March for Peace Week. At Center in wheelchair: Malik Aziz, co-founder of Men United for a Better Philadelphia. Second from Left is "Star Rapper," Beanie Sigel and far right is "The Philly Judge," a.k.a., Dr. Bill Cosby. They were joined by supports at the MET Church, Broad and Popular St. for a forum to run out black-males-thug-life and gun-homicide in Philly.Based on a true story, once upon a time, in Philadelphia, PA, there was a cruel hearted and good-for-nothing occult organization called thug-life. The way of the thug-life has 80% of young men who are greatly Black Americans and Indigenous- (growing naturally; native) folk there abusing the way of the gun. The-way-of-the-gun belonged primarily to the city council men and women, police and local types of law enforcement such as park safety, public safety and school safety. But the thug-life controlled the gun which now meant that there was menace to society walking the streets for war and having open meetings on street corners about increasing the violence and recruiting bullies that rather take $1 dollar from the homeless person than give $10 dollars toward creating a job for black folks that believe in the true spirit of volunteering and working. Enter a Holiday.
On Thursday, December 20th, '07, "The Philly Judge," a.k.a., Dr. Bill Cosby, flanked by Malik Aziz, and Bilal Qayyum, co-chairmen of Men United for a Better Philadelphia, Antionette Jackson-Aziz, wife of Aziz and Anti-violence Activist, Rapper Beanie Sigel, and Movie Producer Shawn Frogg Banks amongst others lead a march down Susquehanna Avenue. These and more that challenged thug-life presence were finishing March for Peace week in Cosby's town. Malik Aziz helped to lead all present at the march to think very seriously how every week in Philly can soon be a happy holiday week as many gathered in the yard at M. Hall Stanton School, on 16th Street near Huntingdon. The goal was to close thug-life. Shawn Banks' Live Action movie proved that mentoring is needed badly in Philly.
The team effort of the duo Aziz and Qayyum got notice from popular entertainers that dwelled in the streets where they would eventually get tired on their own merit of how thug-life ruled and keep its business as usual open day and the night. Soon, during the last days of winter 2007 they were joined by a most very likely new social-conscience member to speak to young black males about helping Malik close thug-life in Philly.
The new member is a professional rapper that worked Music Talk often using lyrics that were entrepreneur's anthem and prisoner's freedom creed. An are you success story? He questioned street creed, the meaning that you must shoot to kill a man so that others might worship you. Also, the Controversial Hip-Hop Philadelphia star has all along paid attention to the many years of the stop the violence efforts by local Philly folk heroes and legends. He was accepted into Aziz and friends community group because he was aware of supporters of Men United and Ex-Offenders programs that clearly show having a record is no excuse not to mentor young black males," says Aziz. And this star rapper admired hard speakers like Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Mr. Sonny Driver, Editor and Publisher of the SCOOP USA Newspaper. Both Councilwoman Blackwell and Publisher Driver pioneered forums to reduce gun-violence citywide and beyond.
For example, Councilwoman Blackwell held out against thug-life attitudes chilling in certain unlikely city-government-life while hating on West Philly peace to come. Blackwell made sure those residents living in the area where a newly built Youth Study Center for alleged juvenile offenders will rise so that thug-life's attack on peace won't be.
Who is this rapper that will help Aziz show the real meaning to the-way-of-the-streets? "Here is a young man from the streets who came back to the streets as a man," says Cosby. "This is what we want from our young boys, to go from boys to men." Cosby is an objective judge. And he has lead his next move, fist raised high, to run thug-life out of his town by soldiering the likes of rapper Beanie Sigel. "I come from these things, the streets," said Sigel. "I'm at a time in my life where I'm trying to make the transition from something negative to something positive," Beanie says. For now, the peace forum held at the MET Church, located at Broad and Popular didn't have any Mary J. Blidge beats that Beanie is used to kicking it making kids dance for peace. But here's a suggestion. Come 2008, Blackwell, Driver, the Aziz family, and Sigel should set up "Judge" Cosby with music that the young and the old can move too. Each 'March' in Philly is gonna be a holiday.
