Letter to Hate City

“Not that there is a scene; there are a couple of little cliques. The film goes into that; it’s a music town, but it’s a segregated music town, with cliques of bands doing their thing and I wasn’t trying to cater to anybody. I was just trying to tell it like it is.”

-          Bob Place – director of “Hate City”

Shot From Guns is not a professional music magazine or site; it’s a small music and entertainment blog. Nonetheless, I try to maintain some kind of formal etiquette, avoid bias and favoritism when writing and report on what I feel is newsworthy content regardless of my personal network and connections. But right now, fuck that.

I came here from Athens two and a half years ago and like many other transplants, I don’t feel directly plugged into the scene. I view it largely as an outsider and that gives me a different perspective that I feel allows me a certain edge and advantage. In the two and a half years that I’ve been here (and yes, I performed in the Atlanta “scene” while in Athens), I realized something. Atlanta is one big city full of tiny cliques and social groups. There are very few people making an honest effort to band together and create something unique as a whole.

Now I will say to the individuals out there working hard to reach out to external networks, collaborating with others on new projects and in general the people working their butts off to create something new for the entire city, I applaud your effort. I know who are and you know who you are. I’m glad you’re going out there on a limb and have a strong desire to produce something unique and novel for your city.

As for the cliques and small crews that resemble high school cheerleaders and gossip groups, go fuck yourselves. You think you’re the first band to play in front of a hundred scenesters at some “trendy” venue. You think you’re the first artist to release something on a local record label. You feel you’re superior because you were featured in the local rag of a magazine. No, you’re not. Somewhere else in a different state or country, several music artists are doing that. And people were doing it before them; it’s a process that’s been going on for years actually.

There are other people out there working their tails off to get somewhere, not only with their music, but they have a long-term vision that stands for something greater than music and entertainment. These people will continue to do what they do and I hope they are rewarded for their actions. Why? Because at the end of the day, these little cliques won’t amount to shit and you will become casualties of your own snobbish and elitist behavior.

In the movie The Town, a federal agent tells Ben Affleck’s character, “…when your code of silence finally gives way to fear of trafficking in cigarettes to prevent sexual enslavement, I just want you to know that it’s gonna be me who told you to go fuck yourself.”

I understand that few of you adhere to a code of silence, but I want you to know something. When your little clique remains stagnant and eventually perishes because you focused your efforts on excluding people from your tiny social circle – I just want you to know that it’s going to be me who told you to go fuck yourself.

Letter to the Readers

Dear readers, I hope everyone has been able to resume their day to day activities without being blown completely off course by the torrid weather conditions. For those of you not based in the Atlanta area, we had some snow and many county offices were crippled this past week. I’m originally from Chicago, but I guess they haven’t figured out the secret of salt on snow down here.  But I digress…I want to communicate a new agenda to you for this year.

These past few weeks I’ve been thinking about what music journalism means to me and how this tiny blog fits in the midst of the massive blogosphere and music publications industry. The conclusion I’ve reached is simple – the music industry is like an aquarium, it’s a big tank full of all kinds of fishy personalities swimming and lurking about. The stereotypical image of record labels and label executives is that they are the sharks and the artists are the minnows. In reality, many artists are also sharks and predator fish that swim near the bottom of the tank. The labels are bigger sharks, but they closely resemble dim-witted schools of fish that cluster together at the sight of danger. In this underwater scenario, music journalists deserve a place too. The music journalists are the bottom feeders that suck the algae off the tank, their sole purpose is to digest the shit produced within the tank and regurgitate it so another unsuspecting bottom feeder creature can suck it up.

Music journalism is a touchy thing to me. Most music journalists do not play instruments, they don’t perform music, they do not have a knowledge of music theory or a formal background in musicology, yet they are responsible for dictating what’s hot and what’s not in pop culture news and media. These people have often failed at their own trade and are nowhere being masters of journalism. I see grammatical errors in album reviews that would make a halfway competent copy editor want to jump off a building without a second thought. All of this is both strangely peculiar and entertaining to me.

