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Davey D's FNV Newsletter
In Today's Issue: September 29 2000
*Sticky Fingaz Gets Hemmed Up
*Shyne & Puffy Get Dissed
*Third Eye Movement To Take On Police
*Brazilian Rappers Break Outta Jail
*Olympics End Australian Hip Hop Month Begins
*Singapore Hip Hop Needs You
*Hip Hop Music Notes...
*Eminem To Bring Out Stan
*Fat Joe Fights For Viques
*Hip Hop & Violence: Will It Ever Stop?
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
============================================
 Former Onyx rap star Sticky Fingaz got himself into a sticky situation the other night when he was man handled and beat down by bouncers at a New York City night club. According to the New York Daily News, Fingaz was attending a club called Spa to see the premier of a movie 'The Price of Air'. Because he didn't want to deal with the crowd at the front door, Fingaz attempted to exit through the backdoor. That's when he ran into trouble. According to the bouncers, Fingaz was thrown out the club for violating club policy. According to to an unnamed source quoted in the news article, Fingaz was choked and stomped on by bodyguards who wound up breaking his toes.. Sticky after being removed returned to the club, spit on the bouncer and sucker punched him.. A club spokesman is claiming that Fingaz may have injured his toes when he fell down after swinging on the bouncer...If that wasn't enough Fingaz was arrested and charged with third degree assault..That's the third Hip Hop artist arrested in NY in the past two weeks. Earlier this week Queen Pen had drama and the week before Drag On was arrested for fighting with his limo driver.
==================================
* While Sticky was dealing with unruly bouncers, Sean Puffy Combs was being threatened with jail time for showing up to court 4 minutes late. Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos accused Puff of showing disrespect to the court for not only being late but for also wearing sun glasses. As you know Puff along with his protege Shyne and their body guard Anthony Wolf Jones are on trial for charges ranging from weapons possession to attempted murder and reckless endangerment. All this stems from the infamous night club shooting last December which led to the arrest of Combs and actress Jennifer Lopez.. Both were accused of fleeing the scene of a crime. Shyne was accused of shooting up the club.
*Shyne who has just dropped his self title album is not getting the best of reviews from Lil Kim. The other night she was on Hot 97 being interviewed by Funkmaster Flex. He asked her why she dissed him in the song 'Notorious'. Kim explained that she and Shyne came up out of the same camp and that Kim tried to offer him some advice. She said that if he was gonna come out sounding like Biggie then he should give him props in his rhymes. Apparently Shyne hasn't done this. He may have exasperated things even more by referring to himself as the 'King of New York' on his new album.. This of course is a moniker Biggie had adopted for himself.. Interestingly enough during the Flex interview Lil Kim referred to herself as a pioneer in rap..A pioneer??? Wow!
*If you happen to be in Sao Paulo, Brazil and you see Antonio de Silva Souza or Antonio Queiroz of the rap group Carandiru Connection, tell them that prison officials are looking for them and their privileges may be indefinitely suspended. Carandiru for those who don't know, is the largest and most notorious prison in South America. In 1992 it was the scene to a bloody massacre in which over 100 prisoners were killed by police during riot. Inmates were protesting inhumane conditions. AS a way to ease tensions and help turn things around, prison officials introduced music and sports to the correctional facility which houses some of Brazil's most violent criminals. Within the walls there are 4 rap groups including 509 E which has already recorded an album, got signed to a record label and has had its videos shown on MTV.
The group Carandiru Connection is known for its political lyrics about social injustice and the unfair prison system. The eight member group was granted permission to leave the jail to perform at a concert.. Inmates who are members of bands are allowed to perform at functions outside of prison. During their last concert two of the members walked off stage and escaped into the crowd with throngs of fans. Hence the police are looking for them. Their unauthorized departure may put the jails concert policy in jeopardy and result in them discontinuing the program. Lets hope for the sake of the other groups Carandiru Connections returns soon.
