WEBVTT - Mo Money, Mo Problematic 0:00:01.240 --> 0:00:07.280 You're listening and waiting on reparations. Production of I Heart Radio. Ah, 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:17.759 were waiting a reparation, reparation let him someone caught me 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:20.360 a hoty like the metal when the kettle sings. I 0:00:20.400 --> 0:00:22.759 want to be some commandant day, but saddle for a 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:25.599 Senate seat so I could put somebody pendulists had the 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:29.040 treasury and every that will be forgiven, medical and everything. 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:30.920 And while we're at it, playing a plot of fender 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:33.680 leaping when the Greens on every street and pay incarcerated 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:35.440 folks for you in the ring to tend to be in. 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:37.640 So every neighborhood has got to create the food, and 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:40.120 every neighbor has a stable roof and all the basic 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:42.960 needs to say that emotional in behavior rules. That's the 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:45.239 fatal world of state. To pull from the stranglehold of 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:47.960 the state is quote. But I can make the change alone. 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.040 That's why the day you join us is my favorite 0:00:50.080 --> 0:00:55.520 day to come ship. Wait, no revarations. Yeah, we're waiting 0:00:55.520 --> 0:01:00.920 our reparations. Now you got that one that'll be the intro. Hey, 0:01:00.920 --> 0:01:03.600 this is like, well, Franca, I'm dope knife and we 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:10.560 are waiting on reparations. Hurry up, please do please hurry up. Oh, 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.000 we were busy this weekend where we got out, how 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:15.520 does the payment for this district attorney's run off here 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:22.400 in December? Here? Next week, next two nights week. It's crazy. Yeah, 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.000 it's been crazy times in doora down here, man, But 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:28.240 it was hopefully we can elect you know, progressive district 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.920 attorney that's interested in bringing restorative justice into like the 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:36.280 d a's office and eliminate some of our disparities racially 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:40.559 and socio economically and our sentencing. So we were out 0:01:41.080 --> 0:01:45.720 canvassing for Debra Gonzalez, who is running for d A 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:50.960 here in Athens, Georgia. So Mariah, like for people who 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:55.400 might be a little fatigued with the election season, or 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:58.480 maybe they're only anticipating like the big ship like the 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:02.040 Senate joint coming up um, or just people who don't 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:06.160 even really know, like explain to him why it's important 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:08.959 to get up and make sure that you go vote 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:14.680 for you know, your your local d A election, not 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:18.320 just in Athens but anywhere. Like it's crazy, man, Like 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:24.800 something like Athens black men make of Athens population, but 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:29.799 sixty of those uh sentenced to prison in state court. 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:34.480 I think of folks sentence in municipal court five times 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:37.919 is likely to be arrested for marijuana UM, despite the 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.000 fact white and black people use it at the same rates. 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:43.240 Half of the juvenile justice system cases or black youth 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:48.040 like all the ship oh and the Georgia Center the 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:51.320 Georgia Institute for Transitional Justice found that even when you 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:55.600 adjust for criminal histories and like other aspects of a 0:02:55.639 --> 0:03:00.840 defendants background like uh, black men versus like a year 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.200 longer in jail in accents than white men for the 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:07.160 exact same crimes for the crime and so, and this 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:11.040 is all ship that, like a district attorney can because 0:03:11.040 --> 0:03:14.160 she chooses she hopefully if she wasn't, will choose what 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:16.440 cases to bring against people, so she could just be like, 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:19.840 you know, make a little balance yea Canada, says Deverre Gonzalo. 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:23.720 She's a former state House representative UM now running for 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:28.200 district attorney. Actually an entertainment lawyer, but very committed to 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:31.440 like racial and social justice. But I think one of 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:33.960 the most badass things about her is that Kemp Bryan 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.520 Kemp actually tried to steal this election by just canceling 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:40.960 it and appointing someone as r d A. She sued 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:45.040 him in Superior Court and one to get the election 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:49.160 to happen. Yeah, she sued him in wanting the election 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:52.520 to happen. So like, I guess Kemps having a bad week, 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:57.520 isn't he? Like first Trump blames him for Georgia going blue, 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:02.320 and now he's part of the Venezuelan George Soros Santifa conspiracy. 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:05.520 And then you know this election is about to go 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:09.040 down and hopefully she's gonna win. She's earned it, and 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:11.240 so we're gonna be out here knocking on doors for 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:15.440 her the whole next week. And oh and I got 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.599 the true pleasure. As much as I love knocking on 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:21.719 doors and bringing political messages to the masses, I got 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:25.720 to see Mac in address shirt and so I felt 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:29.440 very very hashtag blessed that day. You can't you can't 0:04:29.680 --> 0:04:32.159 go up to people's door and ship like with a 0:04:32.279 --> 0:04:34.720 mask in a biggie shirt that says ready to die 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:37.159 talk about let me talk to you about your local elections. 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:41.000 So I had to I had to spruce it up 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:44.279 a little bit, a little bit. Now, when this episode 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:47.320 is coming out, it's gonna be Thanksgiving, so I know 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:50.919 that some of you, a lot of you, probably won't 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:52.520 be able to listen to this on the day that 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.240 it drops, But for those of you who are happy 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:59.000 Thanksgiving and all that jazz, it made us a little 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:02.680 reflective on every thing because this podcast has been going 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:07.160 on since June of this year, but it's been in 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:11.840 production since October. Often as a matter of fact, we 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:19.200 recorded almost eight or nine episodes, like from October nineteen 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:24.520 up to January before we took a break, and we 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:28.640 had like nine or ten episodes stocked up, and you know, 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:32.800 just while waiting for a launch date, a post COVID, 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.440 post George Floyd world just kind of made those episodes 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:42.240 not seem as striking as perhaps we wanted the show 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:45.160 to come out being off the jump. And not only that, 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:46.960 but we were also green. We didn't know what the 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:48.840 funk we were doing. We were trying to figure it out. 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:51.560 So the format of what we recorded back then, it's 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:53.919 not what we do on a weekly basis now, but 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:59.200 just kind of celebrating anniversary issue, you know, of the 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:02.080 time that Mariah and I have spent working on this show, 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:06.039 and Joel and Taylor and the whole you know, everybody, 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:07.960 the whole team of everybody that helped us bring this 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:11.919 podcast to you every week. I wanted to celebrate a 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:15.479 really fly conversation that we had this time last year 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:19.080 with Mike C. Town from the popular YouTube channel Dead 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.080 and hip Hop. It's a hip hop music review channel. