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Davey D's FNV Newsletter
In Today's Issue: November 1 2000
*BET BEING SOLD TO MTV...
*RZA & U GOD SPEAK ON ALBUM AND VOTING
*VANILLA ICE IS BACK! HE DISSES EMINEM
*RUSSELL GETTING SUED
*LUKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN FLORIDA RACE
*BAY AREA RAPPERS COME OUT TO DEFEAT PROP 38
*HEADZ REPRESENT GET OUT TO VOTE NATIONWIDE
*RECAP OF SOURCE HIP HOP SUMMIT by Yvonne Bynoe
*HHC Interviews The Artful Dodgers
Send comments, questions and concerns to Davey D
mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
The FNV Newsletter
written by Davey D
http://www.daveyd.com
http://www.rapstation.com
c 2000
All Rights Reserved
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***BET BEING SOLD TO MTV****
By now folks may have heard that BET and MTV will soon be brothers and sisters..That's right you heard me, Viacom is set to purchase BET [Black Entertainment Television] for 3 Billion Dollars.. For those who don't know, Viacom owns CBS, MTV, VH1 and damn near all the cable outlets in this country. BET is the largest African American targeted cable network.. The purchase will end Bob Johnson's 20 year run with the company. It will free him up to concentrate on running his other businesses which include night clubs, restaurants and his recently purchased DC Airlines..
I wonder if this means we will see Rap City's Big Tigger hanging out with MTV's Carson Daly on TRL? Or will we have a Black version of the Real World? I know one thing, everyday I look up I'm seeing all the media outlets from radio to TV to newspapers all being owned by the same one or two companies.. What do you think that will do for diversity? Increase it or decrease it? I know one thing, it wasn't more than a year ago that Bob Johnson sat down and did an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes and announced that he intended to make BET a household name that was as big as Disney.. Under Viacom BET can definitely blow up large like Mickey Mouse's parents.. Unfortunately Johnson won't be on hand to do the next 60 Minutes Interview..
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****RZA & U GOD SPEAK ON ALBUM AND VOTING****
 Wu-Tang members Rza and U God spent part of their Halloween in the Bay Area last night. They came through to our live broadcast at SF's Civic Center to speak about their upcoming album called 'The W'. Rza noted that the group has taken things to the next level as they have tracks which will include cats like Nas and Busta Rhymes among others. He also talked about a track that he believes everyone will get into called 'A Dog Day Afternoon' which features Snoop Dog and Ole Dirty Bastard. I asked Rza if he had seen ODB since his recent 'premature departure' from a drug rehab facility in LA. He gave a nervous laugh and shook his head 'No'.
Rza also spoke about them wanting to get some more West Coast Wu affiliates. They already have the Black Knights out of Long Beach. U God said he likes the flavas that are coming from the Bay Area and that he would love to do a song with E-40. Franzen who Rza renamed Brother Wong hooked U God up E-40's two way pager number. They also mentioned that the album was initially supposed to drop on November 7th, but due to label and distribution scheduling it got pushed back to November 21st. The pair concluded by speaking on the importance of voting this upcoming election. In fact it was U God who really broke it down about how we could all go out and make a difference. 'It's a start if we wanna get out and try and change things' he said. RZA kiddingly suggested that if we really wanna get headz out to vote we should put speakers next to the voting booths.
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***VANILLA ICE IS BACK HE DISSES EMINEM***
 Vanilla Ice is coming back with a vengeance. He has a new album in the works called Skabz which he says reflects all the ups and downs he has experienced over the past several years.. Believe it or not he has amassed an all star line up which includes Insane Clown Posse.. Wu-Tang affiliate LA Darkman and Chuck D and Professor Griff. Ice was claiming that his next door neighbor Lenny Kravitz is also on the album. According to MTV news, Lenny denies it, but Vanilla steadfastly maintains his claim.. Don't tell me homeboy is exaggerating again..
