Rakim’s Sweat the Technique | Book Review

“How do I get someone to stop a record, rewind, replay, and rethink everything they thought they heard the first time?” Rakim fans reading this question posed early on in Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius (HarperCollins) will recognize this experience well. Throughout his catalog, at any moment, on any track, on any bar on any verse, Rakim is known to drop a confidently-delivered lyrical gem – something deep, maybe abstract, yet also subtle, and its meaning or lesson might end up hitting you a bar or two (or three) later. “I wanted to make people think about the rhymes,” he writes, “I wanted them to have to rewind my lyrics.” Sweat the Technique is a look inside the mind of a true lyrical genius of rap. Rakim presses rewind on his life, the lyrics, the experiences that shaped and helped to create them, and much more.


Rakim came from a musical family. Everybody in the Griffin household was musically-inclined. (Rakim himself grew up playing the sax and drums.) Recounting on his upbringing, Rakim reveals memories of his amazing parents (“Mom and Pop didn’t raise no fool”) as well as the bonds shared with his siblings. He goes in-depth on his childhood (Wyandanch), his choices (football or hip-hop?), his passion (hip-hop!). There are tales about interactions with other figures in hip hop, like discussing a line aimed at a fellow rapper, challenges while producing with Marley Marl, or just about hanging out, like with the late Jam Master Jay, talking about “rap-star big-head syndrome” and more. He writes about how the recording of “Follow the Leader” – a personal favorite – actually shut down the entire studio. “We blew a circuit. Too much power.” More than just a biography, though, Sweat the Technique is something of a guide. The book is separated into five sections, which Rakim refers to as his five pillars of creativity: “Purpose, inspiration, spirituality, consciousness, and energy.” He adds, “this is how I do it.”


Revealing a diversity of artistic influences, Rakim name-drops the likes of luminaries such as Dr. King, James Brown, Muhammad Ali, Moses, Jean-Paul Sartre, Stephen Spielberg, Mozart, Francis Ford Coppola, Shakespeare, and more. Can’t forget jazz, though! Jazz plays an integral role in not just the God MC’s music, but his overall identity. As a lover of jazz music, I enjoyed reading Rakim’s thoughts on artists like Dizzy Gillespie (“he’s who I’d like to be if I was in the jazz world”), Thelonious Monk (“I… started to re-create his sounds and rhythms with my rhymes and flows”), Miles Davis (“he was saying ‘kiss my ass!’ I wanted to be like that”), and of course John Coltrane. On Trane, Rakim shares: “I started thinking about my flows and asking myself, ‘what would Coltrane do?’” He acclaims Coltrane, referring to him as his “musical North Star.” (Sweat the Technique’s jacket even features a blurb from Cornel West, dubbing Rakim the “Colrane of hip-hop.”) There’s plenty of “genius” to unpack here.


There are sections throughout Sweat the Technique which feature full song lyrics, followed by Rakim’s notes on the writing and recording process. There are poignant moments, like his notes on “In the Ghetto,” and how the creation of that song helped him to grieve over his father. “That record released a lot of my pain,” he shares. His dissection of “Musical Massacre,” another example, reveals how truly incredible that record is. (But I won’t spoil it for you.) Rakim’s lyrical breakdowns and analysis give the reader/listener reasons to marvel over his technical skills“It’s all wordplay to me,” he writes. “I always try to have fun with it.” Jewels.


Rakim also touches on religious themes, detailing, for instance, the impact the Five Percent Nation had on his life, his views, his lyrics, and how he inserted those teachings into his music, subtly or otherwise. He offers direct advice and strategies in approaching challenges, whether they be out in the world or on a blank piece of paper. Viewing himself as an “observer,” Rakim discusses the importance of not limiting your studies to only your own discipline, but branching out in order to grow. He describes finding purpose as a “soul-searching journey,” adding, “it grew out of my identity.” He goes on to elaborate on the “divine universal consciousness,” as he refers to it, an essential source of creativity one can be trained to “tap into.” A belief in something greater, he theorizes, is a source of creativity. At the core of Rakim’s meditative, solitary approach is where he is assured that “the spark I need is always smoldering inside and I can build the fire all by myself.”


You don’t need me to remind you that Rakim’s place at the top, in "G.O.A.T."/"Top 5 (D.O.A.)" debates, has long since been documented. Among the brilliant minds that have emerged out of hip-hop, Rakim is unique. Monumental. Adding to this legacy, Sweat the Technique provides the reader a wealth of appreciation for Rakim’s music and, more generally, his artistry; his dedication and love for the craft is powerful and pure. Sweat the Technique also serves to inspire and uplift. “I haven’t saved the world,” he writes, “but I have taught, through my rhymes, ways for people to save themselves.”