==================================
* The Bay Area's Hip Hop organization Third Eye Movement is set to take it to the streets again. This time they will be aggressively seeking to put an end to police brutality in Oakland. Earlier this week OPD was rocked as word of a scandal and corruption involving 4 west Oakland officers known as 'The Riders' made headlines. A rookie officer came forth and testified that the officers who worked the midnight shift were planting evidence on suspects, beating down people and falsifying police reports. The rookie officer immediately retired from the force after blowing the whistle. In a strange twist of fate one of the main culprits to this drama was the officer who choked Tony Toni Tone singer Dwayne Wiggins last year. This particular officer has logged more then 18 complaints including breaking someone's arm during a calling which he asked the victim to turn down his music during a fourth of July party.
With these allegations now surfacing, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and police chief Richard Word have called for an investigation by an independent body connected with the county of Alameda. However the folks who roll with Third Eye says that's not enough. Yesterday during a news conference in front of Oakland Police headquarters group members noted that similar complaints of police misconduct and abuse have come from all sectors of the community. Hence they will be reaching out and collecting information from cats who have been jacked by Oakland police. Their sense is that since the Police Chief is upset and determined to clean up the department, this will help his efforts. They also noted it will help restore trust between the community and the police if a truly independent body was apart of the investigation.. One thing is for sure, Third Eye is very skilled at organizing folks and this latest incident will not go by the wayside now that they are involved.. Now that's what I call Hip Hop activism.
For folks who don't know the history of Third Eye, they initially formed a few years back when San Francisco police shot and killed a young woman named Sheila Detoy. She was 17 years old and a classmate to many of the members. She happened to be in the back seat of a car as a passenger when SFPD rolled up and demanded that the driver pull over. Because homeboy had a warrant he sped off and the police recklessly shot in the back of the speeding vehicle killing Detoy.. This sparked the groups activism which has continued and grown immensely over the past couple of years. Most notable was the huge battle they waged against California's Juvenile Crime Initiative Prop 21. Many of the members are B-Boys and B-Girls who do everything from spoken word to graffiti. Hip Hop expressions has been their main tool to help organize Bay Area heads. They are currently finishing up a compilation album.
==================================
If you happen to be in Sao Paulo, Brazil and you see Antonio de Silva Souza or Antonio Queiroz of the rap group Carandiru Connection, tell them that prison officials are looking for them and their privileges may be indefinitely suspended. Carandiru for those who don't know, is the largest and most notorious prison in South America. In 1992 it was the scene to a bloody massacre in which over 100 prisoners were killed by police during riot. Inmates were protesting inhumane conditions. AS a way to ease tensions and help turn things around, prison officials introduced music and sports to the correctional facility which houses some of Brazil's most violent criminals. Within the walls there are 4 rap groups including 509 E which has already recorded an album, got signed to a record label and has had its videos shown on MTV.
The group Carandiru Connection is known for its political lyrics about social injustice and the unfair prison system. The eight member group was granted permission to leave the jail to perform at a concert.. Inmates who are members of bands are allowed to perform at functions outside of prison. During their last concert two of the members walked off stage and escaped into the crowd with throngs of fans. Hence the police are looking for them. Their unauthorized departure may put the jails concert policy in jeopardy and result in them discontinuing the program. Lets hope for the sake of the other groups Carandiru Connections returns soon.
==================================
Now that the Olympics are winding down, folks from the land down under are gearing up for another a month of festivities. October will be the launch of Australian Hip Hop Month. I was sent this Press release talking about what they have planned.
The inaugural AUSTRALIAN HIP HOP MONTH kicks off this October.
It is no longer a matter of ‘supporting’ local hip hop. Releases from the past few years have shown time and again that the standard our artists are achieving deserve more recognition but often media have little access to the artists or cannot filter them and what they stand for into their dance- or rock-oriented mindsets.
The primary aim of the month will be to increase recognition of local hip hop artists’ releases and their contribution and participation in the Australian and international music industries.
The main push of the month is to unify some of the infrastructure local artists need to get their music heard. Radio shows, street press, magazines, newspapers, clubs and shops will all be encouraged to join in the month on whatever level possible. Dedicating a certain amount of airtime, page or shelf space to local hip hop will have a roll-on effect allowing the talent in this country to possibly pursue their music on a more involved level and take it to new dimensions.
