Today in Hip Hop

Site Search

Today in Hip Hop Archive

Talk about it in the Forums

Today in Hip Hop

Check out the winner of the Public Enemy Remix contest

Passing The Torch of Police Brutality: Sean Bell & The Solution

DEL the Funky Homosapien

Chuck D at AFI Dallas and Ghostbar Performance for PE Film

Brian Hardgroove Gives it Up

Sean Levert Dies

Check out the winner of the Public Enemy Remix contest
04/30/2008

Chuck D. and PE producer Gary G-Wiz picked the winner of the Public Enemy Remix Project! The remix will be featured on SLAMjamz.com, Public Enemy's official website www.myspace.com/publicenemyofficial. Reason also received a limited edition portable media player from Mediastreet and a copy of the album signed by Chuck D. Congratulations, Reason!

Check it out!

http://www.jamglue.com/mixes/700939-Amerikan-Gangster-Reasonmix

Passing The Torch of Police Brutality: Sean Bell & The Solution
04/29/2008

Instead of peace the police just wanna wreck and flex/ On the kid, What I did was try to be the best! - Public Enemy, Anti-Nigger Machine

I got my first car when I was 18. "Now when you get pulled over, its a serious thing" my dad said to me before he handed me the keys to a brown Toyota Celica. "You keep your hands on the wheel if you get stopped. Move slowly. If you are going to reach for anything, like a wallet, you tell him what you are going to do- and do it slow. If you move too fast they will kill you."

There was a seriousness in his eyes and his tone, that I knew better to ignore. But a part of me, in my head said "All right Pop slow down. This ain't the deep South where you are from. We live in the Bay and its the 1980's."

The first time a gun was put in my face, it was the SFPD. A cop drew a 9 mm pistol to my face for wearing a red and black jacket with the words PARIS (the pro-Black rapper not the chick) across the back. They said I looked like a gang member from Pinole, CA. They said I made an illegal u-turn to get a parking space. They were physically smaller than me (the one with his gun on me was trembling- he was scared of me) and I knew they would not hesitate to put a bullet through my eye socket if I did anything but breathe.. .My hands were in my pockets. All of my fathers advice crystalized in the moment. I spoke slowly and clearly as they made eye contact. I explained I had no weapons, that I was unarmed and that I had broken no laws.

It took him some seconds to hear me through his fear. Eventually he put the gun down. He smiled and said "Gangs in the area are wearing your colors". Funny, being a 6 foot tall Black man, I'm always in gang colors. I wake up in gang colors. I got to bed in gang colors. I walk to the corner store in gang colors. I was born in gang colors- I'm Black.

Twenty years later I'm 38, I have a son and in 10 years, I will have to have the same conversation with him. How can I not?

This past Friday, the police that murdered Sean Bell, were acquitted. So many were surprised. I wasn't. Surprised at what?

The same courts that let Rodney King's video taped beating walk, the same courts who set up the three strikes and Rockefeller Drug Laws , the same courts that let Amadou Diallo die in cold blood gave no justice to Sean Bell and people are surprised? Our system is failing us on so many levels.

No rational human being with knowledge of the American justice system could really be shocked. This is America and American courts have never made justice for Black men a priority. The mere fact that they allowed his parents to file anything in court, is just a hollow ritual to give the illusion of American democracy.

When N.W.A. dropped "Fuck The Police" in the late 1980's so many in American media attacked them. Even the F.B.I. saw fit to write them a threatening letter about how inappropriate the nature of the song was. Shortly after, the release of Paris' "Coffee Doughnuts and Death" and Ice T's "Cop Killer" had created a firestorm of controversy in the media. Hip-Hop music has documented racial and systematic injustice more effectively than any other art form to date. This has been in large part because of the fact that much of what America has tried to sweep under the rug, rap music has been fast to highlight.

So many questions were asked. Why would Black men write songs against the police? Who could write, let alone SELL music advocating police murder? Why do Black men hate cops so much?

But nobody asked if some of the accusations of police brutality being made had any remote basis? How could so many rappers, from so many different parts of America, be so unified in their feelings about the same subject? I was told by a white college student in the 1990's the at the original police forces were bands of slave overseers "policing" the plantations of rich Whites after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He said that their job was to keep free Africans afraid to rebel against their former masters.

I never looked up to see if his historical take on police departments was accurate. However, based on what I have seen in the courts, on TV, and my own personal experiences being terrorized and falsely accused by police officers since my early teen years- it sounds legitimate.Rap music is a billion dollar industry for some. It is a way out the ghetto for many. But for me, rap is the real time barometer of what is going on in the minds hearts and souls of Black men. If you are attuned to what is going on outside the mainstream, you can see that young Black males have been trying to bring attention to their struggle against police brutality for decades.

