White rappers

[thirdworldtaxi]

@Israel_B

Get the HHFT books and from there check the bibliography. The HHFT books are worth it anyway.

Cool, thanks. I’ve read the first volume, waiting for the others to get cheaper. Haven’t delved into the bibliography though. But now that you mention it, I had been wondering how Piskor sourced the stories and dialogue and put the stories together. I wonder how far into the future he will go with it.

[noahdjango]

@thirdworldtaxi

I always appreciate references to any articles, books, etc that people think others should read, thanks.

I mentioned Bomb the Suburbs upthread

• Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang. lots of books cover some of the same territory but not as exhaustively. But only Chang covers literally everything, nor is anything else as well-written IMO.
• DJ Culture by Ulf Poschardt
• in addition to the pictures, the original edition of Subway Art has a lot of background info that was cut from the newer oversized edition.
• the DVD edition of Style Wars has really extensive and well-catalogued profiles by writer/b-boy/contributor, plus extras and the documentary itself is objectively considered excellent.

I enjoyed the perspective of Joseph Heller’s bio Ruthless, too, in terms of laying out the state of the industry and LA at the time and how it all came together for NWA, but it’s hardly essential and a pretty narrow focus. Waxpoetics generally has great articles (or had, anyway) with a focus on archival or historic info.

[Mister44]

OH, on other aspect we didn’t touch on - white DJs and Mixers.

I am a huge fan of Fatboy Slim, who has taken many a rap or hip hop song and remixed it into something better (or possibly just updated).

A girl who worked with me for awhile was into DJing and sent me some links to some DJ competition. The old school two turn table mixing style, which I have been a casual fan of since listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff. Several of the people she showed me were white and fantastic. I guess this guy who won a recent competition is not only white but from Germany of all places.

I showed her some old school stuff I knew about and still loved.

[ficuswhisperer]

@Israel_B

Calling 3rd Bass, even in part, an uproarious crossover gimmick as an opening statement entirely misses the point. The Cactus did better sales than the following year’s A Tribe Called Quest debut People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.

I agree. Dismissing 3rd Bass as some gimmick or novelty act is complete and utter bullshit. I remember when 3rd Bass was coming up. They were so damn good that the fact that they were these two white guys from Queens didn’t make a bit of difference.

3rd Bass had deep, extremely cerebral lyrics that took many listens to really unlock the meaning. I would, without hesitation put them at A Tribe Called Quest level of lyrical skill and crafting. Take these lyrics from The Gas Face and tell me they aren’t genius:

Black cat is bad luck, bad guys wear black
Musta been a white guy who started all that
(Make the Gas Face!) For those little white lies
My expression to the mountainous blue eyes
Then form a face, and shake my skull cap
Dismiss the myth, that evil is not black
But opposite spectrum, this done by red man
With horns on his head, laid down the ill plan
Got all his helpers, said, "Make it snappy!
Tell all the people that their hair can’t be nappy! "
Blonde and blue-eyed, or dark-skinned half a G
A disease, created by leprosy
Don’t speak of bleach, bend them to right
Say, “It was night WAY before the light”
Put aside spooks, Serch leaves a trace
I’ve set em correct with the effect of the Gas Face

They also had the balls to record multiple diss tracks attacking other white rappers like Vanilla Ice and the Beastie Boys. They also had some harsh disses toward MC Hammer who was incredibly popular at the time.

I heard an interview with MC Search on XM Backspin a year or so back and he relayed a story about how MC Hammer tried to put out a hit on the members of 3rd Bass after being dissed in The Gas Face and The Cactus. Apparently Russel Simmons had to bribe the leader of the Crips with AMA tickets (sitting next to Michael Jackson no less) to get the hit called off for good.

Aside about “Gas Face”, it wasn’t coined by 3rd Bass but by collaborator Zev Love X – now known as MF Doom (to bring things full circle with the earlier nerdcore conversation).

I don’t want to take anything away from the Beasties – I am a huge fan of their work and they were incredibly important to the history of hip hop, but they were never masterful lyricists. Clever, yes, but rarely what you would call deep or insightful. Beasties’ material was largely meant to be humorous and satirical. Not saying that’s a bad thing, but that it’s in stark contrast to 3rd Bass who were serious craftsmen.

[ficuswhisperer]

@Mister44

OH, on other aspect we didn’t touch on - white DJs and Mixers.

DJ Shadow, one of the all time greats.

[noahdjango]

@ficuswhisperer

Zev Love X

X evolvez

[thirdworldtaxi]

Thank you, added to my reading list. Which is getting way ahead of itself

[Israel_B]

@ficuswhisperer

My expression to the mountainous blue eyesThen form a face, and shake my skull cap

How great that Serch made this point that Jews arent actually white to begin with!

@ficuswhisperer

Zev Love X – now known as MF Doom

I did not know this!

[Trogdor]

Glad you like it Noah! It’s been a favorite of mine since 7th grade or so when it was released. Blondie’s “Rapture” too. Well, anything with Debbie Harry singing, to be honest…

[noahdjango]

yeah man! I hunted down the MP3 after posting that and it’s added to my 80s comp and playlist now. So happy!

I like Blondie, too. was shocked to read in the article that Harry was 36 when Rapture came out. That can’t be true, can it? Guess that’s why she reportedly had a bit of a “den mother” role at CBGB.

[Wanderfound]

Debbie Harry is immortal; there can be only one.

[TimmoWarner]

Zev Love X is MF DOOM?!

Thank you!

[jhml]

I would like to say the first thing I think of when I hear the term ‘white rapper’ is The Beastie Boys, but I think it will forever be Vanilla Ice.