The bottom line for Rob Van Winkle is he clearly wants to reclaim his throne.. On the album he goes so far as to take shots at Eminem. Now, Ice claims the dis is payback for the constant shots that Eminem has taken at him.. But damn Vanilla, everybody disses you.. Heck Suge Knight supposedly dangled homeboy over a balcony and made him sign over some royalty checks [according to Vanilla Ice]. You don't see no dis tracks about Suge on the album.. Now this can only mean one of two things Vanilla Ice is trying to capitalize off of Em's current fame.. or white rappers simply can't get along. This is mounting to be Hip Hop's dirty little secret, white on white violence.. :-)
Now I'm being a bit factious here, but it is an interesting pattern.. Since the days of 3rd Bass coming on the scene and dissing the Beastie Boys all the way up to the recent verbal exchange between Eminem and Everlast, white cats on the mic have gone after each other.. I haven't had time to really sit and think about it too deeply, but perhaps this has something to do with folks being the minority' in particular situations. We often hear of the cat fighting that goes on between women in similar situations. far too often there will be one or two women in office full of men and they won't get along with each other. In Hip Hop there has definitely been people turning on each other and developing rivalries. Now we see this amongst white rappers.. Is there a certain mindset that goes along with being outnumbered that results in folks turning on their own..? Is it crab in the barrel mentality? Or is this just a case of people gunning for targets that appear to be on top? Hit me back with your thoughts mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
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***RUSSELL GETTING SUED-LUKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN FLORIDA RACE ***
 Props to Russell Simmons and Luther 'Luke' Campbell. Both have agreed to make themselves available to use their star power to bless people's radio shows to help spread the word about Getting out to vote.. Russell under his banner Rap The Vote has been calling into major radio stations throughout the country letting folks know that in a race so close they can make a difference. After the election Russell will have to deal with a 20 million dollar lawsuit from a guy named James Thompson. Thompson back in 1992 founded the Hip Hop Hall of Fame Awards. He claims that within that organization he established a program called Rap The Vote which intended to be a Political Action Committee.
Thompson also claims that he was recruited by Rock The Vote in 1992 and again in 1996 since he was one of the key organizers in the highly publicized gang truces after the LA Riots in 1992. Thompson claims he registered the organization Rap The Vote back in '92 and heldf several events under that name. Hence he is now set to sue Simmons, Rock The Vote, 360 Hip Hop and the manufacturers of a board game called Hip Hop Hall of Fame.. We'll keep you posted on all this..
In the case of Luke, his participation in any sort of Get Out To Vote effort..can have tremendous effect because the race in Florida in so crucial. It's shaping up to be a make or break state especially for Texas Governor George Bush. If he loses Florida where his brother is Jeb is Governor, political pundits are saying he can kiss the Presidency good-bye. The big question is who is Luke pulling for because he can definitely upset an election.
Folks may recall back in the late 80s that it was Luke and his release of a popular song called 'Janet Reno' by rapper Anquette that resulted in a guy name Jack Thompson losing his bid for Miami District Attorney. Thompson later went on a all out crusade to censor Luke and shut him down.. Headz may recall those days when record store owners were getting arrested for selling 2 Live tapes. Even the group itself got arrested for doing a risque show at a night club.. I definitely intend to give Luke a call and find out who he's pulling for..
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***BAY AREA RAPPERS COME OUT TO DEFEAT PROP 38***
 The Bay Area's Hip Hop community is definitely stepping up and making sure their presence will be felt this upcoming election. One of the more visible ways in which this is happening centers around the contentious debate around California's school Voucher Initiative Prop 38. Proponents have framed this as an initiative that would allow frustrated parents who are disappointed with the public school system, to have a choice as to where they send their kids to school. Parents would receive a four thousand dollar voucher for each child they choose to send to private school. Under Cali laws parents and community members can now set up their own school provided they meet certain state criteria. Hence in theory parents would have four thousand dollars to apply to toward tuition in schools that have i.e an Afrocentric perspective, a military outlook or whatever else parents feel best work for their kids..