I started Shot From Guns with the intent of writing from the musician’s perspective. I’ve been in four bands, I played music half my life and I’m not some fat, balding middle aged man trying to tell you what’s cool. I could care less about what’s cool; I care about what connects with people. And a cheesy gimmick plus a $10,000 pr campaign won’t cut it.

For 2011, I want to focus on showcasing interesting and eclectic events being held by local artists. I feel that by showcasing these events in the featured shows of the week posts and show calendar, I can help artists a bit more by getting people out to their shows and the places where it really matters. In addition, I will continue to interview people who I feel are trendsetters and paving their own paths. I’m very proud of the interviews I’ve conducted so far, if you do a search in the search engine, you will see great interviews from people like John Balzary of Baroness, Robin Guthrie, Gavin Frederick of Stickfigure Records, and one of my idols Munehiro Narita of the band High Rise. That interview was conducted in Japanese and English so that was interesting to say the least. But there are many more interviews on this site.

I may not always be able to update this site, but when I do I promise I will include content that I feel is noteworthy and exceptional, content that will challenge you and hopefully things that will motivate you to get out your house and get involved in a few local events. Take care.

Sincerely, Taylor A. Northern

The Rap Media Cannot Be Trusted

I’m pissed. When I go to the grocery store or a bookstore and I browse the magazines section, nine times out of ten, there are two hip hop magazines and that’s The Source and XXL. Two magazines to represent a multi-million dollar industry and a music genre that has been around for almost 25 years. On top of that, I think of the notorious “greatest rappers alive” debate and I realize something. All of the people who are deemed the “greatest rappers alive” are signed to major labels, featured in the big hip hop magazines and consistently receive album reviews in these same two magazines year after year.

In addition, the biggest hip hop magazines are corporate owned. Almost all of the up and coming rappers that they endorse are signed to corporate major labels. XXL (*which is owned by the corporation Harris Publications, the same publisher that publishes guns and ammo magazines. XXL also owned Scratch; they own Shade 45, Hip Hop Soul and Eye Candy. Shade 45 was initially designed to put a spotlight on Eminem and his label Shady Records. Eminem is regularly featured in XXL) has an issue dedicated to “unsigned hype” and the “freshman class” of rap. The articles within this particular issue are designed to put a shine on new artists. However, the majority of these artists are signed to major labels and they seek to further their labels’ interests as much as their own. Because if they don’t serve the labels’ interests, their albums might end up in rap record purgatory and who knows when the record will see the light of day.

So what have we gathered? There are two popular hip hop magazines that reign supreme, they’re corporate owned and they back major label artists. These magazines creates a buzz around artists that have big money behind them. As a hip hop fan, what can I personally infer from this?  I don’t know…I’m actually confused. Last time I checked I thought rap and hip hop was music about giving the little guy a voice. Yet, I don’t even see the little guy being invited to the conversation. However, I will tell you what I do see.

I see rappers compromising their values and music so they can be signed to major labels and get a taste of  the “the Source hype.” I see fans having intense debates over who the greatest rookie emcee is, but their entire lists are comprised of corporate artists signed to corporate labels that back corporate interests and not hip hop’s interests (sorry Drake and Weezy). Moreover, I read about talented rap artists like Clipse getting in bed with labels like Columbia Records even after their last major record label burned them. They do this because they genuinely want to be considered some of the best rappers alive, but think they can’t do it without the rap corporatocracy.

I feel it is obvious that a corporatocracy exists within the music industry, but what is less obvious is that as this corporatocracy has gained power and expanded its jaws – now other music genres are being affected by it. Hip hop fans have complained about the quality of the music for years now, but do they ever stop and think about how there were only two magazines that dictate the status quo in the industry? How independent artists like Jean Grae and Moka Only have been releasing great rap records for years, but won’t receive any credit. This is not because they lack talent or an image, that’s a fabrication. They don’t receive shine because they aren’t signed to major labels. Do hip hop fans think about how the same stale and revolving list of names enters the debate when we discuss hip hop and rap? This is because hip hop and rap fans do not realize there is a rap corporatocracy and they feed into it on a daily basis.