The month will coincidentally tie in with Australian music week (14 - 21 October, 2000) and the National Independent Electronic Label Conference in Newcastle.
How to be involved:
If you represent the ‘infrastructure’ side of things dig around your locale and find out what is happening. You can use http://www.stealthmag.com/ozhiphop.html to find out various details but nothing beats getting out into the shops, gigs and streets to find out what exactly is happening.
Contact:
For more information email info@stealthmag.com.
Check out http://www.stealthmag.com/ozhiphop.html regularly for updates and artist previews. The site will be built up throughout October.
++THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION CELEBRATES TEN YEARS
October 6th marks ten years since Sydney's longest running hip hop show, The Mothership Connection hit the airwaves. Throughout October you will only hear Australian hip hop and interviews with Australian artists. For those not in Sydney tune into http://www.2ser.com to stream it live. The show airs from 2pm to 4pm on Tuesday afternoons, Sydney time.
++
FAQ
How can I be involved?
You can be involved just by checking out what your artists are doing, buy their music if you want but at least dig for it and listen to it. On a more personal level get your pen and pad out, make a mixtape of Australian hip hop for a friend or dig in the crates for that perfect beat. Represent Australian hip hop by representing yourself.
Why October?
Why not.
I’m an artist and want to put my info up on the site. What do I do?
Email info@stealthmag.com with all your info.
Why does the month focus more on contemporary local artists and not the old school?
Firstly, to cover everything that has ever happened in Australian hip hop in one month is stupid. The idea is to take what the currently active hip hop scene is doing to a larger audience, break down some barriers, and most importantly, get these artists recognised. Through that stories and histories will be told.
What is Australian hip hop?
Whatever you want it to be.
I’m an Australian artist but don’t see any information about me here. Why not?
Be proactive. Email your information to mailto:info@stealthmag.com. Put a banner on your site too if you can. It’s only one month.
==================================
If you're an up and coming rap star you may be able to get your shine on over in Singapore. GS Productionz is putting together a compilation album entitled 'It's Hip Hop' which they plan to release in December. The purpose of the compilation is to bring attention to Hip Hop out of Singapore as well as expose Hip Hop from all across the globe to fans in their country.. They can't provide any monetary compensation, but they will give you mad love over in Singapaore.. which has quite a few people. I think its bigger then New York last I checked.. Anyway reach out to these cats at mailto:souljah30@yahoo.com . All entries are due by the last week of October.. or drop them a line at
Mailing Address:
G.S Productionz
02 Jalan Daliah
#05-04
Singapore 438517
Tel/Fax: (65) 4474864
==================================
'Blak is Blak' is the first single off the Bamboozle soundtrack and its definitely knocking. This head nodding joint features stellar performances from Mos Def, Canibus, Mums and MC Serch among others.. The movie itself looks to be interesting. It's directed by Spike Lee and deals with the stereotypical images we as African Americans have to endure when watching TV. The soundtrack itself is pretty nice.. But this song is head and shoulders above other material in the market..
LA's Mykill Miers drops a 3 song 12 inch which is guaranteed to take you to Hip Hop heaven. 'Who Am I?', 'World War I' and 'Do The Math' are all bumping. Who Am I is somewhat melodic while Do The Math is straight up head nodding material. Both songs were featured on his album. World War I is a bit more adventurous and definitely worth spinning..
 Ja Rule comes to the plate and freaks it with a Hip Hop remake of the Prince classic 'Poplife'. His rendition is a song appropriately called 'Thuglife'. At first glance I thought it was gonna be your typical Lets get down and grimy type song... But this joint actually works.. How he managed to convince Prince to let him use his music is probably a story onto itself.. But Thug Life is my favorite for this week..Oh yeah there's a b side to this song entitled 'Pain' in which he pays tribute to 2Pac.. Its cool..
Speaking of Pac, how did Death Row manage to get Michael Jackson to give up the rights to use an interpolation to his song Human Nature. Pac's newest posthumous joint is entitled 'Thug Nature' complete with a Jackson sound alike singing the hook.. Michael hasn't always been the most generous person when it comes to letting cats use his stuff.. The record sounds good.. Maybe he's about to make a comeback and he wants some street credibility..who knows?
