Before I get started, I want everyone to know that this is not going to be a line for line, verse by verse analysis of two of the greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all time. With that being said, it's time to celebrate!!!
Let's be honest here, people. 1993-94 represents the best era of Hip-Hop. ?uestlove, front man of the legendary Roots, said that in 1993, when he heard The Wu-Tang Clan's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), that it was "the greatest day ever". Many of Hip-Hop's greatest MC's and producers look at Nas' debut Illmatic as the bar for every MC that ever touched a mic after that. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone that loves Hip-Hop to disagree with those sentiments of both albums.
If you would've asked be back then, when I was 13 years old, how do I think these albums would be viewed 20 years later, I probably would've said something like "they won't ever get their proper due." Funny thing is, that would not have been based on what I thought about the albums but on how I thought the culture was viewed. To be honest with you, I didn't even realize the impact these albums had on me until I heard Raekwon and Ghostface Killah spit fire with the rest of the Clan on Only Built for Cuban Linx in 1996. On the track 'Verbal Intercourse', Nas lends a hand to his Shaolin Island counterparts, opening up with "Through the lights, cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold/ I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe...". It was then that I realized, Nas was probably the greatest MC of my generation and Wu Tang was the greatest Hip-Hop crew ever. Looking back, I had no idea, then, how these two albums would impact me or the culture I've grown to love.
Simply put, no other debut albums have had the initial impact that these two have had (if I had to pick a second, it would be Kendrick Lamar's debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D City). And I feel like there has not been a better solo debut than Illmatic or group debut than Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), which introduced a gritty, raw and in your face sound that spawned producer RZA's trademark style. It also introduced the world to nine, count them, nine different MC's at the top of their lyrical games. That feat, in and of itself, is remarkable and probably will never be repeated. Illmatic, arguably, is the most influential album in Hip-Hop. Not only did it feature Nas dropping some of the illest verses ever heard then and since, it featured probably the greatest lineup of producers at that time contributing the greatest compilation of beats ever for a debut album. Nas' lyrics left no listener wanting, and the accompanying tracks enhanced those vocals even further. Illmatic was a look into the life of a young Black kid from one of the most notorious housing projects in the United States, let alone Queens, New York. Queensbridge Projects was the backdrop to the canvas that was Illmatic, and the album became sort of a holy grail to enthusiasts of Hip-Hop and those who could relate to what the young man was talking about. Nas delivered this commentary of sorts like he was sitting on a bench on the courtyard, telling us all what real life was like. There was no glamour, no glitz, no 'how fly am I' bravado. Illmatic was, simply, ill.
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), to me, appropriately preceded Illmatic in that it brought a different lyrical approach than what Hip-Hop had been known for up to the point of its release. It encompassed what pretty much every person growing up in the 'hood loved. Above all else, the kung-fu flick overlay the RZA crafted resonated with everyone. The personas that each Clansman embodied resonated with the comic book heroes their listeners grew up cherishing, way before they took on monikers such as Marvel Comics heroes Johnny Blaze a.k.a Ghost Rider and Tony Starks' Iron Man. Hailing from Staten Island, a world of it's own across from the more glamorized island of Manhattan, they tapped into a culture that was theirs and theirs only. That album introduced listeners to a new type of slang, steeped in 5 Percent and Nation of Islam teachings. Many of Wu-Tang's early fans didn't realize that when Raekwon would say "Aye yo, god!" or when Ghostface would say "Yo, sun!" that these were references to the spiritual teaching that they all were influenced by. This wasn't by design, yet it became a trademark of a group who set out from the jump to dominate the landscape of the culture at that time. By the time Nas' released his project, listeners already knew change was on the horizon. Today, Wu-Tang is synonymous with real Hip-Hop with a cult following that rivals that of any other group in music history and has no contemporaries in Hip-Hop. Wu-Tang, apparently, really is forever.
