27th Jul2011
3 Comm
01st Mar2011
The Global Reach of Hip-Hop
BIG APPLAUSE to Mike Marqusee’s article “The ‘world music’ fallacy.” That condescending term has begged to be called out for quite some time. That every non-Western style can be lumped into the same weirdly oblique category merely speaks toward the grip that economic and political imperialism holds over our global culture.
The endlessly rich and varied musical traditions of the planet deserve better. Quite frankly, we wouldn’t expect an observation any less sharp from the man who’s written some excellent stuff on the collision of music and struggle.
There is a bone to be picked, however, with his assertion that “The only music with anything like a global reach today is the one that’s never found in the ‘world music’ racks–mainstream Western pop, whose ubiquity stems from the global distribution of power and wealth.”
I think that while the basic thrust of this statement is true, it overlooks the role that hip-hop has come to play in the favelas and Bantustans of the world.
Of course, there’s a methodological gray area here, namely whether “pop” is still a catch-all for every “popular” music or whether it’s come to describe a sound all its own. Though there’s been plenty of crossover in recent years, it would still be hard to lump artists like Jay-Z and Eminem (more…)
24th Jan2011
They Shoulda Never Gave You N*ggas Money!: Flavor Flav’s Fried Chicken
FLAV, YOU WERE IN PUBLIC ENEMY!!!!! FORGET FLAVOR OF LOVE, FORGET THAT BRIDGET CHICK, FORGET THE ROAST WHERE THEY CALLED YOU A FLYING BAT…YOU WERE IN PUBLIC ENEMYYYYYYYY!! YOUR LEGACY IS TURNING OVER IN ITS GRAVE… BUT YOU ARE A CAPITALIST LIKE WILL.I.AM
….SO AMERICA APPLAUDS YOU.
Public Enemy hypeman Flavor Flav’s first restaurant in a chain that will be opening in 2011 is scheduled to open in Clinton, Iowa.
The 51-year-old rapper’s first restaurant, named Flav’s Fried Chicken, will open today (January 24th) according to Nick Cimino, who is working with Flavor Flav to open the new chicken spot.
Flavor Flav, born William Drayton Jr., announced the opening of his chicken restaurant in November, along with several other businesses, including a line of liquor named Le Flav Spirits.
“I’m also launching FFC – ya’ll heard of KFC right? – well this is FFC, Flav’s Fried Chicken,” Flav tweeted last month. “The Colonel better watch his back, G! The Colonel might end up in my fryer.”
17th Jan2011
A Tribe Called Quest Doc Director Michael Rapaport Talks Q-Tip Rift
It’s our belief that every great rap group deserves a great documentary and thankfully, the legendary A Tribe Called Quest’s homage is debuting at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. But along with the good news came a very public rift between group member Q-Tip and the doc’s directors Michael Rapaport.
Late last year, the MC made his quibbles with the film’s depiction of the group known publicly, but the New York native Rapaport says it’s all just showbiz jitters.
“I think the reason he did his little Twitter thing was because when he realized that the movie was coming to completion and going to get seen by people,” Rapaport said. “I can’t really speak for him but I think he got a little nervous. He’s a very protective of the legacy of A Tribe Called Quest and the movie is a very honest depiction of my time with them and the information that I was given in interviews and content.”
As for the “few requests” Tip said ATCQ made of Rapaport that weren’t acknowledged, the “Higher Learning” actor says Q-Tip wasn’t speaking for the group.
(more…)
20th Dec2010
The Conscious Rapper’s Hierarchy of Needs
Says Complex:
The term “conscious rapper” is a vague, umbrella term for rappers who don’t glorify packing guns, selling drugs, or degrading women. Instead, a conscious rapper is supposed to rap about social issues, positivity, and empowerment. Problem is, conscious-rap fans often insist on putting so-called “conscious rappers” on a pedestal, and it doesn’t help that many of those same rappers occasionally project an image of superiority and impeccable integrity. That’s why people always seem shocked when a conscious rapper does some flagrant shit like when Jay Electronica recently talked on stage about a $20,000-dollar bet he had made with Nas about whether or not women like to be choked during sex. But here at Complex, we recognize that all rappers are human beings who are, well, complex. They have flaws, shortcomings, and are sometimes hypocrites. We thought the best way to illustrate this would be to put together The Conscious Rapper’s Hierarchy of Needs. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our pyramid (below) showcases the disparity between the ideals that we hold “conscious rappers” to…and the actual reality.
FULL DESCRIPTION BELOW…
20th Dec2010
When The Beat Drops: A Round-Table on the State of “The Album”
When it comes to the music industry, the wrong sales records are being set. Soundscan tabulates album receipts in steady decline since their peak in 2000 — a year when close to 800 million albums were sold. In 2009, the figure dropped to just under 400 million. This year, the week of August 8-14 witnessed a new low in the US with only 4.95 million albums sold and, according to Billboard Magazine, as of August 22 album sales were down 12 per cent compared to total sales at the same point in 2009. It’s enough to leave music executives pulling their assistant’s hair out.
I recently spoke to both record labels and artists about the issue, as well as promoters, music journalists, and others. The answers have been thrown together in the round table format. You will have to supply your own bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice. –Matt Shea
On the continued viability of ‘the album’ as a method of distributing music…
Chuck D: Well, the availability of so many audio files: it kinda downplays the thirst or the appetite for somebody to say, ‘Hey, you know what? I gotta hear this person, I gotta hear this album,’ because of course now a person can walk around with literally 12,000 songs in their pocket.
Albums were pretty much their own media centres, you know? It was like a total statement and you stepped into the world of a particular artist and that’s what the album format was for. You had to step into their world when you listened to their album. But the world has changed now. If you step into an artist’s world now it’s like, you know, you go to their Facebook page or you’re catching their tweets – you’re seeing their videos on YouTube. So the multimedia aspect of an album has changed. You’re getting their alerts on your mobile device; you’re catching their reality show.
Whereas before, the album was the enclave for an artist – it was the sole enclave for an artist. You had to use your (more…)
31st Jul2010
Public Enemy – Say It Like It Really Is
New track they recorded for a PE box set.
Public Enemy – Say It Like It Really Is
Prod. by Joe City and DJ Johnny Juice.
28th Jun2010
2Pac Honored By Library Of Congress
2pac’s 1995 hit “Dear Mama” was one of 25 recordings inducted today into the National Recording Registry. Each year, audio over 10 years old that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” are selected. The recordings are preserved at a facility in Culpeper, Virgina.
This marks the third hip-hop inductee following Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5′s “The Message” and Public Enemy’s Fear of A Black Planet.
DONT FORGET ABOUT THIS THOUGH
