Weeping Planet

Weeping Planet

by Ruhudeen Ali

May 12th, 2013

Chop down these trees

we need more factories 

acres upon acres in miles of greed

cuz you see they're stackin these

with more mouths to feed

that exotic cuisine not that mac n' cheese

they mack and make cheese

roll up their sleeves

industries seeking G's

so bullets they squeeze 

at the animals in leaves

chop off their heads 

leave their bodies to bleed

in livestock farms consecutively 

kill the poultry it aint nuthin- its paltry

we need more leather for upholstery

and beef for our teeth

We say we want peace 

but we just want our piece of meat

like depleting the world's fisheries

what about the birds & the bees

not sexually- I mean the species

we call our sweeties 'honey'

but honeybees sufferin lately

thanks to pollution from our luxuries

and our need to chase the money

mankind killin off species

piling up our feces

new diseases- how do we treat these?

i'm saying please reconsider your itineraries

Dwelling only on our human dramas

what about the pandas & iguanas

big cats might disappear

maybe within fifty to a hundred years

dog is man's best friend cuz he doesn't bark

unlike some scary ones, that's why we kill the sharks

and what about the dolphins and the whales

forget about them man- focus on the jails

destroying the environment

saving for retirement 401ks

not saving 401k kWh on Earth Day

digging mines & blasting mountains

for man-made projects, paradises with fountains

not realizing we're terrorizing the planet

corporations approve and stamp it

destruction of ecosystems

ensuring we'll be the last of them

puffed up in our egosystems

claiming we're the victims

why do we hate mother Earth

when we were created in her womb from the dirt

going back one day to lay in rest

we were sent here to be the best

life is a test and we're the vicegerents of this home

lets work to fix the roof in our ozone

I'm not really sayin anything that hasn't been said

lets revive the planet before life on Earth goes dead!

Ran'dem Rhymes vol. #16

By Ruhudeen Ali

December 29th, 2012

I wonder why everything is notorized

why social-networks use my info to commercialize

but its also useful for domestic spies

no more warrants, just one-click to subscribe

and follow me when I socialize and fraternize

they wanna globalize their probing eyes

put terms of service so its legitimized

I don't really care I just parenthesize

and minimize what's less important

and get back to philosophize

proselytize and publicize my views

my people have been stigmatized

and victimized by the yet to be criminalized

abuse that we tax-payers subsidized

I'm traumatized cuz mommas cried

over senseless homicides and suicides

when will these issues ever subside?

we're living in extreme times

get back to the middle in other words the ides

Mankind's divide- why're we all so polarized?

hate results in colder eyes

why people try to colonize each other?

squash the beef and pulverize

whether Anglicized or Islamicized

it doesn't matter how you categorize

your size or worldview side 

its compromise, the devil tryna dramatize 

and demoralize, we must be civilized

humanity in one picture-frame mentally picturized

but wars militarize and brutalize

one group against another that's demonized

rackin up bodycounts cuz they're desensitized

to the military-complex industrialized

or the 'War on Terror' as its stylized

bombs and tanks kill helpless people terrified

the fact they hide

that war is terror, only victims realize

Don't sweat when they ostracize and scrutinize

and charge you with lies like you're ionized 

don't aggrandize lest you get bastardized

stay true don't apostatize 

keep the faith even if you're marginalized

its okay to cry as long as you tried

to change the world to humanize 

eventually the tears will vaporize

by the burning desire to get to the prize

 devise, organize and enterprise so you can monetize

but don't monopolize give others a chance to try

the apple pie's not only for I n I 

 Surprise! Surprise! The world will try to hypnotize 

to break the spell just look em in the eyes 

falsehood despise, does all that coughin' cover up the lies?

Reflect on your demise,

cuz coffins break up good ties, got us saying 'goodbyes.' 

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#15

By Ruhudeen Ali

October 12th, 2012

Can I get a few scraps from the landfill of love

or is it overrated, just an ant-hill lookin' down from above?

Piles of discarded emotions start to reek

with no where to go so we go out to seek

more food of love til we become fools of love

and those who get none increase their love of food

chasing after moods writing poems about the moon

but it's all for naught, that's some food for thought

thought is my food I get fat on what was taught

I learned that what you dream of, some people toss away

everyday, somebody gets what you could only wish for

and you'd never imagine they'd be this bored

meanwhile you sit on top of things others wish they had

but you just shit on it, like a toilet

boil it, heat it up and eat it

with barely any words of gratitude to speak of it

the things you take for granted someone out there needs it

like the needs you have someone else done discard it

"Life is a plate man, gotta eat what you can

then trash the leftovers," nobody gives a crap

about the scraps you coulda had off their plate

"go out there man and satiate!"

is the message of my culture

but forget being a lion I can't even survive as a vulture

a scavenger of love who gets none

and forget physical, I'm talking emotional and spiritual

I'm hustling out here stuck in my rituals

sort of similar to biblical but its quranic

fixing people's love while being lonely, isn't it ironic?

And sorry Alanis, I never bought your cassette

cuz I was focused on singing about the opposite

in other words, serendipity

but instead of good luck I got the other end that of pity

malware corrupted up my system

saying prayers to try to fix 'em

fearing the blue screen of death

but the brother of the screen got me fallin' asleep in heedlessness

I wanted to make a change to impact it all

but my plan was apparently too impractical

I need guidance so I can gal-dance

with the woman I love

nowadays that's why I'm either lookin' down or up above

cuz I need some love from the Creator who is like none of the above

yea I got up from the shove the world had thrown me

now I'm just tryna do me and grow me

but mostly alone cuz I'm runnin' out of homies

I'm not tryna say they're phoney cuz I love 'em

but they barely have the time to telephone me

plus some of them are in different GMTs & zoneys

every now & then askin' if I'm talking to some sonis

but my response is usually the same baloney so I'm left alone G

thinkin something's fishy like he's not wearin cologne G

sorry I gotta say this but to all the haters you can blow me

erect a plan like Zhuge Liang's Longzhong, that's what she said

create something amazing and leave behind a legacy

something to be proud of after the death of me

I thought this day I'd never see, the future I can't foresee

I'm not one to prophesy but just wanna profit-see
materially and spiritually, so I can get with the program
and be the man with my ma'am on instagram
settle down and start an instafam
but i'm trying to slow it down 
reverse a frown & quit bein' a clown
cuz you gotta learn the patience of Ya'qub
if you wanna be that dude.

