Oh go ahead. Hit full screen. They don’t come much more beautiful than this. And with that iconic sound. Think of it—two notes that not only speak the Sixties—and honey, if you don’t know the level of social unrest of the Sixties, the assassinations, the deaths, you don’t really know America, nor what lazy, lulled shits we have, as a country, become—but here they go all over again, those notes, these lyrics, Chuck D, and, in such a beauty move, Steven Stills … Read the rest of this entry »

As Public Enemy’s mighty mouth that roared, Chuck D upped hip hop’s aesthetic ante like no emcee before or since. B.C. (before Chuck) the genius of rap was most often its stylistic sophistication. A.D. (after D) we all recognized the power of hip hop to mobilize the masses and elevate mind-states without losing an iota of its visceral appeal.

Interesting as hell, as always, Chuck D speaks with students in Barcelona. Along the way, you’ll learn what it is to be fascinated by sounds, beats.

And of his test, early on, whether he was on the right track: “If it drove my wife crazy.” She listened to Luther Vandross; he heard and wanted to create something new. Public Enemy was the result.

{ fin }

Frank writes on Listics: “Stanley Fish fishes around the Jason Horowitz article in GQ, but neither man can quite bring himself to call the Hillary hating what it is. Jason? Stanley? It’s MISOGYNY … I am puzzled about how the topic of “hating Hillary Clinton” could be addressed without either writer (or their editors) making a single call-out regarding the misogyny and sexism that underlie so much of the vituperative ad feminam critiques.”

Way to go, Frank! And here I thought the only man who could really “get” what it’s like, being on the receiving end, would have to be black. Read the rest of this entry »

That’s all I’ve been hearing in my head, Frank.

My seven deep dark secrets? Not so much.

MOTHERJONES: You’ve got a line on “MKLVFKWR”: “Power to the people not the government.”

CHUCK D: I think governments are the cancer of civilization. And the minute that we see seven or eight women get in a circle and start a war, I’ll be shocked like a motherfucker.

Lemme see, which line do I like more.

I’ll have to go with door number two, Monty.

“… the minute that we see seven or eight women get in a circle and start a war …”

Yea! I win the Chevrolet Monza! We all do!

Why haven’t I read anything like Chuck D’s statement before? Ever? Anywhere?

Or does it take a relaxed, confident black man to give us that kind of automatic credit, in public?

Automatic in the sense that he is not straining at the idea, his language indicates, if I read the signs right (semiotic pun) Hey, radical thought, people … and also, like: perfectly natural. And you know you won’t be seeing us plotting war. Why is that?

Could it be … there are more interesting ways to work things out? That women gravitate towards process—oops, another one for my list of Drives Men Fucking Crazy … at least men of a certain age. Are you young? Am I talking ancient history? Well then two things: write me, and About fucking time, girl!

No, let’s go back to the White Boy thing. I already know White Boys aren’t giving it away. Whether it’s links, credit, or their affections. What they know is hoard and withhold … it just ain’t manly, somehow, to give. For no reason? With no guarantee of return? What kind of loser shit is that?

You just watch out, White Boy, lest I stand Chuck D upside you …and blow your little mind about manly.

Yes indeed. It’s only a concept, it happens to be fucked, you inherited it from fathers who handed on a flawed idea, see?

Just don’t be messin’ with Chuck D.

He right, we right … You: in need of correction.