Subscribe
now to receive all the new
music
Fold creates,
including
11 back-catalog releases,
delivered instantly to you via the Bandcamp app for iOS and Android.
Learn more.
Known to most as Malcolm X, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was an African American leader, activist, natural debater and gifted speaker with a sharp wit and an extraordinary sense of empathy. He was nicknamed Detroit Red while a hustler on the streets of Harlem – a path that eventually led to the 7 years in prison during which he rehabilitated and re-educated himself.
Malcolm represented the struggle for freedom and equality of African Americans in post-slavery society and by extension that of all oppressed African diaspora & African nationals. He devoted the second half of his life to that struggle. His murder in 1965 was an incalculable loss to the African American community and therefore to humanity’s progress.
History has a tendency to portray Malcolm as an advocate of violence. He was not a violent man nor did he ever advocate violence as an end unto itself, rather he asserted every human being’s right to defend themselves when confronted – as so many African Americans have been – with unjustifiable brutality. He came to understand that any efforts towards achieving equality that didn’t involve challenging and transforming local, national and global power structures would not succeed.
Sadly, as demonstrated by events as recent as those surrounding the murders of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida African Americans are still not equal in American society. Time has proven that the culture and institutionalisation of racism in post-slavery societies runs too deep to alter with legislation alone, particularly when it is not adequately enforced. Lasting change requires the ongoing drive of individuals courageous enough to break long established cycles. The ability to be brutally honest in public about the true state of affairs is a prerequisite for such individuals – a rare quality embodied by Malcolm.
The past few American decades have seen an escalated erosion of civil liberties under the pretext of protection, a sharp increase in the use of fear of otherness as a propaganda tool and the militarisation of police forces on an alarming scale. As February 21, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Malcolm’s murder Fold felt it both appropriate and necessary to draw attention to his life and work – just as Public Enemy & Spike Lee did several decades ago – so that people may both be reminded that there is still much work to be done and inspired by the fact that one person can make such a difference. Fold wish to thank Chuck D of Public Enemy for inspiring them to educate themselves about Black History – an area in great need of adequate and accurate representation particularly in the American education system.
lyrics
[Malcolm X]
Ten men can be sitting at a table eating - you know, dining - and I can come and sit down where they're dining. THEY'RE dining. I've got a plate in front of me but nothing that's on it.
Because all of us are sitting at the same table are all of us diners? I'm not a diner until you let me dine, THEN I become a diner. Just being at the table with others doesn't make me a diner and this is what you've got to get in your head here in this country. Just because you're in this country doesn't make you an American, no - you've got to go farther than that before you can become an American.
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
then I become a diner
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
I've got a plate in front of me but nothing that's on it
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
then I become a diner
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
and this is what you've got to get in your head here in this country
You've got to enjoy the fruits of Americanism and you haven't enjoyed those fruits. You've enjoyed the thorns, you've enjoyed the thistles - but you have not enjoyed the fruits, no sir.
So I point these things out brothers and sisters so that you and I will know the importance of being in complete unity with other, harmony with each other and not letting The Man manoeuvre us into fighting one another.
No, you've got to go farther than that
you've got to enjoy the fruits of Americanism
and you haven't enjoyed those fruits.
No, you've got to go farther than that
you've enjoyed the thorns, you've enjoyed the thistles
but you have not enjoyed the fruits, no sir.
I say again that I'm not a racist, I don't believe in any form of segregation or anything like that; I'm for brotherhood of everybody but I don't believe in enforcing brotherhood upon people who don't want it. As long as we practice brotherhood among ourselves and then others who want to practice brotherhood with us - we're for that. But I don't think that we should run around trying to love somebody who doesn't love us.
Thank you.
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
then I become a diner
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
I've got a plate in front of me but nothing that's on it
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
then I become a diner
I'm not a diner until you let me dine
and this is what you've got to get in your head here in this country
No, you've got to go farther than that
you've got to enjoy the fruits of Americanism
and you haven't enjoyed those fruits.
No, you've got to go farther than that
you've enjoyed the thorns, you've enjoyed the thistles
but you have not enjoyed the fruits, no sir.
Overall a brilliant collaborative record between artists on the Bastard Jazz & Tummy Touch labels. We've also got a remix on there under our old name Mujaji. Fold
Hailed as "the best Downtempo band you've never heard" Low In the Sky deliver a lush, bleepy masterpiece on this, my favourite of their outstanding and highly underrated repertoire. Fold
My god, what an absolutely incredible Suite. I'll admit, I've struggled to get into Pharoah Sanders due to diving headfirst into some of his most challenging catalogue and that never worked. This is the perfect place to restart. Floating Points is new for me and I can honestly say I've never heard synthesizer music this lush and organic before. the LSO is just perfect. This is one of those albums that any serious music fan needs in their life. The perfect swan song for the great Pharaoh! 5/5 ClassyMusicSnob