Mountain of Fire—NABLUS

Peace!
Having lived in NYC for half a year in 2017 (read my “New York New York” blog post), it was time for me to construct my third and most important hip-hop project, Energy & Rhythm. What better place to experience the seclusion and concentration I needed than in Nablus Palestine, living for free in my grandmother’s home with money I’d saved up for food - which would later become a void necessity thanks to my father enabling me to take funds whenever needed from the family business.

Courtesy of http://nablustahina.com

I nearly missed my flight to Amman, whilst at JFK airport, as I was on the phone disconnecting from a previous relation. And how timely it was… After the gates closed i texted my mom on the flight to let her know the desk lady closed the door and refused to let me on the flight. After some give and take I made my way to the customer support desk to re-book a flight to Amman when at that moment i received a text from mom telling the pilot was on his way out to get me on the plane. Granted I was distracted by the phone call i was on, the lady working at the ticket gate had decided to close the gate 5 minutes earlier than she was supposed to. After spending a few days in Amman visiting family we made our way to Nablus via taxis and buses traversing 3 check-points setup by the Israeli occupying government.

My plan in Palestine was straightforward:

In Palestine I created a total of 25 vlogs

I constructed 15 E&R songs and formatted the track-listing, along with creating the website’s essential sections (www.energyandrhythm.com).

I garnered a vast array of knowledge from various videos, lectures, and interviews I came across and i recorded many journal entries. Here are some of the thoughts I came across at various points during my 105+ day stay in Nablus:

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i left new york city. i was there for 5 months. was able to make some money on my own. i’m now in Palestine. I’ve decided to live here indefinitely, for a few months. if not now then when, you know… Nablus, in the West Bank: i’m living in my grandfather’s home. he died years ago. and my grandmother (his wife) no longer lives in this beauty of a treasure so it’s all mine. why i chose to leave new york city is weather is too cold now. and i experienced nyc for what it is. the place is dope. but only great for if you have money / connections/ good friendships. then you can enjoy the lifestyle of all what the city has to offer - from Broadway to the restaurants to the elite hang out spots. i wrote a lil blog post about it here entitled New York New York: https://rapmillionaire.com/blog.php

In Palestine, the weather here isn’t as bad during the winter time. and it gives me the ability to dedicate my full attention to energy and rhythm. am about to buy the beats for the proj. i’m living here for free, utilities paid for.. all i have to buy is food.. the currency exchange rate is good as well — it’s about 4 shekels for every 1 dollar. you can buy a good meal for about 15 shekels = 4 dollars. I’ve money saved up,and my father, who has cash flow coming in from his shares in family business has given me access to his account if i ever need money for food or to buy whatever. I’ve a lot of family in and around the city of Nablus. my grandmother’s sisters, their daughters who are like my aunties, and their kids who are like my cousins. i hit up Jericho 2 days ago. It was the prophet Muhammad’s birthday, everyone had the day off. on the way back we saw scuffles between the israeli army and jewish settlers. ofcourse no violence, just a lot of shoving and stuff though. earlier in the day we saw some news media outlets in and around the side of the road in an area we were passing. word was that a 47 year old palestinian man was killed by a jewish settler. jewish settlers around here are armed most of them. and the palestinians aren’t allowed any weapons by law. these types of events aren’t anything rare unfortunately

New year is always my favorite time. it’s sobering. it puts in retrospect life’s truest celebration, fleetingness, and memories, as well as a clean slate for what the future brings. it’s gotta a sentimental feel to it that i prize.

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ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
Traveling has revealed epiphanies. Being an American citizen is a blessing. As ironic and as much of a juxtaposition as it is, with my blood being Palestinian; Israel being America’s 51st state of you will.
Life is an incredible journey. This world is unique, truly unique. A Masterpiece for each of us to willfully create or neglect, depending upon how we see our lot in life. And what cards we have been dealt prior.

