[48], Its newspaper The Five Percenter condemns the states who impose restrictions on their practice as those who "attempt to define us in ways that seek to criminalize us." African-American Muslims, also colloquially known as Black Muslims, are an African American religious minority. [92][93] Furthermore, RZA directly rhymes the Twelve Jewels of life's objectives on his later work with Gravediggaz, rhyming in succession: knowledge, wisdom, understanding, freedom, justice, equality, food, clothing, shelter, love, peace, happiness. Within the American Muslim community, he has earned a reputation as an ostentatious cultural provocateur. [50] All three systems comprise the Universal Language. The album contains the singles "Word Iz Life" b/w "Dreadful Day" and "Conscious Style". There have been rumors and theories about assailants and motives, but the murder remains unsolved. Such rules were relaxed in 2004 in New York to allow registered "sincere adherent(s)" to study teachings personally but not share with unregistered inmates during their incarceration. The murder was a blow to the movement, but according to the direct orders of Allah before his death, some of his earliest disciples, a group of nine men who were called the First Nine Born carried on the teachings, and his friend Justice assumed an acting leadership role. The Nation teaches that the black man (Insofar as the Nation defines this race) is himself God, with the black race thus being a race of actual gods. "[69] Allah was also a proponent of fasting and many new adherents fast as part of "an induction process. This especially meshed well with conscious themes found in other golden-age hip hop recordings. As in the Nation of Islam, Five Percenters believe that the original inhabitants of the world were Black (which they refer to as the "Asiatic Blackman" and believe had inhabited the earth for "66 trillion years") who ultimately descended from the Tribe of Shabazz, while the White race are evil "devils" who were created 6,000 years ago on what is today the Greek island of Patmos by a 'rogue bigheaded scientist' named Yakub (the Biblical and Qur'anic Jacob) who was of the Meccan branch of the tribe. In 1996, he discovered Dead Prez and got them signed to Loud Records. [27] In his "National Statement" given at Brookdale College in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in 1998, Dumar Wa'de Allah, National Spokesman for the NGE, [28] stated "we are not anti-white, nor pro-black. John. [16] The Nation of Gods and Earths' Supreme Wisdom states: "Wisdom is the Original Woman because life is continued through her cipher (womb)." [23], In 1967, shortly after Allah and Justice started holding classes at the Street Academy, Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin and Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke visited Father Allah at the Academy. This reputation brought fans of Rakim in particular to refer to him as the God MC. To inquire about scheduling a mediation or arbitration, please email or call Judge Kennedy at: john@kennedys.org 801.230.1385. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo career with Ironman, which was well received by music critics, in 1996. The most well-known Caucasian Five Percenter is John Michael Kennedy, who met Allah in 1965. "Supreme Mathematics.". "In the Name of Allah, A History of Clarence 13X and the 5 Percenters". [21] According to Five Percenter Universal Shaamguadd, Allah the Father stated Five Percenters should avoid eating "small scavengers, such as shrimp," and also avoid "lobsters, crabs, clams, and oysters." These rarely-seen pictures of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, autopsy, and funeral reveal the full story of the shooting that shook the nation in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Five Percenters were the innovators behind early hip-hop slang, including "word is bond," "break it down," "peace," "droppin' science," and "represent." The Five-Percent Nation, sometimes referred to as the Nation of Gods and Earths ( NGE / NOGE) or the Five Percenters, is a Black nationalist movement influenced by Islam that was founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Allah the Father, who was previously known as Clarence 13X and, before that, . There is no gender type, we all have the components that make the physical. Eighty-five percent of the world's population are described as "uncivilized people; poison animal eaters; slaves from mental death and power, people who do not know the Living God or their origin in this world, and they worship that which they do not know. The "gang" label has caused individuals with even remote NGE affiliation to be designated as security threats in jails and prisons in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina. [4][5][6] One