But what makes these two albums great, to me at least, is their timelessness. Put Illmatic up against any and every solo hip hop release since its debut in 1994 and it holds up. Jay Z dropped a classic debut with Reasonable Doubt, but it's heavily influenced by Nas' initial opus (see 'Dead Presidents', for example). Even Nas himself has been unable to duplicate the fanfare and reverence Illmatic spawned, the closest being his 2001 release of Stillmatic, but that was due more to his long awaited response to Jay Z's calling him out and starting one of the more memorable beefs in Hip-Hop history. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) really has no rival in that its release was a calculated move by the group to introduce nine very different artists at the same time to set each member up for individual success later. As a group, they were a united front that could not be matched and would never be matched. Many individual, already accomplished, MC's tried to imitate what RZA and Wu-Tang did, but it was often a well established artist like Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe or Ludacris trying to use his name to get his crew on. Wu-Tang used their collective name to negotiate deals after the world knew who they were and what each MC could do. Again, no other debut releases have been so instrumental in forming not only the landscape for the culture, but defining it as well. Any MC that is worth anything these days will tell you that Nas and Wu-Tang influenced their music in some way. Wu-Tang also picked up where Naughty by Nature left of as far as marketing and branding with Wu-Wear, paving the way for brands such as Sean John and Rocawear to reach the heights they have attained today. While Wu-Wear never achieved what these brands did as far as notoriety on the business side, RZA consistently kept the Wu-Tang brand relevant and now has seen resurgence in brand recognition due to the groups cult following.
Both of these albums had an initial impact that some may say wasn't immediately realized. I disagree with that sentiment but I understand that the true worth of anything valuable usually isn't appreciated for what it is right away. For me it wasn't until Hip-Hop music started to take a turn for more diluted 'pop-rap' that I grew to appreciate the quality of these albums and the artists behind them. That era represents to me what early Jazz and Blues represents to music lovers who remember Miles Davis at his peak or Charlie Parker, Muddy Waters, Billie Holiday or Nina Simone, just to name a few of my personal favorites. My father talks about these artists like I talk about Nas and Wu-Tang. They are revered because they represent something that doesn't get lost with time. 20 years later, I still find myself 'chasing the dragon' as it were, looking for something that can make me feel like I did when I heard these Hip-Hop legends for the first time. Sadly, the only time I feel that is when I'm listening to their albums again and again. Nas' latest release Life is Good brought back some of those old feelings. While Wu-Tang, as solo artists and as a collective, are finding trouble as of late trying to recapture their old glory days on wax, their impact is still felt when they perform at events such as Coachella and The annual Rock the Bells concerts. The Wu-Tang logo is one of the more recognizable images of this generation and this is evident every time I wear one of my Wu t-shirts, buttons or wooden beaded necklaces. When people who typically have never listened to a rap song but recognize the symbol of the greatest rap group ever, there is no denying their place in society, let alone in Hip-Hop culture. So here's to Illmatic and Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 20 years later. Ya'll never sounded so good!!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
Donald Sterling and the Race Issue in Professional Sports
It took me some time to figure out exactly what I wanted to say regarding the Donald Sterling issue that broke last week. A lot has developed since then. Clippers players along with players from around the league actually considered boycotting and not playing their respective playoff basketball games in protest. The woman in the center of this scandal, V. Stiviano, claimed that it was never her intent to hurt Sterling and that it was not her that released the audio tapes containing his comments. Adam Silver, the new NBA commissioner, placed a lifetime ban on Sterling from any association with the team and fined him a reported $2.5 million in an effort to force him to sell the basketball franchise. The NBA recently appointed a league representative to serve as CEO in the interim, much like they did during the time when the New Orleans franchise was up for sale. During that time span, I've talked to a number of people regarding this topic and have heard many different persepectives. The common thread in all the conversations that I had was that everyone pretty much agreed that Donald Sterling no longer has a place in owning an NBA team and that this was a long time coming.
But the interesting thing is a lot of people feel like the issue was blown up in such a way that it was somehow unfair to Sterling. His statements were made in the privacy of his property, were illegally recorded (in the state of California it is illegal to record someone without their knowledge) and V. Stiviano is currently involved in a lawsuit in which Donald Sterling's wife, Rochelle, claims that Stiviano embezzled over $1 million from her husband. It was just recently reported that Sterling has been battling prostate cancer. Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, though critical of Sterling's remarks, said that trying to force the embattled owner to sell over what was his own personal views was a 'slippery slope'. Others relegated the recorded comments as the ramblings of an old man who was expressing his frustrations with his 20 something 'alleged' girlfriend. Jason Whitlock, a Black writer for ESPN.com, criticized the media response and the response of the NBA and the Black community, characterizing the reaction as 'agenda fueled'. Whitlock went on to say that 'the culture of white supremacy created Donald Sterling' and that the comments he made regarding that concept, (saying "I don't want to change the culture because I can't, it's too big") was his lone moment of clarity. He went on to say this:
"Much of what Sterling said on the tape is a rambling mess that can be interpreted many ways by sophisticated, mature and objective ears. To my ears, he doesn't care that his mistress has black friends. He doesn't care if she has sexual relationships with black men. He's married. They're not in a monogamous relationship. He simply does not want her extracurricular activities, particularly when they might involve black men, flaunted at his basketball games or all over Instagram."