Lost in Prostration

"Lost In Prostration"

By Ruhudeen Ali

February 25, 2011

Standing in prayer with a blank mind

raising my hands to proclaim its time

for salah done five times more or less

maintained only by the best

the most pious steady prayin during riots

or stayin up in 5-star Hyatts it don't matter

the shaytan they gon' shatter

some wander off into fiction like the Mad-hatter

or eating chicken & rice platters on 53rd & 6th

prayin for their fix, others prayin for kicks

whether on point or off in wonderland

you can't judge the other man

cuz we're all lost in prostration

lost in translation over frustrations on the mind

speakin holy words but actin like mimes

not really comprehending the lines

spoken five times more or less

God bless the learned and the clueless

Lost in prostration

lost in communication with the Most-High

the land of the suffering is where the most die

pray for em cuz you can't spare a dime

sometimes you don't give a damn

cuz you don't live in their land

a place where freedom is banned

jailed for raisin your hand

but right now its time for salah

back to remembering Allah

humbling yourself, finding that moment

a connection in time when you're frozen

on a believer's miraj like The Chosen

Al-Mustafa (saw) feelin golden

'Catcher in the Rye' like Holden

shaytan emboldens thoughts better hold 'em
cuz you're standin in front of the Throne dun
and at the end say salam to your angels
only to go back to being strangers
til you're back in danger seeking salvation
kneeling again seeking reparations
back to being lost in prostration, in the contemplation
 conveyed five times more or less
spoken by the righteous
God bless the learned and the clueless.

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#14 Silly Spitz

by Ruhudeen Ali

July 21st, 2010

Necesito tamago para mi estomago

chillin on the Galapagos 

and I'm your host so here's a toast

ok so its a boast ::cough:: tengo tos

vamanos and walk a mile in my zapatos

I love Sabados but not feelin Domingos

I'm technically a gringo but speak the lingo

girls say 'que lindo eres'

but my name's not Felindo Perez

I'm not Hispanic nor a Latino head

ain't a chico with dreads 

seekin Seiko watches with diamond embeds

still I eat dem Jalapeños meng 

I'm a desi kid in keds fool

you maybe thought I was in med school

in case you bled stool, (sorry bro)

Bobby Jindal is the feds' tool

I'm flooded with ice to keep my head cool

I'm a rhymin infidel Castro

not a communist but rhymin is manifesto

life's a test bro I'm proper stressed yo

but I'm blessed though cuz the nest grows

and I shower with the Zest yo

pop a Mentos and I'm fresh so

I'm back on my daily grind

runnin outta time ain't cuttin lines

but instead I'm spittin them 

and after a sick punchline I'm spittin phlegm

I usually end my raps with a prayer and 'amen'

cuz a ringstone still needs a gem so, (ehem)

I wanna thank God for the blessings on my fam

maybe now we can travel lands

to visit your house in the sands

I'm just grateful to see light at the end of the tunnel

cuz these past few years were kinda bummer

time to live out old dreams check out new scenes

like as a kid I wanted to be a drummer but for now 
its time to just enjoy the summer with my team nah mean?

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#13 - Ain't What it Used to Be

By Ruhudeen Ali
March 9th, 2010

*With a special dedication to the late, great MC Guru of Gangstarr. He was among the pioneers of hiphop and helped lay its foundation on the Eastcoast and worldwide. His death is a huge loss to the hiphop community. RIP 'King of Monotone,' you will be missed. (July 17th 1966 - April 19th 2010)

Now let this be your rap manual n' syllabus

I'm teachin fake emcees its my impetus

why? cuz I'm thoroughbred to be intelligent

and you know I get that thorough bread ladies n' gentlemen

my rhymes be on another level some whole different s***

spoken on the speakers of the world man sorta ubiquitous

matter of fact I'm sick with it

now to show you a bit of this on how I flip a script

"I can't write a phat line to demonstrate"

- now hold up, wait for it

cuz what I just did made me a hypocrite

you see the content is lyrical, delivery is critical

it can make your skills imminent

if its done wrong it can make a rhyme impotent

like turning an Eminem into a simpleton

follow these rules you'll serve madd crews like in Wimbledon

if not, then you'll end up permanently feminine

or tied up whimperin' in some disheveled tenement

whatever the case may be I just poured you some gravy

showin yall how to achieve in great degrees

hiphop was my main squeeze

til she started hangin out with lame emcees

cuz the game just aint what it used to be, now its lame

they opened up the lane to the ignorant n profane

you see hip hop used to be a treasure

worth more than diamonds n' pearls

the sky was the limit, the world was yours

then it sold out to commercial rap

had a gold mine but gave over half,

conscientious MCs no longer rhymin for free

sold out to big labels for stacks of G's

claiming to be real G's spending lavishly

but instead of being real

they pushed an image that was primitive n' savagely

rap then sold out to parties & clubs

became all about hoes, bacardi's & dubs

no longer about the struggle,

what happened to the love?

