General Steele's Blog

The world was predicted to end this past weekend on the 21st of May 2011.
Many people sold their belongings while others laughed at the very idea. Even the esteemed Daily News sported the cover, “Some say the world will end today so buy this paper if its the last thing you do”.
Me being the optimistic skeptic slash compulsive collector that I am I did just that, I bought the paper.
Funny though I didn’t even open it to read what was inside. I guess some of us are intrigued by the thought alone other than the act itself.

As I walked up 5th Avenue in Brooklyn I began to wonder, what if the world does suddenly come to an end today…
Just as that thought entered my mind the sky began to darken.
Then I thought, wow what if it just started to rain severely followed by a hail storm, will this be a sign for all to scatter for temporary cover.
As we obliviously traipsed up and down 5th ave. my mind began to wander further and steadily shift into survival mode. Then I began to realize that if it were indeed the end of the world as we know it I for one would be extremely helpless. I mean what could actually be done if the process that brings life to an end as we know it has begun? Will some of us make it?

Interesting enough this thought did not frighten me it actually gave me a sense of clarity and a weird calmness.
I thought about my dad and sister as well as my aunt and my grandparents all who are no longer physically with us.
I think about the countless victims who died in Haiti, and the people who are suffering in Japan.
I also consider the amounts of war, famine, disease and pestilence that seems to overrun many rich nations.
I witness brother killing brother, rain, hail, snow, earthquakes, fire and even brimstone.
Volcanoes erupting, cities swept away by floods, it almost sounds like a prequel to Armageddon or a chunk from the book of Revelation in the New Testament.

However the very thought of the “End” makes some frantic. This is understandable considering we don’t know what lies ahead if anything and the uncertainty makes death a frightening experience. Or maybe the thought of pain and suffering sends us into anxiety and we react in many different ways. I wonder what the guy who sold all of his belongings is thinking right now.

Just the other day there was a twister that swept through Missouri destroying a town and claiming over 140 people.
Unfortunately as I write this they are still rescuing people.
A few weeks ago there was a major flood in Memphis where a great deal of the city is literally underwater.
Oddly enough there were a few folks wise enough to build makeshift islands, or levees. Sort of a modern day Noahs theme only they didn’t take anyone with except family.

And even still one of Americas greatest threats to National security namely Osama Bin Laden was killed by troops and buried at sea. Some don’t believe this to be true like many didn’t take heed to Noahs warning of the great flood. We are all skeptics in our own right.
When you think about it even without all of the hooplah one can fairly state that it is a very trying time where many live in hopelessness and despair and many others face poverty and persecution daily.
Unfortunately it is the end of the world for some people everyday. Everyday someone passes away.
Just as everyday life starts for someone. Everyday a child is born.

Many of us would like to believe that there is something else after this life, we can only hope and pray that we will see our love ones one day and all that we have worked for in life may be some how rewarded in the afterlife or whatever is next.

But for now it is not quite the end for there is much to do. As the sky opens up and rinses the earth I can only sit and think that life is a state of mind, a state of being, a state of existing. Maybe there will be no end but a continuation…

Either way I look forward to making today better than yesterday and if I get another shot I will make tomorrow better than today.
Till the End comes
God Bless you

General Steele

GENERAL STEELES JOURNAL

ENTRY: 003
TIME: 12:00 est.
DATE: 1/29/10
LOCATION: n/a
MOOD: liberated

During the past few years The United States of America has been experiencing some trying times. We have seen and been thru wars, government corruption, terror attacks, conspiracies to name a few.

We have made it thru the Clinton fiasco the Bush debacle and now we are witnessing our nation possibly fall apart under our new president Barack Obama.(Thats not to lay all the fault on our beloved President)

Yes I voted for Barack…I am guilty….of being an optimist.

I too have hope for change…for the better of the common people of the world
It appears that mine as well as the hopes of many Americans have been clouded
.
We listened to our President tell us he would take troops out only to do just the opposite when he was elected.
There is a constant attack on our elderly and our young through the guise of healthcare and education.
And daily more and more of our civil liberties are being taken away.

I know it may sound harsh but these are some harsh times and people are desperate as we go thru this recession.
And while our President promises jobs in America we witness disaster in Haiti and turmoil abroad.