On the flip side, opponents to the measure have pointed out that California has more then 5 million kids in the public school system. The private school system has space for only 30 thousand. This would result in crucial financial resources being drained from the public schools while significantly benefiting a small segment of the population. The other thing that was opponents have pointed out is the fact that most private schools charge more then 4 thousand dollars for tuition. While a 4 thousand dollar voucher would be great.. it would leave many low income families far short of the money needed to send their kids to private school.
 In any case opponents to Prop 38 have been hard at work reaching out and conversating with folks in the hood. They don't want people to be 'bamboozled' by this issue. Their outreach efforts will all culminate together this Sunday night with a huge No on Prop 38 Get out the Vote Rally and Concert which will be taken place at the Justice League Night Club in San Francisco. There will be many Bay Area artist on hand who will not only be there to perform but also to speak out on the issues. Cats are at home reading up on their propositions and will be ready to drop the info on their fans. Confirmed artists include The Delinquents, Ager Man of 3X Krazy, The Conscious Daughters, and Mystic and Shug to name a few. Also rolling through will be SF Mayor Willie Brown and if all goes well with the current budget talks in Washington DC, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Many of SF current supervisors as well as candidates vying for seats will also be on hand.. Joy Taylor is the person behind the party noted that she felt it was extremely important to make a effort to reach out and actively involve the Hip Hop community, especially those artists who appeal to the 'streets'. She clearly understood that what they say and do will resonate a long way with certain audiences. She also noted that it didn't too much prodding to get cats to participate . Many were willing and ready to go to and speakout on the issues..
Another high profile event which involves the Hip Hop community is taking place this Thursday night at the Justice League.. KUSF Hip Hop DJs J Boogie, DJ Pause and company will be lending their skillz and support for district 6 candidate for SF Supervisor-Chris Daly.. Daly if elected will be the City Supervisor who overseas the entertainment district, hence it is in the best interest of tthe Hip Hop and night club community in general to look closely and therow their support behind some of the 17 candidates vying for that spot. Daly a longtime community activist with strong ties to to the streets is leading the polls but in a tight race withan opponent that has been endorsed by Mayor Willie Brown.. .
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***HIP HOP REPRESENT GET OUT TO VOTE NATIONWIDE***
Hip Hop heads are stepping up their Get Out To Vote efforts in other parts of the country as we draw closer to the upcoming November 7th elections. First, coming out of the recently held Million Family March is an organization of African American movers and shakers from the entertainment, Internet and telecommunications arena called BETA [Black Entertainment & Telecommunications Association]. They have been regularly meeting since the historic the March to develop strategies and enact efforts to get Out The Vote for next Tuesday. Thus far they have been serving as a clearing house of sorts to set up radio interviews and get folks to work phone banks as well as walk or drive around key districts. Their goal is to leverage their high profile contacts within their respective fields and get them to public speak out and help motivate people to head on out to the voting booths next Tuesday.. For more info contact Talib Karim at mailto:tkarim@teclawgroup.com
In Philadelphia, long time activist and Hip Hop head Donna Frisby Greenwood has been hard at work with broad cross section of organizations like Brave New World, Power 99 FM, The NAACP Voter Fund the Urban League Young Professionals, The League of Women Voters, YOACAP and 2000 African American Women. Collectively they have participated in some high profile activities that have resulted in them registering more than 5000 people over the past month alone.
One of the strategies employed was them issuing a challenge to local High Schools to register as many people as possible in their respective neighborhood. The winning schools would receive tickets to Power 99 Powerhouse Concert. In addition this Philly contingent were on hand in full force at the concert, targeting the 16 thousand concert goers as well as recording Get Out The Vote Messages from many of the performers.
Today [Wed November 1 ] they will be hosting a Get Out The Vote Rally at the Community College of Philadelphia between (9:30-11 am). Participants will include Survivor cast member Gervas Peterson, TV Judge Mathis and rapper James Gotti to name a few. The rally is part of the NAACP Bus Tour. Later that evening on the campus, starting at 7pm they will be hosting a local candidate night which is free to the public.
