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NEW MUSIC from Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and Biz Markie
SEPTEMBER 1991
THE MAGAZINE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC
•~\
Jd
Ice Cube and director John Singleton
chronicle the lives oPBoyz'N The Hood"
j
Rolling with
EPMD, RUN-DMI
Eazy E, Tone-Loc,
fce-T & more
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ICE CUBEmgUffm
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RUS $ 2.50 • UK f 2.20 CANADA $ 2.95
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AVAILABLE AT THESE HIPPED STORES. OAKTReV D.JS, UP AGAINST THE WALL, MERRY GO ROUND AND FRED SEGAL, YA DIG!
\ I peaceful
JEN
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It
Music is the ride. Heavy D. & Thfijoyz are the way. Peaceful is
the journey. < The Overwd^gt^Vtn^nd The Boyz are back
hi m
and bigger than ever with tg,
livin'hrM,^ NohaifW
w-up album to
features
the hit "Now That We Found Love' ;? J by Guy's Teddy Riley.
<mIt's pound for pound their most slammin' album to date. And
it's proof that on stage, screen and vinyl, Heavy D. & The Boyz
are large and in charge.
Available On MCA/Uptown Compact Discs, HiQ Cassettes, And Re
Also Look For Their New Home Video HEAVY D. & THE BOYZ .
Executive Produced Bv. findre Harrell. Heavy D. And Eddie F.
FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT,
YOUR DAY HAS COME.ON SEPTEMBER 3RD 1091 THE SHEEP
SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH,
AND NOTHINfi WILL EVER BE THE SAME
BLACKSHEEP1 Wolf In Steep's Clothing
THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM
FEATURING THE SINGLE
*ftatot *f the Month
a P*|ip'am company
using *'Mn m M^u^jj«f|ct^e!fi|w .
"«-
.
. -fir J-»*^
*- - —
—
THI MAGAZINE Of HIP-HOP MUSIC. CULTURE & PD1ITICS
SEPTEMBER 1991, NO. 24
On the Cover!!
Ice Cube is starring in a "real" film about
growing up in South Central LA.
cover photos:
both photos by Shawn Mortensen
Features
24
30
Real Niggaz Don't Die
NWA's new album,
Niggaz4Life, is flying off of
the shelves despite the
inevitable wave of dissers
and doubters
by Jon Shecter
Endangered SpeciesBoyz N The Hood is a
landmark film that
showcases the talents of
director John Singleton
and rapper turned actor,
Ice Cube. Ras Barakainterviews Cube anddream hampton talks with
John.
48 High RollersHow do today's hottest rap
artists roll from place to
place? A special Source
pictorial brings you rappersand their super-dope rides
Departments
10 Source ChartTop 15 rap LPs and 12-inches
1 2 Letters
1 6 Media WatchA survey of the coverage of rap music in the mainstream media
1 8 Ear To The Street•The death of KDAY «0n Tour: Rap S Rock
•Hip-Hop fashion hits big
19 Hip-Hop Quotable
22 Boomin SystemThe latest in home electronics, by James K. Willcox
23 Home VideoEntertainment for your VCR, by Pistol Pete
25 Fat FashionThe Source presents our fashion page on the hip-hop tip.
26 Producer's Profile
Adario Strange on Dr. Freeze
28 Rap On CampusG-Man reports from William Paterson College.
29 Say WhatFeatured artists: Kid Sensation, Downtown Science
36 Doin' The Knowledgeby James Bernard
37 The Real World
38 On The Video Tip
by Captain Video
39 Microphone CheckFeatured artist: Tim Dog
40 Regional ReportsRap news from across the Hip-Hop Nation
44 Crossover ColumnKim Green on Definition Of Sound
46 A View From Da UndergroundA dope comic strip on the hip-hop tip by Tramp, Hayz & Cee.
54 Record ReportThe Source's squad of rap critics review the latest releases.
62 Rap Business 101Professional advice for the aspiring artist or entrepreneur
by Neil Harris
63 Unsigned Hype
64 The Last Word
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
Something's burning on Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album, featuring The Phunckv Feel One.
47889
How I Could Just Kill A Man , and Light Another. Rollin' out August 13.
CYPRESS HILL. BOLD BLUNTED FUNK. ON RUFFHOUSE/COLUMBIA.
Produced by D.J. Muggs for The Soul Assassins. "Columbia" Reg. U.S. Pat. * Tin. Off. Marca Regittrada./© 1991 Sony Musk Entertainment Inc.
.
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CONIFST
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BAHIAENTERTAINMENT
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NIGGA 4 LIFEYou a n/gga till you die
If you po, you a po nigga
If you rich, you a rich nigga
But you never stop being a nigga
And if you get to be educated
You just an educated nigga
Understand?—NWA '91
understand. I was brought up in an environment that
traditionally fought against this kind of ideology. In other
words, if somebody called you a nigga, get ready to fight.
Initially when I first saw this little poem, I was outraged. After
all, I was not a nigga. But then I started to think back... I
thought back to my college days at Syracuse. I thought about
how many African-American students struggled to pay the bills and
the "if you can't afford it, drop out attitude" that so many students
got every day from the white folks in financial aid. I thought about
having to protest just to get African-American programming on
campus. I thought about my Black friends on campuses across the
country who went through the same bullshit at their schools and I
thought... "you still a nigga."
I thought back to the corporate job that I had before I became a
part of the Source staff. I thought about the feeling I had when I
realized that I was a token there. I thought about actually feeling this
"glass ceiling" that I had heard so much about. I thought about the
fact that I wasn't embraced into this whole "corporate culture" the
way that my peers were and I thought... "you still a nigga."
I thought of my everyday experience as a Black man—everything
from being watched extra carefully at department stores, to the look of
fear on a white person's face when I step into an elevator alone with
them. I thought of everything from the dirty "he must be dealing
drugs" stares I get while driving down the street, to being questioned
by "New York's finest" about why I'm in certain parts of town, and
then I thought... "you still a nigga."
Until the leaders of this great nation of our's recognize that there
is still a grave problem here, and that racism still exists, I'm gonna be
a nigga for life.
DAVID WATKINS
[IinjugngjgjBMgjBMBMMSMEUc^^
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
mI
Wm
mmsm
5fl
Mixer and producer extraordinaire Pete Rock and master
rhymer CL Smooth are Ail Souled Out on this debut
6-song EP featuring the singles "Good Life" and
"Mecca and the Soui Brother."
Produced by Pete Rock
Management: Untouchables Entertainment
On Elektra Cassettes, Compact Discs and Records ;,, J© 1991 Elektra Entertainment, A Division of Warner Communkatiorivinc. O'Aj.time W,
!Hf MAGAZINE OF HIP HOP MUSIC CUltURI & POIITICS
BASIC
Ho//y.,0(
FOR A FREE BASIC DARLENE POSTER
WRITE TO:
Hollywood BASIC
500 S. Bueno Vista St.
Burbank,CA 91521
Attention: BASIC Darlene
OUT NOW:
RAW FUSION "Throw Your Hands In The Air"
ORGANIZED KONFUSION "Who Stole My Last Piece Of Chicken?"
LIFERS GROUP "WORLD TOUR-Rahway Prison, that's it" Home Video
QUEEN "Another One Bites The Dust" (Phase 5 remix)
1HollywoodQ^H3©1991 Hollywood BASIC
Number 24
THE SOURCE MIND SQUADPublisher
David Mays
Editor-in-Chief
Jon Shecter
Managing Editor
Christian Wilder
Senior Editor
James Bernard
Music Editor
Rob Tewlow
Director of Corporate Relations
Brett Wright
Business ManagerDavid A. Watkins
Retail Sales Director
Reginald C. Dennis
Editorial Promotions ManagerMatt Capoluongo
Classified Ads: Josh Nathan
Editorial Assistant: Stephanie Jackson
Circulation Consultants: Publishing Management Services
Contributors: Scott Poulson-Bryant, Dan Charnas, Reginald C.
Dennis, Chilly E., dream hampton, Neil Harris, Funken-Klein, Bbnz
Malone, Pistol Pete, Adario Strange, Gabriel A.Tolliver, Captain
Video
Record Review Squad: Atco, Big B., Greg C, Matty C, Disco,
B-Nyce, Reef, Ronin-Ro, J The Sultan, Cee Wild
Regional Correspondents: Shockmaster Glen Boyd, Ian Burke,
Cheeks, MC Chill, Chris-Chris, Colonel Earl, Steve Fournier, Billy
Jam, Johnbronski, Alphonse McCullough, Dream Nefra, The
Overlord RK, DJ P, Jackie Paul, The Rhythm Rocker, Roderick
Schaetfer, Ben Smith, Geoffrey Watts, Jeff Woods, Doug Young
Art Director
Erik W.L. Council • E. Loren Associates
Photo Editor
dream hampton
Associate Designers
Chris Calloway , Mateo Mulcare
Illustrations
Andre LeRoy Davis, Pikasso, Tramp Hayz & Cee
THE SOURCE is published monthly by Source Publications, Inc., 594
Broadway, Suite 510, NY, NY, 10012. Phone (212) 274-0464, FAX (212)
274-8334. Application to mail at second class is pending at Boston, MA,
02205. Contents and design may not be reproduced without the express
permission of the publisher. © 1991 by Source Publications, Inc. All rights
reserved. Subscription Rate: 1 year, $19.95 (12 issues). International $39.95
(Surface), 64.95 (Air) West Coast Office: 871 Page Street #3, San Francisco,
CA, 94117 (415)626-6691
POSTMASTER: Please send all address changes to: The Source, 594
Broadway, Suite 510, New York, NY 10012.
PUBLISHER'S CREDO: We at The Source lake very seriously the challenge ot
being the only independent voice lor the rap music industry. We strive hard
to bring the reader a complete and unbiased representation ot this incredible
art lorm and all that surrounds it. With this in mind, we feel that it is important
lor our readers to be aware of the nature of our relationships with the rap
industry.
We engage in business transactions with companies that are part of the rap
music industry on two basic levels. Obviously, we accept advertising from
such companies. Secondly, we at times are contracted by record companies to
aid in the promotion of their product outside the direct channels of the
magazine.
With respect to any of our business relationships, we feel it is our
responsibility always to strictly police the integrity of our editorial content.
Only in this way can we continue to bring to you the clear and unbiased
coverage which we hope has won the respect of all ol our readers.
THE SOURCE » SEPTEMBER 1991
SOURCE CHART
ALBUMS
NWANiggaz 4 Life
Priority
Heavy DA Peaceful
JourneyMCA
Chubb RockThe One
IHUBB^CK
Select Vf^^M f. _^fe^^
3THE If MONE P iJH
De La Soul mDe La Soul Is Dead
Tommy Boy
4
3rd BassDerelicts Of Dialect
Det Jam/RAL/Columbia
Leaders of the
New SchoolFuture W/out A Past
Elektra
Slick Rick -feThe Ruler's Back
l ««
Def Jam/RAL/Columbia
7 W'tiBrW
Terminator XValley Of The Jeep
Beets
Pro Division/RAL/Columbia
8KMD
Mr. HoodElektra
flf^WFl
IceTOG
Sire/WB
Pete Rock &CL SmoothAll Souled Out
Elektra
11Boyz 'N' The Hood
Soundtrack
Qwest/WB
12
m.Hi ft*
^ Mr!
Livin1
LargeSoundtrack
Def Jam/RAL/Columbia
1 &1
13mi ugnn^^f^BM
Geto BoysWe Can't Be
StoppedRap-A-Lot
14Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Ruffhouse/Columbia
15
SINGLES
1i
2I
3I
4I
5
"Hip Hop Junkies"Nice 'n' Smooth
Def Jam/RAL/Columbia
Sleepin 1 On My Couch"Del
Elektra
"O.P.P"Naughty By Nature
Tommy Boy
"My Mind is Playin'
Tricks on Me"Geto Boys
Rap-A-Lot
"Saturdays"De La Soul
Tommy Boy
67i
8I
9
"Who Stole My LastPiece of Chicken"
Organized KonffusionHollywood BASIC
"Sobb Story"Leaders of
the New SchoolElektra
"Flavor of the Month"Black Sheep
Mercury
"F*ck Compton"Tim DogColumbia
10l_
"Juvenile Delinquents"Juvenile Delinquents
Pro Dhr./RAL/Columbia
11I
12
"Pop Goes theWeasel"3rd BassDef Jam RAL
"The Chubbster"Chubb Rock
Select
ii
1314
i
15
Definition of a King"2 Kings in a Cipher
Bahla/RCA
"What Goes AroundComes Around"
Biz MarkieCold Chillin /Warner
"Fly Girl"Queen Latifah
Tommy Boy
Q THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
Unemployments at an all time high
find being a minority is like liuing on Death Rom -
Va bound to die.
It's time to get fflflRD
'Cause flint fl Damn Thing Changed.
N "AM'T fl DAflin THIflG CHARGED"
the new albu
m lir.C. and THE
•!,Vf3
prochfjced bylSBbe Cube, Sir Jinxco-produced by Chilly Chili and D.J.
W.Cbo n e s
&
LETTERS
1 1
Let's Hear it for the SistasAs the mother of a ten year old African-American son, I feel
I have a vested interest in rap music, from the standpoint that it has had
such a profound impact on our youth socially, culturally, politically, etc. I ammore than pleased to see the influx of female rappers on the music scene
today who are more than wiggling, jiggling, boy toy, fantasy objects. These
budding young sisters actually have some things to say. What took y'all so
damn long!?
Willetta
Jacksonville, FL
comes off as a parody of the legitimate street flavor The Source has. Not to
mention that muddling through his gibberish "givez" me a headache. Don't
make the mistake of running his articles on any sort of regular basis.
Peace.
Brendan Monroe
Allston, MA
I find the sexist, murderous and negative views of somerappers appalling. Any brother that advocates hitting a woman or
murdering another brother is not a man, but a fiend who is
desperately crying out for some positive spiritual force to remove
them from their madness. Sexism is synonymous with racism.
We cannot continue to demand our liberation and dignity in this
world while denying our women of theirs.
Willie Abraham Howard, Jr.
Atlanta, GA
Equal LightsThanks to the new wave of females in hip-hop, males no
longer need to disrespect the opposite sex, the females are
doing a good enough job themselves. If Intelligent Black Womenlike to "even hit the blunt," steal other ladies men, and stay
home drinking Cisco, more power to them.
DJ Wildwoodberry
Tampa, FL
The Bishop of Hip-Hop's letter [Source: July '91] mirrored myfeelings. The IBWC could be large, but Yo-Yo is coming off half-
cocked. Personally, I think if you want to smoke blunts or drink
Cisco, you could remain intelligent, but the stealin' of men and
stompin' sisters is pretty lame.
Karyn Exilus
Bronx, NY
All readers
are
encouragedto write
letters.
Fax them to
(212) 274-8334
or mail to:
The Source,
LETTERS594 BroadwaySuite 510,
New York, NY10012.
The magazinereserves the
right to edit
letters for
clarity andlength
F^
Homo-hypocrisyI would like to give a shout out to Ice T for his excellent new
album. To me, the most impressive item off of it is Ice's
almost apologetic attitude towards his treatment of
homosexuals. Ice realizes that people are different and there's
no reason for the prejudice. Today, homosexuals are the only group that it's
still legal to discriminate against (the military's ban on gays). This is
something that needs to be changed. To fight the power against racism and
still condone homophobia is hypocritical—there's no room for hypocrisy
today. Ice's new attitude is very responsible and necessary and muchrespect is given to him for breaking this ground.
Nathan DobsMilwaukee, Wl
Closing the Generation GapIn my fifty years of living there have been several
times that I have read something that I have felt very strongly
about...enough that I wanted to write a response. This will be the
first time that I actually did it. I really enjoyed reading The Source
magazine. I did not know that rap and hip-hop music was as big
as it is. My ignorance about that style of music was because I
refused to listen to it. It seemed so far removed from my style of
music (Jazz). I hope my generation will learn not to have tunnel
vision because we miss out on a lot of good things.
Sapphires Closet
Seattle, WA
Shut Yo' MouthAfter watching the Donahue Show on female
rappers, I felt appalled by BWP trying to say that their music has
a message. Real rap fans know that their album is just "bullshit
on wax" to get a paycheck, while a rapper like Harmony who tries
to give a positive image of Black women has to share the
spotlight with these so-called artists. Instead, we were forced to
see BWP ruin a perfect chance on national television to show that
rap is more than just "story telling to music," but a tool used to
promote Blacks to a higher social level than the one we exist
at now.
PFC Chris Stewart
USMC Camp Lejeune, NC
CounterattackIn response to your article "Police Brutality—To serve,
protect and break a niggaz neck," [Source: June '91] you hit
the nail on the head. Brothers and sisters need to get involved
and let the elected officials know that brutality will not be tolerated at all.
Let's get it together and make the system work for us, instead of against
us.
Jeffrey A. Shields
Fayetteville, NC
White Heati
©
Bonz, Pleaze!I used to buy the occasional Spin Magazine to read their articles on hip-
hop. I stopped buying any issues of Spin because most every article they
had on hip-hop was written by that ignorant moron, Bonz Malone. His work
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
Our music is one of the greatest curiosities that white people will never
fully understand or experience. If we insult white people in our music, wewill only get banned for political reasons. We can sing about money, sex,
drugs, even religion, but talk about the white people and you'll only get
death threats. White people fear the day of the Black planet. Why don't wemake a movie about Black kids going to college and making something out
of their lives instead of movies on being a gangster and shooting drugs?
Kenneth Mays
U.S. Air Force
A comedy about makin'it!/
#,.*< 4
or&£&
Q
Lisi Jlrrindtll Blanche Baktr IbMIlita'tf Julia Campbell ^'^^-tltrbffiliancock SSIIansktammsm .x,^ JustinM-erman
Writ
^y William Mostey-Payn* ^^Bavid U PickerDiract
^ Micha«i SehuHz ^^^s?* ^^
.
©1991 Tbe Samuel GctdwvJi Company'' '
:- -
, . <&.«/. faatti<atto\tfttiMate&!<j:^1x^A".-.-, -. ,>•:::';':
featuring Husk by. Sliekfc • ftrniinator X- Wiirk- Diet f Smooth •W«tock anil Hie JimjHsSrattitts
COMING SOON TO A THEATRE NEAR Y< '#
J
Eazy T?Today's Uncle Tom is any Black
male who profits from from the
racial stereotypes of Black males in the '90's.
Today's Uncle Tom has no problem with
anything as long as he gets paid. He portrays an
image of ignorance & immorality, his social
conscience is a big fat zero. Today's sambo,
boot-lickin', "bought-and-sold" raves that he is
speaking on reality. He is not trying to better the
community. ..he is trying to better his bank
account. Who fits into this category better than
Eazy E? Combined with statements he's made
about South Africa, the abuse of Black women,
Malcolm X, and not wanting to be a role model,
this man should change his name to "MC Yessir
Boss, the Ruthless Tom." Mark McCord
Oakland, CA
1 1 Media AssassinRap music is the most intelligent type of
music because it educates the people and has a
lot of positive messages. Music critics only look
at it as dance music. They're just a bunch of
ignorant racists and it's evident that the media is
the biggest threat to hardcore rap today.
Paal Handing
Norway
Stamp Of DisapprovalI am astonished and perturbed at the fact that
many Americans (Black and white) do not know
who Malcolm X really is, let alone stood (died)
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AND MUCH MORE! IF YOU DON! SEE IT - ASKI
B.D.P. Criminal Minded (Back in Stock)
Chubb Rock -The One (Full Length IP)
Convicts - Convicts
De la Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
Diamond Shell
•The Grand Imperial Diamond Shell
DJ Quik - Quik is the Name
Ghetto Boys We Can't Be Stopped
Heavy D -A Peaceful Journey
H.W.A. Livin' in a Hoe House
Ice I - Original Gangsta
KMD-Mr.Hood
Kool Moe Dee - Funke Funke Wisdom
Larry Lait - Da Wizzord If Odds
leaders of the New School
- Future Without a Past
Lifers Group • Lifers Group
Marley Moil - For Your Steering Pleasure
N.W.A.-Niggaz For Life
Poisen Clan - 2 Low Life Muthas
Rodney & Joe Cooley - Get Ready to Roll
Shobba Ranks - As Raw as Ever
Slik Rick -The Ruler Returns
Son of Bazerk - Bazeik, Bozerk, Bozerk
The Don • The Don
Third Bass - Derelicts of Dialects
Tony D - Droppin' Funky Verses
U.T.F.O. - Bag It and Bone It
YoYo- Make Woy for the Motheilode
2 Live Crew - As Nasty As They Wanna Be
2 Live Crew -Is What We Are
2 Live Crew - Move Something
2 Live Crew - Live in Conceit
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CD
for. It's amazing that people way across
the globe honor "our own shing Black
prince" more than we, as a Black nation
have, and sadly, probably ever will. This is
a stamp from Iran honoring our fallen
hero.