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:26.680 We were talking about like problematic aspects of mainstream hip 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:29.680 hop that we all still love anyway, and then that 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:32.080 kind of turned into some other ship. It was all 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:35.200 over the place, but it was fly, and we ended 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:38.520 up bringing Mike's Town back now so that we could 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.200 talk to him just to you know, get some of 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:45.760 his thoughts fresh in the post COVID, post election, post 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:49.200 George Floyd world. Um So we're gonna get into that 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:52.640 after the jump, and I'm definitely gonna be back with 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.359 some new raps because the ship that I spent last 0:06:55.440 --> 0:07:14.480 year I don't like anymore. Ye Uh. This week we're 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.400 having a discussion about the problematic aspects of the mainstream 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:20.720 hip hop we can't help but love and where if 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.320 at all a line exists that we can't cross as 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:27.520 self identified progressive people. We're gonna be talking about problematic 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:30.400 music that you can't help A day's too nonetheless, music 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:33.520 to fire to turn off, even if the lyrics themselves 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:35.440 are a turn off. And I want to talk a 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:38.680 little bit about the concept of sonic narratives, as it's 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.800 been argued by hip hop feminists, by hip hop beat, 0:07:41.800 --> 0:07:44.040 that tells the story might be different a little bit 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:46.920 than the lyrics, the lyrical content of the of the 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:50.000 song itself, which allows consumers to turn off their critical 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:53.320 listening ears and enjoy the story that the sounds can 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:58.520 tell us. And we'll be contemplating the possibility that you know, 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:00.680 the old slogan goes for you mine and he asked 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.520 will follow, but perhaps it is the other way around, perhaps, 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.480 And talking with us today, we're gonna be having this 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:11.880 discussion with one of my favorite people. Officially, I guess 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:14.280 officially you can call him a music critic or a 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:18.600 music personnel, making faces that I'm saying that that I 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:21.640 don't know what to call you. I don't either. We're 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:24.800 gonna be talking about Homie Mike's Town from dead End 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:28.120 hip Hop dead End hip Hop music review review channel 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:31.760 on YouTube. I personally have been watching for like it 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:36.400 was like nine years now. Yeah, I mean I started 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:40.880 watching into something like said, yeah, why don't you tell 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:42.520 the tell the people a little bit about yourself? For 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:45.360 for those who don't know you. For those of you 0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:48.560 that don't know me. Um, yeah, so dead in hip hop, 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:54.800 we do album reviews, we do culture conversations, um. Outside 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:56.760 of dead and hip hop, we also have a podcast 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.040 calls is the Mike Still On where we talk about 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:03.000 stuff outside of hip hop. Um. We even talked about movies. 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:05.960 We have another podcast called Frames per Second. Um. But 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:07.719 outside of all that, ship, I also got my own 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:15.680 ship that Mac did not mentioned. Why you know past 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.120 it's only me here, you know the mother dude they 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:20.480 hear so so we're gonna talk about me. But yeah, 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:22.120 I have my own YouTube channel as well, where I 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:25.320 talk about records, talk about um, I don't know, socially 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:28.520 as you talk about whatever. Um, Mike c town dot com. 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.360 That's m y k E c tw N dot com. 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.440 Check me out, you guys gotta check it out. And 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.000 also when you when you check out the dead End 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:38.079 hip Hop channel, there's a review that they did to 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:42.160 this guy Dope nice album, Things got Worse, sound terrible, 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.320 found sounds like a Travis State. Check it out. Don't 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:48.760 listen to it. But speaking of the music, we do 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:53.400 listen to despite it from a ideological standboy being somewhat 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:56.199 of a dumpster fire. Let's get into the topic of today. 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:58.760 I guess the first thing that I would want to 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:02.959 know is are we operating first from a standpoint where 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:06.360 we think or consider everything that a rapper says that 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.680 we take it literally, like they definitely mean that ship. 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:12.559 I'm only asking just because, going by me, I would 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:17.080 imagine that to a certain base degree, a lot of 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:20.280 rappers probably say ship in songs that they wouldn't say 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:23.760 in real life. Do we disagree? I kin't just a 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:27.000 little bit of what well, because I was listening and 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:28.920 you were saying that, you know, it kind of seems 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.400 like uh, rappers will say things in lyrics that they 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:37.520 wouldn't say and everyday life they might be also calling 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.839 to somebody a bitch absolutely at the streets at the 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:43.720 strip club, as much as they would in their actual 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:46.120 songs about being at the strip club. I guarantee that 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:49.120 rappers that are calling people the F a G word 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:51.600 are doing it in real life and probably on a 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:55.440 regular basis. I mean, would you say that is the norm, 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.280 and I mean I think Vinny Pass probably calls people 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.160 that the the F word on that's seem me regular basis, 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:05.319 even if it's like a quote unquote joke, or if 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.400 it's like I'm angry he's using you know, as devoted 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.480 hip hop listeners were no strangers to misogyny and hip 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:14.000 hop lyrics. I think there's female as well as male 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.079 rappers who be calling ladies bitches and hose and otherwise 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:22.079 describing women in disrespectful terms, explicitly describing sexual acts less 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:24.720 goes on. Um. The same can be said of depictions 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:26.960 of violence and drug activity hip hop songs. But I 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.160 think Y'a'll be talking about a little bit later in 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.760 the episode. Um. But at the end of the day, 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:38.200 what people really resonate with is the feeling that the 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:42.360 beat and the cadence in the rhyme of a song conveys. 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:46.080 It's like it tells a separate story from that which 0:11:46.160 --> 0:11:50.600 is actually being manifest in the lyrics itself. I think 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:53.160 that you can sit down or you can stand up 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.040 rather in the club and hear a song and not 0:11:56.120 --> 0:12:00.440 necessarily parts the specific topics that are being talked about 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:03.040 how they're being talked about, But you can be moved 0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:06.160 by the story that the beat tells you and by 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.840 the aesthetics of like the rhythm of the delivery, the 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:15.240 style of the delivery, the way the words coalesce around rhyme, 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.240 and things like that that like altogether kind of get 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:21.360 put you in a mood and that transport you in 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:27.040 a sense through the purely are like creative aesthetic side 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:29.920 of of the music. Before you get to say, like, well, 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:34.760 he said, what what I mean? I definitely can vibe 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.719 with that, but the I just don't necessarily know if 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:42.040 that is most of the case or some of the case, 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:45.640 or you know what I mean, because I definitely feel 0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:50.320 that there's some songs that that is the reason that 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:52.360 people like you know what I mean, Like I think 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:54.600 if you took a song like bad and Bougie with 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:58.520 the same exact beat, same exact cadence, the same exact flow, 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.160 and you simply change the concept of it, I don't 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:03.520 think as many people would like it is the concept defensive. 