Mos Def in SF 2 0707 by JR

MOI JR: About a year ago, you were at the Video Music Awards, and you helped to bring attention to what was going on with Hurricane Amerikkka's victims in New Orleans and all along the Gulf coast by performing on top of a truck and were arrested. Why was that necessary?

Mos Def: It's a bit of a long story, but I'll try to make it brief. There had been plans being made for me to perform "The Katrina Clap" song at the VMAs, which were hosted by Jack Black that year. During that time, I had started rehearsals, and was in the mist of filming a film with Jack Black in New Jersey, and I had spoken to Keith, a guy at Geffen, the record label, about this and was making plans to do this.

Aside from the fact that I had a project coming out, it was the one year anniversary of the hurricane and I really didn't want people to forget. I wanted to use the opportunity to let those people know that we remember them. To make a long story short, that didn't happen for whatever reason. I had spoken to a couple of people who were supposed to be getting some big awards there. They said, "Maybe we'll give you some time before our presentation."

To make a long story short, they said one thing and did another, and I wasn't a part of that telecast program. I planned on doing it during the red carpet, so that it would be one of those moments, with all of the media's attention and focus, but I had trouble getting my technical end of it set up. I still had my rig to set up the flatbed to perform on, where I was going to play the video and really just be this mobile spectacle.

So I did that, because I wanted those people in New Orleans and the people who suffered from that, the people who were displaced, who spend so much of their time and money listening to and watching many of the people who were in that room in Radio City that night [to feel acknowledged]. I was sad to see none of those people said a single word about New Orleans. They didn't say, "Peace to the people in New Orleans." And there were artists there that were from the South.

And I am not downing anybody, people may have done efforts on their own and sometimes people's left hand doesn't know what their right hand is doing, and I appreciate that. However, I just thought that it was a great opportunity on a global scale at a media affair like that to really remember those people.

The people in New Orleans suffered as a result of negligence to the environment. To make a long story short, I just wanted to keep that at the forefront to make people mindful of this situation and that it wasn't going away, and it needed to be addressed.

You know, it seemed like it was fading into the distance in people's minds and in their hearts. And you know, when your neighbor is suffering at that level, and you're just indifferent to it, that's not good for anybody. These people are our neighbors. These are our brothas and sistas, if nothing else, our countrymen, you know what I'm saying?

And you know that this system is not coming to their aid. And how many of these artists from the South, repping this hood and that hood, like those are our people, man. These are the people who elevate us and lift us up, and when they're in need, where are we? So I did what I did based on that principle. I certainly didn't expect to get arrested.

MOI JR: What did they charge you with?

MOI JR: I know that you have children. What do you hope that your children gain from these stances that you are taking? What is it that you want your children to see in you?

Mos Def: Well, I want my children, all children or anybody's children to be able to live free, prosper, grow and leave the world and the situations that they are in, better off for having been in them.

MOI JR: Do you hope that they follow in your footsteps in terms of addressing the needs of our community and the world in general?

Mos Def: Yes. I want them to. They're good people. I definitely feel that they have that love for people and community, just in what I see in them now. And yeah, that's a part of my family tradition and upbringing around community. I feel sure and confident that my children will continue that.

MOI JR: Right on. Do you have any last words?

Mos Def: Peace and love. Free the land. Free 'em all!

MOI JR: We definitely want to give you a shout out, and give you a POCC and Block Report People's Award for standing up on the front lines, man, and making sure that your art is used as a weapon to protect the people in the community in which you serve as well as the world in which you live. So keep up the fight.

Mos Def: And thank y'all brothas man, because you guys and others like yourselves are doing the real work; the non-glamorous, sometimes thankless, real work of organizing and working in the community, on a real level. And that's needed, so whatever those efforts are, I support them however I can.

Email POCC Minister of Information JR at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and listen to the Block Report at hiphopwarreport.com or myspace.com/blockreportfilm.

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