The Hungry Lion

I-dication to My Two Fathers

2011-04-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

The best way to began this blog is with this I-dication. First of all, the use of the "I" in the place of other letters in words is a Rastafarian use that places the subjectivity on an individual or a collective rather than making one an object.

I-dication (dedication) to Two Fathers

It's one of those rare memories of my early childhood that I can still remember almost like it was yesterday. I will admit that details are foggy. I had to have been between the ages of ten to twelve years old. It was a spring Louisiana/Mississippi night (in my hometown of Norwood, Louisiana our front yard was Louisiana and backyard is Mississippi...literally). My father came on one of his many visists to pick me up and take me for a ride. This night was no different than many others; he'd call, show up in his '87 (maybe '89) Volvo and then we'd go for a ride. He'd always have someone else with him, be it an older cousin, god-brother, uncle, or one of his close friends. But there was something a little different than the usual rides. There was a peculiar sound coming from the speakers produced from a tape in his car stereo. At that time in my life I was into MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, yet making a transition to Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. In our rides I was usually very quiet unless my father or whomever the driver that was with him asked me questions. However, this time, upon hearing the wierd guitar and raspy voice harmonizing with what sounded like angelic women I broke my own silence and asked, "Daddy, who is that?" He responded, "Bob Marley."

I would not hear the name of music of Bob Marley until after I saw the Fugee's video for "No Woman No Cry" which was a remake of the classic Bob Marley social-ballad in which they callaborated with his second son Stephen Marley. I was mesmorized by the footage of this small man with long and rather thick "dread locks." I considered myself a Fugees fan, mainly because of Lauryn Hill, but it was their remake of "No Woman No Cry" that prompted me to go purchase "The Score." Unfortunately, when I reached track 12 I was disappointed. It wasn't the version of "No Woman No Cry" that I witnessed on MTV. It was a regular recorded remake of that same song that would become my favorie Bob Marley ballad, at least until I heard more.

Thirst for more Bob Marley not quinched from the Fugees album, I sought him elsewhere. Unlike many folks who could just go to a music store and get a CD, I lived in Norwood, La. The closest Wal-Mart is in Zachary, Louisiana and that was 30 minutes away. I didn't have a computer to research him. I didn't even think about asking my father about him because that may have been one of our many non-speaking moments. But one day, there was a light at the end of the check-out counter at a Dollar General store about 10 minutes away from my home. I saw a Bob Marley tape with the title Mellow Mood and later Kaya(not to be confused with the actual 1978 Kaya album). This album was full of early recordings of Bob Marley and two other singers I would know nothing about until a short time later.

Eventually I would go off to the Art Institute of Houston. My father and I began speaking again and while on Christmas break, we went to Jackson, Mississippi for one of his many meetings. I had already asked him about Bob Marley and when I got into his car, he had for me the live Bablyon By Bus album. When we got to Jackson, MISS we went into this music store and we went to the Reggae section. I was about to buy Natty Dread because it had a song called "Revolution." My infatuation with learning about "revolutionary causes" played a part in that, as well as I thought it was the original to a song that Krayzie Bone collaborated with The Marley Brothers called "Revolution." However, my father instead suggested that I buy Legend.
To this day, anyone wanting to experience Bob Marley for the first time I suggest that they purchase Legend because it is a glimps to the many aspects of him.

Back in Houston, this comic book loving, anime watching, Bone thugs-n-harmony wannabe, was on a Marley mission. Every chance I got I would purchase a Bob Marley CD and with every CD there was something fresh and new. His music would bring me to places where I had never been; learning about struggles that were familiar but foreign. I remember the first book that I read about Bob Marley was "Songs of Freedom" which was a book of photographs and a biography. This gave me my first glimpse into the life of this musician who would become something much much more to me. It also gave me my first glimpse into Rastafari as did the first video tape I purchased called Carribean Nights and eventually Time Will Tell--which I rented and dubbed.

My most precious memory of a Bob Marley experience was one night sitting on my Dorm-apartment bed making a failing effort doing homework. I began flipping through the channels and I stopped on PBS. It was a live performance of Bob Marley singing "No Woman No Cry." I stopped everything and began singing with him (thank Jah that no cats or dogs were around). As he moved his hand I moved my hand. It was as if the spirit of his words pulled me in and then the most remarkable...and a bit frightening thing happened, I began crying... This had NEVER happened with any song I listened to. There was something about this feeling I would not understand until many years later. All I knew is that Bob Marley meant something deep to me. There was a time I was going through something very scarey in Houston, TX. I had three of his CDs in my Aiwa CD changer and it seemed as if every song that played random spoke to the way I was feeling.

