We are publishing Barikat and Buldozer's writings to you exactly as they were written, without changing a single word.

Jöntürk has chosen to exercise his right of reply regarding the "Hip-Hop Oscars," which will be held for the second time this year. We are publishing his response without making any changes…
NONSENSE PRESENTED UNDER THE GUISE OF CRITICISM

Those with even a slight interest in psychology are very familiar with the famous "Monkey Experiment." The experiment is conducted to measure the thinking, perception, and interpretation abilities of monkeys. A monkey chosen for the experiment is placed in a cage containing a large and a small box, and a long stick. A bunch of bananas is hung from the ceiling, too high for the monkey to reach. After a while, the hungry monkey reaches for the banana, but can't. After some time, the monkey picks up the stick and tries to knock the banana down, but again, it's too short. Then it pulls the large box up, climbs on top, and tries to knock the banana down with the stick, but again, it's too short. In its final attempt, it picks up the small box, places it on top of the large box, and, standing on both boxes, knocks the banana down with the stick, achieving its goal.
The experiment proved that monkeys possess the ability to think, perceive, and interpret. So the question is: why can't we, the human race, demonstrate such a simple sequence of actions in our daily lives, actions that even a monkey can exhibit?
In all the legends, books, philosophies, and beliefs, it is said that humankind is the 'most intelligent animal' on Earth... But is this really the case? There are perhaps hundreds of facts that prove this concept of 'intelligence,' used in defining 'humanity,' is nothing more than a cheap lie: While we could live in a world where everyone is happy in peace, much can be written and said about the fact that humankind has been slaughtering each other for thousands of years, polluting and exploiting the world they live in. Especially when it comes to a human race that creates its own hell—a hell built on ignorance, lack of critical thinking and interpretation, lies, deceit, ingratitude, disrespect, lovelessness, exploitation, betrayal, and intrigue—how accurate is it to call them 'intelligent'?
According to a new definition that is now gaining many supporters: 'Man is the most cunning animal on earth, capable of any trickery for his own gain.' But there is an even more fundamental characteristic of the human race that deserves attention: its foolishness in believing that other people are unaware of this cunning it employs for its own benefit! Yes, such people can deceive the naive; they can deceive children, the senile, and their obedient slaves; that's true. But what is not true is that this kind of deceitful behavior they exhibit in the name of cunning will one day—one way or another—choke them down the throat.
Whatever definition of humanity you accept, I think there's one thing we all have to acknowledge: humankind's boundless intelligence! It is thanks to this intelligence that humanity has transitioned from a passive to an active state; that it has mastered nature and created great civilizations. Today's civilization, built upon the emotions, thoughts, and experiences of each new human being, owes its existence to this very intelligence.
Some people use their intelligence solely for their own gain; everything they do is geared towards this goal; every word they speak, every action they take is self-serving. These 'vampire' types use everyone around them as mere stepping stones to achieve their aims. Only they and those who support them matter. Everyone else is merely a means to an end. People have no value as 'human beings'. 'Value' is determined by the amount of blood they suck from that person.
Some people use their intelligence for the benefit of all people. According to these individuals, people cannot be important or unimportant based on whether they are small or large, rich or poor, male or female, new or old. The happiness of all people is their own happiness; the unhappiness of all people is their own unhappiness. Every bullet fired at another will find its own tomorrow. Therefore, these people know how to show respect in order to be respected. These people are against discrimination; they are equally distant from everyone who wants to live humanely. 'Value' is about the well-being of people. The definition of 'intelligent' can only be applied to these types of people.
Principled behavior should not be expected from the first type of 'vampire'; they are more than willing to change their appearance, perform all sorts of tricks, and trample on their personality and honor for what they perceive as their gain. However, 'principled behavior' is an unavoidable responsibility for the second type of person, who is free and sharing. Principled behavior is a virtue; we all know how Socrates, in the name of principle, drank the poison offered to him and rushed to his death. What made Socrates 'Socrates' is this virtuous behavior he displayed in the name of principle; the fundamental reasons why his name has been preserved in the glorious pages of history for 2500 years and why he is one of the creators of today's civilization should be sought in this virtuous behavior.
A person whose opinions, attitudes, and thoughts change from place to place cannot be considered consistent, and therefore, trustworthy. It is an unavoidable necessity for everyone who demands justice, expects respect for labor, and speaks of freedom and sharing to demonstrate consistency in every aspect of life, in every word they speak, and in every line they write. Conversely, if those who speak of justice and shout about "respect for labor" one day emerge the next and begin to denigrate and belittle the labor of everyone else, their contradictions and insincerity will make even dogs laugh at them. Yes, they might be able to fool children and the naive with their lies, contradictions, and insincerity; but never those outside of that group…
Writing is not like singing a lullaby. Lullabies are forgotten; but every word you write without thinking will inevitably turn into mud and stick to your face tomorrow.