Mr. Whitlock is entitled to his opinion and his "sophisticated, mature and objective ears" as he put it, as is every other person in the world. While I appreciate his viewpoint on the matter, I think it is terribly misguided. According to the transcripts of the recorded conversation, it is very obvious that he did care that Stiviano was associating with Black men. He said, when Stiviano asked whether or not it was right to treat Black as less than white, that "we don't evaluate what's right and wrong. We live in a society. We live in a culture. We live within that culture." He also stated that Stiviano could "sleep with them. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is ... not to bring them to my games." He also expressed his displeasure with her posting pics of herself and other Black players (most notably, Magic Johnson) on social media, such as she did on Instagram. If he didn't care that these people were Black, he wouldn't have made it a point to single them out when expressing his frustrations with her.
Anyone who has heard of Donald Sterling before the news of this incident broke aren't suprised by his views. When David Stern was commissioner, he dealt with a number of incidents with Sterling that usally involved race in some shape, form or fashion. Stern opted not to bring any type of disciplinary action down on the owner, for whatever reason. But in today's NBA, billions of potential dollars from fans and sponsors are at stake. Players like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have a lot more control over where they can choose to play. The league is made up of roughly 85% Black players, with more Black coaches and team executives than the previous generation. And its superstar athletes, like LeBron James, are more vocal when it comes to social issues than former players like, say, Michael Jordan, was. We saw that when the Trayvon Martin incident happened and we saw it again in reaction to Sterling's comments.
I'll agree with Jason Whitlock on the point that, yes, the media got a hold of this and ran with it. That's what the media does with hot button topics such as this one. Yes, Donald Sterling was set up by Ms. Stiviano and whoever else was involved. But should those facts mitigate a neccessary response from the public and the players and coaches who play, not just for the Clippers, but for every other team in the NBA, NFL, MLB and other professional sports? Certainly not! I feel the reaction was exactly what it should have been. The Clippers' players felt it necessary to stage a silent protest before their road playoff game against the Golden State Warriors by shedding their warm up tops that displayed the Clippers logo. They had discussed boycotting the next game, along with players from the other playoff teams, if the league wasn't swift in their decision to discipline Sterling. Was this action necessary? Was it right? Yes, and yes! Was it an overreaction? Misplaced? No and no! The actions of the league and the players put all the other owners on notice that the players have a lot more control in the NBA than some may admit and that they can shut the league down at any moment. The owners have this ability and we have seen it done many times in the form of lockouts over labor negotiations. Donald Sterling isn't the only owner in the league who feels the way he does about the players who are millionaires due to the amount of money the team owners pay them. Remember Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's and Cleveland fans response to LeBron James' departure to Miami? It reminded me of a slave master calling out a runaway slave and the fans burning James' jersey in effigy was brought back images of obvious historical reference. These players still work for a living and they have a union to represent them. They have a right to voice their displeasure when they feel like something is wrong and this issue is very wrong. An owner who despises Black people has no business running a business, company or team that is made up primarily of the people he hates. Is hate the right word? Absolutely! If Donald Sterling didn't hate Black people, he wouldn't have made the comments that ended up on tape. He admitted to Adam Silver that is was him on the tape. He told an interviewer that his only regret was that he didn't "pay her off", referring to Stiviano. Sterling has not apologized for his comments because he stands by them. And while he is entitled to his views, privately stated or otherwise, he should be held accountable for them when those comments and views are made public, mainly because if the position he holds, regardless of how hose comments were found out. Kareem Adul Jabbar has said that he hopes those who illegally recorded Sterling goes to jail, while remaing critical of the comments that were made. If those idividuals are held responsible for that, then so be it. But just like any other owner of a franchise, whether it be an NBA team or a McDonalds, there are standards that franchise owners and other inidividuals in similar positions are held to because they are in the public eye. The bottom line is the bottom line; money, billions of dollars worth of it. The NBA has to protect it's brand, if not it's players alone. So Adam Silver not only did the right thing, he did the only thing he could to do. He came down hard on an owner with a history of racial intolerance. It was time
