August 03, 2003
Spizzazzz Spaz.
I was dead surprised when E Crunk over at spizzazzz lashed out at me after I threw them a friendly link. I didn't think there was anything wrong with him! He doesn't get "In Da Pub", that's a genius record. That's what I like about these avant-garde funny records (Kevin Blechdom's "Bitches without Britches", (Not) Chris Morris's "Batty Dread" and 50 Pence's "In Da Pub") they're all examples of true devotion spilling over into humour. They're more serious than the straight-up copy. "In Da Pub" isn't really a comedy record anyway, it's practically the apogee of bashy culture, more so than a million Def Jam Imports. Added to which it's a pleasant antidote to the increasingly boring formulae of Ghetto Fabulous rap. Ever since the best producers lost their way (Timbaland, NERD), and "The Stars" (Jay Z, Beyonce, Ja Rule, Ludacris) took over I've been losing interest.
It's dead strange being bitten thus by E Crunk (seriously, are you alright mate?) because he's not your usual Hip-Hop bore. When I went into Mr. Bongos the other day (more backpackers than C&J Sports) they scoffed when I asked whether they had the new Joe Budden record. Over here the divide between "true hip hop" and "what is not" firmly excludes the popular stuff. Though Fat Beats in New York, the West Village's finest Hip Hop store, while full of pasty-faced twats looking all down-home and serious, has absorbed the platinum stuff and mixed it up with everything else (watch the racks of the Undie stores over here long enough and you'll see it slide in).
Looking back over a childhood of misspent record purchasing I realised recently that the records I took MOST SERIOUSLY were piss-takes as well. The Butthole Surfers "Locust Abortion Technician", Pere Ubu's "The Modern Dance", Public Enemy's "It takes a Nation of Millions..." and every bit of Ardkore I ever bought. I still hate Frank Zappa. And don't think for a minute I'm endorsing irony.
Ah E you're just mad cos I picked up Lil Missy from the BBC in my Morris Minor and felt her knee at Shepherd's Bush. "You Posh Loser!", she said when she slapped me, "I say!" I said. Anyway I thought you liked my DJ Premier comp, at least that's what you said when we matriculated from Media Studies at Cardiff.
Posted by Woebot at August 3, 2003 08:49 PM