Copyright ©1997, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com
Are these guys preachers or what? E.T.W. (End Times Warriors) lays it on us from the first cut to the last of their new CD Ain't Nobody Dyin' But Us, and there's no missing the message: We have got to stop killing one another. The lyrics of the 16 cuts in their rap/hip-hop style vary from the hard edge of "Give it up, Give it up," to the more plaintive and melodic strains of their hit "Momma's Prayers," but the message is the same -- stop the violence!
The title track is a realistic description of funerals, first that of Little Ricky getting shot by another kid, then Victor with a mack-10 on the playground, and on and on. "Big brother taught little brother, little brother taught the other brother, now the other brother teaching all the others . . .looking for our lessons from the textbook of the enemy." And on to the chorus: "How many more got to die before we recognize ain't nobody dyin' but us."
These lyrics caught the attention of Mothers Against Violence, a privately funded national organization committed to saving the lives of kids. The organization approached E.T.W. and the album Ain't Nobody Dyin' But Us is the result. It's a combination of four previous releases as well as remixes and one new cut. The title song has been adopted by Mothers Against Violence as their 1997 anthem, and E.T.W. will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the album to them. The album cover depicts 25 children and young people who have died in street violence. Their names and the dates of their deaths are on the back cover. It's real.
E.T.W. came together in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Oral Roberts University about 12 years ago. Johnnie Williams and Elroy Forbes were students, while Mike Hill "Big Free," the group's leader, had just finished a stint in the army. All three were in different crews performing around town until a spring talent contest on campus brought them together. They've been rolling non-stop since then, performing at prisons, youth centers, housing projects, as well as on stage and record. They have paid their dues.
Free is originally from Atlanta, Williams from Detroit, and Forbes grew up in Harlem. They bring different perspectives to the same problem, writing and singing about the national catastrophe brought on by drugs and violence. All three are ordained ministers, so the rap format suits them fine with its open-ended options for delivering a message.
But E.T.W. knows there's more to be sung and preached. The disc presents Christ as the living solution to all trials, especially in the two cuts "God Is" and "Forgive and Forget."
"We're interested in getting our message to people who have no hope," says Williams. "They usually feel that way because they haven't been given hope. We want to change that."
Sing on, brothers, sing on!
Jamal Henderson is a freelance reviewer in Saint Louis, MO.
Copyright ©1997, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com