Since graduating from the Art Institute of Houston in Septemember 2001, I've learned a lot more about Bob Marley. I've also learned a great deal about my father. I had finally read Bob Marley's biography by Timothy White called "Catch A Fire." There have been many documentaries that I've watched, artwork I've created and will create, and more books that I've read. Speaking of books, one of the best I've ever read was called "Bob Marley: Lyrical Genious." This research into Bob Marley's music prompted me to finally purchase all of his albums. Each chapter was broken down by two albums, with the final encompassing what was supposed to be Bob Marley's trilogy: Survival, Uprising, and Confrontation. I had also created what is one of my favorite pieces of art of Bob Marley based on my favorite song of his called "Redemption Song."

Bob Marley is not just a musician in my life now. He's that voice of a spiritual comforter that brings peace. He was that un-perfect human being that wanted to perfect the concept of one love. Watching the video for "Is This Love" with him dancing with the children and having so much fun with them shows the type of innocent spirit he had no matter how many vices that befell him. Watching this video, it makes me want to attain that same spirit of love and also spread it.

I find it very befitting that I began this blog speaking about what indirectly began my search through culture. For this I have to think both of my fathers. No matter how many differences exist between my father and I, it is Bob Marley that binds us and I love him especially for introducing Marley to me. Bob Marley planted that dormant seed that would grow to be my love of Pan-Africanism. It was through Bob Marley that I developed a love, respect, admirition and overstanding for the Rastafarian culture. Yet, this may not have happened had my father not have played Bob Marley in his Volvo cassette player that spring night oh so long ago. I love you for that, pop.

Selah.

Who Is Ras Ashe Sundiata Selah?

2011-04-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Hungry Lion is named after one of my many titles: Ras Ashe Sundiata Selah, which means "Prince So Shall It Be The Hungry Lion For-I-vah."

My given name is Antoine Dijion Mitchell and in my artist circles I am known to many as GHOST, which is an acronym for "God Holds Our Souls Together" and "Genocide Hinders Our Survival Tactics."

Going back to the name of the blog "The Hungry Lion" and my handle "Ras Ashe Sundiata Selah." First and foremost, many may see the Rastafarian colors of Green Gold and Red and many Rasta connotations. I'm not a Rasta, per-se, however I do consciously and carefully adopt many of the symbols, etymology, and some of the beliefs . "Ras" is actually an Ethiopian title that means "Duke" or "Prince" that has been made popular by Rastafarians. "Ashe" is the energy of creation in Yoruba mythology but can also mean "so shall it be." "Sundiata" is Guinean for "Hungry Lion." "Selah" is the most mysterious of the names. It is Hebraic and can mean "stop and listen" or "forever."

The title "The Hungry Lion" simply solidifies my hunger for cultural knowledge, mainly African, however I'm not limited to Africa as I am a lover of many cultures.

This blog will serve as a window into my journey and I hope that it creates many fruitful discussions and even inspires others to search outside of the box. You'll be surprised, and maybe even terrified, of what you may find. I'll be sharing what I've learned from many of the books that I've been reading, documentaries that I've been watching, music that I've been listening to, and current events that I feel I need to write about. I may even throw in a piece of art work or poetry or two.

Hopefully this will serve as a Reasoning ground or a form of digital Groundation of words where we all can strive toward Inity.

One Love. Jah Bless. Selah.

Ras Ashe Sundiata Selah

Confessions of an Unorthodox Vegetarian

2010-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

So...I'm an Unorthodox Vegetarian...

I guess to my hardcore vegetarian comrades that would make me an oxy-moron! Oh...well...sigh...ANYWAY...The perfect way to start these blogs is to let me people know exactly WHO I am.

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. I don't eat meat, however I do eat fish and other seafoods such as shrimp and crawfish. I don't consume much dairy products (a little lactose intolerant), but I do eat cheese and sometimes vanilla ice cream. I don't eat chicken or turkey, fried, baked, or broiled, but I do fry and scramble an occasional egg.

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. I don't follow ANY religious doctrine. HOWEVER, I feel peace when I walk into a Christian church because that was where I was raised. I can commune with followers of Islam. I can partake in reasoning with Rastas. I can gain inspiration from a creative and intelligent mind who only believes in himself, as well as the hearts of others, following NO supposed higher entity. I can embrace anyone following any "way of life" vs. a "religous doctrine" (there is a difference and it will be discussed in a later blog). I am an unorthodox Christian...a Christian before there ever was a Constantine. I am an unorthodox Muslim...a Muslim before there ever was a Muhammad (METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING; no disrespect to the prophet). I am an unorthodox Jew...a Jew before there ever was a Zionist movement. All that balled into one is an original way of life where the human mind believed in a spirit and lived in humility loving all creations of the Creator before "rule-igion" and "poli-tricks" got involved.

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. I can blast the best in Hip Hop from the Funky Four + One More to Black Star to Dead Prez to my FAVORITE HIP HOP GROUP OF ALL TIME BONE THUGS N HARMONY!!!! But then, you can catch me playing Enya, Enigma, Angelique Kidjo, and Minmi. On an honest level, I bump Bob Marley (my dad, ha ha ha) and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on the daily!

