Republican Music Police
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
A DefenCe of the dirty third
By Chris Wong
If you know shit about hip-hop (and you probably don't) you'll know that "Midnight Marauders," not "Low End Theory" is the best album A Tribe Called Quest ever made. If you can get past the cheezy "tour guide" intro, you'll hear Phife di-Dawg calling it out, black-and-white, on that "Steve Biko" tip:
"Linden Boulevard, represent, represent/A Tribe Called Quest, represent/ When the mic is in my hand, I'm never hesitant/ My favorite jam back in the day was "Eric B For(sic) President"
The five-foot assassin's not alone. The song's actually called "Eric B. is President" and although Eric B's a hell of a producer and DJ, it's clear the real star of the song is Rakim and if you know shit about hip-hop (and you probably don't), you'll know that this song was the fave of more than a few backpackers. Where am I going with this? Bear with me...
The point is this: maybe ten years ago you could have gotten away with saying "I like all kinds of music...except rap." (the disgust reserved for rap during the age of alt-rock is now usually reserved for country...as in "I like everything but country") or saying "rap MUSIC isn't even MUSIC."
This is not an option anymore. One of the few things about music that mystifies me is how this happened. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the tragic deaths of Pac and BIG...a grand narrative that legitimized hip-hop as a tortured art form populated by gritty realistic pugilistic poets. Or maybe the emergence of Eminem as a significant artistic and commercial force solidified hip-hop's ubiquitous place in culture. Maybe the Wu-Tang Clan's pseudo-intellectual and spiritual rhymes gave them a special place among music nerds who thought it was so clever that a rapper would use the word "perpendicular" in a verse (more on the WTC in later articles). Whatever the reason, the fact remains that at this point in time, not a one of your indie rock friends would be caught dead spurning hip-hop. No way. It is a necessary component of liking "cool" music that you are able to appreciate rap.
However, a new problem looms on the horizon, and that is that all the desire to appreciate hip-hop, commingled with the indie aesthetic has led to the spurning of the significant lifeblood of rap music. Look: it may be unacceptable to say "I like everything but rap," but it has not yet become unacceptable to say "I like rap, but I don't like that commercial shit." Hell, even people who claim their favorite musical genre is rap let this one fly. Fuck that. And I'm not just saying that. I have my reasons.
Let's get back to the Tribe. ATCQ is one of those seminal rap groups. Like Wu-Tang (circa 36 chambers), Tupac, Biggie, Rakim, Nas (circa Illmatic), KRS-One, and Public Enemy...among others...no one who appreciates rap music on any level (garden variety rap fans and backpackers alike) can deny their importance and quality. That is to say, everyone LIKES Tribe to a certain extent, whether their favorite rapper is 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ras Kass, Vinnie Paz, etc etc etc. And Phife's favorite song back in the day was Eric B. is President.
Why do I think that's so important that I pointed it out twice? Well, let's see. In one telling couplet, Rakim drops the jewel:
"Eric B easy on the cut, no mistakes allowed/ Because to me M.C. means M.ove the C.rowd"
You're goddamned right Ra. And there it is folks. There's a reason Chuck D's biggest impact was on wax, not on public speaking tours. It's because fella could rock a mic. Do you think anyone's really dropping any knowledge? Fuck no. You backpackers need to wake up. Mos Def's political sentiments are misguided at best. Dead Prez hates all white people. How is that acceptable? Common's too confused about his own opinions to offer anything illuminating. And Public Enemy...well...the Fight The Power sentiment seems a little simplistic and immature.
That's not to say these artists aren't entertaining in spite of their shortcomings. Of course they are. But that's because they can rock a mic. Don't you understand? Saying you don't like an artist because all they rap about is "cars, clothes and hoes" is about the stupidest thing you can say. What do you think Pac rapped about on his best songs? Biggie? What in the fuck was "The Chronic" about? You can say what you want about Illmatic being a masterpiece (and I tend to agree) but what did NOT being about cars clothes and hoes accomplish? All we have is the vast unprofundities he offers like "Life's a bitch and then you die..that's why we get high". Well, ok....but I'd rather focus on the flow on LOCK.
And that's why southern music is the best music out right now: Fire beats, talented rappers (it's hard to think of anyone with better flow than TIp, Paul Wall, Cham, Bun-B, Luda, Dre and Big Boi, Scarface, and others), and a sense of humor that rap has lacked.
I mean let's look at the state of hip-hop right now. Jigga's gone and we need to deal with it. Vinnie Paz was all right...but instead of telling us how he stays one step above us like a pharmacist, now he's telling us over and over how we're faggots who should hang around with women watching Will and Grace. Ras Kass was about to blow, complete with a fat ass beat from preemo, but nothing ever happened just like nothing ever does. Em is too busy singing and producing tinny drum beats to rap about anything else but his mommy, slut wife, and hate for Ja Rule. 50 believed his hype. Ghostface is triumphed as a relevant force in hip-hop but when's the last time you bumped a Ghostface record? And Kanye...well Kanye, as good (read: repetitive) a producer as he is, he has Black Thought disease, meaning he is an expert at having no flow of his own.
What's left? The only interesting things in rap music: Cham and Paulie, and the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired: Lil Weezy. That's the way it is. You may as well accept it. UGK's Riding Dirty has always been a classic. Get Your Mind Correct by Paul and Cham became one. Scarface is the king of the south, and probably the real best rapper alive. And Tha Carters I & II are instant classics.
It's not just me. Pitchfork agrees. See - even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
...Thinkin' thoed,
cw.