I
f
5R.
UNIVFRSAl OAV or STRUOlUE AOAINST RACEJM4 DISCRIMINATION
Mr. Sharif Elmekki
Philadelphia, PA
\ /\
All For One
I am a fourteen year old white boy wholives in a suburb of Indianapolis. Where I
live, if you like any form of rap other than
2 Live Crew or NWA people think you
wanna be Black. If one of my friends
comes to my house and sees a Brand
Nubian or KMD album they're like, "Who
the hell are these niggers?" And around
here if you aren't wearing a Guns 'N
Roses T-shirt, people think you're a
faggot. What I wanted to say is: we're all
the same color, just different shades.
Everyone should give people a chance
before they decide to hate.
Aaron Aldorisio
Greenwood, IN
If you don't see The
Source at your local
newsstand or record
store, ask for it by
name. Then give our
Circulation Department
a call at (212) 274-0464
and we'll get on it.
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
ERRATAThe Source August 1991
No. 23
•In Producer's Profile, the name of Prince
Paul's solo artist should be spelled "Mic
Teluxe."
•In Summer Jeep Slammers, the production
credit should for the Black Sheep album
should read "Black Sheep."
•In Record Report, a Cypress Hill photo was
mistakenly placed in the slot for Tim Dog.
We regret any confusion.
•In Fashion page, credit given to "Nzinga" for
Makeup/Hair stylist.
DESTINED FOR GREATNESS
FROM PYRAMIDS TO PROJECTSfeaturing
"DAFFY WUZ A BLACK MAN""MOVIN' ON EM"
"KEMIT-CAL REACTION''"HOW U F I G G A ? ? ?
'
'
Legal (Tope from TKO on Bah ia Entertaiment CDs, Records and Tapes.^#- ..
MEDIA WATCH
Johnny,Come Home
IFYOU CARE ABOUT MUSIC
criticism (and it's OK if you don't),
you'll know John Leland's work.Throughout the early 80's, he amazedme with his passionate discussions of
the music that I loved (and still do). In
particular, I can honestly say that his Spin
"Singles Column" about BDP—centering
on Scott LaRock and "Stop TheViolence"—changed the way I think about
music. He seemed to have a real handle on
where the music was coming from andwhere it really mattered.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the sameabout his more recent work. Now the popmusic critic for Newsweek, Leland seemsinfected with the same anti-rap bias of his
employer. For example, in his opinion piece
in the July Details, the one with Ice T on
the cover, Leland dismisses rap as overly
pious and "preachy": "If rap has become our
most important music—and you shoulddemand proof before you buy this
argument—it has also become our mostself-important."
Self important? De Le? EMPD? KMD?DJ Quik? Regardless of the fact that
masses of people (myself included) are
finding incredible amounts of meaning in
Ice Cube, Public Enemy, PRT, BrandNubian and Ice T, he's gonna tell me that
it's boring. John, if you don't understandthe utter thrill of hearing Chuck D's or Ice
Cube's or KRS-One's rage-filled outbursts
—
taking our anger and shoving it back in our
faces—then you're missing a lot of the fun
in the music. I feel sorry for you.
JAMES BERNARD
JUNGLE FEVER"There have been wild men before in
the American black commuities. Butboth Niggas With Attitude and PublicEnemy are profiting from the hatred
they spew..."
—MihirBose 5/31/91
MERICA HOLDS NO MONO-poly on Eurocentic, racist
viewpoints. One avid Sourcereader, DJ Quartz from the
United Kingdom, sent us two
local articles detailing a full frontal assualt
on the rap community. Stealing a pagefrom Tipper Gore and the Parents'Music
Resource Center (PMRC) were opinion
pieces in a pair of London dailies that
indicate the geographic origination of someof these ethnocentric prejudices.
The first was a patronizing diatribe byJames Delingpole of The DailyTelegraph, listing the reasons why "Rap is
basically a song without a tune." TheSource's Reginald C Dennis putDelingpole to rest in last month's MediaWatch.
Just when you thought it was safe,
enter another tasteless piece ofjournalism,
"The Sinsister Hatred of the Rap Racists"
by Mihir Bose of The Daily Mail. Bose,
like Delingpole, is ingrained in a thought
process that has never understood the
conflicts between Black and white, poor
and rich. He cannot comprehend rap's
anti-establishment propaganda. As DJQuartz commented, "Mr. Bose should get
some education—he seems to think that it
is a terrible thing that music mightpossibly educate and infrom."
Bose digs a deeper hole when he tries to
address racism. He doesn't believe there is
a racism problem in the U.K., except of the
"Black-on-Black" variety. He notes the fact
that Blacks are as heterogeneous as
whites, but simply ignores the fact that
Blacks experience much more widespread
and deeper poverty than whites in Britain,
and the problems are accentuated byracism.
Finally, he twice makes incredulous
comparisons between rap and NaziGermany: "The concerts are more semi-
military rallies than musical events. Notso much Woodstock as Nuremburg" and,
"[Eazy-E] created a frenzy which wassomewhat reminiscent of the Nazi rallies."
To compare some "Fuck the Police" chants
that speak upon governmental repression
to the calculated genocide of mllions of
Jews and others is blasphemous. Onegroup speaks from the minority, while the
other kills them. It is this type of reporting
that is not simply foolish and spiteful, but
potentially dangerous. Bose andDelingpole both feel threatened by the
language of NWA, PE, and 2 Live Crew,and by calling the artists "racist" and the
music "limited," they are labeling the
issues invalid, thereby causing further
damage to the polarization of the Black
and white communites.
CHILLY E
HIP-HOPSOUND BITES
"I could see myselfdoing a one-
shot thing with hip-hop if it were
something that was isolated frommy own records. But a Luther
record is its own animal."
—Luther Vandross.New York Times, 6/5/91
".../ like [rap music] alright. It's
the next thing, but it's all from meand I deserve recognition for that.
And too much of it, you know,
they're not saying anything
positive to help people. I don't like
that. Music is a powerful force,
and ifyou use it wrong, it's no
good. I always try to do something
positive with my music."
—James Brown,Spin Magazine, June '91
"...We were prepared to make anysacrafice for the movement, while
these guys [rappers] are just
trying to get rich off the illusion of
struggle. What Chuck D andKRS-One are saying is just a
bunch of cliches. Someone needs
to sit them down and give them a
real political and historical
education.
"
—Muhammad Ahmad,Emerge Magazine
"60's Radicals:
Where Are They Now?,"April '91.
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
mssRTHE MAGAZINE OF HIP-HOP MDSIC, CUITURE 8 POLITICS
THE MAGAZINE OE HIP-HOP MUSIC. CUITURE & POLITICS
11 Please enter my subscription for one year of The Source,
The magazine of Hip-Hop Music, Culture and Politics
Enclosed is my check or money order for $19.95.*
NAME (please print) TELEPHONE #
ADDRESS APT#
CITY STATE ZIP
* Please make check or money order payable to THE SOURCE in U.S. funds.
Send your payment and this form to THE SOURCE, 594 Broadway,Suite
510, New York, NY 10012-3233
Cfcy,iin^y^J-
THE FOLLOWUP TOC#pftf SINGLE BURN BABY\fURM|(UK
^ROM THE UPCOMING ALBUM
:
IN' HARD TIME ON PLANET EARTH'PPERS RECORD
TURNTABLES& GUITAR
Public Enemy
joined Anthrax
in Chicago to
shoot a video
for tho hard-
rock version of
"Bring Tho
< Noise"
RAPPERS AND ROCKERSSHARE THE SAME BILL.
Youhave read previously in The Source about
the problems rap artists are having with live
shows in 1991. In major cities across the
country, promoters are prevented from bookingbig hip-hop shows due mainly to inflated
insurance rates that make the shows too expensive to
put on. Venues fear the violence typically blamed on rap
shows that attract a large Black audience. The result? Bigrap shows like the ones that toured in '88 and '89 are a thing
of the past.
This summer, a strange new pattern for big tours hasemerged—rap artists are teaming up with popular rock, heavymetal and alternative rock acts to tour the country. Does this
mean that the persistent barriers that separate styles of musicare finally being broken down, or are promoters simply cashing
in on the popularity of rap amongst the white rock audience?Are people who pay to see the Vision Thing Tour, for example,coming to see gothic rock band Sisters Of Mercy or rappers
Public Enemy? Or both?
"I think you're gonna see Public Enemy fans that are whitethat would not go to see them under normal circumstances,"
says John Marx of the William Morris Agency, the large
booking firm that arranged the Vision Thing Tour. "It's a safer
environment for these fans."
Marx explains that the staff who put this tour together didn't
set out to team Sisters Of Mercy up with a rap band, but the
idea of adding Public Enemy "seemed to sit right witheveryone." Since planning for the tour began, two cities haverefused to allow the show in their venue with Public Enemy onthe bill: Detroit, which happened early, and Brookhaven, LongIsland—near PE's home base of Hempstead, LI—which got
nervous at the last minute. On the other dates, Public Enemywill perform second to last (with Young Black Teenagersactually opening up the PE set), followed by headliners Sisters
Of Mercy, who sold way fewer records but have a large cult
following.
So how do the artists feel about getting out there in front of
a whole new crowd? "Cool. I'm an alternative artist anyway,"says Ice T, who is on tour with Jane's Addiction. "I can't tour
with rap groups no more because all the rappers went R&B. Sothey want to wanna go out with Tony Toni Tone, En Vogueand shit but they don't want me around. 'Cause they know that
I'm gonna get on stage and "Get Buck Naked" and act wild. I
think it's a situation where hip-hop is playing themselvesagain—they turn their backs on the hardcore artists. I look at it
like yo, music is music. When I'm not listening to rap, I don't
listen to R&B. I listen to, like, Slayer and Testament.""
THE VISION THING TOUR25 cities, kicked off July 12th In Chicago
•Sisters Of Mercy "Public Enemy
•Gang Of Four • Warrior Soul
•Young Black Teenagers
AUGUSTDATES CITY VENUE1 Houston, TX Sam Houston Coliseum
2 Dallas, TX Starplex Amphitheater
4 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheater
5 Costa Mesa, CA Pacific Amphitheater
6 Sacramento, CA Cal Expo Amphitheater
8 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
10 Berkeley, CA Greek Theater
LOLLAPALOOZA Festival 1991• Jane's Addiction • Siouxsie & The Banshees • Living colour
• Nine Inch Nails* Ice T« Butthole Surfers* Henry Rollins Band
AUGUSTDATES CITY VENUE1 Minneapolis National Sports Center
3 Chicago World Music Theater
4 Detroit Pine Knob Amphitheater
5 Cleveland Blossom Music Theater
7 Toronto CNE9 Boston Great Woods11 Stanhope, NJ Waterloo Village
13 Saratoga Performing Arts Center
14 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Stadium
16 Washington DC Lake Fairfax
17 Raleigh Walnut Creek Amphitheater
18 Atlanta Lakewood Amphitheater
20 Orlando Central Florida Fairgrounds
23 Dallas Starplex Amphitheater
25 Denver Fiddler's Green
27 Salt Lake City Park West Amphitheater
29 Seattle t.b.a.
METALLICA & NWAAt press time, still tentative.
o THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
A page from a recent issue of Women's Wear Daily
FASHIONREPLAYreak out all yoar old school Kangols
and shell top Adidas. Pick the
mothballs out of your then-funky
fresh jackets from the dayz of
wayback. Ifs official: hip-hop is now
high fashion. If you're confused, "high fashion"
is short-hand for "overpriced," "trendy" and
"hopelessly behind-the-times." But, according
to Newsweek, "rap has moved uptown, offering
wealthy women a touch of grit at predictably
teeth-grinding prices." What's it all about?
Well, for $800, you can get gold vinyl quilted
suits with matching baseball caps and, for $454
mere, you can sport a huge, rhinestene crown
danglii.g on an oversized chain (remember
those?). These folks aren't kidding: Harmony
performed at a recent Bleomingdale's function.
As Newsweek admits, "It's a sanitized version."
But we'd add that it's a lot funnier the second
JAMES BERNARD
HIP-HOP44 QUOTABLE**
THE DOPEST RHYME OF THE MONTH
"O.P.P., how can I explain it? I'll take it frame-by-frame it
To have y'all jumpin' shoutin' sayin' it
O is for other, P is for people, scratch your temple
The last P, well that's not that simple
It's sorta like-a well another way to call a cat a kitten
It's five little letters than I'm missin, yeah
You get it on occasion if the other party isn't gamin'
It seems I gotta start the explaining bust it...
For the ladies, O.P.P. means something gifted
The first two letter's the same, but the last is something different
It's the longest, loveliest, lean, I call it the leanest
It's another five-letter word rhyming wit' cleanest and meanest
I won't get into that, I'll do it, uh, sorta properly
I'll say the last P, hmm, stands for property..."
TREACH of NAUGHTY BY NATUREfrom "O.P.P." (Tommy Boy)
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 ©
ILLUSIHAIIUN: MKAbSU
^
The Quiet Murderof a Radio Station
by Darryl James
This past March, the nation's only all-
rap station, KDAY, abruptly slipped
out of existence without fanfare and
without even saying goodbye. In the
fall of 1990, rumors were sweeping over Los
Angeles and the rap industry that KDAY wasbeing sold to a new owner who would change
its pioneering format. These rumors werehotly denied until the very day in March of
1991 when the station went totally blank, only
to return three weeks later with as KBLA, a
news station.
With the Los Angeles market's strong
support for the station's format, all facts point
to an intentional cover-up, designed to
prevent the mounting of any substantial
opposition that might challenge the change.
KDAY had made enough money in its seven-
year dedication to rap to stay above-board,
and the ratings at times were competitive
with FM stations with much more powerful
signals.
But Heritage, the original owners, seemed
to have other ideas. Apparently, the plan to
abandon the all-rap format was laid out morethan a year ago, before a new owner was even
confirmed. Heritage wanted to sell the station
at least two years ago, but few offers weremade and those offers eventually fell through.
In order to make it easier to attract a newowner, the station would have to be less
successful. To blunt its winning track record,
the efforts of the staff seemed to be
intentionally undermined.
According to Jack Patterson, the former
Music and Program Director of KDAY, all
promotional activity such as billboards,
bumper stickers and t-shirts, stopped as early
as two years ago. KDAY's Community Affairs
Department and sales staff, both serving to
keep the station visible, were cut back. "Even
a company the size of Heritage knows that
you have to spend money to make money,"
said Patterson. Without promotion, the
ratings suffered over the past year.
Advertisers left, the market value of the
station decreased and a sale was made easier.
KDAY's new owners, Fred Sands Realty,
promised Patterson that he would receive
ample notice if the format changed, so the
staff could say goodbye to its loyal fans.
Patterson wanted to bring back all the old
jocks, the past Program Directors and the acts
that KDAY broke on the airwaves to eulogize
the station for eight hours live on the air.
Patterson also worked to put together
sponsorship dollars for a huge celebration
party,
h THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
He never got the chance. On March 11, 1991,
at 11am, General Manager Ed Kirby gave
Patterson two hours notice. At 1pm, the
station went dark. His only warning was the
sudden appearance of off-duty cops andsecurity guards the day before, obviously in
anticipation of protests or demonstrations.
Curtis Harmon, the popular afternoon
mixmaster, recalls searching and searching in
vain for his afternoon "quick fix" of hip-hop.
Fans who had memorized the Raplinenumber called in panic, asking about the
station's unannounced disappearance.
Patterson believes that Heritage never had
a complete commitment to the station and its
format, especially since the original purchase
of the station was merely part of a package
deal along with a cable company and a
billboard company. When powerful FMstations arose to challenge KDAY's market,
Heritage ran instead of fighting. Andaccording to Greg "Mack Attack" Mack, whohad been with KDAY for seven years, the
new owner didn't quite understand whatthey were trying to accomplish at KDAY. In
this gulf of misunderstanding of both the
previous and new owners, KDAY drowned.
FM stations in the same market are claiming
to take up the slack, but another KDAY
—
fiercely independent and committed to
breaking new artists—may never come to be.B
Darryl James is the Managing Editor of Rappin'
Magazine, and the Editor of the Hip-Hop
Countdown & Report, a nationally syndicated
radio rap show.
"Fans who had
memorized the
Rapline number
called in panic,
asking about the
station's
disappearance"
FINAL RESPECTS:MC TROUBLE
WHEN A DEATHoccurs in ourcommunity it is
always disturbing,
particularly when it
involves someone young; becuasewithin that death, we see potential at
rest. MC Trouble, whose given namewas LaTasha Rogers, a talented hip-
hop artist overcome by an epileptic
seizure that forced her death June 4,
1991, is no exception. Her 1990 release
Gotta Get a Grip (Motown) carried her
to national fame.
To keep her memory in our hearts
let's lead our lives by her successful
example and words: "...educating
myself...knowing what I want out of
life and spending every minuteworking toward that goal.. .that's whatbrings happiness."
TRACY SHERROD
HARDTIMES
AS REPORTED IN THE SOURCE'S exclusive
interview with Slick Rick in the July issue,
Rick had his sentence handed down on June6th at Bronx County Courthouse. Judge
Sheindlin sentenced Ricky Waters to 31/3 to 10 years
in prison, with eligibility for parole after two years.
Rick will be held temporarily at DownstateCorrectional Facility. The Source joins the rest of the
hip-hop community in wishing Rick a peacefuljourney.... In other news of rappers in trouble with the
law, sentences have been handed down for the FatBoys "sex, rhymes and videotape" case reported in the
Mar/Apr issue of The Source. Darren "Buffy"Robinson allegedly videotaped three of his friends
partying and having sex with a 14-year-old girl. JudgeCharles B. Smith of Chester County Court in
Pennsylvania handed down varying sentences to the
participants—Buffy aka "The Human Beat Box," whopled guilty to sexual abuse of children, was sentenced
to two years probation and ordered to pay a $10,000fine.... Nastymix Records has filed a breach of
contract suit against its top-selling rap artist Sir Mix-A-Lot, claiming Mix breached his contract withNastymix to deliver the second and subsequent six
albums under their current recording agreement. Thesuit also names Def American Records—RickRubin's label—for knowingly and intentionallyinterfering with Nastymix's contract by signing a deal
for Sir Mix-A-Lot's next album. Nastymix is seeking
fulfillment of its contract with Mix, or damages for
breach of contract. We'll keep you posted.... Village
Voice columnist, author, and celebrated Black musiccritic Nelson George just signed a two book deal with
Harper-Collins Publishing. In January 1992, George's
book Elevating the Game: The History andAesthetics of Black Men in Basketball will hit
bookstores. Then, in the Spring of 1992, a collection of
George's essays and reviews will be published underthe title B-Boys, Buppies, Baps & Bohos: Notes ofNew Black Culture. Plus, George co-wrote thescreenplay for Go Beverly! a film that beganproduction in New York in March... KRON-TV in SanFrancisco has announced that it will air a new version
of its award winning show "Home Turf," hosted byDominique DiPrima. "Home Turf Summer Mix" will
showcase the diversity of the Bay Area and give youngpeople a chance to be heard on a variety of subjects.
The show will maintain its cutting-edge hip-hopflavor.... Actor Blair Underwood—who playedRussell Simmons in the film "Krush Groove," but is
best known for his role as Jonathan Rollins onNBC's "LA Law"—has directed the new video "Still AYoung Man" for Quality/Pump Records artist PositiveGeneration... And finally, in the Look How Far RapHas Come department: The following words havebeen added to the Random House Webster'sCollege Dictionary: B-boy, blasted, boy toy,
bumrush, crackhead, def, dis, ditz, doofus, dweeb, ice,
illin', wack, wuss.
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THE SOURCE 'SEPTEMBER 1991 O
BOOMIIM' SYSTEMS
by James K. Willcox
ATCHING TV USED TObe one-dimensionalenjoyment. But with the
growing interest in
stereo TV, hi-fi VCRsand even home
surround systems, we're asking our
televisions to sound as sharp as their
pictures look.
The demand for beefed up audio along
with video hasn't fallen on deaf ears; manytelevision manufacturers are teaming up
with recognized names in audio to include
better sound built into their sets. For
example, Zenith is incorporating the BoseAcoustic Wave speaker technology in someof its high-end sets, while Sony has licensed
a sound enhancement technology called
SRS (Sound Retrieval System) from Hughes
Electronic to add and extra dimension to its
stereo imaging. Likewise, Toshiba andCarver, as well as Magnavox and JBL, have
headed to the altar in a marriage of their
respective video and audio strengths.
Which is all fine and good if you're in the
market for a new set. But what if youalready own a set but want to improve the
sound?
Fortunately, there are ways to add better
quality to an existing TV set. If your TV has
audio out jacks, or even a mini jack for a
line level source such as a headphone, the
simplest way is to connect it into your audio
system.