story states that he was disciplined by the NOI and excommunicated in 1963, but another version of events says that he left of his own free will. "[20] Five Percenters were also required to share what they had learned with others, and thereby recruit new members. Judge Steven Whalen found no evidence that the group advocated violence and recommended that it be recognized as a legitimate belief system. "[35] Dr. Sujan Dass, who is better known as Supreme Understanding, is a Bangladeshi-American Five Percenter and an influential and prolific writer. The men of the Five Percent Nation view themselves as Gods (both individually and collectively as the Original Man). Clarence 13X founded the . Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. "[82], The majority of allusions to Islam in American hip-hop, either conscious or otherwise, spawn from adherents of the Five Percenters. Judge Steven Whalen found no evidence that the group advocated violence and recommended that it be recognized as a legitimate belief system. Music composed, played and recorded by Elizabeth Flett. Allah the Father and the Five Percenters "had a reputation for being unreachable, anti-white criminals." Related To Gordon Kennedy, Nicole Kennedy, Katherine Kennedy, Bonnie Kennedy. [95], Other examples of hip hop and R&B acts who are (or have been) associated with Five Percent teachings include Killah Priest, Digable Planets, J-Live, Nas, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, SZA, Planet Asia, and Guru. "In the Name of Allah, A History of Clarence 13X and the 5 Percenters". Some Five Percenters take further steps and eschew meat altogether, often opting for "strict" vegetarianism. ", "State and federal prisons persecute Nation of Gods and Earth (Five Percenters)", "General Board Meeting of City of New York Manhattan Community Board", "ALLAH, JUSTICE & THE FIVE PERCENTERS SQUARE", "TOMORROW! Previously, John was a Senior Counsel at Goodman Media Inter national and also held positions at Huntington Theatre, JMK & Associates, Southern Methodist University. He regularly wears an eight-pointed star pendant with a number seven and a crescent, which can be seen on the cover of his album The World According to RZA. The most well-known Caucasian Five Percenter is John Michael Kennedy, who met Allah in 1965. Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2018. In 2008, About.com placed the group on its list of the 25 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time. The murder was a blow to the movement, but according to the direct orders of Allah before his death, some of his earliest disciples, a group of nine men who were called the First Nine Born carried on the teachings, and his friend Justice assumed an acting leadership role. [69] Some Five Percenters take further steps and eschew meat altogether, often opting for "strict" vegetarianism. [12] [55] The Supreme Mathematics is thought to be the highest system of numerology in the NGE, used to give qualitative value to numbers in addition to quantity. These two acts, as well as some of their other contemporaries, infused Five-Percent teachings and symbolism throughout their music and videos. The Nation of Gods and Earths was founded by Clarence 13X after he left the Nation of Islam's Temple Number Seven in Harlem, New York, the same temple where Malcolm X was a minister from 1960 to 1963. According to Prince Allah Cuba, since the death of Allah the Father, some Gods have grown preoccupied with male supremacy, and this preoccupation has resulted in the minimization of all things female: from the crescent moon on the nation's flag being made smaller and eventually placed under the number seven, to the lack of parity in the God-Earth dyad. . Five Percenters were also required to share what they had learned with others, and thereby recruit new members. The teachings of Five-Percent Nation have been accused of promoting black supremacy. John Michael Kennedy is president of JMKPR: Communications for Creative Industries, a public relations firm focused on working with individuals, companies and organizations involved in artistic . In 2018 members of the Five Percent Nation and Harlem community members applied to the Transportation/Historic Preservation & Landmarks Committee of Manhattan Community Board 10 to have the northwest corner of 126th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd in Harlem, New York co-named Allah, Justice & The Five Percenters Square. The application and subsequent proposal were approved by Manhattan Community Board 10 and the New York City Council. View the profiles of professionals named "John Michael Kennedy" on LinkedIn. According to the Five Percent Nation, each member constitutes a divine being in his or her