So what is a rapper to do? If I was a rap artist, I’d be sick. I could work my ass off with the ambitions of being featured in The Source or XXL, all in the hopes of being considered “legitimate” in the eyes of my fans. I could also sign to a major label, where who knows what kind of crazy demands, loopholes and negative backlash could ensue. Moreover, I could hire the world’s best producers, make the most radio friendly music possible, change my image and still not sell enough records to compete with rappers higher up on the corporate food chain (Wikipedia Wale). The only thing that would have changed is that now I would be in serious debt to the major label. What kind of choices would I have in such a limiting environment?

Personally, I wouldn’t participate in the system at all. I refuse to support a system that is fundamentally steeped in backing corporate interests, practicing nepotism, withholding information from its consumer base, and in general releases a subpar product.  So what’s all the hype about? The punk rock bands got it, jazz artists understand, blues musicians get it (Country artists don’t understand yet, but they will in time once their genre has been raped and pillaged.) Yet time after time, I hear from local rappers about how they want to emulate Young Jeezy, Kanye West or Eminem. They feel they need to be signed to majors and featured in corporate run magazines in order to get their product out there.

People can say that the music industry has existed like this for years and things aren’t very different from how they were 15 years ago. I don’t care if things are the same, I want change and I’m writer so I’m writing about it. It is ridiculous for an entire music genre and industry to rely on the interests and decoys of a couple corporate owned magazines – the rap media cannot be trusted. Moreover, that’s just the tip of the iceberg because these magazines serve to further the interests of their masters.

Now I’ll be frank. I can give magazines like XXL credit because they do feature artists in a more candid light. They get these people to talk about their industry experiences and XXL has never openly bashed independent artists. But the fact that they’re one of two big magazines speaks volumes. Both the Source and XXL have a massive amount of pull in the hip hop industry. But I can’t make excuses for The Source, they are plagued with poor writers and nepotism is a large part of their journalistic culture. In general, these two sources are the beacons of light within the hip hop industry, but they’re allowed to run rampant – there are no watchdogs within this industry and the majority of the fans lack the information to do put two and two together.

If we’re going to see any kind of balance within hip hop and rap, the media has to take a stronger stance. We don’t need just independent rappers and rap movements, there has to be independent and grassroots grown media to report about it. We lack that right now and until people step up to the plate and start using their computers for more than downloading music - the rap industry will remain in a coma.

Here are some links to free-standing and independent hip hop media outlets:

Fader Magazine – http://www.thefader.com/

Ozone Magazine - http://www.ozonemag.com/

UGS Mag – http://ugsmag.com/

Murder Dog – http://www.murderdog.com/

Above Ground Magazine – http://abovegroundmagazine.com/

Wendy Day – http://www.wendyday.com/ (*very informative website, she has some great articles on the music business, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

*As an end note, I would like to add that this article may targeted towards hip hop musicians and their consumer base, but the information can be applied to all music genres. If you feel that there are not enough independent media outlets to represent your genre, do something about it. Start a local zine or magazine, create a blog, find local radio shows and programs that highlight your genre. The point is, get out there and start your own revolution.

Where will hip hop be in the new decade?

“I don’t like rap because all they do is rap about cars, clothes, bling and bitches.”

For the past seven years, I have heard this very same statement countless times. I’ll run into a complete stranger at a party, on the bus, in a classroom or at work and spark up a conversation about music with them. I will sit next to this person and wax poetic about all different genres, slowly becoming infatuated with the intoxicating dialogue about music. But then we breach the subject of hip hop and rap and things get tense – everything backfires and we are both left wondering what happened. So what did happen to hip hop?

Personally I thought the last decade was amazing. From 1990 up until the present date,  music listeners have been graced with classic records from the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Outkast, Biggie Smalls, 2Pac, Eminem and that’s just the list of major hit artists. I haven’t even delved deep into the halls of the unsung heroes, citing notable artists like Organized Konfusion, Count Bass D, Onyx, Cannibal Ox or Mr. Lif. Hip hop and rap fans have had the privilege of watching hip hop grow from an angry infant genre to a completely commercial and mainstream entity. Hip hop has moved from dim-lit and blunt smoke filled basements to huge stadiums and arenas complete with massive light rigs, expensive projectors and PA systems the same price as a hybrid Lexus (*the blunt odor still has not left the room). Nonetheless, I hear more debates about the negative aspects of hip hop and rap than anything else.