Connections in this method are relatively
straightforward. But chances are, your
speakers are a good distance from your TV
set, which may be fine for regular stereo
enjoyment and certain special effects, but
which can make on-screen dialogue
annoyingly seem as if it's being spoken by
off-screen characters. And because regular
loudspeakers contain magnets that can
cause picture distortion and discolorations,
you'll have to leave them at least 10-12
inches from the set.
+ 'SHIELDED" SOUNDSeveral companies are making
what are called "shielded" speakers, which
can be placed alongside, below, or on top of
your television. These days, any number of
well-known speaker manufacturers offer
shielded versions of some of their morepopular small speakers. For example, all
three models in JBL's ProPerformer series
offer shielded drivers for next-to-TV
placement. The speakers ($199 per pair)
are small satellite units capable of handling
10-60 watts of power. The ProPerformer
Plus model ($439/system) adds a dual-
chamber subwoofer that requires no
BEEFED-UP 90UNDFROM YOUR TELEVISION
s
Bose's Video RoomMate Powered Speaker
additional power—and in fact can handle
amplifiers rated as high as 100 watts per
channel. With a system selling price of
$659, the Pro III Plus—also a three-piece
(two satellite speakers and a subwoofer)
design—was developed directly from JBL's
recording studio monitor, and boasts a
wider frequency response.
Boston Acoustics offers shielded
versions of many of its popular book shelf
speakers, such as the A40V, as well as a
video version of its three piece SubSat Six
($499.95) system, which features its
MagnaGuard shielding. Koss, perhaps best
known for its headphones, has two non-
powered shielded speakers in its Dyna Mite
line of audio/video speakers: the M/60Plus ($129.95) and the M/80 Plus
($179.95). And Sonance, a pioneer in high
fidelity, in-wall loudspeakers, recently
introduced the M30V ($310 per pair,
including brackets and grilles), its first in-
wall shielded speaker designed to be
installed in close proximity to. a video
screen.
~^~ SURROUND SOUNDIf you already own a decent pair of
stereo speakers, another option is
available, thanks to the increasing
popularity of some home surround sound
systems: adding a shielded center-channel
speaker that can be placed on top or below
a TV set. Dolby Pro Logic surround sound
systems steer dialogue to a center channel
speaker, and several manufacturers offer
speakers designed specifically for that
purpose.
Yamaha offers two shielded center-
channel loudspeakers: the NS-C70 ($129)
and NS-C90 ($149). Both of Yamaha'sspeakers are angled at 15 degrees, allowing
System and Sony's wireless IF-S50K (inset).
them to be floor or ceiling mounted and still
provide on-axis performance. BostonAcoustics offers a shielded center-channel
speaker as part of its T6 ($899.95) six
speaker surround sound system, and sells a
separate 404V ($130) center channelspeaker designed to sit unobtrusively on top
of almost any TV set. NHT offers a center
channel version of its Model 1 speaker
called the Model 1C ($170), as well as the
Zero 3-Pack ($270), containing three Zero
video shielded mini-speakers.
+ POWEREDSPEAKER SOUND
However, not everyone's television set is
conveniently located within connecting
distance of an audio amplifier. But thanks to
new, powered speakers, that doesn't meanyou have to settle for a big picture and small
sound. Bose was one of the pioneers in
powered speaker systems; its VideoRoommate system ($339) will connect
directly with most TVs and all VCRs and
laserdisc players straight from the box, and
optional adaptors are available for mostother types of connections.
AR offers a series of powered speakers
it calls Powered Partners. Both the 570 and
the 420 are shielded for video application,
and deliver 40 watts and 10 watts of power
per channel, respectively. The speakers
wedge shape allows for numerousplacement and mounting options.
Sony's IFS-50K speakers ($349.95) are
not only magnetically shielded—they're
wireless. The company also offers the more
conventional wired SRS-150 shielded,
powered speakers, which plug into either a
mini jack or standard phone jack.
So next time you kick on the TV set to
catch the latest videos, don't just watch the
picture—hear and feel it, too.
@ THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
HOME VIDEO
by Pistol Pete
<EC
LUcrLUO-
OL MOE DFunke Funke Wisdom
Written by Kool Moe DeeProduced by Joseph F. Nardelli
Directed by Jim Swaffield
Zomba Video
approx. running time: 55 minutes
Kool Moe Dee's new home video Funke Funke Wisdom plays like a
soap opera, and could easily appeal to those females still
watching Channel Zero. Like fixtures "All My Children" and
"General Hospital," this 30 minute video is structured like a soap
"rapera," and it offers all of the love-in-the-afternoon drama you'd ever
need. Numerous women are shown fawning over the mysterious and
seductive man behind those huge dark shades, and each one gets a
piece of him somehow, someway. The other half ofFunke Funke
Wisdom is made up of music videos, including "To The Beat Yall,"
"Wild, Wild West," "I Go To Work," and "They Want Money."
Despite the many subplots, Funke Funke Wisdom is anchored by a
fictional press conference of the Stop The Violence Movement and a
performance of the song "Rise And Shine." The released video of "Rise
And Shine" that has been playing on video shows features an ending of
a scuffle between two audience members followed by a quick gun
exchange. In Funke Funke Wisdom, however, the fully-developed
ending is revealed. As Chuck D and Kool Moe Dee stand to observe
what's happening, they are caught in the crossfire. The rappers are
shown gunned down, their clothes splattered with blood, and the
audience is naturally in a state of shock. After about ten seconds of
this, our slain heroes miraculously "rise" to their feet. A confident Kool
Moe Dee says, "So for the members of the press that like to write all
the hype about what's going on in the streets, this is what it's like. Youdon't understand it until you live through it. You got to wake up and
wise up." In unison, the panel then chants "stop the violence!"
Other highlights include the scene where Kool Moe Dee is rudely
late for an interview with a radio personality named Big Bucks, and he
is grilled by his publicist. He explains to her that he tried to get out of
the interview on purpose. "It's the typical we love your music, but can't
play your record, Black adult-contemporary, CHR, numbers, Stop The
Violence deejay," he sighs. And as if Moe wasn't surrounded by enough
beautiful women, the rapper is stopped dead in his tracks after a
concert performance by "Chocolate," a fine backstage kind of girl. "I do
hope you are as intellectual as you portray," she says. "So that you maybe able to distinguish a cerebral sex-goddess from just any ordinary
groupie. Because Kool Moe Dee, I want you. In fact, I have to have you.
Whenever, wherever you so desire. For one night, or for a lifetime..." YoG, time to draw up the pre-nupital joint.
Funke Funke Wisdom is an interesting and original concept. Aside
from "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air," there really isn't much rap-related
programming of a scripted nature on television. For that alone, the
tape is a good buy.
GANG STARRStep In The Arena
"Just To Get A Rep" directed by Fab 5 Freddy
All other videos directed by Kevin Bray for Time Shift Productions
Chrysalis Videoapprox. running time: 20 minutes
Chrysalis manages to stuff four videos and a variety of promised
"extras" into the new Gang Starr home video Step In The Arena,
which clocks in at only 20 minutes. Sure, more heinous crimes
have been committed. But blink and you're liable to miss the "new,
slammin' performance footage of Gang Starr at New York's Apollo
Theater." Got allergies? Well don't sneeze because you just might miss
those "special, never-before-seen outtakes from all their videos." Mypoint is that something in the range of a forty to sixty minute running
time would have done justice to what is, nevertheless, a quality homevideo product.
The four videos contained on Step In The Arena cover all the
necessary bases for a well-rounded rap group in '91: street-level
respect, positive mind, love, and self-promotion. The group's harder
edge is demonstrated in the gripping clip "Just To Get A Rep," while
social and political awareness are addressed in "Who's Gonna Take The
Weight," which features news footage of Adolph Hitler and Martin
Luther King. "Lovesick" is rapper Keith E.E.'s heartbroken ode to the
special girl in his life who trips due to her inability to understand the
Guru's celebrity status. The prerequisite ego piece comes in the form of
the previously unreleased "Take A Rest," which is a straightforward
clip that could use better lighting.
While many experts in rap today are quick to predict a lesser role
for DJ's in the future, it's clear that DJ Premier's position as an
integral part of Gang Starr is solid. But unexplainable is the fact that
this talented producer says so few words on Step In The Arena.
Nevertheless, these brothers have their heads in the right place.
Discussing goals, Keith E.E. says he hopes "to get more and more
people up on some original style rap music—fly street beats and dope
rhymes. It sounds corny, but that's what rap is about: the rhymes, and
the beats, and the turntables."
Additional homage is paid to the Gang Starr sound by special
guests Chubb Rock and jazz great Branford Marsalis. The Chubbster
praises: "I feel that they're one of the pioneers to have brought jazz to
mingle with hip-hop, and to create a new vector which hip-hop can go
down." That sent me straight to a dictionary, and sure enough, "vector"
is a word. Sorry for doubting you, Professor Chubbs. Marsalis, who has
worked closely with Premier, says of Gang Starr: "they find the hard
grooves, and they throw them out there. And that's what the music is
about."
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
3IQ T'HOQ XAOOM JA3J1
NWArockets to #1,
towing a trail
of doubters,
dissers, and
devoted fans
behind them.
by Jon Shecter
THEHIP-HOP NATION
stood still on June 15th.
That's the day the NWAalbum Niggaz4Lifeknocked Paula Abdul'sSpellbound out of the
number one slot on Billboard's TopPop Albums chart. Actually, the rap
world was pretty shaken up theweek before, when Niggaz debuted
at an astounding #2 position, the
highest entry by any album since
Michael Jackson's Bad. All this with
no single and no video, makingNiggaz only the fourth album to top
the pop chart in the past 16 years
without generating a top 40 single.
Niggaz went to number oneunder a new charting systemimplemented by Billboard magazinecalled SoundScan. Charts weretraditionally compiled from retail
store clerks who phoned-in or
mailed-in a list of the store's fifty
top-selling records. Since the stores
did not provide actual sales figures,
the system, as most industry people
admit, was left open to
manipulation by record companies.With SoundScan, the Top PopAlbums chart is compiled bycomputers that tabulate actual
sales from readings of the barcodes on each product as it leaves
the store.
SoundScan has angered a lot of
record company executives whowatched their artists—particularly
alternative rock acts—fall off the
charts. And it's clear thatSoundScan has its legitimate faults:
the pool of retailers is too heavily
favored towards rackjobbers
—
outlets such as department stores
who stock only proven hits on their
shelves—and the survey has not
wired in stores that move"alternative" product in urbanmarkets, such as the Tower Recordschain and the hundreds of "momand pop'' stores in urban markets
around the country that
sell to hip-hop fans in the
street.
But these objections
makes NWA's rocket ride
to #1 that much moreincredible. All acrossAmerica, in suburbanshopping malls and mid-
size cities, thousandsupon thousands of
white kids were running
to the record storeswithout seeing a video
and grabbing for the
new NWA shit.
Clearly the double-
platinum success of
Straight Outta Comptongained the group a
large interracial fan
base, but why are so
many white kids
turned on by NWA? It
seems that these violent, gritty
storytellers offer white youthexciting connection to the glorified
life of the inner-city. White kids
idolize Black performers across the
spectrum—from Murphy to Jordan to
Tyson— but NWAtakes them a step
closer to that my-sterious ghetto-
world they wonderso much about.Amongst a peergroup of whitemales, it's a cool
status symbol to
like NWA— it meansyou are more"street, "more "hip."
NWA offers whitemales— all males,for that matter—
a
chance to live out
the ultimate machofantasy: every girl
sucks your dick,
every guy who ain't down getseliminated.
I would argue that Niggaz4Life is
the first rap album to hit themainstream crowd and the hip-hop
crowd with force at the same time.
For every Black hip-hop fanatic
driving through Detroit, Houston,and of course Los Angeles pumpingNiggaz from their rides, there's a
group of baseball-cap wearing white
kids listening to Niggaz in their living
room. And then there's theMadonna/Vanilla Ice crowd, which is
too broad for me to even stereotype,
grooving right along to Niggaz too.
There goes the neighborhood!Everywhere you turn, the youth of
America is tuned in to NWA.Everywhere, that is, except New
York City, where hip-hop's mosthardheaded fans refuse to
When NWA hit #1,mainstream Americawas dumbfounded."People magazine
wanted to catch thegroup casually at home,sitting on their couch
and smiling," aspokesperson from
Priority Records told us.
"I tried to explain to
some 40 year old whitewoman that they don't
sit on their couch andsmile. They're
gangsters, for god'ssake."
acknowledgethe greatness of Niggaz-
4Life. You hear guys dissing the
shit, calling it wack. When you askwhy, some of themsay the lyrics are
just too negative or
too simple, which is
easy to under-stand.
It's clear that NWAlost a lot of depthand intelligence
when they lost Ice
Cube, and if youbreak out Ameri-kkka's Most Want-
ed, you'll hear Cubeblowing NWA awaywith sharp subject
matter and lyrical
excitement.
But when hip-
hop heads dis the
production, they are
clearly bugging. Yes, there are great
rap producers in New York, but High
Powered Productions— Dr. Dre andYella— is the most consistentlyexciting production squad in the
industry today. Listen to their
tracks—clean, bold sounds locked
in grooves so dangerous, theyoutlast the grittiest New York shit
out here. It's obvious that Dre andYella care how a record sounds
—
the highs are crisp, the lows are
earth-shaking, and the live in-
struments and perfect samples fit
right in the pocket.
And the rhyme styles! Check out
Ren's flow on "She Swallowed It,"
or the post-old school pimp groove
on "Findum, Fuckum & Flee," where
Eazy and Dre showcase their newand improved skills. This is the wayreal rap is supposed to sound—you
can't
front on it. And this "real rap" record
reached number one on themuthafuckin pop chart! Sleep.
When NWA reached the top,
every important newspaper andmagazine in the country scrambledto do a piece on this "new popphenomenon." For the most part,
critics found the album offensive
and the record got dissed in spite of
its success. But beneath theobvious moral objections; critics andfans of NWA are forced to address a
larger issue—the fact that NWA,rap's violent heroes, are the ul-
timate success story. NWA trans-
forms ghetto hell into long dollars;
they've become very wealthy bymarketing the ills of the capitalist
system to the people that put themdown. To discuss NWA is to discuss
the fundamental problems, conflicts
and opportunities of our society. AsDavid Browne so succinctly put it in
the New York Times, "It's a
situation thick with irony, but NWAare probably too busy counting their
earnings to care."
Face it: Niggaz4Life containsharmful, hurtful words. It is un-
necessarily violent, and it is sexist
to a disgusting degree. You can't
argue with any critic who points out
these faults. But understand that
Niggaz4Life is real hip-hop. NotHammer, not Ice, this is the sound
of rap music from the streets,
created and performed by talented
artists who refuse to sell out. Thereal niggaz know what their fans
want, and their fans respond. With
real dollarz.a
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
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Knapsack,
Parachute jacket
$230; 5 pocket
denim pants $60;
both by Parasuco
Leaf collar catsuit
$95; two color
quilted bolero jacket
$100; both by
Stephen Clellan
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PRODUCER'S PROFILE
by Adario Strange
DR. FREEZE
DR.PLATINUM WOULD BE
a better name for this cat
who takes the most basicsounds and samples, andturns them into hit records.
With the help of his partner
Spiderman, Dr. Freeze hasquickly risen to the levels of prominence mosttwenty five-year olds are hesitant to evendream of.
Hailing from the planet Brooklyn, Dr.
Freeze describes himself musically as "a hip-
hop Prince." Well, stiletto heels wearin' heain't. On his way up, he is. Listed amongsthis production credits are BBD, Another BadCreation, Red Bandit, Today, MaliakaThompson, and Finesse & Synquis. His mostrecent success is Color Me Badd, from the
soundtrack of New Jack City, who's single, "I
Wanna Sex You Up," has gone well overplatinum. Ironically enough, Dr. Freeze says
that this particular track was originally going
to be used for his own album; which proves
that ya never know how phat a track is until it
comes back to slap you in the face. And in this
case, leave a silver-colored hand print (gimmethat type of slap any day, G).
What makes me feel that Dr. Freeze is
destined for greater things is that hepossesses something that the truly dopeproducer should have—knowledge of aninstrument. When I go over the really original
and innovative producers of the past couple of
decades, all have been people with a technical
understanding of music. Citing the BrandNew Heavies as one of his favorite new live
bands, Freeze plays piano, flute, trumpet, anddrums. Other young, aspiring producersshould note this as important, because it's one
thing to know that a sample filled tracksounds hype and quite another to know why it
sounds hype.
No stranger to performing, Dr. Freezehas been on the same bill as MC Lyte, RedBandit, and even had a record out on BlackMagic Records called, "I'm too Much." After
payin some dues, Dr. Freeze's newfoundsuccess has him saying, "I feel like a different
person, I feel kinda scared. When you have a
dream and it hits you in the face so fast, youdon't know how to take it." The realization of
his dream started when he gave the track for
BBD's "Poison" to Red Bandit. From there it
went to Tara Geter (formerly of the Gyrlz) andthen to Hiram Hicks, and the rest is history. "I
have to thank Red Bandit and Tara. When
3Oo
o><
Dr. Freeze and his partner Spiderman
someone reaches their success, there's alwayssomebody that helped them." Now HiramHicks acts as his manager and Dr. Freeze hassomehow managed to maintain a humble, yet
confident, attitude.
Having grown very close to BBD throughHiram, Freeze explains their music "mentally
it's like Public Enemy music except withbasslines and keys and serious singingbehind it." But Dr. Freeze is quick to add, "I
wouldn't call my music mental; I would call
Shocklee's music mental," instead depicting
his music as somethinglike Earth, Wind & Fire
hip-hop. Considering that
he has expressed a desire
to produce the likes of
Rakim, Slick Rick, BigDaddy Kane, and Kool GRap, all that we've heardbefore from this brother
may have just been a
prelude to some old really
stank shit. Recently, Dr.
Freeze has completed a
number of phat projects
including Bobby Brown("You Ain't Brown"), 7A3,
Good to Go, and TheNeutrons.
On the subject of his
favorite producers, Freeze
says that the late Eighties
rap redefiner's The BombSquad was one of his
greatest influences next to Howie T, and of
course Quincy Jones who he calls "The Father
of Music." Usually when someone mentionshis influences, one has to look deep to find
them reflected in their music, but the eclectic
creativity displayed in Dr. Freeze'sproduction aptly represents who and what
Freeze says TheBomb Squad wasone of his greatest
influences, next to
Howie Tee and of
course Quincy
Jones, who he calls
"The Father of
Music"
he's been exposed to throughout the years. Hisown upcoming album will be a collection of
many of the artists he's produced as well as
his own material. With Today, BBD, ABC, anda healthy list of other heavyweights to appearon his album, I smell dollars G!
With such prosperity coming the way of a
young brother, you might wonder if there's
another music industry (not gettin' paid)
nightmare waiting to happen. Countlesstimes, we've seen an up and coming producer,
inexperienced in the choppy waters of musicbusiness, get dissed so hardyou only see their name onthose Pathmark, "K-Tel"re-releases. But looking at
Dr. Freeze's support group(Spiderman, BBD, HiramHicks), his future looks to
be a bit brighter than that.
One of the biggest problemsfacing the music industry
today is what Freeze calls
"a lack of trust andcommunication as far as
Black people areconcerned." He's right, if
there was more networking
going on between Blacks in
the industry, maybe wecould dissolve some of those
"glass ceilings." It's cool to
"get over," but how aboutfollowing the example of
New Edition and getting
over together.
Breaking through all kinds of ceilings has
become a habit for Dr. Freeze who says he'd
also like to try his hand at acting and maybeone day directing. Whatever roof he decides to
come crashing through next, I'm sure the
damage will be welcome!
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
OFTEN IMITATED NEVER DUPLICATED
i>JP
s^k
U:-
THIS ISWHATU RAP 2
THE LONG-OVERDUE SINGLE FROM THE ALBUM,"TO YOUR SOUL." AVAILABLE IN 12" AND MAXICASSETTE. INCLUDES DEVASTATING RE-MIXESBY U.K.-BASED MIX OUTFIT, THE BOILERHOUSE. §HJjfTHE DEBUT RELEASE FROM SLAMMIN' RECORDS.
PRODUCED BY: CHAD ELLIOT AND THE JAZ. ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION AND REMIX BY: BEN WOLFF AND ANDY DEAN FOR THE BOILERHOUSE. MANAGEMENT: STAN POSES /UNITEDENTERTAINMENT. © 1991 EMI RECORDS USA. SLAMMIN' RECORDS™ IS AN AUTHORIZED TRADEMARK OF EMI RECORDS USA 212-603-4163. DISTRIBUTED BY QUARK, INC. 212-489-7260.
