Ain't we lucky we got em? Good Times

"You love me, especially different, every time. You keep me on my feet, happy, excited by..." - Jill Scott, He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat) (Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds)

So, in this entry, Lynne says in the comments:

i'm feeling a lot of black bourgeoise up in here. but maybe i'm reading incorrectly.

anyway, those kids do act out. but maybe that's why they were put on television in the first place. it's like on the news, when they go into the black neighborhood to report on something, and they always pick someone who can't complete a sentence to ask questions of. it's that kind of putting a lock on the stereotypes to keep folks in their place or in check.
oddly enough, i can stomach MTBII. b/c there are a lot of kids like that out there. kids with limited education and a dream of being a rapper. this show is just exploiting that.

ok...off my soap box now...

and then in this month's XLR8R, they received this letter:

In your year-end issue there was a section of "Bests and Worsts" of 2003 where King Britt stated that one of the worst things about 2003 was Southern rap. He follows this by using African-American Southern vernacular as an example of something that is hindering the progress that black people have made. I know his views are not those of XLR8R, so it ain't really about y'all, but it is about how white supremacy and Eurocentric values have a lot of uppity, bougie black folks making snide comments about a culture they don't understand, despite being black themselves

King Britt does not have to like SOuthern rap! But he does have to respect the fact that a lot of black people who do not come from Philadelphia don't speak like him. This does not set black people back, especially if that is the way that they learned to talk from their family and community!

I read a lot of these "alternative" magazines 'cause I'm into the music they promte. It never fails that an artist or writer in some backwards way shows that they don't come from the same ethnicity, culture or class as I do. Maybe their parties and concerts are not filled with 24-year-old African American males from East Oakland, but y'all gotta know that you do have readers that are from the ghetto. They see some of the ways that black culture is being ridiculed through masked racism...So next time Britt's boosie ass (that's East Oakland for wack) writes something, he should think about how this language is not his black peoples' original language.
Peace,
Whiz

So, my question is, as black folks, is it a requirement of cultural criticism that we must first give respect to all actions, styles, and trends before criticizing it?

Do I have to say, "I love my southern black peoples and the way they talk" before saying "Damn this crunk shit is so wack!"

That "Bourgie" term stings because it suggests, to me, that someone has lost touch with what's really going on in the black community. It's a class dis in the same way that "ghetto", in the way that I hear it, is a class dis.

Are both terms acceptable? Is neither? And what does it say about how black folks think about themselves?

Anyway, King Britt responds:

Most Southern Rap is very derogatory. I am from the streets of Southwest Philly. There is nothing uppity about me, and I know that certain language is used to communicate and it stays in our community as a code, so to speak. This dates back to slave days. But when you are selling millions of records, you have a responsibility to our people and history to represent yourself in a positive way. That means no degrading of women and showing our people in a positive light instead of emphasizing material things like rims, money, jewelry and alcohol. We have too many young black boys and girls who fall into the cycle of emaulating the bullshit they see in videos. It's not just Southern rap videos, but I chose that as an example because I haven't seen any positive ones...If you can touch that many people, say something! Don't perpetuate the Amos and Andy stereotype-change it!

Yeah.

So, I was watching MTB2 last night and as they go into the studio to record again, they are talking about guns and killing with regularity. When was the last time they rolled like that?

And then I was watching MTV this morning and T.I.'s Rubberband Man came on which showcased his selling records like it was a drug dealer. But T.I. today invests in construction and his company rebuilds houses in the community.

Why isn't he rapping about that?

So, yeah. What King Britt said.

March Faves

"Girl, I only wanna be down with you, cuz you've got somethin' that I have to get with." - The Neptunes (w/ Jay-Z and Beck), Frontin (DJ Reset Remix)

My March 2004 Mix.

1. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Neptunes) - Daft Punk - Daft Club

This is a very "move somethin'" style mix as I'm antsy for some extended dancing in my life. This re-working of my favorite track off the Discovery album makes it a completely different and just as enjoyable 5 minute workout. Pharrell's additional verse is pretty nice, too.

2. Bistro - Madvillian - Madvilliany

A quick break, just like at a club rockin' a hot DJ set, for MF Doom and Madlib to announce what's about to come..."where we offer you the finest of the finer things, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

3. She Wants to Move (remix featuring Common, Mos Def, De La Soul & Q-Tip) - N*E*R*D - White Label (Unreleased¹)

Posdnuous kills his verse which is probably all you need to know about why I love this track but there's more. All the guests are in the pocket² and running roughshod on what is an excellent rock track. And, again, Pharrell is better on this then he is on the original track.

4. Wanna B Where U R (Thisizzaluvsong) (Soundtrack Version) - Floetry & Mos Def - Barbershop 2 - Back in Business

I just like the way Floetry says "Jamaica" at the top of the song.

5. Spanish Joint - D'Angelo - Voodoo

I was thinking about how all those Neo-Soul cats from the end of the nineties and early double-zeros (Bilal, Jill Scott, et. al) hadn't come out with new joints in a minute and from Joint I got Spanish Joint and, damn, this is still my favorite D'Angelo track. It just slightly edges the Lady remix with AZ.

6. Dust - Van Hunt - Van Hunt

If you're still sleeping on VH, I ain't got nothin' for ya.

7. Splash Waterfalls - Ludacris - Chicken-N-Beer

I fought it for a long time but early in the month, at Lazy-Girl's birthday party, this track bumped a couple times through the night and I was hooked. I still am.

8. Eye (Featuring Stacy Epps) - Madvillian - Madvilliany

Madlib knows how to make song.

9. I'll Be Around (Featuring Timbaland) - Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine

Still my favorite album of 2004 (although Zero 7's When it Falls is really starting to grow on me) and the beginning of the dance break in my mix. Work your back out.

