jrs and i were buggin' out on the fact that Roy Ayers wrote a song called "2000 Black" about 30 years ago. "think about it, think about it, think about 2000 Black... you better think about your future, y'all, and forget about your past 'cause all the things you lived before cannot be lived again... ...30 years away...2000's GOT TO BE BLACK." it was almost a year ago that Amadou Diallo went down in a hale of bullets. now, his body remains boxed in West Ghana and the trial takes place in Albany, NY. it was almost a year ago that my man jay talked about the feeling of worthlessness he felt even during Black History Month - the one month where america will let us tell our side of the tale (the shortest one at that...and even that's asking too much for some people). jay couldn't deal with writing another rant like that this year, so he caught up with me and got in my ear about the concept he had been thinking about. and here i am. writing. about damn time, too. thanks, brah. while suburbanites rock Rawkus joints, placing bets on which MC will get shot down this year, white america breathes a serious sigh of relief at the massive media coverage surrounding Puff Daddy's latest dilemma and the "danger" he's putting Jennifer Lopez in. with all of the focus on Puffy, america can forget that their sons are building pipe bombs in the garage and plotting student sector assassination attempts. and what's the deal with the media granting sister Lopez honorary white woman status like she's Little Miss Innocent (with a big ole ass to boot)? someone on the Okayplayer boards hit the nail on the head while talking about her: "she's 28 years old and grew up in Castle Hill - like she don't know about violence at clubs." SAY WORD. now, all of a sudden, america has conveniently forgotten that homegirl was once a Fly Girl on In Living Color. the wool can't be pulled over these eyes so easily. headz are acting like Puffy going to jail will save hip-hop. WHATEVER, MAN. Sean John is a sacrificial lamb in this piece - record execs will have another in under a week to take his place. as long as garbage sells, they'll make sure of it. dig the scenario: Mase said unto GOD, "i'm getting out of the rap game, Lord. i want to follow You." and the Lord said unto Mase, "it is good that you have decided to follow ME. besides, REAL MCs DON'T MUMBLE. THOU ART WACK. and you should've killed that noise a long time ago." you know, rap fans are a peculiar people. it is a sad state of affairs when a brother that garbles his words gets lauded as a dope MC. this in a musical genre that supposedly prides itself on verbal dexterity. if headz were into real lyrical skill like they claim, cats wouldn't sweat DMX or Lil' Wayne. on the real, if your beat is dope, it don't matter what you're saying. you'll get over. and if that's the case, instrumental hip-hop albums should be selling like crazy, but they don't. like i said, rap fans are a peculiar people. but wait, it gets worse. one night, drunk, weeded and belligerent, hip-hop spotted techno and dragged her into a dark alley. dub and soul nursed her back to health after the brutal attack and the end result...uh huh...DRUM 'N' BASS. the bastard mix that neither techno nor hip-hop wants to acknowledge. an already mixed breed that got called "jungle" and D&B used the term to love itself with. and never before has a more futuristic nigga roamed the earth. but, try telling hip-hop that. Dove of De La once said that "people try to snatch the credit, but can't claim the card." many of today's beats on above ground joints for hip-hop lyricists come straight out of techno and D&B thinking. those that know have been saying this about Missy and Timbaland since the beginning and they both deny ever hearing D&B. YEAH, RIGHT. in order for them to "keep it real" within the hip-hop community, they have to say that. otherwise, they'll be seen as fakin' the funk. they aren't the only ones, either. what about Busta's "Gimme Some More" or LL's joint on the Any Given Sunday soundtrack? what about Drag-On or the closing cut on Q-Tip's album featuring Korn? all of the beats are horses of distinctly different colors. headz are bopping their heads to techno and jungle and don't even know it. like i said, rap fans are a peculiar people. but if you return to the player mentality long enough, eventually you're gonna play yourself. smile - you're on CAUGHT ON TAPE ASS OUT. turn this way, please...now say "WHAT WHAT?!?" jay and i sang father Ayers' lyrics to each other in a locked head sway, meditating on the concept for the developing rant all the while. at one point he stopped and said, "hip-hop has the potential to be whatever it wants to be...if only the people who make it and support it would let it." DAMN. what was once 30 years away is right now. what once happened in the streets is now surging underground, away from future COINTELPRO members who would sabotage such art. if you give a damn, support the real. and not the right now. NO MATTER WHAT SHADE IT'S WRAPPED UP IN. {vic feedle} other Black History rants include: 2.24.02 - number three 2.7.01 - when you laugh... 2.24.99 - exhaustion...
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