In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
May this message find you in the best of health and spirit.

As Salaam Alaikum,

I had been wondering how I would debut my blog, The Smokin’ Gat. I wondered what would be my topic of discussion and when I would write it. But PBTA, the people have chosen for me.

Recently there has been much ado about one of the songs on my new release, The Dead MC Scrolls. (My best work to date if I do say so myself. The entire cd is available for digital download at www.gatturner.com) The song in question is called The ReZurrector. The ReZurrector is one of those songs that is full of pure unadulterated Truth.

Being a follower of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan I know firsthand how sometimes Truth can ruffle feathers.

Well this piece has been the subject of some recent controversy. Out of all the 19 songs that are on my cd, The ReZurrector has overwhelmingly been the most talked about. It has been the most praised and the most criticized.

It deals with a condition many have spoken about that exists in many Houses of Worship. That condition is a lack of inspiration or “life”.

Though I am a member of the Nation of Islam and a registered believer out of Muhammad’s Mosque #3, the condition that I spoke of is not just relative to my own local Mosque. I was not speaking of anyplace or anyone in particular. I did however use personal experiences along w/ lectures of the HMLF, the writings of the HEM and the scriptures to paint a general Hip Hop portrait of a painful reality.

Many of my fellow believers have shared with me that they share the same reality. Though I was critical in my song, it doesn’t negate the fact that I love my Nation. There is no other place for me to be or that I desire to go. I just know that we can do better, and I have accepted the responsibility to build my community.

This song is meant to be used as a defibrillator.

(Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator. This depolarizes a critical mass of the heart muscle, terminates the abnormal electrical activity in the heart, and allows normal beating rhythm to be reestablished by the body’s natural pacemaker.)

It was meant to be an instrument that would shock us back to life (increased activity, love in the brotherhood, etc…). One thing about the “Word of God” whether spoken over a rostrum, written in a book, or rapped over a beat, is that it contains light, life, & power.

This light, life, and power, I figured would be enough of an electrical current to ignite our spirits. In the television series Emergency!, firefighters often used defibrillators, with their ‘catchphrase’ being the standard warning of yelling “CLEAR!” right before applying the shock, to warn everyone around to stay away from the patient for risk of electrical shock. Maybe I should have done the same.

Anyone who doesn’t have a problem understanding rap music could clearly see that I stated not only my objective in the song, but also the solution.

Objective – “I just want the Mosque to “Breathe Again”, like Toni Braxton…”

Solution – “Put ‘em in a circle let ‘em tell u how they feel. That’s what the Doc said put ‘em all in a room, and let them speak their peace man they’ll come right out their tombs. & voice their concerns under the lawful terms.”

I used descriptive language that may have painted a painful picture to look at, but it was in no way meant to slander or defame anyone. It was meant to inspire change and provoke dialogue within the ranks, which it has indeed done.

People seem to be in an upheaval in my description of the condition. The imagery conjured up from my allegory may have ruffled some feathers but in all of the criticism that it has garnered, there has yet to be an accusation of it being untrue.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan states in A Torchlight For America “Toward a Moral Rejuvenation of America” that, “The artistic community has historically been in the vanguard of social change. What is now needed is for the artistic community to lead a cultural revolution.” As a member of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, I recognize this as being a direct order from my Apostle, and I have accepted the responsibility to build my community.

For those of you who have not heard “the ReZurrector”, I encourage you to go to my website: www.gatturner.com and download it today for just .99 cent. For those of you who have heard it please comment and let me know what you think of my first blog. I love you family and thank you for reading these words. This is the Smokin’ Gat!

Ministry of Arts and Culture
The mission of the Ministry of Arts & Culture is to promote higher levels of artistic expression. The Ministry is rooted in the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and is under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

The MAC actively works to build bridges with groups and organizations for the unifying of the community through the arts. The Ministry promotes aesthetic, artistic and cultural expressions based on Islamic principles.

What does the Ministry do?
* Work bands and ensemble groups

* Work beyond religious barriers to develop health working relationships throughout the community

* Build bridges with community groups and organizations to help uplift the condition of life through positive artistic expressions

* Facilitate networking channels and ways of communication among the artistic community

* Promotes higher standards of artistic expressions