Yes! Freedom of thought and expression is one of the most fundamental rights that we must all accept and defend. However, if this right to expression (especially in a text full of contradictions and misinformation, lacking clarity and clarity) constitutes an attack on another's fundamental rights, then the person under attack also has the right to stand up and say "stop," and we must all accept beforehand that this right is also one of the most fundamental rights. The nonsensical and destructive claims made in the name of "interpretation and criticism," the inability of the text itself to express itself, and the brutal butchering of the Turkish language with its utterly broken sentences and words, will remain merely details before us.
Yes, that's absolutely right: On Friday, November 15th, the Kadıköy Public Education Center Hall will host the biggest Hip-hop gathering of the year: Türkiye Boys Of Sun Hip-hop Oscars-2.
For the sake of respecting the effort we've put into this historic night, which we've been working on day and night for a month and a half, shouldn't everyone who spouts nonsense in the name of criticism first put their hand on their conscience before saying or writing anything?
The cesspool we've been wallowing in and devouring for years (which many people call 'culture')
Identifying and revealing the 'root problem' that gives rise to this situation is one of the most important steps towards a solution. The 'root problem' that has caused this mess is the inability of many to possess the 'thinking, perceiving, and interpreting' abilities that even the monkey we used as an example at the beginning of this article has. Those who jump in and comment on the subject without thinking, researching, or perceiving are the creators of this swamp we've been wallowing in for years. The reason why the community, despite its continuous efforts at development, has been unable to escape this cesspool for years; why, as some say, the entire burden in hip-hop rests on the shoulders of five or ten people, is fundamentally due to these pathetic individuals who exclude or belittle everyone else, stifling their chances of creation from the outset.
All the false, inaccurate, empty, and cheap writings are important because they reflect the personality, identity, and cultural deficiencies of their authors; they are also necessary for the validation of these deficiencies. Those who prefer to attack those who produce with cheap writings instead of producing, participating in, or contributing to production will always be crushed by the 'tragic picture' they create when they themselves face a similar attack one day and complain with disgust.
In Türkiye, we started the preliminary work for the 'Turkey Boys Of Sun Hiphop Oscars-2' a month and a half ago. This event, the first of which we successfully organized in Bursa last year, aims to encourage, motivate, and support all hip-hop artists without discrimination, to contribute to the development of hip-hop in this way, to bring together everyone who creates hip-hop, old or new, good or bad, even if only for a day, and to show the power of hip-hop to all of Türkiye.
We announced that this year's 'Boys Of Sun' would consist of two separate rounds; the first round would determine the 'potential candidates'; and anyone who wished could contribute to the formation of the 'candidate' list for the second round by nominating their own 'potential candidate'. This announcement was published on many websites, including barikat.net, turkçerap.com, turkrap.com, and raportaj.com, and the email address boysofsun2@mynet was provided for communication. In addition, this announcement was continuously published in the 'hiphopistan' email group for four weeks. So, what's the result?
In response to our call for action, those who have been passively observing the formation of this candidate list or organization without lifting a finger are now launching an attack with the cunning of a fox waiting for its prey. Beyond criticism, they have gone even further, audaciously demanding the removal of some 'candidates' from the list, claiming they are worthless and unnecessary!
Those who haven't even bothered to ask 'Is there anything I can do?' regarding the event that was announced a month and a half ago; what right do they have to criticize?
Of the two types of people we distinguished above, those belonging to the second category wrote, drew, and sent messages offering suggestions to contribute to the final product! Those belonging to the second category, however, waited with great cunning, their minds no bigger than a bird's; they would watch intently as someone attempted something, trying to catch any mistake, and as soon as they found the slightest error, they would pounce with fox-like shrewdness; poor fools! They don't even realize that the hunt isn't always successful; that sometimes they find themselves in the position of the hunted fool.
Which of those who launched attacks under the guise of 'criticism' tried to contribute their ideas to this historic organization, which aims to support and amplify hip-hop's voice in Türkiye; and even more, which of them suggested their own most suitable candidates for each category?
No one is perfect at everything! Even someone like us, who measures, weighs, and considers every detail of our endeavors, may inevitably overlook something. Aware of this, we ask: what kind of attack are those who haven't participated in shaping 'Boys of Sun,' an organization we opened up to people to create a more beautiful and flawless space, launching today?
I ask these men here: Despite all our calls, why didn't you put forward the ideas you're presenting today earlier? What were you waiting for, and why?
What do you want? Instead of supporting our efforts in the name of hip-hop, is your aim to make us regret it a thousand times over with your idiotic writings? Or do you want us to "shrug our shoulders" and retreat like you? I don't know what kind of schemes are running through your heads; but I do know one thing: you will no longer be able to market these baseless, inconsistent, unfair, and aggressive nonsense, exaggerated and embellished with lies and deceit, under the guise of "criticism"!

