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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I Moved...

Here. To Tumblr.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Hip Hop in Retrospect: Sept 6, 1990 [HHNW]

MTV debuted in 1981 with intentions of bringing music to the public in a new format, video (and we all know that killed the radio star). It was the station for music of a new generation with videos, cool "relate-able" VJ's (video jockeys), and a famous face every now and then. MTV was the channel that teens and young-adults loved but also one for those who came from a previous generation of music to hate, but you would think they forgot about the time when disco was Satan.
3 years after the networks debut it broke more ground by creating its own award show, the MTV Music Awards. It was here Madonna wore her "Boy Toy" belt, garter and wedding gown while she rolled around on the floor singing Like A Virgin, you can't tell me that's not a good way to start your first annual award show. The performance is classic of course but it also gave people more reason to why censorship on music is needed, if they thought this young white girl was bad for family values and house-hold standards it should more than explain why 2 Live Crew was constantly attacked for their content. 6 years later the same network would be shown just how far the censorship battle would go at the 1990 VMA's held on September 6th at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. Many of the artist [Queen Latifah, Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith)] who were there that night spoke up for their right to free speech and one of the performers that night was 2 Live Crew who appropriately decide to do their song Banned in the USA. There was another hip-hop performance that night by MC Hammer who did U Can't Touch This and that showed the one side of hip-hop that most of America could deal with, but 2 Live Crew is a whole 'nother force. By this time they had already released Me So Horny(1989), a #1 on Billboard even though it had lack of radio spins because of the objectionable subject matter. This performance had to have meant even more because of that, 2 Live Crew wanted it to be known they understand not everyone likes rap-music, their lyrics, or them, and just because of those opinions music shouldn't be censored . The lyrics let you know 2 Live aren't clueless to what’s going on; IT'S POLITICS with both MTV and in congress. Kid Ice states it clear within the first verse "Corrupted politicians playing games, bringing us down to boost their fame."

2 Live Crew Performed - Banned in the USA on September 6, 1990 at the VMA's in Los Angeles
Hip Hop Northwest (Original Post)

Hip Hop in Retrospect: Aug 30, 1990 [HHNW]

I had never listened to Cool C before I decided to start this post. The first song I looked up was Agony of Defeat off of his second and last solo album Life in the Ghetto. Life in the Ghetto was released on Atlantic (yea they actual RELEASED albums at one point) on August 30, 1990 it had 16 tracks on it and the first one I listened to was Agony of Defeat and within the first 10 second I had to do some research. He starts the track off by saying, “Remember the Juice Crew diss?” and I’m thinking, “No, I don’t” so I decided to look into it. The Juice Crew Diss was on his first album I Gotta Habit, on that track he was just speaking on where he think they got their style from (Philly) and speaking on how he could rock the mic better. It was because of that track people started to pay attention to him, which in some cases is standard when a new artist comes in the game going after people who have made a place for them-selves in hip-hop. To me it sounded like a generic hip-hop album from that time period, no tracks really stand out and his delivery is pretty much the same throughout the album. With that said the album isn’t bad I just don’t think you should keep it in the plastic if you come across it in a record shop or find the CD in a bin.
Star of the Show is my favorite (out of the 6 that I listened to) on the album.
I looked to see if Cool C was still making music or started a record label, but he hasn’t music is probably the last of his concerns now. Currently Cool C is on death row (not the label) for: First-degree murder, bank robbery, and grand larceny. He was sentenced to death on December 13, 1996 but his execution was put on hold until the litigation from his appeals is over. He is currently living out his sentence on the row at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Greene where he is still fighting the charges.

Cool C - Star of the Show - Life in the Ghetto Released: August 30, 1990
Hip-Hop Northwest (Original Post)