 Dead Prez may have to kick up some dust over a censorship issue. Group members M-1 and Stic are known for their political activism. They just don't rap about social issues, but they are actively involved in organizations that try to bring about change. Their upcoming album 'Lets Get Free' which is due to drop on February 22cd has already created a buzz because folks are anxious to hear their perspectives and analysis on various issues. Featured on the album are The People's Army, Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. The group is also set to do some work with Common and Black Star. The problem at hand has to do with their album cover. The group wanted to make a statement about freedom so they used a well known photograph of South Africans holding their rifles up in the air in a salute. It was taken during the now infamous Soweto uprisings during the Apartheid era. When you look at the picture, its really hard to tell that these 'young comrads' are holding up rifles. They actually look like tree branches. I had seen this picture before on numerous occasions and it was only after talking to M-1 did I realize these were rifles.
In any case their label Loud Records doesn't want to release the album cover because of their concern about the recent Columbine High School shootings and the crack downs that have come about as a result of them. They don't wanna stir up to much controversy. The group Dead Prez tried to broker a compromise by putting a sticker over the rifles with the following statement "This artwork has been censored by the powers that be due to it's political content". The record company still wasn't buying it.. It seems a bit contradictory for Loud Records to do this when you consider some of the acts they have featured on their label. Among them is the Infamous Mobb Deep who recently released their album entitled 'Murda Muzik'. There you will find quite a few songs that should raise some concerns about Columbine shootings and violence. You may want to peep part of Havoc's second verse to that song.
"Yo... straight thugs on this side - it's do or die to the death Like the terminal ill takin they last breath Read your last rites - God, forgive me for the sin I'm about to commit - takin a life Kill or be killed, rather that than somebody else.."I hear this song on the radio everyday..Now I'm not saying it should be censored. But if we're concerned about Columbine.. why release this cut and market it to commercial radio stations? Heck during the Jay-Z show last night that record was played and the entire audience went into a frenzy and sung along. That's how well promoted this song was.. You hardly ever hear a Dead Prez being played outside a underground Hip Hop show. Loud records also has on their roster acts like The Beatnuts who did colorful song about their Tech-Nine several years ago. It was called 'Reign of The Tec'. In addition to soe very descriptive lyrics, the chorus went:
"When I pop the trunk, hit the deck John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the tec Head for the hills before you get wrecked John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the tec"On their new album they pick up the gun again on some of their songs like 'Slam Pit'. . Also we can't forget Project Pat, another Loud artist who also has some mayhem going on in a couple of songs.. I cite these as examples to note that it appears to be ok to be a thug in the hood where you highlight all the social pathologies that affect us, but if you should cross that imaginary line and declare freedom against oppression or fire shots against the establishment, you may find yourself being censored. It makes no sense for a group like Dead Prez who use an image that has long stood for freedom and rebellion and is in synch with their political philosophy to be catching heat.. Historically speaking this seems to be a pattern. For example several years ago groups like Paris, Public Enemy and Brand Nubian found themselves being censored when they made political statements that crossed that imaginary line. Paris was made to remove an image of Gun-N-Roses lead singer Axl Rose from his video after it was shown next to Aryan White Power leader Tom Metzger. Paris put him there because Rose had used the word 'nigger' to describe Black people. Public Enemy caught heat when they blew up a state Senator's car in their song 'By The Time I Get To Arizona'. This was when the state refused to recognize The Martin Luther King Holiday. The car being blown up was to symbolize what they felt needed to happen with the Arizona government. Then there was Brand Nubian who were censored for burning the American flag.. While all this was going on, NWA videos were being shown with depiction of Black on Black crime or the police were shown regulating on the brothas. Even in the new Mobb Deep video the police are shown with guns putting folks in check. As long as were running from the cops or beating each other its cool. You can judge for yourself and let me know what you think.. The album covers are posted up on the front page of my website.. http://www.daveyd.com It seems a bit contradictory to be concerned about Columbine while releasing albums by Mobb Deep while censoring political artists like Dead Prez. As KRS-one would ask 'Why is That? mailto:kingdave@sirius.com
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