What to New Yorkers are Puerto Ricans? They are our friends, family, neighbors. They’re our collaborators, our lovers, and our partners in struggle and triumph. To see their home island ignored during a crisis like this is a reminder that environmental racism is a real part of the larger System of racism that we report on at Colorlines.com.

If your family is from a formerly colonized island, this gut wrenching lack of response looks horrifyingly familiar. The U.S. government’s neglect of Puerto Rican people is a reminder that the violence of colonization is many things including: the building up of a huge military that you then won’t use to help the people who need it, the selling of “territory” islands back and forth between European countries and the U.S., and then using those islands as natural resource extraction sites or militaristic training grounds or “buffers” against surrounding nations – all while viewing the lives of the people who live on these islands as EXPENDABLE.

Let’s Weep but let’s Act. Poison Pen, Trinidad James, Immortal Tech, Beyonce, Jay Z, Pitbull, Fat Joe, Bobbito and many others are using their jets or money or influence – to help Relief efforts.

THIS SATURDAY

My small contribution will be to Classic Material’s dropoff location. If anyone in NYC wants to help me and my friend Regina to grab supplies, please contact me via my contact page before 11am today. We have a car so we can scoop you up. Want to donate a few dollars to help me afford to buy more relief items? You can venmo $5 or more to me at chev_dr. Or paypal me at chevon51@gmail.com. Peace and love.

-Chevon

Related:

• How to help people of color affected by hurricane harvey in Houston.
• How to help the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico after hurricane Irma
• Colorlines stories on Environmental Racism 

In honor of the 15th anniversary of The True Meaning album, Cormega teamed up with Brian Kayser to deliver a book that takes an in-depth look at Mega’s critically-acclaimed sophomore effort.
‘Understanding The True Meaning‘ features lyrical breakdowns as well as commentary from various producers and behind-the-scenes team members who were involved with the making of the score. Contributors include Alchemist, Buckwild, D/R Period, Hi-Tek, J Waxx Garfield, and of course J-Love, among others. Purchase the book online at Fatbeats, or Amazon.

If you’re looking for celebratory merchandise to go along with the book,  visit 550xcormega.com where True Meaning hoodies, skateboard decks, t-shirts and more, are being sold for the album’s anniversary. While you’re at it, visit my archive on Cormega ( including my review of the mini-doc about his life).

-Chevon

Lyricism is the foundation of hip hop music. Word is Bond explores the nature of lyricism via a number of artists who live the culture and practice the art form. From up-and-coming artists, to some of the most legendary figures the game has ever known, Jenkins and his editor Mariah deliver a film that takes you across the country and back — in an ode to the art of rhyming and its connection to community. 

It was my pleasure to attend a screening of the film, and I encourage you to listen to some raw snippets of the Q&A with the director via my Youtube audio clip below. The film expected to be released in 2018 on showtime.

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Director: Sacha Jenkins

Editor: Mariah Rhemet

Producer: Peter Bittenbender