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IN THIS ISSUE OF FNV 11-6-99 *EPMD Cut Lyricist Lounge Short In SF *Asian/Pacific Islanders Put It Down For Hip Hop *Hip Hop Hall of Fame Kicks Off *Outkast Goes To Court With Rosa Parks *Hip Hop Question Of The Week *Letters & Feedback [Hip Hop Lyrics/ Limp Bizkit]
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Folks came out in mass to see Erick and Parris wreck shop. They were a welcome breath of fresh air after Da Outsidaz set. The crowd which had thinned out returned to the hall and EPMD kicked it off with the intro to their new album 'Out Of Business'. Folks got hyped. When you stopped to think about it.. EPMD is one of Hip Hop oldest and most prolific acts that still on the scene. Ten minutes into their set.. Erick kicks a wicked freestyle and the group leaves the stage never to be seen again. The packed house stands around waiting for more surprises, but it never comes. Suddenly the house lights come on and folks are mad as hell. Luckily nothing breaks out.. But at 20 bucks a head folks aren't feeling a ten minute set from EPMD especially after enduring a 20-30 minute set from the proceeding Outsidaz One of the odd things about EMPD's set was their DJ Scratch wasn't on the turntables. There was a local cat named D-Sharp who handled the chores. Apparently what happened was Scratch missed his plane and EPMD showed up to the place with just a dat that had only a few songs. Most of their act involves them playing vinyl. D-Sharp just happened to have a few records on hand so that's what enabled Erick and Parris to do the set that they did. It also didn't help that Erick seemed a bit high from the chronic he smoked. He kept talking about how much he smoked in between songs. Adding to the disappointment was the Maritime staff accussing EPMD of stealing the cordless mics while backstage.. I think it was a slightly agitated but calm Parris who explained 'We're EPMD, we've been doing this for years.. We have no reason to steal some damn microphones. Moments later the staff found the misplaced mics. Hopefully they apologized o the group for the for the false accusations. Hopefully EPMD will apologize to the audience for the short set. I've been doing this for years and to be honest I'm growing wary of rap shows which continuously have major glitches in them.
 Got a chance to peep out the Lyricist Lounge last night here in San Fran at Maritime Hall. All sorts of headz came out to peep out a stellar line up which included, Planet Asia, Saafir, Rass Kass, The Conscious Daughters, Rasco, Pep Love, The Whoridas Screwball, Da Outsidaz and EPMD as headliners. Props were definitely in order for most of the folks who ripped their sets.. Screwball, Planet Asia, Rasco and Saafir had really tight sets. The up and coming New Jersey based Outsidaz left much to be desired. They came on stage about 15 deep which is always impractical and confusing. They attempted to hype the crowd by by putting forth an Onyx type show which included throwing water on the crowd, jumping around, lots of scowling and constant shouting. They even went out and brought a whole bunch of women on stage. Too me they're still to new to do all that.. They needed to concentrate on getting their stage show together as opposed to bringing fans on stage. Unfortunately their lyrics were indecipherable and their set went on way too long. It's good that the Lyricist Lounge attempts to match newcomers with industry vets, 'cause these kids have lots to learn. They did have a phat tour bus. Folks came out in mass to see Erick and Parris wreck shop. They were a welcome breath of fresh air after Da Outsidaz set. The crowd which had thinned out returned to the hall and EPMD kicked it off with the intro to their new album 'Out Of Business'. Folks got hyped. When you stopped to think about it.. EPMD is one of Hip Hop oldest and most prolific acts that still on the scene. Ten minutes into their set.. Erick kicks a wicked freestyle and the group leaves the stage never to be seen again. The packed house stands around waiting for more surprises, but it never comes. Suddenly the house lights come on and folks are mad as hell. Luckily nothing breaks out.. But at 20 bucks a head folks aren't feeling a ten minute set from EPMD especially after enduring a 20-30 minute set from the proceeding Outsidaz One of the odd things about EMPD's set was their DJ Scratch wasn't on the turntables. There was a local cat named D-Sharp who handled the chores. Apparently what happened was Scratch missed his plane and EPMD showed up to the place with just a dat that had only a few songs. Most of their act involves them playing vinyl. D-Sharp just happened to have a few records on hand so that's what enabled Erick and Parris to do the set that they did. It also didn't help that Erick seemed a bit high from the chronic he smoked. He kept talking about how much he smoked in between songs. Adding to the disappointment was the Maritime staff accussing EPMD of stealing the cordless mics while backstage.. I think it was a slightly agitated but calm Parris who explained 'We're EPMD, we've been doing this for years.. We have no reason to steal some damn microphones. Moments later the staff found the misplaced mics. Hopefully they apologized o the group for the for the false accusations. Hopefully EPMD will apologize to the audience for the short set. I've been doing this for years and to be honest I'm growing wary of rap shows which continuously have major glitches in them. ================================= BE SURE TO CHECK OUT HIP HOP'S NEWEST SLAMMIN' WEBSITE CHUCK D'S Rap Station.. Enlightening Entertaining and Empowering the Global Hip-Hop Nation This Is Where Hip Hop REALLY Lives! http://wwwrapstation.com RAPSTATION.COM Taking Hip Hop To A Whole New level! ==============================================