There are also plans to host an Online Celebrity chat on Monday November 6th in conjunction with Urban Box Office.. On election day itself they will be hooking up with Power 99 to go to various polling places and transit stops to encourage people to get to the polls.. Big Props to Donna Frisby Greenwood and all the organizations in Philly for doing what they gotta do to make sure the importance of voting isn't put on the back burner..
Finally in Atlanta the newly formed Hip Hop Pac have been stepping up efforts to Get Out the Vote for Congress woman Cynthia McKinney. Over the past couple of months they've been going letting folks in Georgia know just how progressive McKinney has been and how she has been good friend to the Hip Hop community. They've been passing out information about her campaign and recruiting people to volunteer.. For more info on Hip Hop Pac hit them up at mailto:HipHopPAC@aol.com
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Recap: SPECIAL HIP HOP SUMMIT ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
By Yvonne Bynoe
 Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Hip Hop Summit organized by The Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network and David Mays, CEO of The Source. While I commend the efforts of the event&Mac226;s organizers and the industry people who came out to address social responsibility in Hip Hop, I will venture to say that the event will have no effect on the music industry or on rap artists. My chief complaints are these: First there was no agenda. While the organizers thought that it was a sign of flexibility not to have an outline of subjects to be addressed, in truth it was a sign of chaos. There was no cohesion in the subjects covered by the various speakers, for example, Master P talked about forming a Hip Hop union which would educate artists and provide a pension-like program to assist artists in need; the Reverend Al Sharpton talked about racial and youth profiling, Eddie De Jesus of the Source Youth Foundation discussed supporting youth programs and Minister Conrad Muhammad addressed how the images rap artists are crafting for themselves is affecting the Hip Hop community. With all of these topics there was no way to begin to resolve any of the matters that were broached.
Secondly, rather than have a dialogue about the issues and come to some resolution(s), the event was mainly a rally, where various hand-picked people aired their views from the dais while the invited guests were rendered mute in their chairs. One may question the reason for inviting people if their input was irrelevant to the conversation. A cynic would respond by saying that an audience provided the ambiance needed to get the event and its conveners on the evening news, which it did.
 While this Hip Hop Summit's press release touted it as „an historic event, KRS-One when he spoke correctly stated that these summits have been done before. According to KRS-One, Afrika Bambaataa in 1987 convened the first one, the Unity Summit, held at the Latin Quarter nightclub. KRS-One said that at that meeting, the Stop The Violence Coalition was formed and in 1988 they recorded the song „Self-Destruction to bring awareness to Black on Black crime. The song made $600,000, which was then donated, to the National Urban League. Subsequently, West Coast rap artists recorded the song, „All In the Same Gang and in 1996, in an effort to quell the East Coast-West Coast conflict, The National Hip Hop and Rap Summit convened by the National African American Leadership Summit, then headed by Dr. Benjamin Chavis, bringing together industry heads like Suge Knight and Chuck D as well as activists from around the country. In the intervening years there have also been smaller regional meetings, like one held by Co-motion in New York City, as well as private meeting between particular people or groups, yet we still have not resolved any of the main issues in Hip Hop: violence, misogyny and the financial exploitation of artists.
The genesis for these summits is normally the same, there is some calamity concerning Hip Hop, in this instance it was the melee at this year's Source Awards, then, music industry people and activists jump up and say that something needs to be done and they put together a summit. People are invited, they see old friends, talk, even make some solids recommendations, but ultimately nothing changes, especially since the general public is rarely invited to participate in the discussions. With most business or political negotiations and summits, there are clearly defined factions, each with clearly defined agendas. These factions come together either to avoid conflict or to merge; within the Hip Hop community there is never any resolution because factions are fluid and the agendas are undefined.
