Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Poetry from Kemit Mawakana
Bill Quigley
19 Mar 2008
🖨️ Print Article
{mp3}poetry/074_7ft_2216{/mp3} 
2216

He told me he’s been putting in work for 22-years

He said he’s been spittin on the mic for 22-years

From cipher to ciper to hole in the wall

He’s been droppin’ 16-bars at 16-bars

for 16-slobs that said they was A&Rs

Said he loved hip-hop bleed and die for hip-hop

STOP

What he really told me was that he

didn’t have a 401k which is ok I guess

when he’s young at his age

but when he’s 43 – if – he makes 43

he’ll say damn a 401k would sure sound good to me

But all he’ll have to listen to

is a 99-cent demo he dropped when he was 16 but

He told me he’s been putting in work for 22-years

He said he’s been spittin on the mic for 22-years

From cipher to ciper to hole in the wall

He’s been droppin’ 16-bars at 16-bars

for 16-slobs that said they was A&Rs

Said he loved hip-hop bleed and die for hip-hop

STOP

What he really told me

was that he’s not married and his maturity was retarded

because he would bleed and die

for hip-hop but not a real black woman

Should have been building a relationship

family and kids not a bootleg cd collection

I’m guessin he’s thinking hip-hop is a culture too

True source and vibe write that

but they ain’t write and he ain’t read Yurugu but

He told me he’s been putting in work for 22-years

He said he’s been spittin on the mic for 22-years

From cipher to ciper to hole in the wall

He’s been droppin’ 16-bars at 16-bars

for 16-slobs that said they was A&Rs

Said he loved hip-hop bleed and die for hip-hop

STOP

What he really told me was that he was born in 1980-something

which means since birth he’s used to hoping something

would trickle down to him

Even when no child left behind he was remembered

They remember to forget him

What’s worse then they remembered him

Said he was the one that liked pens and 16-bars

So they built pens with 16-bars

and since he liked tracks

they tracked him in schools

they tracked him at the mall

they tracked him like the 5-civilized tribes tracked his ancestors but

He told me he’s been putting in work for 22-years

He said he’s been spittin on the mic for 22-years

From cipher to ciper to hole in the wall

He’s been droppin’ 16-bars at 16-bars

for 16-slobs that said they was A&Rs

Said he loved hip-hop bleed and die for hip-hop

STOP

What he really told me was that for at least 22-years

a glock tek 9 38 four-five nor 22

were able to find his vital internal organs

even if chronic and malt liquor had

he nevertheless was able to avoid bullets like his Dad avoided him

then and now child support payments are too high so he get’s high

His pants sag low and he knows there’s no

Platinum or gold at the end of this rainbow

at least not beyond his teeth or Jesus piece

When socialization under alien control

behavioral result is pathologically normal

direct correlation between consciousness history

and what you want aspire to and dream

He said “I know” but I know he didn’t know -- you know? so

not to be too hard on him

because I put a big chunk of it on black men age 40 and over

He is their seed

Indeed he is them tomorrow

like they are him yesterday

so start today

start today

start today and

STOP.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Gerald Horne
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Gerald Horne on The Hawaii Coup and the Roots of US Imperialism in the Asia-Pacific Basin
    06 Mar 2026
    Dr. Gerald Horne joins us from Houston to discuss his latest work, The Counter Revolution of 1893: The Hawaii Coup and the Roots of U.S. Imperialism in the Asia-Pacific Basin. He connects 19th-…
  • Puerto Rico independence movement
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution and Struggle for Independence in Puerto Rico
    06 Mar 2026
    Brianna Alvarado Ramos of Diaspora Pa’lante Collective discusses the challenges of the revolutionary struggle in Venezuela and the fight for Puerto Rico's independence from U.S. colonialism.
  • The Editors
    Iran 2026: Black Agenda Report Special Issue
    04 Mar 2026
    Iran 2026: Black Agenda Report Special Issue
  • Ajamu Baraka and Gerald Horne
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist , Dr. Gerald Horne , BettBeat
    Epstein Class vs. Iran: "They’ll Blow Up the World"
    04 Mar 2026
    BAR Editor and Columnist Ajamu Baraka joined BettBeat Media, alongside Dr. Gerald Horne, to discuss the US imperialist campaign against Iran amid the ongoing genocide of Palestinians and how the same…
  • ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    Iran and the Psychopathology of White Supremacy
    04 Mar 2026
    Western threats against Iran and other nations reveal the persistence of white supremacist ideology.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us