Books Read by Nipsey Hussle

Buy Dan Auerbach's Favorite Blogger's New Book

In case you were wondering, I'm referring to Byron Crawford, who was name-dropped by the Black Keys' frontman in a recent profile in the New York Times. Crawford's latest oeuvre is titled Kanye West Superstar and will be released on August 18th. The book is already available for pre-order at iTunes and Barnes and Noble. Visit Byron's site for more details.

Verve: The Sound of America (Review)

 

Verve: The Sound of America
by Richard Havers; Thames & Hudson Inc., 2013

"Jazz ... brings people together ... with a complete disregard for race, color or creed."
- Norman Granz

Verve: The Sound of America (Thames & Hudson Inc.) is a magnificent new release documenting the history of one of America's greatest record labels. Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, Verve Records has been home to some of the most prolific names in jazz: Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and many, many more. Containing over 1,000 illustrations and a series of informative essays on a variety of topics all circling around Verve's incredible catalog - including a foreword by Herbie Hancock - Verve: The Sound of America captures the spirit of jazz, a quintessentially American genre of music. The pages truly come alive with photographs of street scenery and legendary musicians, both in vibrant color and seductive black-and-white. Succinct artist bios and recording notes are paired with gorgeous, high-quality cover artwork, highlighting Verve's abundant vault of material. Even the little things like font and the smooth paper stock help to accentuate the enormity of this book's substance and overall fantastic presentation. Verve: The Sound of America is indeed a treasure trove for any fan of jazz music who would undoubtedly spend hours on end poring over this voluminous delight of a "coffee table book." ― I.R.

Preview a selection of pages from Verve: The Sound of America below:

"A history of Verve Records" with author Richard Havers:

 

Happy 90th Birthday, Jack Kerouac!

"I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted."

Justin Bua's The Legends of Hip Hop

The Legends of Hip Hop
by Justin Bua
Harper Design, 2011

Immortalizing hip hop icons on canvas and paper, Justin Bua is an innovator himself, specializing in urban/fine art. He's designed everything from album covers to skateboards, capturing and reinterpreting the essence of hip hop culture. The Legends of Hip Hop, Bua's latest book release - a follow-up to 2009's The Beat of Urban Art - is a masterful collection of his hip hop portraits and prints. It might just be THE definitive hip hop coffee table book (sorry, Jay). From cover to cover, The Legends of Hip Hop is a highly-saturated collection of the best hip hop has to offer. Justin Bua presents an assortment of paintings and drawings of fifty individuals, artists and groups. Beginning with Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Michael Jackson, Bua works his way up to legends like Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Public Enemy, Guru, Nas, Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Eminem, finally capping things off with President Barack Obama, arguably a product of the multicultural progression of hip hop influence. The inclusion of both paintings and drawings offers a very nice balance of fine art and sketches, not to mention the well-written mini-essays and quotations on each individual's influence(s) on culture and Bua himself. The Legends of Hip Hop is a blast from the past, often times teaching the reader a thing or two about the history of hip hop: Lesser known contributors to the culture like Futura 2000, Mr. Wiggles and Crazy Legs are included in the narrative, given equal exposure as more prominently recognized greats like Slick Rick, KRS-One and Dr. Dre, amongst many others.

My Infamous Life: Prodigy's Upcoming Paperback Release

Get my book, kid. You know my function.

In the spring of 2011, Simon & Schuster published the aptly titled My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy - arguably the preeminent hip hop memoir released thus far. (Read my thoughts on Prodigy's autobiography here.) On February 7th, just a week from now, the paperback edition will be hitting bookstores and e-shelves. Now would be a great time to pre-order a copy and finally check out P's Infamous Life if you missed out on the hardcover release.

WC Explores Hip Hop: A Cultural Odyssey

Jazz Is Read, Too

For all the bookworms out there, here's a list of interesting new titles on jazz and blues which will be hitting shelves during the next few months. The first one, Nica's Dream: The Life and Legend of the Jazz Baroness, is at the top of my reading list because I'd like to learn more about Pannonica de Koenigswarter (whom I've noted on Tumblr once or twice). Though I most likely won't be reading all of these titles, I'm sure someone out there will find them interesting and worth checking out. Dig in:



Nica's Dream: The Life and Legend of the Jazz Baroness
by David Kastin
W. W. Norton & Company, June 27, 2011

The first biography of the legendary Rothschild heiress who reigned as New York’s “Jazz Baroness.”

It’s a misty night in 1950s New York. A silver Rolls-Royce screeches to a stop at the neon-lit doorway of a 52nd Street jazz club. Behind the wheel is a glamorous brunette, a chinchilla stole draped over her shoulder and a long cigarette holder clinched in her teeth. After taking a pull from a small silver flask, she glides past the bouncer into the murky depths of the Three Deuces. The Jazz Baroness has arrived.

Raised in fairy-tale splendor, Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild de Koenigswarter (known as “Nica”) piloted her own plane across the English Channel, married a French baron, fought in the French Resistance, and had five children. Then she heard a recording of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.” Inspired by the liberating spirit of jazz, Nica left her family, moved to Manhattan, and began haunting the city’s nightclubs.

