Loop Diggin' Thursdays 07.05.07
Posted by Phil Watts, Jr on 07.05.2007
Reader responses! Plus, Rhymefest vs. Jazzy Jeff, Wise Intelligent refuses to tapdance for CNN, and how to ruin a great 20-year career in just one weekend.
Last week, I asked all of you the following:
"So with the impending death the cover, CD's becoming the new cassette, and vinyl becoming the new 8-Track (remember those?), I want to ask YOU, THE READER, what you think of all this:
1. What was the best album cover you've ever seen and what was the worst?
2. What was the coolest fact that you've ever got from reading the liner notes…and what was the WIERDEST?
3. What do you think of the idea of everything going digital?"
I've gotten some pretty good responses:
"Hey great column, I've just been talking about things like that with a friend recently.
I agree that there is a definite sense of satisfaction at being able to pull out the liner notes and read through them. It's great to be able to see who produced 'that hot beat on track 8' or 'whos ghostwriting Dre's lyrics this time' but even with physical cds, those days are closing.
I remember picking up Mos Def's Black on Both Sides and Kweli's Train Of Thought and Quality albums. They had as you said, an explanation of WHY they created the song which just increases the desire to listen to it! I got a copy of Naughty By Nature's Greatest Hits album the other day, same thing. An explanation of the song and why they chose it to be on the GH album.
1. Best album cover I've ever seen, Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers). That or GZA's Liquid Swords. I'd never seen a cover like the 36 Chambers one before. Most artists tend to have a picture of themselves, especially if it's a debut album. These guys are dressed in Wu-Tang hoodies and wearing white face masks! You flip it over and they're on the back kneeling in front of a giant Wu 'W'.
GZA's album cover just struck me as plain awesome. It fully captures the mood of the entire album, from the characters fighting to the chess board that they're standing on.
My third favourite album cover has to be another Wu release, ODB's Return To The 36 Chambers simply for the hilarity factor.
The WORST album covers I've ever seen, 50 Cent's Massacre covers and Mos Def's True Magic album cover...because there isn't one.
2. I think simultaneously the coolest and weirdest facts I've gotten come from Cypress Hill's Black Sunday liner notes.
In the middle there's 19 facts about Cannabis starting with
"Cannabis and hemp are the same. 'Marijuana' was the Mexican name given to cannabis"
and finishing with:
"More than 400,000 Americans die from diseases related to cigarette smoking each year.
More than 150,000 Americans die of alcohol abuse each year.
But in 10,000 years of usage, no one has ever died from marijuana"
3. Digital...well personally I don't see much point. The only time I ever buy an album is because I want the album in a physical sense. Why pay $30 (I live in Aus) for an album with 3 or 4 good songs (if we're LUCKY with that) when I can download it for free?
Then, why pay to digitally download something when all I get is a bunch of MP3 files that have to be backed up if I want to format my computer or worse, buy a new one? If you want to do that, you end up burning things to a CD anyway.
There are some advantages to digital, afterall, there's some albums you can't download easily anymore but you can buy off iTunes. And again, downloading can take time whereas purchasing something will most likely be a lot quicker.
However, I feel that as a consumer, I'm much happier being able to physically hold a copy of Illmatic in my hand than wave around 10 MP3 files on my hard drive.
-Patrick" (from 2pat@optusnet.com.au)
"1) Best: many heavy metal and prog rock covers are awesome but I gotta go with Sgt. Peppers for best.
Not sure on worst but I hate covers where the artist or band is in a "happy" or "casual" pose.
2) The liner notes on Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" outline the 26 edits (give or take a few) on the album's first track. That was informative.
The liner notes for The Doors' "Legacy" and The Rolling Stones' "Forty Licks" had the right vibe for their respective bands.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Brain Salad Surgery" was funny in that they said they were way more rebellious than the Sex Pistols.
