H.E.A.L.

H.E.A.L.'s 1991 Album

Article
      A slew of rappers turned out to help out on H.E.A.L.'s 1991 project called Civilization Vs Technology. In liner notes H.E.A.L. is described as follows: "Human Education Against Lies is a forward movement for self construction; we believe that before you are a race, an occupation or a religion you are a human being. . . . we refuse to wait on the political, religious or educational systems for human education."

      The view of whites presented by HEAL is conflicting. On the one hand, a few phrases enjoin whites with blacks in the effort to overcome what is viewed as an evil system. For example, on the opening track, the rapper KRS-One says that "black and white ain't the real fight," and yet we think it is because "that's the only thing the media hypes." Rather, he says, "the real fight are these major corporations holding back on real education." On the other hand, numerous phrases drum up black identity, and many phrases condemn whites in general or declare racial war against them. For example, female rapper MC Lyte says that "black youth" should learn "black history" in "black school[s]" where they could "be taught by brothers and sisters who knows what it means to be a black child or white teen." Because "the youth are being mistreated," she says, it is "the world [that] is being cheated." As another example, rapper Freddy Foxxx says that he raps to "a jet-black crowd" about "what it's like to be black and proud in a world where white is right." While rapping with "a black man's might," he expresses frustration about hearing a "light-skinned sister" say that she does not like "darker shades of black."

      A quote below demonstrates a common tactic of black extremists. After the rapper admonishes a "light-skinned sister" for not dating "darker shades of black," he makes it seem as if the average whites alive today were on the streets physically opposing black marchers during the 1960's, and he makes it seem as if whites alive today were also the slave masters of past centuries. The following quote shows how he does it: "how could you prefer to be with those that sprayed you with guns and hoses, and never put roses on the graves of the slaves that they treated like dirt." ("HEAL Yourself.")

      A raggae artist announces that all the races come from Africa, and he chose to include in his announcement the words "oppression" and "freedom." ("Whole World African,.")

      Artists plead the following: "black is beautiful and black is lovely. . . . why is it hard to be living in love, peace, and harmony; too much hatred and we always don't agree; it's time to save our own black family. . . . listen to this, black people. . . . black is beautiful; you must realize that; we must all come together. . . . black awareness; tell them again. . . . black people make a good deal of progress. . . . it's a black man's awareness. . . . so get up everyday and give a chance to judge us; know your roots and know your culture." The new generation must be told "that hatred can never be the right program," and the artist goes on to give a version of getting along that excludes the white and the yellow: "when you're black, red, or brown, you give him a hand. . . . you are a black man." We are told that there are conspiracies afoot as follows: "it is our black minds them are trying to corrupt. . . . we're getting locked up and shot up and beat up. . . . black people. . . . follow the words of the big Luther King. . . . if anybody unlucky and get locked up, think of Mandela as an example of us; our roots and culture them are trying to crush. . . . them push crack, heroin, and the PCP." In order to confront the evil doers, the rappers direct listeners into action as follows: "if them drop full house, then we must drop flush; if them shove then we must push." ("Know Your Culture.")

      The track called "O Freedom" is a war song in which HEAL declares "independence from the white bondage." Current rules and laws are "the iron on [the] necks" of blacks, and listeners are told to "rebel" and that blacks do not need to follow laws. Listeners are told to choose between the following black-versus-white options: "do you want your freedom, or rather be enslaved to the white dragon." Yet "black is too strong," we are told, and "the most high will guide [blacks, and] lead [them] into battle." "The day will come" when blacks "become victorious," and the artists are "willing to die for the right power." The artists demand "freedom," and "for freedom [they'll] fight." They say that they are "burning [the] encyclomedia." Foreign laws in Africa were meant to mislead Africans, we are told. Blacks are the "original people." Ominous commands are given as follows: "snatch back authority of our raw materials; take back the gold; take back the robes; take back the markets and erase the old; no longer will I sit and take that man's orders; that man hasn't stopped the raping of our wives and daughters." The names of some sixteen African nations are rattled off, each given after the word "freedom" is called out. HEAL shouts out repeatedly that Afrikaners must get out of South Africa, and the rappers tell listeners to "make the oppressor kneel and quiver, [to] let the devil just shiver." It is the "prophecy" and "destiny" of Africans to declare their "sacred land" and to be "the force of the righteous." ("O Freedom.") Blacks were robbed of their languages, yet they celebrate their culture through music. ("One Bright Day.")