The tabloids first splashed her name across the headlines after Charlie Parker died in her hotel suite—a scandal that cast a dark shadow over the rest of her life. She retreated from the public eye, but through her ongoing ministrations to Monk and dozens of other musicians she became a legend. Nearly a score of jazz compositions have been written in her honor, including two of the most beloved classics of the genre: Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream” and Monk’s “Pannonica.”

Nica’s Dream traces the story of a fascinating woman across her thirty-year reign as the Jazz Baroness, but it also explores a transformative era in twentieth-century American culture. Based on interviews with musicians, family members, historians, and artists, David Kastin’s probing biography unwraps the life of this enigmatic figure and evokes the vibrancy of New York during the birth of bebop, the first stirrings of the Beat Generation, and the advent of abstract expressionism. 8 pages of black-and-white illustrations.

Thoughts on Prodigy's 'Infamous Life'

So I finally got around to finishing up My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy (Simon & Schuster). I enjoyed the read. First and foremost, this book is nothing like Jay-Z's biographical Decoded, which featured lyrical interpretations from Jay, as well as scattered tales from his youth, and his opinions on various topics. The main focus of Decoded, however, was the package: the artwork, mostly, rendering it a "coffee table book." Prodigy's book has got photos as well - with family and friends and, possibly my favorite, a very neat fake ID - but the bulk of the material focuses on Prodigy's life and the lives of the people around him. It really goes in-depth from a more personal standpoint. It feels like the transcription of a very long, very detailed interview/speech/conversation given by Prodigy himself. The Thun language is liberally strewn across the text, of course, and as the reader, you really get a sense that Prodigy is talking directly through the words on the page.

As a big jazz fan, I was fascinated to learn a little bit about Prodigy's grandfather, the great saxophonist Budd Johnson. Stories of how his parents and grandparents met and hooked up, as well as recounts of P's own relationships, were charmingly personal, which I appreciate in an author: honesty. My Infamous Life is brutally honest and open and covers a wide array of terrain. For instance, I'm fascinated by any and all things 2Pac, as you may have guessed by now. Prodigy describes digging through some of 'Pac's notes and poems. He also asserts that the 2Pac/Biggie "beef" was fabricated to sell records. For years, I've considered this to be true. P provides further evidence for this theory (if you want to call it a "theory"). Of course, Prodigy goes in on his spat with Jay-Z, which also involved friction with other Roc-a-Fella affiliated artists. This was news to me. Additionally, there are plenty of other folks you'd expect to read about who land on the pages of My Infamous Life, like QB artists N.O.R.E., Tragedy, and Nas. Ron "Say Queensbridge" Artest pops into the equation as well. You'll have to read the book to find out why...

My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy is really unlike any other hip hop-themed memoir I've read before. Prodigy's eye-opening narrative delivers a balance of tales from the streets and disputes behind closed doors of board rooms - and the instances when these two worlds collide. If you're a fan of Mobb Deep, you probably have this book by now. If not, I recommend My Infamous Life to anyone who is fascinated by New York City (at its grittiest) and the bridged eras of pre- to post-golden era hip hop.

"Some guy in a wheelchair..."

Peace to BX's Ronin for putting two and two together:

Before the shooting, I was working as a journalist for Right On! Magazine, and I continued on afterwards. One day, I interviewed Nas. His first album, Illmatic, has just went gold, and Sony threw a party to celebrate. I'd known Nas for many years, and we were very good friends, but like I said, I was a different person by this point.

Everything was going fine at the party at first, everyone was having a great time, but it didn't last. Long story short, there was a misunderstanding over some nonsense between my crew and Nas' crew. Funkmaster Flex was there, and he was calling for me to join Nas up on stage, but by that point, shit was WAY out of hand, and gunshots were going off in the crowd.

People started screaming and running for the doors. We all managed to ruin an event that should've been beautiful. That was a day a black mother should've been proud of her son, but we fucked it up. It wasn't cool, and it's one of the few things in life I truly regret and apologize for.

- MF Grimm; Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm

Nas's debut, Illmatic, had gone gold in October 1994, and he was having a party at the Melting Pot nightclub in Manhattan. The whole QB went. The party was poppin' for a few hours when some guy in a wheelchair started beefing with one of the QB homies. How is somebody in a wheelchair still beefing? I thought to myself. Everybody from the hood was upset because Nas's mom's and baby moms Carmen were there and shouldn't be exposed to needless drama, so one of the QB dudes kicked the wheelchair gangsta in the chest, knocked him out the wheelchair, and started brawling with his crew. People got shot, stabbed, cut, and beat down. It seemed people didn't believe what we said in our song's or they didn't care and had a fetish for pain. It's mind-bogglin. We went home and saw it on the new later.