 Lately we've been talking about all the activism that has been coming out of the Hip Hop arena. Well, added to the scene is a another dynamic compilation project called 'Elephant Tracks' which was just released on Asian Improv records. This slamming disc features seventeen artists including:DJ Rhettmatic of The Beat Junkies, Mista Sinista Of The Executioners, The Mountain Brothers, 427, KNT, DJ Vinroc, Latyrx and Zion I who care about donating their time and energy to the Annual Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliances High School Motivation Conference which is held at UC Santa Cruz here in Northern Cali. There are also some slamming female emcees and deejays getting wreck on this project including Medusa who has been dubbed the Angela Davis of Hip Hop, DJ Kuttin Kandi who has mad skillz on the turntables-She's known for taking fools out in battles also there's Helix C Armageddon. APISA is a student run organization that serves as a cultural resource for Asian/Pacific Islander community. Through their conference they reach out to high school students and help them to strive for higher learning and college. Hip Hop and this compilation album is an effective tool to both motivate and bring attention to this important issue of education. Unfortunately there is a nasty stereotype that depicts the Asian community as 'model' minorities who all have money and get straight As in class. The other stereotype is they aren't involved with Hip Hop. The reality is here in Cali there are many Asian/Pacific Islanders who are far from that. First there's a huge Hip Hop community among Asian Pacific Islanders. Also like everyone else, many come from low income backgrounds, live in the hood and are increasingly finding themselves being tracked toward a visit to Juvenile Hall and prison as opposed to college. This compilation album drops just in time as all sorts of communities of color are reaching out and attempted to aggressively combat an impending vicious Crime Bill that is on the March 2000 ballot. For those who don't know, there's a Crime Bill that is being proposed that will have kids who are 14 be not only tried as adults but also sent to adult prisons. Acts like graffiti where there is 400 dollars worth of damage will be considered a felony. Folks hanging out in groups of three or more while wearing similar outfits will be considered a gang and subjected to search and seizure procedures of the police. That's just a few of the many provisions. All this comes at a time when Cali has just built 15 more new prisons over the past ten years as opposed to one college campus. This also comes at a time when the crime rate throughout all of Cali is at an all time low. The concern is that there's an economic incentive to push young people in a wayward direction and encourage them to move in a direction where they will fill up the cell space of some of these new prisons.After all there has been a lot of money invested in these prisons including folks who have now purchased stocks in the companies that oversee them. In addition, once locked up many of these prisoners will be farmed out to big businesses to do all sorts of work ranging from building toys to answering phones as an operator to stitching shirts and pants. Right now one of the most profitable businesses in Cali is the Prison Industrial Complex with the Correction Officers Union being one of the most influential and powerful lobbying forces in the state. The Asian Pacific Islander Community along with other 'minority' communities has not been immune to this attack on its youth and hence over the next few months you will no doubt see more attempts for folks to reach out and influence kids in their community. Hip Hop has been used as the main tool of communication. And the Elephant Tracks Project is one of many efforts being put forth by organizations to reach out and touch their respective communities. As for the Elephant Track project, it's off the hook and well worth the 'price of admission'. For more information on this project reach out to Christine Padilla of Asian Improv records mailto:christine@asianimprov.com. This Wednesday November 10th The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will kick off their long awaited Hip Hop Xzbit? Can you believe I just spelled the word 'exhibit'? Don't tell me Hip Hop doesn't have an enormous influence on us. The Hip Hop Story Scheduled to perform will be Nas, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, Outkast, Chuck D of Public Enemy and of course Krazie Bone of Bones Thugs And Harmony who hails from Cleveland. Entitled Roots Rhymes & Rage, the exhibition features several floors of artifacts, photos and fashions that are divided up into five sections; 'The Block Party', 'The Roots', 'The Golden Era' , Controversy, Outrage & The Rise Of Gangsta Rap' and 'Pop Goes The Culture'. The 'xzibit' will run from November '99 to August 2000. No offense to Cleveland, but it would've been great to have a Hip Hop Hall Of Fame In the Bronx. It would certainly breath more life into the often maligned borough.