own right. Images of John F. Kennedy's assassination hold a permanent place in the American consciousness. . [52] [53], The teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths are passed on through a modern oral tradition. [18] Allah the Father developed a curriculum of eight lessons that included the Supreme Alphabets and Mathematics, which he devised, as well as lessons developed by the Nation of Islam's Elijah Muhammad and Wallace Fard Muhammad. John Michael Kennedy is a creative talent with a passion for writing, directing and producing from Staffordshire, England. He taught them that the astral twin of the Black man is the Sun. In its article on Five Percenter Jay Electronica, Vice Magazine stated in regard to the Five Percent Nation: "It's a movement that's been affiliated with hip-hop from the very beginning, coining terms like 'ciphers' and 'dropping science' and influencing everyone, World's Famous Supreme Team, Big Daddy Kane, J. Cole, Jay-Z, Method Man, Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan, Brand Nubian, Nas, Common, Poor Righteous Teachers, Erykah Badu, and AZ. Members of the group call themselves Allah's Five Percenters, which reflects the concept that ten percent of the people in the world are elites and their agents, who know the truth of existence and opt to keep eighty-five percent of the world in ignorance and under their controlling thumb; the remaining five percent are those who know the truth and are determined to enlighten the eighty-five percent. 2" of the Nation of Islam. 1965 New York newspaper articles referred to the Five Percenters as a "gang," "hoodlums," and "terror group." [63] The method by which letters were associated with certain values is unknown. Allah proselytized the streets of Harlem to teach others his views based on his interpretation of NOI teachings. First of all, we are the Arm Leg Leg Arm Head (Allah). He has served as a Republican member of the Utah Senate, representing District 21 since 2023.Prior to redistricting he represented District 14 starting in 2021. "[22] The FBI file stated that the organization's name meant "The five percent of the Muslims who smoke and drink. The Black women who came into Father Allah's growing movement to study along with the males were taught they were symbolic of the planet Earth because women produce and sustain human existence as does the Earth. The Supreme Alphabet is a system of interpreting text and finding deeper meaning from the NOI Lessons by assigning actual meanings to the letters of the Latin script. Lived In Clinton Township MI, Troy MI, Harrison Township MI, Saint Louis MI. ", "An Examination of the Islamic References in Jay Electronica's 'A Written Testimony', https://web.archive.org/web/20210102055441/https://babylonfalling.com/images/tumblr/isagod_2500.jpg, The official Web site of the Nation of Gods and Earths (archived), A paper presented at the American Anthropological Association's Annual Meeting (Nov 1996) about Five Percenters and its influence on hip hop music, as well as its divergence from traditional Islam, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Interviews Talib Kweli and Five Percenters. /. If the Nation of Islam is actual Islam's eccentric nephew, then the Nation of Gods and Earths, as the 5 Percenters are called, is that nephew's unhinged offspring. This podcast was made possible by the Knowledge Exchange and Impact fundi at the University of St Andrews. "[78] Others describe the Black woman as the Black man's equal: In X Clan's song "Wiz Degrees," Five Percenter Brother J describes his partner as "Wisdom and the Goddess manifest. Ten percent of the world's population are described as "The rich; the slave-makers of the poor; who teach the poor liesto believe that the Almighty, True and Living God is a spook and cannot be seen by the physical eye. [90]. "[38][39], After the founding of the Allah School, the Gods and Earths became more influential upon the April 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., it quelled a potential rebellion inside Harlem. "[51] Gods and Earths sometimes refer to themselves as scientists, implying their search for knowledge and proof. The scene is composed mainly of young Muslim artists living in the US and other Western countries, many of whom openly reject traditionalist interpretations of Islam, and thus live their own lifestyle within the religion or without. Besides their academic and social activities, the Five Percenters told me that they pursue a spiritual ideal of "helping others discover a true knowledge of themselves." [73] [74] [75] According to Prince Allah Cuba, since the death of Allah the Father, some Gods have grown preoccupied with male supremacy, and this preoccupation has resulted in the minimization of all things female: from the crescent moon on the nation's flag being made smaller and eventually placed under the number seven, to the lack of parity in the God-Earth dyad. Trainer John Michael Kennedy statistics and form. