“People are so anxious to record, they’ll sign anything… like going across the river on the back of an alligator.”
Tom Waits
1: Bush Pardons Self! (Thanks Ben for the link)
2: Good article in the Guardian about the systematic evil of record companies (cheers PPF!).
“Artists go there dreaming of being signed. But out of every 10 signed nine will fail. A contract with a major record company was always a 90 per cent guarantee of failure. In the boardroom the talk was never of music, only of units sold. Artists were never the product; the product was discs - 10 cents’ worth of vinyl selling for $10 - 10,000 per cent profit - the highest mark-up in all of retail marketing. Artists were simply an ingredient, without even the basic rights of employees.
Imagine the outcry if people working in a factory were told that the cost of the products they were making would be deducted from their wages, which anyway would only be paid if the company managed to sell the products. Or that they would have to work for the company for a minimum of 10 years and, at the company’s discretion, could be transferred to any other company at any time.”
“Orgs are there to help, okay? But we as, you know, also the public, it’s like… we have a responsibility. It’s not just the Orgs. It’s not just David Miscavidge. You know? It’s not just… not just me! It’s you. It’s everyone out there kind of s… re-reading KSW and looking at what needs to be done and saying, “Okay! Am I gonna do it, or am I not gonna do it?” Period! And am I gonna look at that guy? Or am I too afraid? Because I have my own Out Ethics to put in someone else’s Ethics. And that’s all it comes down to.
And I won’t hesitate to put ethics in on someone else. You know? Because I put it ruthlessly in on myself. And I think that, uh… I respect that. In… in others. And, uh… you know. I’m there to help. And we’re here to help. And my opinion is, is that, look, you’re either on board, or you’re not on board, okay? But just… if you’re on board, you’re on board, just like the rest of us. Period.
We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind. We are the authorities on improving conditions. Criminon. We can rehabilitate criminals. Way to Happiness… we can bring peace uh… and unite cultures. Uh… that, once you know these tools and you know that they work, it’s… it’s not good enough that… that I’m just doing okay.”
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Frank T J Mackey LIVES!
Hey, anyone know what the music that’s playing in the background is? It is really bugging me. Also, If it were mine, I would sue. Unless I were “clear”. In which case I would be a Scientologist. Ya dig?
Oh, I just found out what the Scientologist word for non-Scientologists is. It is……….
All orders have now been sent. Once again we have been victims of the ineptitude of the delivery services. But, just in time for Xmas, ATD15 shirts are In The House. Aint they purdy?
Hey, last night we reacquainted ourselves with The Flintstones. I suggest you do similar, that stuff is classic. WIIIIILMA! Boy oh boy.
All I know is its some company from Singapore’s upper echelons starring in a relatively expensive looking rap video, with a hook lifted from a classic KRS joint, and a beat “inspired” by the good Dr Dre.
“I don’t know who is KRS-One. But saw this video clip on one of the forum. I’m sure the chorus sound familiar to you. I bet that horrible rap [MDA’s] is still repeating itself in your head… don’t worry. This video clip is by a professional rapper. Although I don’t really know how to enjoy rap music, but it sounds a lot better that the MDA rap. (I want to say that there can’t be anything worst than the MDA rap. But I’m always afraid that another civil service group will proof me wrong)”
Well I find it rather charming!
How long before UK companies take heed and start releasing rap videos instead of as well as adverts? 400,000 views on Youtube is not to be sniffed at. And its not like most rap videos aren’t adverts for something, anyway.
Apart from Prisoner Cell Block P’s new joint, which is awesome, and seemingly does nothing but let us know that P is cotdamn NUTS in the FACE. Dude splits some cracka ass cracka’s wig with a cotdamn TEEVEE SON! OMFG DOT COM!
All you moaning ass rappers, hating on your label, your distributor, your manager, whatever - listen to Cham! Cham speaks the truth! There is better advice in this video than you ever got off of anybody! Word to Stan Lee’s How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way!
PS - We saw Ratatouille last night, and confirm that it is great.
Lethal Bizzle’s new single is Police On My Back, a song I made especially for him when I was told he might like us to work together, and my favourite song out of the five we did.
It was Jo Whiley’s record of the week last week, it’s Steve Lamaqc’s as well. Apparently. That is blessing from the holy Evening Sesson The Britpop Years duo. Ya diiiig!
In other news, SiC has a new website, made by clever Zef, here. Check the media page for a downloadable label sampler.
I have very little say on the whole Blackwater thing other than
I have been enjoying some rap albums lately - PE’s new joint, How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? is throwback illness. Kanye’s Graduation is a masterpiece, as far as the production is concerned, and the vocals aren’t far back. The last track in particular, Big Brother, over-proves Kanye’s lyrical worth - a cute ode to his hero Jay-Z, it shits all over the similarly autobiographical tales told on Jay’s lacklustre bin filler. Kingdom… came and wet pretty quick, no?
50’s joint is a lot better than I thought it would be. Like Billy X Sunday, I got the clean version first, and that just didn’t make sense. The, um, unclean version, South Welsh gun trade intro sequence intact, makes much more sense. 50 needs to say “bitch” and “nigger” a whole lot ot make sense. He spends the whole CD threatinging to either shoot, or fruit the listener over well chosen beats, and keeps it entertaining for the most part. I gotta admit that I am now fully addicted to all of the singles, and wake up singing them, apart from that Robin Thicke one which sucks more balls than that lottery machine with all the balls in it and the sucking pipe. Ya diiig?
ANYWAY. That stuff is kind if irrelevant (whatever Rolling Stone says. We all remember Blur VS Oasis over here, but who still bumps Roll With It OR Country House? Quite.) The rap album of the year, one I can’t see anyone messing with on any level, musically or lyrically, snuck up on me like that VAT bill last month. It’s Chamilionaire’s Ultimate Victory. No messing. That ugly dude has made a record that does everything Dead Prez wanted to. It is gangsta. It is revolutionary. It is clever. It is Hardbody, Hardfaced, Hardnosed. It is POP as hell. You’ve banged the whole thing five times in a row before you notice there aren’t any swears on the thing. True story.
I’m even gonna forgive dude for sampling The Final Countdown (I was doing that, asshole!). Why? Cos Chamilionaire is saving hip-hop. Chamilionaire is killing it (rap slang is a funny thing, I know). Musically, he’s on that epic, rap-Bon Jovi via-keyboards, fonky, stank-ass rattattatta drum-fill post Dirty South arpeggio shit I love, that shit you usually only get to hear Lil Wayne and Baby talk about poppin’ bottles on. To hear Cham spit TRUTH on such musical lushness is a fuckin’ joy. Morning News alone is better than every other rap song you heard this summer (yeah, I Get Money was tough. This is tougher). I know some of you fools might not like his fast flow/dubbed every line style, but that’s YOUR problem.
So, I was at Proms In The park yesterday. It was TERRIFYING. I imagine that’s what Klan rallies are like. Pics and more info tomorrow. Sleep tight kids.
Forsooth! We have right here, just arrived, the first ten Thanks For All The AIDS Ts. Screen printed in blood red on a classic white Fruit Of The Loom T, available on one size - LARGE (yes ladies, you do look your hottest padding about the crib in nothing but a big ass T!). Hand numbered. Fifteen pounds. A classic already. This is the finest thing I have ever produced. This is the pinnacle of my career so far.
This is the inaugural Thanks For All The AIDS T shirt.
