HipHopHeads

Lost Children of Babylon: Conspiracy Theories
 By Chris Richburg

Within the last few years, America has been through a lot. Terrorist attacks, war in Iraq and a devastating hurricane are among the events the country has experienced, with the government taking a lot of the heat. Lost Children of Babylon, a Philadelphia-based group featuring Rasul Allahu, the Breath of Judah, Richard Raw, Cosmic Crusader, Ancient Kemite, Amun Sen Hotep Re, Atum Sen Geb the Eloheem, Stretch the Mad Scientist and Wazulu the Ill Dravidian, have no fear when sharing its views on the government on their new album, The 911 Report, The Ultimate Conspiracy. Rasul Allah takes a moment to chat with Hiphopsite.com about the album's title, references to Osama Bin Laden and Huey Newton and the lost state of hip-hop.

HipHopSite: What can fans expect from the new album?

The unveiling of truth in its most vigorous form. Basically, we're exposing not just what happened in 911, but what is happening in the world today with religion and politics.

HHS: What is the meaning of the album's title, The 911 Report: The Ultimate Conspiracy?

Basically, it's equivalent to the 911 Commission, but in hip-hop form for our culture to better understand what took place. The meaning behind the 911 title is ultimately that the US government had prior knowledge of these events. We want to illuminate what a majority of people might not be aware of, specifically that the government did nothing to prevent the catastrophe from happening. These attacks were one element in a broader campaign: to begin a new war with the Middle East.

HHS: The album is described as "a somber reflection on the events of September 11th but no less of an indictment of the government's actions in the wake of 911 as well as the ideological battle against the very principles of Islam under the guise of the "War On Terror." What is your opinion concerning the recent controversy surrounding the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad?

Rasul Allah: First of all, if you really think about it, most Arabs have done this to themselves. The cartoons aren't a depiction of the prophet Muhammad because the Sunni unorthodox Muslims claim they don't know what he looked like, aside from brief descriptions of him in the quran and Hadiff. So if there's no true image of Muhammad then there should be no problem. I think what they're really mad about is feeling discriminated for their religion, which really is just an institutionalized form of slavery that binds people emotionally and psychologically.

HHS: This album looks to cause a lot of controversy. You pull no punches about Bush and the state of the government as well as the reasons for going to war. Has the government done more to insure a safe country since 9/11?

Rasul Allah- Not at all. The whole situation with the National Security Agency was concocted to make the American people feel unsafe after 911, in order to instill the Patriot Act, which is the same thing that happened at Pearl Harbor. The themes are universal throughout history in terms of the "Nazinisation" of a nation. You have to understand the Bush Family and their ties to the Illuminati, which originated in Germany.

The current new world order philosophy comes from Adolph Hitler's, which was a vision of a single world order, where everyone lives under one leadership, under the rule of one dictating state. George Bush's grandfather Prescott Bush was part owner of the Harriman Bank which was the main Wall Street connection for German companies during Hitler's reign.

Historically, the ties are there. America is following the German "single world order" ideology but shrouding it as a global democratic "overhaul." And Asia is next on the list. What people have to understand is that World Powers create conflicts for wars that are not real but at heart are aligned with business ambitions. In that way, the illuminati can gain more natural resources and control.

The great Sun Zu who wrote the art of war once said "a war is not meant to be won, but to be continuous." The "war on terror" to provide for our security, and our supposed "best interest" in staying the course is a convenient rationalization for this perpetual state of war. And all authorities across the world are a part of this.

HHS: In "America's Hallen Heroes," Osama Bin Laden is labeled a freedom fighter, rather than a terrorist. Why?

Rasul Allah: I think what your stating is from the verse where rich raw says "Hey listen I've been bragging about the threat of Bin Laden /of Al- Queda/ A Terrorist?/ Not likely call him a freedom fighter/just think if the Black Panthers would've remained/ would the government view Huey P. as one in the same?"

What he is questioning is how American society would view Huey P. if he was alive right now. Would the government label him a terrorist? I think so. Another example is Fred Hampton, who was killed by Chicago Police. They basically go after anyone who exposes and revolts the illuminati and their new world order Agenda.

HHS: With the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the government has been criticized for their late response to the disaster as well as the whole recovery process. Any thoughts?

Rasul Allah- I think that Katrina was another example of using a tragedy to separate the rich from the poor. Nowhere was the economic and social divide more on display than in the aftermath of Katrina. I saw on CNN the other day that the government is starting to cut funding for Katrina victims, the majority of which are black people. Budgetary issues or racism in disguise?

HHS: Your group is a throwback to groups like Public Enemy and X-Clan as well as current artists Immortal Technique and dead prez, who voice their opinion about the government and current issues. With all the emphasis on money, girls and guns, do you feel hip-hop is lost right now?

Rasul Allah: Yes I do , and it won't be the same until some revolutionary hip-hop comes along and brings back the essence to the culture, like Public Enemy in the 80's, Wu-Tang in the 90's Immortal Technique/Dead Prez currently. Similarly, we're trying to bring back some global consciousness back into rap

HHS: Although there seems to be a renewed emphasis on conscious rap (ie. Common, Kanye West, Talib Kweli, etc.), can hip-hop ever get back to being as Chuck D called it "the CNN of Black America?" Will the media and more importantly rap fans allow politically charged rap to come back to the forefront?

Rasul Allah: First of all Common, Kanye, and Kweli shouldn't be labeled as the "faces" of conscious rap. Nas, Kool G Rap and others are as much as conscious if not more, but just express themselves in a different way. The word "conscious" means "TO KNOW" and basically is an awareness of your surroundings, political, economic, social and otherwise. If people are to support real hip-hop, there can be another golden era, but I don't see that happening until people start supporting some real revolutionary hip-hop along the lines of The Lost Children of Babylon, Killah Priest, Immortal Technique and Dead Prez.

HHS: In closing, can (or should) rappers pick up the torch left by MLK, Malcolm X and most recently Coretta Scott King?

Rasul Allah- I think that the examples set forth by Chuck D and KRS can be very influential if exposed properly. Unfortunately, aside from them there is no one in hip-hop I see that is endeavoring to pick up the torch. And the corporate culture does not help either. Record labels, TV and radio programmers control who and what gets played and heard. As a business, they are just looking to perpetuate what is working so that they can meet their quarterly numbers. They have no interest in effecting positive change, and the cycle of negativity continues.