Mr. J Medeiros: CONSTANCE

---of gods and girls

Yesterday, I had the intellectual, spiritual and moral pleasure of speaking with Mr. J. Medeiros.

J Medeiros is and exceptional human being and has a sincere desire to create music "to speak with dignity and inspire social change." In my experience, many people talk about change and wanting to make a difference in the world. However, there was something really different about Mr. J Medeiros. He is truly passionate about his mission to raise consciousness and comes across as an Evangelist as he speaks about making our world a better place.

Mr. J. is so eager to leave a mark that he recently underwent an 8 hour tattoo process that left the words "FORGIVE US" on his entire upper back. When I asked him why he would choose to endure such intense pain, he simply responded that "it is a prayer on behalf of us all." He further commented that "after thousands of years of human injustice to one another, we need to take responsibility for our actions." He says that "it is time we all become accountable for our actions." As I continued my conversation with Mr. J Medeiros, I could not help but feel the sincerity in his words and authenticity in his intentions.

Who Is Mr. J. Medeiros?

Medeiros has been making music for other people for over nine years with the LA based trio, The Procussions. They earned their stripes by playing to over 150 crowds per year with a critically acclaimed live show. Performances paved the way for the success of 2003's independent, As Iron Sharpens Iron, and attracted legendary independent hip-hop imprint Rawkus Records to sign the group and release 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents in 2006. This gave Medeiros a chance to develop his artistry while sharing the stage with hip hop greats such as The Roots, Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, and A Tribe Called Quest.

So, join me as we get into the mind of this exceptional artist who is getting ready to release his new solo album of "gods and girls." About his new album, Medeiros says in the release that "a lot of these songs were written when I was broke and truly felt alone." That explains why the song Keep Pace ends with a phone call to Wells Fargo requesting information on his account balance. To which "the teller" responds, "your account is overdrawn $275." Then, there is the single CONSTANCE which was featured on the CBS Evening News in a May '07 story about human trafficking and internet pornography.

Saba, Ink: Who is CONSTANCE and what is your connection with the Philippines?

Mr. J: Constance is a true story. It touches on a lot of issues like the rebuttal to misogyny, child pornography, human trafficking. Man is not a product and Woman is not a product. We live in a Man controlled world where stronger Men wield control on women and in some cases "lesser" Men. It is prevalent in the Hip-Hop genre and we need to address this and change it.

Saba, Ink: What is in your background that makes you so sensitive to these issues?

Mr. J: It comes from personal experiences, and people in my life. Most people have a girlfriend, sister mother or other that has experienced this. Most predators have had 14-15 victims before being discovered. The statistics show that 1in 3 women will be raped by the age of 18.

Mr. J: We need to re-define what it means to be a Man. Right now, we have a culture that says that a Man should be feared and not respected. You need to be untouchable like 50 Cent, Young Jeezy and rappers like that. Well, even 50 Cent has an entourage, security, lawyers and others that protect him. This is a horrible, violent, fantasy that is being exploited in our culture.

Mr. J: We must realize that there is something wrong. We must begin to see Men and Women are of equal value. The idea of how to be a Man is a big part of changing this.

Saba, Ink: That is really deep. I appreciate your feelings on this. On a lighter note, I just did a story on the history of tattoos. So, tell me about the significance of yours?

Mr. J: I always wanted one. But I wanted to make sure it was done right and by a reputable artist. I approached the owner of the label (Rawkus) who was able to get me into Miami Ink within 2 weeks. You know they have about a 1 year wait. I had so many questions before I did it. I wanted to know about the healing, would it bleed everything. It was right before I went on tour with Tribe Called Quest so I wanted it to be right.

Saba, Ink: Why choose the words FORGIVE US?

Mr. J: I believe in God, and on behalf of humanity, I was asking forgiveness for all of us. Think about al the atrocities that have been done in his name. Slavery lasted 400 years and there were Klansmen who claimed to be Christians. These lives won't come back and the thousands of years cannot go away but we can take responsibility for our actions and as God to FORGIVE US.

Mr. J: I'm not going to say the tattoo was not painful. It was extremely painful even with me being healthy and working out; it was 8 hours of pain. The tattoo goes across my spine, bones and muscles on my back.

Saba, Ink: That was truly a sacrifice...... so, what inspired the title "gods and girls?" I see that the word god is not capitalized in the title...why?

Mr. J: It speaks about the false gods we worship. The wooden idols, the men, anything that we sacrifice something for. These are not the true gods.

Saba, Ink: I understand totally. So, tell me about your partnership with iamcoming.org, XXXChurch and HumanTrafficking.org?

Mr. J: For me it is about raising awareness. I feel like the first step in creating change is to strike consciousness. After that, people can choose to deny, suppress, or do something about it. The goal is to place a bill in the UN (United Nations) to raise the maximum penalty from a 4-5 year sentence to 20 years for human trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation. It is also about helping to raise money through the sale of rings the help support our the efforts.

Mr. J: Women involved with this life generally end up murdered, drugged up or so psychologically harmed that they can no longer function. Also, the average woman involved will only live to the age of 21. I have also started www.iamconstance.com, where women can tell their stories anonymously through a forum. I have been in situations that I was the only one that someone could confide in. This creates a place to get their feelings out.

Saba, Ink: So, based on your experience, what is sexual exploitation about? Is it about sex or power?

Mr. J: It is not about sex at all. It is about power, control, fear, conquering.

Mr.J: Sex is about affection, trust, vulnerability, respect, real love. That's why this is not just a woman's issue. Men are looking at false gods to define them and have turned women into objects and cash crops. This needs to change!

Saba, Ink: I have learned so much from you and appreciate what you are doing with your music.

Mr.J: I appreciate you taking time to speak with me today. If writers, journalists, artists can come together to address key issues we can make a change. We are a First World Country with Third World issues and we have the ability and resources to do better.

Saba, Ink: Thank you, and as I like to say, Peace and Blessings to you.

Mr. J: Thank You.

Mr. J. Medeiros' new album is scheduled for release on July 24, 2007 on Rawkus Records. In the meantime, you can check out the CONSTANCE video right here on Associated Content.