But there is something about suffering that brings people closer to the meaning of life.
People are starting to awaken and become more informed. They are starting to ask questions and thru our world wide web people are seeking and finding information and resources that some folks in our government probably would have liked to have kept a secret (from society).
Its this sort of thinking that empowers people of all walks and brings people together to overcome the obstacles of oppression and tribulation

If Intelligence=Information
what is the sum of applied counter-intelligence?

The American people will not be fooled or cajoled into believing that all these elected politicians have our complete well being in their interest.
They wont say what this war is about………but I say it has to stop……we want our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunties, etc to come back home…. ALIVE!

“We the people…”
fight this fight together

The unity of the people may very well be Amerikkkas Nightmare

General Steele

GENERAL STEELES JOURNAL

ENTRY: 002
TIME: 7:am est.
DATE: 1/12/10
LOCATION: n/a
MOOD: inspired

America the beautiful has an ugly past. It is the people who live in this great country who have struggled relentlessly to establish this country under the basic common human & constitutional rights that all people should have.
These rights have at times been suppressed and our vision of a “land of the free” has been compromised. Some people are complacent with the state of our nation, others are speaking out.

One of our great amendments speaks of “freedom of speech” . I speak to all Americans when I say, “this land is your land this land is our land” ,we fight for it like we fight for our loved ones and for our neighborhoods. Many of our ancestors have died on this soil…thus it is sacred. We must revere the spirit of the freedom fighters and revere their message to all who inherit the responsibility to stand for a cause.

I am just one of those voices who speak for freedom, justice and equality. My method is the message. Thru word and sound we dance to a revolutionary drum and erase the illusionary barriers that keep ALL people separated from seeing the light of true freedom.

We must learn to live together and understand that We The People are the backbone and the bloodline of this country and the world and for that we must Unite not just the American people but ALL people.

We suffer from many similarities all across the world and my love for humanity urges me to reach out thru my music.

I am not perfect and I don’t have all the answers but We as a people open up the dialogue and begin to get more involved in the future of our people, our nations,and our World.

Unfortunately there is an ugliness about America that plagues this great nation and emits a cancerous virus that spreads thru the mentalities of the people. Thus encouraging hate, racism, poverty, greed which unbelievably leads to the greater evils and atrocities committed against free people everywhere.

One day people will realize that we are all is this fight together and stand together to preserve the people and the land together.
And begin to expose those in power who have preyed on the innocence and ignorance of the people making it a one sided fight.

One day the people will wake up from their sleepless dream
and this perhaps will be Amerikkkas Nightmare.

General Steele

I feel like I’ve been in some alternate surreal reality, if that makes sense, for the past couple of months.

My friends are tight with me because i don’t call, I’m one of those funny phone people, but out of sight never means out of mind in my book. I feel like I have been bogged down with lifes work. Being a dad, a boss, a friend, a coach, a cook, an editor, an engineer, oh lets not forget a rapper, amongst other things.

For the past couple of weeks I have been working on my solo album titled Amerikkkas Nightmare 2/Children Of War while at the same time working on the new SNW/Pete Rock lp.

At first I thought it may be a conflict, but it was a natural ebb and flow. Its just all the politics that drags progress out. There has been a lot of downs and not to many ups but for some reason I am still here.
Peace Be Steele
The Amerikkas Nightmare lp is my baby hand picked all the beats and all the artist, same as with the Welcome To Bucktown lp
It was fun and my boy asked me do I think people are ready…I told him I don’t if “I’m” ready…but most times thats the best time to go..
Its been a trip SET TO RELEASE THIS FEBRUARY

AMERIKKKAS NIGHTMARE 2/CHILDREN WAR

I will discuss more in another note
but on another note…haha
The Pete Rock/Smif-N-Wessun lp
has also been a great experience. Pete is a prolific producer and this is Tek and Steeles 5th lp SET TO RELEASE THIS SUMMER

Dem P.N.C bwoys back @ it again

I always wanted a summer album
we got some solid cuts on there
and I am happy with the progress as well as the diversity on both of the projects.
It has been an illmatic juggle to say the least but the experience has humbled me.
Give thanx and Praise to God for life and the ability to create something from nothing…Be Free
And peace be still till the next time we build and I will go more into details about the projects.

Peace
Power & Prosperity
General Steele

SALUTE!