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. [7], After leaving the NOI, he renamed himself "Allah the Father". The main theme of the NGE doctrine spoken on hip hop records were the teachings that black people were the original or first human life to walk the planet, that the Blackman is God, the Blackwoman is Earth, and through the inner esoteric powers of the Gods and Earths, the youth can transform and possess its true potential, which aspires to overthrow the overbearing oligarchy by becoming just rulers of themselves. "[59][18], The Supreme Mathematics and Supreme Alphabet are key concepts in the Five Percent Nation. After Rakim and Kane's heyday rose acts that were even more explicit with allegiance to the NGE, most notably Brand Nubian, Poor Righteous Teachers, Wu-Tang Clan, Killarmy, Sunz of Man, Gravediggaz and Busta Rhymes. The FBI file stated that the organization's name meant "The five percent of the Muslims who smoke and drink." Raz is currently working on his "Magneto Was Right" project that is currently on its ninth issue. The main theme of the NGE doctrine spoken on hip hop records were the teachings that black people were the original or first human life to walk the planet, that the Blackman is God, the Blackwoman is Earth, and through the inner esoteric powers of the Gods and Earths, the youth can transform and possess its true potential, which aspires to overthrow the overbearing oligarchy by becoming just rulers of themselves. With these artists, and any others associated with the Five Percenters, music was more than just a message." After failing to reach elder adults whom he saw as already set in their ways, he found success with street youth. The lesson groups the people of the world into three categories. [82] A Five Percent female named Tawanna referred to herself as God. John Michael Kennedy, 63. In "Disturbance by Group Called 'Five Percenters,'" the FBI refers to the organization as a "loosely knit group of Negro youth gangs. John Michael Kennedy is an Owner at John Kennedy based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. View results and future entries as well as statistics by course, race type and prize money. He served in the group as a security officer, martial arts instructor, and student minister before leaving for an unclear reason in 1963. [34] Knight's book also includes two photos of Allah with Gottehrer, who Allah called "Moses." His book How to Hustle and Win: A Survival Guide for the Ghetto has been described as having the same impact on the hip hop generation as The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family had on previous generations of African Americans. The Nation of Gods and Earths' Supreme Wisdom states: "Wisdom is the Original Woman because life is continued through her cipher (womb)." [12] [54] [55] The anthology Knowledge of Self: A Collection of Wisdom on the Science of Everything in Life by Supreme Understanding details the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. They are represented in Sunni and Shia denominations as well as smaller sects, such as the Nation of Islam. It's not a male, like religion will tell you. The effort didn't sell as well as their past work, but received strong reviews. The Supreme Alphabet was developed by Allah the Father and Justice. The Yakub origin story is the basis for all Five Percenter racial understanding. Scholars of religion characterize it as a new religious movement. [29] NGE websites and articles state, "We as a collective are not anti-white nor pro-black. The main theme of the NGE doctrine spoken on hip hop records were the teachings that black people were the original or first human life to walk the planet, that the Blackman is God, the Blackwoman is Earth, and through the inner esoteric powers of the Gods and Earths, the youth can transform and possess its true potential, which aspires to overthrow the overbearing oligarchy by becoming just rulers of themselves. [80], Five Percenter Just I C Equality Allah asserts that gender equality is an inherent aspect of ALLAH: "How can woman not be God as well as man? [47] NGE literature has been banned from penal institutions in these and other states, and inmates have been denied privileges enjoyed by those of other persuasions. Political hip-hop is the use of hip hop music to send political messages to inspire action or social change or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. [2][3], The Nation of Gods and Earths teaches the belief that Black people are the original people of the planet Earth and are therefore the