The artists, always the focus of the discussions, want to continue to make money, while also being down with the community (their consumer base). The artists then flow between the community and record companies, paying lip service to the community, but ultimately falling in line with the corporate interests who pay them. At this summit as well as prior ones, most of the artists and the few industry leaders who participated, said a few words about the importance of artists speaking about what they see and know and then they bounced. In short hand this means „business as usual,‰ because the corporate entities and the artists know that there will be no repercussions from the Hip Hop public if they do not change their behavior. If anything is ever going to change in Hip Hop, in connection with social responsibility, it will not come out of any closed-door summit. Change will come when the Hip Hop public around the country wakes up, organizes in their communities and tells the artists and the corporation entities (radio, video shows and record companies) what they are want and what they will no longer tolerate.
 An artist should be free to speak his or her truth, but it is the public that should determine whether it is something that they want to hear, and if so when. "Cash and Ass" songs and videos are fine, but why has the public allowed this material to be played when children are listening to radio and watching television. Only Mos Def spoke to this point, questioning the appropriateness of kids viewing or listening to adult material. Why is it that 'nigger' and 'bitch' are barely deleted any more from songs aired on the radio? As a people we have always had risqué entertainment, but before we knew what was for children and what was for adults; now we have muddied the line or rather, we have allowed primarily white-owned corporate entities to do so. If impressionable kids are bombarded day and night with lyrics and images of gangsters, pimps and hos, it is reasonable to assume that they are going to emulate these characters. Additionally if they see millionaire rap artists scuffling or getting locked up, they will think that this behavior is also acceptable. Moreover, for the kid from the 'hood' who wants to 'bling bling' like his favorite artist, he will find the money, even if means slinging on the corner or knocking you in your head.
Is an artist's free speech more important than the effect that it may have on the public? This is not about censorship, but about community control. In that vein, where is the mix of rap music on the radio? Why do I have to hunt the underground stations for Dead Prez, Jurassic 5 or Slum Village but I can hear Nelly, Jay-Z, Ludacris or Lil' Kim on commercial stations practically every hour, across the nation? Is the Hip Hop community really making these choices, when by and large Blacks do not own the record companies, the commercial radio stations or cable networks that produce or distribute the material?
Over and over again, so-called community leaders bemoan the state of rap music and Hip Hop, as if they are powerless to effect change. In a capitalist society change comes when you tap into corporate wallets. In reality, they know this, but they are uncomfortable with the prospect of taking actions or setting standards that will affect young Black artists. However, at this point in time, rap music and Hip Hop culture has become corporate entertainment, whereby many Black rap artists get paid not for speaking their individual truth but for performing the roles of gangsta, pimp and ho for the enjoyment of white audiences.
Black communities have to decide what they want for themselves and their children and then convey that to their local radio station, cable networks, their advertisers and to the record companies and artists. This communication can take the form of organized protests, letter-writing/call-in campaigns and boycotts. To continue to expect the music industry to police itself when so much money is at stake is ridiculous. Like the characters in Spike Lee's movie Bamboozled, many Black people in the music industry have sacrificed their dignity and self-respect to make a buck. By supporting their efforts, the Hip Hop public is contributing to our own continued oppression, when whites constantly see us portrayed as criminals and hoochies. There is room for truth in entertainment but there should also be room for elevation. Like De La Soul said, „[I] instead of keeping it real, you should try to keep it right
Yvonne Bynoe is the co-founder of Urban Think Tank, Inc. She can be emailed at mailto:urbanthinktank@usa.net and their web site is www.urbanthinktank.org.
Hip Hop Canada Interview with The Artful Dodgers
 The interview was conducted electronically.
HHC:First off, tell the people who you are.
AD: Artfull Dodgers(Jackpot and B.Gozza)
HHC:What influenced your decision to call yourself that?
