I like The Guardian. I'm not a Brit, but I read The Guardian. Just by chance, this morning I bumped into a Guardian post about Patrick Swayze. And hip hop. Hmmm.... Granted, I don't have a copyright or a monopoly on all Patrick Swayze/hip hop posts, but still.... Do you think I was plagiarized? Check it out:
Patrick Swayze: Hip Hop Icon [Hip Hop Is Read]
How Patrick Swayze got his break in hip-hop [The Guardian]
Admittedly, the post does contain a hyperlink directing to HHIR. I still call bullshit though. Even The Guardian's comment section notes: "Well plagiarised [sic] from [Hip Hop Is Read]... You have a great knack for the copy and paste, I am sure you will go far."
Update: There are a couple things I find hilarious about this post. First of all, the site's profile for the author ("author"?), Sam Richards, makes it clear that he posts roughly two articles per month. Jeez! If I was writing for The Guardian, I'm pretty sure I'd have plenty of time to come up with an original post every other week. Second, this line from the article made me chuckle: "Hip-hop historians believe that it was originally a reference to Patrick Swayze's titular role in the film Ghost...". Let's start from the end and work our way back to the beginning here. Of course it was a reference to the film Ghost. Do you really need a "hip-hop historian" to tell you that? And let's even dissect that: "hip-hop historian". Who is he talking about? Me? Who are these "hip-hop historians" he speaks of? Did he interview "hip-hop historians"? If so, why aren't they cited? Again, I call bullshit! Who's with me?
Patrick Swayze: Hip Hop Icon [Hip Hop Is Read]
How Patrick Swayze got his break in hip-hop [The Guardian]
Admittedly, the post does contain a hyperlink directing to HHIR. I still call bullshit though. Even The Guardian's comment section notes: "Well plagiarised [sic] from [Hip Hop Is Read]... You have a great knack for the copy and paste, I am sure you will go far."
Update: There are a couple things I find hilarious about this post. First of all, the site's profile for the author ("author"?), Sam Richards, makes it clear that he posts roughly two articles per month. Jeez! If I was writing for The Guardian, I'm pretty sure I'd have plenty of time to come up with an original post every other week. Second, this line from the article made me chuckle: "Hip-hop historians believe that it was originally a reference to Patrick Swayze's titular role in the film Ghost...". Let's start from the end and work our way back to the beginning here. Of course it was a reference to the film Ghost. Do you really need a "hip-hop historian" to tell you that? And let's even dissect that: "hip-hop historian". Who is he talking about? Me? Who are these "hip-hop historians" he speaks of? Did he interview "hip-hop historians"? If so, why aren't they cited? Again, I call bullshit! Who's with me?
Good reading choice.
ReplyDeleteBut that dude straight jacked you. At least you got a hyperlink, but thats not much compensation.
You should email The Guardian and ask for your cut of his fee.
You should be proud though. HHIR is everywhere. Im always spreading the word too!
The least I would've expected -- certainly from a reputable site like The Guardian -- would have been an introductory line like "Ivan [Rott] of Hip Hop Is Read notes Swayze's impact on hip hop lyricism."
ReplyDeleteTrue. A lot of people dont notice hyperlinks.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you should email the site to get some credit. What harm can it do?
Plenty of other pieces i've read have mentioned the blog that they've referenced.
I think so... and yes, i agree with the other comments by Funk Doc. You should definitely write to them. They might call on you more often as a Hip Hop "authority"....
ReplyDeleteby the way, I always give your blog on-air radio props when I play your "sample" tracks on my radio show..
Sue!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Brit and on the real - the dude straight copied you.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing your thing Ivan - no-one reads the Guardian for hip-hop anyway, as their coverage is passable at best and insulting at worst. Unlike Hip Hop Is Read - which has consistently been one of the best sites on the web.
Word up
Rob
www.southernhospitality.co.uk
Yet another example of British thievery!
ReplyDeleteBS!
ReplyDeleteFuck it, keep doing your thing!
The Guardian's hip-hop writers have always been, to a manjack, priveleged privately educated post-colonialist types, so you can't really be surprised when they adopt a "this belongs to me even though I didn't write it" approach to other people's work.
ReplyDeleteJus' sayin', like.
That's nuts. Biting is illegal! At least he looked further than "Yahoo Rap Alerts" or "Reuters Feed"!!! Hahaha! He's like a real journalist, he obviously checks after the 3rd page on his Google searches! Hip-Hop writers for most big newspapers in the UK don't really respect Hip-Hop, its a cultural Hacky-Sack for a slow news day.
ReplyDeleteGuardian is for news and some good quality sports coverage. Football section is great.
ReplyDeleteTheir 'urban' music section is fairly pitiful.
A lot of acts are lucky to get a 2 line review.
I'm not surprised. The era of real journalism is over. No more checking sources, just read a blog, it has to be true if it's online...and it says his name so of course he wrote it, HA!
ReplyDeleteStraight Jack Move...
Thats funny shit.. you got jacked, that dudes lazy.. big up your chest.. EOW:UK .. peace
ReplyDeleteJockin' Iv
ReplyDeleteJockin' Iv
Jockin' Iv
Jockin' Iv
Dude straight Fizzy Wo-ed you!
ReplyDeletehttp://djpremierblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/other-face-of-foundation.html
Man that's crazy that they jocked you like that. I guess it just goes to show how much of an authority you are (if that is any consolation)
ReplyDelete• This clarification was appended on Friday 18 September 2009. In the posting above we should have acknowledged the use of material from the blog Hip Hop is Read.
ReplyDeleteMay not have your name, but you got credit lol, jack moves always happen and the good thing is you have copies of your work.