prompt

“Hey John, how are those oxidization titration reaction spreadsheets coming”

John replied with a startled “oh crap! I need to get those done now.”

And right before he could run off to the lap to prepare the potassium permanganate solutions he got a call from his sons schools principal. “Ugh again, alright I’ll be down to pick him up on my lunch break”

As John walks angrily down to his car, annoyed, thinking about that delicious turkey sandwich he has, and the reports hes going to be late on, he decides hes done babying his son.  “I’m a nuclear chemist for Christ’s sake, and he can’t even sit in a chair correctly” he thinks to himself as he pulls into the school. “I tried as hard as I could, sat through hours of work with that kid, and nothing” as anger falls, sadness sets in. He remembers his wife’s ovarian cancer, and he remembers that this is his only son.  Baffled that he gave up so easily, he decides to never give up again, and try as hard as he can, for as long as he can to do everything he can for his son.

The Poverty of Philosophy

David Littlefield

  Period D

POS

SA2

Felipe Andres Coronel better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American

rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. Immortal Techniques Song “The Poverty

of Philosophy”, inspired by Karl Marx's “Poverty of Philosophy”, elucidates the social, political, and

economic issues the rest of the world is facing, at the hands of our lavish, imperialistic republic. In one

of the first lines, a bold statement is made, “[People] talk about change and working within the system

to achieve that. The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system

from within, it's not you who changes the system; it's the system that will eventually change you” this

is very powerful, because it implies not only the conformist, but the masses are subservient to the

system. Soon after, the main focus of the song begins, with,”You see, third world countries are rich

places, abundant in resources, and many of these countries have the capacity to feed their starving

people and the children we always see digging for food in trash on commercials” which, is indeed very

true. He claims the reason these countries are so poor is because of plutocracies exploit these countries

severely. They force the people into buying over priced, and unnecessary goods, exploit labor, and

natural resources. This next line, I believe is one of the most powerful in the entire song, “I want a

better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of

lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America

wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards

of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real

money. We have whatever they kick down to us” By saying this, he challenges the entire democratic

system of the US. He tells us its corrupt, misleading, and needs to be stopped. His political views are

very interesting, and have a lot of logic behind it, everything he says makes a lot of sense.

Unfortunately the lack of poetic devices holds the song back. Although many illusions are made,

because of the benefits history has about politics. I think non the less, that this is one of the best songs

out there, and one of the most thought out, and well planned pieces of work.

Song Analysis One - Dance with the Devil

[Verse 1]
I once knew a nigga whose real name was William
his primary concern, was making a million
being the illest hustler, that the world ever seen
he used to f**k movie stars and sniff coke in his dreams
a corrupted young mind, at the age of thirteen
nigga never had a father and his mom was a fiend
she put the pipe down, but for every year she was sober
her sons heart simultaneously grew colder
he started hanging out selling bags in the projects
checking the young chicks, looking for hit and run prospects
he was fascinated by material objects
but he understood money never bought respect
he built a reputation cause he could hustle and steal
but got locked once and didn't hesitate to squeal
so criminals he chilled with didn't think he was real
you see me and niggas like this have never been equal
I dont project my insecurities on other people
he fiended for props like addicts with pipes and needles
so he felt he had to prove to everyone he was evil
a feeble minded young man with infinite potential
the product of a ghetto bred capitalistic mental
coincidentally dropped out of school to sell weed
dancing with the devil, smoked until his eyes would bleed
but he was sick of selling trees and gave in to his greed

[Hook]
Everyone trying to be trife never face the consequences
you propably only did a month for minor offences
ask a nigga doing life if he had another chance
but then again there's always the wicked that knew in advance
dance forever with the devil on a cold cell block
but thats what happens when you rape, murder and sell rock
devils used to be gods, angels that fell from the top
there's no diversity because we're burning in the melting pot

[Verse 2]
So Billy started robbing niggaz, anything he could do
to get his respect back, in the eyes of his crew
starting fights over little s**t, up on the block
stepped up to selling mothers and brothers the crack rock
working overtime for making money for the crack spot
hit the jackpot and wanted to move up to cocaine
fulfilling the scarface fantasy stuck in his brain
tired of the block niggaz treating him the same
he wanted to be major like the cut throats and the thugs
but when he tried to step to 'em, niggaz showed him no love
they told him any motherf**king coward can sell drugs
any b***h nigga with a gun can bust slugs
any nigga with a red shirt can front like a blood
even Puffy smoked a motherf**ker up in the club
but only a real thug can stab someone till they die
standing in front of them, staring straight into their eyes
Billy realized that these men were well guarded
and they wanted to test him, before business started
suggested raping a b***h to prove he was cold hearted
so now he had a choice between going back to his life
or making money with made men, up in the cife
his dreams about cars and ice, made him agree
a hardcore nigga is all he ever wanted to be
and so he met them friday night at a quarter to three