its value further diminished

prompting us to say "what the fffu-

forget about it when you're upset about it

there's still some talent in these streets man

no doubt about it

bring it back to good lyrics & slammin beats

bring a smile to the hood cynics &  jammin geeks

rockin dreads, hop in jeeps bumpin beats

bobbin heads n' stompin feet

but reminiscing about the golden era wont bring it back

we're not even close to a silver era, its beyond whack

let's find n' sign those with craft

those with talent who rhyme with a knack

to put a phat track on wax instead of supporting crap

cuz back in the day whole armies defended hiphop

had its gems locked up in treasuries

not on cheap displays in shops

but nowadays if rap was a currency

its only got a dollar left expecting more theft

now its got no army left

aint no time to toy around let's repent

cuz all we got now is just a Soulja Boy and 50 cent

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.# 12 - New Year Raps

By Ruhudeen Ali
Decemember 31st, 2009

As the decade approaches a close
I dwell on the type of clothes I wore on my soul
on a host of different shows
at times I was bold but mostly unknown
open type of person like highway tolls
but never open like bi-way doors
in the dark of night try to grow some more in the light
of the year one-oh like a batch of dro
hope the new decade don't blow
most of the time im feelin so-so
not frequent to visit Soho
cuz I hear there's lots of hobos
then bounce like a yo-yo
mess with me that's a no-no
best watch your back if you're a foe that's on my bro yo
but seriously though

I'm not really trying to say anything with this rap
but its not like I'm saying its crap
everything I say is a craft and all I wanna convey is that
the past 10 years have gone too fast like a nap
there were some fun times
but many years felt like doing time
in other words the last word at the end of the 2nd line
in this verse and yea I know its not a curse
but it still hurts when you think about what you bring with you in the dirt
no time to dwell on that
cuz you can't bust a cap to the brain like Kurt
Cobain even though you feel the pain
you gotta look at the situation and really think again
about what you're blessed with, dressed with
the virtues you're possessed with
not just all the things you messed with
it'll be ok if you confessed it, with the Almighty
its the Message, read it and understand it
then go ahead with your plan kid
cuz nobody will figure this life out for you
you gotta read the cues and pay your dues
follow the rules and be that dude
no time to waste in being rude just brush it off
cuz the Lord wants to dwell in a heart that's soft
and clean ya know what I mean? So get your green
in the year 2010 but don't forget your friends
and if you wanna spread this message go ahead
with the copy and paste and hit send
and as for this rhyme its the end. Happy 2010!

Make You Proud, Mama

By Ruhudeen Ali
11/17/09

Now ever since I learned the color scheme
in the days of my pre-teens you taught me 'there'll be,
a solution for everything except death'
'character is in your hands son, then comes respect'
Mama, you always prepared me for the road ahead
and you know your boy is prone to reflect
but at times I'm confronted by challenges unmet
cuz life's been throwing me left and right hooks
I can't make it make sense even with the right books
paths ahead of me not sure which one I took
of saints and crooks I fear I might've mistook
looking at the path with the less light
even though I'm blessed right I'm shook,
too obsessive over depressed nights
unhealthy like pain from an abscess site
at times left to feign like an actress might
my dear Mama.

Feelin like a distressed knight but not dressed right
with this broad sword in hand but no real plans
and a righteous word but no mission
that childhood you gave me I'm missin
that kind of peace I was seekin through prayer and wishin
in other words the 'religion of submission'
but my prayers are like dissin cuz most of em are missing
from lack of clear vision like I'm far-sighted but not distant
I'm here sittin, feelin stricken by my thinkin
cooking in the kitchen, sickened by my condition
meanwhile people are climbing up positions
passing me by, earning provisions
cuz I'm on the road's shoulder
I can't catch up cuz you see I got this stone boulder
like everyone's burdens are dumped on my broad shoulders
my face suggests the remnants of harsh torture
narcissistic gone ballistic feelin hectic
self-reproached at times with a death wish
outside lookin plastic inside its drastic
the walking contradiction, seeking to give reparation to the nations
I'm seeing out-patients but inside I'm impatient
my soul's derision results in self-infliction, and the absence of wisdom
to better times got me reminiscing.

But with all this in the background
do I still make you proud?
Like when me and you go out and everybody shouts out a "Wow,
wish my son could be like yours" they say
"he's got that charm and good-boy sway"
and all I can say is "oy vey"
that's like dousing a wound with a soy sauce tray
its like what they say they parlay
and wager like im something major
calling for my attention like a surgeon's pager
Ma, I wanna do something major to make you proud
but right now I feel lamer than the crowd
knowing you want me to earn some titles like pronouns
but I'm stuck in a showdown between aspirations and abilities
spiritually, in-between taxation and tranquility
One day I'm gonna earn my pay
and with your prayers I'll find my way
as a man and hold the hand of a fair maiden
married with children, my dreams you contract em
by your conversations with the Lord who enacts em
the ultimatim - is to serve the both of you til adieu
no matter how much I give for your love
I can never make due
Mama, I will always and forever love you.

Ramadan Rap

by Ruhudeen Ali
August 29th, 2009

My focus is falling short like a Keebler elf
I'm working on my feebler self
but I'm needing help
from the scripture that we keep on the shelf
searching for somethin spiritual like a feeling felt
Ramadan shows me my deeper self
showing me my spirit's asleep like a sleeper cell
hoping I escape the Reaper's Hell
I wrote this on a freakin Dell
prayer I need this well
so I can grow like a fetus swells
and await the day when Jesus tells
the Law to the people well
and ring the steeple's bell before he'll
make us peep through shells freaked as hell
cuz we can tell the heedless fell
deep in Hell cuz they bleep and yell
stuck in the heathens' jell
in pits with reeking smells
snuck in sales on Adidas' shares
now they're creeps in jail
that act a fool like needless dares
people lost in feeble pairs weakness glares
seekin affairs with fleeting care
mocking vows cuz nobody's keepin theirs