fathers ("Gods") and mothers ("Earths") of civilization. [96]. [38] [39], After the founding of the Allah School, the Gods and Earths became more influentialupon the April 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., it quelled a potential rebellion inside Harlem. Five Percent of the world's population are described as "the poor, righteous Teachers, who do not believe in the teachings of the 10%, and are all-wise; and know who the Living God is; and Teach that the Living God is the Sun of man, the supreme being, the (Black man) of Asia; and Teach Freedom, Justice and Equality to all the human family of the planet Earth." Ladybug Mecca, a Five Percenter and the female member of the hip hop group Digable Planets, offers her explication of gender and divinity: We need to know that there is a feminine and masculine principal or consciousness that is considered the God or the Creator. Michael Steven Kennedy (born 1969) is an American physician, attorney, and politician. He works in Laramie, WY and 4. [36], In 2018 members of the Five Percent Nation and Harlem community members applied to the Transportation/Historic Preservation & Landmarks Committee of Manhattan Community Board 10 to have the northwest corner of 126th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd in Harlem, New York co-named Allah, Justice & The Five Percenters Square. [37] [38] The application and subsequent proposal were approved by Manhattan Community Board 10 and the New York City Council. ./ The feminine principle is what gives birth to the universe. This reputation brought fans of Rakim in particular to refer to him as the God MC. Wakeel Allah's book In the Name of Allah includes a photo captioned: "Allah (in background) along with Mayor Lindsay (holding baby) on airplane ride with Five Percenters." These jewels are also shared by The Nation of Islam. When challenged by some male Five Percenters, Tawanna defended her position and was declared by Justice to be "more God than some of the men! The Nation teaches that the black man (Insofar as the Nation defines this race) is himself God, with the black race thus being a race of actual gods. Furthermore, RZA directly rhymes the Twelve Jewels of life's objectives on his later work with Gravediggaz, rhyming in succession: knowledge, wisdom, understanding, freedom, justice, equality, food, clothing, shelter, love, peace, happiness. [26], Allah the Father stated that he was "neither pro-black nor anti-white." Allah is the all in all. These two acts, as well as some of their other contemporaries, infused Five-Percent teachings and symbolism throughout their music and videos. Gods and Earths sometimes refer to themselves as scientists, implying their search for knowledge and proof. These meetings usually take place in public areas and can be held anywhere. They said they are "neither anti-white nor pro-black. How can we be the all in all if "all" isn't included? [72]. With these artists, and any others associated with the Five Percenters, music was more than just a message.". He is the founder of his own record label, Starks Enterprises. "[29] NGE websites and articles state, "We as a collective are not anti-white nor pro-black. Member of the . [16] Female Five Percenters are also referred to as "Wisdom. The numerals are as follows:[60][61][62]. A number of hip hop artists in the United States are followers of Islam. Eighty-five percent of the world's population are described as "uncivilized people; poison animal eaters; slaves from mental death and power, people who do not know the Living God or their origin in this world, and they worship that which they do not know. Allah the Father developed a curriculum of eight lessons that included the Supreme Alphabets and Mathematics, which he devised, as well as lessons developed by the Nation of Islam's Elijah Muhammad and Wallace Fard Muhammad. [34] Knight's book also includes two photos of Allah with Gottehrer, who Allah called "Moses. When Allah the Father was alive, some female Five Percenters referred to themselves as Goddesses. Five Percenters were the innovators behind early hip-hop slang, including "word is bond," "break it down," "peace," "droppin' science," and "represent. Five Percenters in New York City were a visible presence at parties during hip hop's formative years of the 1970s. Otherwise known as: The Blood-Suckers of the Poor." Sales never matched the wide acclaim the album has only sold 350,000 copies as of May 2013 but it has remained in print since its 1990 release. Allah proclaimed Kennedy a "righteous man" and renamed him Azreal. He enjoyed gambling, which was condemned by the NOI, and disagreed with the NOI's teachings that Wallace Fard Muhammad was a divine messenger. 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