Rap and Freemasonry

Why do a lot of rappers affiliate themselves with masonry?
Theres tons of masonic references in rap music.
Just curious if anyone could explain this to me.

a reply to: ElOmen

Because rappers are baby eating Devils!

Yo...

a reply to: ElOmen

I liked the second one. It might be that these people took the time to learn what Freemasonry was really about and decided to share their experience through their art.

a reply to: ElOmen

There could be a sect of freemasonry that hollywood attends?

a reply to: ElOmen

It's a "fad", connection to the all powerful Illuminati and some elite club that meets behind closed doors.

KRS One talks about this subject a lot: ambrosiaforheads.com...

Hmmm, in my mind two answers come to mind. First, as FamCore points out, It is a "fad", or rappers simply trying to conjure an air of power/mystery around themselves and actually have no part in masonry or "illuminati", or "insert name of sinister group" at all, OR there is someone telling them to put these things in their videos/music and something sinister is going on. Either way, count me out

It's called being pretentious and going with the curve and and it makes them money.

Kindest respects

Lag

1. It was a fad that sold a lot of records. It might even be more accurate to call it a sub-genre. All genres of music have niche markets, right?

2. Freemasonry has existed in many African American communities for a long time ("America" as in North and South America, not just the US). Many of those communities trace their lineage back to King Solomon's bloodline, like Ethiopia's Solomonic dynasty. In fact, some of the major Rastafarian leaders were also Freemasons (including the guy who started the movement, if I'm not mistaken).

As an example, an entire branch of my family tree in Florida are Masons and the female equivalent (not sure about the younger generations but I know for a fact w/the elders). One of my uncles who was in the original Black Panthers was also a Mason, as were the males who were drafted to fight in WW2 (they were Masons, not Black Panthers). In other words, it's much more common than you think.

a reply to: ElOmen

During the mid-to-late 1700's, Prince Hall, a free African American citizen, fought for and supported the American Revolution, and lobbied for abolitionism and equal rights. Prince Hall was initiated into Freemasonry in 1775 by a British Military Lodge. In 1784, Hall was able to obtain a charter to consecrate "African Lodge #459".

Prince Hall Freemasonry may be counted as the first U.S. organization dedicated to African American intellectualism and social reform. Remember, the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't issued until 1863, and voting rights legislation only began in 1870.

Prince Hall Freemasonry has always been at the forefront of African American freedom, empowerment, achievement, and success. Its roots run deep within the context of African American communities and their history. To me, it comes as absolutely no surprise to discover successful African Americans affiliated with Freemasonry.

a reply to: enlightenedservant


Haile Selassie

That Freemason sign

A group of Rastas
Yes it makes sense they would pic up aspects of the craft, although I doubt that most went through the actual ritual connected to Freemason as we know it, but since Haile Selassie was the last king of the "Solomonic dynasty" make sense they would be so influenced.

a reply to: network dude

isnt it better for people to believe ?

Freemasonry also has a belief system..

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
In fact, some of the major Rastafarian leaders were also Freemasons (including the guy who started the movement, if I'm not mistaken).

Are you referring to Haile Selassie? If so, I am fairly certain there is no documentation that he was a Mason.

originally posted by: Mannegishi
a reply to: network dude

isnt it better for people to believe ?

Freemasonry also has a belief system..

Freemasonry is more of a teaching system, not a belief. Religion is a belief system. We teach morality, brotherly love, and charity.

I am not sure I fully understand your post.

a reply to: network dude

well, religion is a unification system based on a cultural dogma through a system of ideals.

religio = to bind

ill quote you;

We teach morality, brotherly love, and charity.

That is we believe in the better man, we believe in morality, "brotherly love" and charity.
The ideals that unite you.. I find it hard believing you teach moral, love and charity..

Haile Selassie I was not the founder nor member of the Rastafarian Movement. Without any direct involvement with Rastafarianism, he became a key figure in their philosophy and theology due to Biblical and Rasta prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah and God in the flesh.

Although never a Rastafarian himself, Marcus Garvey and Garveyism went on to influence the foundation of the Rastafarian Movement. Garvey is said to have been a member of speculative Prince Hall Freemasonry, and was the son of an operative Mason. Garvey's UNIA is believed to have taken much fraternal inspiration from Freemasonry.

The three leading grassroots founders of the Rastafarian Movement are Leonard P. Howell, Joseph Nathaniel Hibbert, and Henry Archibald Dunkley. All three were affiliated with the "Ancient Mystic Order of Ethiopia", which is said to be a clandestine offshoot of Prince Hall Freemasonry.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
In fact, some of the major Rastafarian leaders were also Freemasons (including the guy who started the movement, if I'm not mistaken).

Are you referring to Haile Selassie? If so, I am fairly certain there is no documentation that he was a Mason.

His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie I, King of Kings, Elect of God, and Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah of the Solomonic Dynasty

Do you think there is a probability that Haile Selassie I's lineage to Solomon entitled him to some degree of select and/or secret conferment?