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:06.360 I've never really paid attention to that necessarily a matter 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:10.320 of the concept. Let me against them. That's that's where 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:13.120 this conversation kind of like to me gets interesting, because 0:13:13.120 --> 0:13:17.160 it's like, what do we mean by problematic? First of all, 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:18.960 let me just say I'm coming from the standpoint of 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:23.720 I don't use words like problematic the way that motherfucker's 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.480 used words like problematic, like I would never describe some 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.080 issue I took with music is problematic. Well, give me 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:31.960 example the short one, of course, because that's the thing 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.319 because when if you ask me, i've heard bad boogie, 0:13:34.400 --> 0:13:37.600 probably doesn't if not a hundred times, right, But I 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:39.800 can't tell you what it's about because I don't know 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:41.800 if that's not what matters to me, because you don't 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:43.640 know what then they're saying because of the new solid 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:48.560 rabbits emerging that is instead like appealing because it has 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:52.040 a certain cadence to it, this sort of indecipherability that 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.160 you know might be purposeful but really just you know, 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:57.800 creates this aesthetic aura around it that you get down 0:13:57.840 --> 0:14:00.160 to regardless of what they're saying. And then the beat 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:02.760 itself that is why people are listening to it. But 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:08.680 if so, if Bad and Bougie were about hygiene and 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:11.200 good relationships, do we like do we think like people 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.720 be like wrap about relationships, You're going to do well? 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:17.880 But that's what it's like. It's it's almost as if 0:14:17.960 --> 0:14:22.360 like but to the to the to the counterpoint, though 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:24.760 we don't know what bad and Bougie is about. That's true, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:28.000 but I don't think that what it's about is necessarily 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.880 relevant to what is said. And let me make sure 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.240 that I read this right. My bitch is bad and 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:37.600 bougie cooking up dope with the ouzy my niggas savage ruthless, 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:41.160 we got thirties a hundred rounds too now to me 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:45.960 personally again, disclaimer over a hot beat with a dope 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:49.680 cadence niggas is in the studio fucking around. I think 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:52.720 this should fly. I have no problem with it whatsoever. 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:56.280 But there you haven't. Right There in the lyrics we 0:14:56.360 --> 0:15:00.320 got misogyny, my bitch cooking up dope, glorific asian of 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:04.040 drugs with the oozy glorification of guns, my niggas a 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.040 savage of ruthless. Feed in the stereotypes, we've got thirties 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:11.120 and to more stereotypes. I don't think that most people 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:16.760 found bad and Bougie to be a problematic song, but 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:19.720 we just heard the lyrics. I mean, it is what 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:22.240 it is right, It sounds about right, It sounds like 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.920 a good Friday. My bitch is bad and bougie, my 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.200 nigga is a savage and ruthless cooking up with they. 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.280 I mean, like I said, I don't know that's to me, 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:36.560 it's such a generalist song. But just I got some 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:43.840 guys that business that to me doesn't even register. It 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:46.520 is like a problematic, highly problematic time because it's not 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:49.720 a point. So then that's what I'm saying. So then 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.640 I feel like if I had enough time, I could 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:57.800 find a bunch of black people over the age of 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:02.200 forty who the lyrics I just read, being like the 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.600 number one hit in the country is highly problematic, you 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:10.320 know what I'm saying. But again I would disagree with them, 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:14.360 but it's just like so they're wrong, but then somebody 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.960 else who's mad about another aspect of something, they're right, 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.280 though I don't know. It's just the inconsistency of this 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:22.280 ship man. I mean, that sounds like a bod idea, 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:25.320 but it doesn't sound It doesn't sound quote unquote problematic 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:29.560 particularly agregious sure to me, and I agree with that. 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:33.080 It's not problematic to me, right, I know that I 0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:35.960 have a sixty four year old mother that it is 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:40.400 problematic for you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:42.000 all I'm saying is when she said that to me, 0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:44.960 I do, I wrote, mize, But the people I feel 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:50.080 like people who would the type of people who take 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.040 it upon themselves to be the arbiters of like this 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:56.360 is problematic and this ship is not problematic. They have 0:16:56.480 --> 0:17:01.520 a very inconsistent, uneven way of doing that ship that 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:08.400 just elicits like skepticism. If on Saturday you're in the 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:11.520 club or on Twitter talking about how you're shaking, you're 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.520 asked to bad and Bougie and how you love that 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:17.560 song and that's your jam. But then on Monday mc 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:21.119 get busy said some line that you didn't like, so 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.040 it's like, oh no, he sexius though, then the only 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:25.840 reason that you don't feel that way about Bad and 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:29.160 Bougie is because you don't take it literally. I think 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:32.480 as hip hop listeners, perhaps we are a bit desensitized 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.239 in terms of what strikes us as problematic, because like 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:42.160 we hear very like ordinary allusions to selling drugs and 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:44.040 doing this and that in the music all the time. 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:46.520 It's not it's this to me, is not an over 0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:50.800 the top example of lyrics that are problematic. So that's 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:52.440 what I want to get. What is over the top? 0:17:52.560 --> 0:17:54.600 What is too much? Because that to me, it's just 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:59.359 like another day in the neighborhood. Uh well, I mean 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:02.120 we are we talking solely mainstream rappers? Are we talking 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:06.400 about people I brought in were mostly mainstream? I don't like, 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:09.119 I don't have any It doesn't necessarily even have to 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.879 be something that people dance to, but just something that 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:15.199 generally is like, I mean, okay, So like when you're 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.679 talking about that Mego song, I guess it doesn't really 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:22.480 phase me that way. It doesn't. It doesn't sounds advocate 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:25.080 by bringing up the Mego song because it doesn't phase. 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:27.680 But I feel like the people that would be extremely 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:30.000 bothered by that song would get bothered by just about 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:34.119 any rap song period. Probably am just just from a 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.440 just from a standpoint of and again this is all anecdotal, 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:41.280 but like from my experience of engaging with people in 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:44.840 the Twitter sphere, unlike conversations like that, that's not the 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.760 kid that they're okay with most songs, but they're bothered 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:49.960 by it. Sounds like, you know, this is my like 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:53.879 Chip or Kip that goes to like Georgia Tech and 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:57.040 doesn't really have any black friends and he's bothered by 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.960 that doesn't doesn't sound like a rap fan would pull 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:02.600 this song and be like, oh my god, cooking dope 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:05.480 with the oozing. No, I'm done. No, I don't think 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:08.479 there's I don't think for the most part, anybody's bothered 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:10.520 by bad em Bougie. It's like it was a hit 0:19:10.640 --> 0:19:13.840 number one song that people listen to all across the 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:17.040 world by the hundreds of millions, you know what I'm saying. 