AD: After disbanding from our old 5 man crew "Juggernaut" in 96, B.Gozza was working at a local TV station and caught the movie version of Charles Dickens' "Oliver". At the time, our group was starting all over and struggling, and with this current mind state he related to the "Artful Dodger" character in the film. The character, like Gozza and Jackpot was struggling and doing whatever he could to survive. Gozza took note of the unusual name, later ran it by Jackpot who approved, and Artfull Dodgers were born.
HHC:What is your musical background?
AD: Both members born in the mid-seventies witnessed the birth and expansion of hip hop music and culture. We were fortunate enough to have older siblings that turned us on to hip hop at a very young age. Early interests in breaking and graffiti eventually led to experimentation with rhyming. Gozza began rapping in 1986 (at the age of 10) with his older brother, forming a short-lived crew called Mega Masters. Jackpot began rapping in 1988 (at the age of 13) as a solo MC.
HHC:Where did you grow up? Does this affect your style of production in your music?
AD: Both members grew up just outside Flint Michigan were a small local hip hop scene had begun in the 80s. Geography really played no part in the development of our style of production. Although there were a few groups coming out of there are, we contracted inspiration from west and east coast artists.
HHC:When did you first start listening to hip hop? What effect did it have on you?
AD: We both began listening to hip hop as children. It changed our lives forever, being the first music and culture that we actually felt apart of and were able to contribute to.
HHC:Who are some of your favorite artists that you listen to that you would like to work with?
AD: Artists like Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Freestyle Fellowship, Wu-Tang, Red Man, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Slick Rick, Rakim, Everlast, Kool G Rap, Kool Kieth, and Chino XL are a few.
 HHC:Who is your producer? What type of equipment is used?
AD: B.Gozza is the main producer creating beats on the good old ASR10. Other producers who we have worked with include Bangtown, Ope, Mic One, His-Panik, Jeff Baraka, and Shanrock. They all use various tools for production including everything from computer soft ware to keyboards.
HHC:What groups/crews/artists have you worked with in the past? How did that go?
AD: We have worked with Juice, O-Type Star, Invincible(MTVs Lyricist Lounge Show), Mic One, Pugzlee Adams, Novacaine, Rubber Rooms' Metamo, and various members of our crew Midwestern Union.
HHC:How did you guys hook up with one another?
AD: Most of them we met at hip hop functions and concerts.
HHC:Who do you most enjoy working with to accomplish your sound?
AD: O-Type Star and Juice
HHC:Are you on a contacted label or independent?
AD: Independent and proud baby!
HHC:What projects are you currently working on? When and where can we get a hold of it?
AD: Currently we are working on our second full length album entitled "Second Wind". We are releasing a single off the album this winter and the album will be dropping in the spring/early summer. It will be available at our website www.artfulldodgers.com as well as various stores. Other projects include a collaboration album with Detroit's One Man Army and Chicago's Frontline.
HHC:What does the future hold for artist name?
AD: The future is looking bright for Artfull Dodgers. Our album "Lazy Eyes" is still selling well and recieving critical acclaim. We are expanding our fan base every day with the help of our website and touring. Our next album is nearly complete and will dominate the global hip hop scene. Watch out for a US tour coming as well as over seas. In addition, we are still improving with every track we make, our future music will continue to be creative and innovative. We may eventually sign to a major label, but it will be under our terms and we'll never sacrifice our creativity. We have a strong "no sellout" work ethic and we don't compromise our beliefs.
HHC:What are your thoughts on today's hip-hop?
AD: Our thoughts on hip hop today is very optimistic. The worlds attention has gone from the East Coast to the West Coast down to the Dirty South, and soon all eyes will be on the Mid West. There will always be wack artists fixated on money clouding up the charts, but at the same time there will always be an underground with hungry cats like us making classic music. A lot of people say hip hop is dead, but I believe it is alive and well. There is dope creative music out there, you just half to look past the bullshit.
HHC:What do you feel you bring to hip-hop?
AD: What we bring to hip hop is creativity, knowledge of self, respect, innovation, originality, and above all, dope rhymes and ill beats.
HHC:If there was something you could change in hip-hop what would it be and why?