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
They drove around the projects slow while it was raining
smoking blunts, drinking and joking for entertainment
until they saw a woman on the street walking alone
three in the morning, coming back from work, on her way home
and so they quietly got out the car and followed her
walking through the projects, the darkness swallowed her
they wrapped her shirt around her head and knocked her onto the floor
"this is it kid, now you got your chance to be raw..."
so Billy yoked her up and grabbed the chick by the hair
and dragged her into a lobby that had nobody there
she struggled hard but they forced her to go up the stairs
they got to the roof and then held her down on the ground
screaming shut the f**k up and stop moving around
the shirt covered her face, but she screamed and clawed
so Billy stomped on the b***h, until he broken her jaw
the dirty bast**ds knew exactly what they were doing
they kicked her until they cracked her ribs and she stopped moving
blood leaking through the cloth, she cried silently
and then they all proceeded to rape her violently
Billy was meant to go first, but each of them took a turn
ripping her up, and choking her until her throat burned
her broken jaw mumbled for God but they weren't concerned
when they were done and she was lying bloody, broken and bruised
one of them niggaz pulled out a brand new .22
they told him that she was a witness of what she'd gone through
and if he killed her he was guaranteed a spot in the crew
he thought about it for a minute, she was practically dead
and so he leaned over and put the gun right to her head

(Sample from "Survival of the Fittest" by Mobb Deep)
I'm falling and I can't turn back
I'm falling and I can't turn back

[Verse 4]
Right before he pulled the trigger, and ended her life
he thought about the cocaine with the platinum and ice
and he felt strong standing along with his new brothers
cocked the gat to her head, and pulled back the shirt cover
but what he saw made him start to cringe and stutter
'cause he was staring into the eyes of his own mother
she looked back at him and cried, cause he had forsaken her
she cried more painfully, than when they were raping her
his whole world stopped, he couldn't even contemplate
his corruption had succesfully changed his fate
and he remembered how his mom used to come home late
working hard for nothing, cause now what was he worth
he turned away from the woman that had once given him birth
and crying out to the sky cause he was lonely and scared
but only the devil responded, cause God wasn't there
and right then he knew what it was to be empty and cold
and so he jumped off the roof and died with no soul
they say death take you to a better place but I doubt it
after that they killed his mother, and never spoke about it
and listen cause the story that I'm telling is true
'cause I was there with Billy Jacobs and I raped his mom too
and now the devil follows me everywhere that I go
in fact I'm sure he's standing among one of you at my shows
and every street cipher listening to little thugs flow
he could be standing right next to you, and you wouldn't know
the devil grows inside the hearts of the selfish and wicked
white, brown, yellow and black color is not restricted
you have a self destructive destiny when you're inflicted
and you'll be one of God's children that fell from the top
there's no diversity because we're burning in the melting pot
so when the devil wants to dance with you, you better say never
because a dance with the devil might last you forever

Song Analysis:
Felipe Andres Coronel, stage named Immortal Technique; an afro-Peruvian immigrant living a hard, impoverished life growing up in Harlem, New York. Arrested multiple times on assault charges in his teenage years, this troubled youth moved on to be one of the most hope giving, inspirational people to ever pick up a microphone. In June of 2008 he partnered with Omeid International, a Non–Profit Human Rights Organization in order to help build an orphanage in Kabul, Afghanistan. He donated all of his meager earnings from his "Third World" album to this cause, not a car, or a house, instead he bought 11 children life. Aside from this album, he has released two others, Revolutionary Vol. 1 and 2