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:19.679 So I don't think that there was any sort of 0:19:19.720 --> 0:19:23.040 like reaction to bad and Bougie as it being problematic. 0:19:23.240 --> 0:19:26.560 As a matter of fact, Kicked with No Black Friends 0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:29.280 probably loves bad and Bougie more than most black people. 0:19:29.680 --> 0:19:32.880 Knows every word, especially the niggas of Savage and Ruth's part, 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:35.280 probably knows how to wrap that whole hook by heart. 0:19:36.080 --> 0:19:38.880 I am not bothered by that. I know you're not. 0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:41.440 I'm trying to. I'm trying to parse down the people 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.320 that are and should we as a hip hop community 0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.359 even being concerned with these people or should we be 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:51.160 more concerned with ship Like I'm grabbing snitches and putting 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.120 them in lakes and ditches, and if I catch aids, 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.520 I'm gonna start raping bitches like would be? Would be? 0:19:55.960 --> 0:19:59.800 I feel like the sort of person who would have 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:04.240 like some sort of moral outrage against Bad and Bougie. 0:20:04.320 --> 0:20:07.119 They also would not funk with that line that you 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:11.240 just said. But I feel like somebody, let's keep it real, 0:20:11.320 --> 0:20:13.560 somebody younger who doesn't funk with that line that you 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:17.320 just said, probably doesn't have any problem with Bad and Bougie, 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:20.200 And if you got like an honest, heartfelt answer from them, 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:22.840 I'm pretty sure it would boil down to, well, I 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:25.160 like me, goes, I don't like that other guy, which 0:20:25.160 --> 0:20:27.159 is fine. I mean, some people somebody rubs you the 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:29.640 wrong way that you take their ship more serious than 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.119 you do other people's ship. That's fine, that's your prerogative, 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:36.920 but you know that is what's going on. At least 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:39.280 it feels that way. And I'm really glad you brought 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:41.280 that up, actually, because a lot of what I came 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:44.399 to talk to about today was misogyny and hip hop lyrics, 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:47.040 because I guess misogyny has been more pervasive in my 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:49.360 life experience and so that it to me is where 0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:52.159 I draw a line. However, I had not really interrogated 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:54.280 the fact that if in a song they're talking about 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:59.120 like squeezing the trigger, you know, Bussanoosi whatever, I kind 0:20:59.160 --> 0:21:01.600 of I don't really hear. I don't really hear that. 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:03.560 I don't only worry about that because that is not 0:21:03.680 --> 0:21:05.600 as like I just think it's interesting. I don't think. 0:21:05.600 --> 0:21:07.520 I don't think. I don't think you're wrong for not 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:09.320 hearing it. I don't know what I'm saying. I just 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.200 but the fact that you talked about how the influence 0:21:12.240 --> 0:21:16.159 of one's life experiences then colors what you hear, is 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:20.480 you know, problematic or realistic or or persuasive in these 0:21:20.480 --> 0:21:24.920 songs interesting. I told you the story I think last 0:21:25.000 --> 0:21:27.199 night or the night before, I'll tell it to you, right, 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:29.440 and it's it's it's funny because it's like related to 0:21:29.480 --> 0:21:33.360 the bad and Booge selling again. So I was watching 0:21:33.960 --> 0:21:39.320 basketball game and this is like two years ago, and um, 0:21:39.359 --> 0:21:41.640 I was like whatever feed I was watching. You could 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:43.760 see the halftime show, right, and it was like a 0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:49.480 Boston Celtics game, So this is like Boston white people 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:51.640 and see you know what I'm saying. And the halftime 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:53.960 show there was like this troop of kids who came 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:56.600 out to dance, right, and it was like, oh, word 0:21:56.840 --> 0:21:59.399 like that. So it was like it's like a truth. 0:21:59.520 --> 0:22:06.640 It was like thirty of them white, you know, eight 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:13.560 eight nine, nobody was like older than ten, right, fancing 0:22:13.560 --> 0:22:18.399 to an unedited bad and Bougie, And I'm just sitting 0:22:18.400 --> 0:22:20.800 there watching it, and there was just something about in 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:24.760 that moment watching it, and it was like, there's something 0:22:24.800 --> 0:22:28.440 about this is not cool. None of them edited. None 0:22:28.440 --> 0:22:33.760 of those kids knew it was unedited. They didn't. But 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:36.240 it's kind of the point because what you hear is 0:22:36.840 --> 0:22:39.120 and you get this, you get this sort of like 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:44.919 impressionistic view or experience of the song when it's when 0:22:44.960 --> 0:22:46.760 it's coming in here, when you're dancing on the baton 0:22:47.240 --> 0:22:50.720 Boston Celtics court to it. That like all you're hearing 0:22:50.840 --> 0:22:55.159 is like the sum total of the song, which is 0:22:55.200 --> 0:23:00.520 which is musical, it's not, it's not being with it 0:23:00.600 --> 0:23:05.280 whittled down into like line by line, Oh, he's cooking 0:23:05.320 --> 0:23:08.160 up he's cooking up crack with the like nobody, nobody's 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:11.679 getting to that level with white the white kids that 0:23:11.680 --> 0:23:14.399 were dancing to it. You know. I think that what 0:23:14.560 --> 0:23:19.000 it comes down to is like if if rich, stuffy 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:23.760 white people had a moral problem against bad em bougie 0:23:23.920 --> 0:23:29.080 and didn't want their children dancing to it, I would 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:31.639 like it more. But the fact that they don't have 0:23:31.720 --> 0:23:35.360 a problem with it just sense all my spider senses 0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:39.680 off that something is terribly wrong. It seems like there 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:44.760 was a time when just hip hop got more pushed 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:49.239 back forth. Really, what was this? Like the nineties win 0:23:49.320 --> 0:23:52.200 C the Loris Tucker was fucking taking steam rollers to 0:23:52.280 --> 0:23:55.159 ice tea and ice cubes and what did that do anything? 0:23:55.280 --> 0:23:57.280 How can you say it didn't do anything. That ship 0:23:57.359 --> 0:24:00.560 was like specifically against misogyny and rap, like they were 0:24:00.800 --> 0:24:03.320 like C the Loris Tucker was doing that ship specifically 0:24:03.359 --> 0:24:06.800 about songs like Bitches Ain't Shit or Bitches a bitch 0:24:07.000 --> 0:24:09.640 or n w a one less bit you gotta worry about, 0:24:09.680 --> 0:24:12.320 Like that ship was. It was important. I mean back 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:14.800 then we were rolling our eyes, was like, oh, they're old, 0:24:14.840 --> 0:24:16.520 they don't know what the funk they're talking about. They 0:24:16.560 --> 0:24:19.600 hated but like twenty five years later you look back 0:24:19.640 --> 0:24:22.080 at it, it's like, damn if hip hop wasn't getting 0:24:23.600 --> 0:24:27.040 at least that sort of pushback back in the nineties, 0:24:27.359 --> 0:24:30.119 Like if the gangster era of rap was just allowed 0:24:30.160 --> 0:24:34.560 to go unfettered with no sort of criticism from within 0:24:34.680 --> 0:24:38.080 the black community in the hip hop community itself, like 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:42.639 niggas might literally be caveman right now, literally Queen Latifa's 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:45.280 you and I t y. That is a reaction and 0:24:45.320 --> 0:24:49.400 a criticism of hip hop from within, like these things 0:24:49.440 --> 0:24:52.040 are important. And what it did is it kind of 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:55.840 made more like thinking rappers like Iced Tea and Ice 0:24:55.920 --> 0:24:59.800 Cube to have to be able to defend their reflect 0:25:00.600 --> 0:25:05.440 evolve or even digging in their views. But you're confronted 0:25:05.480 --> 0:25:09.080 with it, and then the next generation of hip hoppers learn, 0:25:09.320 --> 0:25:12.760 which is why you have a new generation of the 0:25:12.800 --> 0:25:15.680 generation of hip hop that came after that was more 0:25:15.840 --> 0:25:18.480 conscious to issues like that. In the generation that came 0:25:18.480 --> 0:25:21.680 after them was more conscious issues like that from a 0:25:21.760 --> 0:25:24.800 mainstream level. I don't see that ship anymore that you 0:25:24.840 --> 0:25:26.800 don't go there. I disagree. I feel like we're in 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:29.080 an era where everything gets put on the under the 0:25:29.119 --> 0:25:32.840 microscope to a much higher degree because everybody's got my 0:25:32.920 --> 0:25:37.760 fucking blog, you know, Blevity or Bustle or whoever is 0:25:37.760 --> 0:25:40.760 gonna make a click quick buck off a clickbait article 0:25:41.600 --> 0:25:44.800 writing about how Taylor Swift is actually not a feminist 0:25:44.920 --> 0:25:49.040 or whatever like so um, I don't know, man, I 0:25:49.080 --> 0:25:52.399 necesarily this is starting to creep into the area of 0:25:52.480 --> 0:25:55.560 respectability politics. But I don't really funk with that. I do. 0:25:58.040 --> 0:26:00.520 He's I think when you when you start going down 0:26:00.560 --> 0:26:06.920 this road, that's kind of because she should be complaining 0:26:06.960 --> 0:26:09.919 about rap. I'm of a certain age. I'm not going 0:26:09.960 --> 0:26:12.760 to say I should be complaining about rap because it's 0:26:12.840 --> 0:26:16.440 kind of a young person's sport and disagree with that. 