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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
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July 19, 2003
Chuck D is a signifying monkey
In the last 30 years, there have been quite a few musicians get praise far beyond any real musical worth, based on irrelevant sociological or political considerations. The Clash, for example, were an outstanding band, but did not begin to merit their slogan as "the only band that matters." Yet they were rushed into the Hall of Fame the first instant they were eligible, while Lynyrd Skynyrd languishes. Punk rock and descendents have been particularly rife with this kind of critical nonsense.
So has rap. The greatest act in rap history, by any reasonable MUSICAL consideration, would have to be the Beastie Boys- hands down. However, they don't have the cheap political rhetoric. More importantly, they're not black. I can understand how it might pain some folk that the best rap act is not black, but them's the facts. Given some of the particular racial pathologies of modern black America, that the Beasties are not just white but specifically JEWISH makes it that much worse.
Public Enemy, on the other hand, can't be praised highly enough among many people who care about rap. Besides the appropriate skin color, PE has the perfect schtick. They're radical militant black nationalist freedom fighters. Therefore, they are Highly Important.
Except of course that they're not. They're musicians and recording artists. Chuck D makes records. He's not in any significant sense a political leader or outlaw. For being a "public enemy," about the only significant lawlessness PE has been involved with has been Flavor Flav beating his woman. Wow, what a rebel.
Even our own Blogcritic uber alles Eric Olsen says "Public Enemy is arguably the most important rap group of all time and as such will be seen in the same league with Elvis Costello 100 years from now."
Negro puh-lease. Public Enemy's entire musical career isn't the equal just of "Alison," let alone the rest of Elvis' first album. In terms of music, you know, SONGS, PE is a third or fourth tier act. They have a few good songs, but they're no Beatles or Prince. Fear of a Black Planet was a rockin' good album, but that was all they had in 'em. Being highly generous, you might say that PE has ten worthwhile songs, eight or nine of them from Black Planet. On a musical level, their whole career might be the equal of Licensed to Ill.
As it happens, I saw them when they were touring for Black Planet. It was an irresistable lineup, with numerous hip-hop acts at the height of their prowess, particularly including the Digital Underground, promoting "The Humpty Dance." Heavy D was there as well. (This was the Indianapolis show where one of his boys got killed in an accident after the show.)
They put on a good show. I was well pleased with the value for my ticket dollar. A good time was had by one and all.
However, at no time did I actually experience fear of a black planet from attending the Public Enemy show. Look, their Security of the First World were dancers doing pseudo-militaristic dance steps while toting plastic toy guns. What were they going to do, squirt water on Whitey?
Also, actually read some of their lyrics. There's nothing to ANY of that bullshit. Any retard can be hostile and belligerant. That's not a political statement, merely a tantrum.
Woo-wee, I'm a big scary Negro. Boo! Riiiight. Now, coming from the Geto Boys, say, I'd believe it. I would in fact be at least a little scared of them and their audience. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me," now that shit puts the fear of God and Negroes in me.
Thing is though, Chuck D is merely a signifying monkey. This goes back to an African legend about a weak-ass little monkey what signifies ie makes empty signals with no backing ie talks a lot of lying bullshit to try turning bigger animals against one another. As you might expect, the monkey generally ends up getting EATEN for his bother.
Chuck D talks a lot of big talk, but he ain't Malcolm X. Those Uzis are plastic. Malcolm's weren't. The video for "By the Time I Get to Arizona" depicts the band assassinating various state officials for the crime of refusing to honor the MLK holiday. That's a pretty good gimmick for a video, but there was never a moment of danger that they were going to lead any kind of insurrection. PE is a band trying to sell records, not any kind of political or religious leadership.
Cheap racial demagoguery has been Chuck D's signifying stock in trade. Generally, I'm inclined to be sympathetic. Hey, whatever schtick helps you get across.
However, he did mildly annoy me with his totally unwarranted disrespect for Elvis Presley. "Fight the Power" was definitely their best SONG, a career making record. On that ground, I largely overlook the pure demagoguery of
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherfuck him and John Wayne
Very obviously, the charges of racism are precisely backward here. I've never heard of Chuck D being oppressed by anyone, and certainly not by Elvis. Elvis Presley never did one damn thing to a black man, other than providing numerous black folk jobs as musicians, dancers and songwriters. Chuck D, on the other hand, hates Elvis and curses him for absolutely no other reason than having been white. That is textbook racism.
 Now if you want a black man shaking up the racist order, try some classic Little Richard. He was fomenting anarchy and law breaking. Besides some private issues about sodomy laws, he was very publicly putting a boot in the ass of Jim Crow in the 1950s.
Read some of the stories about the authorities trying to enforce the segregation laws at his concerts. White kids this side, black ones that side. After a few minutes of Mr. Penniman wailing away, inhibitions and rule abiding were gone, as were the stupid little ropes that were supposed to keep the races apart as they danced together in the aisles.
Of course, Richard was bringing the races together, not demagogically trying to play one against the other. Oh, and he was a real musician.
Little Richard- now THERE was a public enemy.
There's all kinds of interesting chatter about this column at Blogcritics.
posted by Al at 7/19/2003 05:12:00 AM
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