Famous Posts in RMHH History - Mike Burke
Majiin Will
Here it is too refresh you guys.
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From: "Mike Burke" <Hom...@pacbell.net>
Subject: Goodbye, Hip-Hop, RMHH
Date: 1998/07/12
Message-ID: <01bdad42$75e48800$ad1daace@default>
Organization: Pacific Bell Internet Services
Newsgroups: rec.music.hip-hop
I don't know if anyone's noticed, but I haven't been posting much for
a
while, and when I have, it hasn't been terribly hip-hop related.
Well,
there's a reason for that. I'm leaving, and I don't just mean RMHH.
I
mean hip-hop. I guess this is my ultimate entry to the "Yo! I'm
Wack!"
thread: I'm not hip-hop. At all.
Believe me, this hasn't been a quick decision. I've been thinking
about
it heavily for months now, it's just that I don't share every single
thought that goes through my head on here. I mean, hip-hop has been a
big
part of my life for the last several years; but then again, was it
really
*my* life? I've finally realized that it wasn't. To use the hip-hop
vernacular, I've been "frontin' " all this time. Not on purpose,
though.
I think it's been all of the race threads on here that made me fully
realize it: hip-hop wasn't and isn't made for me, so what the hell am
I
doing listening to it all the time? I can't think of any specific
examples, but Kari Orr in particular has said some really
thought-provoking
things about this kind of thing that really got me to thinking. It's
not
that I've "grown out" of hip-hop, it's that I never was hip-hop. Like
Snoop said, "Ain't nothin' but a Black thang, baaayyybeeeee."
Whenever I see other white people walking around in their FUBU,
looking
hip-hop, or "down" or whatever, I always think to myself, "What a
fuckin'
wannabe, he probably doesn't even know what FUBU stands for, let alone
know
what hip-hop is." then it struck me: that's how people see me!
Except I
don't dress in FUBU or any overtly hip-hop gear, but any time I'm
browsing
through the rap section, or at a show bobbing my head, or asking when
the
new Tribe album is coming out, I just know everyone's thinking what a
perp
I am. And they're right. As has been said countless times on here,
there's just so much in hip-hop that I can't relate to or understand,
because I haven't had the experiences, or lived the life style, etc.
The
minority (especially Black) experience is just too integral a part of
hip-hop for me to ever successfully become a part of it. Although I
did
feel pretty comfortable at the shows I've been to, there's always been
a
very large alternative/white faction in attendance, so it's not
exactly
like I was that out of place. I've picked up a lot of the slang into
my
everyday vocabulary, and while I still have my natural large King's
English
vocabulary, it's like I've got this little wigger trapped inside me
saying
half my lines. It surprises peole when they hear me talk for the
first
time, and those looks start to bother me after a while. But then, why
am I
getting those looks? It's because I'm talking like something I'm not.
It's not like I've been a wigger, though. I never use the "N" word,
I
don't go trying to dress all "hip-hoppish," and I don't use *that*
much
slang, and I don't end my sentences with, "yo." But still, just
because
I've educated myself about a lot the history and have always been
respectful of the culture, I was never a part of it. I never really
participated in any of the elements, and there's so much in the lyrics
that
probably just goes straight over my head or around it, since it's not
aimed
at me.
I've had a lot of of nerve in here, that I now regret. Many times
I've
argued with someone who's an actual MC, actually lives in one of the
neighborhoods I hear named in those rap songs I just listened to, and
has
actually lived what MCs talk about, and hear I am sitting in my living
room
talking shit I really have no right to speak on. To anyone who really
does
live hip-hop (and I mean more by the K. Orr model that goes way
outside the
four elements and that 99% of whites can't experience) that I've ever
argued with, I hereby apologize. I'm not saying every other white
person
in here should give up hip-hop, but you should do some real deep
thinking
on wether or not you really belong. I bet if you're truly honest with
yourself, many will find that you really don't. Just think about it.
Anyway, the transition's been going smoothly. I've already sold my
entire
hip-hop collection to Rasputin's the other day (I only got $413, cheap
bastards), and aside from buying a few new CDs (I *love* that Natalie
Imbruglia song, so I had to get the album, and I finally completed my
Star
Wars Special Edition soundtrack collection, and I grabbed that
Wallflowers
CD) a lot of that money'll help out with my union dues, and get my air
conditioner in my car fixed. I already had plenty of non-hip-hop CDs
anyway, so it's not like I'm exactly starved of music. Oh, and I kept
two
Heavy D albums (hey, I grew up on Heavy D!) and Arrested Development's
first one. They're not overly "hip-hop," though, so I don't feel
funny
listening to them. And I think I'm still gonna get the new Beastie
Boys
album on Tuesday. Maybe even MMM's, too, since that kind of
turntablism is
branching away from hip-hop anyway. Plus, the Z and 105.3 play a lot
of
stuff that I feel more natural listening to then hip-hop.
