The Source's 100th issue...MY OPINION
John Book
The Source's 100th Issue: What's Really Going On?
by John Book
----------------------
I am writing this article off of my head, I am not even sure how I'm
going to end it. But it has to do with the celebration of "The Source"
and their 100th issue. Many people, in and out of the internet, talk
about this magazine, because basically it has become the "Rolling Stone"
of hip hop. I would say it was the "SPIN" of hip hop, but times have
changed my friends. So here is my opinion of the 100th issue.
First off, the intro from Selwyn Sefyu Hinds. It says that many people
gawk about the amount of ads in the magazine lately. For those who may
not remember or weren't old enough, "The Source" back in the early 90's
had minimal amount of ads. And any ads that were in there were strictly
music oriented. It seemed like a trade paper, made only for the
"insiders" back when a lot of us felt like we were on the inside. A lot
of people looking out, but no key to get in. Back then, "The Source"
wasn't as glossy or as colorful, in fact most of the color seen was on
the front and back covers.
I discovered my first issue of "The Source" through a New York mail order
company called See/Hear. This was in mid 1989, and the description I saw
in my catalog said it was a hip hop magazine. What? You mean, an
alternative to "Word Up"? No haircare solutions from Kid 'N Play? Sign
me up. I got my issue, with Queen Latifah, Al and Kika on the cover. I
fell in love with the magazine and got an immediate subscription. I
still have all of those early issues from 1990-1992, to me the "golden
age" of the magazine.
Anyway, the 100th issue. Hinds says the magazine is a ride into hip
hop's past, and the entry way into its future. In that, it is true.
First off, the goods. You cannot go wrong with "Hip Hop 101", discussing
the origins of what is now a multi-million industry. The DJ piece,
featuring interviews from Kool Kerc, and Grand Wizard Theodore, is just
timeless. Anyone who doesn't know or doesn't realize the importance of
the DJ, needs to pick this issue up, as well as the classic 50th issue of
"The Source" from four years ago (November 1993). Amazingly, both issues
are turning points. The 50th issue came out during the dawn of the Wu-
Tang Clan. Issue #100 comes out at a time when we're trying to pay
respect to the forefathers of rap, honoring the heads of the now, while
trying to understand and accept those who are the moneymakers of today.
Then you have the B-Boy article. Oh yeah, Puff and Mase, all they do is
dance, but back in the early days, dancing to your favorite jam could
make you a star around the block, maybe a star at all the local schools.
That was pride. To practice with your piece of cardboard you found in
the back of the supermarket, or like I did, go to a church that had a
walkway smooth enough to dance to... that was a good feeling. My move
was "the worm". So, as another part of the article said, it's come full
circle. True, but back then, even the dancing was about battling, just
as it was with DJ vs. DJ or MC vs. MC.
I think out of all the elements of hip hop, the MC has been exploited the
most, no argument there. I don't see any graffiti artists being praised
on the Today Show or CNN. Or an East Coast-West Coast battle of painting
styles.
Another great part of the 100th issue is the tribute to the UNSIGNED HYPE,
artists who were no more than demo tape making kids and were hoping for
a shot to make records. I still have the issue where a kid from Davis,
California named Shadow was making custom mix tapes where he was flipping
Eric B. & Rakim and making it into his own joints. Since there was no
contact address, I never found or heard the tape. Now known as DJ Shadow,
he has become a great artist and producer in his own right, and someone
who I admire as a manipulator of sound.
I remember reading the articles when new rappers called Common Sense
and Biggie Smalls submitted their own tapes. Back then, The Notorious B.
I.G. and Hitman 50 Grand sent in their tape and the reviewer talked about
how Biggie just blew up on the mic. Hitman is now M.I.A. Common Sense
is now on the same level as Rakim.
People always got pissy about how "The Source" never represented the
independents until recently, but this is where I can support the magazine
with pride. The magazine were supporting underground artists before they
ever saw their names on vinyl, and anyone who has shopped around or
passed demos to friends know of the hard work that goes into the tape.
