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Clarence 13X is the founder of the Five-Percent Nation, a religious movement that many hip-hop artists support or respect. The main teaching of his Five Percentist, also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE), is that black people are sacred. This is where the slang for affectionately referring to each other as “gods” comes from.
Formed in 1963 after former students of Malcolm X defected from the Nation of Islam over ideological differences. According to a Rock The Bells article, Clarence 13X set out to teach the poor youth of Harlem a new way of life. This included the belief that black people were gods and inherently human.
Some viewed the teachings of Clarence 13X as black supremacy, others as instilling the necessary confidence and self-esteem in black men. Many hip hop artists, especially those in New York and the surrounding area, belonged to the latter mentality.
The 5th percentile ideology is found in many hip-hop lyrics. The Wu-Tang Clan is he one of the most famous groups who frequently referenced the teachings of this movement in their songs. Other popular MCs who have imbued their ideology into their rhymes include Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Busta Rhymes and more.
However, some hip-hop artists have directly referenced Clarence 13X in their songs. Here are 7 of his MCs from the mainstream and underground who praise Clarence 13X.
1. eggplant
One of the greatest MCs of all time, who continues to produce award-winning albums to this day, Nas mentions Clarence 13X in the song “UBR (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim).”
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Nas released a tribute to his beloved Rakim in November 2004.
“This biography was unauthorized / Spit out the way given to the author Nas / William changed his name to Rakim Allah at age 16 / Because Clarence 13X was rocking New York / On every block There were gods and jams in every park.”
2. Jay Electronica
Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Jay Electronica is hailed as one of hip-hop’s most talented MCs and producers.
He signed to Roc Nation and released a few critically acclaimed tracks in 2009, and has been keeping hip-hop fans looking forward to his debut album for over a decade.
On the 2009 song “Exhibit A,” Jay Electronica raps:
“This is the most poetic and haunting Nat King / Clarence 13X Rhapsody of Allah from Bellevue / I split the atom, breathe out the flames and make a difference / Things will never be the same / I sang at the end like Etta James in the rap game.”
He mentions Clarence 13X quite often in his songs, and has also praised him in songs by other artists he’s featured in, such as Rhapsody’s ‘Jedi Code’ from his 2012 album She Got Game. I’m here.
3. KRS-One
KRS-One is legendary hip-hop royalty. period. He has been cited as an influence by some of the most iconic MCs and is known for his conscious lyrics.
In the song “Build And Destroy,” KRS-One discusses various topics and ideologies in black culture. He also mentions the Clarence 13X.
“It’s always worse than talking about sex, let’s build / It’s not enough to study Clarence 13X / White men are not demons I promise / I want to see the devil see Clarence Thomas mosquito.”
Four. brand nubian
Brand Nubian has been a hip-hop staple since 1989. Like Wu-Tang, the group is known for using lyrics to endorse 5th percentile ideologies.
In their song “Soldier Story,” the group shouts Clarence 13X at the opening bar, along with other iconic black leaders and MCs throughout history.
Five. Sean Price
Sean Price was a member of the underground hip-hop boot camp Clic and the duo Herta Skelta. He worked as an artist for over 20 years until his death in 2015.
On his song “Weed & Hoes,” Price raps:
6. Lord Jammer
In 2006, Bronx MC Road Jammer released “The 5% Album”. Its 20th track is a perfect biographical tribute to Clarence 13X. In it, he raps about the life of the founder of Five Present Nations.
“The greatest story never told, Clarence Smith / Clarence 13X, let’s go, Fr. … 1963 is shit to me ’cause it’s the year God made history / Look at yourself, I said it’s not a mystery,” Jamar rhymes.
7. billy woods
It’s no surprise that Billy Woods, the son of a British professor and writer turned freedom fighter and politician, has a knack for words.
The New York-based rapper references the teachings of 5% and Clarence X in his song “Heavy Water,” released in April. he raps:
“It’s time to be bold, screaming in the devil’s creole / Knowing that’s the way the natives see our people / As if through the peephole of evil they try to approach / Shit is hard, but regardless, the gods have given you cheat codes.”
Later in the song, Woods says, “Clarence 13X made a white girl sick / Shimmy winks down the stairs / Yakubian experiment, gaining function in the kitchen sink.”
Photo:
WuTang, Nas and Busta Rhymes all performed to a sold-out audience at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristoe, Virginia on September 16, 2022 as part of the New York State of Mind Tour. (via Joe Glorioso/All-Pro Reels/The Vinyl Flickr)
Jay Electronica performs at the Budweiser Made in America Festival in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 3, 2016. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP)
Rapper KRS One arrives at the 2008 VH1 Hip Hop Honors Show in New York on Thursday, October 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
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