Their pleas for help went ignored by not only the courts, but Black and White media outlets and most regrettably the old civil rights leadership. The Black intellectuals we're too busy studying to fight for the people they claimed to be representing- so typical. Bill Cosby said nothing. Theo Huxtable never had to deal with what my friends and I had to deal with.

A few years before Sean Bell was murdered, rapper Talib Kweli wrote about the pain of having to pass on the torch of teaching his son about the reality of police brutality.

Niggaz with knowledge is more dangerous than than niggaz with guns
They make the guns easy to get and try to keep niggaz dumb
Target the gangs and graffiti with the Prop 21
I already know the deal but what the fuck do I tell my son?
I want him livin right, livin good, respect the rules
He's five years old and he still thinkin cops is cool
How do I break the news that when he gets some size
He'll be percieved as a threat or see the fear in they eyes
It's in they job description to terminate the threat
So 41 shots to the body is what he can expect
The precedent is set, don't matter if he follow the law
I know I'll give my son pride and make him swallow it all

I sadly must have the same conversation with my son. I hate this fact. Yet it is something I must do. But no one should ever ask again why any rapper speaks against the American police departments or the American justice system. They have been trying for decades to tell the world how corrupt and broken this nations courts have become. Many times their language was harsh, the visuals are ugly and the subject itself painful to digest. But ignoring the voice of the youth has not helped the situation. The embers of racial injustice, covered by the ashes of hollow democracy don't make the nation any safer from the flames. Only honoring truth does. The truth is we can do so much better than we are.

Let me be clear. I have family members that are cops. Some of the friends I grew up with listening to N.W.A. with are now police officers themselves. I know that they are good hearted, well intended police men and women of all races out there. Victims of police brutality also come in all races and creeds. Many of them have been denied justice as well. Unfortunately, the most horrific cases of police brutality rest on the shoulders of the African American community. But the system is broken and the good cops cannot have a clean lane to work in, with rogue cops killing unarmed citizens at will. I find killer cops, just as disgusting and appalling as cop killers. I am a committed advocate for non-violence. Yet I do not want to be here ten years from now writing about the murder my son, or my neighbors son, or your son. I don't want any more American parents feeling the pain that the Bell family is feeling today.

Malcolm X said before he was murdered, that he planned to file a suit against the United States for denial of human rights in the courts of the United Nations. I believe it is time to pick that torch up now. Starting with the senseless murder of Sean Bell, African American's can document our case all the way back to the Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation of systematic judicial injustice. I believe there is no other solution than making a case at the U.N. on the basis of human rights violations.

The time is now. If we neglect to solve the problem in the world courts, I fear that too much blood will continue to run in the streets. America cannot benefit on any level from an escalation of violence. It never has. Black people in America have never had a greater opportunity to balance the scales of police brutality and injustice. American citizens of other racial and cultural make up have never had a more excellent moment to help refine the American judicial system for all of its citizens. Sean Bell cannot be just another victim of senseless police brutality. He must be the last.

Adisa Banjoko author of Lyrical Swords Vol. 1 & 2 and co-founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. He can be contacted directly at bishop@lyricalswords.com By: Adisa Banjoko, The Bishop of Hip-Hop

DEL the Funky Homosapien
04/28/2008

Flatline: Who approached who for your move over to Def Jux for the new album? It seems like a match made in heaven since they heavily promote loads of creativity.

DEL: Well, I guess you could say that I was looking for a home to launch this 11th Hour project from, and they had an opening. I know El-P from a ways back, we cool. I really respect his artwork and also his drive that got him where he is now with his Def Jux thang. Plus I know Mr. Lif too, that's my folks, and he seems to be doing good with Def Jux so that kinda let me know that was a safe bet. And so far so good, I'm loving it, they looked out and I been doing what I can to make their job of getting 11th Hour out there to the people easier.

Flatline: Who are some of your favorite emcee's?....particular artists that you listen to, as an emcee, that completely blow your mind lyrically.

DEL: Right now? Well, there's alot of them, for different reasons, but I would have to say that, outside of Hiero, Redman is someone who particularly speaks to my demo graph. Also cats like De La are all time favorites, Q-Tip, the JB's, these are cats who constantly I can count on. But I like other stuff too, for instance, The LOX and especially Styles P have been one of my favorites for years. All of the Wu of course I love, Ghostface of course as well as Raekwon always kills it. But I also love Pete Rock as an emcee, too. Diamond D is one of my all time faves on the mic, always witty and always drops a gem or two. Andre The Giant is a favorite, matter of fact just say DITC. But Lakim Shabazz is one of my favorites too, as well as JustIce. KRS ONE of course and Chuck D as well. It's too many to name, I love all the raw dope emcees who keep it really fly with the lyrics for different reasons, but the main reason is the funkiness and the ability to spit something real every once in a while.