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. I love to indulge myself in the literary works of Ralph Ellison (Invisable Man), Chancellior Williams (Destruction of Black Civilization), and/or Black Psychological studies of Amos Wilson (Blueprint for Black Power) and Dr. Francis Cress Welsing (The Isis Papers). On the other hand, you can catch me almost every Wednesday at a comic book on New Comic Book Day buying the latest X-Men and Batman comic. If you had a camera in my house (which the government does in all our houses---will be discussed in a later blog) you can find me spending hours upon hours playing Final Fantasy video games.

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. I am a visual and spoken word artist. My work use to only focus on African and African American history and experiences. I now like to use that as my foundation where that important seed called "knowlege of self" was planted. As seeds do if they are perfectly maintained, that seed of African foundation grew into roots. Those roots grew into trees, those trees grew branches. Those branches grew leaves. In other words, those branches are other cultures that influcence my art and social outlook. I love ALL cultures because my art helps me conclude that we all in the human family are connected one way or another. I like to think of myself as an "Art-Anthropologist." I use my art to study other cultures and then relate them to my own. From that I gain a broader understanding of not only who I am, not only who the human family can be...but WHAT the human family can BECOME.

I am an unorthodox vegetarian. If you are expecting lettuce...I'll give you lettuce with some salmon. If you are expecting salmon, I give you mushrooms and swiss. If you are expecting mushrooms and swiss, I'll give you pesto bread with marinara.

One Love and blessings to ALL in the "Hueman" family.

Namaste

Ashe

...

Sorry if there are typos...

Blasphemy

2010-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

They say that freedom of speech
Is a double-edge sword...
When it comes to ignorant,
backward minded bastards like Pat Robertson,
I wish I could reach that sword deep
Into their hearts to make them bleed
Fraud-ary.
I'm sick of this biblical
False prophecy sodomy.
I'm speaking from the heart
So it won't bother me if some
Of you pitch-fork conservative Christians
Call me heathen.
It's a wonder how Pat Robertson is still breathin'.
It's a wonder how those who follow him blindly
Believing up-side-down cross
False doctrine are even living in the present day.

And although I may be giving this lesson in a thuggish way
I won't stress out on anger.
Instead, I'll bless you with a truth
More truthful than your spoof on Christianity...
Words in the form of Jesus curses
Increases your ratings and vanity.
Basically damning the Haitians
Blaming their calamity
On a slave revolution that you call a satanic pact.

Well, Pat...
What about Native Tiano or Native Inca
Trusting foreign Christian European conquistadors
While those conquistadors gave them blankets filled
With small pox?
What about that?
Divine intervention for a savage people who needed Jesus???

What about forced voyages of Africans through
Trans-Atlantic middle passages on floating
Blessed-by-the-Pope carriages,
Being sold, ravaged, raped, and dehumanized
All of this to eventually give rise to the
United Snakes of AmeriKKK in disquise?
Or is that manifest destiny to you, Pat?

But this ain't no
Bash America poem.
I'm just puttin' ignorant asses on blast.
Ignorant asses who use storms and earthquakes
As an excuse to serve their Jim Jones Jesus juice...
Or in Rush Limbaugh's case:
Oxycodone motives to his devoted
Nazi semen swallower
Followers
Showering obvious white-supremacy
Ideology.

Pat, you're a false prophet
Behind a PBS pulpit
Public Bull Shit
With your 666 Club of Anti-Christ
Third Riech
Heard and practiced nightly by
Closed minded conservative Christian hicks
...annnd some ignorant Negroes too...

Supporter of Zionist
But Anti-Semetic toward true Hebrews
Supporter of the State of Isreal
While Palestinians continue to be abused.
All the shape twisted Apocalyptic views
To bring forth Meggido...
But you are,
"So right and Holy with your conservative Christian views"
You don't see this though.
You feel as if Haiti is paying her due
And that God decided to send poverty and earthquakes
In the wake of African liberation
And that the Haitians would NOT be in this situation
Had they submitted to the French...
Even worse you state that they must repent?

What the hell makes you so Heaven sent?
Calling forth the assassination of Third World presidents.
Acting like you got Jesus living in your residence.
But this Gentile
Is hip to your projectile blasphemy
You pile of bones with a dysfunctional erectile.

It's even sadder to see
Intelligent people who agree
With your ignorance.
Your words are a reflection of white supremacist
Christian sermons served at Pick-Nick lynches.
There is hypnotic Anthrax in your church benches
Poisoning the nervous system of anyone who listens
To your sacrilegious bitchin'
A god-like Donkey to "foliticians"
Who go to you for political ass kissin'
You should be locked in a prison
Alone surrounded by nothing but
Cries, screams, and moans of Hurricane Katrina and
Haitian earthquake victims!

And if you try to escape
Your legs should break after you
Trip over the bones of Native American tribes
And Caribbean African slaves.
Who's gonna save you?

There are others who probably wanna say all this
But don't have the guts
This may not be humble of me
But fuck Pat Robertson!
And I mean that
From the bottom of my nuts!

©Copyright 2010. Antoine GHOST Mitchell