Defend Culture(tm)

Defend Culture^{^TM} Lyrics Page and Business Site
All copyrights and trademark rights for artist's name and music protected.

If we in hip-hop can't respect our own history and our own culture, how can we expect to NOT get walked on? We bled and died for this. The time for games is OVER.

These are the lyrics to "Black Self Hatred" - the first song I recorded under the name Defend Culture^TM and the one I feel is the most important. One can debate whether or not all the issues mentioned are directly attributable to a personal self-hatred ingrained after five centuries. When you look around, however, and see how we treat each other, how in the West we have little respect even for our own features, and how still African culture, history, and life is primarily viewed as nearly worthless even by Black people, then you can see the point I'm trying to make. Self love and love for African people - whether in LA, NY, Detroit, New Orleans, Kingston, or South Africa - is not the thing keeping us in bondage. It definitely isn't the thing keeping our families ravaged and broken, and our children fatherless. Self respect is not the thing keeping us at the liquor stores, and wetting each other up at the drop of a dime. "Black Self Hatred" is a harsh song, and confronts many things that we do head on, but a cancer can't be treated with sugar. It has to be attacked as vigorously as it attacks. Here is my attack...

You fight me even less
Than your brother looking in your eye.
My name is Black Self-Hatred
And it's time for me to die.

It is I who makes you say
I'm American, not African,
And in this skin,
You'll never win,
As if you can't reach out
To even save within.
Yo, I do this with a sneer,
And it's all to your chagrin.

Seriously, Black...
I'm the one who makes you shun
The hair that God gave.
I'm the thief that makes you keep
The names of owners of slaves.

You pack 4-5's and nine millies,
I don't care who's tough or brave.
But yet in still
I make you fill
A stolen land with mad graves.

Black power had it's hour
So you run from it's call.
The only words of unity I let you speak now
Are "F*** y'all."

Chorus:
You fight me even less
Than your brother looking in your eye.
My name is Black Self-Hatred
And it's time for me to die.

Don't front on me money,
I inherently know when you're weak.
Don't reject me yet honey,
'Cause, girl it ain't freedom you seek.

You gain a little knowledge,
I'm still like "F*** you, star."
I'm here to limit, maim & derange,
Rape, kill, destroy and bar.

That book ain't for you, you stupid bastard.
F*** education, you bow to me.
Keep it real, and know your place
Like those buffoons on TV.

I'm as unnatural and evil
As that crack and sherm on your breath.
Don't speak to me about peace
My only language is death.

I'm about internecine warfare.
F*** a nigga, I don't care.
Anytime, anywhere,
Make you hate the seed that you bear.

I make it so and ensure
You work for no one save me.
That ghetto mentality is a fallacy
But we all know how strongly you believe.

I bury players in more layers
And hide the truth like hair weaves.
Have sisters calling each other worthless b******
As if their mothers weren't hung from trees.

Don't ever think it ain't true.
I spread like cancer till you're through.
Disgrace your whole mental and cry
Laughing, when you asking, for "respect due".

You will NEVER be together
While you give me all your strength.
Division and incision?
It's one another you're against.

When will you EVER figure out
That your most deadly enemy is I?
My name is Black Self-Hatred.
And it's time for me to die.