Jasiri X gives the Occupy movement an anthem | Blogh

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Jasiri X gives the Occupy movement an anthem

Posted By on Thu, Oct 20, 2011 at 1:28 PM

Thanks to Pittsburgh's own Jasiri X, the Occupy movement now has an anthem.

On Tuesday, the local hip-hop artist released his latest video, "Occupy (We the 99)," a song whose lyrics warns Wall Street that if "you want class war, we'll give you what you ask for."

The video, which was filmed at Occupy demonstrations in both New York and Pittsburgh, begins with dramatic footage of police clashing with Occupy Wall Street protesters. Before Jasiri chimes in with the first verse, the video shows an Iraq war veteran screaming at a line of New York police, "These are U.S. citizens! ... They don't have guns! Why are you hurting these people?"

A vocal activist, Jasiri is known for writing powerful, meaningful lyrics (See his controversial video "What if the Tea Party Was Black," which went viral last summer). And "Occupy (We the 99)" is no exception.

"Nobody got more welfare than Wall Street," he raps. "Hundreds of billions after operating falsely / and nobody went to prison that's where you lost me / but my home, my job, and my life is what it cost me."

The video is filmed and directed by Paradise Gray and produced by Cynik Lethal.

Here are the lyrics in their entirety:

Verse 1
The Power's with the people don't let these cowards deceive you
and be the next mouse in the talons of a eagle
this country's wealth gap isn't unbalanced it's evil
we celebrate access while the people have less
in poverty abject madness
while the economy collapses add stress
that's the last straw
you want class war well give you what you ask for
the have nots at the have's door
we came to crash your party
and we aint leaving until we're even
the Constitution guarantees these freedoms
any one against that's committing treason
your not a real patriot unless you stand for what you believe in
and nobody got more welfare than Wall Street
hundreds of billions after operating falsely
and nobody went to prison that's where you lost me
but my home, my job, and my life is what it cost me

Verse 2
Remember when police beat the Egyptians who were defiant
even president Obama condemned the violence
but when NYPD beat Americans there's silence
it's apparent that there's bias
sticks for the people but give carrots to the liars
those crooked cops just for embarrassment should be fired
and if you want to see terrorists then look higher
they in them skyscrapers with billions from my labor
forcing people out of there homes with falsified data
so we either unify now or cry later
1% got the wealth but the 99's greater
so in every city we gone occupy major
cause nobody got more welfare than Wall Street
hundreds of billions after operating falsely
and nobody went to prison that's where you lost me
but my home, my job, and my life is what it cost me

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