Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Prince Paul Is Still A Genius

"I remember you! You was that De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Native Tongue n*gga." - an acquaintance at the MSU Black Alumni picnic, 2007

When the group that defined your era, your passion and your pathos is being honored in a "Legends" setting, you're fucking old. At least that's how I felt at watching VH1 Hip Hop Honors show. I didn't even watch the whole thing, just the part with A Tribe Called Quest. That's all I needed to see. To watch Common (who I thought was a Tribe contemporary, really) and Lupe ("ATCQ never influenced me, even a tiny bit") Fiasco do their best to make me miss the genuine article, was miserable.

Make no bones about it, my favorite group was/is De La Soul with ATCQ a close second. Mind you, I believe that the Tribe made better music, but I believed that De La Soul set the table. Tribe just improved on the template.

When everybody and they mama thought gun-totin' was sexy, the Tribe was there, being who they were, the jazziest, dopest cats on the set. It was OK to be different, to be smart, to be aware.

I'm living in a world where people are trying to "out ignorant" each other. Every week there's a new winner.

There are remnants of the Native Tongue era everywhere, but nothing in a unified way. The neo-soul segment of R & B, The Roots, Slum Village, Lupe (though he refuses to acknowledge it), MF Doom, and of course Common who just dropped an amazing CD. Kanye? Not so much, though he tries to force a connection every chance he gets.

It's a bitch getting old.

KZ

20 comments:

BZ said...

I feel you! I miss the 'dirty back pack crew' days. And yes, that means I'm getting old, too. I'm actually going to a legends dinner at homecoming next weekend. LOL When you're invited, you're old.

Miss you!

Little Brown Girl said...

Tribe brought tears to my eyes...it was amazing to see them even if only for a few moments but at the same time it left me feeling hella old. Common is the one I hold onto most...the one who reminds me the difference between real and fake. Mos does that for me too but in a different way, I think he reinforces for me what it means to stand for something and to not be afraid to be different. The Roots...I rock out with them whenever we are in the same town. There are still a few out here that keep me alive. Oh and I dont even touch the radio anymore cause that shyt is nothing short of a nasty disease...I hate the radio and everything it represents!!!

Actually lately I've been on some jazz only shyt...Coltrane and Miles exclusively. I've had enough of today's music I think.

I did DVR the Honors just so I can watch Tribe over and over. I am also praying for Phife, them meds are really beating his azz up!

aquababie said...

i really enjoy ATCQ! i hated they were the last to set inducted. i will not tell you i was jumping up and down. and i was dissapointed in what lupe said. to be the future of hip hop, you have to connect to the past.

as for today's music, it's trash. thank goodness folk our age are turning out good music. i've been jamming common and talib religiously since they've been out.

and i'm like royce's daughter. there are some days when i listen to is jazz. that's my favorite. if you look at my ipod and cd collection, a good 50-60% is jazz.

A.u.n.t. Jackie said...

did they Crank Dat Soljah Boy?

That's my favorite song right now. Is that Hip Hop Honors worthy?

Anonymous said...

I also thought CoMmon was a contemporary. He has been in the game a while. I guess because he still puts out albums he was not inducted yet. Who knows.

T-Pain sounded horrible on the VH1 special. Never in the history should he be allowed to try and sing New Jack style R&B

Blah Blah Blah said...

I tried watching it...but...

Saw Tribe and Snoop last year live.
Saw Common this year.

I don't even listen tot the radio. Even that stuff that passes for Smooth Jazz. Music in general these days is shit...
You have to go satelite if you want to get any good underground shit.

@ AJ...the boys were doing that on the cruise and so why was I on youtube trying to learn that damn soulja boy dance...LMAO

aquababie said...

missy and snopp still release albums though. honestly i thought it was too soo for them to be "inducted".

1969 said...

The dreads and a knapsack crew....ah yes.

Those were the days!

1969 said...

Missy before Latifah? C'mon man.

Knockout Zed said...

@BZ
Where have you been, mamacita? Good to see you back.