3) I don't think the CD is dead. I think you'll see less CDs and more downloads from pop artists who focus on singles but so many of today's rock albums are complete works and while they could be downloaded it would detract from the vibe. CDs won't live forever but their demise has been predicted for years and hasn't happened yet. Or that may be wishful thinking. But I don't think so. I certainly hope not.
Great column, peace." (from drgnslyr2000@earthlink.net)
And then there's THIS:
"I just read your article on the impending demise of album covers. I want to add my two cents.
To me, the Earth Wind and Fire album covers that were done by Shusei Nagaoka stand out, but the cover for "I Am" was tremendous, especially the gateway fold with Maurice on top surrounded by the different zodiac signs. You don't see that anymore. That being said, the worst album cover that was made was Pleasure's "Future Now" album cover. I like the album, but come on. Don't try to pass off downtown San Francisco as a futuristic city. Who is Fantasy Records fooling?
One of the weirdest moments I've seen was the comic strips that Pedro Bell implemented on the Funkadelic album covers. On Uncle Jam Wants You, the P-Funk mob clowned Mick Jagger something awful by turning Miss You into So Forget You with the full lyrics and referring to Rick James, Captain Sky(Wonder Worm) and The ADC Band(Long Stroke) as Slick James, Captain Try and the A.Z.Z. Band.
In regards to the third question, I download music only if a new album is coming out and preview some of the tracks so when the album is avaialbe at stores I can buy the CD. In regards to the digital music debate, we can blame Chuck D for the rise of digital music-only websites and I'll tell you why. For the past 7 years, all Chuck has been doing is trying to reinvent the wheel, especially when it comes to the music business. Yes, we have concerns about the RIAA and the major labels declaring war on music sites such as Napster and Morpheus, but the websites aren't in the right either. If you have a music website and you want to download music for free, the record stores will suffer because that site was put up. For the past 3 years, 4 major chains have gone out of business and the mom-and-pop stores are struggling to stay afloat. That means the days of local artists establishing a fanbase via the mom-and-pop stores may be numbered and Chuck is ignoring this fact.
(Oh, and by the way, why didn't Chuck didn't say anything about what had happened to DJ Drama and other Mixtape DJs? I forgot, he thinks mixtapes are wack.)
Anyway, It's a good article that puts the digital music argument into perspective.
P.S.: Could you do a review on Public Enemy's MUSE SICK N HOUR MESS AGE to finally silence people who actually thought that it was a good album?" (from saj7@mail.com)
You know what? I almost forgot about that. I do remember Chuck D trying to usher in the idea of releasing music only through the internet to get back at the corrupt music business. Sadly, this is just another example of that old saying, "THE ROAD TO HELL IS OFTEN PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS…"
By the way, I'm not even going to touch the MUSE SICK album. That came out at a time when the sampling/publishing laws have pretty much amputated the arms of the Bomb Squad, and Chuck D's skills were deteriorating. Besides, there's nothing I could say that would make the same impact that the Source & Rolling Stone reviews have already made (those two reviews continue to eat at Chuck D to this very day. Both reviews gave that album a 2, by the way.)
****
A few months ago, Jazzy Jeff released his second joint, THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT, a pretty decent album, though a bit iffy in spots. In it, Jeff does a colab with Kanye-ghostwriter Rhymefest, digs up Gangstarr's first hit, "Manifest", and it all combines to a song called "JEFF & FEST", one of the CD'[s strongest cuts.
However, lately, it doesn't look like there's going to be anymore colabs between the two…that is if this blog taken from Rhymefest's MySpace page serves as an indicator:
Rhymefest & Jazzy Jeff At Odds
"I know it's been a long time since I've written to you all, but I don't just write to see my words in print. There has to be situations and/or topics truly worthy of my time to write about and your time to read.