- Prodigy; My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy

Walter Mosley's Leonid McGill Series

A year ago, acclaimed author Walter Mosley released Known to Evil, the second installment in his Leonid McGill series. As a fan of all things noir - or at the very least "noir-esque" (i.e. film, comics, video games, and yes, books) - I was quickly drawn in by Mosley's hardboiled literary style. The consummate noir hero, protagonist/private dick McGill toes the line between justice and his seedy underworld backdrop, all while exuding cynicism, romanticism, and laconic wit. One year later, Leonid McGrill returns in When the Thrill Is Gone, Mosley's latest volume in the series, in stores today.

Recommended to Hip Hop Is Readers.

2010: The Year in Hip Hop Literature

Errare Humanum Est: A Tale of Two Books

I've spent the past few sick days watching films noir and reading the ternion of hip hop books hitting shelves during the 2010 holiday season: The Anthology of Rap, Decoded, and The Big Payback. The latter of these three, Dan Charnas' riveting industry-insider account of entrepreneurship and corporatism in hip hop's ever-evolving saga, will be covered here sometime soon down the road (before it's December 7th release, if time permits me). In the meantime, I'd like to discuss The Anthology of Rap and Jay-Z's Decoded.

For the past few weeks, there's been much to say - and has been said - about the lyrical errors found in The Anthology of Rap. As I stated before, this is certainly a cause for criticism. There's no hiding behind the flaws in the book. However, I feel that the crusade led by Slate writer Paul Devlin, though admirable in its tenacity, serves as nothing more but dragging this book through the mud. Again, there is no argument to be made that this book contains pristine lyrics, delivered from the scribblings and mental word structures of emcees straight to Yale's printing press. This would be impossible, right? To err is human. But believe it or not, Jay-Z's Decoded suffers from this unavoidable truth as well.

Would you be surprised if there were typos and misprints to be found in Decoded's transcribed lyrics, written by Jay-Z himself? I asked myself this question after reading Devlin's latest piece on The Anthology of Rap titled "Stakes Is High: Members of the Anthology of Rap's advisory board speak out about the book's errors." (A brief note: Devlin mentions that he found the contact information to 18 of The Anthology of Rap's 21 advisory board members. I myself being one of these 21 individuals was surprised to find that I wasn't approached for comment.) Devlin ends his piece by pointing out one erroneous Jay-Z transcription found in The Anthology of Rap. I've done some digging as well. Interestingly enough, in some cases The Anthology of Rap gets it right where Decoded gets it wrong. What more can I say?

Both The Anthology of Rap and Decoded share four Jay-Z songs in common: "Renegade", "December 4th", "99 Problems", and S. Carter's remix of "My President is Black". I'll go in that order:

Renegade

One of The Anthology of Rap's strong points is marked by a keen observation for line breaks. Remember, The Anthology's goal is to approach rap lyrics as poetry, presenting them on paper as such. Pointing out hip hop's "heavy reliance on 4/4 beats", The Anthology aims to preserve the prominence of the beat's rhythm over which the lyrics are delivered. You'll notice when reading lyrics posted on the internet that aside from the run of the mill typos and misprints, there are also plenty of odd line breaks that don't seem to match with the song it was meant to convert to written form. The Anthology of Rap made righting this wrong a priority. It may not mean much to some, but if being inquisitive over inaccuracies is the lay of the land, I've got a few to point out. Compare the following bars selected below and notice the differences between each set (bold mine):

what I do through and through and
I give you the news with a twist it's just his ghetto point of view
The renegade; you been afraid
I penetrate pop culture, bring 'em a lot closer to the block where they
...
No he's not around - now how that sound to ya, jot it down
I bring it through the ghetto without ridin 'round
hidin down duckin strays from frustrated youths stuck in they ways
Just read a magazine that fucked up my day
- Decoded

What I do through and through and
I give you the news with a twist; it's just his ghetto point-of-view
The renegade, you been afraid, I penetrate
Pop culture, bring 'em a lot closer to the block where they
...
No, he's not around. Now how that sound to ya? Jot it down
I bring it through the ghetto without ridin 'round
Hidin down, duckin strays from frustrated youths
Stuck in they ways. Just read a magazine that fucked up my day
- The Anthology of Rap

If you keep the 4/4 beat in mind while reading each set of lyrics, you'll realize that Decoded took some liberties in casting the structure of its lyrics for "Renegade". Line by line (or kick-snare-kick-snare by kick-snare-kick-snare) however, The Anthology of Rap does a better job of matching the beat appropriately with the lyrics (or is it the other way around). Too finicky an observation? Perhaps. But how's this for a revelation: OHHLA presents the same error as found in Decoded. Take a gander:

The renegade; you been afraid
I penetrate pop culture, bring 'em a lot closer to the block where they
- OHHLA

Not only is the same line break between "afraid" and "I penetrate" visible, but notice the semicolon. How often are semicolons used in transcribed rap lyrics? It's gotta be a coincidence, right? Maybe not. The mystery unravels when semicolons are shared once again later on in the track:

Could not stress to me I wasn't grown; 'specially on nights
I brought somethin home to quiet the stomach rumblings
- Decoded

Could not stress to me I wasn't grown; 'specially on nights
I brought somethin home to quiet the stomach rumblings
- OHHLA

Identical. (In case you're wondering, The Anthology of Rap appropriately uses a comma in these instances.) So did Jay-Z and his Decoded writers use OHHLA as a source - just as The Anthology of Rap's editors have been charged? I'll leave that to the readers' discretion. Shall we continue?

