black…MYstory

Maybe it’s just me but, when I think of rapper who might be considered dangerous or a threat, the name P. Diddy just doesn’t come to mind.

However, in the run-up to the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York Sean “P. Diddy” Combs was one of several rappers/singers who were put under surveillance by the NYPD.

In addition to Combs, rappers such as Jay-Z and LL Cool J were also under surveillance. Want to hear something even more bizarre? Alicia Keys even made the list.

This was revealed after the New York Civil Liberties Union released 600 pages of previously-classified documents obtained by the NYCLU as a result of their suit against the city on behalf of demonstrators who were arrested around the time of the convention.

So, how did the rappers come under scrutiny? Well, they had the temerity to attend a rally held by the Hip Hop Summit Action Network, which looks to do such things as to get more people registered to vote and to encourage them to become more politically-active. So, in a twist of irony, rappers find themselves under police scrutiny for doing something that is not just legal but, also, positive and civic-minded.

This is just another example of how our civil liberties are being trampled. There definitely needs to be a change in the political climate of this country. Let’s just say, for me, January 2009 can’t come quickly enough.

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