Tag

Silky Slim

The day I was blessed to thank the man God used to save my life

September 23, 1998 was one of the Darkest days in my life. After a long day of getting high on PCP, heroin and Hennessey I decided that life wasn’t worth living anymore; hooked on drugs and possessed by evil forces had now become overwhelming and stressful. At 1:36 am I placed my half smoked wet daddy into the ash tray and was ready to get it all over with but not before listening to a cd I had taken earlier in the day. That CD www.thug.com is what GOD used to save my life. On track #7 a song titled “Hold On” spoke to me. In the last 10 sec of the song, as I cocked the 9mm glock and placed it to the right side of my head, I heard these words. “Now it ain’t no time for no suicidal sh!t nigga why you still thinking you a thug you might as well go on and suffer cause that’s what we doing that’s what it’s about what you forgot nigga?” I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me but the words were really there. And after 19 years 3 months and 13 days I was able to do something I had only dreamed of doing after telling this story to one of my closest friends Mr. O. This dude is a real brother to me. He told me Trick was his cousin and arranged a meeting so I could thank the man GOD used to save my life. He’s not the Savior but he is a savior. Much Love 2 Trick Daddy
#GODISTHEGREATEST

January 8, 2018

The Real Freeway Ricky Ross and Hip-Hop Detoxx bring a message of inspiration and redemption to Louisiana

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 1.12.10

by Jesse Muhammad

“Before I start I want to begin by saying that I am not here to answer questions about how much money I made and what material items I owned when I was selling drugs,” said Freeway Ricky Ross to a group of attentive youth in New Orleans.

Until that moment, many of them may have only known his name by way of the Hip-Hop artists Rick Ross and Freeway. They may have only heard hints of his past life but on that day they heard from a changed man.

“That part of me is dead. I am here to encourage each of you to take responsibility for your life and inspire you to be the best you. I have only been out for ninety days and within that time I have been speaking to youth all over,” said Mr. Ross.

From December 28-29, the former Los Angeles drug dealer along with Brother Enoch Muhammad of Hip-Hop Detoxx addressed members of the community in the sister cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Mr. Ross and Hip-Hop Detoxx were invited to the state by Brother Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed, CEO of Stop the Killing Inc.

Mr. Ross and Brother Enoch began their work in the city of Baton Rouge on Dec. 28 by speaking in several churches and conducting interviews equipped with a message of hope, inspiration and redemption.

“The condition of our community is in such a condition that we need and must use as many people we can to help win this fight for the minds of our people. I felt that with the work of Brother Enoch and those who work with him with Hip-Hop Detoxx along with Freeway Rickey Ross we could really touch the hearts and minds of many,” stated Brother Arthur, a reformed gangster who is now working to save the youth.

After a full day of work in Baton Rouge, they headed to New Orleans. A classroom full of students working to attain their G.E.D.’s patiently waited for the arrival of the special guests speakers.

Brother Enoch began the program with his energetic Hip-Hop Detoxx presentation that captivated the youth. Hip-Hop Detoxx is a social and emotional therapeutic learning program that strategically uses creative activities to analyze Hip-Hop music, lyrics and cultural in a non-judgmental way. “When I say Hip-Hop, you say detoxx! Hip-Hop,” shouted Brother Enoch. The students responded in unison, “Detox!”

Brother Enoch began to talk about how the same toxins that exists in Hip-Hop music today existed in the music that the studentâ€™s parents and grandparents listened to. The students listened attentively to every word spoken by Brother Enoch. Mr. Ross shared with the students how he was illiterate for much of his teenage life and what inspired him to learn to read.

“One day after reflecting on some words of my attorney. I realized that no one should know more about my case than me. At that moment I decided I would learn to read. I shared my inability to read with my cellmate, who began to help me to learn how,” stated Mr. Ross.

“Hearing him talk about how he has read over three hundred books and has written several screen plays and his own autobiography that will be made into a movie inspired me to want to write more,” stated Jere’lynn Griffen.

Immediately after speaking with the group of students at the local G.E.D. program, Mr. Ross and Brother Enoch moved throughout the city conducting a slew of interviews. The next morning they addressed a group of youth who were incarcerated at a youth correctional center.

“After speaking to the youth, I told the brothers that I wish I could remain with those youngsters for two more months. If I could I would show everyone that those young brothers and sisters can change,” commented Mr. Ross.

“Our children don’t need programs. They need a process that will help them,” stated Enoch Muhammad. Hip-Hop Detoxx is the process that he uses to address the social and emotional issues which have produced the toxic condition that exists in Hip-Hop that are influencing the youth.

“I really enjoyed what everyone said. From Freeway Rickey Ross to the guy from the Hip-Hop Detoxx. The girl who performed the poem did a good job also,” stated Glenn Day, a volunteer at the G.E.D. program.