The group to really pay close attention to is San Francisco's 'Foreign Legion'. For the past few years rappers Peter Parker and Prozack have been paying serious dues by releasing 12" singles and performing at just about every night club in the area that showcases Hip Hop. Their claim to fame has been their razor sharp lyrics, off the hook rhyme skillz and their unique costume changes. Foreign Legion comes to each show dressed in an off the wall costume. It could range from Batman and Robin to Abbott and Costello. After we get over the novelty of their attire the group lets their music do the talking. Their new album which is appropriately titled 'Kidnappervan Beats to Rock While Bike Stealing'.
The album has tons of head noddin' tracks which are straight 'rewind material.. My favorites include the b-boy inspired 'People Round The Town', the jazzy flavored 'Chain Reaction' and Bay Area underground classics like 'Full Time B-Boy' and the reggae flavore, horn driven 'Underground'. Their current single 'Nowhere To Hide' is like Wu-Tang meets the Bay.. Its definitely off the hook.. Foreign Legion better be careful about blowing up and getting too large.. because there's a nice little punk band in South Wales who have been sporting the same name Foreign Legion since '82...
Lastly here's some new up and coming underground joints worth peeping.. Its a new section we'll be doing called Straight From The Underground.. My boy S Bahir is constantly digging deep into the cyber space crates looking for new gems to highlight.. If you got some banging material that's hitting drop him a quick line at
mailto:sb@houseofboxing.com .. Also hit me off with the info as well mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
The Brooklyn Mob
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/155/the_brooklyn_mob.html
Various artists with different styles of Hip Hop from
Brooklyn and the Mid-West.
On D Lo Records
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/152/on_d_lo_productions.html
A selection of street flavas from Chicago.
Venom Records
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/43/venom_records.html
An up coming label that carries several artists with
a southern Hip Hop orientation.
(Producers Only)
Sonny Cheeba
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/89/sonny_cheeba.html
Accomplished and innovative production from N.Y.
Deeper Era Production
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/107/deeper_era_productions.html
Quality commercial orientated production from Canada.
 After much anticipation it looks like Slim Shady aka Eminem will finally be doing a video to his hit song 'Stan'. For those who don't know this is the track about an obsessed fan who keeps writing to Eminem seeking attention. He tragically kills himself and his girlfriend in a fit of rage at the end of the song. To me its one of Eminem's best songs and clearly displays his creative genius. Featured in the video will be British singer Dido who's song 'Thank You' was used as the hook throughout the song. She may wind up playing the role of Stan's girlfriend.. Dr Dre will help co-direct the video..
Speaking of Dr Dre, he along with Metallica and lawyer Howard King are still trying to jam up Universities and get them to ban access to Napster. His lawyer has sent out 27 letters to various Universities asking them to restrict access. In a recent interview Howard King stated that he will now send follow up letters letting these Universities know the legal ramifications of allowing students to download copy written music using Napster.. Boy talk about player hating.. I sure hope folks don't decide to boycott these cats..
 Props are in order to Fat Joe, The Arsonist, Tony Touch and the Rocksteady Crew. They along with numerous other artist will be stepping up to the plate and doing a Freedom Concert to raise money and bring attention to the situation in Vieques. For folks who don't know this tiny island which sits near Puerto Rico has been used by the US Navy for bomb testing.. This has been going on since 1940. For years people have been protesting. They have pointed to high incidents of cancer and other health problems. Unfortunately the Navy has continued its exercises. Things came to a head last year when a protestor was killed during one of the exercises. This has renewed commitment to get the Navy to stop. We should point out that Fat Joe, Rocksteady and other artists have long been involved in the struggle to Stop The Bombing of Vieques. The Freedom Concert which will take place on October 5th at the Great Hall at Cooper Union University is just one of many direct actions they have taken to bring attention to this situation..