0:26:16.520 --> 0:26:20.600 Oh god, oh god, we can't agree on anything. Nas 0:26:21.000 --> 0:26:23.720 got props because he was a kid that sounded like 0:26:23.760 --> 0:26:26.080 a grown ass man, not because he was a dumb 0:26:26.119 --> 0:26:29.080 fucking kid that was sounding like a dumb kid on 0:26:29.119 --> 0:26:32.760 the mike. This aspect of the ship is to be continued. Yeah, 0:26:32.800 --> 0:26:37.480 every every person in the history of ever who got 0:26:37.480 --> 0:26:42.080 old started to crying. Yeah, the habits and the customs 0:26:42.119 --> 0:26:45.960 of the newer generations as somewhat deteriorated. Yes, I'm going 0:26:46.000 --> 0:26:49.280 back to ancient fucking greed. Yes, really, how all those 0:26:49.600 --> 0:26:52.639 newer generations kept that Greek empire going after all these 0:26:52.720 --> 0:26:56.479 years too? They're thriving. If you guys are on the 0:26:56.560 --> 0:27:03.320 train that the reason that a fifty year old in 0:27:03.520 --> 0:27:09.200 nineteen wouldn't like NASA's Illmatic album is the same reason 0:27:09.280 --> 0:27:11.679 that like a thirty year old in two thousand nineteen 0:27:11.720 --> 0:27:15.119 doesn't like Takashi six nine. I think that's nuts. I 0:27:15.200 --> 0:27:18.959 don't because I guarantee if you played any rap album 0:27:19.040 --> 0:27:22.040 for Salors Tucker, she'd say this is trash. It didn't 0:27:22.040 --> 0:27:24.760 matter what rap album was. She just picked Ice Team 0:27:24.800 --> 0:27:29.159 Ice Cube because they were easily like targetable. Yeah, but 0:27:29.200 --> 0:27:31.800 if you played her fucking I'm trying to think of 0:27:31.800 --> 0:27:34.399 of a clean wrapper from the night played like a 0:27:35.040 --> 0:27:36.840 she might be Okay. Will Smith, if you played their 0:27:36.880 --> 0:27:39.400 Tribe album, She's gonna find something. Will Smith had, Will 0:27:39.400 --> 0:27:42.240 Smith had a racist song. Will Smith had this one song, 0:27:44.040 --> 0:27:50.480 Oh yeah, she was Asian that I do remember that. 0:27:51.200 --> 0:27:56.480 It was like like that it happened, didn't happen. It 0:27:56.600 --> 0:27:59.120 was literally like yo, Fresh Prince got that one song 0:27:59.119 --> 0:28:06.360 where he said, but did you really say it? Though? 0:28:18.640 --> 0:28:22.600 That's weird to me. But anyway, we're back back. We're back. 0:28:22.600 --> 0:28:27.440 We're talking about problematic content and hip hop songs where 0:28:27.480 --> 0:28:29.800 we draw the line, if any So let's talk about 0:28:29.840 --> 0:28:32.639 that lite which line the line like where is the 0:28:32.720 --> 0:28:36.840 I mean, I don't I don't know where is everyone's line? Mike, 0:28:37.480 --> 0:28:39.960 what is your line on? Like? What is it. What 0:28:40.040 --> 0:28:43.520 are the things that is, you cannot allow the slickness 0:28:43.560 --> 0:28:46.280 of the rhyme or the beat or however you feel 0:28:46.280 --> 0:28:49.120 about the song to like, let's what you just heard slide. 0:28:51.000 --> 0:28:52.440 I mean, I'm not even gonna sit here in line. 0:28:52.480 --> 0:28:56.840 I don't think I have a line, because you know, unfortunately, 0:28:56.840 --> 0:28:59.080 I mean, I'm privileged enough to not have to worry 0:28:59.120 --> 0:29:01.800 about certain things. So I mean, even even though I'm 0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:04.520 listening to something and I can critically analyze that thing, 0:29:04.640 --> 0:29:07.920 at the same time, I'm not gonna lie and be 0:29:07.960 --> 0:29:10.680 like yo, if I'm trying to think, Like if if 0:29:10.760 --> 0:29:13.800 killing Mike one day slips up and says some really 0:29:13.840 --> 0:29:15.480 fucked up ship in the bar, I'm just gonna be like, 0:29:15.480 --> 0:29:19.000 all right, I'm done with killing Mike forever. I'm not. Yeah, 0:29:19.000 --> 0:29:23.320 I'm not either. I'm not either. Um. But even even 0:29:23.360 --> 0:29:25.720 on a personal level, you know, I'm not saying like 0:29:25.720 --> 0:29:27.800 I'm gonna go public and be like, yo, everybody stopped 0:29:27.800 --> 0:29:29.880 listening to this certain rapper. Even on a personal level, 0:29:29.880 --> 0:29:31.880 I'm not gonna be like, all right, well, I can 0:29:31.920 --> 0:29:33.720 no longer listen to any of your music because you 0:29:33.720 --> 0:29:36.160 said this one thing. I don't think I have that 0:29:36.240 --> 0:29:38.200 and again I think that comes from a place of privilege, 0:29:38.200 --> 0:29:42.000 because I mean, what can outside of a white person 0:29:42.080 --> 0:29:46.200 calling me, you know, nigger, what is there that a 0:29:46.320 --> 0:29:49.880 rapper could possibly say that will personally offend me to 0:29:49.880 --> 0:29:51.400 the point where I have to draw a line. I 0:29:51.440 --> 0:29:54.320 don't have that issue, So I can I have the 0:29:54.320 --> 0:29:56.479 privilege of ignoring certain things. That's kind of what I'm 0:29:56.480 --> 0:30:00.120 getting at. Yeah, And I mean I feel like with 0:30:01.040 --> 0:30:03.560 the misogyny inherent and a lot of hip hop music, 0:30:03.840 --> 0:30:06.280 I don't have that privilege when I hear certain things. 0:30:06.880 --> 0:30:10.760 Take the classic example, the blurred lines Robin Thick, Like, 0:30:11.320 --> 0:30:14.880 when I hear that rape kind of insinuation being made, 0:30:15.880 --> 0:30:18.520 I mean, it doesn't help that it's a rip off 0:30:18.560 --> 0:30:21.400 of fucking Marvin Gay and so say, I'm sorry, I 0:30:21.480 --> 0:30:24.360 know you want it. You know you're an animal. I 0:30:24.400 --> 0:30:27.560 know you want it. Is that legits like the hook hook, 0:30:31.000 --> 0:30:34.960 you know you want it. It's blur blord lines. The 0:30:35.000 --> 0:30:44.640 idea that like taking advantage and like domesticating women like 0:30:44.680 --> 0:30:50.000 their animals. I'm a domestic like whatever, like so see 0:30:50.040 --> 0:30:53.240 and you got this face like, oh I do. But 0:30:53.280 --> 0:30:55.760 if Benny said that should probably like, yeah, blur them 0:30:55.800 --> 0:31:01.840 lines that that, and you know what, I think the 0:31:01.880 --> 0:31:06.920 pupil's reactions should be. Like for me, it's kind of 0:31:06.960 --> 0:31:09.840 like what do I believe? You know what I'm saying? 0:31:09.920 --> 0:31:14.240 Like if I hear somebody say something that does hit 0:31:14.280 --> 0:31:18.280 me in that spot, then it comes down to do 0:31:18.480 --> 0:31:23.800 I genuinely believe that this person is like advocating something? 0:31:24.160 --> 0:31:26.600 So it kind of comes back to that like literal question, 0:31:26.760 --> 0:31:29.120 what do you take seriously or not? I mean, I 0:31:29.120 --> 0:31:32.920 know with me, I have I say ship that I 0:31:32.960 --> 0:31:36.920 don't mean all the time, either just jokes or I'm 0:31:37.000 --> 0:31:41.080 just wrapping or making a point or whatever. I'm totally 0:31:41.080 --> 0:31:44.120 open to somebody being like, oh, that's in bad taste 0:31:44.200 --> 0:31:46.440 and them not working with it because I feel that 0:31:46.480 --> 0:31:50.840 way about other ship. But for somebody to make an 0:31:50.880 --> 0:31:54.520 assertion is if they know like who I am based 0:31:54.560 --> 0:31:58.000 on that, Like I'm not about to meet al Pacino 0:31:58.080 --> 0:32:01.040 and start yelling at him about like why did you Kilfrado? 0:32:01.400 --> 0:32:02.800 Because I'm sure he would look at me and be 0:32:02.840 --> 0:32:05.360 like it's a movie, dumb fuck? You know. So it's 0:32:05.400 --> 0:32:10.719 like not everything is real. Yeah, I think with alternative 0:32:10.800 --> 0:32:14.720 or underground hip hop as well as mainstream, a line 0:32:14.760 --> 0:32:19.000 of new draws when people are reporting on facts versus 0:32:19.720 --> 0:32:26.320 like touting like a way of life that others should 0:32:26.440 --> 0:32:29.200 endorse an embrace. So if someone's like, yo, I shot 0:32:29.200 --> 0:32:32.680 a nigger, like, I'm gonna just I'm gonna have to 0:32:32.720 --> 0:32:34.560 just listen to that and not take offense to it. 0:32:34.760 --> 0:32:37.200 So that's just sucking real life, a real, real last 0:32:37.240 --> 0:32:39.719 thing that he's reporting, Like, I'm not gonna you know, 0:32:40.600 --> 0:32:43.360 but I don't know though, even in the case when 0:32:43.360 --> 0:32:45.440 we're like yo, Wenna, come buy your block fucking light, yo, 0:32:45.440 --> 0:32:49.400 shut up, Like I'm not gonna I'm probably not gonna 0:32:49.400 --> 0:32:52.200 WinCE at that because I don't know. I just don't 0:32:52.320 --> 0:32:57.560 really normalized And do you listen to that stuff though? 0:32:58.120 --> 0:33:04.120 Does it not? Does it? Does it not turn you off? No? Okay, 0:33:04.440 --> 0:33:06.560 because it does to me, Like, yeah, you know what 0:33:06.560 --> 0:33:08.480 I'm saying. I I I'm one of those sort of 0:33:08.520 --> 0:33:10.560 cats where it's like I try to make an effort 0:33:11.320 --> 0:33:13.920 to listen to like a lot of ship and and 0:33:13.960 --> 0:33:16.240 as much stuff as I can, just because I like rap. 0:33:16.320 --> 0:33:18.000 I just like to consume wrap and you know, I 0:33:18.000 --> 0:33:20.160 mean at least be able to say I've heard something once. 0:33:20.200 --> 0:33:23.680 But like because of how I know the stuff that 0:33:23.880 --> 0:33:26.120 makes me feel some sort of way. It makes me 0:33:26.200 --> 0:33:29.760 feel it's like yeah, like the none of the beats 0:33:30.080 --> 0:33:32.520 are hot enough for me to be like, oh yeah, 0:33:32.560 --> 0:33:35.200 I'm just gonna listen to this song because it makes 0:33:35.240 --> 0:33:38.280 me feel sort of way. And I know that about myself, 0:33:38.720 --> 0:33:40.920 so I'm not gonna like listen to it just so 0:33:41.000 --> 0:33:43.280 I can get mad, you know what I'm saying, Like 0:33:43.680 --> 0:33:46.240 like if I put on a music video and I 0:33:46.280 --> 0:33:49.960 see a bunch of like sixteen year olds pointing automatic 0:33:50.040 --> 0:33:53.600 weapons at the camera, Like, there's no part of me 0:33:54.360 --> 0:33:58.680 that thinks that that's cool. Therefore, like I don't feel 0:33:58.720 --> 0:34:01.640 any pressure to like say that I like it or 0:34:01.640 --> 0:34:04.960 anything like that. I don't think that it shouldn't exist 0:34:05.120 --> 0:34:07.080 or that people who do like it shouldn't be able 0:34:07.080 --> 0:34:09.360 to like it. I just know that I don't funk 0:34:09.360 --> 0:34:11.920 with it. I feel, you Like, when I was younger, 0:34:12.400 --> 0:34:14.720 you know, I would listen to sex Style all the time. 0:34:15.239 --> 0:34:17.920 You know, Um, I would listen to fucking Kool Keith records. 