Their work in the city of New Orleans concluded with a community meeting at the historical Craige Cultural Center. The event was organized by the New Orleans Peace Keepers, Black Men United for Change and Muhammad Mosque No. 46. The standing room only crowd walked away inspired by Brother Enoch, Brother Arthur and Mr. Ross shared inspirational messages with the audience. The common theme of each of their presentations was their testimony of how great of an impact the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has and is having on their lives.

“I am thankful for the brotherhood that I share with Brother Arthur. That relationship made it possible for us to be blessed to have Freeway Ricky Ross and Brother Enoch’s Hip-Hop Detoxx to come to the city. I believe that is important to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible when it comes to bringing enlightenment to our community. The work that these brothers did in the city over the last two days further helps those of us who are working to better our communities here in the city,” stated Nation of Islam student minister Willie Muhammad of New Orleans.

(If you are interested in bringing Freeway Rickey Ross and Hip-Detoxx to your city you can reach them at www.hiphopdetoxxonline.com and www.freewayenterprise.com)

Final Call One on One with “The Real” Rick Ross by Charlene Muhammad

July 21, 2015

Motivation

Promoting Peace in the Streets of New Orleans

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 1.13.09

Mosque No. 46 FOI team up with Hip Hop artist to send a message

Written by Jesse Muhammad

New Orleans, La. – On the eve of the New Year, the city of New Orleans murder total had eclipsed the 200 mark, making it again a top contender for the country’s highest per-capita murder rate, a title the city previously held in 2006.

An accurate per-capita rate for murders and all crimes remains elusive, because of varying estimates of the cityâ€™s post-Katrina population. But even by the most generous estimate, preferred by the New Orleans Police Department, the city’s murder rate is 67 murders per 100,000 people. Using another lower population estimate cited by the city, the rate would be 71.

At the turn of the year the citizens of New Orleans watch reports concerning the newest murders of 2009 â€“ the most gruesome of all being the killing of a 2-year-old child by his father.

Continuing their efforts from last year, the Fruit of Islam (F.O.I.) of Muhammadâ€™s Mosque No. 46 teamed up with a Baton Rouge Hip Hop artist known as Brother Arthur â€œSilky Slimâ€ Reed on January 10 to spread the message of â€œStop the Killingâ€.

â€œI first became aware of the work of Brother Arthur while living in Baton Rouge some months after Hurricane Katrina. Since that time we have worked together to help our people and enlighten the youth. When he informed us about what he was doing with the ambulance he purchased and refurbish, we thought it would be a good idea for him to come to the city, so we hit the streets together,â€ stated Student Minister Willie Muhammad.

Brother Arthur purchased and remodeled a used ambulance to become a vehicle that will resurrect the Black community versus transporting dead bodies. It is coated with an image of himself and inmate Surge Sherman. Mr. Sherman is currently serving a life sentence in the Angola state prison. Despite being behind bars, he co-authored a book with Brother Arthur that teaches conflict resolution skills to youth. Inside of the ambulance there is a flat screen television that shows portions of a documentary about the negative consequences of street life.

â€œI named the ambulance Life and Death, because ambulances are used to save lives and they also transport those who have lost their lives. The ambulance is a visual tool that gets the message across. The footage of actual murder scenes are used to help onlookers see why they need to turn away from the destructive lifestyle of the streets. The expression on the faces of those who saw the footage and their reactions show that the ambulance helps to effectively get the message across,â€ stated Brother Arthur.

As the people left the ambulance they were given a CD containing a lecture by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speaking on stop the killing by the FOI. â€œI give all praises to Allah. I think that the ambulance helped in our effort to go after our people and invite them to hear the truth,â€ stated Brother Patrick X.

In the music industry, Brother Arthur has worked with the likes of Young Boosie and Lil Webbie. He also was the founder of the Southside Wrecking Crew, one of the early gangs in Baton Rouge. Since then he has transformed his life and travels the state of Louisiana speaking to youth, churches, schools and in various prisons.

He and the FOI visited two of the remaining housing developments in New Orleans and other neighborhoods in the city. The ambulance blasted Hip-Hop songs written by artists rapping about the lost of loved ones to senseless street violence. Within minutes of the ambulance being parked members of the community â€“ men, women and children came to see what was going on.

â€œWe should have every child wear red shirts that say stop the killing on the front and the back,â€ suggested 12-year-old Royon, who was touched very deeply by the documentary she viewed in the ambulance.

â€œThis is a good thing that they are doing. I want to see them do it more to help stop this killing. I hope more people will come out to see this,â€ stated Sharon Hall, a resident of one of the housing developments.

(Those interested in find out more about the work of Brother Arthur can visit: www.myspace.com/stopthekillinginc. Also visit www.noineworleans.org to see the work the Believers in the city of New Orleans are doing.)

June 29, 2015