The public reaction was appropriate as well. Imagine if when Rosa Parks made her statement on the bus that day in Montgomery, Alabama, that the following morning no one boycotted, because they didn't want to be viewed as 'agenda driven'? Imagine if the abolitionists like Fredrick Douglas chose not to speak on slavery because he didn't want those who supported his ideals to be viewed as mob ruled. Imagine if slaves felt, as Jason Whitlock wrote of Sterling, that their masters were "victims of white supremacy" and that if they fought against their oppressors that the slave masters would go from villains to martyrs? Imagine that and then imagine us still picking cotton because this is the culture that is to big to be changed. Black Americans have to react right away when faced with these types of issues because if not, we are accepting the actions of those who view us as beneath them. We are accepting those white people in positions of power still having the "slave master" mentality and accepting the slave mentality that some Blacks still have. If it were not for the reaction of Black people when faced with incidents such as this, or with the Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis' trails, or with the outright disrespect and racist feelings our Black president faces as he tries to bring our country back from the economic disaster that George W. Bush left behind, we wouldn't even be having the conversations we've had over the past week regarding Donald Sterling. It wouldn't be news. It would be the norm and we'd only have ourselves to blame for it. Yes, I agree that other topics such as economic equality, voters rights, unemployment, the violence that our Black inner cities are subject to, family values, etc. should be met with the same furor as the topics that the media views as sexy or ratings grabbers. But that doesn't mean that the reaction to issues that involve millionare Black athletes versus billionaire white owners deserve any less attention. In fact, these type of situations reminds us that no matter where a Black person is in society, whether they be rich or poor, President or constituent, millionaire athlete or working class fan, we are still viewed one way and one way only by a large portion of white America. I don't need to spell it out, do I?
But the interesting thing is a lot of people feel like the issue was blown up in such a way that it was somehow unfair to Sterling. His statements were made in the privacy of his property, were illegally recorded (in the state of California it is illegal to record someone without their knowledge) and V. Stiviano is currently involved in a lawsuit in which Donald Sterling's wife, Rochelle, claims that Stiviano embezzled over $1 million from her husband. It was just recently reported that Sterling has been battling prostate cancer. Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, though critical of Sterling's remarks, said that trying to force the embattled owner to sell over what was his own personal views was a 'slippery slope'. Others relegated the recorded comments as the ramblings of an old man who was expressing his frustrations with his 20 something 'alleged' girlfriend. Jason Whitlock, a Black writer for ESPN.com, criticized the media response and the response of the NBA and the Black community, characterizing the reaction as 'agenda fueled'. Whitlock went on to say that 'the culture of white supremacy created Donald Sterling' and that the comments he made regarding that concept, (saying "I don't want to change the culture because I can't, it's too big") was his lone moment of clarity. He went on to say this:
"Much of what Sterling said on the tape is a rambling mess that can be interpreted many ways by sophisticated, mature and objective ears. To my ears, he doesn't care that his mistress has black friends. He doesn't care if she has sexual relationships with black men. He's married. They're not in a monogamous relationship. He simply does not want her extracurricular activities, particularly when they might involve black men, flaunted at his basketball games or all over Instagram."
Mr. Whitlock is entitled to his opinion and his "sophisticated, mature and objective ears" as he put it, as is every other person in the world. While I appreciate his viewpoint on the matter, I think it is terribly misguided. According to the transcripts of the recorded conversation, it is very obvious that he did care that Stiviano was associating with Black men. He said, when Stiviano asked whether or not it was right to treat Black as less than white, that "we don't evaluate what's right and wrong. We live in a society. We live in a culture. We live within that culture." He also stated that Stiviano could "sleep with them. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is ... not to bring them to my games." He also expressed his displeasure with her posting pics of herself and other Black players (most notably, Magic Johnson) on social media, such as she did on Instagram. If he didn't care that these people were Black, he wouldn't have made it a point to single them out when expressing his frustrations with her.
Anyone who has heard of Donald Sterling before the news of this incident broke aren't suprised by his views. When David Stern was commissioner, he dealt with a number of incidents with Sterling that usally involved race in some shape, form or fashion. Stern opted not to bring any type of disciplinary action down on the owner, for whatever reason. But in today's NBA, billions of potential dollars from fans and sponsors are at stake. Players like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin have a lot more control over where they can choose to play. The league is made up of roughly 85% Black players, with more Black coaches and team executives than the previous generation. And its superstar athletes, like LeBron James, are more vocal when it comes to social issues than former players like, say, Michael Jordan, was. We saw that when the Trayvon Martin incident happened and we saw it again in reaction to Sterling's comments.