      Listeners are told that blacks must strengthen black identification and black families in order to confront black plight. Listeners must develop their "African mind[s]," and they are told that they are "all brothers and sisters" from an "Afrocentric point of view." KRS-One breaks up the world's peoples into the following groups: "there is only family . . . the human family; beyond that there is a cultural family; I'm black so that makes me part of the African family." Chuck D of Public Enemy throws in his version of black improvement, saying that blacks must respect blacks first before they can gain respect from or give respect to the "world community." He gives a vague plan of action, describing blacks forming families and "together working out some kind of situation with each other and community action." ("Family Got to Get Busy.")

      Listeners are told that the system controls their minds, and they are told that the truth is as follows: "stop buying law degrees from your enemies; it ain't right; they only trying to make you act white; but if you got to get it, come on and supplement it with the information on my people: treat us equal; the education that you get is dipped in bullshit; they'll steal the common sense that you came into school with because what they want to do is try to make you a sucker house slave; check it out; you know it's true; they start in kindergarten, and by the time you finished, your image is abolished, your culture diminished; we should teach ourselves, and then we could replenish our self-esteem and our future dream; rearrange the scene; do you know what I mean; it's about overcome for freedom; not slavery for income." ("Correct Education.")

      The title track is "not a plea, [but] more of a demand" to protect the ozone layer. Corporations care only about profits, listeners are told, and so listeners can accomplish a lot once they recognize the ones "who are the murderers of earth." What will be the ramifications, HEAL asks, "when the world's empires fall." ("Civilization vs. Technology.")

      The cover art on the CD's shows a city in ruin, and there, cooking a bird and a rat over a fire that still blazes amidst the rubble, sit and stand a white in neo-Nazi garb, a white in a Klansman robe, and an Indian in chieftain attire. All three men look at a Jew dressed in black with a Star of David hanging across his chest and with his nose turned upward to the sky. An Asian woman comforts a dark complexioned girl. A black man looks at us. There is no mention of Jews in the lyrics. It is possible that by using phrases which blame corporations and media, HEAL is really referring to the influences of wealthy Jews, and yet, the phrases do not exclude HEAL from meaning to blame wealthy white gentiles also.

      A list of all the artists who contributed to the tracks is as follows: Harmony, Kid Capri, Big Daddy Kane, Freddy Foxxx, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, KRS-One, MS Melodie, Run DMC and Jam Master Jay, Sister Carol, Ska Danks, Heather B., Kevin B., Sleepy Wonder, Reverend Badoo, Mickey Jarrett, Bigga Don, Shabba Ranks, Shelly Thunder, Lady English and Miss Linda, Kushite, Musik G, Sky High, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Salt-N-Pepa, Kool Moe Dee, Grand Daddy I.U., Chuck D, Doug E. Fresh, Red Alert, Ready Z, Simone, Michael Stipe, Billy Bragg and The Athenians with DJ Woody Dee. Some of the persons, organizations, or artists for whom thanks are sent out to are as follows: Kwame Ture, The Black Liberation Army, The Source magazine, Kid-N-Play, Kool G Rap, and Stop the Violence Movement.

Reference
Civilization Vs Technology, HEAL, 1991, Elektra Entertainment, Time Warner.

Posted at http://home.att.net/~phosphor on June 30, 1999.

The above article is not a complete summary of H.E.A.L.'s connections to violently racist music, and readers may want to research and expose more of it.

Go back to list of artists awarded GRAMMY's.

Go to homepage.