I'm strugglin to keep my prayers
observin the ego slayers
who preach to the evil sayers
I'm eyeing peaches and pears
but I'm fasting and eagerly aware
of the hour when I devour the food shares
and though I'm no sooth-sayer
I can predict we'll meagerly share
the rations among utensils and dinner-ware
pack the rest in tupper-ware
where it goes in the refridgerator for later
masticator's gotta stop eating before fajr prayer
breaking his wudhu cuz he's a flatulator
sitting there with a calculator
figuring when he can eat his apple n' bagel

Yo its rough like the skin of an alligator
meals delayed like procrastinators
appetite's shot like a bullet from the terminator
stop being a hater don't be spiritual girly men
call up a friend and have him come from afar to an iftar
even if he's from Agrabah and his name's Jafar
but yo this ain't Aladdin get to food-grabbin
take a napkin and before Taraweeh take a nap in
the sack bin but don't let your nafs become the captain
that's why you gotta slap him, cap him
put you in control of the cabin
anything to make it happen
so we can reap rewards that we can't fathom
the path is described in the Lord's Canon
supported in the testimony of His banner
all's well when you make Him your daily Planner
so stop the silly banter and pick up the Prophet's mantle
and dismantle all that which is mangled
and make this your Ramadan anthem
crescent moon and star-spangled. Salam

Bully

by Ruhudeen Ali
August 14th, 2009

An unusual kid with unusual kicks
sweater in the summer time
a shy 7yr-old misfit caught up in the mix
sitting quiet in the corner seat
til the devil approached to greet
said 'hey wanna see some things you don't normally see?'
that's when he whipped it out
in the classroom and started to pee
he took the shy kid by his hand
made some demands and if he didn't like it
he fought him in the sands
placed his hands in the boy's netherlands
and threatened to hurt him and his fam
if he didn't take it like a man
the shy boy didn't understand
'why do I follow his demands?'
he asked, still lunch money he had to flash
and be the subject of the bully's private flash
by forking up his cash and snacks
he was spared from getting felt up the ass
his situation became delicate like a glass
for help he couldn't ask
cuz he knew if he did, he'd be put to task
so for two years the boy put up with his trash
being tested and molested, wrestled and harrassed
with time the little boy began wearing a mask
everyday they would bash on the playground
everyday a new perversion found
a playful bully and a tortured victim
separated by the teacher's dictum
til one day it was clear to everyone's vision
the bully had psychotic dispositions
the teacher called him to account, he pout
socked the teacher in the eye
and straight knocked her out
got suspended and was never seen again
but he might as well have left the little boy dead.

Cuz sadly the lil boy learned how to pretend
to show he was alright inside
his whole life he learned how to hide
the outside was a lie cuz inside he cried
struggling through the years he tried
among his peers he was denied
smuggling the tears as he sighed
in pursuit to answer why in the back of his mind
he secretly wanted to die
learned at an early age about heaven and hell
in a place of crayons and school bells
as a teen he continued to decline and nobody could tell
and the further he fell
the deeper he retracted into his shell
searching for relief from his hell
wasn't prepared for his path
enwrapped in satan's wrath
over the years his heart turned black
and got depressed cuz he knew his future got jacked
feeling like God turned His back
on him cuz of the spiritual things he lacked
but one day he snapped
fell prostrate on a mat
and thanked God for everything he had
and now that he's a man
he understands its part of God's plan
the events of his life were meant to expand
his tolerance for feeling damned
even still, at times he rewinds back to the time
when the boy in his mind was subject to crimes
as the grime remains, stained to a time-frame in his mind
and if he could re-write the story he would do it for a dime
and this I can surely say,
since this story is actually mine.

Game

by Ruhudeen Ali
August 5th, 2009

I contemplate in frees
imagining what life would be
for me without a pedigree
no way to start my family tree
so I freeze
but wait its up for me to believe
I can change degrees like 180s
ain't gettin on my knees for no tease, please
I only accept rings from pre-selected wifeys
so I can pass on the good genes
and my seeds can fight the hood fiends
I know my dreams require green
but I'm feelin yellow n' skimpy like Sailor V
so until the day I can say 'I love thee'
all I can say is "c'est la vie."

But I ain't gonna front for no dame
fools be out here tryin to talk about game
but they're lame so I give em the lane to explain
how to get the girl to change her maiden name
to yours so that it'll be the same
they say ain't no reason for disdain
but there's no need for locket chains
put her budget on pocket change
and she can leave if she complains
but I already got my lion's mane
plus my fame's assured
you already know my game
so take your place and be tame
in this thang I'm the rap king
universally acclaimed
not just self-proclaimed.

Son I got the brains
to retain control over the plains
and unlike your flight simulator games
air traffic gives me control of the planes
I make dough for the insane
but only roll with the sane
I don't snort cocaine
don't wanna end up like someone on a cane
at work who can't operate the crane
trying to numb the pain
so that I go muggin for novacaine
til people sayin things like "dayyum!"
that ain't who I am
that ain't my aim
so flush that down the drain
and put that on the refrain.

I write rhymes in the AM
cuz I'm quick to say em
girls - aint quick to lay em
cuz I respect em like "mame"
and wait for the hour with the dower when I pay em
my rhymin is a mayhem
lyrics killin em like I spray em
call my name in a jam
I got your back, your crew and your fam
I give a smack to Uncle Sam
cuz he don't give jack
not even a lousy gram
blast this out your speakers like "BLAM!"
my lyrics you can cram
but my method can't understand
goddamn I just gave you a plan
now take these commands
and make yourself a man
before you return to the sand!
phew...