0:34:17.920 --> 0:34:20.080 I would listen to Necro records. But as I get 0:34:20.120 --> 0:34:23.880 older and I start realizing, like, yo, nah, lot of 0:34:23.880 --> 0:34:26.280 that ship you're saying is really fucked up. You rapping 0:34:26.360 --> 0:34:29.560 about chaining women up in your basement. No, bro, I 0:34:29.560 --> 0:34:33.480 can't lack with that anymore. Yeah, I mean I did 0:34:33.560 --> 0:34:36.160 when I was younger. And the thing is, uh, when 0:34:36.200 --> 0:34:39.400 I was younger, I felt like I was really in 0:34:39.480 --> 0:34:41.359 this struggle. I was out in the streets from this 0:34:41.800 --> 0:34:45.000 this quote unquote PC thing. But I was still listening 0:34:45.040 --> 0:34:46.759 to the ship and it didn't bother me. But as 0:34:46.800 --> 0:34:49.360 I'm older, it's just like, man, nah, that ship is 0:34:49.560 --> 0:34:54.480 really fucked up. To me, it's the to me listening 0:34:54.520 --> 0:34:58.880 to old stuff like that, the pointlessness of it is 0:34:58.880 --> 0:35:01.520 what gets to me. You know what I mean? Is 0:35:01.520 --> 0:35:06.960 this just like it's like it's not funny because I'm 0:35:07.000 --> 0:35:12.480 not saying yeah, yeah, but again, you know they weren't 0:35:12.480 --> 0:35:14.359 sixteen when they made isn't that kind of weird? Yeah? 0:35:14.400 --> 0:35:17.120 But but again it all goes you know, I know 0:35:17.200 --> 0:35:20.200 that people, you know, the comic consensus is that intent 0:35:20.280 --> 0:35:22.320 doesn't matter and it's all the only thing that matters 0:35:22.400 --> 0:35:27.160 is what happens. But you know, there's a certain there's 0:35:27.160 --> 0:35:30.200 a certain level of like Necro for example, right like 0:35:30.320 --> 0:35:33.480 as a specific example of Necro, where it's like, you know, 0:35:33.560 --> 0:35:36.760 I I know that Necro like has like a family 0:35:36.960 --> 0:35:39.640 with like you know what I'm saying, and nephews and nieces, 0:35:39.680 --> 0:35:42.400 and he's like and I know that he's like really 0:35:42.440 --> 0:35:45.560 in the horror movies and and old Italian horror movies 0:35:45.600 --> 0:35:49.000 and stuff like that. So from that perspective, it's like 0:35:49.239 --> 0:35:51.960 everything or in that in that light, like everything that 0:35:52.040 --> 0:35:56.160 necro does in his music makes sense from that standpoint, 0:35:56.200 --> 0:35:57.759 it's like, oh, this is like a horror movie fan 0:35:57.840 --> 0:36:00.160 who's making you know what I mean? Now, if the 0:36:00.200 --> 0:36:02.560 basis is no, horror movies are wrong and it shouldn't 0:36:02.560 --> 0:36:06.319 exist because it's problematic, I'm not saying I agree with that, 0:36:06.920 --> 0:36:09.000 but that's the stance that I feel that you should 0:36:09.120 --> 0:36:13.800 come at that from. I don't know what you're talking man, Okay, 0:36:14.080 --> 0:36:16.839 Necro is a I guess you could call him out. 0:36:16.840 --> 0:36:20.520 He's a horrorcore rapper, to put it simply, more simply 0:36:20.520 --> 0:36:22.440 than it should be put. He's the sort of rapper 0:36:22.480 --> 0:36:25.719 who like he watches horror movies a lot, and he'll 0:36:25.760 --> 0:36:28.600 be like, Yeo, I'm gonna write a song as the 0:36:28.640 --> 0:36:31.440 slasher who's going after the babysitter, and the whole song 0:36:31.480 --> 0:36:33.160 will be from respect. You know what I mean? That 0:36:33.160 --> 0:36:34.640 that sort of. I kind of sort of get what 0:36:34.640 --> 0:36:37.960 you're saying, because I mean a lot of a lot 0:36:38.000 --> 0:36:40.319 of those old Italian horror movies, as yellow movies, are 0:36:40.400 --> 0:36:43.479 very much misogynist because it's just about hunting and killing women. 0:36:45.480 --> 0:36:48.560 At the same time, he's not stupid, he's not he 0:36:48.600 --> 0:36:50.680 should know, like, Yo, I put this ship in here, 0:36:51.000 --> 0:36:54.440 and that's what it is. I feel you're about that. 0:36:54.440 --> 0:36:56.080 I'm hit you with a different one, al right. So 0:36:56.120 --> 0:36:58.920 remember remember back in the day when Rick Ross had 0:36:58.960 --> 0:37:04.000 that line about putting the pilling her and everyone was outraged. 0:37:04.080 --> 0:37:05.960 And I mean, I didn't listen to Rick Ross anyway, 0:37:06.000 --> 0:37:07.640 so it didn't make a difference to me. I was 0:37:07.640 --> 0:37:09.600 just like, either way, I'm not listening to his music. 0:37:09.840 --> 0:37:12.319 But I understood why people were piste off, and I 0:37:12.320 --> 0:37:13.960 was like, yeah, that's a really fucked up line. Why 0:37:14.000 --> 0:37:17.520 would you say something like that. That's crazy? And I remember, no, 0:37:17.640 --> 0:37:19.600 it's the Necro line there on the On the Run 0:37:19.600 --> 0:37:22.200 the Jewels album. Um, No, neither rapper said it, but 0:37:22.239 --> 0:37:25.759 Prince Paul had like this interlude type of dealing. He's like, Yo, 0:37:25.840 --> 0:37:29.760 it's probably that half of Molly I put in her drink. Yeah, 0:37:29.840 --> 0:37:31.720 And I remember I listened to an album probably thirty 0:37:31.760 --> 0:37:36.239 five times, and that line never ever even popped out 0:37:36.239 --> 0:37:37.960 to me at all, and it was just one day 0:37:38.000 --> 0:37:39.520 at the gym. I was like, damn, that's kind of 0:37:39.520 --> 0:37:42.560 fucked up that heat like even. But at the same time, 0:37:43.080 --> 0:37:47.920 I don't skip that song because it's the intent. But 0:37:48.000 --> 0:37:51.640 what is though, I have no idea, no idea what 0:37:51.680 --> 0:37:54.640 that think when they write he's trying to be funny? 0:37:54.719 --> 0:37:59.759 Is that is he trying to be funny? I mean 0:38:00.200 --> 0:38:02.680 maybe I'm just like, look, but I don't hear that 0:38:02.760 --> 0:38:06.600 skit and think, oh man, Prince Paul's being a really 0:38:06.719 --> 0:38:09.440 that's like a really cool dude, Like yeah, that's like awesome, 0:38:09.520 --> 0:38:12.759 Like it's I think they're like satirization, you know what 0:38:12.760 --> 0:38:16.719 I mean. But again, it's just like all specific, you 0:38:16.760 --> 0:38:18.640 know what I mean. It's like it's that specific line 0:38:18.640 --> 0:38:22.120 and what I interpreted it. But let me ask you, Mike, 0:38:22.160 --> 0:38:25.200 why don't you skip over it? Not as a challenge 0:38:25.200 --> 0:38:27.399 to you, but like what makes it make it so that? Yeah? 0:38:27.400 --> 0:38:30.120 Because I'm I'm interesting, because I'm interested in like what 0:38:30.280 --> 0:38:33.640 makes it so that people make give a pass on 0:38:33.719 --> 0:38:36.480 certain music? Because I definitely have music I give a 0:38:36.480 --> 0:38:41.000 pass on to yeah. I think again, it goes back 0:38:41.160 --> 0:38:46.960 to the idea of I have the privilege to ignore 0:38:47.000 --> 0:38:50.800 it because I, as a man, I know it happens, 0:38:51.440 --> 0:38:54.440 but it's a lot less likely that I'm going to 0:38:54.520 --> 0:38:57.399 go to a club and someone's gonna spike my drink. Yeah, 0:38:57.840 --> 0:38:59.759 I that's not something that I have to go out 0:38:59.800 --> 0:39:02.640 into the world and really worry about. So I have 0:39:02.719 --> 0:39:05.640 the privilege of saying, you know what, Yeah, that's fucked 0:39:05.719 --> 0:39:08.520 up in the sense of I wouldn't want anything like 0:39:08.600 --> 0:39:11.600 that to happen to any of my of my friends, 0:39:11.800 --> 0:39:16.040 but I personally don't have to worry about that. And 0:39:16.160 --> 0:39:17.960 also it goes back to the aesthetic thing that we're 0:39:17.960 --> 0:39:20.560 talking about earlier. It's a fucking dope song and I 0:39:20.600 --> 0:39:23.080 have literally I've listened to the ship out of r 0:39:23.120 --> 0:39:24.920 t J and I can't even pick out what you're 0:39:24.920 --> 0:39:28.920 talking about. I don't even I don't even remember. It 0:39:28.960 --> 0:39:34.279 doesn't jump out because it's the exciting experience. And that's 0:39:34.320 --> 0:39:36.399 not even me trying to criticize R t J. It's 0:39:36.440 --> 0:39:38.479 just it's just a matter of because I mean, Mac 0:39:38.560 --> 0:39:42.040 is right, they were obviously, you know, trying to be 0:39:42.160 --> 0:39:44.719 tongue in cheek. I just but that goes to the 0:39:44.719 --> 0:39:47.600 thing you're talking about earlier though, that if I just 0:39:47.800 --> 0:39:51.520 handed you that line and nothing else, you had never 0:39:51.560 --> 0:39:54.319 heard the song. If I just put that line in 0:39:54.360 --> 0:39:56.600 front of you, where he's like, why is this girl 0:39:56.640 --> 0:39:58.360 so happy? Oh, it's probably the half of Molly I 0:39:58.360 --> 0:39:59.920 put in her drink, and I just gave you that 0:40:00.040 --> 0:40:02.719 walked away. You're gonna think, oh my god, run the 0:40:02.760 --> 0:40:06.080 dual supports rape, So should they have to explain that 0:40:06.160 --> 0:40:09.000 or should you actually have to like bear the responsibility 0:40:09.160 --> 0:40:12.040 to go hear the entire song and determine, okay, are 0:40:12.080 --> 0:40:15.640 they actually endorsing scumbaggery or it all comes down to 0:40:15.800 --> 0:40:18.840 like a personal choice all the way around. In my opinion, 0:40:18.840 --> 0:40:21.000 it's personal on the fan on how they want to 0:40:21.040 --> 0:40:24.040 interpret it, and it's personal on the artists and on 0:40:24.080 --> 0:40:26.919 how they want to interpret it for me personally, Like 0:40:27.120 --> 0:40:29.680 my most popular song, I have a line where I 0:40:29.680 --> 0:40:33.520 said Obama killed way more kids than Adam Lanza. I 0:40:33.560 --> 0:40:38.400 wrote that in I meant every single syllable of it 0:40:38.520 --> 0:40:40.680 when I wrote it, because that's how I felt. You 0:40:40.760 --> 0:40:44.440 fast forward to three years after that, and if I'm 0:40:44.480 --> 0:40:47.600 doing a show, I gotta like think about how I'm 0:40:47.640 --> 0:40:51.719 going to rework that line, because somebody could come up 0:40:51.800 --> 0:40:53.439 to me afterwards and be like, hey, so I heard 0:40:53.440 --> 0:40:56.200 that ship you said about Obama, So like what you 0:40:56.280 --> 0:40:59.160 funk with Trump or something. Now, as an artist in 0:40:59.200 --> 0:41:01.880 that situation, you can have one of two reactions. You 0:41:01.880 --> 0:41:04.160 can either have the reaction of I don't give a 0:41:04.200 --> 0:41:05.920 funk what you think, you think, whatever the funk you 0:41:05.920 --> 0:41:10.319 want about my ship, I ain't explaining ship. Or you 0:41:10.360 --> 0:41:12.239 could be the sort of artist that's like me. It's like, 0:41:12.280 --> 0:41:15.239 oh man, I don't want somebody to go away with 0:41:15.280 --> 0:41:18.040 the wrong impression than what I intended to elicit with 0:41:18.120 --> 0:41:20.759 the art I made, So let me explain that. And 0:41:20.800 --> 0:41:23.359 it just comes down to comes down to that that 0:41:23.440 --> 0:41:26.080 interaction right there. Do you know how many parties I've 0:41:26.120 --> 0:41:28.480 gone to and someone finds out, like like Detton hip 0:41:28.560 --> 0:41:32.120 Hop did this thing with Patreon in uh in California, 0:41:32.680 --> 0:41:35.000 and this white dude came up to me and Fivo 0:41:35.520 --> 0:41:38.600 and found that we did hip hop stuff and I 0:41:38.640 --> 0:41:41.560 can't remember exactly what he asked me, but he asked 0:41:41.600 --> 0:41:45.920 me something that required me to defend some kind of lyric. 0:41:46.480 --> 0:41:48.880 And you can ask Fivo I got my ship. I 0:41:48.880 --> 0:41:51.919 still up and I walked away and Ralph asked me later, 0:41:51.960 --> 0:41:53.600 He's like why, And I was like, Bro, I'm not 0:41:53.719 --> 0:41:56.840 doing this with people like he. He he wasn't curious 0:41:56.840 --> 0:42:00.640 about my opinion. He had his opinion. He was waiting 0:42:00.680 --> 0:42:02.600 for me to give half of mine so he could 0:42:02.640 --> 0:42:06.000 give all of his. It was not an inquisitive question, 0:42:06.080 --> 0:42:08.400 and I can sense that kind of ship out. This 0:42:08.480 --> 0:42:11.360 dude didn't listen to wrap. He clearly didn't you know 0:42:11.400 --> 0:42:13.799 what I'm saying. So it's like if you came up 0:42:13.920 --> 0:42:15.560 and wanted to ask me, like, Yo, what do you 0:42:15.560 --> 0:42:18.320 think about this? Yes, so now let's talk about it. 0:42:18.360 --> 0:42:20.840 But some random dude off the street and a fucking 0:42:21.280 --> 0:42:23.520 Abercrombie and Fit shirt, no, bro, And that's not like 0:42:23.520 --> 0:42:25.280 a racist thing. He could be black and white whatever, 0:42:25.480 --> 0:42:35.680 but I'm just not going to entertain that kind of ship. Hey, dope, 0:42:35.760 --> 0:42:40.600 knife here. So that was just part of the interview 0:42:40.600 --> 0:42:42.560 that we do to Mike c Town a year ago. 0:42:42.880 --> 0:42:46.400 There's still an hour and a half of that interview 0:42:46.520 --> 0:42:48.680 left because we didn't know what we were doing back then, 0:42:48.800 --> 0:42:51.200 So who knows, Maybe sometime in the future we'll post 0:42:51.200 --> 0:42:54.520 the rest that up. But um, fast forward to now 0:42:54.800 --> 0:42:58.160 present day. Um, we brought Mike back on this show 0:42:58.280 --> 0:43:00.960 just to touch base, just to get some of his 0:43:01.080 --> 0:43:03.120 