Abandoned Nation

Abandoned Nation



The turbulent 60’s found a disproportionate number of minorities, in NYC, being incarcerated at an alarming rate. Many of these men and women came from non-criminal-collegiate and professional Backgrounds. Implementing the tactic of mass incarceration in the urban communities was a calculated and deliberate attempt to neutralize the potential threats to the status-quo. Out of the Chaotic Civil rights struggle emerged organizations (deemed criminal by the government) that challenged the system’s unjust laws and policies. Radical organizations like the Black Panthers, Young Lords and the Nation of Islam found themselves targeted for neutralization through assassination or imprisonment.



Consequently, the overall I.Q level of the prison population, (especially in N.Y.) Rose tremendously, largely due to the sustained willingness of the aforementioned groups’ determination to fight the legacy of oppression. As these men and women began filling up the belly of the beast, the inhumane conditions that previously existed in the N.Y. state prison system became utterly unacceptable, thereby creating a powder keg with a lit fuse. Inevitably this dynamic erupted into the Attica uprising (Sept 9-13, 1971).



Out of the ashes of Attica arose a group of conscious men and women who made revolutionary changes within the prison system. They created many social programs which targeted improving the lives and circumstances of the prisoner as well as the communities they would eventually return to. These men and women realized that the vicious cycle of recidivism would continue to exist if the social ills incubated in our hoods were not addressed. One group in particular “The Resurrection Study Group” focused on personal, spiritual, and economic empowerment as the keys to sending home community conscious people. Through these programs the recipe was created to counteract the resentment, anger and hopelessness of the youth. One component of the resurrection study group called “Abandoned Nation” focused on empowering the hood through history and music.



In 1997 while serving a 5 year sentence, a young Brian “Saigon” Carenard decided to give himself an honest chance at breaking the recidivist chain that had previously held him back. He joined the Resurrection study group and in no time became its star pupil. As a gifted lyricist, Saigon was able to capture the lessons of the struggle and turn them into songs of freedom. With the blessings of his mentors Saigon went on to form Abandoned Nation Entertainment. As co-founder and CEO of A.B Entertainment “Sai-Giddy” has deftly steered his company into becoming a silent powerhouse for social change.



In 2004 Abandoned Nation partnered up with In Arms Reach to form the In Arms Reach/Abandoned Nation non-profit entity. This component is geared towards empowering at risk youth in general and children of incarcerated parents in particular with the necessary navigational tools of self sacrifice, discipline and conscientious decision making for their lives. (See In Arms Reach) Our Mantra is simple;



“We’re not just an entertainment company, we’re a social movement”.



"In September of 1997 I met the nigga Gitty", recalls Omnipotent, the self-proclaimed old timer in the crew. "He was Be Lord back then. This kid was the most talented mind I had ever heard rhyme." Though impressed by Saigon's exceptional wordplay, it was secondary compared to the fact that what he was saying made so such sense to him. The two started going to the gym together and having fascinating sessions where Sai' would literally become a computer and spit countless verses he had been working on or had previously written. That's where the discussion of the power of hip-hop and the passion to make a difference came to the forefront in their lives. It was time to do something about what was occurring in the schools and neighborhoods they came from. It was time to give something back to their community besides the poison that was being filtered in through countless means. Yes, they began as convicts, murderers and hustlers, but that was in no way at all the limitations of their talent. There was so much more to be done to make sure their kids would have options that they themselves never had.



Some of the most brilliant minds are incarcerated. Many of the potential leaders of our world have succumbed to the streets and have either died or have lost their lives to incarceration. Abandoned Nation is opportunity to change that fact. It is a chance to, not only make a difference in a child's mind, or the listeners life, but Abandoned Nation is a repatriation of the community of impoverished ghettoes everywhere. It is ultimately a commitment to leave no one behind. Beginning with a multi-media entertainment company and eventually expanding into a cooperative of enterprising businesses, A.B. is a culture that not only encompasses art, but life and community as well.



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