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#10

by Ruhudeen Ali
July 29th, 2009

I'm like a ceiling fan
cuz I'm going around in circles
I can't fake a smile man
so don't say 'cheese' like Steve Urkel
but the wind blows a refreshing air
I got plans like Hertzl
with a grain a salt like a pretzel
makin' blueprints with the pencil
map out my dreams like I stencil
producing is my art, I'm like a stem cell
I got ideas locked up doing life in my dome
trying to crack the code like the human genome
while others try to find a wife and a home
I'm contemplating the knife in chrome
but that's only when I'm hurt and alone
sometimes wishin I was in the dirt and unknown
dear God I'm a jerk and its shown.

Failing in stealth
I'm ailing in health
size 34 and not wearing a belt
feelin like I'm waiting to melt
but patient when hating is dealt
to me and myself
but I'm just being stupid
like I'm debating an elf
contemplating the self
confiscating the shelf
seeking books of wisdom
though investigating ain't help
I'm instigating a yelp
praying cuz I feel like a prey
like I'm imitating an elk
cuz I need a helping hand to be felt
I'm asking G-O-D
cuz that's how His name is spelt.

Does this ring a bell?
Yes I'm going through hell
but it wasn't like you crawled in my shell
and asked me how I fell
my life I try to compute like a Dell
but I can't understand the language
like its in braille, my mind is frail
I'm feelin like I'm facing termination
but I seek salvation like Christian Bale
evil world wanna touch me like a friskin jail
but that's gay like Sodom & Gomorrah
cuz they fell to briskin hail
my lifestyle's risking hell
I'm not thinkin well
find myself in sticky situations
like knappy frickin jell
while you're laughing
like I'm Steve Carell
my sins I'm not supposed to tell
but I confess to it all
cuz we were fathered from the Fall
when I dropped this your girdle broke
and your fat belly fell
one day I'll be like Grandmaster Melle Mel
rhyming on the tele tel
and if that ain't my fate
all I can say is "oh well"
cuz its all good
in other words its all swell!

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#9

By Ruhudeen Ali

I feel averse to spit a verse about my curse
can't talk about the pain ingrained within
but then again its better to relate somethin then nothin
and though I know I can't complain
cuz I've got everything, I still say it with a grin
forgot so much of the me that I used to be around my kin
lookin within, still can't figure out alotta things
like how did I f*** up in 3 years what I worked up to in 22?
that's old news now fast forward to 27
for people like me I hope there's room in heaven
can't depend on my Muslim brethren
cuz they're equally sabotaged like 9/11
does God descend special friends and God-sents
to lend a helping hand when I'm spent?
or is it guidance for my soul from the time it was mended?
my sorry life I can't end it and neither wish to pretend it
will a maiden offer her hand and extend it
for me to lend it for my time on Earth to make it splendid?
or am I just demented for the silly mention
of such a thing, will I face detention in my mind's dimensions?
living with dementia or hypertension
or the extension of some sort of health tension?
I'm stressin cuz the stench in my soul's basin
don't know what I'm facin
I only know that my heart is racin
can't keep up the pacing, from all the chasin
cuz its like im runnin from Jason
on Friday the 13th
come to think of it, it all started when i was 13
got caught up in the discoveries of your average teen
not knowin pretty soon I'd be having savage dreams
wakin up from nightmares with blank stares
like I was walkin down a flight of stairs
but not knowin what the hell's down there
I was scared and unprepared for the route I fared
even back then I feared that my time was near
with the way I experimented left me demented
hope I'm not so dense that I can't sense heaven's scents
what wouldn't I give to get back my innocence!
but still God has been clement and benevolent
in helping me retain my inner sense
one day hope to be with the righteous and pose a winning stance
wonder what it'll take to break out this sinning trance
cuz for God its just a glance to look at me
and feel pity for forever to throw me into serenity
time there's plenty when speakin on eternity
its my audacity to hope like Obama is no joke
when I croak I hope I get a poke from righteous folks
and though we're on different strokes
I know God is forgiving cuz I studied His notes
spoken from the throats of divinely elected *G.O.A.Ts (as)
so watchu talkin 'bout Willis?
talkin about 'you can't seek forgiveness?'
God can forgive a menace
so long as you're truly repentant, so don't grimace
pass him the coke, the soda, and don't make it diet
I'm soundin like Yoda but might spark a riot
this deeni stuff is nice man you should try it
but now I'm ghost cuz I smell burning toast
and there's an egg in the frying pan
so guess who's gotta fry it? Adios!

G.O.A.T = Greatest of All Times

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#8

By Ruhudeen Ali

Thinkin of life, dwelling on the good and bad
on the joys experienced and on what I never had
at times kinda glad other times feelin sad
never really mad cuz I took after my dad
people blab about what they don't have
but never dwell on the slab of crab
on the plate of food that they just had
or the fat folds of flab around their abs
from all of life's blessings that they have
sometimes life throws a right jab
but inflicts pain like a knife stab
don't stress it cuz it's in your bag
since God is always keepin tabs
of those who lack and those who have
some get the full reward and some only half
and yet still others get none - what a drag!

So don't feel yellow like a cab
the greedy who grab and nab in the end will fall
under the weight of their own crap
the believer in this life feels trapped
but death is only a short nap then its all over jack
and once we snap there's no going back
and its all up to the good deeds we'd done
and the important ones that we lacked
surrounded by a sea of humanity
brown, yellow, white, and black
no one will be saved by their craft
or by a plea nor by a pious act
some will rejoice others will crack
others will be deaf and blind as a bat
yet others will zip on by to Paradise like an aircraft
still others will get scooped up like the wind's draft
from the boiling snares of hellfire's wrath

The aftermath -
the feeling of rapt bliss released from torment's wrap
transported on a blessed raft toward's heaven's shaft
ascending the pillar visualizing its map
arriving in a snap like a flash
no more hell, they were saved by the bell like Zack
rejoicing like a bash in purified baths
everybody will laugh livin lavish like a jap
enjoying snacks with maidens in their lap
forgiven of their past
no longer confronted with crap
so make a line like a graph
heaven is within our grasp
God is kind enough to give it to us if we ask
we just gotta put ourselves to task
find the truth within and remove the masks
when it comes to rhymin I got a knack
but now I'm ending this cuz its a rap!