Here are some responses to claims that are frequently made under the guise of 'criticism':
1- The nominees for the 'Turkey Boys of Sun Hip-Hop Oscars' were selected from among hip-hop artists who were actively working and producing music in Türkiye during 2002. In determining these nominees, while adhering to the above criteria, messages from participants who suggested 'potential nominees' were also used. Furthermore, individuals and groups who were active or successful last year but did not produce new work this year were excluded from the list. To those who ask, 'Why are there no nominees from abroad?', I suggest they look at the full name of these hip-hop Oscars. Additionally, there are two main reasons why the awards are limited to Turkey: Firstly, to prioritize Türkiye and support the development of hip-hop here. Secondly, to prevent an unfair outcome that might arise from the evaluation being made only by listeners in Türkiye, the rights of hip-hop artists from abroad are protected from the outset by excluding them from the list of nominees 'as a rule only'.

2- The 'Best New Group' category includes groups that debuted in 2002, regardless of whether they are old or new. As the name suggests, only groups can be included in this category; those who try to include a rapper's name in this category under the guise of criticism are a prime example of someone who, without even possessing the ability to 'think, perceive, and interpret' that even a simple experimenter could easily demonstrate, tries to spout nonsense in front of everyone.

3- The criterion considered in determining the nominees for the 'Hip-Hop Honorary Award of the Year' is 'their contribution to hip-hop'. No one has the right to belittle the nominees or demean their efforts: Yener's contributions in Izmir and Deli Mc's in Ankara to the development of hip-hop are invaluable to us, beyond measure even by an award. Similarly, the contributions of Erdener, Kanun, Skyfun, and Kara Murat, who facilitated communication among hip-hop artists through their websites and publicized their events and work to the public, cannot be underestimated. Sirhot's contribution, with over ten albums he produced and released this year, cannot be underestimated either. Furthermore, besides these criticized names, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of hip-hop artists among us who could be nominated for the hip-hop honorary award. Shortcomings can be criticized; people can say 'this should have been included'; but those making these criticisms should have contributed to the formation of the list of 'nominees' before resorting to criticism. For example, the absence of the 'HipHopIstanbul email group' from the 'HipHop Press Award of the Year' category is justifiably criticized; however, those who, before that, didn't bother to nominate 'HipHopIstanbul' after three consecutive weeks of news articles calling for 'potential nominees' to be selected, are now displaying a prime example of sycophancy by writing in the 'HipHopIstanbul email group' that says, 'Why isn't HipHopIstanbul on the list? My vote goes to HipHopIstanbul!', thus making themselves and everyone else look like fools.
Furthermore, in order to support everyone who contributed to hip-hop throughout the year without discrimination and to open the way for everyone to have a chance, we made sure not to nominate everyone in every category when preparing the nominees in all categories.

3- The criticisms regarding who should be selected as jurors, which are biased and reflect personal ego, are nothing short of ridiculous. In order to ensure a healthy evaluation, we have tried to include people who have been involved in this field for years (in one way or another) as jurors, as well as ensuring that the audience actively and significantly participates in the evaluation.
First of all, the list of names appearing on the websites suikast.de and turkcerap.com as the jury panel is incorrect and unacceptable because it is biased and consists only of a select group. I, as the editor of 'Boys of Sun,' am not the source of the news published under the heading 'Jury Panel' and listing the names; I have never sent a message to anyone or any website stating 'this is the jury panel.' When I first saw the news on turkcerap.com, I immediately emailed Kanun, stating that the jury list did not reflect the truth and requesting that the news be removed from the site immediately to prevent misunderstandings. When this false news was not removed from the site, I sent another email; then, a few days later, I had to send a text message and then make a phone call to have the list removed. When the same news was published on 'suikast.de,' I acted in the same way; I sent emails and messages to Erdener stating that the list was incorrect. I want everyone to know that I have not accepted this list, of which I am not the source, from the very beginning. In reality, the list includes people from all walks of life and many more.
Putting all that aside, in order to obtain an impartial result, a survey form was sent to approximately 20 people who were involved in the process and who would have a 49% influence on the overall assessment. In accordance with the general rules, this survey form, in which no one can vote for themselves, was sent to many people (whether their names were on the published list or not). The real criticism here is that those who criticize us, while having the right to refuse the survey form that was suggested and requested to be filled out via email by responding to me personally, chose not to exercise this right and instead resorted to flattering the public on their websites. While I find it difficult to understand why the criticism is directed here, rather than at the email I sent, in the manner of a 'heroic defender of fundamental rights,' I cannot help but attribute this to the fact that those who have been accustomed to voting for themselves or their team for years have not been able to accept the general rule of the survey: 'not voting for oneself or one's group.'
Furthermore, how fair, realistic, and conscientious would it be to exclude, for example, Birol, whose name is on the nominee list and who released an album called 'Coffin Game' this year and has been relatively quiet, from the judging panel, while including another person, also on the nominee list, in the jury?