AD: We would like to change the level of negativity and materialism. The focus should be on the music, not how hard or evil an artist is or how much money they have. Whether artists like it or not, hip hop has taken over pop culture and children are influenced by the music every day. We must make positive and creative music to expand the listener's minds.
HHC:Any shout outs?
AD: Shots to go out to -J-Woody, the entire Midwestern Union(Lab Cult, Sons of the Empire, God Aslaam, and Shanrock), Starving Artists Crew, O-Type Star, Juice, DJ Risky Business, One Man Army, Sun, Invincible, the Molemen Crew, Rising Sunz, Funktelligence, Mic One, Pugslee Adams, Metamo, Optimus Prime, Novacaine, Stylus Pilots and everyone who supports hip hop music and culture.
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 The Bay Area was blessed with the presence of Hip Hop's hottest act the other day when Dre and Big Boi of Outkast touched down to promote their new album 'Stankonia'. From the time they entered the radio station [KMEL] to the time they left a packed Chabot College campus in Hayward, there was nothing but unbridled, enthusiastic love for them. Their current hit ' Ms Jackson' is a bonafide anthem that is enjoyed by both the underground as well as commercial crowds. There aren't too many places you can go and not hear the hook of that song being sung.. 'Sorry Ms Jackson I am for reeeeaaal!'. When folks grow weary of that song there are other hard hitting 'rumbles' on the album that'll keep the momentum going like ' So Fresh, So Clean', 'Humble Mumble' featuring Erykah Badu and arguably the best song on the album, 'Xplosion' with B-Real of Cypress Hill.
I got a chance to kick it with these cats yesterday as they laced me up with all their latest happenings. To start, the pair have opened up a recording studio in Atlanta that they call 'Stankonia'. They produced quite a few songs on this latest album including the mega-hit 'Ms Jackson. Contrary to popular belief they did not borrow or sample any hooks from 'Strawberry Letter 23' by the Brothers Johnson. 'This song was done by the Brothers 'Benjamin and Patton' Big Boi said with a smile..A close look at the credits indicate that it was produced by Earthtone III which is Andre and Big Boi. They programmed the keyboards and Andre played guitar on the cut.. I asked Dre if the song was about Erykah Badu who is his former love interest and mother to his child. He responded by saying that the song was a bout a 'personal situation' that went on between him and 'his partner' and he decided to express himself and speak on it through the song. He never mentioned Ms Badu.. but unless Dre has other kids then I guess we can put two and two together.
The pair spoke on their disdain for Napster. As you know their album had been leaked to the public through the popular Internet site. I know that's where I got my first copy of Ms Jackson. An animated Dre said he couldn't stand the company and as an artist he felt like he had been raped. 'When we put out an album it's an event', he said. 'We picked the release date and plan everything around it..Napster released our music before it was even done. The public got treated to an incomplete package. Many of the songs were not done and they also had songs mistitled. We take our music very seriously'. Big Boi added to the conversation. 'Imagine if you were a painter and I snook into your house and took your painting before you finished adding all the colors and posted it up in a museum or started selling it to the public? ' Big Boi asked. 'That's how we feel about Napster'
The pair explained that they aren't against technology or the Internet. They clearly understand that they reach a whole new audience via the Internet. Andre repeated several times it was all about the artist being able to control his music. He was definitely upset that the public got unfinished material. 'This music is our baby and Napster took it from us.. We were planning to celebrate the birth of our album and Napster ruined it'. The group concluded by noting that they have no plans to sue the company. They prefer to let Dr Dre and Metallica handle that aspect, but they do want to see some sort of controls and provisions so that artist aren't left out in the cold and helpless about the distribution of their music.
Outkast also cleared up some bothersome misconceptions surrounding a couple of songs. People have been raising concerns about their song 'Bombs over Baghdad'. Dre explained that the song was titled that way because it sounded good rolling off the tongue. In no way shape or form did it have anything to do with their desire to bomb the Iranian city. Nor was it a statement about the current crisis going on in the Middle East. 'We should've titled it 'Bombs Over Napster' Dre said with a grin. 'Be careful Dre if something happens to them, they gonna come back and blame us because of what you said in this interview', Big Boi chimed.