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THE HARSHNESS OF ISRAEL IS NOT SO MUCH ISRAEL AS IT IS, THE TERMS OF WAR.
israel is israel. nazi germany was nazi germany. “nazi israel”……..what a befitting zeitgeist of terms akin to brother and sister. both uniquely using vowels, with a mixture of strong consonants. War is war. what israel is doing is all fair and just, in the terms of war. For war is war. It is destruction. it is hate. it is rebelliousness. it is a clashing of identity. it is the manifesting of a vision. who has more conviction and is willing to die and has more stratagem in their brains and will deceive for whatever reasons why – war is war – victory is the goal. Not justice nor fairness nor equity (to be told, for), this is war. Palestine seeks mercy. peace signs in war. they have lost their gusto to fight because they have lost their identity in their OWN HOME. they seek mercy. But war is war. Israel won’t relinquish until they taste (victory) the reward of the goal. the victor never stops, not even near the finish line. those who’ve been defeated seek peace, but Israel knows the heart of it’s opposition, after having purchased a retreat, will gather up their wind, and come back stronger than back then. so they keep with the press, to ensure no hope is left, and whence finally met, (the goal of) Israel will accept those who are left, for peace will be possible where fear no longer lingers. God’s will is on the side of those most convicted. Whatever ill resides will work to their downside. In God’s timing. For now it’s a Palestinian far cry. And a Zionist park ride. …. The fact that Israel is so able still, to create the narrative despite truthful reactions and realities being against the true “story they are selling the world”. in the world of social media nevertheless. It is a feat of power and persuasion in the history of foreign conquering and political affairs. Whether for better or worst. Free-will is one’s blessing and another’s curse. The true gift of God’s creation, to be used to paint on the canvas of Earth. For the world is always the New against the old. Palestine is vanquished. it is a sad deal. but there is always hope for a greater reveal. Black America is getting better, albeit it’s been 200 years. However long it takes The Palestinian people, Judgment Day will not come without them experiencing their truest form of zeal. Their highest form of love. Their greatest form of light. What hard times bring to the bearer Gives the world a gift in it’s greatest form of Right. For Humanity is one. And one who goes against is not only a loser, but a doldrum. As time progresses the truth becomes younger. As entropy unveils justice will soon prevail. We mustn’t count our hardships by days. But by episodes of feelings in fears and pains. I believe we have more pains to go through. Because we have not yet been truly defeated. We challenge the Zionists to try to make us squeal. We are fighters. Revolutionaries. We are freedom activists, similar to guevara and Mr. X. Gandhi and his 2 million. Mandela and his cell. With all greatness came pressure points. With all Prophets came the most challenging of experiences, more challenging than what we are experiencing – for they witnessed God’s service in it’s highest form and purpose – we are followers, so what is, is less powerful than the most evil that ever existed. A chosen people’s we are, for God loves those whom most hurt. Through pain may we only (then) truly grow to gain. Peace in our hearts for ever, but never in our mindframe. For we dwell in hell knowing we will survive and propel, until we finally excel and overcome all of ev-il. First within ourselves. God forbid we become an enlightened people, just ask the Brit-ish. What israel is doing to PAlestinians isn’t against the palestinians. It is a fear for their ownselves. it is a plot upon themselves. It is out of fear. not love. This is why settlers will kill and injure unarmed farmers. if it were brazilians on this land. if it were chinese on this land. if it were aliens on this land. israel would act in the same way. it is the Universal choosing that these peoples are Palestinians. And that me, you, her, him, have been born as a palestinian peoples. We are purveyors of an amazing event that will go down in history as a profound lesson unto humanity and it’s entropic progress. We mustn’ feel discouraged. Nor victimized. For this has nothing to do with personal terms. This has everything to do with fear, and lack, on the oppressors paradigm. we are not victims. we are being challenged. we are being challenged, not by Israel, but by God. Let us not look at israel anymore. Let us seek God for the answers. Let us act out in God’s highest way. Let us not vengefully sink low to the stature of the tadpole awaiting it’s fruitioning. Let us administer with truth that it was God’s vision that inspired King jr.. Where is God found in the script of Palestine’s vision for the future. Where are God’s wisdoms granting insight into our situation. Where is Allah’s fingerprint in all instances that have occurred up until now. What sense has been made for ourselves, in learning the process of what we are going through as a people’s, a culture, a nation, an identity. Our greatest pains are our greatest strengths. But only when we are able to self-reflect and understand the means, the “why’s”, and the hints. Revelations to be unveiled will be the vision to free ourselves. And whence freed, no control nor fear from any outside force will be able to stop us, for we will have foundt our north-pole Conviction, like Israel, except justice is on our side, and for them it is only a feel, not yet manifested from ideal to corporeal. Reality favors us in so far as we have suffering. For through suffering will we grow, evolve, overcome, and rise up into what could be. it is this vision that will see us through to a brighter day. … suffering toward a just end is better than the pain and hurt we feel within in wanting to deliver a vengeful revenge… with grace and strength, patience and Qur'anic ‘ilm, we will overcome whether it be in war or in squalor; in fear or in faith; in hope or in inspiration… the choice is ours. what we change within ourselves mentally, our reality be default will transition and transform……. we can only control what we think……. let us make it toward high thoughts of greatness toward God… for the least we can get is a faithful confidence in the ALL……. and through there, we will overcome. You cannot fight fire with fire, hate with hate… for the opposer has more benefits in war than we do for our own sake…… #juxtaposition?