From much thought, to ideas placed on paper, to concepts with the music,
to execution of the track, along the way many mistakes and mouth fuck-ups
(i.e. when you just can't say a word right, or when a lyric that looks
good on paper doesn't exactly sound right coming out of your mouth).
From the mixing stage, to what you're pleased with. That's one step.
The next step is someone else hearing your soul, and that is the biggest
step of all. It is one section I always looked at when I read the
magazine.
Rigo Morales takes a look back at some of the artists in Unsigned
Hype who became bigger stars (Mobb Deep, DMX, Saafir, CNN). But Rigo
calls Biggie the valedictorian. Is it because he's dead? Biggie is a
great artists, but when you have a number of MC's (and in Shadow's case,
DJ) who come from different walks of life, different schools of thought,
can one MC define them all? I think the magazine just got their egos up
their asses again.
The biggest gripe of the magazine, however, is the Record Review section.
Someone asks writer Elliott Wilson if the magazine will ever get rid of
its 5 Mic Rating System, and he says probably not in his lifetime. Uh
yeah, "Rolling Stone" said the same thing too when they began in 1967,
only to find themselves printing record reviews without ratings in the
80's. This lasted for a few years, but they had taken away their 5 Star
Rating System as well. For those who may have forgotten, "The Source"
didn't begin with microphones. They had started with records. And
Wilson admits in the article that "Controversy Sells", in terms of the
rating system. So, is this why the magazine has been known to give great
albums ratings of 2 to 3 mics? Why is it that the magazine praised the
albums they gave 5 Mics? Why didn't they print a list of albums that the
magazine may have given a bad rating, only for them to change their minds
a few years later? You cannot tell me the same writing staff of the
magazine four years ago is felt with the new writing staff. That is
complete bullshit unless "The Source" is into cloning.
Anyway, all of the articles on the history of hip hop is very educational,
and while I gripe about the magazine itself, occasionally they come up
with a masterpiece, and the 100th issue is one of them. I cannot say
that the magazine has the same style as the staff from 1990-1992. Most
of the good writers from "The Source" have moved on, which is while XXL
exists. XXL may not be all about the "music", but it's a hip hop
magazine. Just as "Stress" is, or "On The Go".
But just as much of what we call hip hop music today fails us, "The
Source" fails in many ways as well. I bet you more artists today
concentrate more on their ads than they do on their albums. Do we really
need to see two pimps in tubs of milk acting like they got it all? Is
this "real"? If that's the case, I'd love to see ads for Kool Keith
albums. A lot of the ads in the 100th issue reminds of "The Source" from
1992-1994, what I consider to be the era when crack dealers got some
extra money, created a record label as a tax write off, and you saw
rappers whom you never heard from again. And dammit, do we really need
to wear all of those jackets? What happened to one jacket for the season,
now we got jackets for each day of the week for the entire month. The
whole scenario reminds me of BDP's "Love's Gonna Getcha (Material Love)".
Is this what we are in love with, the images? Maybe this is why so many
hip hop listeners are turning their backs to the mainstream and getting
back to independent labels. The time when Tommy Boy was respectable,
when Profile was pure, when Def Jam was still run out of a dorm, and when
Enjoy was done from a record collector who loved music.
Of course, some of you may say "well damn John, maybe we should all move
on, just as The Source has". Yeah, but moving into what. I'm not saying
whether it's right or wrong to stay into the ghetto. I'm not saying it's
right or wrong to have money and to make your world a lot better.
Keeping it real, in its essence, is about being yourself. And if you can
live your life looking like an ass, so be it.
But this is why there are alternatives to a magazine which prided itself
in being called THE source. While "Rap Pages" has slightly changed in
its look, their articles tend to be on the money. The recent series of
articles from Roots drummer ?uestLove is amazing. But "RapPages" had
their golden age too, about two years ago when they were running issues
honoring hip hop in all its forms, from DJ'ing (classic issue) to MC'ing
to graffiti and B-boying.