Do not step to me - I'm awkward, I box lefty often
My pops left me an orphan, my momma wasn't home
- Decoded

Do not step to me; I'm awkward, I box leftier often
My pops left me an orphan, my mama wasn't home
- The Anthology of Rap

Despite the fact that "leftier" isn't even an actual word, The Anthology of Rap is correct in choosing it over Decoded's "lefty". Pay careful attention not just to the word being delivered on "Renegade" (he's clearly saying "leftier"), but to the syllable count juxtaposed between "lefty/leftier often" and "left me an orphan". Five syllables between the correct delivery, as transcribed by The Anthology of Rap: left-i-er-of-ten/left-me-an-or-phan. Wouldn't you expect the gorgeously-crafted Decoded to get Jay-Z's lyrics down pat? Yeah, me too.

December 4th

For the sake of brevity, I feel it's no longer necessary to point out the line breaks (at least until the last track) in Decoded which are arranged correctly in The Anthology of Rap. For starters, it'd be a bit exhaustive to pinpoint each and every one of these instances. But most importantly, I know that people will find it of little to no value. Though I disagree with that point of view, I'll accommodate the notion that a typo in content weighs heavier than choppy structuring. With that said, the only noteworthy error I've found in Decoded for "December 4th" is the word "two-wheeler" which, delivered by Jay-Z's own mother, Gloria Carter, is actually spoken as "two-wheel". The Anthology of Rap correctly transcribes it as such. Nothing to lose sleep over.

99 Problems

Decoded transcribes the second verse from this track off The Black Album. Let's take a look at some more select portions of the lyrics:

I got two choices y'all, pull over the car or
bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor
- Decoded

I got two choices, y'all: pull over the car or
Bounce on the devil, put the pedal to the floor
- The Anthology of Rap

Have I been wrong all these years? I've been reciting "the devil" all this time thinking I knew my Jay-Z lyrics front to back. I guess I was wrong. Despite the fact that pointing out this error actually goes against my thesis, I thought it'd be interesting to note nonetheless. Who else thought it was "devil" too? Unless he really was saying "devil" back in '03 and has had a change of heart with his Dark Lord since then, hmm? I'm kidding of course. We see you, Jay. Moving on:

And I heard "Son do you know why I'm stopping you for?"
"Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low?
Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don't know
Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo?"
"Well you was doing fifty-five in a fifty-four
License and registration and step out of the car
Are you carrying a weapon on you, I know a lot of you are"
"I ain't stepping out of shit all my papers legit"
"Do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?"
"Well my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk and the back
And I know my rights so you go'n need a warrant for that"
"Aren't you sharp as a tack, some type of lawyer or something
Or somebody important or something?"
- Decoded

I heard, "Son, do you know why I'm stopping you for?"
'Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low?
Do I look like a mind reader, sir? I don't know
Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo'?
"Well, you was doing fifty-five in a fifty-four
License and registration and step out of the car
Are you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are"
I ain't stepping out of shit, all my paper's legit
"Well, do you mind if I look round the car a little bit?"
Well, my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk and the back
And I know my rights so you gon' need a warrant for that
"Aren't you sharp as a tack, you some type of
Lawyer or somethin? Somebody important or somethin?"
- The Anthology of Rap

Decoded either adds or omits the following words incorrectly: "and", "well", "some", and "or". Also notice that Decoded somewhat confusingly uses quotations for both Jay-Z, the hustler, and Jay-Z, the police officer (a.k.a. jake). The only quotations needed are for the cop, signified by Jay-Z's demonstrably altered accent/intonation.

