WPCBPCN

If any of you are familiar with the HBO comedy series "Mr. Show," you might remember WPCBPCN. It was the White People Co-Opting Black People's Culture Network. What does this bring to mind? What does this make you think of? When I DJ on Saturday nights, some African-American people will ask me to play rap, and they assume that because I'm white, I'll have Kid Rock and Eminem, because they're white too. Yeah, I'm not joking, that's real. Then, I get asked to play "black music." This usually results in an argument, because I refuse to acknowledge the term. It's bullshit. I could play the Chambers Brothers, they're black. They played psychedelic soul and funk, but it sounds too much like rock 'n' roll. I usually end up playing something like Madlib, or Quasimoto, or Del tha Funky Homosapien. Or maybe I'll play Mos Def, or Aesop Rock. Maybe a little Latyrx or the Herbaliser. Are these names that you think of when you think of hip hop? Possibly. But are you white or black? I don't know when it started, but there's definitely a trend here.

There's no way I can cover all of the acts, and I'm not positive on the origin, but I think this is a start: the Beatnigs. In 1987, a San Franciscan named Michael Franti put out a record as The Beatnigs. The record came out on Alternative Tentacles records. Alt. Tentacles is the record label owned by Jello Biafra, the singer from the Dead Kennedys. Why was a white punk releasing a hip-hop record? Isn't hip hop supposed to be 'black music'? I think there's no need to ask why Jello released the record. It's good, it's political, it's harsh, and it's in your face. Sounds punk to me. I covered the issue of what punk is in a post long, long ago, you can go to the archives if you wanna find that. So, due to the method of release and distribution, the Beatnigs record gained the attention of lots of white kids. AT didn't push the record on mainstream 'urban' radio, because of course they'd never play it. The Beatnigs only put out one record, and it became legend. A few years later, Michael Franti started Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, which was even more political and well-produced than the Beatnigs. It was also more of a hip hop record. The only airplay it got was on college radio. Later, Franti started up Spearhead which has seen airplay on mainstream radio. The whole project is less political, less brutal, and still good, but not the same.

Flash forward three years to 1993. Basehead puts out "Not in Kansas Anymore," another hip hop record that only saw airplay on college radio. Basehead was unique with the folky guitar riffs, slurred vocals, and pop hooks. Much like the Beatnigs, Basehead was the project of one man: Michael Ivey. Straight outta the burbs of Maryland. So, Franti and Ivey are both black men making hip hop, but they're not from the inner city.

In the early '90s, we had the Native Tongues: Jungle Brothers, Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul. All three groups relied heavily on samples of 'black music' for their samples, lots of jazz, funk, and soul. Much of it was obscure, too. So, all three groups are from the middle-class suburbs of Long Island, NY. They all have had many radio hits on mainstream and urban radio formats. Now, their old stuff is commonly heard on college radio and emanating from mixes made by DJs like me who incorporate many different kinds of hip hop into their sets.

Also in the early '90s, Toronto's Dream Warriors had some big hits on Alternative and college radio. The big single was "Wash Your Face in My Sink." Again, lots of jazz samples in a time when gangsta rap was flourishing. The people wanted hard tales of urban life, they didn't want fun in their hip hop. The early '90s also saw the rise of the Beastie Boys and the Pharcyde. More fun in hip hop. No gangsta BS.

Now, there's a massive surge in underground hip hop. It's the new 'alternative rock' or 'indie rock', which are both really just terms generated by corporate big label music to market and identify music that's actually very disparate in styles. Underground hip hop is no different. You have groups like Gold Chains out on the west coast, who are electro and hip hop and lounge and industrial and micro-house and god knows what else. But, then you also have Madvillain, a collaboration between prolific producer Madlib (aka Quasimoto) and MF Doom. Madvillain incorporates samples from radio shows about villains, rap vocals from MF Doom, Quasimoto, Wildchild, and odd samples.

Madvillain reminds one of Dr. Octagon or Deltron 3030, both concept hip hop records involving talented producers and talented lyricists. Madlib himself has gone far beyond the ideals of what hip hop is and/or 'should' be. He's deconstructed and reassembled the vaults of Blue Note records and Trojan records to make the ultimate mix tape compilations. He's recorded as Quasimoto, his high-pitched alter-ego, and he's everywhere in this 'underground hip hop'.

Some of this underground hip hop is harsh and brutal, it almost is gangsta. For example, El-P, formerly of Company Flow. El-P is the founder of Def Jux records, which set the template for underground hip hop in the 21st century. Def Jux vets include Aesop Rock, Company Flow, Cannibal Ox, RJD2, and Mr. Lif. But, they don't rap about bling and bitches. It ain't like that. This is real. This isn't about the money.

And what about the rest of it? You ever heard of Prefuse 73 or Dabrye? What about DJ Krush? I'm sure you've heard of DJ Shadow, he's doing the same kinda thing as the others, but you've heard of 'im. These are the producers who are pushing the envelope on this underground shit. Some of the biggest tracks of this century so far in hip hop have come from these guys. I'll throw in Madlib because he's relevant, too. Pete Rock and DJ Premier set the templates and these guys are pushin' it further and further.

How many of these acts are from the inner city? Not many. How many get airplay on mainstream 'urban' radio? Hardly any at all. How many are African-American? Most of 'em. Yeah, I bet you didn't expect that, did you? The rest are mostly Hispanic or Asian. So, the reason most African-American people who believe in the idea of 'black music' think that these acts aren't 'black enough' is not because of their skin color. That shit doesn't come through in the music as much as you think it does. It's not because the lyrics aren't gangsta enough. It's simple and stupid: these acts will never get played on mainstream radio. If you listen to Top 40 radio and hear the same song 10 times in a day, you get brainwashed. It's all big-money corporate marketing that paints certain acts as being 'blacker' than others. That's it. Pure and simple. You're all a bunch of sheep.

Let's see what kind of flavor I want...