William PatersonCollege
Wayne, N J
by G-man
PEACE FROM THEcampus of WilliamPaterson College. We're
located in Wayne, NJabout 1 mile uphill fromPaterson, home of KingSun and Eastside HighSchool from the movie,
Lean On Me. On WPC radio (WPSC-FM88.7) we have the #1 rap show in NewJersey: the BFA Rap Show (BFA stands for
Brothers For Awareness) where DJ TrueBlue and myself rock every Wednesdaynight from 10pm-2am. The rest of the BFAPosse includes DJ Dove, Hype Stuff, J-
Scratch and The Snowman. We play
strictly hardcore. We try to promoteawareness through the music as well as
with interviews. Being on the airwaves wedefinitely feel we have to give back to the
community, so on the show we haveinterviewed such organizations as DeltaSigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, PhiBeta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Bro. AbdulKadir Muhammad from The Nation OfIslam, The Black Student Association, andDr. Linda Day, a Professor of African
History.
On the rap front, the BFA co-sponsored
"The Quest For Campus Supremacy" ourfirst ever all campus rap contest. Props go
out to the winner, The Hype Stuff. HypeStuff definitely kicked it and won the top
prize. Rap was the winner on another front
when the ladies of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority Inc. had a talent show and rap
took that one too. Daddy D, runner up in
'The Quest For Campus Supremacy" wasthe big winner that night. Gettin' back to
the BFA Rap Show we have had manyspecial nights on the show like The YearEnd Countdown, Old School Night (all old
school records), Freestyle Night (17 MC'sgoing for self), and Ladies Night (all female
rappers).
Throughout the year, the campus was
treated to many different speakers whoenlightened the students and community.Shaharazad Ali (author of The Blackman'sGuide to Understanding The BlackWoman), Kwame Toure (Stokely
Carmicheal), Dr. Frances CressWelsing, and Dr. Ivan Yan Sertimawere all here to drop science on the
campus. But the one who dropped it
hardest was the teacher, KRS-One. Wehad so many people that we had to turnsome away.
Back to the radio lab, my trip to TheGavin Seminar in San Francisco wasslammin'. I came back with much WestCoast product so my audience could see
how it's done out there. Also, the Hip-Hopat its Crossroads Conference at HowardUniversity in Washington D.C. wasequally dope. We also got treated to aspecial concert. At the end of a benefit
basketball game between two NYC radio
stations, WBLS and WFAN, there wereperformances by Chubb Rock, The Jaz,
and Style and in the house that night
were King Shameek, Latee, and TheFunke Natives.
All in all this past year was definitely
dope and we plan to take it to a higher
level in the coming year. The second
"Quest For Campus Supremacy" will bebigger and better. An addition of a second
show geared for the African-Americancommunity called Moments In Soul will be
in effect. This show will be on the R&B tip
with the focus on all forms of Black music.
Everybody from Jimi Hendrix to MarvinGaye to Levert to BBD to OG Style. Wealso wanna hook up a major rap show onthe campus and be on the lookout for the
Top 40 of 1991 Year End Countdown.So there it is straight from The BFA
Show to you. Gotta send props out to the
other rap shows in the area. Big Shoutouts
to Wildman Steve and Adario Strange(WBAU), The Awesome 2 (WNWK), TheStretch Armstrong Show (WKCR), TheUnderground Railroad (WBAI), andThe Propmaster Kool DJ Red Alert(KISS-FM). We have got to keep rap on the
air in the NY-NJ area. Also peace to
Mighty Zulu Nation and The FivePercent Nation. And Big Props to TheSource and The Mind Squad. G-Mansays "peace" and I'm out like British
Walkers and Mocknecks.
Glen "G-Man" Holt is the Assistant
Music Director for WPSC. He is also anintern in Epic Records' Rap Department.
ATTENTIONCollege Students:
Become a Part of The
SOURCE MINDSQUAD
as
THE SOURCE
Marketing Representative
on your campus
We are looking for
dedicated, ambitious
students with an interest in
HIP-HOPand a flair for
marketing and promotions.
If you think
you fit the bill,
and would
like further information
on the program
contact: David Watkins
at The Source
aimTHE MAGAZINE OF HIP HOP MUSIC. CUEIURE El POIIIICS
(212) 274-0464
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
KID SENSATIONNastymix Records
On maturing as an artist: On the first album that i
released, I was really more trying to find myself. I really hadn't
developed my own style yet, I hadn't developed my own sound. Onthe new album, I've really established myself as not only a lyricist
and a good rapper with speedy quick delivery and clever delivery,
but also as speaking out for the youth. The title of the new album is
Voice Of The Youth, and if s appropriately titled. I'm speaking about
the problems with the youth, and just kicking some solutions out
there. It's almost a guidebook to the way us teenagers should be
living and the kinds of things we should be striving for.
On versatile production: i think people who hear
this next album are really, really gonna just trip, because I don't stick
to any certain style of music anymore. I'm not centered in just a West
Coast style, I don't use just bass to make my music sound good. I've
got some real creative sampling without just looping other people's
stuff and using it, I've got some grooves that have a totally different
feel to them. Now I've got stuff with an East
Coast feel to it, I've got stuff with an L.A. feel
to it, I've got stuff with the Seattle swing of
course, 'cause that's my city. It's just all there.
SPEAK OUT
DOWNTOWN SCIENCEDef JamiColumbia Records
oOSCO Moneyr Our message is, we're Downtown Science. I'm
Bosco, I'm a character, this is Sam, he's a character. And the music is a
fusion of our personalities. Sometimes a concept is restraining. Because as
an artist I don't want to be tied to just one thing. We don't want to be
handcuffed to a particular image. We are what we are and what we are is
two kids who hang out and go to the clubs.We're not trying to use race as
a gimmick or be controversial were just being us.
Sam Seven Originally we didn't want to have our picture on the 12-
inch because we didn't know how people would react, but it came out and
the label liked it so we said fuck it, why not have our picture on the cover?
Other than that, it [race] hasn't caused us any problems. We've had a
couple of articles with some stupid shit, like in Billboard we got a really
good review but the opening sentence was like "The bi- racial duo..." and
last year it was "salt and pepper combo" or some stupid shit. But that's the
press. If they feel that its important to stress that we are a white dude and
a Black dude, that's what they gotta do. We don't really get involved with
that. I think that once the album drops it won't really be an issue, and it
really hasn't been a big issue. It wasn't like I said, "hip-hop, let me get into
this"—I've been down for a long time. A lot of times I find that a lot of
white kids who are in hip-hop right now go out of their way to legitimize
themselves—"Oh, I used to play ball, I used to write graffiti, I grew up in
Bed Stuy"—I'm not like that. If you ask me I'll tell you, but I'm not going
out of my way to tell you that I'm white and legitimate.
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 199
1
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Make Black Film.
You probably saw this statement on the backs of 40 Acres T-shirts last
year, but the reality is that Black films were not being made.. .until now.
Until now, stories about Black people of our generation were told as seen
through white eyes or from a white perspective. Enter 23 year-old, USC Film
school grad John Singleton. He wanted to make a film about Black people
from a Black perspective. And why shouldn't he? He's Black; he's from LA; he
grew up just like us.
Boyz N The Hood is a film that makes you think. It stars Ice Cube in his
acting debut as Doughboy, a kid from South Central. South Central is not an
easy place to grow up—there's gangs, drugs, guns and worst of all police.
Through his music, Ice Cube has been able to give the Black youth viewpoint
of the situation in L.A, making more people aware that there is another side
to the story about the inner-city streets than the one they've been hearing .
John Singleton is expressing the very same message but through a
different medium. By making films, John is able to add visual effects that may
awaken those who were not hip to Cube's music. So Boyz N The Hood is
their view from within South Central or Tales from the darkside, so to speak.
The following are interviews with Boyz N The Hood writer/director John
Singleton and rapper/actor, Ice Cube.
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ICE CUBE
By Ras Barakaight now all across the planet the world is
being saved for democracy. George Bush(uggh!) and his cohorts have developed a fool
proof plan to destroy the "bad guys" anddevelop a "New World Order." It's simple:
first you need 400,000 troops, then 400,000bankers and boom, VCR's! Meanwhile, on it's
own shores, Amerikkka solves its problemswith dialogue. Philip Panel is gunned down
by five-o, its solved by channel 4. Black youth are bombardedby militia at Virginia Beach, it's second on the list of topics of
discussion at local NAACP luncheons, next to Wilder'selection. Rodney King is beaten by the police in a violent
ritual, there's talk of forming police review boards. ..only talk.
Worst of all, Vanilla Ice turns rap star; he's bludgeoned to
death with youth slang at local hangout spots.
There is still a long list of things that deserve somedialogue. One of them is the endangerment of young, Blackboys. Lately people have begun to pay close attention to the
large amount of deaths that occur in our inner cities (mostly
boys).
The almost hopeless looking conditions that playthemselves out in our communities every day has been madesalient many times biassedly through the media, but morerealistically through some of our rap artists. Ice Cube has beenknown to discuss in his raps the things that occur, good or bad,
in our inner cities. In his rap "Tales from the Dark Side(Endangered Species)" he pulls no punches in telling us that
Black boys are becoming extinct. Again in "Dead Homiez" hereminds us of the senseless killing of Black boys. Now he is
acting in a dope, new movie Boyz N the Hood. He plays a
Q
character much like himself. Themovie brings out a lot of topics thatmost are afraid (and some tooremoved from) to discuss. So me andthe Cube got together mentally in theheadquarters of The Source. Me in
New York City and him in L.A. Theonly thing between us was AT&T anda dictaphone. We kicked it for aboutand hour and Cube had a whole lot to
say. We talked about Ice Cube themovie star, of course his beef withNWA, his upcoming album and muchmore. After all that, I came to theconclusion that there is definitely alot more to be talked about. So to
keep everything democratic here goez
some mo' dialogue:
Ras: What's Boyz N the Hoodabout?Ice Cube: Boyz N the Hood is a story
about kids growing up in SouthCentral LA. It's not something that's
action packed. It's about people. It
shows how a man can teach his sonto be a man and a woman really can't
do that. They can just teach them to be respectable adults.
It's about love, and it's about the street situation.
Does the movie depict real life?
Most definitely! It's not even a movie people can criticize.
People should just be happy that they are really getting a
look into our world.
Dough Boy is like my earlier years. After I reached a
certain age I knew that shit wasn't cool and wasn't the right
route. But I think I would still be like Dough Boy if I wasn'tmaking records.
So rap saved your life?
Yeah, most definitely.
NWA is still hitting you hard with their little "shoutout" to you on their new album Niggaz 4 Life? Are yougoing to reply to "Benedict Arnold?"NWA...They can't fuck with me lyrically so the worst thing
they can do is dis. I might respond [to "Benedict Arnold"] but
I gotta think about it. The Blackman don't need to dis each
other anymore. That shit ain't really necessary. I don't think
their record is as good as Amerikkka's Most Wanted. I don't
know everybody else's opinion. I think I got a little moredimension. That shit is too narrow. It's like that same old
"nigga, bitch, nigga, I'll shoot you." That shit was cool in '87
when it was shocking, but now that gangsta rap is played, it's
all about what you saying.
I got something in the chamber for them, it's just truth
because I know them niggas like the back of my hand andthey can't fuck with it. I don't think they take time out for rap
music like I do. It's not like they ain't capable. They wouldrather chase bitches. This shit is my bitch. They just don't
take enough time to pre-think their records. Their production
is dope. When they get in [the studio] what they come out
with is cool, but if they took a little more time to think about
it before they went into the studio their records would be
much better.
How true is the rumor that Dr. Dre is going to do somebeats for you?Me and him been talking because he finally left slave masterJerry Heller [NWA's manager]. We been talking about doing
CONT. ON PAGE 34
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
C/)
zLU>LUH</)
Q
HIP HOPCINEMA...SOUTH
CENTRAL STYLErMuvniriiiwMi^|i
pgopoogJOHN SINGLETON
By dream Hampton
ecently I and nine other filmmakers founded anindependent, Black film production collective.
All of the members are younger than 25, all are
dedicated to a common cause; to burnHollywood to the ground, to put our stories in
yo mothafuckin' face, to report, to undistort, to
reconstruct, in short we were gonna make the
white boy the extra. Admittedly, we are the
post-Spikey boppers but that didn't soften ourcredo. Hollywood, the Eurocentric dream
factory, was to be the target of our rage, our right-to-be-hostile
hostility. Arri was our Uzi and Kodak Eastman was going to codeits "flesh" tone to a defiant shade of Black. That was before JohnSingleton. That was before Columbia dropped 6 million dollars in
a brotha's lap. Now we're maybe thinking about consideringanother approach. One way tickets to Cali, anyone?
Boyz N the Hood is an uncompromising, meditative dramaabout three Black males coming of age in the streets of South
Central Los Angeles. Streets that were designed to disarmthe Black male. At its' best, Boyz N the Hood is an intense
look into the culture that has produced the Hip-Hopphenomenon. It is possibly the first film to document the
realities, the gestures, the ambiance of what is privately
called the Hip-Hop Nation, the Black urban landscape.
John is a card-carrying Hip-Hop Nation member. Notby choice, necessarily. Birthdays, graduations and other
significants are remembered by the hypest jam at thetime. The film utilizes this and, in fact, is dated by classic
cut selections. For instance "Jam On It" is playing in a
scene that takes place in 1984. Like Tre, one of several
young men's stories intimated in Boyz, John Singleton
also grew up in the streets of South Central Los Angeles.
Like Tre, John attributes direction and strength to theguidance of a present father. Boyz is painfully true to the
distinction between boys that have been raised to be menby men and those single-parent (mother) reared brothaswho, the film insists, will constantly seek the balance anddirection to enter manhood. Boyz N the Hood is painfully
true to a lot of the realities of Black, urban America.Throughout the film there is the militaristic sounds of
police helicopters patrolling the neighborhood. In anygiven scene ambient lighting will be totally disrupted by a
loud flash of inspective outside light, a painful reminderthat our communities are under siege by the government'spolice. Where there is confrontation with the police it is
the Black policeman who is high strung, offensive anddangerous. A painful reminder that every brotha ain't abrotha. Perhaps the most piercing of all truths unmaskedin Boyz is the raw truth that death has become a commonpart of our community. The opening scene in the film
revolves around a group of children's curiosity about a
dead body. As if stopping at a candy store the kids leave
their route to school to cross the restricted lines of a
murder site. In another scene, boyz and men posture their
way into manhood several feet away from the body of a
slain teenager. Singleton doesn't knock you over the headwith loud affirmations, his message is subtle, dense andquick like a gunshot.
John Singleton
The first time I saw a dead body was when theycarried the older woman who lived next door to theambulance. The next time was in the middle of the street
near my father's house. He'd been shot, probably in adrive-by, and no one came to his aid. He was screamingfor help and we all just kind of looked at him. I wasfourteen. Moving in with my father was a big catalyst in
my life. It whipped me into shape. There's a wholegeneration of young brothas out there who've been raised
by their mothers, out of necessity. But a woman can't
teach a boy how to be a man. She can only show him howto be a version of the brotha that left her, his father. It's avery viscous cycle. Black men have to be responsible for
raising Black men, it's always gonna come back to us. In
the film, Ricky's mother loved him and he ended up a
teenage father. She couldn't stand Doughboy and heended up a crack dealer, there's got to be balance.
There's going to be a difference between women whohave been raised with a man in the house. Women whowere raised with a man in the house are going to be moresecure in their relationships with other men. I have ascript that I wrote, it's a story about five Black women. I
think it's best that a Black woman direct it. I wasthinking about Neema Barnette. She's a sista in NewYork, a very powerful filmmaker.
CONT. ON PAGE 35
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 ®
ICE CUBE CONT.
things together, but I don't know if it's going to happen.
Back to the movie. What's Dough Boy's view on women?Dough Boy's view on women is they're all bitches and shit. It's
like his moms is giving him a raw deal. Dough Boy and [his
brother] Rick have two different fathers. I guess Ricky's
LUWzLU
LT
O
<CO
Ice Cube and the Lench Mob
father treated her better than Dough Boy's father, and all hewants is her respect and her love and he doesn't get it. That's
probably why he thinks that way.
Do you think Black boys are an endangered species?Most definitely! Mentally, we already dead. All they have to do
is kill us physically. People who die of high blood pressure,
stress and this and that are not dying because they eat wrong.
They are dying from oppression. That will stress anybody out.
Then you add drugs to that, the penitentiary and this
capitalist system. You know in America if you're poor you ain't
shit and they show you that. So, you got all these poor kids
trying to get rich, by any means necessary. So what you got is
Black on Black crime. Not because they want to shoot a
brother, but a Black person is an easy target. For one thing,
nobody is going to really give a fuck if we kill each other. It's
not going to be investigated by the police, like if it was a white
neighborhood. So it's like Black people are easy prey becauseno one cares.
Why do you think there is so much killing?
Fighting is the easiest way to solve a conflict. Guns are
available and kids now are just cold. The thing is we don't
make any guns. They have gun shops in LA, you can buy a
shot gun or a hundred of them if you wanted to. Plus, the hot
guns on the street. Guns are easy to get.
LA is like Vietnam with concrete. The enemy you are
supposed to be fighting look just like the ones you supposed to
be helping. It also starts with babies. Parents shove bottles in
their mouths. The bottle is not living, the bottle is Similac. Aproduct. It ain't as good as the breast. When you breast feed
you're not only giving them food, you are giving them life.
After they get a certain age, parents stick them in front of the
television and that's the worst shit.
Are you saying TV creates a lot of crime in ourcommunity?Hell yeah! Look at "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Kidswatch that shit and they want the same shit. They look at
their house and they're like, "Fuck, I need money."
Why fuck the police?
Ql THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
It's like fuck Uncle Sam. We just narrowed it down to thepolice. Because the Black kid out there don't give a fuckabout who's mayor or who's governor or who's the president.
All that shit don't matter to them. The only piece ofgovernment they see is police. The police is the government in
the ghetto. Everybody else is bullshit because no matter who'sthe president, you still gotta pay your rent and you still gotta
eat. It's the same shit so it don't matter who's in the whitehouse 'cause they don't give a fuck about us anyway.
The movie also brings out sects or gangs in thecommunity. Why do
L.A. is like Vietnam with s^gs develop?. Like I said, these kids
COIlCrete. The enemy raise themselves. Their
i igang is their only family.
yOU Ore SUppOSed tO be This is the only place
f»i .• I I • . • where they mean
something. Actually, whatthey're doing is protecting
their neighborhood.the ones you supposed
to be helping.Protecting it from who?
They don't know who to protect it from, just that it needs to beprotected. There are gangs on damn near every block. And oneincident can start a gang war.
So what do you do to keep Black boys alive?
Show them another way. I don't think talking will help. It's
gonna take another incident. More Rodney King type shit.
And it's starting to happen. Pretty soon, shit's gonna blow upand it's plain to see that these gangs are gonna have to get
together to survive.
What do you do to help unite gangs?What I do is show them their life on records, so they canfigure out, "Damn, every time Cube rap, he end up in the
penitentiary." I just show them all the incidents on therecords, and hopefully they'll make the right decisions.
Did the movie help?Oh yeah, it was straight up truth. That's why I did it. That's
the only reason I did it.
So, what's next for you?My record. That's the most important thing right now.should be ready in September. It's called Death Certificate.
It
Is it gonna be harder than Amerikkka's Most Wanted?I'll let you be the judge of that. The lyrics are more deeper
than Amerikkka's Most Wanted because some of the records
were supposed to be NWA's records and I had different views
then. When I got around Chuck, my eyes opened more. That's
why I did records like "The Product" or "Dead Homiez." It
wasn't all about being a super killer, it's all about being real,
putting down the 411.
There has also been some talk about you leavingPriority Records. Is that true?I hate Priority. This might be my last album. If they don't
release me I'll just produce and run Street Knowledge,because I refuse to be a hoe.
So are they pimping you?All record companies are exploiting the artists because they
get paid much more than the artist. I wanna get paid like
them motherfuckers get paid. They get double, triple what I'm
getting. Fuck that, I ain't going out like that.
And now back to the regularly scheduled program...
Knowledge, Knowledge!
JOHN SINGLETON CONT.
COzL±J
>LUHCO
Q
TOEB£FY
John Singleton directs a scene with Larry Fishburne
There are lots of extremely talented Black filmmakers outhere. You have people like Spike who are beginning to breakdown the discrimination that effects distribution. For me Spikeis like a hero. I mean he's our generation's Melvin Van Peebles.
I have a different voice than Spike. People are always going to
want to compare any new Black filmmaker to Spike. He's a
You got to
go in Hollywood
and turn it out,
take that money
and buy our
own shit.
happen. I wrote that character aroundCube. I wanted all of NWA to play his
boyz bu t then that shit went downwith them. But Cube came through.Three months later we hooked up. Hewas real professional to work with, he'd
never be late or none of that. He wascommitted to the project. Everyone wasreal committed to the project. It
wouldn't have happened if there wasn'tthat commitment.
