the Black boys put their clocks around their neck and their baseball hats backward and started singing about life in the Ghetto. Harmless rap became Hardcore Rap and every black boy out there sang about slapping their bitchez and hoz and capping a cop.
I'm not touching the racism issue, but as a sometime Public Enemy fan, I don't know what to make of the "clocks around their neck" bit here. Surely you aren't lumping them in with gangsta rap just because of the comic relief of Flavor Flav?
Music is just an indicator. By itself, it tells you nothing of the Political and Socioeconomic forces of the time... but it's a really good indicator.
Well, I would say that to a lot of people, Public Enemy's music is one of the best indicators of Political and Socioeconomic (wtf capitalization?) forces you'll find in recent decades. Don't tell me you never heard "Fight the Power". Chuck D basically does nothing but social and political commentary when he steps to the mike, and his motivation to do so rises and falls with the Bushes or Clintons in power at any given time. If he mentions "bitchez and hoz", it is to criticize people who use those terms (see for example "No", from his mid-90's solo album promoting the Million Man March) or the culture surrounding prostitution. Angry, really angry, but for the most part socially redeeming. They call it hip-hop now, btw, and fwiw Chuck D developed his booming voice as a radio announcer in college. Never assume, question authority, and all that.
What has Public Enemy done lately? Teamed up with Moby (see Boy, White) on a rabidly anti-establishment single "MKLVFKWR" for an official album of the olympics. Snuck that one in, didn't they?
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Date: 2004-08-30 08:22 pm (UTC)I'm not touching the racism issue, but as a sometime Public Enemy fan, I don't know what to make of the "clocks around their neck" bit here. Surely you aren't lumping them in with gangsta rap just because of the comic relief of Flavor Flav?
Well, I would say that to a lot of people, Public Enemy's music is one of the best indicators of Political and Socioeconomic (wtf capitalization?) forces you'll find in recent decades. Don't tell me you never heard "Fight the Power". Chuck D basically does nothing but social and political commentary when he steps to the mike, and his motivation to do so rises and falls with the Bushes or Clintons in power at any given time. If he mentions "bitchez and hoz", it is to criticize people who use those terms (see for example "No", from his mid-90's solo album promoting the Million Man March) or the culture surrounding prostitution. Angry, really angry, but for the most part socially redeeming. They call it hip-hop now, btw, and fwiw Chuck D developed his booming voice as a radio announcer in college. Never assume, question authority, and all that.
What has Public Enemy done lately? Teamed up with Moby (see Boy, White) on a rabidly anti-establishment single "MKLVFKWR" for an official album of the olympics. Snuck that one in, didn't they?