thoughts and pick his brain a little bit about some 0:43:03.160 --> 0:43:05.480 of the things that have happened in between when we 0:43:05.520 --> 0:43:11.000 recorded that interview and now. Um. Yeah, So, how do 0:43:11.040 --> 0:43:13.120 you feel about the way that rappers are engaging with 0:43:13.120 --> 0:43:17.160 our current political moment or just the current life moment, 0:43:17.840 --> 0:43:20.160 life moment, you know, whatever moment this is right, this 0:43:20.320 --> 0:43:22.600 moment that we're in, this moment in human history. Do 0:43:22.640 --> 0:43:25.640 you think in general rappers are like, well, what do 0:43:25.680 --> 0:43:27.239 you think about what they're doing? Yeah? What do you 0:43:27.239 --> 0:43:30.880 think about the chants? I mean, I guess it depends 0:43:30.880 --> 0:43:33.000 on who we're talking about. I mean, talk us through 0:43:33.000 --> 0:43:36.399 a couple in your eyes, maybe the highlights and then 0:43:36.440 --> 0:43:44.600 some of the low lights. I don't I don't honestly 0:43:44.680 --> 0:43:50.920 know that I have any highlights man like that out 0:43:51.000 --> 0:43:54.160 here It kind of is, Man, I don't really see Like, 0:43:54.480 --> 0:43:56.399 I know this sounds bad, but I don't really see 0:43:56.400 --> 0:43:59.799 a lot of rappers that are like really stepping up 0:43:59.800 --> 0:44:01.759 to like you know what I'm saying, Like at least 0:44:01.760 --> 0:44:05.000 not like these like mainstream guys that have like a 0:44:05.040 --> 0:44:08.600 lot of young eyes on them, you know. Unfortunately, I'm 0:44:08.680 --> 0:44:13.040 kind of just like let down by you know, big 0:44:13.080 --> 0:44:16.120 time mainstream rappers right now. They're like they're just kind 0:44:16.120 --> 0:44:19.839 of more focused on their money than they are people. Man, 0:44:19.880 --> 0:44:22.400 what else would you expect really from a mainstream rapper anyway? 0:44:22.400 --> 0:44:24.799 I mean, I mean it's they've been telling you for 0:44:24.880 --> 0:44:27.760 years they don't give about nothing but but the paper. 0:44:27.840 --> 0:44:33.480 But I mean I am of a mind that like, 0:44:33.520 --> 0:44:36.279 if you don't have something to say, don't just say 0:44:36.320 --> 0:44:39.480 something to say something, so they admire that some folks 0:44:39.480 --> 0:44:43.160 are like, we have anything intell didn't to articulate about 0:44:43.160 --> 0:44:46.160 this situation, And they don't because when people do, they 0:44:46.160 --> 0:44:48.520 started running up saying ship and everyone looks to them 0:44:48.560 --> 0:44:50.160 like a leader of a movement. When they're like not 0:44:50.200 --> 0:44:53.239 actually on the ground doing organizing these communities, then it's 0:44:53.239 --> 0:44:55.160 just like shut the funk up and like, let us 0:44:55.200 --> 0:44:57.880 do what we're doing. So I actually I'm very thankful 0:44:57.920 --> 0:45:03.120 for those that have not spoken out of uh at 0:45:03.160 --> 0:45:05.480 least everyone had a good take or like, you know, 0:45:05.960 --> 0:45:11.120 but they don't. So it's better than they're quiet. Aren't 0:45:11.120 --> 0:45:14.120 we supposed to be in a recession? Didn't like people 0:45:14.160 --> 0:45:18.000 lose their job and ship, and it's just like, I 0:45:18.040 --> 0:45:22.399 don't know, the that hasn't affected the big money talk 0:45:22.480 --> 0:45:29.680 at all. You know, it's it's almost liked the words yeah, 0:45:29.760 --> 0:45:32.520 because now now you're really bragging to people that don't 0:45:32.560 --> 0:45:35.919 have ship, and then you're wondering, I know this sounds bad, 0:45:35.920 --> 0:45:39.200 but then you're wondering why, you know, ship that happens 0:45:39.200 --> 0:45:41.759 to people like Boosey, and then ship that happens to 0:45:41.800 --> 0:45:44.160 people like many of the Butcher Like I was, you 0:45:44.280 --> 0:45:47.920 wonder why these things happen. Like you're fucking bragging about 0:45:47.960 --> 0:45:50.120 your chains and all this ship, and then you're riding 0:45:50.120 --> 0:45:53.799 through neighborhoods where motherfucker's don't have anything and you're riding 0:45:53.840 --> 0:45:56.399 arounding rolls royces. Yeah, of course you're gonna get run 0:45:56.440 --> 0:45:59.359 up on. Those are just two names, and like a list, 0:45:59.360 --> 0:46:02.640 there's like been like five or six cats who have 0:46:02.680 --> 0:46:06.400 been shot in Texas and stuff, and it's been, you know, 0:46:06.520 --> 0:46:08.960 weird because it's all been happened, you know, bunched up 0:46:08.960 --> 0:46:11.759 in a short amount of time. But then you just 0:46:11.800 --> 0:46:16.680 have to wonder. Coincidentally, last weekend, there was like one 0:46:16.680 --> 0:46:19.440 of the longest food lines that we've ever seen in 0:46:19.480 --> 0:46:23.400 American history. In Texas, you know, like six thousand cars 0:46:23.440 --> 0:46:26.920 were lined up for a food bag. So that go 0:46:27.040 --> 0:46:29.520 hand in hand with the desperation that people feel and 0:46:30.960 --> 0:46:34.680 situations like that. Yeah, I mean I I look at that, 0:46:34.680 --> 0:46:36.319 because we talked about that today a little bit, But 0:46:36.360 --> 0:46:37.759 I mean I look at that now. I don't want 0:46:37.760 --> 0:46:40.279 to blame Benny for what happened. I mean, I hope 0:46:40.320 --> 0:46:43.520 he's okay and all that good ship, But with Benny, 0:46:43.560 --> 0:46:45.319 I don't want to make it seem like I'm like, oh, well, 0:46:45.360 --> 0:46:47.200 you know, you should have known better, You shouldn't have 0:46:47.239 --> 0:46:49.319 been doing X y Z. No, that still sucks if 0:46:49.320 --> 0:46:51.520 you got shot in the leg because somebody tried to 0:46:51.600 --> 0:46:53.520 rob you. But at the same time, I would think 0:46:53.560 --> 0:46:56.600 that maybe once everyone calms down and understand situation and 0:46:56.640 --> 0:46:58.879 thinks about it, it's kind of one of those things 0:46:58.880 --> 0:47:02.000 where it's like, yeah, this was kind of bound to happen, 0:47:02.560 --> 0:47:05.800 you know, for people that are less fortunate. You can't 0:47:05.880 --> 0:47:09.279 like roll through the hood in a Rolls Royce like 0:47:09.360 --> 0:47:12.799 you just kind of can't. You know. The last time 0:47:12.840 --> 0:47:16.520 that we talked, you know, we were talking about problematic 0:47:16.600 --> 0:47:20.160 lyrics and things of that nature. So I guess at 0:47:20.200 --> 0:47:24.480 this point in my life, I don't particularly look to 0:47:24.719 --> 0:47:28.279 rappers to do these kinds of messaging. I don't know 0:47:28.320 --> 0:47:30.919 if that's good or bad. Um, I guess I don't 0:47:30.920 --> 0:47:35.359 really look to musicians period anymore to to get these 0:47:35.440 --> 0:47:38.960 kinds of messages out, which I guess that is kind 0:47:38.960 --> 0:47:40.560 of sad, isn't it kind of a yeah, isn't it 0:47:40.640 --> 0:47:43.160 kind of a bad thing? And I don't mean that 0:47:43.200 --> 0:47:45.280 on hip hop. I just mean that just in general, 0:47:45.320 --> 0:47:48.720 that we have such a cynical view towards like artists 0:47:48.760 --> 0:47:52.160 and ship It's like we just we expect the default 0:47:52.200 --> 0:47:54.640 of them is to, you know, kind of not be 0:47:54.760 --> 0:47:59.439 worship as far as things like that go. Yeah, no, Yeah, 0:47:59.520 --> 0:48:01.520 the more I'm thinking about it, it is kind of bad. 0:48:01.560 --> 0:48:04.040 But I also understand that most musicians are working for 0:48:04.080 --> 0:48:06.680 the machine anyway, so it's just kind of how things go, 0:48:07.440 --> 0:48:10.400 and you know, And at the same time, I'm also 0:48:10.440 --> 0:48:13.560 getting to this point where I don't necessarily want to 0:48:13.560 --> 0:48:17.680 put that burden on musicians anymore. I think that people 0:48:18.440 --> 0:48:21.439 having access to social media and all this, they should 0:48:21.520 --> 0:48:25.480 kind of know who to look to, Like I don't. 0:48:25.520 --> 0:48:27.399 I don't think people should be going to Little Wayne 0:48:27.480 --> 0:48:31.960 to get political advice. You know, I don't think that 0:48:32.000 --> 0:48:36.480 people should be pulling up a Kanye West tweet to say, oh, 0:48:36.640 --> 0:48:39.480 you know what do I think about this bill? Or 0:48:39.560 --> 0:48:41.840 you know what I mean? Like, at this point, we 0:48:41.880 --> 0:48:46.280 all have access to the direct thoughts of political analysts. 0:48:46.719 --> 0:48:51.480 So why are we still waiting for fucking push a 0:48:51.560 --> 0:48:54.080 t to tell us who we should vote for? I can, 0:48:54.200 --> 0:48:56.759 I can give you kind of an answer to that. 0:48:57.719 --> 0:49:00.200 We shouldn't. No one should be looking towards the Donald 0:49:00.239 --> 0:49:03.480 Trump for anything either. Sure know what I'm saying, because 0:49:03.680 --> 0:49:06.400 like he's the same manner of celebrity. No one should 0:49:06.400 --> 0:49:09.080 be looking to Paris Hilton to get any advice about 0:49:09.080 --> 0:49:13.719 anything important. Nobody should be looking. But unfortunately we're just 0:49:13.880 --> 0:49:16.960 in that reality to where we are to the to 0:49:17.040 --> 0:49:19.680 the tune of seventy one million people. You know what 0:49:19.719 --> 0:49:24.080 I'm saying, who, and it's it's I don't. I don't think. 0:49:24.200 --> 0:49:27.279 I think the biggest explanation for is celebrity and the 0:49:27.320 --> 0:49:29.879 celebrity culture that we live in where and you add 0:49:29.920 --> 0:49:33.920 in social media, where people can cultivate these like bubbles 0:49:34.080 --> 0:49:38.400 in these cultural personality, you know, in in a positive 0:49:38.440 --> 0:49:42.040 note for artists, you can use that to sustain yourself 0:49:42.080 --> 0:49:44.200 and to strive, you know, and you cultivate your fan 0:49:44.239 --> 0:49:46.560 base that will support you no matter what and they're 0:49:46.560 --> 0:49:50.280 gonna ride with you. But then if you see what 0:49:50.280 --> 0:49:54.200 what happens when you add in a couple of couple 0:49:54.239 --> 0:50:01.000 million dollars and some political uh political strategists and ship 0:50:01.080 --> 0:50:03.080 like that, and you can make a megaphone that just 0:50:04.120 --> 0:50:07.360 hypnotizes people in a way. So I guess in a 0:50:07.400 --> 0:50:10.000 certain way, it's it's kind of out of people's control 0:50:10.120 --> 0:50:13.319 to a certain degree. Yeah, I don't know. I go 0:50:13.400 --> 0:50:15.759 I go back and forth about this quite a bit. 0:50:15.920 --> 0:50:19.000 You know, this whole idea of I want I want 0:50:19.080 --> 0:50:21.520 rappers to talk more. And then I start thinking, like, 0:50:21.680 --> 0:50:25.239 why should they have to? Like an artist's job is 0:50:25.320 --> 0:50:30.479 to create art, right, And on one hand, I'm like, well, 0:50:30.680 --> 0:50:37.719 they shouldn't be held responsible for anything outside of that. 0:50:37.880 --> 0:50:40.120 But at the same time, if this is also a 0:50:40.160 --> 0:50:43.680 culture thing, like you know, if you're if you're at 0:50:43.760 --> 0:50:46.399 the forefront of a culture and you understand that your 0:50:46.480 --> 0:50:51.040 culture is the most popular culture in the world, then 0:50:51.080 --> 0:50:54.000 I feel like, wouldn't you kind of want to make 0:50:54.080 --> 0:50:58.279 things better? Wouldn't you, like, do you almost like a 0:50:58.440 --> 0:51:02.600 would you feel a sense of because yeah, like if 0:51:02.640 --> 0:51:05.120 you know, I'm trying to think like I can't say 0:51:05.200 --> 0:51:07.359 Kanye because Kanye is going through some ship, but like 0:51:08.840 --> 0:51:10.759 I'm trying to think of like a rap like I 0:51:10.760 --> 0:51:12.880 don't know. I hate, I hate to always throw this 0:51:12.920 --> 0:51:14.760 on Kendrick Lamar, but I mean, I guess he's probably 0:51:14.760 --> 0:51:18.680 the most popular example of this. But if you're a 0:51:18.760 --> 0:51:24.880 Kendrick Lamar and you know that your words have heavy, heavy, 0:51:24.960 --> 0:51:29.600 heavy meaning and they they you know, wouldn't you want 0:51:30.520 --> 0:51:35.400 to like at least understand the weight of your words 0:51:35.680 --> 0:51:38.479 and use them in a way that could make things better? 