Question…and that’s if only I can ask this question.

Can I?

Yes you can!!!!

What exactly is “deep” niggaz fascination with Jimi Hendrix?

And what is it exactly about Jimi Hendrix that can turn a black man’s life upside down, a la Common?

I attended college. That means two things. For one, that means I’ve come into contact with quite a few black people who can actually read. It also means that I came across the “deep” or “earthtone negroes” who love all things spiritual and grass-like…

…and Jimi Hendrix.

And I’m wondering what exactly it is about Jimi that brings people an extra sense of clarity or inner-spiritualism. Granted, I’m a big fan. I love me some Jimi Hendrix. So I’m not questioning whether or not the accolades, fandom, and all around dicksuckery is warranted. He is the pre-eminent guitar playing rocker from the late ’60’s. In fact, I think the government took him out on purpose. Fuck that overdose non-sense. Between the ironically timed deaths of him, Jim Morrisson, and Janis Joplin, I think there is proof of some sort of government conspiracy. I think it was the burning of the guitar that pissed the government off in Jimi’s case.

You do not burn the white man’s instrument of choice…no matter who you are.

I realize that Jimi influenced rock music in ways that no other person has with all of his guitar tricks and techniques. Yet somehow, I don’t think that’s how the reading black folks are influenced since most of us just don’t play a guitar…period.

The reverance for Jimi Hendrix is so amazing to me considering how (as extension of the last post) so many black people do not listen to rock ‘n roll in its traditional sense. And Jimi Hendrix was rock ‘n roll. In the 1960’s and 1970’s I can see how many black folks would have loved Jimi so much being as those were times of free love and shit and rock and soul music often crossed into one another. You can listen to albums by Led Zeppelin and its as bluesy as anything B.B. King would have done. The lines were blurred.

But it’s 200X. And reading black folks who like to wear earthtones love them some damn Jimi Hendrix.

We, as a the rap community, saw what Jimi Hendrix did to the two men who dated Erykah Badu…and lived to tell about it. I mean, Erykah introduced Jimi to Dre and Common Sense, and helped to create Andre 3000 and Common The Chi-Town Knit Kufi King. Which is similar to Sofa King, but not at all.

Hmm…I wonder how many reading black men find Jimi on their own. And is there a difference if a woman introduces you to Jimi Hendrix? For instance, I discovered Jimi on my own per se. It was more of of a “I keep hearing so much about this dude, let me get me some Jimi”…that’s how I got into the Hendrix Experience. Being as it was all on my own, and I wasn’t high, maybe that’s why upon listening to “If 6 Were 9″, the walls in my room didn’t turn purple and psycadelic doves and lillies didn’t bounce to and fro.

But.

What if I had been introduced to Jimi by a woman I was in love with. Mayhaps things would have been different. Gander if you will…

While chewing on a strawberry flavored chewstick and sitting under the cherry moon, with some khaki colored cargo pants, an earthtone green tshirt with a picture of some tree branches and a black fist on it, some khari shells, and a knit kufi, my girl, who happens to be wearing an ankh necklace and a headwrap with a nose-ring and an arm length twisting arm-bangle thingamajig and a wrap-dress causing people to liken her to a sun-goddess says:

“Panama, don’t you just love the grass?”

“Yes baby, it just makes me think of a simpler time when my soul and spirit were one with the Earth. How you feeling?”

“PJ, I feel good. It’s like all is right with the world and you are my God and my sun. The light is shining on you brotha in ways that make the souls of the fallen trees shake and stir beneath us…”

“Baby…you have no idea how much that means to me. I feel like our souls are intertwined like the ivy growing on the side of a a strong foundationed building that has lasted ages beyond its hope and dreams. That’s you and me girl…we’re ivy league.”

“P…the only thing that could make this day better is a little bit of that good sticky-icky…of MotherEarth of course, and some Jimi.”

“Jimi?”

“Yes baby, you aren’t up on Jimi?? Let me expand your horizons and the depths of your consciousness…baby, are you ready to be experienced?”

“I don’t know…I’m a little scared…am I?”

*placing headphones on PJ and gently caressing his eyelids before closing them so that he may allow the good sticky-icky and Jimi to expand his horizons*

“BABY…OH MY GOD…I SEE…PURPLE HAZE??!!!!!!!!!”

“That’s it…just let the spirit move you…inhale the purple haze…and then watch the purple haze…you are now…experienced!”

What if that’s how it happened?

Would I have this deep-seeded esconsed innervision and feeling that made me not only appreciate Jimi, but believe in the essence that is Jimi?

Who knows…

…but I’m trying to understand.

Hey Joe…

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power… the world will know peace” - Jimi Hendrix