 This reply is rather un-intentionally long as I felt the need to explain about my city's music scene from my perspective seeing that my independent label released the first underground hip-hop record in the city back in 1994 at a time when all artist wannabe's were running around hoping for NY A & R's to come in and rescue them. Our graphics where done by a company in the Bay Area that had two other customers no one new about nationally then also who called themselves E-40, and Master P./No Limit Records. After reading your latest news letter I felt compelled to reply. I normally don't because many times with hip-hop many things are always speculative or childish in it's basis. To be real your newsletter is a good one and very informative however, on a whole sometimes the way WE BLACK FOLKS who are involved in the 'culture' of hip-hop act like a bunch of damn teenagers in their senior year of high school. We front on the lower classmen (i.e. certain cities), those who have scholarships (i.e. recording contracts, production deals or any other music related businesses) that can change their lives forever financially seem to throw it away so easily by doing or being part of some stupid prank with the rest of their crew that screws them up for life because they weren't wise enough or didn't want to look 'un-cool' to their peers by exercising good judgement and doing what's right. Now on to the actual question: As far as cities that represent, I've been all over and Chicago is way behind due to several reasons: 1. Refer to the attitudes mentioned above displayed by many industry types outside the city who feel this city has nothing to offer (how dumb can that be?). They can't understand that hip-hop is universal and that it's "our" (black folks) music and wherever we are it will be in us. 2. There is a crucial crabs in the barrel situation going on here internally that prevents artists, labels, promoter's and DJ's from coming together to really make some noise on a national level. 3. Those that "do make it" or get some notoriety, wish to be the 'King of the Hill' and would rather have the whole city ride their jock as opposed to sharing the opportunities and put other artist down which in turn would actually make more people more grateful and respectful of them. Examples? What artist did our most famous MC's from here put on that you know of? Common? Crucial Conflict? Da Brat? Do or Die? R.Kelly for that matter? Every artist who is big on the music scene from other cities have a sub-group that got on because of them. How many artists or groups did N.W.A. spawn? DJ Quick? EPMD? Wu-Tang? Black Moon? Outkast? Cash Money? Biggie Smalls? See it's very fertile ground but their is a sickening level of envy, hatred, and greed inside that keeps our city down in the eyes of the universal hip-hop community. Radio is not even going to be spoken about on an above ground level. Underground radio is thriving and has several small outlets, I actually ran a program that not many of "us" supported for almost a year where I funded out of my own pockets the loot for Air-Time. We played main stream and underground artist for two-hours every Saturday night but couldn't get any love or support locally from many who claim there's no one doing anything hip-hop in this city, as well as the major companies I contacted for 'Trade for Mention' situations, commercials or sponsorship like: Def Jam, FUBU, Lugz, XXL, Rap Pages, Source, Stress Magazine, Vibe, to just name a few never even replied to my written requests. Also it's important to ask yourself what if the residents of Chicago decided to act like New Yorkers and childishly hold on to their "invention" of a certain music genre? Dare we say that we'd not only have to mention that this was the birthplace and gateway for ALL black music that influenced every music that exists in the world today? This is the city where all the blues, and jazz players of the early to mid 1900's came to hone their craft and make a name for themselves before NY established itself as the "corporate" music head quarters. People like Quincy Jones, Howlin' Wolf, Lou Rawls, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Don Cornelius, record labels like Chess and Vee Jay {a black owned label that discovered and signed the Beatles but sold their contract to a white label in order to keep their doors open a little while longer}. What if we started crying out for all them keep it real New Yorkers to stop sampling music by these people or better yet the music that was born from their influences? What would they say to that? My point is we don't cry "Where you from kid?" when an Aaron Hall belts out some good ole' R & B the way the above mentioned did back in the day the way (it's documented too) Dr. Dre and Ed Lover fronted on R.Kelly when he came out and said he was biting Aaron's style. But then again you have to ask yourself how Common can drop an album in which every artist that guest appeared had or has since released albums of their own that have sold Gold or better, from Cannibus, The Roots, Eyrkah Badu, and Cee-Lo (Goodie Mob) and Lauryn Hill? Not only did Chicago front on him but every other city that has whole heartedly supported the artists he had guest appearing on his album..........back before in was financially smart to grab the hot artist from another region and throw them on your disc in order to hopefully get the support of their main region of consumers. Last but not least: what about you mr. davey d? I sent you an e-mail and a package this past summer right after you had returned from participating in a conference in Chicago...remember? I asked for some love on your show or magazine for our underground record but, I never got any reply from you other than you're busy and that you'll get around to my package sooner or later. Well, the record was by Wayne Live on SubCity Records and turned out to be the Number 1 record in the country the week of Sept. 27th on the Gavin Charts and #2 in HITS magazine. It charted in other industry magz and hip-hop orienting websites as well but, I never heard back from you with any information on how you could plug us in with some industry heads you know that could help us get further established or generate income by moving some units. The song never got love on Sway and Tech either? When some Cali residents called and requested the song they asked "was our artist dopper" than an established Chicago artist I won't name. We aren't a monolithic music city! We got all the many styles as NY, L.A. or the Bay Area but, if you aren't really checking for us then it really don't matter anyway now does it? So we remain the last big city to fully be raped and pillaged by the music industry of our "sound" huh? Carl 'Boo' Harris |