The song "Dance with the Devil" is a narrative, talking about the life of a man named "William", and his progression through a life of greed, and selfishness resulting in ultimate self destruction. From the beginning with his small time crimes, and his desperation for power and lust for material positions, he was an obvious lost cause. The story progresses to when he drops out of school to sell weed, and after "working overtime making money for the crack spot" he had become successful in selling crack, and he wanted to move up to selling cocain, and fufiling his "scarface fantasy". He turned to the most powerful, but he needed to prove himself, and that was his final mistake. He had to prove himself by killing someone, which was decided to be after raping a random woman. William was committed, his fantasies were tangible, but it was all torn away from him. After they had finished with her, William was supposed to kill her, because she was a witness to the rape. And as he stood amoungst his new brothers, he felt cocky, empowered, and fearless; so he pulled back the cover on her face, only to see it was his own mother. The whole story leads up to this point, which is concluded with a very powerful line, "when the devil wants to dance with you, you better say never
because a dance with the devil might last you forever" the summation of the entire song. Hes telling us our choices have consequences, every thing we do changes something, no matter how great, or small; and when we make bad decisions, we feel the consequences for the rest of our life. There is one line that also says quite a bit in it, a line that righteously begs for attention "devils used to be gods, angels that fell from the top". This is interesting, because it exemplify humanities good nature, but weakness to corruption.  Interestingly the songs final lines reveal even more, "the devil grows inside the hearts of the selfish and wicked, white, brown, yellow and black colored is not restricted, you have a self destructive destiny when your inflicted, and you'll be one of gods children and fell from the top". He continues further, bringing down the barriers of culture and ethnicity to compare all of humanity as innately good natured, but if bad decisions are made, we can become tainted with negativity and self destructive downfall is inevitable. This songs main focus was not to be poetic, which is very obvious in the lack of poetic devices, generally he is a very poetic artist, but this song was not intended to be poetic, but it was ment to make a point. Immortal technique is one of the most interesting artists out there, as anyone can see from this song alone. He aims to help the people, and he does, hes slowly helping to restore the world.

Crimes of the Heart - Immortal Technique

Song Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I turned 21 in prison, locked up at night,
now I walk around free, it seems like another life.
Another role with some other dice,
another hoe, or a loving wife
People come and go,
some really you never know,
intellectual midgets, that really never grow.
Fake love that hangs on like, "can I hold you though?"
With your friends that look at you like, "yo, yeah I told you so..."
A toast to the broken hearted, who never finished what they f**king started,
people who go out and try to be a rebel at night,
who try to make up for the fact that they settled in life,
it`s like a fight between the Devil and Christ over the limelight.
Spiritual celebrity poker, but the whole deck is full of jokers,
and every year that you get older, the stakes get higher,
gambling with a bunch of fakes and liars.
Real talk, `cos the real New York, is the pain and the suffering of lost love.
Staring off into the distance of the mist in the club.
Depression and emptiness that lead to suicide,
and the struggle inside yourself that keeps you alive.
Surviving medicated, stalked by sobriety,
the life you live now, tortured by memories violently.
I pray inside of me that one day you can be forgiven,
For murdering the beautiful world in we used to live in.

[Chorus - Maya Azucena]
Crimes of the heart X2

[Verse 2]
Love doesn`t need a complicated metaphor,
and sometimes, nothing even needs to be said at all.
Sometimes the person you with, is not your one and only,
and you just f**k with them, `cause you afraid to be lonely,
and when you come back, it`s too late,
so you overcompensate, like victims of rape, for the self hate,
lost in the affection of strangers around you,
instead of the only person, that ever gave a f**k about you.
Thought you were happy, so you didn`t come check me,
but then when he cheated, or treated you incorrectly,
you conveniently realized you could never forget me,
and tried to crawl back in my life, unexpectedly.
These are my indictments to those who claim to be righteous,
And leave a trail of broken hearts on they way to enlightenment.
But I can`t give in to hatred and pass judgment,
even towards every illusion I`ve been in love with.
Cause the heart that betrays itself willingly,
it`s like a nation, that trades freedom for stability.
It`s so seductive to be cold and corrupted,
and isolated, trying to be an independent republic.
But liberty, to be loved on the surface is worthless,
the sacrifice of revolution with no purpose.
Take it from a criminal searching for his redemption,
cursin at God, desperately trying to get his attention!

[Chorus]
Maya Azucena:
Looking for the shining light.
Who`s it gonna be?
Who`ll walk the line with me tonight?
`Round we go, won`t cross, climbing through the endless night.
Who`s it gonna be? Who`ll walk the line with me this time?(me this time oooh oooh oooh)
Climbing through the endless night(endless night,endless night)
Crimes of the heart...