I'll agree with Jason Whitlock on the point that, yes, the media got a hold of this and ran with it. That's what the media does with hot button topics such as this one. Yes, Donald Sterling was set up by Ms. Stiviano and whoever else was involved. But should those facts mitigate a neccessary response from the public and the players and coaches who play, not just for the Clippers, but for every other team in the NBA, NFL, MLB and other professional sports? Certainly not! I feel the reaction was exactly what it should have been. The Clippers' players felt it necessary to stage a silent protest before their road playoff game against the Golden State Warriors by shedding their warm up tops that displayed the Clippers logo. They had discussed boycotting the next game, along with players from the other playoff teams, if the league wasn't swift in their decision to discipline Sterling. Was this action necessary? Was it right? Yes, and yes! Was it an overreaction? Misplaced? No and no! The actions of the league and the players put all the other owners on notice that the players have a lot more control in the NBA than some may admit and that they can shut the league down at any moment. The owners have this ability and we have seen it done many times in the form of lockouts over labor negotiations. Donald Sterling isn't the only owner in the league who feels the way he does about the players who are millionaires due to the amount of money the team owners pay them. Remember Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's and Cleveland fans response to LeBron James' departure to Miami? It reminded me of a slave master calling out a runaway slave and the fans burning James' jersey in effigy was brought back images of obvious historical reference. These players still work for a living and they have a union to represent them. They have a right to voice their displeasure when they feel like something is wrong and this issue is very wrong. An owner who despises Black people has no business running a business, company or team that is made up primarily of the people he hates. Is hate the right word? Absolutely! If Donald Sterling didn't hate Black people, he wouldn't have made the comments that ended up on tape. He admitted to Adam Silver that is was him on the tape. He told an interviewer that his only regret was that he didn't "pay her off", referring to Stiviano. Sterling has not apologized for his comments because he stands by them. And while he is entitled to his views, privately stated or otherwise, he should be held accountable for them when those comments and views are made public, mainly because if the position he holds, regardless of how hose comments were found out. Kareem Adul Jabbar has said that he hopes those who illegally recorded Sterling goes to jail, while remaing critical of the comments that were made. If those idividuals are held responsible for that, then so be it. But just like any other owner of a franchise, whether it be an NBA team or a McDonalds, there are standards that franchise owners and other inidividuals in similar positions are held to because they are in the public eye. The bottom line is the bottom line; money, billions of dollars worth of it. The NBA has to protect it's brand, if not it's players alone. So Adam Silver not only did the right thing, he did the only thing he could to do. He came down hard on an owner with a history of racial intolerance. It was time
The public reaction was appropriate as well. Imagine if when Rosa Parks made her statement on the bus that day in Montgomery, Alabama, that the following morning no one boycotted, because they didn't want to be viewed as 'agenda driven'? Imagine if the abolitionists like Fredrick Douglas chose not to speak on slavery because he didn't want those who supported his ideals to be viewed as mob ruled. Imagine if slaves felt, as Jason Whitlock wrote of Sterling, that their masters were "victims of white supremacy" and that if they fought against their oppressors that the slave masters would go from villains to martyrs? Imagine that and then imagine us still picking cotton because this is the culture that is to big to be changed. Black Americans have to react right away when faced with these types of issues because if not, we are accepting the actions of those who view us as beneath them. We are accepting those white people in positions of power still having the "slave master" mentality and accepting the slave mentality that some Blacks still have. If it were not for the reaction of Black people when faced with incidents such as this, or with the Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis' trails, or with the outright disrespect and racist feelings our Black president faces as he tries to bring our country back from the economic disaster that George W. Bush left behind, we wouldn't even be having the conversations we've had over the past week regarding Donald Sterling. It wouldn't be news. It would be the norm and we'd only have ourselves to blame for it. Yes, I agree that other topics such as economic equality, voters rights, unemployment, the violence that our Black inner cities are subject to, family values, etc. should be met with the same furor as the topics that the media views as sexy or ratings grabbers. But that doesn't mean that the reaction to issues that involve millionare Black athletes versus billionaire white owners deserve any less attention. In fact, these type of situations reminds us that no matter where a Black person is in society, whether they be rich or poor, President or constituent, millionaire athlete or working class fan, we are still viewed one way and one way only by a large portion of white America. I don't need to spell it out, do I?
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