My question is this, what do the fans genuinely expect? I fully understand and acknowledge that the level of lyricism is not the same as it used to be in the late eighties and early nineties and it has in fact degraded. However, there are plenty of classic rap records that I can think of that didn’t involve lyrical gymnastics, “100 Miles and Runnin” and “Hard Knock Life” are two that immediately come to mind. Those are just great songs and classics because of their hard hitting message, arrangement and dope production – no verbal calisthenics involved. In addition, not all music is meant to be packed to the  brim with heavy philosophical and sapient content or angry political tirades about the streets. However, I will still admit that something is amiss.

The flip side of my argument is that we lack balance in hip hop and rap. What gave the genres their true life and vitality was multi-dimensionality and complexity. A rapper could tell a graphic tale about a gruesome shooting incident that occurred in the neighborhood, but then write a song about a fun, drama free block party that happened the same week. What made rappers like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Biggie and 2Pac so interesting was not only their hardcore lyrical content, but the fact that they could balance it all out with songs about happiness, depression, hooking up with hot chicks, being rejected by women, pissing off and evading the cops, getting busted by the cops; it was all there. Nas and Jay-Z took that same blueprint and elevated it to the next level.

In addition to the lack of balance, we, as hip hop fans (specifically the young generation), allow ourselves to believe that trends are more than mere illusions. I recall 2006-09 being particularly horrendous at times because everyone wanted to do or talk about their “swagger.” Younger rap fans would hear Auto-Tune records, and instead of being smart and paving their own paths, they would copy these piss poor recordings in the hopes of making a hit for themselves. I feel that the up and coming generation of hip hop fans lacks foresight and has a poor tendency of judging what is obviously a trend and fad as the new law or principle of the genre. We stifle hip hop and rap when we make these judgments and it pressures many rappers and producers to create music that is not wholly reflective of who they are as artists – it stifles all creativity. Unfortunately, whoever has the most swagger and coolest image is still a popular craze and I predict that it will be over the next couple years. When Cash Money created the slogan, “bling bling” I never predicted that rap as an entire genre would sink down into an even lower level of superficiality and frivolousness. While I enjoy many of the tracks I hear from artists like Lil Wayne and Drake, I can’t take it seriously – it all reminds me of “GQ” or “fashion” rap, music that’s suited to looking clean in your John Varvatos button down and vest while spraying on Burberry cologne.   Weezy can say he’s the best rapper alive all day, but he won’t get any more brownie points in my book until he finally comes out with a solid album that doesn’t just talk about weed, codeine, guns and bitches.

Overall, I am a proud hip hop fan and I see the genre is going through a vital transformation period. I have faith in the rap and hip hop music that will be produced in the coming decade and am excited when I hear new artists paving their own way. Jay Electronica is currently my favorite rapper and I feel he could be at the forefront of a new movement. On an even smaller and local scale, I’m excited about my friend James Valmont, he’s a very talented rapper and shows promise. Nonetheless, there are several external obstacles that will pull hip hop and rap into different directions, further segmenting the genres. Music fans do not purchase records the way they used to and the entire music business has imploded and is also changing. Your once knowledgeable rap fan who rocked everything from Tribe Called Quest to Three Six Mafia in his Discman is now gone and replaced by a fan who listens to one specific form of rap and/or hip hop performed by a specific group of artists and it’s all compiled onto a shiny new iPod. I foresee these kinds of division and this segmentation as being very dangerous for not only hip hop, but all music. It turns music fans into isolationists and not universalists. Either way, some amazing things happened in rap over the past decade and as we enter the new one, I look forward to sitting back and watching the rest of this vast music dialogue unfurl itself.

*Here are a few of my favorite rap records produced in the last decade