My President is Black (Remix)

Here we go:

My president is black
My Maybach too
and I'll be goddamn if my diamonds ain't blue
my money dark green
and my Porsche is light gray
I'm headin for D.C. anybody feel me
My president is black
in fact he's half white
so even in a racist mind
he's half right
if you have a racist mind
you be aight
my president is black
but his house is all WHITE
Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk
Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run
Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly
So I'ma spread my wings and
you can meet me in the sky
...
Hello Ms. America
Hey pretty lady
that red white and blue flag
wave for me baby
- Decoded

My president is black, my Maybach, too
And I'll be goddamn if my diamonds ain't blue
My money's dark green and my Porsche is light gray
And I'm headed for D.C. - anybody feel me?
My president is black, in fact, he's half white
So even in a racist's mind, he's half right
If you have a racist mind, you be aight
The president is black, but his house is all white
Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk
Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run
Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly
So I'ma spread my wings, you can meet me in the sky
...
Hello, Miss America, hey, pretty lady
Red, white, and blue flag, wave for me, baby!
- The Anthology of Rap

The structure found in this particular Decoded entry signifies an amateurish method of transcribing lyrics which The Anthology of Rap aimed to confront - correctly, in this occasion. In addition to the shoddy structuring found in Decoded's version, there are also minimal miscues throughout, once again noted in bold. Maybe I'm just being a pisher here, but I'd counter that if you're going to call out the inaccuracies in one book, it's only fair to levy the same amount of skepticism towards another. And therein lies the crux of the issue: The Anthology of Rap, which spans over 800 pages, covers hundreds of songs by nearly as many artists. I'd expect The Anthology of Rap's first printing to be an imperfect work. Decoded on the other hand covers thirty-six songs by one single artist and the book itself is written by that very artist! Nonetheless, errors are found. To err is human. Don't trip.

Within the pages of both of these books lies something to be cherished, to be critiqued and debated, to be studied. Both of these books offer sources of insight and inspiration. Both of these books are highly recommended by yours truly. For what it's worth however, both of these books are kind of expensive. Each book is listed at $35 (though I'm sure you'll find it online or in stores for a reduced price). I'm the first to advocate wise consumerism. With that said, do yourself a favor and head out to a book store to flip through them. Leave them both at the store, choose one over the other, or go for broke and bring them both home with you. If you care enough about hip hop and aren't one of those "books are for losers" types, remember: hip hop is read. Thank you for caring. And thank you for reading.

The Anthology of Rap | Book Review/Discussion

The Anthology of Rap
• Edited by Adam Bradley & Andrew DuBois
• Foreword by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• Afterwords by Chuck D & Common
• Yale University Press; November 9, 2010

Full disclosure: I served on The Anthology of Rap's advisory board, amongst a selection of well-respected journalists and fellow hip hop heads. I was honored to be included in this group. My duty was to suggest tracks for recommendation and inclusion into the anthology. A number of my picks were approved, including songs by artists such as Jadakiss, Brother Ali, Edan and more. When I was first asked to participate in the makeup of the book's (table of) content, a great deal of the work had already been completed. I tried to fill in the blanks with a few more tracks I thought might be worthy additions.

When I was younger, I bemoaned having to spend upwards of $90 on various literary anthologies. At the end of each school year though, I often refrained from selling them to the next year's students. In some instances, I simply couldn't pawn them off because they'd been rendered "outdated." But for the most part, I held on to these massive books in the hopes of revisiting those classics from time to time. I've often flipped through random pages to read a poem or short story. This is how I value an anthology in the personal sense (i.e. as part of a home library), and The Anthology of Rap is a unique addition to my collection. Lifting the oft-dismissed lyrics of rap poetry towards a stage of academic survey is worthy of praise. The Anthology of Rap is, quite simply, the first of its kind.

The project itself is rather ambitious: seeing a book of its nature on future "required reading" lists would be a sight to behold. When on paper, rap poetry takes on a new level of seriousness and import. I was struck by this notion just last year when I read The RZA's The Tao of Wu, which featured the transcribed lyrics for "Sunshower" - much of which I hadn't picked up on as a listener, initially. Upon reading The RZA's distinct and insightful wordplay, I needed to hear that song again. As The Anthology of Rap's introduction states, "readers stand to gain a renewed appreciation for rap's music by considering the poetry of its lyrics." Indeed, this practice helped me to value the artist's lyricism to a higher degree, and bolstered the listening experience altogether. With a wide roster of featured artists, The Anthology of Rap can do the very same. Alternatively, many readers will undoubtedly discover great music by reading the emcees' lyrics. Such was the case for New York Magazine critic Sam Anderson, who described himself as a "hip-hop illiterate." This anthology is something different to each reader, and can be put to a number of various uses.

It's worth mentioning that though the anthology's editors worked diligently on preserving accuracy in the lyrics - assisted by the artists themselves in some instances - "flawless transcriptions are nearly impossible to achieve." With that being said, hip hop heads and perfectionists alike will have a legitimate cause for criticism. Notably, Slate writer Paul Devlin penned a critique highlighting a selection of inaccuracies found in The Anthology of Rap. Nitpicking might be a word to describe Devlin's article, but I beg to differ - as does The Anthology itself. As stated early on in the book, "undoubtedly small errors remain in even the most scrupulous efforts, ours included." It'd be a shame though if criticism over minor - albeit noteworthy - lyrical flaws overshadowed the work that went into the anthology's lyrical transcription - a cumbersome goal, given rap lyrics' rugged, word-heavy qualities. One particular area in which the editors' work is immediately noticeable is over the deliberation concerning line breaks, marking an attempt to structuralize verses into an on-paper format that reads much like traditional poetry. Various poetic forms such as enjambment, caesurae and internal and end rhymes are taken into account.