If you know shit about hip-hop (and you probably don't) you'll know that "Midnight Marauders," not "Low End Theory" is the best album A Tribe Called Quest ever made. If you can get past the cheezy "tour guide" intro, you'll hear Phife di-Dawg calling it out, black-and-white, on that "Steve Biko" tip:
"Linden Boulevard, represent, represent/A Tribe Called Quest, represent/ When the mic is in my hand, I'm never hesitant/ My favorite jam back in the day was "Eric B For(sic) President"
The five-foot assassin's not alone. The song's actually called "Eric B. is President" and although Eric B's a hell of a producer and DJ, it's clear the real star of the song is Rakim and if you know shit about hip-hop (and you probably don't), you'll know that this song was the fave of more than a few backpackers. Where am I going with this? Bear with me...
The point is this: maybe ten years ago you could have gotten away with saying "I like all kinds of music...except rap." (the disgust reserved for rap during the age of alt-rock is now usually reserved for country...as in "I like everything but country") or saying "rap MUSIC isn't even MUSIC."
This is not an option anymore. One of the few things about music that mystifies me is how this happened. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the tragic deaths of Pac and BIG...a grand narrative that legitimized hip-hop as a tortured art form populated by gritty realistic pugilistic poets. Or maybe the emergence of Eminem as a significant artistic and commercial force solidified hip-hop's ubiquitous place in culture. Maybe the Wu-Tang Clan's pseudo-intellectual and spiritual rhymes gave them a special place among music nerds who thought it was so clever that a rapper would use the word "perpendicular" in a verse (more on the WTC in later articles). Whatever the reason, the fact remains that at this point in time, not a one of your indie rock friends would be caught dead spurning hip-hop. No way. It is a necessary component of liking "cool" music that you are able to appreciate rap.
However, a new problem looms on the horizon, and that is that all the desire to appreciate hip-hop, commingled with the indie aesthetic has led to the spurning of the significant lifeblood of rap music. Look: it may be unacceptable to say "I like everything but rap," but it has not yet become unacceptable to say "I like rap, but I don't like that commercial shit." Hell, even people who claim their favorite musical genre is rap let this one fly. Fuck that. And I'm not just saying that. I have my reasons.
Let's get back to the Tribe. ATCQ is one of those seminal rap groups. Like Wu-Tang (circa 36 chambers), Tupac, Biggie, Rakim, Nas (circa Illmatic), KRS-One, and Public Enemy...among others...no one who appreciates rap music on any level (garden variety rap fans and backpackers alike) can deny their importance and quality. That is to say, everyone LIKES Tribe to a certain extent, whether their favorite rapper is 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ras Kass, Vinnie Paz, etc etc etc. And Phife's favorite song back in the day was Eric B. is President.
Why do I think that's so important that I pointed it out twice? Well, let's see. In one telling couplet, Rakim drops the jewel:
"Eric B easy on the cut, no mistakes allowed/ Because to me M.C. means M.ove the C.rowd"
You're goddamned right Ra. And there it is folks. There's a reason Chuck D's biggest impact was on wax, not on public speaking tours. It's because fella could rock a mic. Do you think anyone's really dropping any knowledge? Fuck no. You backpackers need to wake up. Mos Def's political sentiments are misguided at best. Dead Prez hates all white people. How is that acceptable? Common's too confused about his own opinions to offer anything illuminating. And Public Enemy...well...the Fight The Power sentiment seems a little simplistic and immature.
That's not to say these artists aren't entertaining in spite of their shortcomings. Of course they are. But that's because they can rock a mic. Don't you understand? Saying you don't like an artist because all they rap about is "cars, clothes and hoes" is about the stupidest thing you can say. What do you think Pac rapped about on his best songs? Biggie? What in the fuck was "The Chronic" about? You can say what you want about Illmatic being a masterpiece (and I tend to agree) but what did NOT being about cars clothes and hoes accomplish? All we have is the vast unprofundities he offers like "Life's a bitch and then you die..that's why we get high". Well, ok....but I'd rather focus on the flow on LOCK.
And that's why southern music is the best music out right now: Fire beats, talented rappers (it's hard to think of anyone with better flow than TIp, Paul Wall, Cham, Bun-B, Luda, Dre and Big Boi, Scarface, and others), and a sense of humor that rap has lacked.
I mean let's look at the state of hip-hop right now. Jigga's gone and we need to deal with it. Vinnie Paz was all right...but instead of telling us how he stays one step above us like a pharmacist, now he's telling us over and over how we're faggots who should hang around with women watching Will and Grace. Ras Kass was about to blow, complete with a fat ass beat from preemo, but nothing ever happened just like nothing ever does. Em is too busy singing and producing tinny drum beats to rap about anything else but his mommy, slut wife, and hate for Ja Rule. 50 believed his hype. Ghostface is triumphed as a relevant force in hip-hop but when's the last time you bumped a Ghostface record? And Kanye...well Kanye, as good (read: repetitive) a producer as he is, he has Black Thought disease, meaning he is an expert at having no flow of his own.
What's left? The only interesting things in rap music: Cham and Paulie, and the best rapper alive since the best rapper retired: Lil Weezy. That's the way it is. You may as well accept it. UGK's Riding Dirty has always been a classic. Get Your Mind Correct by Paul and Cham became one. Scarface is the king of the south, and probably the real best rapper alive. And Tha Carters I & II are instant classics.
It's not just me. Pitchfork agrees. See - even a blind squirrel finds a nut.
...Thinkin' thoed,
cw.
posted by Chris W # 2:56 PM 
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