4- The 'Best DJ of the Year' category is determined regardless of whether the DJ is a radio DJ, disco DJ, party DJ, concert DJ, or who gets the crowds dancing the most. No candidate on the list would dare to publicly declare who is better or worse than the others in the same category, at least out of politeness, to avoid influencing the outcome. They know that ultimately, the decision rests with the listeners, regardless of who is on the list.
5- The claim that awards, in the conventional sense, are given by the public is quite ridiculous. Because, even anyone with basic intelligence knows very well that in many parts of the world, awards are given by specific interest groups. Especially in the world where music has become industrialized and an industry, it is money and wealthy individuals who decide who gets the award! This is a music industry and award ceremonies where the most economically powerful and largest companies call the shots; doors are closed to everyone else; those who spend the most money on music videos, concerts, and promotions can gain acceptance from the public or the community; inflated and exaggerated album sales figures are used as a 'measure' for good or bad; and the artist who pays the most for television appearances comes out on top.
'In the "Turkey Boys of Sun Hip-Hop Oscars-2," the evaluation will be done entirely by the producers and consumers of this genre; in other words, the public itself. Furthermore, those who criticize and tear apart this or that artist simply for being on the list, those pathetic individuals who only consider themselves "qualified to be nominated," what kind of notary are they even talking about?'
There's a funnier side to this, which I'm sure hasn't escaped any of your notice. Okay, I admit it; I'll accept this absurdity of asking for a notary, whether it's a pop singer, an arabesque singer, or even a 'McEnder' from our hip-hop scene. Anyone who doesn't have a problem with the system and doesn't claim to be 'underground' can ask for the system's approval club, the 'notary,' as a measure of truth. But why and with what logic would someone who declares themselves underground at every opportunity ask for this 'notary,' the system's biggest approver and representative? Why would they take this approval institution of the system as a reference?
'We don't need a notary to ensure the impartiality and reliability of the results of the 'Hip Hop Oscars'. To obtain an impartial result, the scores on the forms given to each listener with their purchased invitation, each bearing the same serial number as the invitation, will be totaled by Zihni Müzik, Hammer Müzik, Erdal Plak, and Umut Plak, who have been designated as judges. Those who do not trust the judgment of their own company can, if they wish, bring a notary with them to the event.'
Let everyone know this very clearly: we are not giving out Oscars to Ali, Veli, or this or that person. We are giving out the 'Turkish Hip-Hop Oscars'. If the nomination list had been left to Silahsız Kuvvet, naturally no one other than himself or his team would have been included. If it had been left to Birol or Kanun, the list would naturally have been formed based on who they liked or disliked. At this stage, any evaluation anyone makes about the nomination list will have no value; the final value will be given by the listeners on November 15th.

The 'Turkey Boys of Sun Hip-Hop Oscars,' which are already generating a lot of buzz, will undoubtedly continue to be a topic of discussion after November 15th; this is perfectly natural. However, what is unnatural is that instead of trying to contribute to all the hard work put into it, everyone is attempting to attack it in a cheap manner.
But no matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone writes, no matter what kind of manipulation or pressure is attempted on those participating in the evaluation, 'Boys Of Sun', in an organization requiring impartiality, will continue to protect the interests of everyone, regardless of who Ceza, Turbo, Maho-b, Ondaon, SOS, Buldozer, Birol, or many others whose names could be listed, and will not allow anyone to be excluded or treated unfairly. Furthermore, 'Boys of Sun' will not deviate from its purpose of support and unity and become a registration organization where some are glorified and others are belittled; its purpose remains unity, togetherness, and support…
Many hip-hop artists from all over the country will be performing or watching; many celebrities, as well as all local and national press institutions and news agencies, will be invited; the entire event will be filmed with two professional cameras and released as a CD. We hope this event will contribute to the development and promotion of hip-hop, and we thank all hip-hop artists who have supported us with their ideas or participation in advance; we wish them health and success!
(Young Turks)