-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- @O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O Suburban Terrorism Online Rap and Roll Preservationists @O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O0@O This Issue: We Wax, Cold Tax, Make Sure You Get Dunked OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO EDITOR'S NOTE "The brother don't swear he's nice, he KNOWS he's nice"- Flavor Flav As you all probably know by now, Chuck D and Public Enemy have lately been of a generous spirit, and they have given a bunch of their music to the Internet masses for free. The only problem is that it's also Def Jam's music, and Def Jam isn't giving anything away. Oh well, in any case, Public Enemy is one of the best groups of all time (especially their "Give It Up" video), so check this shit out. PAIX! -*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+- YES! THE RHYTHM, THE REBEL By BMC -*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+- Once again Chuck D, the Public Enemy number one, finds himself fighting the powers that be. The famed rapper has had a falling out with record label Def Jam. When the company refused to release the new album, "Bring The Noise 2000", Chuck D decided to release 4 songs per month from the album until all 27 tracks would be released to the public in mp3 format. For those who don't know, songs in the mp3 format are CD quality digital tracks which have been encoded and reduced ten times in size. With this technology, and the unlimited accessibility of them, it is easily possible to download an entire album from the net in a matter of minutes. As one might imagine, the record company was terrified at the prospect of losing the money from these tracks, and demanded that Public Enemy remove all mp3's from the site. Chuck D complied, and the files were promptly taken down. Days later, on January 12th, Chuck D announced a newly recorded track that would be released on the website. This cut, called "Swindler's Lust", is recorded in the cutting edge mp4 format, is a self-executing file (you needed a player for mp3's), and included pictures and a text message from Chuck D. The track is Public Enemy's new hard-hitting attack on the record industry, with fiery raps such as "If you don't own the master then the master owns you", and "tell em Chuck don't suck no dick". Public Enemy fans are finding the new mp4 release a bit hard to swallow. Since this particular file is only compatible with Windows 9.x, it has been seen as an endorsement of Microsoft products. P.E. Has also released an mp3 of the song, which all fans can use, but the issue is still divided. However, as one fan on the P.E. message board said, "How much do we as consumers have to pay to hear Swindlers Lust? How much would we have to pay assuming PE went through the normal channels of the record companies (assuming they let the song be released)? How much do the record companies, Bill Gates / Microsoft, or PE profit from Swindlers Lust?" Of course it is all free. Nobody pays or earns from the transfer of "Swindler's Lust". Public Enemy has done what no fans in this era could have ever expected; they have given the gift of music to fans and critics alike. Here's what the Robin Hood of Rap had to say on the public-enemy.com message board: "bootlegs are important because they allow more of the fan base to particpate in the art itself.....fan base is not just the final accounting of 13.99 sold items, but the total amount of who checked it out....thats why mp-3/4 is important.....give a million away it'll come back someway without exploiting financial pressures,after all music is not food/shelter..." And with that, Chuck D dissappeared into the night, and I vowed I would forever await his return... -*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+- BRING THE NOISE 2000 By BMC -*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+- On Public Enemy's latest non-release, "Bring The Noise 2000", the group hits hard with a barrage of 27 tracks of hardcore beats and rhymes. The album contains some new tracks, but consists chiefly of remixes, which are not actually remixes in the "Greatest Misses" sense of the word, but bassier beats and heavier samples laid over the original tracks. The problem with the remixes of the older cuts is that none of the vocals seem to have been redone. Well, now, that seems a bit lazy to me. Though the album may not be groundbreaking or original when compared to PE's portfolio, I would still recommend it to fans and critics alike. The entire album is finely DJ'ed, and the tracks blend together to create a wonderful hour-long mix. This is the definitive Public Enemy greatest hits album, and while it may not rise above their previously set standards, it does make the grade. I would recommend that true P.E. fans get this album for prosperity as well as posterity, and people unfamiliar with the group should have a listen to this greatest hits album and say "Damn, this is a dope jam!" Though "BTN2K" will never be availiable in stores, the entire album is (legally) availiable on the Internet in mp3 format. The music has been given to you free of charge, now it is up to you whether to take it or not. The temporary address of the album is http://geocities.com/SoHo/Village/8644/teninchdong.html -*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Issue #2 January 29th, 1999