Additionally, there remains a pair of valid (though paradoxical, as I'll soon discuss) criticisms of the anthology. As one might point out, there are a number of songs which are seemingly omitted from the anthology. I should know, as several of the tracks I suggested for inclusion were nowhere to be found in the final copy. There are plenty of reasons for these omissions, the most foreboding of which being, quite bluntly, copyright laws. The book states: "Some readers may bemoan the absence of certain classic songs, songs that logically should belong in this anthology. In such cases, there is a good chance that ... [this had] something to do with the practical matter of being denied the proper permissions." The criticism over missing songs lies in sharp contrast with any complaints I've read over the anthology's lack of footnotes. As it stands, The Anthology of Rap features lyrics from hundreds of songs, amounting to a total of over 800 pages. Imagine if this book supplied footnotes as well. Two scenarios arise: either the book would exceed a span of two or three (or more!) thousand pages OR a significant number of songs would need to be left on the proverbial cutting room floor in order to accommodate both lyrics and footnotes. Either of these two options would be laughably indefensible. Given these choices, The Anthology of Rap finds a workable balance between the two. (Regarding footnotes, the book recommends checking out Rap Genius - a website which specializes in analyzing references and "read between the lines"-like content found in rap lyrics.)

Rapper Common writes that "this book offers a view of rap in full, from the root to the fruit." Indeed, this uniquely African American oral tradition - from the Dozens to H. Rap Brown, all the way to its present day practice - is traced from the roots in The Anthology of Rap. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s foreword in particular serves as an appropriate compendium discussing rap's roots, citing his father - born in 1913 - as his initial introduction to "signifying." Gates applauds the anthology for "masterfully [assembling] part of a new vanguard of American poetry." Chuck D writes that The Anthology of Rap is "a landmark text." Common calls it "something of great value and great power - if we learn how to use it." Cornel West deems it "an instant classic." I'm calling it the beginning of rap's claim to legitimacy in the realm of academia - a long time coming, too.

Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Christopher R. Weingarten | Book Review

Public Enemy's
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
by Christopher R. Weingarten
(Continuum Books; Spring, 2010)

Ideal for readers who are suckers for palm-sized books (like me), the 33⅓ series is written for music addicts, by music addicts. The latest volume in this great series – 71st total, 5th amongst titles covering hip hop LPs – takes an all-encompassing look at Public Enemy’s second (and best) album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Author Christopher R. Weingarten (Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Idolator, Spin …) weaves a web of history-rich anecdotes and music trivia as convoluted as the sample-heavy sonics of the album itself. With flair, Weingarten wraps up all of the “noise” into a thoroughly researched, enthrallingly informative read.

Hip hop in the mid-to-late ‘80s wasn’t the commercialized custerfluck it is today. Rap artists were battling for supremacy in an era when a DJ or music critic’s opinion was the gospel, the end-all be-all to critical acclaim or absolute ostracization. Even after dropping their debut album on the biggest rap label on the planet, Public Enemy still wasn’t turning heads like they’d expected. Critics panned them and DJs – most notably Mr. Magic, which Weingarten touches on – refused to play their records. It was at that point at which PE front man Chuck D, upon hearing Eric B. & Rakim’s “I Know You Got Soul”, knew he had to double up for the group’s sophomore effort – or “turn it up”, if you will.

Weingarten portrays the group’s creative efforts and direction, fused by Chuck D’s hard as nails steadfastness and the Shocklee brothers’ unique sonic structuring, accompanied of course by Flavor Flav’s spunk and the militant imagery of the S1Ws and Professor Griff. In describing the Bomb Squad’s chaotic soundscapes – a stark contrast to Marley Marl’s fine-pointed production – Weingarten cleverly compares these varied approaches to the dissimilarities between Stax and Motown (as well as Def Jam co-founders Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons). With a keen appreciation for the samples that made this album what it was, the author delves deep into the life and music of The Godfather – the late, great James Brown. Weingarten also covers oft-overlooked narratives of Bootsy Collins as a JB, Bobby Byrd as the original hype man, and Clyde Stubblefield, responsible for arguably the most sampled break of all time – “Funky Drummer”.

Providing a great history lesson that branches out into the realms of funk and soul as much as it does to rap, Weingarten offers a commendable balance of both research and unique insight. For instance, he compares the bizarre occurrence of organ transplant recipients adopting the traits of their donors(!) to the art of sampling and the resurrection of old sounds – reanimating the past, taking on a new life. Similarly intriguing, the author dissects Chuck D’s infamous line “bass, how low can you go” and its lyrical significance, being re-flipped nine tracks later on Nation’s “Night of the Living Baseheads”: Turning “bass” to “base”, and giving “how low can you go” a whole new meaning.