The other day, I was watching a YouTube clip entitled "Lions vs. Hyenas." And in the clip, a lion chased a hyena through the African plain, passing up fat gazelles, zebras and even other hyenas that looked to be more fulfilling than the one he was chasing. But he wanted that one hyena; only that one particular animal would satisfy his chase. At first, I did what 99% of people in the world would do: I felt sorry for the hyena and hoped that it could escape the powerful jaws of the murderous lion. But, then the lion caught the hyena, rolled underneath him, snapped his neck, and simply got up and walked away. He didn't want to eat the hyena; he just wanted to kill it. At that point, I wondered, "Why am I identifying with the victim? It's dead. Why don't we [as a people] identify more with the predator? The victor? The lion?"
There are people [right now] killing Hip-Hop for no other reason than to get paid. They are playing the role of the lions while we who enjoy true lyricism, true beat production, substance and musical arrangement are being the victims. I've decided that I will no longer identify with the prey. I will stay true to my craft and never sacrifice the integrity of my art or my love for Hip-Hop. I refuse to run like some of you hyenas.
The other day, I tried to explain this theory to DJ Jazzy Jeff as we worked on music for my upcoming release, EL CHE. I explained to him that I needed to create a single that would grab people's ears, hearts and minds. I told him that last year, I wasn't on Rap City or 106th and Park, and I didn't blaze the major radio rotation charts. However, I believe that this project could change all of that.
He looked at me, and his response was a hysterical laugh. The first words that came out of his mouth were:
"I hope Rhymefest fails. I hope you get dropped from J Records. And then, perhaps, you can finally see the light."
I was shocked. Not only is this dude one of my all-time heroes, but I also look at him like a brother because of the time we spent together and the chemistry that we share musically.
He continued, "Man, don't you understand that Rap City doesn't belong to us anymore? Major radio is not concerned with true artistry or musical integrity. We have YouTube, MySpace, VH1 Soul and satellite radio. Concentrate your efforts on the mediums that would be more responsive to you and stop worrying about taking over a jungle that has no food for your thought."
Now I understood his 'hope I get dropped' statement more clearly. Out of love, he only wished for me to be free from the constraints of major label pressures.
However, I didn't see things the same way and responded, "Jeff, I love you. I respect and honor you. But, dammit, you're wrong. If we stop fighting and allow the hyenas to run wild, then people will forget who really runs the fucking jungle. Then what happens? Chaos. Disorder. And, the death of the lion and everything underneath it in the food chain, including the hyena."
Jeff tried to respectfully impart his wisdom of years in the game upon me. However, my belief continued to be that Jeff is the lion who killed many hyenas; so many in fact, it doesn't even excite him anymore. He and Will Smith sold over 20 million records together worldwide. They were the first Hip-Hop artists to win a Grammy. They did YO! MTV Raps, Rap City and hit every radio chart imaginable. How, then, could he suggest to me to not fight for that which he has already enjoyed?
I love Jazzy Jeff more than some blood members of my own family. He is my mentor, teacher and producer, but I guess I may suffer from the ignorance of a young lion. However, this story is not over. Stay tuned for the video footage of this discussion on Hip-Hop between Rhymefest and Jazzy Jeff. If you liked "The Making of Angry Black Man On A Elevator" clip with me and Lil Jon, you will love what you are about to receive next."
Uh, 'Fest…he does have a point.
You see, Rhymefest is signed with J records…the same label that signed Busta Rhymes for a very short period. However, Busta didn't really make it that far on J Records, so he publicly dissed the label during a concert and moved to Aftermath. Now, if J Records couldn't do shit with Busta, who always has at least one song getting play on the radio every time he releases something, what makes Rhymefest think that the same label would make a difference with him? Remember, Rhymefest's first album with them had no promotion, no airplay, and did absolutely shitty numbers. Yeah, he MIGHT hit pay dirt the next go-around, but J Records does not have a good track record.
A couple of years ago, Little Brother jumped on board Atlantic Records thinking that they hit the big time. They thought that since they're on a major now, they're going to get some really good promotion for their MINSTREL SHOW album. After all, they did such a good job when Fat Joe was signed there, right? Right? Of course, you know the rest of the story by now: No promotion, no airplay, blacklisted from BET. And now, they're trying to get the fuck out.