The film was shot in an area called
the "Rolling Sixties" in Crenshaw,(South Central). They call it the Rolling
I Sixties cuz there's this gang called "The
^[^^H Sixties" up in there. The Fruit of Islam4 worked on our film as security. You^^^HB take a Black film with a Black crew,
j|m Black security, in a Blackneighborhood, and the kids on the
jblock, the gangs in the hood,everybody's gonna give you respect.
There's no reason for us not to worktogether.
The decision to make the Blackpolice officer the one with the most riff,
the most self hatred, was veryintentional. Fuck what white people
are doing, they're gonna be doing what that anyway. Blackpolicemen have an obligation to serve their community. Thefirst people to support Darryl Gates after the Rodney Kingincident was "The Black Policeman's Association." Blackpolice ain't got no business showing out for white police.
L.A. is a car culture. We play our music in our cars. So in
the film I wanted all of the music to come from a source, fromcars or radios. The music is a part of the integral structure.
reference point and that's cool. I look at
what he's done in Brooklyn, giving his
money back to the community, setting upshop and shit, and I know that no matterhow bad it seems I'll never leave LosAngeles. You got to go in Hollywood andturn it out, take that money and buy ourown shit.
Initially I gave the script to Russell Simmons [CEO of DefJam]. I went to him and I was like yo, I need 2 million dollars
to do this movie and he was like "yeah yeah right." He tried to
fade me cuz he didn't know who I was from Adam. Then heread my script and told the studio it was the dopest shit he'dever read.
I met Ice Cube at this rally the Nation of Islam had called
"Save the Black Family," in 1988. When the minister[Farrakhan] speaks, Bloods, Crips all of them come togetherand have showdowns on who could give the most money. LaterI saw Cube at this PE concert in Hollywood. I was stranded andhe gave me a ride home. He popped in a rough mix ofAmerikkka's Most Wanted. I got him to commit to playDoughboy. I didn't have a dime but I knew it was gonna
The whole Hip-Hop sensibility, culture and politics are in
this movie. There's a way to write a film about the culture
without having someone on screen, rapping, that's a video.
In the next few years a lot of booty wack Black films are
going to come out and flop and that's gonna make it hard for
young, Black filmmakers. Then you're gonna have directors
try to pass their work off as Hip-Hop films. They think if theyuse the word "homeboy" or "G" they can be legit or down. Youqualify your legitimacy by going back and giving back to thecommunity you're drawing from.
You've got brothas as diverse as X-Clan and K-Solo or DeLa out there telling stories on wax. Why can't we transferthose stories to a filmic language? It's all about telling yourstories. We need to concentrate on writing good materialabout these stories. I'm looking forward to that.
oCOHm<mzCO
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 O
DOIN' THE KNOWLEDGE
WHEN I interviewed
gang membersincarcerated in
Southern California, I
was amazed at howsharply these so-called
"criminal animals" differed from the
public's perception of them. I did not meet
anyone who was stupid or crazy or
animalistic. In fact, amid shocking tales of
massive drug deals and ruthless violence, I
saw a certain logic to their reactions to the
choices dealt to them by society, choices
that I, for one, have never had to face.
During that week at the prison, I asked
many questions—some were incredibly
naive and some were a little more informed.
At one point, I was engaged in this long,
surprisingly friendly discussion with a
young, 21-year old Blood member. We hit it
off so well that he slipped (and quickly
apologized) a couple of times and called me"blood," a term of endearment usually
reserved for other gang members (the Crips
call each other "cuz").
That is, until I asked him about
"Colors," the Dennis Hopper-directed, Sean
Penn-starring movie. I asked, "What would
you change about 'Colors,' if you had the
chance?" Then, he got quiet. I thought that
I had played myself in the worst waypossible. The tie that I was wearing (so I
would not be confused for an inmate in the
event of a "disturbance" or "emergency")
seemed awfully tight at the moment, and
my armpits suddenly became sticky under
by James Bernard
my suit jacket. After this pause, he
answered me. "I would change the funeral
scene. They made it seem as if we didn't
care about our homeboys. Then I would
show the anger and the need," he said,
echoing a refrain I heard a lot that week.
Looking me dead in the eye, he glowered,
"Man, you don't know hatred until you see
your boy, your best friend, lying dead in
the street. I hate them [Crips] worst than I
hate the Ku Klux Klan. And you don't
know hunger until you go to your nigga's
house and see his folks eating leftover
oatmeal for dinner."
He's right: I don't know. I soon realized
that his mood change wasn't because I was
an idiot, but because no one had ever
asked him about his opinion before. He has
never had a chance to tell his own story
prior to our interview. It wasn't only him:
I'll never forget how utterly human all
these gang members were during our
discussions, how my illusions about them
were shattered and how I wished that they
had the opportunity to tell their stories
more often.
Telling one's own story is very
important in America. And not only in
some artsy-fartsy way. Our political and
social culture is based on myths, fables
and narratives—and in many, painfully
real ways, these stories determine whoeats, who goes to jail and who gets the
most desirable jobs. For example, Ronald
Reagan's oft-repeated tales of welfare
mothers who buy steak and caviar with
foodstamps or of young Black mothers whohave babies solely to get government aid
did more to fuel the callous, anti-welfare
sentiment (which still exists today) morethan any newspaper editorial or academic
study on the issue. Or the popular gang
member-as-Godzilla stories make it too
easy for our society to choose incarceration
over rehabilitation, meaning that countless,
pathetic drug addicts or unemployable
minority men get locked up—without any
hint of compassion—instead of getting help
or jobs. Perhaps our country's economic or
social policies wouldn't be so backward if
more welfare mothers or young Black and
Latino men had the opportunity to
bumrush the show as whimsically as
Reagan, Bush or anyone else in the opinion-
making apparatus.
In this light, these times continue to
amaze me. As you know, hip-hop has madethe "means of production" available to
people who were never supposed to be
heard from, namely young Black folks
—
and, increasingly, young Latino folks. Hip-
hop has allowed creative young people like
Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, Luther Campbell or
Yo-Yo to broadcast their experiences, hopes
and dreams without having to get the
permission of publishing companies, record
companies or the FBI It's easy to overlook
what this has meant, but I can't. When I
was in junior high school, I'd don't think I
understood the significance of Malcolm X or
knew much about Black history. But ChuckD and KRS-One changed all that. I don't
even think I had the capacity to understand
(and be proud of) my own rage, to walk
with a swagger, to call myself a bad
motherfucka. But Ice Cube and NWAchanged all of that. More importantly, myyounger peers do not have to go through
the confusion and pain that I experienced.
Hip-hop tells our story.
This storytelling is happening on a
larger scale than I ever imagined. NWAshot to number one on the pop charts, LLCool J stayed in the top thirty for much of
the year and other artists like Public
Enemy, Ice Cube, Yo-Yo and Digital
The tall Black man stood in the cockpit with a cocked gun in his hand. He aimed it at the backtrouble ifyou don't give us any," the Black man stated harshly. From the way the man had spokt\"Where to?" the captain inquired softly.
"When we get off the ground I'll personally let you knout, " Zeke replied, then smiled. "Wherevtcan bet it will be where a Black man is treated like a man. Yes indeed! It's goin' sure 'nuffbe when
c^ THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
Underground charted very well. And this
juggernaut is not restricted to music. Far
from it: there are nineteen films by Black
directors coming out this year alone, more
Black films than in the entire decade before.
With cinematic successes ofNew Jack City,
Straight Outta Brooklyn and Boyz N The
Hood, a Black vision is being broadcast to
all of America like never before. Yes, people
said the same about the Blacksploitation era
of twenty years ago, but yesterday's
filmmakers didn't entrench themselves
institutionally like Spike Lee, Matty Rich
and John Singleton are doing right now. Wewill hear from these artists for at least four
or five years because of the production deals
that they are signing today. This, of course,
mirrors what Ice Cube is doing with Street
Knowledge Productions, what Eazy E has
done with Ruthless and what Hammer (yes,
Hammer) has done with Bust It
Productions—institutionalize,
institutionalize, institutionalize.
The picture is not as rosy as I suggest.
Neither New Jack City nor Jungle Fever
were distributed very widely, even though
their per-screen take was very high. Womenhave been notably absent, as have been
people of other racial minorities. And I
haven't seen the same level of mass-
produced activity—other than Todd Haynes'
Poison and the much-discussed Thelma and
Louise—from white folks with an
alternative vision. And, although the Hip-
Hop Renaissance has and will continue to
reach millions of people, our generation has
yet to produce a great poet (other than Paul
Beatty, whose Big Bank Take Little Bankyou should check out) or novelist similar to
the giants of the great Harlem Renaissance
of the 1930's like Langston Hughes and Zora
Neale Hurston.
Just by speaking up, the Hip-Hop
Generation cannot be ignored. Though we've
already had a huge impact on thic culture,
we've only yet begun. Our generation has
great promise. We have many stories to tell
and many debates to spark. It's too late to
turn back; our lives, hopes and dreams
depend on our ability to be heard.
the co-pilot's head. "It ivon't be anythe pilots kneiv he meant business.
ve go," Zeke said offhandedly, "youBlack man can be a man."
—Donald Goines, from Kenyatta's Escape
A Shudder
Through The
Halls of Justice
Thurgood Marshall, the
first Black Supreme Court Justice, retires
Inthe past, I always skipped the newspaper's Supreme Court section
because the details of Its decisions did not grab my Interest and,
anyway, the comics were more fun. In the past four years, I skipped
Supreme Court news because I'm too scared to see what horrible
things they've done, sitting In Judgement far from anything remotely
resembling reality. These days, the comics are more attractive than ever.
Last June, the nation's highest court ended its 1990-91 term with
two decisions that cap a year fueled by a rabid assault on civil liberties
and civil rights in the name of fighting crime. First, the Court allowed
Michigan to lock first-time, nonviolent offenders away for life without
parole. Ronald A. Harmelln, the case's defendant who was caught with a
pound of coke, describes himself as a user who was desperately trying to
feed his habit. He needed help, not a life sentence. The other decision
allows Juries to look at the victim's circumstances when sentencing
people. Putting retribution over rehabilitation, such factors have nothing
to do with the defendants' "moral culpability." This society seems hell-
bent on fighting so-called criminals instead of fighting crime itself.
For over forty years, Thurgood Marshall has been the leading
crusader for civil rights. It's not an overstatement to say that he's been
the moral conscience of the legal world. As the chief counsel of the
NAACP, he argued the Infamous Brown v. Board of Education In 1954 and
countless other important cases. As the first Black on the Supreme Court,
Marshall Injected a bit of street knowledge into his opinions, making sure
that nobody forgets that real people's lives should matter In the often-
bookish legal world.
Marshall retired at the end of last year's term. Obviously frustrated
by his Inability to Influence majority decisions In this conservative era and
the loss of Justice Brennan, his major liberal ally, Marshall leaves a proud
trail of work to which he dedicated his life. Unfortunately, we could lose
his legacy at the sweep of a pen, a nightmare which Increasingly looks a
future we must prepare for.
JAMES BERNARD
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 Q
ON THE VIDEO TIP
by Captain Video
INSIDEthe GoldVaults of
Rap Video
The early days
ofbreakdancing,
rapping, and
graffiti have become
Hip-Hop folklore.
We tracked down the
gems ofOld School
footage that help the
legend live on.
Barelymore than fifteen
years old, hip-hop is
experiencing a wave of
nostalgia that is putting
Old-School styles, dress,
and musical selections
into the world of today's
hip-hop fans. But for
those who want a real fix of that Old School
flavor, it is the documentaries, home movies,
news reports and specials that are the real
gems in the gold vaults of rap video.
MTV producer Cathe Neukum expressed
it this way: "In contrast to the stories and
myths that have grown up around rap, these
films provide the ultimate reality check in
that you can take a look at them and see
immediately, wow, these people and places
actually did exist and this is what they looked
like." Recently Neukum gave viewers a taste
of what is out there in MTVs "Rapumentary
Part II," which she produced. But for the most
part, the treasures that are hidden away in
the rap film archives will probably never see
the light of day.
Included in the collection are gems like
"Graffiti Rock," a one-hour TV show featuring
performances by Run DMC, TheTreacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa
and Jazzy Jay, which seems even doper now
because of its TV format coming off more like
"Soul Train" than the South Bronx. There's
"Style Wars," a documentary on the evolution
of graffiti co-produced by Henry Chalfonte
and Tony Silver under a grant from the
National Endowment For The Arts. Also, in
1985, the British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) did a documentary on rap which
featured footage of the legendary DJ Kool
Here scratching, and home movies of his first
parties on Sedgewick Avenue with the
original b-boys Clark Kent and Wallace
Dee. And many remember "Wild Style," the
1984 feature documentary co-produced by
Charlie Ahearn and Blondie's Chris Stein,
starring Fab Five Freddie and Busy Bee,
and featuring performances by the Cold
Crush Brothers and Grandmaster Flash.
And for the TV buffs, there's "Rapping To The
Beat," a 1981 piece that appeared on ABC's
show "20/20," and was produced by DannySchecter, who later became involved with
the show "South Africa Now." In addition to
an in-the-studio look at the recording of the
song "Showdown"—a battle between the
Sugar Hill Gang and The Furious Five—the piece features a performance by the
Funky Four Plus One at a giant rap show
in Harlem, and it examines the origins of rap,
its educational uses in the classroom, and the
fear with which rap is perceived by middle-
America. Remember: this was in 1981.
Like the rappers, graffiti writers and
breakdancers they documented, the early
chroniclers of rap weren't in it for the money.
Most were coming to rap from another place
and culture and many were white. For some,
the attraction was the sheer "bugginess" of
the music and the mixes which at that time
might swing at any given moment from the
"Andy Griffith" theme song, to James Brown,
to The Incredible Bongo Band. For others,
like Steven Hager (now editor ofHigh Times
Magazine), it was "the challenge of
documenting a culture which had been
evolving for over ten years, but which was
virtually ignored by the media." In 1984,
Hager changed that with his book Hip Hop:
The Illustrated History ofBreak Dancing,
Rap Music and Graffiti (St. Martin's Press),
which remains to this day one of the most
historically accurate books on the subject.
But for most of these early rap historians,
a large part of the appeal was being part of a
scene where anything seemed to be possible.
Recalls Ruza Blue, the original promoter of
the infamous hip-hop spot The Roxy,
"sometimes I'd walk into the place on a Friday
night and I'd have to pinch myself—that's howunbelievable the energy level and the people
you'd see there were."
Such was the drawing power of rap for
Michael Holman, whose first exposure to
hip-hop came in the subway as he watched the
evolution of graffiti from half-car to full car to
full train on the way to his Wall Street job.
Curious about who was creating this, Holman
managed to track down Fab Five Freddie after
reading a blurb about him in the Village Voice.
Freddie, in turn, invited Holman down to a
performance by the Rock Steady Crew at
The Kitchen, a performance art space in lower
Manhattan. Impressed by what he saw,
Holman soon quit his job and began managing
the New York City Breakers. Along the way,
he also made films of such historic events as
Bambaataa's Zulu Nation gatherings at
Bronx River Houses, an awesome battle
between Dynamic Breakers and the Rock
Steady Crew at Lincoln Center in 1980, and a
series of parties at a small downtown
nightclub called Negril that later became The
Roxy. But like many of his peers, Holman
eventually became disillusioned with the
scene. In his case, it came in 1984 when plans
to turn "Graffiti Rock" into a regular weekly
show fell apart as a TV station necessary to
secure the deal demanded an under-the-table
cash payment.
"When I was first involved in rap it seemed
light years hipper and more experimental,"
says Holman, looking back on the differences
between then and now. "These days it seems
like rappers are coming out with samples that
are designed to appeal to white middle class
kids in Scarsdale." And bringing up a point of
view expressed by several people interviewed
for this story, Danny Schecter says, "I have a
problem with some of the social values that
are conveyed in rap nowadays. A lot of people
are posers—they have the fire and brimstone,
but they don't have the vision that it takes to
coalesce a political movement that is capable
of achieving social change." Like the archives
of film that represent their contributions to
rap, these filmmakers and historians are a
product of their times, and what they were a
part of was as good as its gets.
Captain Video (Mark Weinstein) is an
independent video promoter whose company,
R'n'R Freelance, works with many rap acts.
Contact him at (212) 727-3014.
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
wicrophoneCheck
BR ONJ>
Tim Dog
lightmare OnWebster Avenue
by Reginald C. Dennis
tI Hli HE SOUTH BRONX.Ground Zero. Tim Dog is
on a mission. After years
of underground success
as a member of the Ultra-
_^^H magnetic MC's, he has^^^^ decided to strike out on
the solo tip. His mission:
to serve justice to the lyrically impaired, and
to bring the Bronx back to the realm of rap.
His first release "Fuck Compton" is nothing
less than a declaration of war. But this time
it's not the South Bronx vs. Queens it's the
South Bronx vs. the world.
Why "Fuck Compton?"Well how about why not "Fuck Compton?"It's simple, them muhfukas think it's all
about them—when it's not. They think
they're the hardest group in the rap
industry—when they're not. And they think
they got it goin' on when they don't, so fuck
'em.
Isn't having a record like this goingto cause some static and make it
hard for you to perform in LA?I'm not the least bit concerned about doin'
shows out there because Compton ain't the
hardest neighborhood in LA. I've had
friends in South Central say to me, "Thank
God you did that record," because they
can't even get their props, or get recording
deals because you got bullshit, stupid A&Rpeople at record companies who think that
Compton is the hardest neighborhood,
signing all these groups who are
supposedly from Compton. Not only do I
have no worries about doing shows in LA, I
have no fear. I'm straight from the streets,
them muhfukas don't put no fear in myheart.
What do you have to say about theattention that the West Coast hasbeen getting lately?
As far as creativity is concerned we all
know that the East Coast really kicks ass.
Not to say that the West isn't creative, but
as far as NWA is concerned, they can't
hang on the lyrical tip. Compared to methey ain't shit. Not to say they're wack but
they...aw fuck it, they is wack. The
muhfukas don't have any kind of lyrical
skills, they just pop this unrealistic shit
about what happens in the streets and that
shit ain't happenin'. I listened to their newalbum and all they talk about is shootin
girls, and that shit is ridiculous.
Don't you think NWA has someskills? I don't always agree withthem but I think they make goodrecords.
I'm not dissin' them just to be dissin' them.
I'm doin' it so people out in Chicago and
Oklahoma—where they be sayin' NWA is
the only nigga's that's hardcore—can knowwhat's up. I'm dissin' them because it is a
terrible injustice in this industry whenmuhfukas can't get recording deals
because of muhfukas like NWA. You got
muhfukas that want to sign you just
because you from Compton. You got
bullshit groups out like Compton's MostWanted, and DJ Quik, who got this gigantic
jherri curl wig on, big pit bull nose havin'
muhfukah who can't rhyme for shit comin'
out sellin records because he saying he's
born and raised in Compton. If that's the
case, who gives a fuck about Compton? I
want to bring back lyrical texture to rap.
It's not like you don't have skills onthe mic. You don't really need to
make dis records. Why loweryourself to gimmicks?You got groups like NWA who use stupid,
old loops and just come out and curse on a
record and go "bitch suck my dick; bitch this
bitch that," and they blow up. If you really
think about it, it's doing something to rap.
NWA has been out for three years and they
still talkin' about the same shit. I'm not just
tryin to dis NWA—I'm not on their dick like
that—I'm dissin' all of this bullshit in the
industry. I got a song on my album called
"No More Happy Rap," that disses
commercialized rappers like Kid-N-Play,
Kwame, Young MC, Vanilla Ice. ..all these
bullshit commercial rappers who just get on
the mic and talk and because they got polka
dot shirts on, dye in their hair or have crazy
hi-top fades. That's what I'm against.
On "Fuck Compton," you talk aboutDre's girlfriend Michel'le...
I dissed her.. .its a street thing. If you want to
dis a brother and make it have some effect,
you dis his girl. If he's a real man he's gonna
respond. If he's pussy like I know Dre is,
he's gonna be quiet about it. I mean if he
beat Dee [Barnes, the host of "Pump It
Up"] up because she had Ice Cube on the
show that shows you what kind of pussy he
is. Couldn't he step to her correctly and
speak his feelings on the matter? If Dre
thinks that beatin' up on a woman like
Dee—who is a positive role model for Black
people is cool, then he needs to step to a
nigga like "D." Tim D-O-G , so I can beat up
on his ass like that. If he wants some of
this... come and get some.
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 ®
REGIONAL REPORT
New YorkBY COLONEL EARL
The NYC club scene has been on the
crazy down low lately. There is no
club out right now that hasachieved the much-desiredcombination of playing the dopest
jams, providing a secure atmosphere, andpromoting the mating habits of the humanspecies. The weekly jam Daddy's House has
been the party coming closest to achieving
these requirements, yet as of late this event
has had to deal with fights and unfriendly
police task forces.
