Written by Minista Paul Scott
"Big Ballin' is my hobby/so much so they think I'm down with the Illuminati" - from the song "Hot Toddy" by Usher, featuring Jay-Z.
Over the past year, the hottest topic in the hip-hop world has been whether artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West and others are part of some diabolical secret society. From street corners to college campuses, people are losing sleep over the question: "Is Jay-Z part of the Illuminati?" The issue has reached such a level that Jay Z has responded to the accusations on collaborations with Rick Ross and Usher, as well as radio interviews. To add to the controversy, MC Hammer, reportedly has jumped on the bandwagon inferring that Jay-Z is a devil worshiper.
While some of the discussions have been thought provoking, many have done nothing but subject people to the same "spookism" about a devil with a pitch fork and a red suit that they get in many churches. Much of the "spookism" that is being used in regards to the Illuminati is just a mask to divert attention from the real issue, global white supremacy.
The Illuminati was formed May 1, 1776, by Adam Weishaupt with the purpose of organizing a secret society of "enlightened white men" to rule the planet (reference: Wikipedia). However, it must be noted that -- according to the book Illuminati 666 compiled by William Sutton -- Weishaupt said "regarding the order, let it never appear in any place in its own name, but always covered by another name and another occupation." So when an interviewer asks a rapper, if he is a part of the Illuminati, the person is really creating a smoke screen to hide the real issue.
What should be questioned is why hip-hop industry insiders from J. Prince, Ice Cube to 50 Cent have felt compelled to address the issue. If the accusations of something fishy in hip-hop did not have, at least a grain of truth, the whole controversy would have been easily dismissed and not dignified with an answer.
There is a term called "limited hangout", which is defined as "the release of previously hidden information to prevent a greater exposure of more important details." This is the deception that is transpiring with the hip-hop secret society controversy.
It is often said that if you don't ask the right question, you cannot get the right answer. The question that should be posed to Jay-Z is not whether he is a member of the Illuminati, but "What does he know about the Illuminati?" Because if he claims that he doesn't know anything about the order, than he can not possibly know if he is playing a role in their agenda, can he? Also, the major question should not be whether a rapper is part of a secret society, but what is his relationship with the 10% of the population who control 90% of the wealth and how does this affect "the hood?"
The discussion of the role that covert white supremacist organizations have played in the oppression of non-white people of the planet has been discussed by researchers such as Steve Cokely, for over 20 years. However, the issue has been rarely viewed in a hip-hop context, thusly adding to the confusion, as people have either been unwilling or unable to connect the dots.
We must start by studying the various covert plots to oppress non-white people that was taking place in the United States during the mid-19th century by secret organizations such as the "Know Nothing Society" and the "Supreme Order of the Star Spangled Banner", which included such members as Albert Pike who, according to Michael Newton's book on the Ku Klux Klan, has been "named by some historians, as the author of the Klan's original prescript."
The same agenda was also being carried out across the Atlantic by European white supremacists, such as Cecil Rhodes who founded the Round Table Group that espoused the doctrine of Anglo Saxon world domination, including the colonization of Africa. So, perhaps, instead of looking at rappers, we need to be looking at Rhode Scholars?
Although many of the societies have been based on racism, the motivation has also been economic, as these organizations follow the proverb that "a fool and his money are soon parted." If you keep the masses ignorant, they can be easily exploited.
Herein, lies the role of hip-hop.
While commercial rappers like Jay-Z may not be card carrying members of a secret society, it is not debatable that many support global white supremacy by way of "racial shadow-ism," which Neely Fuller defines as "when victims of racism are directly or indirectly, 'assigned' bribed, coerced and or like wise influenced by white supremacists to speak or act to do harm to other victims of racism." He says that the reason for this is to cause us to believe that the person acting in a "shadow" capacity is in control, when in actuality, he is a mere flunky for the global elite.
Also, while most people reference a Tupac video clip as evidence that he exposed the Illuminati, if one really listens to the clip, Shakur actually denied its existence, saying that the only thing that matters was getting money, regardless from whence it came.
There is an old saying that if you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book. So the information about secret societies that has hip-hop heads buggin' is not really secret, but can be found in their local libraries. But when you have successfully dumbed down a society, you do not have to really hide the truth, as it can be "hidden in plain sight."
So if the power of secret societies is keeping the masses dumb, what role does hip-hop play in making ignorance bliss? So, I am less concerned about Jay-Z being on the cover of Forbes magazine than I am about the "conspiracy" of rappers that are considered too dumb to be in a secret society, such as Gucci Mane and Wacka Flocka Flame carrying out a mission to dumb down black children.
Our greatest weapon against oppression is knowledge of the TRUTH. Instead of engaging in ghetto gossip and fairy tales, we must encourage our people to read. We cannot rely on hip-hop websites and Youtube for our information, but must get our information the old fashioned way ... from a book.
I challenge those who are currently speaking authoritatively about hip-hop and secret societies to read None Dare Call it Conspiracy by Gary Allen, The Unseen Hand by Ralph Epperson, or Circle of Intrigue by Tex Marrs, and then see if their perspective remains the same.
We must understand that for those who do not study, everything is a secret. However, for those who diligently seek truth, as Yeshua taught: "there is nothing that is hidden that shall not be revealed."
