Bam & Chuck snackar
Afrika Bambaataa and Chuck D Demand Accontability in Hip-Hop
Tuesday - February 28, 2006 by Rebecca A. Murphy
Hip-Hop legends Afrika Bambaataa and Chuck D of Public Enemy recently held a Zulu Nation meeting at Harlem's National Back Theatre to discuss the issues of hip-hop.
Last Tuesday (February 22), the Supreme World Council of the Universal Zulu Nation held an emergency meeting to speak on the current state of rap music. Chuck D and Bambaataa blasted the media, particularly radio stations like New York's Hot 97 and Power 105, for "brainwashing" their listeners with their repetitive radio show playlists.
"If you're playing 50 Cent, we want to hear Common Sense," said Bambaataa. "If you play Missy Elliot, we want to hear Sonic Force. If you play Sean Paul, we want to hear Bob Marley."
This is not the first time Bambaataa has gone at Hot 97. R.E.A.C.H.Hip-Hop, a group that Bambaataa is a founding member of, has spoken out on multiple occasions against the station and Miss Jones, their morning show host.
Chuck D suggested that hip-hop artists add a variety of sound to their music, speaking directly to rap stars such as Lil' Jon and the Ying Yang Twins.
"That's all you hear is a mixture of a thug life and children," said Chuck D. "How you going to make a club song and your marketing campaign is aimed at a 14-year-old? Why? A 14-year-old can't get into the goddamn club. And not only is it a club, it's a strip club. So what the hell does an 11-year-old who rushes home from school to turn on the radio or television know about strip clubs anyway?
"This is not a building full of bitter people, bitter old recording artists who are mad that their records ain't getting played on the radio anymore," he added. "This is a town meeting for the survival of people . Hip-hop is caught up in a time where one's worth and status are contingent upon money rather than a genuine love for the music."
Djingis Khan for life.