Do you think there is a potentially that Haile Selassie I's status allowed him the privilege of joining fraternal orders of European royalty and nobility?





EDIT TO ADD:

The article, Haile Selassie I - Knight of the Order of the Seraphim, states that His Imperial Majesty was a member of the following Orders:

Haile Selassie I was a member of the following Orders:

Chief Commander of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia - 1909

Grand Cordon of the Order of Solomon - 1930

Riband of the Three Military Orders Of Christ

Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation - 1928

Order of the Elephant - 1954

Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau of Luxembourg - 1924

Collar of the Order of the Seraphim - 1954

Maha Chakri - 1954

Order of Suvorov 1st class of USSR - 1959

Collar of the Order of Muhammad Ali of Egypt - 1930

Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur - 1924

Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit - 1945

Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi - 1964

Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle - 1954

Royal Victorian Chain (RVC) - 1930

Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) - 1954

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) - 1924

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) - 1917

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) - 1924

Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum-1956 (Grand Cordon-1930)

Order of St James of the Sword of Portugal

Order of the Liberator San Martin of Argentina

Order of the Nile of Egypt

Order of Pius IX of the Vatican - 1970

Order of Idris I of Libya

Order of Independence of Tunisia

Order of Hussein ibn Ali of the Jordan

Order of Muhammad of Morocco

Chain of Honor of the Sudan

Grand Order of the Hashemites of Iraq

Order of the Crown of Italy - 1917

Order of Leopold (Belgium) - 1924

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus - 1924

Order of the Tower and Sword of Portugal - 1925

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of William - 1954

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion - 1930

Order of the White Eagle of Poland - 1930

Collar of the Order of St Olav of Norway - 1949

Collar of the Order of Charles III of Spain

Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

Grand Cross of the National Order of Vietnam- 1958

Order of Truth of Burma - 1958

Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil - 1958

Collar of the Order of the Leopard of Zaire

Order of the Lion of Senegal

Order of the Lion of Malawi

Order of Valor of Cameroon

Order of the Sun of Peru

Collar of the Order of the Bust of the Liberator Simon Bolivar of Venezuela

Order of the Condor of the Andes of Bolivia

Special Grade of the Order of the Propitious Clouds of China

Order of Oummaya of Syria

Order of Mono of Togo

Order of Congolese Merit of the Republic of the Congo

Order of the Leopard of Somalia - 1960

Order of the Equatorial Star of Gabon

Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Order of the Source of the Nile of Uganda

Order of the Eagle of Zambia

Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany - 1954

Collar of the Order of the Republic of Italy - 1955

National orders of Lebanon, Chile, Central Africa,Upper Volta, Chad, Benin, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania, Guinea and Niger.

Collar of the National Order of Honor and Merit of Haiti - 1966

Knight Grand Band of the Order of the Pioneers of Liberia

Grand Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya

Grand Star of the Decoration of Honor for Merit of Austria - 1954

Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class - 1958

Raja of the Order of Sikatuna of the Philippines

Commander of the Order of the Shield and Spears of Uganda - 1964

Order of the Yugoslavian Grand Star - 1954

Order of Pakistan, 1st Class - 1958

Order of the State Crown of Malaysia - 1968

Order of King Abdul Aziz, 1st Class, of Saudi Arabia

Order of the Star of Ghana - 1970

Banner of the People's Republic of Hungary, 1st Class with Diamonds - 1964

Military Medal of France - 1954

Honorary citizen of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - 1972

Honorary citizen of Belgrade - 1954

The article, Haile Selassie I : biography states that His Imperial Majesty was honored with:

Honors:

* Chief Commander of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia – 1909

* Grand Cordon of the Order of Solomon (Ethiopia) – 1930

* Grand Collar of the Order of the Seal of Solomon (Ethiopia)

* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia)

* Grand Cordon of the Order of The Holy Trinity (Ethiopia)

* Grand Cordon of the Order of Menelik II (Ethiopia)

* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) – 1917

* Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) – 1924

* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) – 1924

* Stranger Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) – 1954

* Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation – 1928

* Royal Victorian Chain – 1930

* Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum – 1930

* Order of the Elephant – 1954

* Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau – (25 May 1924)

* Collar of the Order of the Seraphim – 1954

* Order of Merit for National Foundation (Order of the Republic of Korea) – 1955

* Order of the Maha Chakri – 1958

* Order of Suvorov 1st class – 1959

* Collar of the Order of Muhammad Ali – 1930

* Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur – 1924

* Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit – 1945

* Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlevi – 1964

* Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle – 1954

* Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum-1956

* Order of the Liberator San Martin

* Order of the Nile (22 May 1963)

* Order of Pius IX – 1970

* Order of Idris I of Libya

* Order of Independence

* Order of Hussein ibn Ali

* Order of Muhammad

* Chain of Honor

* Grand Order of the Hashemites

* Order of the Crown of Italy – 1917

* Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus – 1924

* Order of the Redeemer (19 August 1924)

