MISSION:POSSIBLE

Special Feature 
We need to rethink the relationship between the music and the struggle.

We call this compilation of tunes "Mission Possible" because so many of us think about our struggle in the opposite way, as something that's impossible. This picture is of the Martin Luther King Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio. This is the "hood," the inner city that takes on the character of a forbidden zone. This is a way to warehouse the youth and not educate them, nor stimulate them to join their peoples liberation struggle.

We rise to take the challenge. We say no to this death dance, and stomp like warriors till the earth shakes as a war drum beat with our march to freedom.

These songs are from two generations, the 1960's and the 1990's. They represent critical commentary on various aspects of the Black experience. As Curtis Mayfield says to the youth "The hunt is on, and brother you're the prey." But "We're a winner" and are frequently heard to "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud." It's time to reclaim our cultural wealth and get back at a higher level of consciousness and struggle.

We have provided links to the artists for further study and listening pleasure. We have also provided the content of the booklet produced as part of the CD. This gives some material on our thinking of how this CD fits into the local organizing in Toledo, as well as a full set of lyrics. Enjoy.

1. Intro (Words of Malcolm) (1:24)    real audio | mp3  
Taken from the speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" by Malcolm X on First Amendment Records (recorded live in Detroit, MI on April 12, 1964) - Excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Chapter 19:1965) read by Wyze

2. New World Order (5:34)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Curtis Mayfield album New World Order (Warner Bros., 1996) 

3. G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) (4:47)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Common album One Day It'll All Make Sense - Featuring Cee-Lo from Goodie Mob (Relativity, 1997) 

4. We're a Winner (2:23)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from The Impressions album We're A Winner (ABC, 1968) 

5. It's OK (4:19)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the All Natural album No Additives, No Preservatives (All Natural Music, 1998) 

6. Inner City Blues (3:02)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Marvin Gaye album What's Going On (Tamla, 1971)

7. The Message (4:45)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five album The Messenger (Sugar Hill Records, 1982)

8. Say it Loud (4:49)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the James Brown album Say it Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud (Polydor, 1969) 

9. Everybody is a Star (3:04)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Sly and the Family Stone album Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits (Epic, 1970) 

10. Redemption Song (3:47)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Bob Marley album Uprising (island Records, 1980) 

11. People Get Ready (2:38)    real audio mp3 | lyrics
Taken from The Impressions album People Get Ready (ABC, 1965) 

12. 10 Years Old (0:52)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Nikki Giovanni record The Reason I like Chocolate (and other children poems) (Folkways Records, 1976)

13. You Can't Blame the Youth (4:07)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Peter Tosh single "You Can't Blame the Youth" (Intel-Diplo, 1973) 

14. Global Dynamics (3:33)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Dilated Peoples single "Third Degree" (ABB Records, 1997) 

15. Big Brother (3:33)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Stevie Wonder album Talking Book (Motown, 1972) 

16. Sound of da Police (3:54)    real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the KRS-One album Return of the Boom Bap (Jive, 1993) 

17. Johannesburg (4:48)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the Gil Scott-Heron album From South Africa to South Carolina (Arista, 1975) 

18. Dear Mama (4:38)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from the 2Pac album Me Against the World (Interscope, 1995) 

19. Keep on Pushing (2:33)  real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from The Impressions album Keep on Pushing (ABC,1964)

20. Success is Destiny (3:56)   real audio | mp3 | lyrics
Taken from The Grouch album Success is Destiny (Outhouse Records, 1997) 

21. Outro (Its's on us) ):20)   real audio | mp3
Taken from the Philadelphia International All Stars single "Lets Clean Up the Ghetto" (PIR, 1977)

 

 

-First and foremost Mission: Possible is for the families who make up the COMMUNITY MATH ACADEMY, the W. J. Murchison Community Center and the Dorr & Lawrence community
-Mission. Possible was conceptualized by Dr. Abdul Alkalimat and Brian Zelip
-Title conceived by Wyze
-Music compiled with the help of Jacob the King of Funk and Dr. Alkalimat
-Intro was sampled, pieced together and tweaked with the help of D-Scrip at N D-Scrip Studio
-Excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X was read by Wyze and recorded and tweaked by D-Scrip at N D-Scrip Studio 
-Tribe scratch by ORTHADOX 
-D-Scrip and Wyze appear courtesy of Movement Records, Toledo, Ohio 
-All tracks were mixed, arranged and recorded with the help of DJ One Tyme in the Bassment 
-DJ One Tyme represents Bassment Entertainment, Toledo, Ohio 
-Photography, Design and Layout: Brian Zelip 

 

 
   
   

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