Rhymefest could stand to take Jeff's advise. Get the fuck outta there.
****
Wise Intelligent, the former front man of Poor Righteous Teachers, has been on a comeback trail as of late. He's shown up on Oh No's EXODUS INTO UNHEARD RHYTHMS, and released a few Mixtapes, just to let everyone know that he's still alive and kicking, and no matter how much the Hip-Hop game has changed, he hasn't.
Just recently, he's been involved in a little controversy involving St. Sabina Church, a black church at the south-side of Chicago, putting up an anti-Hip-Hop billboard. CNN has asked both Wise and the members of said church to come on TV and debate the issue. Thankfully, Mr. 'Holy Intellect' smelled a rat and refused. Here's what he had to say about it:
In response to the IntelligentNewz.Net article "Can I Get Just One," we were contacted by CNN who requested that Wise Intelligent appear on their station in a "discussion" with leaders of St.Sabina, the south-side Chicago church responsible for the "TRASH" rappers billboards. Wise Intelligent, being aware of the fact that the game is chess, not checkers, respectfully declined the offer to appear on CNN.
My reasoning is that, the Euro-American mass media is NOT and has NEVER been the appropriate forum to discuss let alone resolve matters concerning the African-American community! I am more than well-aware of the fact that CNN or any other mainstream American media outlet, for the most part, does not offer a solution oriented platform for black issues, but on the contrary, the platform offered is extremely conflict oriented. As a matter of fact one of the things that the whole Don Imus situation revealed was that these "reporters" and "journalists" are contractually encouraged to be argumentative and controversial. What the network wanted was for Wise Intelligent and the members of St.Sabina to get on national television, attack each other, create further divisions, and exacerbate the problem without addressing some mutual and realistic solutions.
On a 30 minute show with 15 minutes of commercials and 15 minutes of edited dialogue, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY any real understanding or solutions could have been discussed. Knowing that it would have played out like Wise Intelligent and Hip Hop is against the Black Church and the Black Church against Hip Hop; I refused to appear. It was more than obvious to me that CNN could not and does not have the Black community's best interest at heart! The plan was to supply both of us with weapons and watch us attack each other in classic tribal fashion!
No disrespect but,I am NOT Cam'ron, and I refuse to be used in that way. As I said in the song "UNDA FIRE" from the Blessed Be the Poor album "I don't do this for lack of attention!"
So, being who we are and what we stand for at IntelligentNewz.Net, INTELLIGENT MUZIK, etc. we called St.Sabina and spoke with Rev.Micheal L. Pfleger directly and informed him of what we felt CNN was up to, and that we were not going to allow aliens of the Black Community to sow the seeds of separation and discourse between comrades in the same struggle. Our article/blog was NOT an attack against the Church and their right to post billboards, our intention was to expand the dialogue to include the deeper issues that create and shape the environments in which we live.
When we discuss this or any other issues concerning OUR community, we will do it in the basement of the Church, or in the Intelligent Muzik conference room, NOT on CNN. Their eyes (cameras) should be banned from all discussions, meetings, and gatherings designed to solve our problems and address our concerns with each other! Do they EVER call us up and ask us to appear on CNN to discuss white kids "huffing", pedophilia in the Catholic Church, White on White crime, drug and alcohol abuse amongst the youth in Hollywood, and where in the hell are those Weapons of Mass Destruction? Of course not, so why should they be offered a set at the table when we are dealing with our issues???
Proper
Evaluation
Always
Counters
Exploitation
IT'S NO LONGER SMART TO BE DUMB!
If Al Sharpton would've went this route, going straight to the rappers and discussing his grievances among themselves instead of going on TV yelling and screaming to conservative talk show hosts and politicians who agree with him, I'd have more respect for him.
