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Never Hold On

by King Khan

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  • Never Hold On b/w A Tree Not A Leaf Am I 7"
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    Never Hold On b/w A Tree Not A Leaf on limited Military Marijuana GREEN vinyl. Includes Free download.

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1.
Never Hold On by A.A. Khan I've been waiting anticipating for the likes of things to change look out my window I see the moon glow looks like another night has ended just the same where did the time go will it ever come back yes it made our love grow but you've got a heart that could never hold on baby you gotta heart that could never hold on even though you tried if love was a game why be a hunter hold on to trophies that give you so much pain No! Love is the answer and the question to ponder will it save you and guide you till the end where did the time go will it never come back yes it made our love grow but you've got a heart that could never hold on baby you gotta heart that could never hold on even though you tried Baby I loved you Baby I loved you Baby I loved you
2.
A tree not a leaf am I by A.A. khan i watch you float down with such ease a paraplegic tease changing your mind as easy as the wind dew drops and rain give you so much pain you think your life's in vain a tree not a leaf am i my roots they don't need to fly i eat the leaves when they fall off and die i grow so high i grow so high why don't sway a while before you turn into dust into the color of rust just find a whole you can trust and dig a lil' c'mon and dig a lil' a tree not a leaf am i my roots they don't need to fly

about

Produced by A. A. Khan
Mixed and Mastered by Nene Barratto
At Moon Studios & Porc Audio, Berlin 2015
Artwork by Michael Eaton

WHO ARE "THE INVADERS"?

Consciousness regulation is the pre-occupation of the culture industry. The reduction of historical events to simplistic binaries and the erasure of all nuance, depth, and what–ifs.

The Civil Rights struggle has gotten this treatment in particular. Its now been ossified as a series of marches and sit-ins which led to the overturning of the most glaring US racial inequalities (e.g. segregated schools) and which culminated in the the martyrdom of its most charismatic leader, Martin Luther King Jr. With the riots following MLKs assassination, and the malaise following his death, "the movement" lost its hope, drive, and focus.

But Civil Rights was never just the monolith of angry Malcolm vs. peaceful Martin, and the history channel wants the population to forget that the "movement" was radicalized beyond what is generally understood.

Revolutionary groups abounded. Anti-colonialist movements overseas (Cuba, Vietnam, South Africa, Algeria, et al) served as inspiration for an anti-colonial struggle in the USA. The Black Panther Party set an example that had massive influence. When street gangs like the Vice Lords (Chicago) and the 1,000 member Slauson Gang (Los Angeles) discovered Black Power, they developed revolutionary consciousness, often organizing teach-ins, day care and soup kitchens as well. The Vice Lords became "Vice Lord Nation," the Blackstone Rangers became "Black P Stone Nation" and so on. Social change had an exponent then that wasn't bound up by Christian morality and had its background in delinquent activity. These gangs were poised to be guerilla cadres who would act as shock troops when the s**t went down.

In the 60's therefore, the nation stood on the precipice of some kind of revolution. in many ways, the country experienced a civil war, with the FBI conducting an infiltration and assassination program on Black groups similar to the CIA's "Phoenix Program" in Vietnam.

The INVADERS of Memphis, Tennessee were sort of in the middle of these paradigms, the old line SNCC and the Panther style gangs. They had their roots in the Southern Christian reformist scene but were also tired of the passivity of non-violence; sick of the moral victory of having their heads smashed in.

They were like an intellectual street gang with incredible style, who devoted themselves to justice and confronting white supremacy. A group or "gang" of organizers, they were on the front lines of the struggle in the South, and experienced extraordinary harassment, violence, and imprisonment. They conducted the last meeting with King at the Lorraine Motel before he was murdered, and yet their story is almost unknown.

Interviews with them are poignant; the Invaders tell their stories with little trace of bitterness or madness, despite their disgusting treatment by the State fascists.

This excavated history – a fast-moving re-telling with a funky soundtrack – footage – is a must see for anyone who wants to understand the context of the struggle that is still ongoing, which has still not been resolved, and that is reality for many every day as evidenced by events in Baltimore, St Louis, Cleveland, et al.

In short, THE INVADERS is a MUST-SEE for people living RIGHT NOW.

- Ian Svenonius


"King Khan is that fiery arrow shot into the night sky which no one knows how high or far it will travel, however we do know that as that fiery arrow streaks across the heavens, along the way its flames will light up dark places. With HURTIN’ CLASS King Khan’s music can become the voice of many around the world, some who have never been heard from before."
- John B. Smith (Leader of the Invaders)

“When I found out that John B. Smith, the founding member and leader of the Invaders asked the director of the film, Prichard Smith, for me to do the soundtrack, I was floored. Here is a man whose militant black power group impressed MLK so much that he had personal meetings with him about how to get the militant civil rights groups into the poor people’s campaign! This was just the beginning… John B. adopted Prichard and I into his family and treated us like sons. Making the soundtrack for this film felt like a call to arms, especially considering what is going on now involving the police and race relations all over the U.S. The fact that it has taken so long for The Invaders tale to be told just goes to show you how the powers that be are as evil and crooked as 50 years ago. The struggle is the same and so I chose message music as my weapon, may it soothe your ears as much as light a fire under the collective ass that is pulling the strings. ”
– King “Bama Lama” Khan
EMPEROR OF R&B

INVADERS TRAILER - vimeo.com/36155578
credits

credits

released April 15, 2016

The Players on "Never Hold On":
King Khan - Vocals, Guitar & Bass
Gillian Rivers - Viola & Violin
Pamelia Kurstin - Theremin
Kim Tibbs - Hammond Organ
Amabelle Anjum Khan - Back Up Vocals
Toby Dammit - Gas Cans & Bells
Max Wiessenfeld - Drums

on "A Tree Not A Leaf Am I"
King Khan - Vocals
Adan Jodorowsky - Guitar, Bass & Organ
Toby Dammit - Drums
Gillian Rivers - Viola & Violin

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about

King Khan Berlin, Germany

My name is A. A. Khan (a.k.a. "King Khan" or "the artist formerly known as The Blacksnake"). Welcome to the Art of Khannibalism... featuring music I have recorded and produced from my Moon Studios in Berlin, Germany. Music is my religion and can heal all wounds.... Enjoy these sounds and share them with the ones you love.
-
King "Bama Lama" Khan
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