Much like the untold number of samples fit tightly into It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Weingarten’s contribution to the 33⅓ series amasses a great wealth of musical history into an item you can fit in your pocket. Articulately and efficiently capturing the frenzied history (and pre-history) of Public Enemy’s second LP into a mini-anthology of sorts, Christopher R. Weingarten has given us a reason once more to believe the hype about one of rap’s greatest and most influential albums.

The BeatTips Manual by Amir “Sa’id” Said | Review

Full Disclosure: I’ve contributed to Amir “Sa’id” Said’s website, BeatTips. Admittedly, I only wrote one article (a Pete Rock album review), but it’s still worth mentioning. I may be “just a blogger”, but I’ve still got some journalistic integrity.
~
If rap was a game, Big L would be MVP. If rap was a university, The BeatTips Manual would be required reading. Scratch that. Amir “Sa’id” Said’s beatmaking opus has already earned that status at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for the university’s course on hip hop/rap music production. Rightfully so, The BeatTips Manual earns its stripes as a legitimate textbook, accessible to students at college and students of the game alike.

The BeatTips Manual begins with an all-encompassing look at the genesis of hip hop and the birth of beatmaking. From the offset, the author’s respect for hip hop as an artform is evident. As a sample-based producer, Sa’id fulfills his obligations to highlight hip hop’s influences, both culturally and musically. What’s especially unique about this guide is Sa’id’s introductions and explanations on topics concerning musical theory, written with a style that’s both technical and comprehensible, satisfying production vets and newcomers alike. Sa’id’s crash course on beat composition will serve as an invaluable compass for novices, but The BeatTips Manual provides a wealth of knowledge to beatmakers of all levels of experience.

Guiding the reader through the nitty gritty of both artistic and business angles of beatmaking, Sa’id offers tips and tricks of the trade, the best equipment to look for, and of course, valuable production techniques. His discussions with super producers like Marley Marl, DJ Premier and Buckwild, for instance, are particularly eye opening. Few interviews with these artists ever delve into the brass tacks of beat composition to this detail. Additional sections on shopping beats, sampling laws, and tips on maneuvering through the music industry are all essential reading for anybody who is serious about taking their hip hop hobby to new levels.

Detailed and thorough, I'd consider The BeatTips Manual to be the go-to guide for beatmaking. Highly recommended!

Patti Smith at UCLA's Hammer Museum, Jan. 28th, 2010

This past Thursday night, I attended an event at UCLA’s Hammer Museum, commemorating the life and work of Harry Everett Smith – well-known to some, anonymous to most, mysterious to all. Smith was an admired figure of the counter-culture of the ‘50’s and onwards, best known for his obscure silent films and his important archival work to preserve American folk music. Patti Smith did the honors in this appropriately titled event ('Smith on Smith'), recounting some anecdotes about Harry, a relic of American lore, as well as sharing some interesting and funny tales of New York City in its yesteryears – describing the bohemian melting pot of poets, musicians, mystics and transients freely gravitating in and around the Chelsea hotel.

I’ve been to a few Patti Smith concerts before, but this event was particularly special: she interspersed readings of excerpts from her new book, Just Kids, with musical performances and spoken word poetry. Between stories about Allen Ginsberg mistaking her for a boy, hanging out at the Chelsea and bumping into Grace Slick and Jimi Hendrix, and more adventures with Harry Smith, Sam Shepard (then known to her as “Slim Shadow”), and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (he shot the photo for Patti’s debut album, Horses), Smith spontaneously dedicated a song to J.D. Salinger, soon followed by a politically-stirring reading of “People Have the Power” in honor of Howard Zinn. Overall, it was a very enlightening and fun event – yet another reminder that I was born two score too late.

Visit the Harry Smith Archives here.

Check out Patti Smith’s new book here. Purchase it here.

30 Interesting New Books to Read in February

RSS Readers: Enter the site for Apture links/previews.

If I had all the time in the world, I'd spend a lot of it on reading. You must learn! Since I can't have that luxury, the second best thing I can do is to throw you a heads up on the upcoming books that interest me - and hopefully you as well. Here's my list of thirty interesting new books hitting shelves in February. I like to stand by the principle "don't judge a book by its cover", but if you must, click the book title link for an Apture link/preview. Enjoy:

Timing FAIL: Gilbert Arenas FTL!

Did you know that Gilbert Arenas has an upcoming book? I sure as hell didn’t! In light of Hibachi’s gun-toting fuckery, the release and PR mishap of plugging Score Like Agent Zero should be a sight to behold. I kinda feel bad for DJ Gallo, the guy who I can only assume really wrote this book. Take a look at Score Like Agent Zero’s product description, copied from Amazon (with cynical emphasis added by yours truly):