10. Tush (Featuring Missy Elliott) - Ghostface Killah - Tush (Promo Single)

The most listened to track in my itunes library. 39 rotations. It's the hottest song of the year.

11. Toxic - Britney Spears - In the Zone

Shut up. You like it too. That guitar riff during the break kills you.

12. Down Here in Hell - Van Hunt - Van Hunt

It's lush and gorgeous and makes me sing out loud.

13. My Kind of People (featuring Jazze Pha & Menta Malone) - Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine

It's a soul record disguised as a hip hop track. Jazze Pha is the new Nate Dogg. He makes every song better.

14. Same Thing? - Osunlade featuring Maiya James - Horizons

Osunlade never makes a bad song and this is one of the finest moments on a really fine Marques Wyatt Mix. Which reminds me that I really need to roll into DEEP one of these Sunday nights.

15. Finally Woken - Jem - Finally Woken

This is maybe the least stable entry on this mix. It doesn't exactly fit but I love Jem and her album and wanted something here. It's an okay way to lead to the end.

16. Venus - AIR - Talkie Walkie

AIR has made every one of my mixes this year and the trend continues. Just beautiful beautiful stuff.

17. Strange Ways - Madvillian - Madvilliany

The right quirky moment for the end of a quirky month.

I've done a couple random 20 lists. You can check them here and here.

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Flashback Friday: Conflicted

Aaron did it so that means all the negroes must follow suit.

Originally posted 1 year ago, give or take a couple days.

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"You keep blaming me." - Boris Dlugosch feat. Roisin Murphy, Never Enough (After the Playboy Mansion, Disc 2)

Bloggers for Peace.

I sat down a couple times this week to write a poem rumbling around in my head called Conflicted. I had the closing stanza:

Some are afraid
of the monster we fed
now hiding under the bed

Others are scared
that if we look in the mirror
we'll find that we're the monster instead

But when the images of that statue came falling down on Wednesday and the people celebrated in the streets and the Iraqis began looting and rioting and smiling, my gut reaction was, "God, I hope I'm wrong." Really, I'd rather be wrong. I'd rather this death and destruction lead to freedom or liberation or whatever the hell all these government officials that I can't stand are spewing and so I didn't write the poem.

I'm conflicted.

I don't trust government, any government. Governments are, by their very nature, corrupt. Isn't that exactly what our American ideals are founded on? Power corrupts; don't trust government; et cetera, et cetera. But I also don't want people to live in fear so I hope I'm wrong about our intentions. I hope I'm wrong about my gut reaction to this war.

And then there's the other truth.

I could give a fuck about Iraq or the Iraqi people. Whether or not we went to war or not, whether or not we won the war or not, American Idol would have still been on tv on Tuesday nights, the most important decision in my week would still be what outfit I was going to wear when I went out for drinks on the weekend. My way of life hasn't been threatened so why, really, should I give a fuck?

That's also why I'm conflicted.

I don't believe our government cares about the Iraqi people. They can call the conflict whatever they want but I know it has nothing to do with the welfare of those people over there. If it was about that we'd be in Africa, where shit is really going down and the people don't have the benefit of their country being rich in resources to off-set some of the horror.

And that's not even really the point, either, because I don't think we should be in the business of telling other nations how to live. Especially not with military might. I truly believe that people have to rise up and fight for themselves in order for changes to stick. You can't just make people free. Freedom is mental. You have to be ready for it.

But I'm conflicted.

I want to be wrong.

I would give anything to be wrong.

And then George Bush goes on Iraqi television and is, once again, telling people what their religion is about. There's a smugness, a righteousness, a holier/mightier/smarter than thou tone to his voice that doesn't sit well.

And I look in the mirror and see just the hint of horns growing from my forehead, just the tint of yellow creeping into my eyes.

Does killing one monster make us any less of one?

I don't know.

And I'm conflicted.

Oh No, Let's Go: Conversations at a Prince Show

"Listen to the pouring rain, listen to it pour" - Bruce Ruffin, Rain (Trojan Box Set - UK Hits)

Girl #1: I hope he plays Sexy M.F.

Me: I don't think so. He's a Jehovah's Witness now.

Girl #1: So, No Cream? My mom loves that song.

Me: No Erotic City. No Darlin' Nikki.

Girl #1: No Dirty Diana?

Me: ...

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The comic: So, he's a Jehovah's Witness, huh.

Me: I'm hoping it's the Jehovah's Witness Protection Program.

The comic: Why?

Me: I heard Vanity has a direct line to the lord now and I'm sure she's got an APB out for his soul.

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Girls 1, 2, and 3 (at varying points throughout the song): Isn't this a Sinead O'Connor song?

Me: Yes, originally written and performed by Prince.

Girl #2: Are you sure?

Me: Yes, I could be mistaken but I think Prince was performing it on the 1999 album or earlier.

Girl #2: 1999? Oh no, the Sinead O'Connor version came out in '90.

Me: ...

---

Me: Prince won.

The comic: Wait, doesn't Chris Rock do this bit?

Me: The Who's Better?: Prince or Michael Jackson thing?

The comic: Yeah.

Me: Yes. But this is no joke. Prince won.

The comic: Yeah.

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Me: Maybe Appolonia will be a special guest.

Girl #3: Who is Appolonia?

Me: She's the love interest in Purple Rain.

Girl #3: I wasn't allowed to see Purple Rain when I was little.

Me: Probably because of Appolonia's boobs. She was also on Falcon Crest, though.

Girl #3: Oooh, I love Lorenzo Lamas.

Me: ...

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The comic: Prince is god.

Me: No. Remember, he's in the Jehovah's Witness Protection Program.

The comic: He must know god, though, right?

Me: Oh yeah. He's got her number and I bet he's made her come up out them panties.

The comic: Damn.

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