 A few months back we told you about the mother of the Civil Rights Movement taking offense to Outkast and their song Rosa Parks. Her lawyers felt the group had exploited her name and violated her Right of Publicity' A shocked Outkast responded by saying they were inspired by Rosa Parks and their hit song was in a sense a tribute to her. They maintained they had never intended to defame Ms Parks. Unfortunately, Sista Rosa wasn't buying it. She pointed out that the song contained expletives, racial slurs and offensive language and it was used solely for commercial gain. The fact that Outkast was making money and didn't bother to break off Ms Parks a little 'some'em some'em' until after the fact meant her Right To Publicity was violated. In other words you can't use someone's name or likeness without consent unless it has an overriding public benefit. Now, me personally, I think Outkast made Rosa Parks even more of a household name. While its true they didn't really break it down in the song as to who she was and what she did, they did bring an artistic interpretation of her name to the song and hopefully raised awareness. It's not like folks weren't gonna buy the Aquemini album if they had changed the song title.. In any case Rosa parks has launched a lawsuit against Outkast, their label La Face records and the parent company Arista records. That lawsuit finally came to court this week in Ann Arbor Michigan. Ironically the lawyer who is representing Outkast is a lawyer who has made a name for himself defending martin Luther Kings family for unauthorized use of the slain activist's name. Letters & Feedback {More Messed up lyrics in Hip Hop songs} Davey D A mistake that came to my mind first was by Monie Love in Ladies First. "And next up is me, the m-o-n-i-e-l-o-v-e and I'm first cause I'm a l-a-d-i-e. (Lady is singular and therefore not spelled ladie.) Rennai-LilSilkk97 Homey, for the man who laid the following note about Jay-z's wrong rap...not to be rude but check your math. 5 divided by 4 is 1(with a remainder of 1 -). im not the biggest jay-z fan is it is hard as hell to find a loop hole in the mans rhyme cus its too tight. nsrchofit Editors Note* [He was referring to this letter]"
"Damn Davey, you read my mind. This shit has been bothering me for a while because I feel that some artists just don't put enough time into what they write. It may sound good and rhyme, but damn son, you gotta get more creative than that. If it doesn't make sense then what the hell are they writing it for? One of my favorite examples is in Jay-Z's new song off the Rough Ryder's compilation. In the song "Jigga" he says "...I'm number 1 like 5 divided by 4." That's elementary math dogg. Why didn't he just say 5 minus 4? I don't know. I think some artists are just gettin lazy. Guillotine [Swordz] from Only Built with Cuban Links, Genius:- “..producing data, micro chips of software...” Microchips are HARDWARE, Gza. Try putting your microchips in the floppy drive, see what happens…(save key files on disk first/brace yourself)… Express Yourself from Straight Outta Compton, NWA: Dr Dre :- “..I don’t smoke chronic...” Then why did you name your solo album what you named it, Dre? Just attracted to the name? Catchy title? (Dr Dre named his album “The Chronic”) Making A Name For Ourselves from One Day It’ll All Make Sense: Canibus:- “... I be the raw individual/ hammer head shark PERIPHERAL...” He is referring to the PERIPHERAL nervous system (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal chord). If you have the nervous system of a hammer head shark you would be unable to survive in the open air. You would need to be constantly immersed underwater in order to live comfortably. Was Ice Cube referring to the same problem when he wrote “Now I Gotta Wetcha”? – naa, No.