Flatline: I know you weren't happy with "The Best Of..." that Elektra put out a couple years ago - but getting to finally hear "The Undisputed Champs" with Q-Tip and Pep Love was amazing. What was it like getting down with Tip in the studio?

DEL: Q-Tip is truly one of my favorite dudes, man. I'll never forget how cool he was to me when we first met, he really embodied that spirit of HipHop that I thought EVERYBODY in HipHop would be like before I got into the game and really peeped it ain't all like that. Tip is someone whom I've always related to very closely. We have similar paths and I could always tell from listening to his lyrics, but when we hung out the few times that we did I could see that it was a vibe that was all over, they just did it in a NYC style, we did it in a Oakland Bay Area style. But it was all peace and I think we were both starting to just get a feel of that.
Tip actually was real cool, cause he would look out for me. That's why anytime dudes try to say he ain't the shit no more or try to call him out, say whatever about whatever without even listening to the shit...actually, by watching him, I knew how some dudes would just turn on you. Cause I seen people do it with Tribe before even listening to their new material. Their album was the Love Movement, the LOVE MOVEMENT how could people front on that? And the music was a new direction, J-Dilla included in it. Some dudes fronted and now look, J-Dilla is they hero now that he's dead. But when he was alive they were frontin, without even a listen really to base they hate on. I'm goin off, but I got respect for Tip, man. Cause he a real artist and he tries things, even when it turn out sometimes dudes front at first, he still willing to try.
Now, about the studio session. I actually was so obliterated I don't remember much. I drank basically some concoction consisting of 2 40 oz, mixed with gin and orange juice. Don't ask. Anyway, I was obviously dumb loaded, but Tip didn't badger me about it. I had a box of SP1200 disks I brought out. I was letting cats peep what I could do production wise. Tip dug it. Busta Rhymes came in, I know him from Elektra, LONS, Dinco was my man, he was dumb cool too, as well as Busta. But anyway, Busta is like peeping my heaters and he like nodding, like "Yo, these are pretty good, son!" It was nice to get that love from the East Coast cats cause it started there. They made me feel like "Ok you ill, we'll accept you into our shit."

Flatline: You've rhymed on side projects with Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gorillaz and Deltron 3030...any other super group plans in the works? I heard the sequel to Deltron will be coming out in 08 as well.

DEL: I don't know if I like the title of "super group"...seems to set up alot of anticipation only to be ultimately let down because for some out there the expectations will never be met. COULDN'T be met, it would be impossible to live up to the fantasy conjured up by some dudes. BUT...I am always trying to collaborate with real cats when I got the time to. El-P and Tame One are two that I'm working on getting crunk. A-Plus as well. Dave from De La, Prince Paul. Another Deltron of course. But also I'm working with D-Stroy, working something out with my man Pumpkinhead...alot of things, but you know, it takes time and some things are first priority. There's a Hiero album being finished up now. Basically I never stop working on stuff, I even have instrumental dance albums, funk stuff, rock stuff, punk stuff, I stay making stuff.

Flatline: "11th Hour" was produced almost entirely by yourself. How long did it take for this album to finally come together after all this time?

DEL: Once I was able to raise up out the game of the mentally insane (those who look around in the streets for someone to blame), it actually didn't take that long, but I must admit I was conceptualizing this LP for quite awhile, ever since Both Sides had ran it's course. I knew I had to learn more about music in order to take it to the next level, whatever that may be. And I worked on my Funkentelechy so I would be able to funk harder than before.

Flatline: Back around 96 or 97 I saw you and the whole Hiero crew tear it up live. Is the art of performance dead in hip hop these days?

DEL: I wouldn't exactly say that, because HipHop IS performance, it's based upon how well you perform. The live setting is where it all starts and it looks like where it will end up in this era of record labels finally losing almost all of their power over consumers. It's anarchy right now, and there's alot of jaded people who feel they been burned and won't even give anything new a chance, it's too late. It's that game again that I was talking about earlier. But all the doper cats know: you gotta be able to command attention. No matter if you got dancers and mega-props on stage or you just standing there streetsweeping with the lyrics. People wanna be entertained, how we as artists get to that point is all up to our preference and what we are best at. But the presentation we deliver will be judged based upon our personal performance, HOPEFULLY, anyway.

Flatline: Were you a fan of Radiohead before Amplive came along and got you to spit on "Videotapez"? The end result is really dope.

DEL: I have a few Radiohead LPs, I have always dug their bag, man. They do what they do and they do it well, you can't really front on them for any other reason except you just don't like them. Because they are doin it. Videotapez I did for Amplive primarily cause he asked me to be down with the project, but I also knew that it could get me a little pub. But really I did it cause Amp is my patna and he asked me to.

Flatline: It's been an interesting road for you since you debuted back in 1991. What keeps you motivated musically and lyrically?