* Order of Leopold (Belgium) – 1924

* Riband of the Three Military Orders Of Christ, Benedict of Aviz, and St.James of the Sword (1959)

* Order of the Tower and Sword of Portugal – 1925

* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of William – 1954

* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion – 1930

* Order of the White Eagle of Poland – 1930

* Collar of the Order of St. Olav of Norway – 1949

* Collar of the Order of Charles III (1954)

* Collar of the Order of the White Rose

* Medal of Military Merit 1st class (28 October 1954)

* Grand Cross of the National Order of Vietnam- 1958

* Order of Truth – 1958

* Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross – 1958

* Collar of the Order of the Leopard

* Order of the Lion

* Order of the Lion

* Order of Valour of Cameroon

* Order of the Sun of Peru

* Collar of the Order of the Bust of the Liberator Simon Bolivar

* Order of the Condor of the Andes

* Special Grade of the Order of the Propitious Clouds

* Polonia Restituta of Poland (1967)

* Order of Umayyad

* Order of Mono of Togo

* Order of Congolese Merit

* Order of the Leopard of Somalia – 1960

* Order of the Equatorial Star

* Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

* Order of the Source of the Nile

* Order of the Eagle of Zambia

* Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany – 1954

* Collar of the Order of the Republic of Italy – 1955

* Collar of the National Order of Honour and Merit – 1966

* Knight Grand Band of the Order of the Pioneers

* Grand Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart

* Grand Star of the Decoration of Honor for Merit of Austria – 1954

* Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class – 1958

* Raja of the Order of Sikatuna of the Philippines

* Commander of the Order of the Shield and Spears of Uganda – 1964

* Order of the Yugoslav Great Star – 1954

* Hilal-i-Pakistan, 1st Class – 1958

* Star of the People's Republic of Romania (1964)

* Order of the State Crown of Malaysia (DMN) – (21 May 1968)

* Order of King Abdul Aziz, 1st Class, of Saudi Arabia

* Order of the Star of Ghana – 1970

* Order of the White Lion 1st class with collar

* Banner of the People's Republic of Hungary, 1st Class with Diamonds – 1964

* Military Medal of France – 1954

* Jamaica Kings House Honouree, Jamaica – 1966

* Necklace of the Order of Jean-Jacques Dessalines the Great – 1966Elizabeth Abbott, Haiti: An insider's history of the rise and fall of the Duvaliers. Simon & Schuster (1988), p.139

* National order of Lebanon

* National order of Central African Republic

* National order of Chile

* National order of Chad

* National order of Benin

* National order of Mali

* National order of Madagascar

* National order of Mauritania

* National order of Guinea

* National order of Republic of Upper Volta

* Honorary citizen of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – 1972Odluka o proglašenju Njegovog Carskog Veličanstva Cara Etiopije Haila Selasija Prvog za počasnog građanina SFRJ ("Službeni list SFRJ", br. 319–655

* Honorary citizen of Belgrade – 1954

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
In fact, some of the major Rastafarian leaders were also Freemasons (including the guy who started the movement, if I'm not mistaken).

Are you referring to Haile Selassie? If so, I am fairly certain there is no documentation that he was a Mason.

Nope, I'm not. There was a member here who was a Rastafarian who went into more detail about it. I'll try to find the link to it since I was in the thread too (and had commented on some of the connections between the bloodlines and Masons). Found it. Here's a link to his post, which answers some of my questions about it.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Here's one of the answers, for those who can't or won't click the link.

2. Rastafarianism originated from the teachings of the Freemason Leonard Howell (he's commonly labled as the very first Rasta). Rastafarians believe that His Majesty is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ; Christ in his "Kingly Character" which contradicts in the Bible (Revelaion 5). Anyways the movement grew, also reggae music which was promoted by Mortimer Planno as the way to spread the message, then Bob Marley's international success spread it far and wide... His Majesty sent an Abuna (patriarch) to Jamaica so that both faiths could learn from each other, Orthodox churches were established and many Rastas converted to Christianity including Bob Marley.

originally posted by: Spider879
a reply to: enlightenedservant

Yes it makes sense they would pic up aspects of the craft, although I doubt that most went through the actual ritual connected to Freemason as we know it, but since Haile Selassie was the last king of the "Solomonic dynasty" make sense they would be so influenced.

Technically that's true, but the bloodline isn't dead.

There's a group called the "Crown Council of Ethiopia" which includes many of his relatives, including his grandson Zera Yacob Amha Selassie. This grandson is the Crown Prince in waiting, even thought the monarchy was officially disbanded. A long time ago, I was searching for the bloodline for my own selfish purposes. But now it's just a lingering curiosity for me.

originally posted by: Sahabi
Do you think there is a probability that Haile Selassie I's lineage to Solomon entitled him to some degree of select and/or secret conferment?

I do not think Haile Selassie is directly related to Solomon nor is there any way to prove that.