving into Eastern Congo and ending up in Cameroon, the rich ones flew while the poorer ones walked. Some of them remained in Eastern Congo.

Today is one such day when working at the ICTR gets exciting, this is because after sitting in the chambers for 8 hours, there's no story to file, the lawyers are either arguing or presenting evidence...some of this evidence is down right gruesome while some is interesting.

Today the premises of the court are also hosting the 8th Rev Leon H Sullivan summit. The summit is a huge conference that brings many international experts on Africa, African leaders, American African experts and politicians to find solutions to improve the conditions of living on the African continent.

There are rumours in the corridor today that the detainees are planning to stage a protest or demonstration. The demonstration, it is reported is because the detainees are concerned about the record of the government of Rwanda in regard to respect of human rights, they want the government to respect human rights and they hope to get the attention of Ambassador Andrew Young the former US ambassador to the UN.

So the chief spokesman of the ICTR and all his lieutenants are holding a closed door meeting about the issue. The media was not invited. The actual issue is actually is about the transfer of these suspects for their cases to be hard in Rwanda but no, they want to remain in Arusha. It is ironical that genocide suspects want to teach a legitimate government about human rights!



To be continued…

US delegation in Arusha

US delegation at Sullivan summit pays courtesy call to ICTR

By GEORGE KAGAME
ARUSHA

The US delegation attending the ongoing 8th edition of the Leon H Sullivan summit in Arusha today paid a courtesy call to the offices of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The US team at the summit is comprised of influential US politicians, business leaders and civil rights leaders including Ambassador Andrew Young former US representative at the UN, Jendayi Frazer the secretary of state for African affairs in state department, Dirk Kempthorne US secretary of the Interior and John Simon Executive vice president of f the Washington based Overseas private investment.
The entourage held discussions with Evarard O’Donnell he deputy registrar of the ICTR.

Addressing the press in his office today Roland Amoussouga the Spokesperson of the Tribunal said the US delegation visited the office of the Registrar to acquaint themselves with trial proceedings; “they were given an overview of the achievements and challenges of the tribunal.”

The closed meeting between the registrar and the US delegation lasted for one and half hours and according to Amoussouga involved extensive exchanges about the work of the tribunal, its contribution to the Rwandan community, the East African Community and the world.

The Leon H Sullivan summit is a biennial summit that is hosted by an African country; the five-day summit in Arusha will focus on investment and development opportunities in Africa, especially in the sectors of tourism and infrastructure.
The Rwandan delegation at the summit was comprised of ORTPN director Rosette Rugambwa , REMA boss @@@@@ Muka@@@


Opening the summit, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete described the Arusha summit as a platform on which Africans on the continent and Africans and people of African origin in the Diaspora were to discuss issues of mutual interests.


Inaugurated in 1991, the Leon Sullivan Summit has been focusing on poverty elimination through development in various fields. All the previous seven summits were held in west and south African countries of Cote d'Ivoire (1991), Gabon (1993), Senegal (1995), Zimbabwe (1997), Ghana (1999) and Nigeria (2003 and 2006).

Leon H Sullivan was African-American cleric international humanitarian. He preached positive messages encouraging commitments and resources of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa to promote positive change in the world. He also championed self-help, social responsibility, economic empowerment, and human rights.

Bosnian leader calls for dialogue among muslims

Bosnian leader calls for dialogue among Muslims across the world

BY GEORGE KAGAME
Arusha


The President of Bosnia Herzegovina Haris Silajdzic has challenged Muslims all over the world to engage in serious dialogue with followers of other faiths and civilizations as the only way of stopping global misunderstanding about the religion.

Silajdzic who was addressing the 19th session of the World Muslim Call society said “dialogue was also the only means in which radicalism among some Islamic communities would be stopped.”

The message was carried by the Mufti of Rwanda Sheik Saleh Habimana who represented Rwanda at the session that took place in Sarajevo the Bosnian capital from 27th to 1 June.

In an email correspondence Habimana who returned to Rwanda yesterday (Monday) after attending the meeting said the Bosnian leader was briefed about the issues and events leading up to the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.
Habimana said he was part of an African delegation which was headed by Dr. Muhamed Ahmed Sheriff, the general secretary general of the World Islamic Call Society.


In a closed door meeting with the Bosnian leader, Sheriff explained about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and related it to the Srebrenica Massacre, also known as Srebrenica Genocide took place in July 1995 exactly a year after the Rwanda Genocide.

An estimated 10000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered in a single day by the Serbian soldiers under the command of General Ratko Mladic during the Bosnian war. Bosnian has since acquired independence from Serbia and Montenegro and is currently negotiating its accession to the EU.

Sheriff also presented Rwanda’s achievement to the conference since the 1994 Genocide saying that the; “ Rwanda people had overcome the fear and death and Kigali currently is bustle of activity of commercial life and a model city for security and hygiene in the Sub Saharan region.” He added that the clear visionary leadership of President Paul Kagame had ensured stability and reconciliation among the people of Rwanda.

