Brown Jesus by Sam Tanielu

Take a break from the Rhyme, beat & doof doof boom bap stuff for a minute. Lock yourself onto some poetry (which is under-rated) pieced together by Sam of The Usual Suspects. It's dope and on point, shot bro! Shout outs to The Suspects! You rarely catch them out doing sets so you best be going to the Team Dynamite Release Party where they will give you a Profile and see you to the Balcony if you don't come. Somebody say Amen...

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I’m looking for Jesus, I’m looking for the Brown Jesus

Its been 23 years

and i’ve convincingly outgrown my white sunday suits

Bible study bookbags are so 1997

and the gold spray-painted coating on my crucifix

is almost completely faded

I’m looking for the brown Jesus

I feel like i’m living on vending machine faith

I pray every night before I sleep

but one glittery glove doesn’t make you Michael Jackson

(can somebody in the church say Amen)

I’m looking for Jesus

Yeah i’ve got pictures of him in my house

but he seems

too photoshopped

too airbrushed

too mimesis manufactured for my liking

Yeah i’ve got pictures of him in my house

but they’re just a collage of facial verisimilitudes

compacted into a caucasion man

with dreamy blue eyes and wavey hair

(Somebody say Amen)

‘Make-up on empty space’

Hegemonic interpretations inposed onto its blindfolded faithfuls

’m looking for the brown Jesus

They sell us Heaven and the idea of God like

drug dealers and crack

but i guess the concept of afterlife security

is marketable in any language

‘Heaven for the highest bidder’

Downloadable religions at down low prices

All you have to do is hand over your soul

and your credit card details

Order in the next 10 minutes and you’ll receive a stainless steel toaster

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE…

Order now and the first 3 months are free

after that, you’re gonna be

livingonnothingbutbreadandwaterandofcoursefaithitselfandthebeliefthatyourlifehasapurposewheninactualityyou’renotsure

at these prices, ITS A STEAL!

(Amen)

In some neo-platonic way

We’re all looking for the Brown Jesus

We baptise ourselves every weekend

over indulging in the holy communion wine

Slow dancing in Lucifer’s ballroom

The Sunday Morning hymns are a mixture of

house

techno

R&B

and Hip Hop

‘Born again Judas Kisses’

The Sunday sermon screams at me

‘We NEED someone to project our insecurities onto

We NEED a scapegoat for our mistakes and misfortunes

We NEED to have daily reassurance our lives are not without purpose’

He preaches, but he’s just another man

trying to get to heaven

Just like me.

I’m looking for the Brown Jesus

I’m looking for the way

looking for the truth

looking for the life.

Amen