‘Use your gifts to spark a cultural revolution’ Min. Farrakhan tells artists, entertainers

By Richard B. Muhammad and Ebony Safiyyah Muhammad -Final Call Staffers- | Last updated: Nov 10, 2016 - 5:06:19 PM

Jermaine Dupri, Rick Ross and 2 Chainz Photos: Richard B. Muhammad

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks with hip hop and entertainment leaders.

ATLANTA—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan met with hip hop and entertainment leaders including Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Jermaine Dupri, Kelly Price, Ron DeVoe, Killer Mike, Benzino, David Mays and others at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta. The Minister delivered the Oct. 13 message with guidance for personal growth and development, dealing with the music industry, resolving beefs, unity and how to use the awesome power of their gifts to uplift the Black community and influence the world.

Min. Farrakhan called for a 2016 boycott of holiday spending asking “aren’t you hurting as your people are hurting? If our lives don’t matter, our dollars should not matter either, he said. What if we took 10 percent of the $1.1 trillion in Black spending power and reinvested it in the Black community?” he asked. We never sit down together as millionaires and a few billionaires and plot a future for our people, he said. We could buy millions of acres of farmland and grow healthy food for our people and go into other businesses that would help provide jobs and sustain our community, said Min Farrakhan. There is fertile land in the Mississippi Delta, he noted.

Use your gifts to spark a cultural revolution and lead young people into a better world, the Minister added. He urged Black women to embrace their full beauty and not be reduced to their body parts. You are the most beautiful women in the world, said Min. Farrakhan. We are the giants with our gifts in the world of sport and play, he said.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Photos: Hannibal Muhammad

The message was positively received by artists and entertainers that were in the audience. Platinum selling rapper Rick Ross said Min. Farrakhan speaks with so much confidence every time he speaks with and seeks counsel from the Muslim leader.

“You could be a young Black boy who grew up without a father and not know what that role is and not know what the position is supposed to look like, but he most definitely gives me that experience. When you walk into a room and you see the Minister seated and his words still command that attention, is still giving you that energy and synergy while he’s seated, speaks volumes. The President can’t do that,” said Rick Ross.

The home he purchased that was formally boxing champion Evander Holyfield’s estate was a decision Rick Ross said he made after having a discussion with the Minister because he was questioning himself as to whether he should buy it. “He (Min. Farrakhan) said, ‘That’s land brother. I would never second guess land and the investment in land’. I did it and it was one of the best investments thus far. My admiration and my respect for the Minister goes beyond these words that I’ve shared these last few seconds,” Rick Ross told The Final Call.

Professor Griff of the legendary rap group Public Enemy said when the invitation was extended to attend the event at The Gathering Spot, he called it “divine instruction.”

“That’s like God calling me to get that divine instruction. What I’m pulling from it is my next set of instructions. I’m not Professor Griff on my own. I wouldn’t be Professor Griff, there wouldn’t be a Public Enemy if it wasn’t for the Minister. I’m being real. I was in Mosque No. 7 in the ranks, being a regular F.O.I. soldier with The Final Calls. That was my instructions,” he said.

When Public Enemy’s day came around, he looked past himself as an individual to see the bigger picture, he explained. “ I didn’t take the front, I did my job with what I was given and what I was given was directly from the teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad; plain and simple. A lot of people won’t admit that. It might mess up their career. Give thanks.”

R & B Soul artist Kelly Price said she loves Min. Farrakhan and appreciated his message on the beauty and respect for Black women. It is a message; she said is still needed now, due to the bombardment of images and messaging young people are constantly being exposed to, she explained.

“It’s still very necessary because to be able to present a message of purity to present a message of being able to be whole and not having to sell-off pieces of your body or your soul and still knowing that you can be powerful and wealthy and influential and all these wonderful things without having to do all those other things absolutely is a very necessary message.”

Vivian Billings known as ‘Gossip Viv’ of ThisIs50.com said what stood out the most to her from Min. Farrakhan’s message was unity. “I feel it’s where we’re lacking in our community. I think we need more functions like this. As you can see he gave us extra time and if people became more active in attending and putting out the good word and putting on more of these seminars, that point will get across and actions will truly start following the words that are being said.”

Ronald Boyd “Ronnie” DeVoe, Jr. of New Edition / BBD fame called Min. Farrakhan an amazing man of wisdom, strategy and perseverance.

“The Minister just really made me want to up my game 150 percent. When I thought I was doing something, to a certain extent I’m doing nothing unless I’m reaching out to my fellow entertainers, actors, musicians, producers to be able to pool those resources together. It’s ultimately an economic thing; put my money into Black banks and Black land and get to the point of, like he said, that we can grow our own crops that are not getting de-purified of all the minerals and good things in our spinach and corn,” said Mr. DeVoe.

The Minister also spoke on the importance of artists managing their careers and monetary expenses in addition to knowing and understanding how record companies operate, a point veteran music producer, executive and rap artist Jermaine Dupri, understood.

“You got to know both; you got to play the game the best way you can play it but you definitely need to know both. You definitely need to know that you are the product. Then once you know that you are the product then you got the control,” he told The Final Call.

TK Petersen and Ryan Wilson, both 26-years-old, are founders and co-owners of The Gathering Spot, where the meeting took place. It was coordinated and organized by Don Enoch Muhammad, Anwar Farrakhan, Sean Muhammad, Ahmad Muhammad and Zachariah Muhammad.

Mr. Petersen and Mr. Wilson attended Georgetown University together and after graduating pooled their resources and with the assistance of friends and family opened the private business membership club where business leaders, artists, politicians and others can come together and network, socialize and conduct business.

“We have the Minister reaching out to people who have followings that range from the thousands to tens of thousands to literally millions with the works that they create and the followings that they have social media wise and with the press that they’re garnered with all of their actions. So the application and multiplication effect of the message being rebounded and resounded to so many people,” said Mr. Petersen.

Rick Ross added that Minister Farrakhan’s focus “squashing beefs” and disputes earned his respect.

“We can’t do a lot of things at once and that is most definitely the priority of supporting each other instead of killing each other. Let’s put the guns down and stop the violence. So when I look down the front row and see Jermain Dupri next to me, 2 Chainz next me and Maurice behind me, we’re all on that same page walking around with that same gaze in our eyes. We know that possibility is going to be hard, but we know that possibility is there,” said Rick Ross.

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