Peace,
OK MAYBE I'M LATE BUT THIS HAS BOTHERED ME FOR YEARS: LIL KIM ON THAT MARY J JOING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.... SHE SAID DIPPIN ON YA NINJA HONDA WITH TAMEKA & RHONDA THERE IS NO SUCH BIKE....IF ITS A NINJA, ITS A KAWASAKI NOT A HONDA D Feedback: {Limp Biscuit & Methodman is this a cool song?} Hey Davey, just so you know that song is kinda lightweight even for Limp Bizkit. Their latest album is kinda soft and cloned from Korn. Their first album was better when Limp had a rock/rap flow that was pretty tight. I put an mp3 up so you could check out probably one their best songs from the first album, where the 'limp' style of flow was at it's peak. http://amsterdam.eline.com/1/Counterfeit.mp3 Let me know what you think about it, probably not what your expecting. Pel Yo one love on the news letter Davey its hot as shit for real..And don't feel alone dog i feel that Limp and Meth connection...the song is hot, Meth comes comes off as usual and fred holds his own, The beat is hot can nobody say the beat is wack foreal people gotta open the minds up, cuz u know when they go home and the joint is on the radio or mtv they playing it mad loud....
One love, Davey D, I peep out your site a lot, and I came across your recent article regarding the song "Ntogether Now". As for you being off base for liking the song? I don't think so. Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. Just be yourself and play what you wanna play, don't be bothered by somebody else clowning your own musical tastes. His tastes are different from yours. On a different note, I was wondering if you can help me out with a song here. I think the title is "Be Alert". Someone told me the song is by Wordsworth. The song has a few samples from the "Transformers" cartoon. The first verse ends with a sick-ass line: "...you should be alert when I grip the cordless / or wind up paying mortgage / on your cryogenic storage." Can you give me more info on that song? I have it on vinyl but all it says on the label is "Alert". Thanks a lot, Ron [Note* Someone help this kid out with the answer I ain't up on it-Davey D] YO some of my boys were clownin me over that Limp Biskit/Meth joint. I said to them what you should say to your people "SHUT THE F*CK UP!" That Premiere produced joint is hot. I don't know what the background of your people are, but some black folks will dis a record just because the artist is not black. That sh!t is so tired.
Peace Davey you are not wrong 'bout the Limp/Meth track. Fred Durst did come off on it, and everyone else is just hatin' 'cause of his skin. "Skin Is My Sin" goes both ways. this constant player hatin' in Hip Hop is the disease that will KILL it! If you don't like it, don't hate, just don't listen. Peace
Speaking of the merging of Hip Hop and rock, what do you think of Tommy Lee of Motley Crue doing that song/video with Lil Kim, George Clinton, & Limp Biscuit. The song is called, "GET NAKED" Personally, I can't help but find it tasteless as we have a naked Lil Kim, Tommy Lee & other fools waltzing around rapping about complete nonsense. I have a problem with people like Tommy Lee who we all know has a bad reputation as an abusive husband/lover, druggy, jail-bird- who is now profiting off of Hip Hop. That's sheer exploitation as Tommy Lee thinks he can break into the culture & take over in a sick way. I like Limp Biscuit, but dang, be choosy in who you do songs with & what you portray to the world- obviously some $$$$ was the bait & fools took it. Denise Davey responds:.. Hey Lil Kim paid big money for them new boobs so she has to show them off every chance she gets... George Clinton needs all the money he can get..Ya know he doesn't own the publishing rights to all those songs everyone keeps sampling.. And Tommy Lee we'll after that little incident last year in North Carolina when his drummer called a security guard a 'nigger', he may just be trying to clean up his image before he goes to trial... [:)I'm being sarcastic] Hey Dave, Last thing I heard from M. Franti was Spearhead a coupla years back. Really good stuff. You're right groups like that (and Disposable) brought different flavors to the "soup", nowamean? I like the Bizkit stuff. Dirst, like tens of millions, grew up loving rock AND hip hop. He lays it down nice. On the other hand, the video is totally garbage. It looks like they were tryin' to market it towards little suburban 10 year-olds. No sweat. Outside of the cheezy video, if more people got into and appreciated what OTHER people did, Planet Earth might actually start to be a cool place again.
Respect,
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