Maybe this is just a phase that New York
is going through, but last year at this time
kicked ass with Powerhouse having the lock
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Presently, the choices for a good time are not
that obvious and there is nothing really to
convince all your boys to roll. Things will
hopefully heat up for the New Music Seminar
in mid-July.
One of the bright spots lately was BoogieDown Production's free outdoor concert in
Central Park. The African/world music act
named Blaze did a decent set to open up the
show, but by the time KRS-One stepped to
the mic there was no doubt who knew the
rules. In the shining sun and 90+ degree
heat, Kris, Willie D, Heather B and DJKenny Parker had the crowd jumping upand down to the BDP classics, and grooving to
some cuts from the new album, Sex &Violence ("'cause that's what sells," Kris
explained). KRS also held a listening party at
S.O.B.'s for his upcoming label called
Edutainer Records (to be distributed by
Elektra). The first release is an album called
Civilization Vs. Technology by a conglomerate
of artists known as H.E.A.L. (HumanEducation Against Lies). The first single is a
star-studded affair called "Heal Yourself,"
and the stuff I heard was nothing to sleep on.
Kool Moe Dee had a release party for his
new album in the VIP room at Red Zone. Thejoint was jumping to the dopest hip-hop, there
was an open bar and free food. No complaints
here. Oakland native Too Short made the
scene, as well as Ms. Melodie and the usual
crew of industry partygoers.
Yo, I'm definitely down wit' the FlavorUnit's latest contribution to the hip-hop
scene, Naughty By Nature (just out on
Tommy Boy). They rocked shit at the newThursday night Daddy's House. The TommyBoy posse was in full effect
—
TomSilverman, Monica Lynch, Albee, Cathy,
etc. Also, the Flavor Unit was loomin' kinda
large
—
Lakim Shabazz and Apache got on
the mic and showed us what they got.
I was watching "Donahue" recently to see
his show on female rap artists, featuring
guests MC Lyte, Bytches With Problems,Yo-Yo, Harmony, and Jazzy Joyce at the
turntables. The show started off like the
typical talk show that's doing its
"groundbreaking" story on rap—Donahueasking the basic introductory type questions,
and the same old dumb questions comingfrom audience members who just want to get
on camera.
Despite these drawbacks I admit I do feel
pride when the non hip-hop culture gets
exposed to a music that is the mostprogressive out right now. That's why it wasso frustrating to see certain guests getting
into a verbal battle about the virtues of Black
womanhood on national television. I'm not
judging who's right or wrong, I am just
complaining about the final effect this has on
the overall image that legitimate rap
portrays. Whatever the disagreements were,
this was definitely not the proper forum to air
them.
"Colonel" Earl Scott is an A&R managerat RAL IDefJam.
Los AngelesBYDJP
First coined in this column, the next
big genre of rap music is here:
"Gangster Jazz." We're talking
about hardcore gangster lyrics over
smooth jazz beats. Originated by
buddha master Skatemaster Tate, this newsound comes from the West Coast and will be
featured on the Stone Cold Boners' newAcid Jazz LP with guest vocalists from the
Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. and Cypress Hill
scheduled to drop science.
Speaking of Cypress Hill, their newColumbia/Ruffhouse LP should be pumpingon the streets now. The crazy street buzz on
Cypress is well-warranted, with a hyper newstyle. Picture something like Brand Nubianmeet Ice Cube at the Compton Swap Meet.
After a few forty's and many blunts, they go
to East LA. and make a really dope record.
Yo Holmes, know what I'm saying?
Also on Columbia and stirring up a lot of
controversy in Cali is Tim Dog (of
Ultramagnetic M.C.s fame) with his newrecord "Fuck Compton," where Tim Dogproceeds to dis N.W.A, Michel'le, Ice Cubeand the whole city of Compton. Any plans for
a promotional trip to Cali soon?
On the promotional tip, Tommy Boy group
Naughty By Nature came to town andripped their show at the United Nations.
Head rapper MC Treach showed the skills
that got him his record deal, igniting a
packed house of heads, including a bald Ice
Cube (no more jheri curl), DJ Alladin, CrazyToons, the Loc Tribe and many others. Also
performing at the U.N. were Main Sourceand Son of Bazerk.
While Son of Bazerk was in town, he got
extra busy all over town, promoting his newMCA/SOUL album. He did performances at
Fantasia and Jamaica House as well as a
booming listening party complete with soul
food, a James Brown impersonator and a
live performance by S.O.B.
Other local groups hitting wax include
African Unity on A&M/TABU. Their first
track, "I Love The Way You Make Me Feel,
is a dope little new jack type groove. On their
LP, expect more diverse material including
more underground material as well as somereggae-flavored tracks. Also just out on QwestRecords is the Poet Society's first single
"Catastrophe." This local LA. group is hooked
up with Snoopy (a.k.a. Quincy D)— and has
been tearing up shows lately. Kev's stage
presence and an always creative dance showset the Poet Society's live performance above
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
many local crews.
The Poet Society's dancers Jump and Jazzy
are also getting busy on the business tip. ShaneMooney (Jump) is making Power Moves all over
L.A. and Malik Levy (Jazzy) has been namedHead of Black Promotion for Quality Records.
Quality is stepping up and showing an increased
interest in hip-hop with Malik on staff andseveral local rap groups on the label, including
Positive Generation and A Lighter Shade of
Brown.On the live funk tip, L.A. band Section
Eight is definitely in the house. Described as the
J.B.'s of the 90's, this group of young Black and
Latino kids from South Central ain't no joke.
Also on the multi-racial funk band tip, we have
L.A. homeboys Fade 2 Black. The group's
leader, rapper Fade, looks like a P.L.O. terrorist
ready to hijack your plane or sell you a Slurpee.
Any crazy stunt will do; he has come out rapping
in a diaper before. (Fade, that was booty.) But,
overall, they get the crowd going and get real
funky.
DJ P (Paul Stewart) is President of Power Move,
an independent, street-level promotion andmanagement company. Reach him at 715 N.
Gardner / Los Angeles, CA 90046 or fax him at
(213) 653-1019.
CLOCKWISEFROM LEFT:
•Latifah rips the mic for Jamal- Ski
and fans at DJ P's spot "Brass," in
LA. PHOTO: JOSH TILLMAN
•Too Short, Blackwatch's Pam and
Isis, Harmony, Kangol, Ms.Melodie
and D-Nice celebrate with Kool MoeDee at his release party, Red Zone,
NYC. PHOTO: AL PEREIRA
•KRS-One edutains the crowd in
Central Park, photo: al pereira
•Jarobi and Richie Rich chillin' at
Daddy's House, NYC. PHOTO: ricardo
"FISH" NAAR
• background: Daddy's House, NYC.
(PHOTO: PHILLIPE NOISETTE)
BROTHAS & SISTAS OF THEHIP HOP NATION:
WE ARE CALLED TO ORDER TODISCUSS THE POWER ANDPOTENTIAL OF THE "SAFE &POSITIVE HIP-HOP CLUB". THEHIP-HOP CLUB SCENE IN NYCAND ELSEWHERE ACROSS THECOUNTRY IS IN DANGER OFBECOMING EXTINCT AND "THESAFE & POSITIVE HIP-HOPCLUB" IS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTANT. WE CANNOTAFFORD TO LET THIS HAPPENTHE RESTRICTION OF RAPMUSIC ON RADIO IS BADENOUGH, BUT FOR IT TO CEASEIN NITECLUBS WOULD BEINSUFFERABLE. THERE WOULDBE NO OUTLET FOR OUR D.J.'S
AND LIVE PERFORMERS, ANDNO WAY FOR OUR PEOPLE TOENJOY THEM.
WE CREATED DADDY'S HOUSEAT THE RED ZONE IN NYC TOFEED THE SOUL OF THE HIP-HOP NATION. WE ALSO SETTHE STANDARD FOR ALL HIP-
HOP CLUBS TO COME. WEMADE RULES: ALL AREWELCOME, BUT COMECORRECT. RESPECT & SAFETYARE OUR FOREMOSTCONCERNS. IN THE PASTSOME IGNORANT ATTEMPTSHAVE BEEN MADE TOSABOTAGE OUR SACREDMEETING PLACES. IF WE FUCKUP NOW, THE SUCCESS OFEVERY POSITIVE HIP-HOP SPOTIN THE COUNTRY WILL SUFFER,PROBABLY TO THE POINT OFEXTINCTION. WE CAN RESPECTTHE SPACE, THE PEOPLE & THEMUSIC, OR WE CAN FIGHT SDESTROY OUR OWN SHITDADDY'S HOUSE IN NYC &NOW DADDY'S HOUSE AT THEPALLADIUM IN LOS ANGELESARE TWO OF THE LAST PLACESTHAT THE NATION CAN PARTYNO HOLDS BARRED...
THIS LETTER IS AN OPEN PLEATO THE BROTHAS & SISTAS OFTHE HIP-HOP NATION TOSUPPORT DADDY'S HOUSE &EVERY OTHER POSITIVE SRESPECTFUL HIP-HOP EVENT,NITECLUB OR PERFORMANCEIN THE WORLD.
PEACE,PUFF DADDY
JESSICA ROESENBLUM
ALL THAT PRODUCTIONSBRAT ENTERTAINMENT
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 ©
DetroitBY CHEEKS AND JEFF WOODS
MC Breed's making noise with "Ain't NoFuture In Your Frontin'" off the self-titled album
on the Ichiban Label. Other slammin' cuts are
"Just Kickin' It" and "Better Terms." Detroit
Records is a new label that's stepped on the scene
with a release entitled "Detroit Is Back." Throwing
on the cut are T-Bone and the Taxman, CST,Kool Sweet Terry, A.K.D. and Double D., and
it's produced by William Lundy.G.B.K.'s gettin' busy with their release
"Straight Off 7 Mile" on Raw Dog Records. Triplex
is set to go on a promotional tour to push their
album, Guilty Until Proven Innocent, any day now.
UNV is a new hip-hop/doo-wop group out of
Lansing, MI, who are about to sign with a major
label. The battle of the underground crews is on:
The "Give Me That Motherfuckin' Mic" Showdownis set for early September. We'll keep you posted.
Unsigned hype spotlight goes to Jeopardy,two dope female MCs whose tags are Shady D and
Reesee. They're flowing with a hip-hop/house
demo that works. Pick hits are "Anyway You WantIt," "Midnight Moan" and the lovely "I'm Looking
For Doctor Feel Good," a cut that's beyondscandalous. As always, any label interested in
doing a compilation album featuring Detroit
artists, call the Raw Edge at the number below.
Contact the Super Promoters, Jeff Woods at (51 7)
321-0132 or Keith Harvard at (313) 885-2977.
Cheeks is Editor of Da Raw Edge, a regional mag.
Contact her at (313) 886-1036 or send product to
P.O. Box 43721, Detroit, MI 48243.
CONT.
Bay Area
LondonBY BEN SMITH
The Black Radical MK. II's long-awaited, debut LP, The Undiluted Truth (Mango) is
undoubtedly the most militant and politically aware British rap album yet released. This is
some intense, no sell-out, supa-fonky shit. Inspired by the work ofMalcolm X and the music
of PE, the Radical explores issues like separatism, racism and misogyny, which few UKrappers have touched upon in such depth. The Radical's harsh voice tends to dominate but
The Undiluted Truth is musically, as well as lyrically, tight with influences ranging from rock
to ragga. Be sure to check out the stand-out tracks like "Ingland Is A Bitch," "My Radix Point"
and "Sumarli."
Son of Noise, an off-shoot of the top underground crew Hardnoise, are the latest signing
to Music of Life records with a slammin' tune called "111 Justice." Over an infectious, haunting
horn sample and a dope beat, an anonymous rapper takes no shorts, dissing other British
rappers, major record labels and radio DJs who've sold out.
In a more laid-back style are Dodge City Productions, yet another group to emerge from
the vibrant London jazz scene which has already spawned the likes of the Brand NewHeavies and the Young Disciples. On their impressive self-produced debut single, "Ain't
Goin' For That" (4th & B'way), rappers Dodge and I.G. attack racism over a mellow, jazzy
groove complete with guest vocals from Jhelisa Anderson. And listen out for more hype
material from Dodge City such as "Come On People" and "New School Poetry."
BY BILLY JAM
"Valley of The Fat Beats" is what natives call the NorthernCali valley that's home to Sac-town (Sacramento), the state
capitol, and Davis, a neighboring college town. DJ Zen at
Davis' KDVS is a major supporter of the healthy local rap
scene which has spawned names such as Homicide, FonkeSocialistiks, King Royal D, Royal Mixxers, Techni-Crewand Asiatic Apostles. The main obstacles facing these artists,
he says, is "the lack of a real viable club scene" coupled with
commercial radio's reluctance to get behind rap.
Despite all of this resistance, crews such as Davis'
promising Asiatic Apostles (AA) continue to surface. Whatmakes AA unique is that they are one of the nation's few Asianrap groups. "We plan to be the Public Enemy for Asians,"
predicts D. Yee of the trio whose slammin' demo tape's songs
are "based on the history of Asian Americans. They deal with
issues like the glass ceiling concept and the model minority
concept," he says of the songs like "Man In The Mirror" and"All I Need Is Me" which present the "Asian agenda," one that
tackles racism and stereotyping. You can contact AA's Minister
of Information, Rizal, at (916) 758-2154.
Meanwhile, in Oakland, the rapper to look out for is Seagwhose freestylin' abilities caught the attention of the GetoBoys, who invited him down to Houston to join Willie D andScarface on the debut by Gangster Nip. They returned the
favor by appearing on a forthcoming Seag release. In the
meantime, check out his impressive debut on True Black
Records (415/839-3687) in which he and his SNV crew,
featuring DJ Lay Law, present their dope style on cut such as
"The Dark Road," which heavily samples "The Message" plus
sound bites from the 1970s Oakland-based movie, "The Mack."
On the slow, smokin' "Straight Mobbin'," Seag shows off whatbest distinguishes him: his ability to rhyme effortlessly in pig
Latin, something oddly missing since Frankie Smith's classic
"Double Dutch Bus."
While double-Dutch is Seag's forte, straight-ahead Dutch is
Upstair's native tongue. Born and raised in Rotterdam,
Holland, this San Francisco rapper
has travelled throughout Spain,
Suriname and Asia. While he raps
strictly in English, his diverse
musical influences run the gamutfrom pop and reggae dancehall to
Pakistani ragga. On his richly-
produced, mid-tempo "Moving
Upstairs" (Oxygen: 415/465-9807),
you'll even hear a Spandau Ballet
sample.
Finally, a special shout-out to
San Jose's MC Twist for the
provocative "1-900-KKK" (Lethal
Beat) in which, over a back beat, he
replays some really upsetting
outgoing messages from racist groups
such as WAR (White AryanResistance). "I recorded it to makepeople aware of this kind of
underground stuff," he said of this
disturbing cut which gives out actual
numbers for you to call yourself to see
just how fucked up some people still
are in 1991.
Ben Smith is a freelance rap journalist working in London. Send all British and Americanproduct to 60 Gloucester Crescent, London NW1 7EG. Or fax him at 071-482-7220.
Billy Jam is an Irish-born, Oakland-
based journalist, DJ and VJ. Reach
him at (415) 658-4293.
© THE SOURCE • AUGUST 1991
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Executive Produced by:Johnbronski
CROSSOVER
BrothersFrom Another Planet
by Kim Green
DEFINITION OF SOUND
Todiscuss Definition Of Sound, I
had to acquire a new vocabulary.
The handiest superlatives used to
praise rap music like "dope,"
"hype," and "hardcore" have no
place here. Melodic, poetic andrhythmic are more like it. Love
and Life: A Journey With The Chameleons,
Definition of Sound's debut album, is music
made by rappers. With the relentlessness of
rap's strong beats and heady messages
accented by formal song writing and soul
vocals, the album is orchestral magic. The key
to Definition of Sound, is realizing that they
are English rappers. Fueled by the samefrustrations of American youth, yet inspired by
England's inner-city landscape, the subtle yet
crucial differences between Black Americans
and the Black British become suddenly
apparent.
Definition of Sound is The Don andKevwon, whose name was tailor-made for
American accents to pronounce "Kev-1."
Kevwon and The Don, both of West Indian
descent, grew up in government subsidized
housing at the outskirts of London. "We grew
up listening to Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole
and whatever our parents were listening to
on the radio, but on our own we listened to
'nuff reggae," explains The Don. With a
voracious love for American rap, Kevwoncites Bambaataa, Doug E. Fresh, Run DMC,Puba Maxwell and Tragedy as some of his
favorites. Oddly, those musical syles are not
present in DOS' music, only in their mannerand speech. "Coming from an English
perspective, we just make the music we like. I
don't think our sound is completely a
definable one, because we use so manydifferent influences," says Kevwon.
"Love and Life..." illustrates interior
landscapes. An album devoid of harsh
allusions to street life, it is equally
compelling with its exploratory questioning of
self esteem, hope and the duo's seeming
obesession: categorization. Insightful lyrics
like, "Levitate gently...striving and striving/
just to stay alive in make it worth livin'/ it's
you, you're depriving," show the group's
thoughtful approach to seeking truth.
"Why do you need
something to
describe it?"
asks Don,
"It's just music."
The 11-track album borders on R&B at
times, teeters on rock three times, but
always stubbornly maintains its rap power.
The vocal presence of songstress, Elaine
Vessell, brings yet another Black, British
star to the forefront. Her sultry renderings
are put to excellent use on five of the 1
1
tracks. On her songs, the rapping takes a
backseat. "Everyone in this business has an
ego, but we're not such egoists that we can't
let her do her thing," says Kevwon.Musical ears wil savor "Now Is
Tomorrow," "Passion and Pain," "City
Lights" and the reggae-rockin' "Reality."
College-radio-aimed "Wear Your Love Like
Heaven" and the psychadelic "Maura Jane's
Cafe" are strange at first, but Definition of
Sound even manages to wring the soul out of
these crazy guitar-riffed, retro-rock tracks.
Serious rap connoisseurs will favor the agile
rapping and insightful lyricism of "Reality,"
"Rise Like The Sun," "Change," and "Time Is
Running Out."
America's format-intense radio
programming make it nearly impossible for
D.O.S and Love and Life to find a suitable
place in this land. American rap afficianados
will be confused by the drastic extremes that
this album reaches. The blameless
versatility of a group like this, however, is
only symptomatic of the true melting pot
influence that permeates most English
music. Across the board: Black and white.
The biggest disappointment in America has
been, "In New York, it's not on BLS or
KISS, so it's not being pushed to the Black
community," explains Kevwon. "America has
the problem of not being able to accept
different forms of music. If Black music
stations aren't picking us up, it will hurt us."
"Why do you need something to describe
it?" asks Don, "It's just music. Black people
invented rock and roll, they've got to wake upand start reclaiming it. There's hardly anymusic that doesn't have a Black base."
Kevwon adds, "We come over here, it's Black
stations, power stations. ..it's an alien
concept. It's bugging us out. The stereotype
move is so embedded in the society over here.
It's musical apartheid. In the hypnotic "Rise
Like The Sun," Kevwon raps: "To categorize
should only emphasize/Your ignorance is not
being able to realize/ My potential as an
essential, better yet integral part of a plan
that is global."
D.O.S. is the beginning of rap's latest
reincarnation; an all encompassing sound
that will most likely come from the world's
most unexpected corners. These two rap of
quizotic visions with a cool, take-your-time
flow. Their imaginations are vivid and for
them creating scenic reality is the norm. TheD.O.S. sound breathes with jazzy riffs,
reggae rhythms and the soul of Elaine
Vessell. Their lyrics range from dreamyesoteric poems like in "Dream Girl," to the
hard hitting science of "Change": "Just listen.
The wall has come down. Nelson is out/ Whowould believe these lyrics could ever come
out of my mouth/ In this lifetime, anything
can be done... all I ask is a little bit of
change."
That'll be the day when the need to
define sound is none.
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
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TOE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 ©
ISHrciHI
EPMDParrish
desert red 1989 Mercedes Benz 560 SECapprox. cost: $86,000
black onyx 1991 convertible Corvette ZR1
approx. cost: $60,000
- Erick -
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approx. cost: $48,050
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black 1990 convertible Porsche 930 Turbo
approx. value: $98,000
red 1989 Ferrari Mondial
approx. value: $140,000
silver 1931 Ford Model Aapprox. value: $35,000
f£*^0^^ ars are essential pimpm paraphernalia. You got^^B^ to have cars if you're
playing, that's part of the game.Plus, I'm richer than a
motherfucker, so if you don't like it
you can suck my dick. I got a gangof cars. I got Range Rovers and anoff-shore boat. I had a lot of this
shit before I got into the rap gametoo."