Like I said before, I never looked very hip-hop to begin with, so I
don't
need to change my look or anything. Good old Izod'll always be there
for
me. ;-) I've also cleaned up my language a bit, not just eliminating
hip-hop slang, but I try not to cuss that much anymore, because while
I
believe it's the intent, not the meaning that determines wether a word
is
positive or not, most cuss words just sound ugly, and people who cuss
a lot
truly do sound like idiots. I still do cuss, and don't plan on
stopping,
but I try to get rid of the superfluous ones. (FYI, cutting down on
cussing isn't related to my ditching hip-hop) Music will always be a
big
part of my life, it's just that it's going to be music made for *my*
ears
from now on. And you know what, I feel a lot more honest with myself
and
the people I interact with now.
I can just see this reaction coming, so let me say it before one of
you
does: "If you can give up hip-hop so easily, you never really were
hip-hop
to begin with." How do I respond to that? Well, DUH!!!!! That's
what I'm
saying! Hip-hop simply isn't intended for someone like me. And while
it
may seem like me leaving is sudden to you guys, it has been anything
but
with me. I've just been putting off writing this post for a while,
because
I'm a procastinator like that. Why did I get involved in the first
place,
then? Well, since it started when I was a kid, it must have just been
the
aesthetics of it that intrigued me. Then as I grew older, I did the
thing
that I do with any intrest I have: try to learn as much about it as
possible. So I guess these two combined and dragged me into my long
hip-hop phase.
Well, it's almost 2:30 in the morning and I'm kinda rambling at this
point, I'm trying to think of anything else I wanted to say. Hmmm,
should
I take any last shots at people since I won't be here to read the
flames
anyway? Naw, that would just make people feel bad, and I don't want
to do
that. Maybe I'll just say this: Flash, you're a lot better since you
came
back from your little break, but as evidenced in your "this is getting
ridiculous" thread, you still have a way to go. Don't take that as a
dis,
it's just honest observation.
Let's see, what else... Um, it's good that the web site's getting
started, and several of you are about to blow up. I just want to wish
all
of you the best of luck and much success, because while I've realized
that
I'm not hip-hop, I don't hate it or resent it or anything, and there
are a
lot of creative and talented people in here, and I hope everyone of
you
blows up. There's a lot of really cool people in here. And I hope
you
guys manage to get those tapes together, that'd be really neat. Oh,
and
sorry to NyceStylez for making all of those reccomendations; while I
made
them with good intentions, I'm not exactly a hip-hop role-model to
take
advice from. But almost all of those albums are considered by real
"heads"
to be classics, so you should still like them, just take my
reccomendations
with a grain of salt or get a second opinion, I'd hate to be
responsible
for someone wasting their hard-earned money.
Finally, even though I'll be forever gone from hip-hop and RMHH, I
won't
be off the 'net or anything, and I'm still a person, so if any of you
want
to keep in touch or talk about Star Wars or Transformers or something,
y'all know my e-mail, or you can get it through this post. Besides, I
haven't given up my sense of humor, and I know that's all most of you
care
about anyway. ;-) And if you see one of my last posts and really
feel the
need to respond, if you want me to read it, it *must* be sent through
e-mail, because after I log out tonight, I'm gone for good.
Well, I guess it would be a good idea to keep me out of the
"Regulars"
page on the web site, and I hope I've adequately expressed my feelings
and
reasonings behind this, and with all of that said, I will bid you all
my
final farewell...
Oh, what the hell:
Stay UP!
--
Mike Burke
(You'll notice the period's gone, but sorry, Akiem, you'll have to
find a
new President, I'm giving that up, too)
Muggsly17
One of the best threads ever.
one
k. orr
Nesta
>From: mugg...@lycos.com (Muggsly17)
>One of the best threads ever.
mos def
there seems to be so many new heads in here, they won't remember this or
understand the significance it had on our little community. mike burke was
regular for years and years and then dropped this post. i thought this was a
brilliant fucking experiment, i couldn't believe how upset people got when they
found out it was bullshit.
btw- is mike burke gone now? i haven't been around to regularly myself the
last 2 yrs, and in my recent return i haven't seen him here.
...nesta...
Most of you can't even comprehend what I am saying to you
Even in my human form the message I'm relaying
One good thing about music
When it hits you feel no pain
Ryburn Ross
summer.
Ryburn
"Nesta" <nesta...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020307201522...@mb-fi.aol.com...
Kingsley
repost it, again?
- Kwaj
"Ryburn Ross" <rpr...@unity.ncsu.edu> wrote in message
news:a696n7$rho$1...@uni00nw.unity.ncsu.edu...