Dang, BZ, I knew you were a legend, I just couldn't prove it!

@RD
The funny thing is Quest made me a jazz head. I got into Coltrane and Miles BECAUSE of Quest. The whole Native Tongue style of sampling made me widen my musical tastes.

Yeah, Phife is on full blown dialysis. I'm praying for that brother as well.

@Aqua
I done with the radio too. Especially in Satan's Anus. They got one black radio station, on AM radio. And they play "new" jams like My Prerogative.

And you're right about Missy and Snoop. To me ESPECIALLY Missy. Has MC Lyte been honored? She's the second best female MC ever, behind crazy ass Lauryn.

@AJ
You wanna know something funny. I've heard OF Soulja Boy, but I've never heard the song.

@Eps
T-Pain? Really? That was a reach.

@BBB
I've never seen Snoop, but I've seen Common 3 times and Tribe twice.

Maybe I need to invest in satellite.

You're no longer allowed to dance in public. You are the mother of teenagers.

@Sixy
Missy should have followed at least Latifah, Lauryn and Lyte. The "L"s before "M"s.

KZ

aquababie said...

i think they honored mc lyte last year. and thank heaven you've never heard soujah boy....

proacTiff said...

I'm thinking about creating an 80s music playlist seperate from the ubiquitous 90s music list that iTunes has. But I'll admit that I lost faith in the lyrics and focus more on the beats of production work. As long as we still have the memory is what I keep reminding myself.

Mr.Slish said...

You know great minds think alike...Have you ever guys noticed that most of us listen to the same good music...Its funny how I can't find anyone around that listens to what I call HIP HOP, but the blog world is full of folks that have good taste..

I'm sorry Royce and Zed I have at least ten new mixes I've been holding onto I will send them out pronto...

ChezNiki said...

DeLa had a concert with Tito Puente [RIP] when I was in undergrad in like 1988 [!?!?!]Luuuved them, even though they were "HipHop Hippies" all peace and granola in a world of bangers Public Enemy and KRS1. My sisters and I called it "Easy Listening Rap" LOL!
They were ahead of their time, sampling jazz and latin music.

But yes, I have to realize Im as old as sh*t. My Godson just turned 14 on Saturday and I was in the tub this morning listening to some Al B Sure thinking, "I wonder whatever happened to UniBrow???" Oy Vey!

Angel said...

hmmmm...you like mf doom? i never would have guessed...

1969 said...

Zed....they inducted Lyte last year. Salt N Pepa were the first female honorees.

So Salt N Pepa, then Lyte....then Missy? NAH....Latifah needs to be up in dat piece.

And Latifah gave Lyte her award.

Anonymous said...

Can you believe Lupe posted on Okp that he has never listened to Midnight Marauders and he has no interest in doing so?

Liv For Me said...

Sooo Zed, I just read your comment over @ Nikkis, and had to follow up on 'fleshy'..you know..
Im sitting in the gotdaym library here, looking at 'fleshy's and trying, TRYING to keep a straight face... LMAO.
So...which one u got?

Knockout Zed said...

@Aqua
Good! MC Lyte is in!

@Tiff
The lyrics are garbage. If they all made instrumentals, maybe I'd buy more current music.

@Slish
Cool! Send 'em quick.

FYI: I ordered that Brand Nubian from Amazon a few days ago. It should be here shortly.

@Niki
Al B is still around doing something. I wonder if he's still bangin' Lisa Fisher.

@FA
MF Doom is one of my absolute favorites. Ever since he was Zev Love X in KMD.

@Sixy
Salt N Pepa first? Before Lyte? That's bullshit. Latifah is getting robbed.

@Chud
Lupe is an idiot. I love his CD, but he's full of shit.

@Liv
I got the regular one, in mocha which is now discontinued. I'm about to cop a wonderwave.

I'm in a long distance relationship, dammit. Don't judge me!

KZ

Anonymous said...

“I’m living in a world where people are trying to ‘out ignorant” each other. Every week there’s a new winner.”

Nothing left to be said. Makes ya not want to have kids.