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.7 - "The Prayer"

By Ruhudeen Ali

Busy life without a wife, I'm lookin bummy
everyone's hungry I hear the growls from their tummies
they say "can we get some food please?"
cooking is my duty so its time to feed
off to the kitchen is where I proceed
lookin for something yummy to cook up
sometimes I feel like a fish waiting to get hooked up
and even took up to heaven, I look up to heaven,
is there a nook for me brethren?
speakin to those who went on ahead
leaving us behind the times lookin dread
got people passing by graves wishin they were dead
soul-less life without excitement or purpose
wondering, "did I deserve this?"
or is it meant to be a life full of service?
feeling akin with the dervish
whirling in circles without feeling nauseous
not feelin nervous but anxious for a skirmish
or anything to make me feel really alive again
what will it take to make me thrive again?

I jive and then I'm back to the routine
its so everyday got me feelin numb
like I was high off of morphine
wish I was seein more dreams
but I stopped aspiring for these
cuz I'm not exposed to the right themes
I walk into the mosque and see the light gleams
wishing that ray of hope was sent for a brother like me
I fix my eyes on the word of God
and wonder if I lost His favor dwelling on the burn of God
Not sure cuz I'm not always down for a savior
though I know in the end its only God who can save ya
society tax me for trees, I'm feelin lax in my deeds
is there anything out there that can save me please?
I'm on my knees but not always crying
though the tears don't always fall a dead heart's always tryin
the ultimate question is "will I escape the fryin?"
but at the moment need to focus
on this very life where my existence is lying
its tough pretending to be a lion when you're not equipped
from every angle I'm feelin whipped, can't blame my friends who trip
envision myself close to the dip, suddenly the tears start to drip
I catch a grip and some words come to my lips:

"God Almighty guide this lost soul
feed me and my loved ones from fulfillment's bowl
because I know with You lies the Treasure untold
grant me happiness I can't measure in gold
and make my pleasure be in Yours
Take me on tours so the world I may explore
please don't let my life rot away like a bore
my soul is feeling sore, fix me up my dear Lord
its to you I implore! Guide me and make me
among Your chosen, keep my enemies frozen
and if You choose to make me awesome
give me the strength to devote myself to You without exhaustion
cuz this breath is Yours, and everything about me they see and say
wish I could perfect my faults in every way
but I know You love to forgive
so please, dear Lord forgive and let me live
cuz I know I'm not perfect and You surely know that too
just now while I was writing this to You I broke my wudhu
So dear Lord, what I'm requesting is that you aid my situation
and understand my frustrations, disable the temptations
and the sinful cravings, don't let me be the devil's plaything
in Your own way make me amazing
grant me knowledge and wisdom for foundations to be laying
keep us among the praying instead of lost in debating
and dear Lord, give me an A+ when You're grading
and welcome me with smiling angels to Your presence when I'm fading.
All this and more I'm praying, and peace be upon the righteous I'm sayin
ameen."

Encapsulated Rebel

By Ruhudeen Ali
April 17th, 2009

Patience wearing thin
from this encaged thing
uncomfortable under the skin
just what is it within?
Losing touch with kin
lost among the sin
playing games in the suffering
searching for something.

Soul is an encapsulated rebel
seeking to revel in the sweets of the devil
falling into trouble peace it can't settle
digging our own graves with the shovel
living in a bubble numb to the rubble
falling down to tumble cursing the humble

No fear of the tremble
forgetting the parables
destroying the temples
dancing to the ensemble
riding hellfire's shuttle
exploring new damned levels
your fellow man is the imbecile
there are funds to embezzle
the world's lost all its mettle
of the iron brave kettles
looks are pretty but states are disheveled
families are dismembered
and the people are transgendered
what has society rendered
when everything once engendered
is now thrown in the blender
the devil is the devil
but the devil man resembles

Feeling irritable the soul is abominable
enemy armies are formidable
yet the spirit remains indomitable
love contained in the fortress isn't imitable
unattainable to the devil
no matter how much is paid under the tables
sabers cannot conquer the untold glorious fable
of you and I and what we are able
to accomplish with just a wish, the world is our navel
carve a new path, cast aside all the labels
explore as naval commander, set free and enable
others who think themselves disabled

Those chasing after bezels
forgetting life is ephemeral
giving back to the Lender
going back to the Sender
narrowly passing by a margin slender
joining Paradise's members
without trying to offend her
it's this life, I wanna end her.

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#6 - "Spiritual Spit"

By Ruhudeen Ali

Got Paradise on my wishlist
but I'm restless cuz I got a deathwish
and I'm deficient in my faith's practice
cuz I'm missing items on the *deen's checklist
life got me shook, its hard to live by the Book
when life throws you a hard left hook to the chin
yea I still sin but I'm trying to stay on the Right Path
and make amends cuz if I do the math,
I should be feelin God's wrath
but alhamdulillah instead I'm enjoying this bubble bath
and I'm chill soakin up some lyrics that are ill
and I drilled it into my heart
that God is not apart from the world He done start
Lord, in the script of life give me a righteous part
I need to get on my sajadat salah
so I can say thank you Allah!