TONE-LOCsilver 1988 convertible Mercedes 500 SEC
four-seater, custom madeapprox. value: $86,000
££lBlm^Fi here are no greatLw stories with this car.
mm This is not my 'story
car.' I've had this car for threeyears and it is well-known, even if
I'm not in it. Everybody knowswhose car this is. I feel sorry for
anybody that steals this carbecause they'll probably get beatup by strangers. It's just a little
Benz. I drive this car like a bumpercar—I run into shit ail the time in
it—like it's a Pinto or something.Just a little Benz."
9 d* Wjust bought this car after mym' 1990 750 got totalled. It's anweye catcher. As long as I've
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HEAVY Dwhite 1991 Toyota Land
Cruiser
approx. cost: $35,000nickname: Monsta
PETE NICEiceland green 1990 BMW 525i
approx. cost: $38,000
'got towed two weeks ago, and I offered theperson, this woman, a box of KMD records, abox of KMD t-shirts, like lOO t-shirts, $400
cash, and a Def Jam jacket, a brand new Def Jamjacket. And she turned it all down. She was like 'I
towed Run-DMC and them, I towed KRS, and now I'mtowin' you, fuck you'."
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'like this ride 'cause it's
different, nobody has it.
It's big, it's roomy, it's fits
me. I had a vision of how I wantedto hook it up and I did it—got the
rims, got the tires, got the system,and painted it all white. When I'mriding around, nobody knows what
it is, everybody has to ask me, whatis that?"
*H0T0 CREDITS: ALICE ARNOLD: HEAVY D • MICHAEL BENABIB:!UE KWON: PETE NICE • MICHAEL MILLER: EAZY E & ICE T •
/IORTENSEN: TONE LOC • DAVID PEREZ: DMC
EPMD •
SHAWN
RECORD REPORT
albums
Of The New SchoolFuture Without A. Past
ElektraProduction: artist, Eric Sadler,Stimulated Dummies, Backspin
Rating: 4
Go immediately to last month's "15 must-
have albums" and replace the one you didn't
like with the long-awaited debut from the
Leaders Of The New School. Although they
call themselves "new school" there is
something different going on here. The soundis like an old school group but with new school
sensibilities.
Ultimately, the best of both schools are in
effect, as Busta Rhymes, Charlie Brown, and
Dinco D flip lyrics at such an uncontrollable
frenzy that at times it seems like this will be
the last rap record ever made. Remember howthose old Sugarhill 12-inches sounded like they
were recorded in the middle of a party? This
record delivers that long missing ingredient in
these days of serious rap.
From the first cut, "Case of the PTA" to
the shoutouts, this album is a romp through
adolescence and high school. From theproblems of growing up ("Too Much On MyMind"), girls ("Feminine Fatt"), peer pressure
(Transformers"), to getting your first car
("Sobb Story"), the lords over nonsense showwhy they are a modern day version of the
Furious Five. Except for one or two spots, this
album jumps out of the box and forces you to
keep up, especially on "Pinnochio's Theory,"
"Transformers," and "My Ding A-Ling." But
with "Sound Of The Zeekers" the Leaders gofor broke and show more flavor than Baskin &Robbins. This cut has more energy than every
high school cafeteria, pep rally and school bus
trip that you will ever experience.
Musically, the leaders have stacked the
deck in their favor. Not only are they involved
with the production themselves (at times
outstanding), but they enlist the likes of Eric
"Vietnam" Sadler, Backspin (the vibe
chemist), and the SD50's when they need that
extra push. The tracks incorporate jazz,
ragtime, funk, and rock. It must be hard to
make a track that can tame the bursting
energy of the Leaders, but the job gets doneas all the tracks get bumrushed like a
substitute teacher. Much respect to the
producers for their ability to come up with
such original and refreshing beats.
More than just a group, L.O.N.S. is a
throwback to an era when brothers with
golden voices and hearts of steel preformed
live on stage without the benefit of pre-
recorded backing tracks. If you saw the video
for "PTA" you know why they're the hardest
working band in hip-hop who put on anincredible live show. You'd be wise to do the
"east coast stomp" to your local record store
and pick this one up. Don't worry about a late
pass.
REGINALD C. DENNIS
RECORD RATINGS GUIDE
2
©
A HIP-HOP CLASSIC
-V H -> -*
SLAMMIN'! DEFINITE SATISFACTION
GOOD, WORTH CHECKING OUT
fit i r^SfcinSti
"UMlju
NEEDS HELP, DOESNT STAND OUT
TOTALLY WACK
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
frfrfr
Livin Large(Soundtrack)
Deff Jam/RAL/ColumbiaProduction: various
Rating: 3
The soundtrack for the comedy Livin' Large
offers a good mix of talent from the rap, R&B,
and dance realms. The Jungle Brothers maketheir return to the scene (Afrika Baby Bam also
co-stars in the film) and are represented by two
jams, "Doin' Good For Yourself" and the
swingin' "718 Kit." Nice & Smooth contribute
with the funny and catchy, "Paranoia," to showthat they are taking no shorts for their newalbum. Another highlight is Slick Rick's "
I
Shouldn't Have Done It."
Newkirk makes his return to the scene and
adds a change of pace with an uptempo Prince-
influenced track titled "Small Thing." On the
smooth tip, Alyson Williams belts out the lovely
notes on "She's Not Your Fool." For the
hardcore heads, Downtown Science freaks a
James Brown horn loop on "If I Was" and
Terminator X chips in with "The Blues,"
featuring Andreas 13 kicking lyrics about hard
times while Terminator scratches a Kool & the
Gang horn break. A cut entitled "Love Me" by
the The Famlee (produced by Jam Master Jay),
and a surprising collaboration between jazz
great Herbie Hancock and The Don round out
this effort. In the swarm of Hip-Hop related
movies primed for release, this soundtrack
shouldn't disappoint.
ATCO
fat.
N The HoodQwest/WB RecordsProduction: various
Rating: 3.5
The soundtrack for Boyz N The Hood does a
good job of showcasing the best of WestCoast hip-hop as well as including some East
Coast noise. Things are rounded out by somesmooth R&B.
This record is worth buying for side one
alone. The album kicks off with Ice Cube'scontribution, "How To Survive In SouthCentral," with Cube and the Lench Mobplaying the role of tour guides on the dark side,
over a dope track. Next up, sample someslamming New Jack flavor on "Just Ask MeTo," with Tevin Cambell on vocals, Al B Sure
as producer, and Chubb Rock rippin the mic as
the obligatory guest rapper. Yo-Yo's slamming
"Mama Don't Take No Mess" and Compton'sMost Wanted "Growin Up In The Hood" are
followed by "Friendly Game Of Baseball" the
incredible metaphoric sermon on police
brutality from the Main Source's classic debut,
Breakin' Atoms. At this point you will probably
need to catch your breath, and Tony! Toni!
Tone! let you mellow out with a sweet slow jam
entitled "Me and You." After the break, Monie
Love kicks a new jam called "Work It Out"which leaves no doubt that she is the world's
fastest female MC.Side two is somewhat weaker, but features
new tracks from Too Short, 2 Live crew, and
more R&B from Qu\ncy Jones, Hi-Five andForce One Network. All in all, this album is a
diverse collection featuring many flavors to
please anyone who enjoys various styles of
Black music.
J SMOOTH
Above The LawEP
Ruthless/EpicProduction:
Rating: 3
Last year when these brothers explodedout of the chamber with "Murder Rap" you'd
have thought they would be major contenders.
wmm
Instead, ATL became one of the most slept
upon groups of 1990. Even with Dr. Dre going
all out on production and firm backing by the
rest of the roof-less niggaz of NWA, the group
found themselves unable to duplicate the
nationwide success of their boys. In '91 they
seek to change that.
This time out ATL gives us a sample of the
flavor they will kick on their upcoming album
with an EP that sports 6 new cuts as well as
remixes of last years "Livin Like Hustlers."
But unlike last year, the production does not
always live up to expectations. Cuts like "Play
Your Game" and "Dose Of The Mega Flex"
rely too much on ATL's player reputation and
not enough on solid musical production. Themain themes—pimps, ho's and mackin'—get
a little boring at times and do not showcasetheir abilities. But where those songsdisappoint, cuts like "4 The Funk Of It" and
"Wicked" show the talent that ATL is capable
of. Both the subject matter (ghetto insight)
and the production on these songs are both
on target and well worth the price of the
record. On "4 The Funk Of It" Cold 187umkicks it with a rapid flavor that has himsounding like a mix between Bootsy Collins
and Curtis Mayfield. And with the smoothtalking KMG accompanying him, no shorts are
taken—especially on "Wicked."
"It's like roll on, roll on, row your ass up a
river/ Behind bars you know its just us niggaz/
Niggaz who strived to survive but they fucked
up/ Some of us stayed down, but others they
lucked up/ But I don't step on number two to
become number one/ I lay the path for others
that come..." This song is definitely bumpin',
and you can't ask for better microphoneteamwork.
The EP is not without it's shining
moments, but it does not measure up to last
year's effort. Keep an ear open for the album.
In light of the success that LA rappers like Ice
Cube, DJ Quik and NWA have enjoyed, let's
hope ATL doesn't get lost in the mix.
REGINALD C. DENNIS
Downtown ScienceDowntown ScienceDef Jam/RAL/Columbia
Production: artist
Rating: 3
Bosco Money and Sam Sever have a
debut album that may be ahead of its time.
The music they make ranges from 80's synths
to breakbeats, to jazz to other-worldlysamples and live instruments. Sam (whoprovides the beats on most of the cuts) has
been around the block a couple of times, and
proves he ain't new to this by unleashing
some slammin' tracks.
Sam Sever's arrangements and sense of
melody show why he's one of the best (and
most slept on) producers in rap. Whatevermood is needed, he creates it—from the
blazing electro-funk of "Radioactive" to the
quart-guzzling nuances of "Down To Science"
(which uses the familiar "Headhunters" riff).
The music avoids rap cliches and dares to be
different. Some songs have "the noise," while
others have a smooth "cold chillin" feel to
them. The beats provide a solid foundation for
whatever else is being placed on the track.
MC Bosco Money has an indescribable
rhyme style—his cerebral, free-form rap has
never really been done before. Bosco drops
concepts for deep thinkers, then leaps into a b-
boy gangsta state of mind assuring that
everyone is satisfied. Make sure to check out
the slamming "This Is A Visit," the mid-tempo
scientific gangsta lean flavored "Delta Sigma,"
and the lyrically improvisational "Topic Drift."
It's hard to really compare DS to standard
groups and trends in rap, because they're
definitely on their own mission. But theyattempt to include something for everyone.
There are all kinds of tracks on it (hard,
mellow, sparse or crowded) and the lyrics are
often thought-provoking. For those who want
to experience a new view in rap, DS is worth
checking out.
RONIN RO
Compton's MostWanted
CKK
Straight Check'n eEmOrpheus/Epic
Production: DJ Slip, Unknown DJRating: 3.5
iWhile a lot of groups are claiming to be"gangstas" these days, most of them couldn't
hang if you put 'em on a meat hook.
Compton's Most Wanted are not in this
category. Sure, they're gangstas and all that,
but there's a difference—unlike other groups
they deliver their lyrics with a little morethought.
MC Eiht huffs and puffs on some cuts, but
overall appears to be a conscientious brother
who ultimately refuses to glorify Black on Black
crime. He's not locked into that "bitch/ho/kill
your brother" attitude. Instead he discusses it
to instigate change. He delivers his lyrics in a
manner that's smooth like Rakim, and hard like
Cube. The instrumentals range from classic
"Quiet Storm" smooth, to hardcore, and showversatility. The production by DJ Slip and the
Unknown DJ earns props, as the two throw in
anything they can find—transforming smoothriffs into an aural battle zone. The well-chosen
samples compliment the tracks, and echo the
lyrical messages.
Their "intro" starts things off with
enormous beats, jazzy riffs and numeroussound-bites from recent West coast rap
releases (including their first album). "Still
Gafflin'" uses Kane's break (from "SmoothOperator"), and compares the L.A.P.D to the
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991 @
Ku Klux Klan. He calls a harassing officer "The
Grand Dragon" while denouncing gangviolence. "Growin' Up In The Hood" (which is
on the Boyz N Tha Hood soundtrack) is similar
in tone (but not content) to Cube's "TheProduct." The riffs are smooth and the lyrics
hit hard. "Straight Check'n 'Em" (the title
track) is a West Coast "Murdergram" (LL), but
with rawer lyrics and dirtier drum sounds. It's
uptempo and raw, as MC Eiht takes time to dis
the comp, and say a little bit about who he is.
"Drive-by Miss Daisy" uses the "papes" beat
(from a Tribe Called Quest), but enhances it
with improvisational piano playing, gunshots,
screams and car screeches. On this cut, Eiht
examines the mentality of a drive-by assassin,
and shows he has a conscience by denouncing
this form of hostile psychosis. "Can I Kill It?" is
a slow Isley Brothers groove that has Eiht
discussing infidelity with one of his women. It's
not Teddy Pendergrass, but it works.
As a whole, the Straight Check'n 'Emalbum should appeal to listeners who wantsome well-thought out hardcore rap boomin'
outta their decks.
RONIN RO
Greyson and JasonSuveatin Me Wet
Atlantic RecordsProduction: DJ Vance Wright
Rating: 3
On this debut album Vance Wright andSlick Rick introduce us to two more membersof the crew, and anyone who liked Rick's first
album should enjoy this one. With Vance onproduction, Greyson and Jason come off with
nothing new or mind blowing—just simple,
funky, hardcore New York hip-hop.
In case you're wondering, Lord Greyson is
NOT yet another Slick Rick soundalike. In fact,
he sounds more like EST from 3XD than Ricky
D, and he has a very hard, almost gangstastyle. Some tracks like "I Don't Play" are
basically run of the mill braggin and dissin, but
just like Slick Rick, Greyson is at his bestwhen he plays the role of story teller. "Laura's
Gotta Boyfriend" is an X-rated fast paced jamwhere Greyson pays the price for letting his
bozack overtake his brain. "Livin Like a
Trooper" uses the "Love's Gonna Getcha"formula, describing the life of crime from the
criminal's perspective over James Brown's"Payback."
Although there are many heads flown onthe album, Greyson and Jason seem to beconscious of their image, and they try to makeit clear that they are not promoting violence.
On tracks like "Livin Like a Trooper" and"Intoxicated" Greyson does a good job of
providing constructive messages withoutcompromising his hardcore style. "Basketball"
samples the Kurtis Blow classic, but comes off
on a totally different tip, telling the story of a
basketball superstar who thought he could skip
his education and ends up pushing a broomwhen he busts his knee.
Another choice cut is "Get Bizzy", onwhich Greyson, Slick Rick, and yes, VanceWright all rock the mic over a "Sex Machine"loop. Vance Wright's production style is pretty
simple and straight forward, and many of the
samples will sound familiar, but the beats are
consistently funky and will provide ample headbobs and booty shakes.
J SMOOTH
EKE
Royal Flush976 -DopeYo! Records
Production: artist
Rating: 3
Although they originally come from NewJersey, Royal Flush is a rap duo born out of the
exploding Texas rap scene. With the GetoBoys and O.G. Style currently occupying the
spotlight in Texas, these brothers aredetermined to make some noize in '91
.
Royal Flush came off hard on the mic with a
full shuffled deck of fonke tracks and lyrics that
provide a solid production for the duo to ill on.
They may not be breaking new ground, but
they've created a hard sound ripe with familiar
beats. Their loud and hyperactive delivery is
reminiscent of NWA and the Geto Boys. Thebest example is the title track, "976-DOPE," a
slammin' track that pulsates with a funkybassdrum and a crackling snare over a loop of
Parliament's "Flashlight." They also rip the mic
on "Non-Stop," a smooth but hard grooveriding a sinister bassline from Curtis Mayfield's
"Freddy's Dead" and a hardcore Soul II Soul
drum loop. Check out the skills: "Bust it/ Youain't a mack daddy/ You a McDonald Ronald
Reagan beggin'/ Wavin' and shavin' like MagicJohnson, Charles Bronson...."
They change gears when it comes to
socially conscious lyrics and go deep into
realities that affect the Black community with
songs like "I Never Made 20," a story about
life in the drug trade, to the fierce story-line of
police brutality in "Watch Out For The Plant."
Royal Flush has a sound that can please
many ears because their tracks are fat, taking
influences form both NY and LA. It is an ear
opener, so lookout for the Flush.
BIGB
Smooth;iHip Hop Junkies"Def Jam /RAL/Columbia
Production: artist
Rating: 4
This past winter Def Jam made some million
dollar free agent signings and added EPMDand Nice & Smooth to the team. Combine that
with the likes of LL, Third Bass, and PE andyou've got the strongest starting five in the
league. With "Hip Hop Junkies," Nice &Smooth have put up their first jumpshot andthey have definitely scored.
Greg Nice and Smooth B trade off rhymeslike old pros with their signature style—GregNice comes loud and direct while Smooth Bcreates intricate verses with a mellow tone. On"Hip Hop Junkies," Nice & Smooth combine a
hard beat with some smooth harmonies sungby Pure Blend (they sang on "Funky For You")while verbal ballistics are dropped. The"Bedford Park Mix" is the mix to peep on this
joint. The mix uses some piano notes andguitar licks laid over the "Substitution" beat to
instantly make your head nod. The "SpanishFly Mix" uses the same track while Nice and &Smooth flip lyrics in Spanish.
In short, this is a can't miss jam with beats
and rhymes that are (in the words of SmoothB) "stronger than ammonia." Get ready for
Nice & Smooth's slamdunk when they drop the
album in late August.
REEF
La Soul"A Roller Skating JamNamed 'Saturdays'"
Tommy RoyProduction: artist, remixes by artist and
Dave MoralesRating: 4
On the new album, Dove has a line,
"Tommy Boy wants another 'Say No'. ..huh'"
trying to stress the fact that they're not trying
© THE SOURCE » SEPTEMBER 1991
MPyyy :'
PACKAGE
1000 $2299INCLUDES:ORIGINATION
4-COLOR COVER WITHBLACK/WHITE BACK
& INLAY CARD2-COLOR LABEL IMPRINT
JEWEL BOX & SHRINK WRAPDOES NOT INCLUDE:
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II
,-::; >::x;.; : ^[-^^i ma
RAINBO HOT REPORT
^Pss^l YOUR HIP + OUR HOP = A CHART START TO THE TOP
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CST m 7" 12" ARTIST LABEL
+ SIR *MIX*ALOT NASTY MIX
» X ICE CUBE PRIORITY
+ N.W.A. RUTHLESS
t * GETO BOYS DEF AMERICAN
t'-':•:'::'': AMERICAS MOST WANTED TRIAD
m * ROCK MASTER SCOTT DANYA
X + CHOICE RAP-A-LOT
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• X H.W.A. QUALITY/DRIVE-BY
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X • t TONE LOC DELICIOUS VINYL
• PEACHIZ LOVE PROPER
:*: X M.C. SWAY & OJ KING TECH ALL CITY/GIANT
» + AFRIKA BAMBATA TOMMY BOY
+ • DE LA SOUL TOMMY BOY
* + RODNEY & JOE COOLEY NASTY MIX
• *: * ERIC B & RAKIM UNI/MCA
• STETSASONIC TOMMY BOY
* * COMPTON'S MOST WAI|TED KRU-CUT/TECHNO HOP
X MC TWIST LETHAL BEAT
X m 1 U.R. NEXT UR-OWN*
Complete(Including)
• Composite Negatives from your
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WE'RE STILL THE OLDEST AND LARGEST INDEPENDENT CD, AUDIOTAPE S MM DUPLICATING FACILITY WITH ONE STANDARD MAJOR LABEL QUALITY.
to make commercial R&B (Rap 'n' Bullshit)
songs to please their label. What was wrong
with "Say No Go?" That shit was cool—a little
pop—but still came off. De La's strength is in
their ability to make a record with pop appeal
still sound fat. And they've done it again with
this jam. No disrespect, but this just might be
another 'Say No.'
"Saturdays" is bound to blow up in the
clubs but mind you, this isn't a club record
—
it's a rollerskating jam fully equipped with a
sample from Chic's "Good Times," the classic
rollerskating record. The beat is real fast but
crazy funky. De La's "Ladies Night Decision
Remix" is boomin', and the house/club music
remixes are OK, but I thought De La was kinda
anti-house these days.
Lyrically, they kick their patented style of
flow 'n' speak about how everyday is a
Saturday for them. Q-Tip makes a fat guest
appearance on "Saturdays" and then freaks it
on the freestyle cut with the same beat "WhatYo Life Can Truly Be." Among others catching
rek with De La on the "What Yo Life..." track
are Phife, Dres of Black Sheep, andSuperstar.
MATTY C
Del Tha FunkyHomosapien
'Sleepin On My Couch" b/w "AhOne Two, Ah One Tivo"
Elektra RecordsProduction: artist, DJ Pooh
Rating: 4EKKHGet ready for something very funky with
the debut single from Del. Rolling hard with Ice
Cube and The Lench Mob, Del is in goodcompany, but this is not your typical hardcore
record from South Central LA. Del has an
offbeat and humorous style combined with a
clever and catchy delivery that separates itself
from the current crop of MC's and crews.