 Folks in Seattle are a bit upset about the sweeping generalizations and concerns being raised about the fate of Hip Hop clubs in the Emerald City.. This comes after a altercation and shootings this past Saturday at a Pioneer Square night club called Bohemian Cafe and Lounge. Five people were injured and more then a dozen semi automatic handgun rounds were recovered. This incident prompted nearby club owners and patrons to call upon Seattle's city leaders to complain about the Hip Hop night and encourage them to either get the club owner Anthony Frazier to switch formats or close his doors. Over the past several years more then six Seattle Hip Hop clubs have had to either change format or close their doors. What makes this latest incident so disheartening is that nationwide incidents violence are being cited as proof that Hip Hop causes violence. An article in a Seattle newspaper laid out a string of incidents from New Jersey to Minneapolis where Hip Hop clubs had to be closed down due to unruly crowds and a 'bad element' consistently showing up.
One club owner Tina Bueche was quoted as saying.. "There's something about the music that seems to bring out the stupidity of the people who hang around outside these clubs.
Another club owner pointed out his club Pioneer Square club Zasu started experiencing fights and all sorts of drama outside the club during their Hip Hop night earlier this year. The clubs DJs returned to their original format of 80s music..
Still another club owner named Gregory Mountain stated in the article that "There was a violent scent in the air and that trouble was bound to happen".
There is no doubt some of the latest incidents of violence within Hip Hop won't help matters. Most notable is an altercation in which Boston Celtic basketball star Paul Pierce was stabbed 11 times at a night club the other night. Boston police made a public statement that the stabbing may have been attributed to members of the rap group Made Men. The group has vehemently denied any such involvement.. But clearly because of past problems the link between Hip Hop and violence is being established...
 Rap star Queen Pen was arrested the other night for fighting another woman named Yolanda Roberts outside the Pulse Night club in New York City.. NYPD are investigating reports of possible gunfire. Adding even more fuel to the fire there was supposedly two men stabbed at an album release party for Shyne. The incident took place at the Tunnel Night club in Manhattan which has seen more then its share of drama over the years during its Sunday Hip Hop night. The fact that Shyne himself has been involved with incidents of violence including the now infamous night club shooting last December involving Sean Puffy Combs and his girl Jennifer Lopez, makes the conclusion of Hip Hop causes violence even easier to draw for critics.
There is no doubt that most Hip Hop fans see such conclusions differently. Violence at Hip Hop clubs is attributed to conflicting groups from different parts of town appreciating the same music. There is a likelihood they may show up at the same venue and that's where the drama starts. The solution is to either have more venues or be aware of potential problems ahead of time and take the necessary precautions. In most cities there are usually one or two Hip Hop clubs which means everyone shows up at the same place. Such is not the place with rock and other music genres where there are an array of night clubs which gives people lots of choices.
 More venues mean that crowds from different neighborhoods can spread out and congregate in places that they most feel comfortable. For example, the recent club violence in Seattle was attributed to cats from Central District and West Seattle showing up at the same spot. Perhaps if there were more Hip Hop nights and night clubs there wouldn't be a need for everyone to show up at one place. Because a Hip Hop night occurs so infrequently at night clubs it encourages everyone to come out and roll through with a deep clique. the feeling is if you don't attend the club that night, you will have to wait a full week before you can go again.. There's something about having that sense of urgency to be seen 'in the place to be' that often leads to unnecessary drama. People feel like they have to show out and act a fool. The other thing to keep in mind is that much of the drama at Hip Hop clubs usually occurs outside the club.. Hence that says that more way too many people are showing up then can get in.. It points to Hip Hop's popularity, but it also indicates that certain unique precautions aren't being taken..
We can all note that what I'm saying seems a bit illogical. But if you sit back and think about it.. other music genres have their own unique problems and quirky crowds, yet 'illogical' steps are taken to accommodate them. For example, at a lot of rock clubs, violence or aggressive behavior plays itself out with sanctioned mosh pits. Other venues that attract rowdy drunken frat types take the necessary precautions to best deal with those patrons. It may mean using plastic cups as opposed to glass or it may mean bolting down chairs..
Lastly I will be the first to admit that some of our own rap stars leave a lot to be desired with their behavior and propensity to somehow be in the middle of crazy situations.. Sooner or later folks will wake up and realize that what they do effects how people perceive Hip Hop and ultimately their ability to make money..
FNV September 22cd
FNV September 19th
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