So here's a recap starting from the first Act
Adam and Huwwa began the story in the Garden
only so that Allah could show He likes to pardon
Nuh, Ibrahim & Lut each had a dream
that all their descendants would remain pure and clean
So with God Ishaaq and Ishma'eel made a deal
that their children would be holy and wouldn't steal
Dawood, Zakariya & Sulayman and the prophets of ahl al Yakub
were sent to warn and guide the Yahud
Yunus & Yusuf were trapped in strange prisons
so that they'd show their gratitude and receive a better vision
Ayyub was patient when tested with affliction
so that he can utter God's holy benediction
Idriss, Hud, Shu'ayb & Saleh didn't ask for any pay
all they asked was for their people to pray
Ilyas, Yahya & Ilyasa were all among the righteous
and confronted the daunting odds despite this
Harun and his brother lead the Jews away from the army of Fir'aun
their end was in the Red Sea where they, save the righteous, all drowned
Luqman taught his son wisdom and Musa learned it from Khidr
both of them tried to get us to see the bigger picture
Isa performed miracles and spoke to man as a babe
but unfortunately his people committed a sin that was grave
and finally, Muhammad was sent as the last of the prophets
only to remind us all that the next life contains all the profit
and I say to all the righteous prophets, 'alayhum as-salatu was-salaam
and that's how it goes down mon.

So this is the script of a reminder to us all
that the Scripture's got a cure for our gall
so don't give up, throw in the towel and fall
God wants us to be strong and stand tall
we must break through adversity's wall
repentance is a moment away,
but so too is death so don't stall
just a reminder that you can't buy peace at the mall
and with that said I wish peace upon you all!

*deen = religion

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#5 - "Faces of the Ummah"

By Ruhudeen Ali
[?/?/??]

A lost brotha with a 40 in hand at the club
thinkin he the man lookin for a shorty to rub
music bumpin, the heat risin to the beat of the drum
but he doesn't care cuz everyone's numb
rule of thumb - don't judge anyone
a girl passed him n assumed he was dumb
but he came here for free mixin with fly vixens
had thoughts of sinning bein with her he was wishin
she noticed and came up,
told him that she used to be a nun
"now im just enjoying myself cuz life should be fun"
now she chills with a bad crowd from the cops they would run
the two of them danced and together they hummed
the lyrics to the song though it felt kinda wrong
he didn't care about anything except her stare
his homies wanted him to touch her that was the dare
but instead he just wanted to make her the other half of his pair
he got lost in her eyes and touched her hair
then came her man outta nowhere
and their views he didn't share
the brotha was drunk so he called him a punk
there was a confrontation that lead to an altercation
her man was not a stranger to incarceration
so her boyfriend beat the brotha down n took out his gun
shot the brotha dead and that's the end of story number one.

Number two is about a brother too
he had a big beard and would preach for years
considered the most pious among his peers
rockin the thawb with the scholarly robes
but nobody really knows about the life he never showed
but still some thought he was weird cuz he would be on his high horse
being harsh, judgding people on their course, hiding his secret life with lil whores
passing fatwas comin home checkin websites that'd make you go "WHAT THE ---
F is wrong with you!?" talkin about fiqh? you need to get smacked dude
type of hypocrite that'd make you sick
but it happens in the ummah, a face you might've seen at jumuah
paying lipservice to the sunnah will get you trouble sooner
deen is missing the full piece like a crescent lunar
but maybe there's still hope for you brother
keep the deen but change the haram to another
don't be a shame to your mother nor anger the One above ya
I pray for you cuz I still love ya
just focus on yourself and stay in school
don't let shaytan make you a fool
that's enough to make em cool now that's enough for number two.

Story number three is kinda silly actually
about this sister who used to be hijabi
but seeing her sister get married in her mind made her think
she can't do the same unless she winks
at some of these boys, cuz being all coy won't get her the real mccoy so
on to the battle of troy within she went
tucked in the tummy n got real slim
made changes overnight took classes on seduction
thinkin in due time that boy she'll win
but the boy she was chasing was after another girl even more thin
her chances were lookin pretty grim cuz she still had that double chin
then one day she looked up at herself in the mirror
n realized she doesn't need to change herself for someone inferior
reminiscing back to the simple days when she would get her flab on
as she wiped off the last trace of the liz claiborne
sister felt this wasn't her so she backtracked, smacked back the hijab on
and with God she went and got her collab on.

Number four is about a woman who likes to explore
she used to cuss at the Muslims and anything related she deplored
Then one day she came across a pamphlet on the floor
it said "come to the mosque and don't leave your questions at the door"
so she shows up with anger on her face
everything the media taught her she would throw at em just in case
n spoke on everything which made her heart fume
the imam told her that by the flames of hatred she'd been consumed
so she calmed down n relaxed just enough to ask
"what is your people's task?"
The imam replied "to remove from humanity all the masks"
right then n there she began to cry cuz she was starting to understand why
she had never had peace cuz she was stuck living a lie
so the Imam wiped her tears and said "All we're asked to do is try"
so she went home n read the Quran
within the next few weeks she accepted Islam
now she writes psalms about living your life right from wrong.

The last story is about a man who was selfless
worked very hard and would treat his wife like an empress
his kids grew to be contemptuous
of a society they thought senseless
started speaking on behalf of the defenseless
the father thought they were senseless
but started changing his mind when he heard his own people's consensus
wars and occupations "let's end this!"
emails, forwards about injustice - better send this
giving speeches at conventions, now he meant this
toured the cities from New York to Memphis
his face plastered on the press, started to impress
the Congress but with a crooked emphasis
they feared the power he possessed
obsessed they became to find ways to suppress
the growing union he coalesced and tried to end
the message he pressed conveyed in his chest
so they tried to frame him by claiming he owned a bomb-laiden vest
and the media turned the whole thing into a mess
his family and wife became depressed
while his innocence they stressed
knowing that they lied but he digressed
he ended up in G-Bay and you know the rest
still saw himself blessed n considered it all a test
all the while being fed pig intestines to ingest.

These are just some stories that might sound familiar
each of them is fiction but they're all sorta similar
used to illustrate the five faces of the ummah
the sinners, hypocrites, believers, converts, and the righteous
all types of people from Alaska to Cyprus
represent the five pillars in different lights
some were wrong some were right
but the earth doesn't spin without a day and a night
people are the same n you gotta have both sides right?
and having said that I'm out - goodnight!

