EU's Media Report
By Ron Wynn
The Atlanta duo Outkast are the cover subjects of the March 18th
Rolling Stone and is certainly aimed at mainstream audiences.
There
aren't any new details about their origins, music or personalities, but
it
does mention that there are two forthcoming Outkast albums coming down
the
road, and that Dre has a role in Be Cool, the sequel to Get
Shorty. The sidebar proves the more interesting story. It details
the
evolution of the single "Hey Ya!," which was originally slated to be
released in 2000 and included on Stankonia. The track was laid
down
in 1999, but Dre kept hearing new music and subsequently changing
and/or
adding things. What isn't addressed in the sidebar is the controversy
that
emerged at the Grammys, with Native American groups later expressing
indignation at what they perceived as disrespect from Outkast during
the
performance. Still, those of us who can remember when it was an open
secret
during the '70s and '80s that no African American artists ever got on
the
cover of Rolling Stone must rejoice over the fact that now it's
fairly
common, as Beyonce, Ruben Studdard and now Outkast have been recent
cover
subjects.
Dave Chappelle's remarkable wit and humor are expertly profiled in
the
March issue of Vibe. Chappelle's show on Comedy Central stands
alongside The Daily Show as the lone programs on that network that
can
simultaneously make you think while also making you laugh. Chappelle's
also
not afraid to take on sacred cows. He's done skits on slavery, all
types of
racial stereotypes, and parodied figures both well known and quite
obscure.
He's also given props to the great Paul Mooney, an amazing writer and
comedian that's always been far too hot for commercial television, and
proven that satire can find a popular audience. There's also a tribute
to
Spike Lee story, with contributions from Mekhi Phifer, Omar Epps and
Nona
Gaye among others, and music profiles on Ja Rule and Nas, who reflects
on
the 10th anniversary of his groundbreaking record Illmatic.
You wouldn't expect to find much hip-hop coverage in GQ, but
the
March issue includes a Chris Norris article on Snoop Dogg that's light
on
musical analysis, but heavy on biographical and industry detail. Again,
there's nothing there that fans don't already know, but just seeing a
shot
of Snoop holding a cat in the pages of a high-fashion mag like
GQ speaks volumes about rap's influence and cultural prominence.
The
issue also includes a short but quite moving article about Richard
Pryor,
whose 1981 album Live On The Sunset Strip remains arguably the
greatest
concert comedy album ever issued. It was the last in a trio of
magnificent
albums along with Wanted in 1978 and Live in 1979. No
comedian
before or since ever issued three consecutive provocative, zany and
innovative albums, while revolutionizing the art of standup comedy.
Interestingly, in its wire section, GQ takes aim at Tupac, calling him
the
most overrated rapper of all time and urging fans to stop buying Tupac
albums. Peter Rubin's text claims Tupac made only two good records,
2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., and that he
descended into paranoia and creative stagnation after his 1994
imprisonment.
Whether you buy this or not, Rubin's article makes for interesting
reading.
The spring issue of American Legacy magazine includes a Gwen
I fill
interview with Dorothy Height, who's been a warrior in the struggle
since
1957, when she first became head of the National Council of Negro
Women.
Height headed this group for 41 years, and was also involved with the
civil
rights movement from the beginning. Besides the interview, there's also
an
excerpt from Height's memoir Open Wide The Gates. Stephen
Chicoine
profiles one of the last surviving African Americans who fought for the
union in the Civil War, and Gregory Thomas examines the legacy of Ralph
Ellison, who wanted to be a musician but instead became one of
America's
greatest authors.
(Ron Wynn is editor of Everything Underground).
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