 On the issue of on going drama with Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks. The pair explained that they had won the lawsuit, but her people had gone out and hired Johnny Cochran who is now appealing the ruling. The pair seemed baffled that this scenario has dragged on so much. Big Boi said he doesn't think its Ms Parks, but her instead its her people trying to exploit the group. Dre noted they never disrespected her and always admired her. As for Johnny Cochran who is known for defending rappers and is now coming after them, Dre stated that Johnny needs to go on and get himself a prime time TV show. He feels Johnny is now involved for the fame and money.
The pair concluded their interview by talking about their upcoming clothing line called Outkast Clothing. I asked the eccentrically dressed Andre who was wearing a burgundy Rasta hat and a bright blue poncho if they would be selling the off beat line of outfits he is known for sporting. Over the years, dude has worn everything from turbans to dresses to hairy zebra shorts. Dre said they will have some nice fits for everyone.. I took that to mean I'll be able to get a nice poncho.. Big Boi reminded everyone to get out and vote this election.. He noted that even though he's not the ideal candidate, he's going with Al Gore.. 'Gore for the Hood', he repeated. 'Don't let Bush get in there' Dre said. 'Black folks and other minorities better get behind Gore'. The interview ended with Dre speaking on the importance of having God in your life. He stressed that people shouldn't blindly follow religion or cults, but they should take time and get right with God and develop a relationship.
Stankonia drops this Tuesday October 31st.. It is definitely an album worth getting..
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***Jigga Takes It to the Next Level***
 Come next Tuesday folks will want to save their money so they can get the new Roc-A-Fella album entitled 'The Dynasty Roc La Familia 2000'. I kid you not when I emphatically say this is some next level stuff for Jay-Z and his crew. It is absolutely 100% off the meat rack.. Its incredible. Song after song after song knocks and it becomes apparent that Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegal and Jay Z had been holding back their dopest material until now. For west coast headz Jay-Z has shown both growth as an artist as well as his appreciation for the love he has gotten out here, especially in the Bay.Itr is reflected in the music. He uses Bay Area producer Rick Rock on a couple of tracks including the very popular 'Parking Lot Pimpin' which is an authentic Bay Area saying. He also does a nice track with Snoop called 'Get Your Mind Right Mami'. Other standout joints include 'This Can't Be Life' featuring Scarface and 'Guilty To Proven Innocent' featuring R Kelly. Heads will really enjoy '1-900-Hustler' and 'You, Me, Him and Her'. The track that will really touch a nerve is the emotionally charged 'Where Have You Been'. Here Beanie Sigel rips a heart felt song about a after who has mistreated and abandoned his family.
The Dynasty Roc La Familia' is marked by the fact that you can feel the friendship between the entire click. Most of the songs seem to be coming from the heart. There are no filler tracks and each of the players seem to open themselves up to the audience. The stories they tell are vivid. The music is banging. The only concern was Amil who was noticeably absent. Rumors have been circulating that she is either pregnant or has had a falling out with the Roc-A-Fella squad. In any case the album is off the hook..Jigga takes his craft to the next level. Folks are gonna have a hard time fronting on this album.. I got to give this one a 10!
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 If you happen to see Ole Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan.. tell him he's wanted by some very anxious counselors at the Impact House Treatment Facility in Los Angeles. Hip Hop's craziest character while enroute to court decided to go AWOL on the minimum security facility. This has resulted in the LA Superior Court issuing a 'no-bail' warrant. This means once captured ODB will not be able to post bail and will likely wind up serving time for this latest antic. In light of all the constant brushes ODB has had with the law, one cannot help but speculate that something is seriously wrong with homeboy.. He's gonna need some extra help...
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FNV October 26 2000
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