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#4 - "The Situation"

By Ruhudeen Ali

I speak to you on what's relevant
don't care if its to my detriment, I'm not innocent
though in my heart's recesses I follow the heaven-sent
help to guide me to find my element
Lord help me be eloquent cuz I can't always express
the pressure of feeling crushed under this white elephant
I wannabe a benefit in time
a better friend to mankind
our people need to regain their pride
we need a hero to stand behind
and like the rest of you I'm just waiting in line
rappers try to boast and show they got the most
but the only thing I got awaiting me is a hellfire roast
unless I beg to the One who is merciful Most
and amend myself at the source
to follow His prescribed course
my life's been caught up in a hoax
trapped between genuine folks and playing the devil's host
at times I wanna coast and just leave what's near
noise from the land of beer and queers too close for my ear
so I gotta move to the next hemisphere and find a peer
one who can hear what I gotta say
together we can pray hoping to find a better way
together we better stay creating tomorrow as a better day
words of pain to her I hope I never say
together we bow, exchanging vows nervously
for my girl I'll span the world for her to see
and lower my coat of armor out of courtesy
cuz for her I'll take damage purposely
but its just a vision in the distance I foresee
until the day I step out of who I am
and become who I'm really supposed to be
not who I'm forced to be cuz society throws its notes at me
like it wants me to study on how to tongue-in-cheek
live by slogans for the meek, well talk is cheap
unlike Jesus I can't turn the other cheek
I'd rather get like Michael Jackson and beat it
it's not my time to be defeated, your silly games - I leave it

The battle within rages on
questioning if my spiritual wage is gone
its hard to go on when shaytan is your stylist at the salon
I need to get my salah on 'stead of conducting this baton
time to get dressed close these buttons
become obsessed with Islaam, continue serving my mom
and lecture my people to put down the bombs
we can get like Dhul Qarnayn and conquer the plain
only if we're sane and alleviate the peoples' pain
I'm sayin, we gotta form a plan this is a demand
liberate what is possessed by your right hand
and be firm in your stand, certain that you made the right choice
if you speak the truth you don't need a loud voice
still don't be stoic, your frustration we know it
I'm advocating my generation to make some noise but remain poise
don't be a toy soldier, soldier boy be bolder
so we can lift this boulder off our shoulders
don't let them mold us so we fear them when they scold us
they can no longer ignore us
my lyrics round-house kick 'em like Chuck Norris
and when they try to purge and scourge us
may God forge us strong when war is upon us
keep your eyes on the prize cuz its gorgeous
angels in heaven they gorge us
anything else given is a plus
the onus of change, it's on us
its the theme of the rhymes I bust
abandon the life of lust for something robust
in due time you'll realize you must
never forget, in God we trust.

Ran'dem Rhymes vol.#3 - "The Difference"

By Ruhudeen Ali

They told them don't speak out it must be sworn
as the crazies in the studios swept up a storm
they push their views like it was the norm
but you could tell the announcers inside are torn
you see they want you thinking you were divinely born
to the exclusion of other races giving faces full of scorn
investigate a little and to the truth be drawn
though you know its wrong
you turn a deaf ear and light up a bong
drown out the voices of conscience to a song
the lyrics of which make you contemplate the thong
on the beach of Tel Aviv you never heard the Qur'an
you just zone out cuz its not your people
in the pain and hurt living insane, view from the plane
you only see the dirt

Don't be asinine about your governments' crimes in Palestine
60 years of occupation is too long a time
descendant of the twelve tribes
the time-line of your reign was divine
but now you had your time
now you gotta grow a spine
put it to rest and intertwine, dummy
drivin around in your humvee
knowin that on the other side your cousins are livin crumby
with no food in their tummy while you're soakin up sun on an
afternoon that is sunny
bodies wrapped up in cloth like mummies
how much they get away with man, it ain't funny
lookin lovely on a date with your hubby
wake up next day brain kinda fuzzy from the bubbly
while Palestinians pray, finding solace in the words of their nabi

"God is with the patient" is their anthem
while roaming ghosts towns
children with frowns passing fantoms
the IDF still continues to shell and tank 'em
"Kill first and let God rank 'em" the words of a man
at the rank of commander, his name is Krauss
destroyed the whole town no need to thank him, its on the house
thinks he's strong until the resistance proves him wrong
got cold feet like a salamander
they smack a wanker and blow up his tanker
forced, "retreat!" they plead
left children to bleed
got blood up to their knees
but still they beg at the feet of the bankers for cash
the ones in Washington who collect from the tax-payer's ass
supplying them their weapons stash
focus the masses on the new year's bash
try to keep it hush, no fuss, so they pay the crap-layers cash
to hide the facts and the acts of the slayers
still giving the axe to the slayer, whispering "shock & awe"
their fatal flaw - they forgot that God is greater!

Playa I get on wax to attack the crap of a sooth-sayer
Anti-Christ, predicting doom for my nation but never contemplating
his own assassination by a man who is brown like a Haitian
temptation keeps them astray that's his mission
he divides the nations like nuclear fission
until a man comes along to unite them all with clear vision
you see its an inequation cuz Jesus is missing
here's to the mahdi's appearance I'm wishing
forces of good, mortal kombat on that ass fatality "FINISH HIM"
quick with sin til the sun rise from the West and finish them
Judgment Day's here to stay but in vain we'll pray
to be taken away from sinners' bay and rejoice with those
who profit from the prophets on winners' day
homie don't play, sometimes I can't believe the things I say
Lord take me away from all that's twisted and gay
make my earthly life a righteous stay
and to Paradise show me a way"
Ameen I say while praying
over your hearts my words hold sway.