Wise has summed up the news media perfectly. No problems get resolved, people are put on to 'debate' the issues, only to result in lots of yelling--"YOU'RE A LIAR!!!" "NO---YOU'RE A LIAR!!!!"---"NO, YOU'RE A LIAR!!!!!!" One side paints themselves as the knight in shining armor while portraying anyone who disagrees with them as an EVIL VILLAIN, while the other side paints THEMSELVES as the knight in shining armor while portraying anyone who disagrees with them as an EVIL VILLAIN! It all becomes tiresome and pointless…and I'm glad that Wise has noticed it and refuses to be a part of it.
We all see what happens when rappers show up on various news outlets and talk shows and are automatically put on the defensive (Ludacris and various other rappers showing up on Oprah; KRS barely getting a word in edgewise on the Sean Vanity show; Cam'ron making himself look like an idiot on both the O'Reilly show and 60 Minutes). I say fuck these ‘news' outlets. Let them stick to dick-riding their favorite politicians. Let them continue to dedicate shows on how Bush is the greatest president to ever hit the White House or how Hilary isn't a corrupt bitch, or how Obama is pure as the driven snow and isn't going to be corrupted in 5-6 years. Ever since Newsweek magazine dedicated an entire issue to shitting on Hip-Hop over 17 years ago, I have had very little trust in the mainstream media when it comes to covering this music. Rappers should have as little involvement with them as possible.
****
IN MEMORY OF…
Chris Benoit, The Canadian Crippler (1967-2007)
"Respect in the business is Hard To Earn, and even harder to hold on to, but it's very easy to lose." ---The Guru
No other sentence perfectly summarizes this man's life.
20 years.
20 years of paying dues. 20 years of going to run-down promotion after run-down promotion. 20 years of fighting for every push he ever got. 20 years of carrying people through damn good matches. I remember all those moments: The Sabu/neck-brace incident. Chris stepping to Kevin Sullivan over his Woman Nancy. The Owen Hart dedication match he had with Bret Hart. The moment where he, the late Eddie Guererro, Saturn, and Malenko jumped out of WCW and took a huge amount of their fan-base with them. Watching him go up against the big dogs, like HHH, The Rock, Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Kurt ‘the Roll Model' Angle. Watching both him and Eddie hold their World Title belts up in the air. And I (and many others) have cheered for him through all of that shit.
20 years.
20 years of working his ass off and gaining worldwide respect for it…
…and then, the news comes out that Benoit and his whole family are all dead. We all smirked and thought, "Yeah, RIGHT. It ain't nothing but another bullshit wrestling angle. After all, didn't Big Vince ‘die' a few weeks ago? And let‘s not forget that shit about Kane fucking a dead bitch. These fools are so desperate. No wonder their ratings are so low." Then, when more details came out, we were ALL wishing it was just another bullshit wrestling angle.
This stupid motherfucker decides to piss on his legacy by going up to his house and murder his wife Nancy (yup, the same Woman he snatched from Kevin Sullivan) and his 7-year-old kid Daniel. Everyone is out there trying to figure out WHY, but really--it's pointless to even waste your brain cells trying to make sense out of nonsense. There's no excuse for it. Then he puts bibles at their feet like that's going to make a difference when God judges him. Then he pulls the ultimate bitch-move and hangs himself. Murder/Suicides always irk the shit out of me. You have the gumption to go out there and murder people for no fucking reason, and yet, you don't have the balls to face the consequences? I never understood that and I never will.
20 years of working his ass off, fighting for every push he got, bringing in skills in a world full of pointless 20-minute promos, and gaining worldwide respect for it…and it took only one weekend to piss it all away.
When the news broke out, WWE went from giving the man a tribute show to erasing his name from their website and their history logs. Every Internet wresting writer who had cheered him on through all those years went from making heartstring-pulling eulogies honoring his achievements to washing their hands of him altogether. When the news of Benoit's death broke out, millions of "R.I.P. BENOIT" signatures were all over every message board…but when they found out that he was a murderer, those sigs disappeared just as quick.
All that respect that he worked hard to earn through his 20 year career…gone after one weekend.
Hard to earn…even harder to hold on to…yet very easy to lose.