The Mufti of Bosnia agreed to send 5 survivors of the Srebrenica Massacre who will participate in commemoration events ending the 14th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide in July organized by the Rwandan Muslim Association. This will also be marking 12 years since the Srebrenica genocide.

Formed in 1972, the World Islamic Call Society is an international organization based in Libya that unites Muslim across the globe in finding lasting solutions to community problems. The society also seeks to support Islamic societies in identifying Islamic civilization and culture in the world.

I've loved these days Billy Joel

I've Loved These Days
Billy Joel

Now we take our time... so nonchalant,
And spend our nights so bon vivant.
We dress our days in silken robes,
The money comes, the money goes...
We know it's all a passing phase.

We light our lamps for atmosphere,
And hang our hopes on chandeliers.
We're going wrong, we're gaining weight,
We're sleeping long and far too late.
And so it's time to change our ways...
But I've loved these days.

Now as we indulge in things refined,
We hide our hearts from harder times.
A string of pearls, a foreign car...
Oh, we can only go so far... on caviar and Cabernet.

We drown our doubts in dry champagne,
And soothe our souls with fine cocaine.
I don't know why I even care...
We get so high and get nowhere.
We'll have to change our jaded ways...
But I've loved these days.

So before we end (and then begin)-
We'll drink a toast to how it's been...
A few more hours to be complete,
A few more nights on satin sheets,
A few more times that I can say...
I've loved these days.

Been Through the storm By Stevie Wonder

Been Through the Storm

Busta Rhymes & Stevie Wonder

[Chorus: Stevie Wonder] Been through the storm, through the cold and rain Everything's still the same Can't control how I feel
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real
You see the luxuries in life, with the fortune and fame Like them Cadillacs with sunroofs mayne
So many ways to make a dollar Huh, sometimes
I think about my father You see my poppa was broke, and my momma was young
Tryin to blend in with them city folk
Every day landlord knockin down my do'
Wonderin where my next blessing is comin from


[Busta Rhymes] My momma and poppa, moved to the U.S. as Jamaicans
Struggled to get visas and green cards through immigration
Though my pop was po', stayed away from crime and malice
Hard living gave him hard hands and callous
As a young'n, peep how much they loved each other's space His hard hands rubbin against the pretty skin of my mother's face
Dig for treasure 'til his hands looked like hands of a junkie
So coarse, slap a mule and take the life from a donkey On the other hand, mommy was the type to work two jobs
Never enough money, that's why I got your whole crew robbed Got older, developed ways of grippin the steel
Barely home for me to see her, or get a good cooked meal
Seek refuge in the alleged land of the free, lookin Blendin in with city folk, down in Flatbush Brooklyn

Feel a little of my pain, follow and sing to it
Homey I seen it all, if you ain't knowin I been through it In other words I [Chorus]

[Busta Rhymes]
Got little older, late teens, me and my crew would huddle
On the corner late nights, plottin to escape struggle
Nights got cold and still would hustle in the same place
In front of Pancho Delis, now the freeze up on a nigga face 1987 Reaganomics ever curious to visit other cities, out of town kick was serious

Guayanese jeans bounce, put whatever slinger on Whatever slinger came back, quickly brought me right along Nigga ran away from home

Doin different wild shit, just to put a pair of Filas on,
'Didas on Wreck is all for the good, gettin into shit
Like we innocent, actin older than should
Walk around broke in the hood, watchin all the rich niggaz
These younger thugs who try to choke and try to get niggaz
Thinkin 'bout my mom and pop, while I'm monopolizin
To hell with just gettin by and economizin
It's kinda hard bein humble in the belly of struggle
Doin things that probably get you in trouble
That's why we stay up on the block, gettin money while we keepin it safe
In front of churchgoers keepin the faith
Mom and pop be worryin for they son
Despite they struggle and their honest livin look and see just what
I become A scavenger, in brute pursuit to be happy, another young'n that's wildin Across the line until somebody tryin to cap me - ohhhh shit {*gunfire*}

[Outro: Stevie Wonder - singer slower with more ad libs]

I been through the storm Through the cold and rain Everything's still the same Can't control how I feel Sometimes it's hard to keep it real Woooooooooooooo-whoahhhhhhhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhhhhhhh-ohhhhhhhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

New York Staeof Mind By Stevie Wonder

New York State Of Mind

Billy Joel

Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind

I've seen all the movie stars
In their fancy cars and their limousines
Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens
But I know what I'm needing
And I don't want to waste more time
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
But now I need a little give and take
The New York Times, The Daily News

It comes down to reality
And it's fine with me 'cause I've let it slide
Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside
I don't have any reasons
I've left them all behind
I'm in a New York state of mind

I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line
'Cause I'm in a New York state of mind