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Do I feel scared visiting Palestine?
It’s a bit annoying actually. The authority of a superior organized mind (Israel) directing the sheep Palestinians who act like third world refugees in a country that Israel has come to take from them to say: you’re not using this land for reasons better than we could, so we are not only going to take from you but we are going to organize you all as well and also rule over you since you’re more of a headache than a help to us (especially since you don’t want to give us the land)… this is the crux of the whole feeling for me.
Israel is much like America. smart, organized, efficient, and not egotistical over petty matters as the Arabs at times tend to be under bureaucratic terms.

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Nablus is nice for those who are able to have money. Money is nice. Especially in Nablus I think. You can buy your way to freedom i believe if you have enough money. Money is hard to come by in Nablus. So…. Even though there are ways on the internet to come across money I believe. And many are doing it. However people in Nablus and Palestine aren’t up to date on those sorts of things.

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The land of Palestine feels Tarnished. The Israeli state has blood, bad karma, & injustice on it’s hands. The land feels diseased as a result. The antiquity, dignity, honor, & integral value of the land feels strickened and at times diminished. This is the aura feeling I receive looking to the mountain in view of Jid Hasan’s balcony. W/ that said, I accept entropy as the natural way of things. Let the world progress, even if toward greater ill than light, @ first.

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Many thanks and appreciations to the whole Ghazaleh family, aunti Nawal, To auntie Nazeeha, to AbuHelmi and Muhammad and the whole S’boneh family crew, to amo Yacoub aunti and the Lubna, to Nour Hasiba and his crew of friends including bebsi (not cola), Anan and the crew. S/o to mathieu, madjid, malik, francois, quentin, baha, ali, to Ameed, to Amir and the Tarabeesh crew, to miss Kifaya, to aunti Hind and Karma, to Amo izat, and last but not least to Taita Nahida of course, and Nana Nadria.

what next.

NYC was well and good. It challenged me in good ways and along with having a successful sulaytennis.com private lessons business up there and working for a tennis company making $25 hour, the city and aura of the neighborhood i lived in was enough of an experience for me. I have little interest in the Brooklyn hip scene. The subway rides to and from the boroughs are long and a bit weary. The off-blue color of the seats, I’ve had enough of. I’ll be back when I have enough money to enjoy the finer things that city has to offer: the restaurants. Hotels. Nightclubs. Fifth Ave. Broadway shows. The dollar bill rules up there. I’d like to check out the southern hospitality of the South, and Atlanta.

Charlottesville = my hometown.
My blood = Palestine
My style = universal in appeal
My means = intellectual creativity
My gifts = hip hop. intellect. athletics.

I rep my people 🇵🇸
and my opportunity toward aspirational dreams 🇺🇸
under the rights of justice freedom humanity 🇵🇸 🇺🇸

Palestine taught me how to love again. The culture there was nice. Much more appreciation is founded upon relations; cordial and sincere relations.
Living in the states, with the whole mentality being materialistic and based on what your career is in a sense, can jade the heart over time. Over there, people were more trusting and friendly and hospitable. Palestine allowed me to reconnect with-self. Reconnecting with the heart and soul is always important.

Conclusion

I was in Palestine the past 3 months constructing Energy & Rhythm. I created a 25-episode vlog series whilst there of which you can check out here — https://rapmillionaire.com/vlogs.php. You’ll find a couple of interviews, a tour of Nablus, me playing soccer with the local kids, and in depth commentary on my creative process and thoughts whilst creating this third project of mine.I wrote a blog post summarizing my time spent there as well: http://rapmillionaire.tumblr.com/post/171873056924/mountain-of-firenablus

In other news, I’ve kick-started a music reviews website as a way to network with other aspiring artists and musicians. If you’re a fellow rapper/musician who wants a review of your song at no cost, check out what I offer here: https://www.rapmillionairereviews.com.

Regarding my whole creative process and the significance behind each of my musical projects’ concepts, I created this 3+ hour long vlog explaining the intricacies, meanings, methods, and visions of my Music Series catalog.Music Series = Epitome Perennial. HollowDreamz. and it concludes with my up and coming Energy & Rhythm project.Here’s part 1 of that: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJarQQdST7kAnd here is the condensed written version format: www.energyandrhythm.net/EpiPer-HDreamz-EandR.php.

Where I stand: I’m back in America now focusing on making some money and recording the 15+ songs I constructed whilst out there. Hopefully it will be recorded, mixed and mastered to perfection just in time for the summer. The lyrics of this project are straight-forward, more intimate and aspirational, and the productions are varied. And the theme is out of this world and philosophically conclusive.

Peace!