Droppin
Science

Chuck D. has become more
than just a rapper, he has become an influential leader and expresses
his views on a number of political and news shows across country. That's
why The Streets was in the house, when he
held a lecture, on the campus of Temple University, on the
"Evolution of Hip-Hop". Once I was informed that their would
be no recording or note taking of any kind, I knew that this was not
going to be your traditional college lecture. In fact, the room
anticipated his arrival, no 15 minute rules need apply. For 3 hours,
Chuck D captivated his audience, with his thoughts on Michael Jackson,
Eminem, the music industry, and Black America.
The first thoughts of the
evening were turned to Michael Jackson who had just been arrested and
handcuffed while getting off an airplane. He expressed his
disappointment with the media who staked out the wrong plane for a
number of hours and questioned the state of today's media. Asking why
would they think Americans would actually be drawn to watching a plane
for over 2 hours waiting for the police to handcuff Michael Jackson.
The other hot topic of the
night was Eminem, who recently came under fire for a ten year old song,
where he dissed black women. Already contacted by The Source, who
released the material, CNN, and Eminem himself, Chuck said he would hold
comment until after he came back from Australia in December. He
predicted that the controversy would probably not gain any more momentum
than it already has.
Another hot topic of
discussion, was homosexuality in the music industry. While not calling
out names or pointing fingers, the "under the table"
discussions of execs with new and current artists left a few gasps in
the room. "How You Doin?"
Some words of advice for
artists looking for a record deal. Chuck says no more CD's. "It's
like getting a cassette tape in 1999". If you want to stand out
amongst the other thousands of wannabes, set up a web site with your bio
with other vital information and MP3 your music. As one insider recently
informed me, " labels are looking for artists who can come to the
table having sold 15,000 or more units on their own".
One more thing, Chuck
wants us all to know that Public Enemy is still together and currently
is on tour overseas. Like most artists who we think fall off, most of
them haven't, they're on tour.
You can catch more news
and views from Chuck D at: www.rapstation.com