0:51:39.040 --> 0:51:41.319 Or would you rather just keep rapping about the same 0:51:41.400 --> 0:51:44.200 ship that everybody's been rapping about for the last three decades. 0:51:45.680 --> 0:51:49.040 Part of me wants to say, well, ship, why aren't 0:51:49.040 --> 0:51:53.359 you using your voice right now to amplify the other 0:51:53.520 --> 0:51:56.480 voices that are saying like what's going on? Or what 0:51:56.680 --> 0:51:58.359 you know what I mean as opposed to just being 0:51:58.400 --> 0:52:01.040 a part of the status quo. And I don't know, 0:52:01.080 --> 0:52:06.319 I don't know the answer to that. So UM I 0:52:06.360 --> 0:52:10.960 saw on Twitter when UM like fifty in them were 0:52:11.120 --> 0:52:13.560 when everybody was getting on maggot out towards the end 0:52:13.600 --> 0:52:15.840 of the election there that was kind of pissing you 0:52:15.920 --> 0:52:20.879 off a bit. I mean, as as it was all 0:52:20.920 --> 0:52:24.000 of us, I guess, but I mean I I was 0:52:24.200 --> 0:52:26.640 one of the people who I just I knew I 0:52:26.680 --> 0:52:28.880 wanted to just like sit down and talk and just 0:52:28.960 --> 0:52:31.560 like pick their mind about what they were thinking during 0:52:31.600 --> 0:52:36.319 that was you so okay? So with ice Cube, he 0:52:36.440 --> 0:52:40.439 actually pissed me off the least out of the whole 0:52:40.480 --> 0:52:42.600 group of rappers that all of a sudden started talking, 0:52:43.160 --> 0:52:47.640 mainly because I don't think ice Cube meant any ill 0:52:47.680 --> 0:52:51.800 will with what happened. I think that ice Cube got played. 0:52:52.360 --> 0:52:56.440 And that's that sucks is ice Cube either doesn't understand 0:52:56.440 --> 0:52:58.600 that he got played or he doesn't want to admit 0:52:58.680 --> 0:53:02.520 that he got played. But he got fucking played. And 0:53:02.680 --> 0:53:05.920 my whole thing is, I don't blame ice Cube for 0:53:06.000 --> 0:53:12.360 trying to use his platform to make things better. I 0:53:12.480 --> 0:53:15.200 blame ice Cube for being ignorant enough to think that 0:53:15.239 --> 0:53:19.920 this was going to work. Like I didn't see this 0:53:20.000 --> 0:53:24.200 contract with Black America. I never signed on for this ship. 0:53:24.760 --> 0:53:27.160 And if I had a choice of the people that 0:53:27.200 --> 0:53:31.560 I would want to represent me in something like this 0:53:32.040 --> 0:53:34.480 no offense to ice Cube, but it wouldn't be ice Cube, 0:53:35.600 --> 0:53:37.840 you know what I'm saying. So like, but I don't 0:53:37.920 --> 0:53:43.840 blame him for taking his contract to Biden and Trump. 0:53:44.400 --> 0:53:47.239 I think what sucks is the narrative got switched up 0:53:47.280 --> 0:53:49.600 after that to where it was like, oh, the Democrats 0:53:49.640 --> 0:53:54.000 ignored ice Cube and Trump listened to ice Cube, when 0:53:54.040 --> 0:53:58.120 it was really like, nah, man, the Democrats saw that 0:53:58.239 --> 0:54:01.520 your ship was basically in line with what they were 0:54:01.560 --> 0:54:05.960 already attempting to do. And Trump said, oh, look a nigger. 0:54:06.000 --> 0:54:08.279 I can use nigger to get other niggers a vote 0:54:08.280 --> 0:54:10.920 for me. And that was all it was. And eventually 0:54:11.000 --> 0:54:15.000 ice Cube never saw that, and I that's what that was. 0:54:15.320 --> 0:54:17.319 That's what I meant by disappointing. I didn't mean it 0:54:17.360 --> 0:54:19.560 was it was disappointing as in he was like a 0:54:19.560 --> 0:54:22.560 bad person. It was disappointing as in, yeah, you know, 0:54:22.600 --> 0:54:25.120 I grew up thinking that like if something like that happened, 0:54:25.120 --> 0:54:27.360 that ice wouldn't be able to or ice Cube wouldn't 0:54:27.360 --> 0:54:29.520 be able to get like played by some punk as 0:54:29.520 --> 0:54:33.120 politician like pro you know, yeah that you know. So 0:54:33.520 --> 0:54:35.439 it was just kind of like a finding out there's 0:54:35.440 --> 0:54:38.400 no Santa Claus type of ship, like, oh man, that 0:54:38.440 --> 0:54:43.520 could happen to be He's just the regulative um. But 0:54:43.600 --> 0:54:46.040 looking at it from ice Cube standpoint, right, ice Cube 0:54:46.480 --> 0:54:50.360 just got into politics. He said this, Yeah, he said this. 0:54:50.560 --> 0:54:54.320 He just got into politics. He writes up this contract 0:54:54.320 --> 0:54:58.440 with Black America and almost fucking immediately he has the 0:54:58.520 --> 0:55:02.400 President calling him being like, yes, let's talk, and he's like, 0:55:02.480 --> 0:55:06.919 what ship? This was easy? That's all I had to do. Wait, 0:55:06.960 --> 0:55:09.799 I want to ask you something really quick. Were you 0:55:09.920 --> 0:55:15.560 actually surprised by not ice Cube, but people like fifty Wayne. 0:55:16.239 --> 0:55:19.880 Were you actually surprised by their stances on this? Here's 0:55:19.920 --> 0:55:26.960 the thing, here's the thing. Mm hm. Fifty was frilling 0:55:28.120 --> 0:55:33.439 to a degree, but no, I wasn't. And and this 0:55:33.480 --> 0:55:35.399 is this is part of the thing, right, And it's 0:55:35.440 --> 0:55:38.680 like we're it's not gonna work with what we had 0:55:38.719 --> 0:55:43.280 recorded before. But it's kind of like a a thesis 0:55:43.320 --> 0:55:45.160 that I've had where it's like, Yo, I think a 0:55:45.200 --> 0:55:48.319 lot of these rap niggas are right wingers. Yo, you 0:55:48.320 --> 0:55:51.160 know what I'm saying, Like for real, I think I 0:55:51.200 --> 0:55:54.400 think we're I think we need to stop getting in 0:55:54.480 --> 0:55:56.920 this mode. And I think that the Trump is um 0:55:56.960 --> 0:55:59.640 stuff is kind of like bringing bringing making this more 0:55:59.680 --> 0:56:01.200 of a point it But we need to stop getting 0:56:01.200 --> 0:56:06.480 in this idea that like being black as a progressive position, 0:56:07.400 --> 0:56:09.000 you know what I mean, it's not I'm with you, 0:56:09.600 --> 0:56:12.040 like that's that's not that's not how that works like that, 0:56:12.120 --> 0:56:16.000 you know. So, So with that being is like we 0:56:16.040 --> 0:56:18.520 need to understand that the fact the reason why a 0:56:18.520 --> 0:56:22.440 lot of black people vote Democrat, or I should even 0:56:22.480 --> 0:56:25.399 say why a lot of black people vote against Republicans 0:56:25.560 --> 0:56:30.280 is because Republicans have openly embraced like weird Nazi ship 0:56:30.520 --> 0:56:34.080 in fucking clan shit, you know what I'm saying, instead 0:56:34.320 --> 0:56:37.359 of them, if Republicans were just smart enough to be like, yo, 0:56:39.040 --> 0:56:43.160 let's I'll just be racist. But let's not say that 0:56:43.200 --> 0:56:49.279 we're racist, Like let's like, yeah, let's just let's be 0:56:49.320 --> 0:56:53.920 like we love money, poor people, We love money, I 0:56:53.960 --> 0:56:56.879 love Jesus and my guns and blah blah blah. Yo, 0:56:57.120 --> 0:56:59.320 you have a lot of black people in America that 0:56:59.360 --> 0:57:02.880 would be comfort But with that, like for real, like 0:57:04.440 --> 0:57:07.400 that's wrapped about the same ship, like exactly, yeah, I 0:57:07.520 --> 0:57:10.279 rap about shooting guns and hating gay people all the 0:57:10.320 --> 0:57:12.239 time too, So let me get in you know what 0:57:12.239 --> 0:57:16.160 I'm saying, So I think that's part of it. And 0:57:16.200 --> 0:57:19.720 I think Trump, in his connection to hip hop in 0:57:19.760 --> 0:57:23.280 the past, like the sort of the figure, the stature 0:57:23.320 --> 0:57:26.000 that he had as a figure, I think that's helped 0:57:26.360 --> 0:57:28.880 come into play to where I think a lot of 0:57:28.920 --> 0:57:31.800 guys I might even heard Ebro talking about this on 0:57:32.040 --> 0:57:34.520 the show once, but I think a lot of cats 0:57:35.640 --> 0:57:38.840 or silent because it's like they don't really have that 0:57:38.960 --> 0:57:41.480 much of a problem with ship. I mean, fifty Cent 0:57:41.600 --> 0:57:44.920 in his troll summed it up best. I know Trump 0:57:44.960 --> 0:57:48.560 doesn't look like black people, but damn six in taxes. 0:57:50.560 --> 0:57:55.360 That's That's like they've been telling us this for forty years. Yeah, 0:57:56.160 --> 0:58:00.360 you know, it's about time we listen some Mikey, thank 0:58:00.400 --> 0:58:02.840 you for coming in and talking with us man one 0:58:02.880 --> 0:58:05.440 more time. Let the people know where they can find 0:58:05.440 --> 0:58:08.720 out all the stuff you're doing. Sure, um, you can 0:58:08.720 --> 0:58:11.520 find me on dead End hip Hop at YouTube dot com, 0:58:11.640 --> 0:58:15.440 forward slash dead End hip Hop. You can find me personally, 0:58:15.960 --> 0:58:19.760 UM through my own avenues at mike ctown dot com, 0:58:20.440 --> 0:58:24.640 m y K E C t O w N dot com. 0:58:24.680 --> 0:58:28.200 I do other kinds of reviews, talk about records, talk 0:58:28.200 --> 0:58:30.920 about other nerdy ass ship you know, so yeah, you 0:58:30.960 --> 0:58:33.400 can get all your bases covered. You'll make sure you 0:58:33.520 --> 0:58:36.800 go check that out and supports coming on to come in. Well, 0:58:38.040 --> 0:58:42.280 that brings us to a close today and uh, I 0:58:42.280 --> 0:58:44.080 guess I'm gonna be the one closing the soft fire 0:58:44.120 --> 0:58:46.000 and m right, we got a little carried away with that. 0:58:46.040 --> 0:58:47.840 Interview is a second episode in a row with no 0:58:47.960 --> 0:58:49.560 music review. We gotta do a long one for you 0:58:49.600 --> 0:58:51.800 all next time, yo, Joe, let me get a beat 0:58:53.400 --> 0:58:56.600 one more time. Make sure you follow dead End hip Hop. 0:58:56.680 --> 0:59:00.880 Check out Mike Satown their reviews. Follow linga Franca and 0:59:01.000 --> 0:59:03.800 Dope Knife on Instagram, fillow Dope Knife and Ling with 0:59:03.880 --> 0:59:10.720 Franca on Spotify. Subscribe to this podcast. Thank you guys 0:59:10.720 --> 0:59:16.959 for supporting one year old. Do you believe it? Yo? Yo, 0:59:17.600 --> 0:59:20.080 y'are swimming in the kids pool. I'm trying to let 0:59:20.080 --> 0:59:22.720 the world know I even got the drip too. I'm 0:59:22.720 --> 0:59:25.040 pimping in the fur coat. I hit you with the 0:59:25.080 --> 0:59:28.840 big stool, swam sipping merlow and get up off my dick, fool. 0:59:29.000 --> 0:59:31.880 You probably call your girl bro. I'm knife, I in wonder, 0:59:31.960 --> 0:59:34.520 I brom when I'm in slumber. My mama or woop 0:59:34.560 --> 0:59:36.800 my ass on my music. I hired it from I 0:59:36.920 --> 0:59:39.880 bury these rappers not in the casket, but lying under 0:59:39.920 --> 0:59:43.080 the gap, spraying out more loads in the briant pumper. 0:59:43.160 --> 0:59:46.280 I'm the precipice. Ain't nobody fresh is this? And it's 0:59:46.360 --> 0:59:49.880 like my Bible. Yo just rasped my will and testament remainstream. 0:59:50.000 --> 0:59:52.880 Niggas wanted to tell me I'm a relevant dog. I 0:59:52.920 --> 0:59:55.640 will reach into your ass, pull out your skeleton. You'll 0:59:55.680 --> 0:59:59.360 never win. That was uncalled for. That was uncalled for, 0:59:59.440 --> 1:00:04.080 an problem. I'm sorry, y'all. I'm gonna try to do better. Hey, 1:00:04.160 --> 1:00:08.080 I'm Lingua Franca. I'm dope knife. We are waiting on reparations. 1:00:08.240 --> 1:00:10.120 We'll see you next week. See you guys next week. 1:00:10.160 --> 1:00:14.320 Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. Waiting on reparations as a production of 1:00:14.360 --> 1:00:17.400 I Heart Radio. Listen to Waiting on Reparations on the 1:00:17.480 --> 1:00:20.520 I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 1:00:20.560 --> 1:00:21.280 your podcasts.