The Other Tribe

I was contemplating on how to write what I want without offending anyone but then I realized that besides the fact that I have always been a willing participant in confrontation, this is my blog. Sooooo no fucks will be given in the making of this post.

Being in Africa has exposed me to something that for he last 20 years inside of my non-diverse city I have avoided; white ppl. I mean it goes without saying that I have interacted with "the other tribe" on many different occasions. Mainly as administrators in schools and in the work place, and even the two new producers (The Rhythm Thief) that my music group The H&T are working with on our new EP "5234FORBES" are white; but never have I ever had any significant number of "the other tribe" members as peers. I find it to be some sort of twist of fate, or maybe even a divine joke that I have prolonged interaction with white age mates up until I traveled to Africa. But know it is not the color of their skin to which this post is concerning. It is our (referencing "the other tribe" and black ppl foreign to Ghana) fundamental differences in our experiences and reasons for being here. At times it seems as though our (referring to the blacks) experiences, whether we plan them to be or not, can be based in a deep longing to identify with some lost part of our spiritual, social, and cultural selves that can only be found here in Africa; while it can seem that for some "other tribe" members it can be based in a longing to take pics of eating mango with Africans, and for some of the women, to fuck an African man. While I actually can't fathom any reason to expect different, the cultural disrespect still perplexes me.

Now let me take a second to recognize the fact that I do know some "other tribe" members who have inspired my personal works in music (shout out to Mizzel the Motha Fuccin Killa, Rhythm Thief, D.J Thermos, and K-Mo), and that this isn't quite the shoot em up shoot em post, but these things have been on my mind heavy for the last week.

I actually have made very rigorous attempts in enjoying confabulating with the "other tribe" while here, but it seems that my involvement in the conversation can be quite forced on my end resulting in a disinterest in what is actually being said. In fact, so much of a disinterested that I can only recall whole conversations with Tom, Elin, and Ryan. Three "other tribe" members who have established themselves in my book as definite friends (although this post is liable to change things). It is my aim to in the next three months to explore in more depth these differences in experience and reasons for being abroad in Ghana, and to OVERSTAND them in such a way that perhaps I will be able to be more integrated with my peer interaction on a honest level; not just as somebody trying something new.

Until Next Time Kings & Queens.
Love Mr. IT AINT RIGHT BUT ITS REAL