DEL: Musically the curiosity that leads me to continuously try to explore new ways to organize music is motivation enough in itself. But also the personal feeling of gratification and achievement I feel from being able to do something well and being able to see my own growth on a continuous basis is motivational for me, and I would assume for anyone else in a similar dimension.

Lyrically, the motivation is primarily the need to speak about things that I can't get anyone to listen to any other way BUT in a rap. I'm a funky dude, meaning that I walk around in a funk alot of the time. I don't bug cats with it, I'm not a drag, you dig? I just put it away. Rapping is one of the ways I can let some of that funk free, and it's a safe way, a creative way that'll entertain people who feel the funk like I do. It also lets me aim that funk at targets in a basically harmless manner, it's just a rap dig? If it get people to pay attention then fine, and that may hurt some people's feelings but there's no name tag on the rap. If it's dug it's dug. Music is the other way I can express funky feelings in a way that lyrically I can't do. So lyrics and music work hand in hand.

- Flatline for Rapstation.com

Chuck D at AFI Dallas and Ghostbar Performance for PE Film
04/03/2008

Only in its second year, the AFI Dallas International Film Festival's already acting like a real film fest -- which is to say, plenty o' post-screening parties are being planned in and around Victory Park, home to the host hotel, the W. Public Enemy will perform at Ghostbar on April 1 which special guest DJ Lord and and Professor Griff, following the Dallas debut of the doc Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome, a 20-year-look at rap's most influential act.

Brian Hardgroove Gives it Up
04/01/2008

Hardgroove Interview 'Why He Doesn't Believe The Hype.
Q + A |brian hardgroove
Hardgroove Interview 'Why He Doesn't Believe The Hype.
april /may 2008 santa fean 21
Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff

A key member of the revolutionary
hiphop group Public Enemy, Brian
Hardgroove is also an activist, producer,
and host of The Fusebox on
Indie (indiesf.com). Hardgroove,
who moved from New York�his
hometown�to Santa Fe in 2006,
talks about his creative mission, the
fight for independent media, and
the power of fatherhood.

Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff-Q
When did you first know that you wanted
to make music?

HARDGROOVE
I always wanted to do something good
in the world. So, as a kid, I was headed
for a career in law enforcement. And
then I saw an Earth, Wind and Fire
concert when I was fourteen and I
realized, after seeing them, that I could
help people before they got into trouble,
by playing music that had an impact.

Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff-Q
And you went from that to being the musical
director and bassist for Public Enemy, a band
whose most famous song is Fight the Power?

HARDGROOVE
Law enforcement is necessary. As a
species we haven�t evolved past needing
that. Fight the Power is not about
fighting authority�it�s not that at all.
It�s about fighting abuse of power.
How did you first become politically minded?
My mother and father were affected,
growing up in the South, by political
decisions that were put in place before
they were born. So you don�t have to be
�political� to be political. It�s about doing
what�s right. And entertainment is just
as effective, if not more effective, than
being a politician. What politicians do
will affect your daily life, but how you
respond to that can be greatly influenced
by people in entertainment.

Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff-Q
And what are you up to these days?

HARDGROOVE
Here in Santa Fe I�m the host of The
Fusebox, a mixture of music and interviews.
And, besides Public Enemy, I�m
also the production manager and bass
player on the upcoming James Brown
Tribute Tour, which is starting in May
and will include dates in England and
Japan. Plus I�m producing three street
punk bands in China: Demerit, Brain
Failure, and Subs. These bands are incredible
because if you choose that life, you
choose failure in life generally, if it doesn�t
work out for you. There is no part-time
work. You do your band or you work.
What brought you from New York to Santa Fe?
When it was time for my daughter to go
to school, my wife and I didn�t want her
in New York. My wife�s father lives here.
We didn�t labor over it; we just went.

Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff-Q
How much has having a child amplified your
concerns about the future?

HARDGROOVE
A lot. Children are the greatest blessing
one can have in life. Once your offspring
start relying on you, you really have to
watch what comes out of your mouth.
This is why you watch what comes out
of the mouth of television.

For more check www.publicenemy.com

Sean Levert Dies
03/31/2008

Legendary R&B singer Eddie Levert is mourning the loss of his son Sean who died of natural causes just before midnight last night. The 39-year-old was pronounced dead at the Lutheran Hospital after being rushed there from Cleveland's Cuyahoga County Jail. Levert was being held on charges that he didn�t pay $80,000 in child support.

Sean, a member of the 1980's R&B group Levert, was the younger brother of Gerald LeVert who died in November 2006, following an accidental drug overdose at the age of 40.

� 2002, Davey D All rights reserved.

Hit us off with your Two Way pins.
(Skytel, MCI or others) at :
phattnews@rapstation.com

Inquiries:
phattnews@rapstation.com

Feedback:
Today in Hip Hop Forum

Archive:
Today in Hip Hop Archive