"Sleepin On My Couch" explains how Del
has to deal with brothers freeloading at his
crib: "Its cool to have a friend over every nowand then/ But I gotta have my space and I
don't wanna see their face/ Like every single
day of the week/ Talk is cheap/ You better
find yourself another place to sleep." Themusic is straight-up funk. Del and DJ Poohhave put together a fat mid-tempo beatcombined with plenty of funky horns, live piano
and they even recruited George Clinton's ex-
backup singers to handle the chorus. Theproduction style creates a heavy P-funk/70's
vibe with a definitive 1990's hip-hop groove,
suitable for the dancefloor or the benzi box.
Side B's "Ah One Two, Ah One Two"yields similar funk-filled results that showcaseDel's unique rhyme style that is unlike anything
you're likely to hear from the West Coast. Fat
beats and swift rhymes form the basis of whatmight be defined as D-Funk—something newfor '91. Get with it.
REEF
Queen Latifah"Fly Girl" b/w
"Nature ofa Sista"Tommy Roy
Production: Nevelle, Louie VegaRating: 3.5
Many consider Latifah to be the dopestfemale MC out. Her slammin' debut LP caught
crazy rek nationwide but surprising as it maysound, the album didn't even go gold. In order
for hip-hop to maintain its true raw form, fans
must support an MC with the skills and talent
that Latifah has. Don't talk about how wackmainstream hip-hop is getting and then go duba second generation copy of All Hail the
Queen or Brand Nubian's All For One from
your homeboy. And don't buy that counterfeit
bullshit either.
For "Fly Girl," Latifah has brought in a
more R&B type production sound with somemale vocalists and a more sexual attitude. "Fly
Girl" has the ingredients for a hit crossover
rap record even though the new sound is
different from her "Wrath Of My Madness"flavor.
On the B-side, Latifah flips a more complexflow. Her Flavor Unit accomplice Louie Vegahooked up a fast hardcore track that blends
nicely with her rhyme style. Latifah rips the mic
correctly showing she can still shoot the gift
with thought provoking lyrics and a swift
delivery.
MATTY C
©
Biz MarkieieWhat Comes Around
Goes Around"Cold Chillin'/Warner Rros
Production: artist, co-produced by CutMaster Cool V
Rating: 4
Biz has certainly kept himself busy these
days by doing production on albums for Grand
Daddy I.U., Kid Capri, and Diamond Shell, but
don't even think summer '91 will go by without
the "inhuman orchestra" making heads nodand jeeps thump. Biz's long awaited return
picks up where "Just a Freind" left off andshould do well for him.
The storyline for "What Comes..." uses
the "Vapors" formula— in his true looney
style, Biz rhymes about the high school cutie
who never gave him the time of day and hownobody expected him to amount to anything.
As we all know, Biz gets large and everyone
sweats him—simple yet effective. The Biz is a
master of making hit records where it doesn't
really matter what you say, but rather how you
flow.
The trademark Biz slooow and "fonkee"
beat is present, but this time it is embellished
with some R&B flavor courtesey of female
backup singers "oohing" and "ahhing" behind
Biz's unmistakeable rhyme style. Biz fansshould run to the store for this one andprepare for his new album entitled I Need AHaircut, which features more of Biz's
harmonious singing voice.1— REEF
LL Cool J"Six Minutes OfPleasure"b/w "Eat 'Em Up L Chill"
Def Jam/RAL/ColumbiaProduction: Marley Marl, co-produced
by artist, remixes by Marley MarlRating: 3
Riding the wave of success from theplatinum-plus album Mama Said Knock YouOut, Uncle L gives us another shot to the
eardrums with "6 Minutes..." and "Eat 'EmUp..." The single offers both the LP versions
and two new remixes and instrumentals.
"6 Minutes..." has been transformed from
a slightly dull album cut, to a catchy R&Bflavored track that is both highly listenable and
danceable. "Six Minutes..." should hopefully
be blowing up on daytime radio by the time
you read this. Marley's production is on target
once again.
Some might find the "Eat 'Em Up..." remix
to be a bit of a letdown. The original version is
hard in lyrical and musical content, while the
remix is softened up with the "Around the WayGirl" bassline and a touch of raggamuffinchatting in the chorus. There's nothing wrongwith the remix, its just that with the radio-
friendly A-side, you might have expected L to
come hard for side B.
Judging by his current success, "Six
Minutes..." and "Eat 'Em Up..." shouldcontinue the trend for "the future of the funk."
This single packs some smoove summerflavor.
GREGC
Prince Rakeem"Ooh We Love You Rakeem" b/w
"Deadly Venom" &"Sexcapades"
Tommy RoyProduction: artist, Easy Mo Ree
Rating: 3
This debut single from Prince Rakeem offers
the listener two flavors: soft 'n hard. The A-
side, "Ooh..." is slow paced jam with RakeemTHE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
rhyming about his prop total. The rhymes are
cool, but the whiney chanting by some adoring
females becomes monotonous.
However, the next two joints, "DeadlyVenoms" and "Sexcapades" hit hard like
income tax. Using a taste of the classic
"Substitution" beat and a heavy bassline,
Rakeem proceeds to flow wit' some rhymeson "Deadly Venoms." "Sexcapades" presents
part of the drum beat from Sly Stone's"Stand," some guitar and an organ hook.
Produced by Easy Mo Bee, this is the jam to
peep (with 5 different mixes to choose from).
Prince Rakeem flows, and definitely proves he
has skills on the mic.
ATCO
Kim and Hass G unleash two refreshing jamsthat'll have kids nodding heads. "BlueCheese" has catchy uptempo flavor that is
highly danceable. The lyrical styles are post-DeLa: complex and metaphorical, yet they still
flow.
"Any Way The Wind Blows" has twoslammin versions. The first offers a partially
sped up "Substitution" drumbeat, and a loud
bass section, smoothed out by a singing
chorus. The second version still has the samebeat and the singing chorus, but the groove is
picked up with an organ loop.
This slamming debut is one of many from
Wild Pitch, the label who've brought out
underground champs such as Gang Starr, Lord
Finesse, Main Source, and Chill Rob G to
name a few. Add the UMC's to the list of
talents.
m
'
ATCO
The UMC's"Blue Cheese"
b/iv "Any Way The Wind Blows"Wild Pitch
Production: artist, RNS
#&&$ Ratin9! 35
Straight from the underground, a NewYork-based duo called The UMC's step up
front with an impressive debut. Rappers Kool
Raw Fusion"Throw Your Hands In TheAir" hlw "Do My Thing" l"12
Inches"Hollywood Basic
Production: artist
Rating: 3
can listen to him "grab the mic and kick it like
Jackie Chan," like he did so well on "Sound OfThe Underground." Teaming up with fellow DUmember DJ Fuze and calling themselves RawFusion, they test the solo market with a three
cut single that gives you a taste of their full
flavor.
"Throw Your Hands In The Air" is a fast-
paced cut that deals with the topics of chillin',
close calls with the police, 7-1 1 robbers andlarcenous females. DJ Fuze is behind the beats
throwing in all sorts of scratches and cuts. Hegets the job done, but never goes buck wild like
we know he can. "Do My Thing" is more like it
as Money definitely does his as he tells his
origin story over a DU-sounding bassline andsnare-heavy hip-hop assault. With much props
given to the pioneers of both the old and newschools of rap, Money takes us on a journey
that starts with his early days of hip-hop andends with the world wide success of Digital
Underground. "1989 'Dowhutchalike' dropped/The US wasn't pleased, overseas it went pop/But we finished the LP, attitude healthy/ Shit!
The earthquake hit, Lord please help me."Strong performances like this will go a long wayin catapulting them out of the shadow of DUand into their own.
The Third cut, "12 Inches," was a little too
whimsical for me with its repeated use of the"12 inch" double entendre. But Raw Fusion
proves that they will be a group to watch in the
months to come.
REGINALD C DENNIS
Fans of Digital Underground's Money B
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THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991©
Yomo & Maulkie"Glory"
bliv "Are You X-Perienced?"Atlantic Records
Production: DJ Yella
&$&i Rating: 3.5
The Ruthless family strikes hard once again
with the debut single from the Oakland-based
duo of Yomo & Maulkie. With NWA's DJ Yella
handling the beats it sounds like these brothers
mean business.
"Glory" is a high-intensity political tirade
directed at the American flag as a symbol of
how Black people have been oppressed in this
country. Yomo & Maulkie deliver their sermons
with bold authoritative voices, each showing
rhyming skills: "Finest of the last, can you dig
this?/ To say what the hell I feel and we're
ruthless/ Times have changed/ Hate remains/
Since the age of twelve all I've felt was pain/
By the dawn's early light/ America's situation
is not bright/ No matter how much they ignore
me/ They can't 'cause I can say burn old
glory."
Yella's production is reminiscent of Straight
Outta Compton with crisp beats, a live guitar
lick that is looped over the track, live bass, andsome quick scratches. Yella makes sure to
keep the bottom heavy, so the whole track is
ready for the low-rider. "Are You X-Perienced"
is a bugged out instrumental jam that is strictly
for the blunted. Check Yomo & Maulkie's debut
for strong rhymes and fat beats West Coaststyle.
REEF
Double J"IfIt Ain'tA Caddy, It Ain'tA
Car" bliv "Manslaughter"4th & Broadway/Island
Production: artist
frfti Ratin9 s 2 -5
Double J is a new rap soloist who appears
on the slammin' "Flavor Unit Assassination
Squad" featured on the latest DJ Mark the 45
King compilation album. This time, Double J is
going out for self with his brand new single.
As far as the production is concerned, it's
cool but not mindblowin'. Both tracks display
beats that hit hard and to the point but they
lose energy as the groove rides on. Double J's
rhymes are straight-up New York hardcore
—
snappin necks with a deep toned voice andrough delivery.
"...Caddy" hits you hard with a fast pacedbeat that is heavy in the bass department,while "Manslaughter" uses a James Brownhorn/guitar loop. Double J has the skills but
the beats need some variety to keep the ear.
However, hardcore fans won't be toodisappointed because his rhymes are dope, sostay tuned for the album.
BIGB
Record Ratings
are determined by
editorial staff vote
snesiK: f*r*jvi«3WSSING L E SMarley Marl "Symphony II" b/w "Drop OfA Dime'9 early Aug Cold Chillin/Warner Bros.
Craig G "Smoothing Out The Rough Spots" b/w "Take The Bait" early Aug Atlantic
Powerule "That's The Way It Is" mid Aug Poetic Groove/Interscope
SchooUy D "Where Did You Get That Funk From?" mid Aug Capitol
YBT "Korner Groove" mid Aug SOUL/MCA
Tribe Called Quest "Jazz" mid Aug Jive
Slick Rick "Mistakes,,," mid Aug DefJam/RAL/Columbia
Mellow T "So It Shall Be Written"/ "Life In The Fast Lane" late Aug Tommy Boy
MCLyte "When In Love" late Aug First Priority/Atlantic
D-Nice "25 Ta Life" late Aug Jive
The Don "Big 12-inch" late Aug RAL
BusyB "You Should Be My Baby" late Sept Strong City/MCA
ALB U M SBlack Sheep A WolfIn Sheep's Clothing early Aug Mercury/Polygram
Cypress Hill Self Titled mid Aug Ruffhouse/Columbia
NikkiD Daddy's Little Girl ' mid Aug Def Jam/RAL/Columbia
Funkytown Pros Reaching A Level OfAssaaaination mid Aug Peace Posse/Island
Naughty By Nature Naughty By Nature late Aug Tommy Boy
Boo-Yaa Tribe Good Times, Bad Times late Aug Island
Queen Latifah Nature OfA Sista late Aug Tommy Boy
Nice & Smooth Hip-Hop Junkies late Aug Def Jam/RAL/Columbia
Schoolly D How A Black Man Feels late Aug Capitol
Biz Markie INeed A Haircut late Aug Cold Chillin/Warner Bros.
Marley Marl For Your Steering Pleasure early Sept Cold Chillin/Warner Bros.
Def Jef Soul Food early Sept Delicious Vinyl
MCLyte Act Like You Know mid Sept First Priority/Atlantic
Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory end Sept Jive
Double J The Hitman end Sept 4th & BWay/lsland
D-Nice To The Rescue early Oct Jive
BusyB Thank God For Busy Bee mid Oct Strong City/MCA
House Party n Soundtrack mid Oct MCA
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
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AND^FASHOSHOT" MPRODUCEDBYDEFJEF,DJMARKTHE45KING, ^
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by Neil Harris
Lyrics Music
If you want to go looking for a publishing
deal, first you divide your pie into two equal
pieces, one known as the writer's share andthe other known as the publisher's share.
THE ABC'SOF MUSIC PUBLISHING
( PART ONE )
Acouple of months ago we ran down the
basics of copyrighting your songs.
This time out, we'll try to scratch the
surface of other music publishing issues,
which comprise a large part of your potential
income as an artist. In this first part, we'll
talk about some basic concepts. Next month,
we'll set you straight about the dollars
involved.
Music publishing is the business of buying
and selling songs, as opposed to buying andselling records. Songwriters (and producers)
are compensated for their creative input to the
songs themselves; that is, they receive moneyfor writing the songs in addition to performing
them.
Assuming that you haven't relied heavily
on recognizable samples from other records, or
sold your publishing rights, as soon as you
write a song you own the whole copyright
associated with it. If you feel the song is some-
thing you are going to play for other people,
you should register it with the copyright office
to protect yourself and claim the ownership of
the song. Remember, the copyright of the song
is worthless if it never appears on record, in a
film, or plays on the radio. But if you plan to
make records that work, you've got to be downwith the basics of publishing deals.
If you write a song yourself, you own the
whole song. If you share the writing with
others, you have to divide the ownership of the
song between all the writers. Usually the wayit is done is to give the writers of the music
half of the ownership of a song, and the lyric
writers the other half. For the sake of
illustration, assume the two halves form
together to make a pie.
Writer's
SharePublisher's
Share
50% 50%
FIG 1. THE SONG
NOT TO BE SOLD TO BE SOLDIN PUBLISHING DEAL
FIG. 2 THE WAY A PUBLISHER BREAKSDOWN THE OWNERSHIP OF A SONG.
Before you go out and look for a
publishing deal, put the half of the pie knownas the writer's share in your pocket. It is
yours; never sell it. The writer's share is
meant for the writer—not for negotiation or
selling, to anyone. Not a manager, not a
publisher—nobody. Don't be a sucker. Nowthat that's settled, let's take the half of a song
known as the publisher's share and think
about getting a publishing deal.
Before we do this, I'd like to pass on a bit
of information that someone once told me: "If
you don't need the money, hold onto your
publishing. You'll be happier later." Indeed,
the main reason to do a publishing deal, andgive someone a piece of the publisher's share,
is an advance of cold, hard cash. Publishers
can also give you money for demos, shop your
songs to record companies and other artists,
put up additional promotion money for your
records, place your songs in movies, TV, andcommercials, and hook you up with other
writers and producers. Look for a publisher
who does all these things well. They can be
just as important in the long run as the size
of the bag they are offering up front. But
remember: you are giving up a piece of your
song in return. If you don't need the money or
the support now, you'll get to keep all of the
publishing income later.
If you need the green, or believe that a
Writer's Publisher's
keeps gets
publisher will help your career in return for apiece of your publishing, here are the different
ways publishers divide up the publisher's
share for different types of publishing deals:
FIG 3. - TYPES OF PUBLISHING DEALS.
a) CO-PUBLISHING DEALS:In these types of deals, the publisher gets
50% of the publisher's share, and the artist
keeps the other 50%. This is the most commontype of deal today. If you enter into one of
these deals, expect the publisher to do all the
paperwork regarding the copyrights, to huntpeople down to collect all the money that the
songs earn, and to actively work to try to earn
as much money from the songs as they can.
Also realize that the publisher, even thoughthey only own half of the publisher's share,
can usually do whatever they want with yoursongs to make money from them. If you wantmore control make sure you get it on paper.
b) ADMINISTRATION DEALS:In administrative deals, the publisher will
take 10 to 20% of the publisher's share in
exchange for doing all the paperwork andcollecting all the money. They won't control
your copyrights, but they won't work hard to
see that your songs make money either.
c) FULL PUBLISHING DEALS:The publisher takes all the publisher's
share, and the writer keeps nada. These aren't
done as much anymore. You'll usually get
more money from a full deal, but rememberyou are giving a large chunk of your songs up,
not to mention usually all control. In the 90's,
publishing is too valuable to make these deals
attractive to many artists.
Next month we'll attach dollar signs to the
different types of deals and concepts wementioned, and discuss other basic moneyissues everyone should know about pub-lishing. Until then, peace and good luck to all.
Contact Neil Harris at 15477 Ventura
Blvd., Ste. 300, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403.
PUBLISHER'S SHARE (a.b.c)
A. co-publishing deal
Publisher's get 10% - 20% -*
administrative deal
Publisher gets
ALL of
publisher's share
100%
C. full publisher's deal
© THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
unsigned
SIR ESSENCE DONAs the hype builds around the upcoming Unsigned Hype
compilation album (soon to go into production), the
tapes continue to pour in and the competition is gettin'
thick! This month Sir Essence Don flipped the flyest
material. His lyrics have a unique flavor—he creates suspense
in his rhymes and displays originality in his cadence.
Ess Don's tape consisted of two solid cuts. The first, "Sweet
Like Sugar," tip toes nicely on that fine line between a hardcore
rap and song with some mainstream appeal. Ess adds in a nice
Bum- diddely-dee flavor to his rhymes and the music is mellow,
but the beat stays hard. Ess Don's man Lord D gets the
job done on production and definitely knows how to hookup beats. The second cut, "Live From NY," is more of that
pure raw hip-hop. The beat is combo of a the sped up 45
King beat from Lakim's "Pure Righteousness" and the
"Atomic Dog" beat. Ess flips the mic with authority. Don't
Sleep! To check him out call his manager Frank Donalds
at (718) 469-2312.
—coordinated by MATTY C
Rainbo Records has a special deal for you on 12-inches: one hundred recordsare now only $599 complete. For more information, see their ad on page 57.
A COMPILATION ALBUM FEATURINGTHE BEST UNSIGNED RAP GROUPS
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRYFOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, THE SOURCE WILL BE ACCEPTINGTOP QUALITY DEMO TAPES FROM ALL UNSIGNED RAP GROUPS.
MONTHLY WINNERS QUALIFY TO APPEAR ON OUR UNSIGNED HYPE
COMPILATION ALBUM TO BE RELEASED IN FEBRUARY 1992.
SEND YOUR BEST QUALITY DEMO TAPETODAY TO:
594 BROADWAY, SUITE 510NEW YORK, NY 1 001
2
(PLEASE, NO PHONE CALLS)
ALL TAPES MUST BE SUBMITTED BY SEPTEMBER 1, 1991. ALL PREVIOUS WINNERS
ARE AUTOMATICALLY SUBMITTED. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR TAPE TO YOUR THREE BEST CUTS.
THE SOURCE • SEPTEMBER 1991
THE LAST WORD
11
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COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
mi n.THE MAGAZINE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC. CULTURE ft POLITICS
OCTOBER
Marley Marl
Some call him "the Quincy Jones
of rap," and it's true: you can't
enjoy hip-hop without enjoying the
funky New York sound of prolific
super producer Marley Marl. We'll
talk to the man and see the
infamous Marley House Of Hits
that has churned out slamming
tracks for LL Cool J, Kool G Rap,
Biz Markie, MC Shan, Master Ace,
Biv Devoe, and many more.
White Rappers
Look on MTV, listen to the radio-in the wake of Vanilla Ice there's a
whole new slew of white rap
artists who are trying to make a
name for themselves. Which ones
are really talented and which ones
are trying to cash in on the
avenues for mass appeal? Are
white rappers getting preferential
treatment on our airwaves?
H.E.A.L
KRS-One has started a new record
label, Edutainer Records, and the
first release is a multi-media
project called H.E.A.L.—HumanEducation Against Lies. We'll
explore the people and
philosophies that are making this
project work.
n
© THE SOURCE * SEPTEMBER 1991
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TH e. n ew Singlefeaturing Master Ace, Craig g,
Big Daddy Kane, kool G Rap andLittle Daddy Shane
PRODUCED AND MIXED BY MAR LEY MARL, THE
PRODUCER BEHIND SLAMMIN' HIT
:HEAVY D, AND THE BOYZ AND B.B.D.
i^%.
From the album in Control Volume U -
Jrara'ManmillMil"**8"'^
ARTrST tAAHf
**+*.
"The particular name of this queen is Latifah
I've often been classified as a feminine teacher
Collectively captured the heart of a nation
Love my culture and show appreciation..."
TbmmY-ROY)