Of course, what will all of us be doing when The Source hits us with
issue #200? I for one hope to have some insight by being inside the
industry in some form. But as far as music, what will we see in eight
years time? Well, maybe:
1) The Rakim God Allah Show: A talk show where Rakim talks to all of his
guests in rhyme, and if the guests do not respond, they are forced in a
room to listen to Eric B's solo album
2) KRS-ONE Weight Loss Program: At the rate KRS is going, he'll be as
thin as Kate Moss. He'll tell us how it's done with his new calorie
burner, used by all the money he made from his failed Temple Of Hip Hop
and Rap Is A Burger concepts
3) PUFF DADDY Gets Assassinated: When the guy who wanted to tie up Steven
Spielberg back in 1997 to fuck him up the ass failed at his original
mission, he sets his eyes on Sean Combs and assassinates him with a
machete. Unfortunately, Puff Daddy lives on through the use of samples
and mutation, and soon there are 10 Puff Daddy clones roaming the Earth.
He told you he wouldn't stop, he eh, he eh.
3a) PUFF DADDY Gets Assassinated Part 2: In a football match, Puff Daddy
gets run over on the field by the Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E.
4) WU-TANG AMUSEMENT PARK: With Ol' Dirty Bastard as janitor, the Wu-Tang
Clan gets to show off their love of rollercoasters and merry-go-rounds.
Some major attractions include "Hit The Target For Tical", "Ghost Face's
Tilt-A-Pussy", "Wide World Of WZA's", and the big "Liquid Swords And Jell-
O" room.
5) MISSY ELLIOTT AS QUEEN OF HIP HOP: An accident in 1999 forces Missy to
trim and slim down. Once she does, the world realizes how drop dead
gorgeous she is, and all hip hop scolars start reciting the lines "i got
the rhymes that make you jump jump jump/i got the rhymes that make you
rocky-doddy-dumb" as if she was the female Rakim.
6) DANA OWENS KWANZAA SPECIAL: When the world still sees Latifah as her
character in "Set It Off", she turns in her rap career to create her
annual holiday show on BET.
7) THE GAY RAPPER FINALLY REVEALED: We find out that Wendy Williams is
actually a man with a dildo fetish.
8) LL COOL J TURNS INTO HIP HOP'S MICHAEL JACKSON: These days, we call LL
"Licky", and we remember the days when he couldn't live without his radio.
Alright, maybe after his book this'll never happen, but stranger things
have happened.
9) INVISIBLE SKRATCH PICKLEZ buy up all of the Technics SP-1200's and
sells them on the black market for 2500 each... without needles!
10) BUSHWICK BILL BECOMES 6'4" following miracle surgical procedure in
Sweden. Now Bill can really pounce on people as he did in the "Minds
Playing Tricks On Me" video.
11) THE RETURN OF THE WE PAPA GIRL RAPPERS... well maybe not.
Well, the 100th issue. I recommend everyone to pick it up, and I hope
people will realize that hip hop still is an education in itself, and
much of its experiences cannot be felt or learned in print, or even by
the internet. It's only a mere guide to the real world, the rest of it
is outside for us to feel, hear, and see. It's only a matter of time.
Fuck the Illuminati, I'm going beyond that...
-John Book
U-WU
Da Smurf 1
9) INVISIBLE SKRATCH PICKLEZ buy up all of the Technics SP-1200's and
sells them on the black market for 2500 each... without needles!
I'm sure this is a typo.....
you must mean Technic 1200 MKII ... not SP 1200
Smurf One
[long time no post]
John Herbert
Well just for the record I guess you should know that the Piklz spin
only with Vestax, I don't even think they use the PDT-5000 any more,
but actually the $700 digital gadget that Vestax came out with a couple
months ago. Who would want to have to adjust the pitch by pushing a
button so that it is automatically altered? I think I'll stick with my
Techs.
PEace,
Dj herb
In <19971226110...@ladder01.news.aol.com> dasm...@aol.com (Da
Smurf 1) writes:
>
>9) INVISIBLE SKRATCH PICKLEZ buy up all of the Technics SP-1200's and
>sells them on the black market for 2500 each... without needles!
>
DjBrianG
i think ya got it all wrong, ISP will never ever wreck shop on a vestax, they
only use techs. the only vestax shit they use is the mixer which are the
PMC-05s & 06s which they endorse. If i see a DJ using a vestax table
especially the digital one, i'll stab 'em wit my needles