| CMU Daily - on the inside 23 Sep 2002 |
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Courtney Love is back in the news today – who said of the Hole star: “She never bothered to say “hi” to me until I sold a million records”
Answer tomorrow
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THE PUBLIC ENEMY IS MTV
Chuck D has spoken out against MTV in the US after they banned the Public Enemy single ‘Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need’ because of the use of the phrase "free Mumia". The reference refers to Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Black Panther turned journalist who was convicted of the murder of a police officer. An active campaigning movement, counting Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and the Beastie Boys amongst its supporters, believe Mumia was railroaded at trial and should be taken off death row and given a new hearing.
MTV say they requested the lyric be altered because their programming guidelines prevent “overtly-political videos” from going into rotation. "We asked if they could take out the word 'free', not the name mentioned," a spokeswoman told reporters. "We felt it was a personal and political position on an individual, and we are an unbiased company. We asked them to resubmit the video without the word 'free.'" But he admitted that this may be the first time the guidelines have been used – most past censoring has related to removing swear words for tracks and violence or nudity from videos (or in the case of one recent Eminem video negative references to MTV!)
But Chuck D reckons the decision has more to do with the network's preference for safe rap acts like Nelly and Khia. "I'm pulling the race card here because MTV has reduced black faces to blackface," Chuck D has said in recent columns, including that in the latest edition of CMU. "If they think having a political viewpoint in music is irrelevant it’s because they’ve taken the nazi approach in censoring it themselves. Deep down, rap to these standard people is disposable romper room sh#t that will never resonate to the Led Zep, Beatles, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi status that they still uphold in their hearts and minds. But based on the ridiculous yet influential decisions they make while in bed with their big business partners (major labels) it is unacceptable as far as my community is concerned. Judging that anonymous circle of people in the ‘standard’ department I feel, think and ultimately know that they would rather reduce us into a screen of swinging monkeys, and retreat to their tri-state bridge and tunnel confines.”
Elsewhere in the world of Public Enemy, Flavor Flav has missed out on the opening date of the group’s US tour after being incarcerating in New York for a parole violation. New York Department of Corrections confirmed Flav - real name William Drayton - is currently in George Motchan Detention Center on Riker's Island after a parole violation stemming from a previous conviction for driving without a license. The rapper is due to appear in Manhattan Supreme Court any time now.
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CUBE AND DRE HEAD FOR THE STUDIO
Ice Cube has proved, once and for all, past grievances with Dr Dre have been settled by signing to his label Aftermath. The two started out, of course, in NWA but publicly fell out when Cube left the group in 1989. In recent years the feud ended with the duo working together on occasional tracks and both appearing on the 2000 Up In Smoke Tour. The latest deal will see the two rappers working together on a regular basis.
"Two of the biggest masterminds in West Coast hip-hop are together again," Ice Cube said on announcing the deal. "Me signing to Aftermath was something that was kind of in the back in our minds for a while. We kind of felt around and saw if Dre would be interested in something like that. He was all the way with it. Once he was all the way with it, we just started working on putting the deal in place. We're in the process of making it work. Hopefully next year you'll see an album by Cube produced by Dr. Dre. I'm writing already, and Dre's doing music. He's also working on his album. We're trying to get both albums to come out around the same time. Tour together. Make it a big, full circle."
But Cube denied there were any thoughts of a NWA reunion: "As far as I know, that's not gonna happen no time soon.” Ice Cube is still relishing the success of his movie ‘Barbershop’ which has taken US cinemas by storm.
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BON JOVI TRY TO LURE FANS AWAY FROM DOWNLOADS
Bon Jovi are offering fans an incentive to buy their latest CD rather than obtain a pirated copy from the internet by including a 13-digit number inside the packaging that gives fans access to exclusive content on the band’s website. Larry Mattera, head of new media at Bon Jovi's label Island Def Jam, says the band wanted to find imaginative ways of persuading fans to buy legitimate copies of their new album. "We need to ensure there is enough value in the CD itself to drive purchases," he told the BBC's Go Digital programme. "There is value in music but that has got lost in the last few years with the advent of the internet and the ability to file-share." Whether the initiative aids sales remains to be seen - copies of ‘Bounce’ are already online and one file sharing service has admitted it is one of the most popular downloads at the moment.
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NIRVANA DISPUTES ARE OVER LOVE SAYS
Courtney Love has told reporters she has resolved the lawsuits between herself and the surviving members of Nirvana which means a release of a greatest hits and rarities album is now more than likely. She told ‘The Howard Stern Show’ "You'll get the new Nirvana record at Christmas. We love each other. We're getting along. We worked it all out." Asked why the case had finally been resolved, Love replied, "lots and lots and lots of money." The band’s label are yet to comment, and it is unclear if they plan to release a ‘greatest hits’ album which includes some rarities, or a whole box set of tracks. Love also implied she was “done with” her other legal dispute with Universal Music over her own music contract, though her lawyers say talks continue.
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SMASHING PUMPKINS REISSUE VIDEO
The Smashing Pumpkins plan to reissue their 1994 ‘Vieuphoria’ home video on DVD complemented by an audio-only CD version called ‘Earphoria’. Both are said to contain 20 minutes of material not included on the original video. The original ‘Vieuphoria’ showcased live performances, taken mostly from the 1994 tour in support of ‘Siamese Dream’ alongside skits and backstage footage.
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BASS BACK AT SPACE CENTRE
NSync's Lance Bass has apparently returned to the Russian space agency training centre to start a new training course. Whether this is related to Pepsi’s announcement that they will sponsor the boy band star’s mission to space is unclear, but a spokesperson admitted he will not be allowed to be part of the original planned mission to the International Space Station in October.
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MORE COMPILATION MUSICALS
First Abba, then Queen, and now, with a musical based around the music of Madness about to open in the West End and rumours rife of a Kylie musical, word is the songs of Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac are likely to hit the stage. Matthew Vaughan, who produced 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', is planning to use the music from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album in a new show, while Ben Elton (the man behind the dreadful script to Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’) is said to be writing ‘Tonight's The Night’ which will use music from Rod Stewart. Phil McIntyre, the producer of the Rod Stewart musical told the Independent: "Since the singer-songwriters of the 1960s there has been little appetite for writing specifically for the stage - hence the tributes".
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JACKSON ON CHICAGO SOUNDTRACK
Talking of musicals, Janet Jackson is set to record a new song for movie version of the jazz musical ‘Chicago’. Word is the track would be the first single release from the soundtrack album, due out in the US on 26 Nov, a month before the American release of the film. Randy Spendlove of Miramax Motion Picture Music told Billboard: "Janet Jackson was a perfect choice for this soundtrack because this is a dance-oriented movie. The song will reflect the spirit of the film." The film stars Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere, who do their own singing in the movie.
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WILL SMITH DOUBLE PLEADS GUILTY
A man accused of running up nearly $33,000 in credit card bills under the name of music and movie star Will Smith has pled guilty to one count of ‘use of an unauthorized device’ in a US District Court in Pittsburgh. Carlos Lomax acquired Smith's Social Security card number and opened 14 credit card accounts at a number of stores in the Pittsburgh area under the rapper-actor's full name, Williard C. Smith. Lomax faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 – the case is more serious because Lomax is already on probation for running up $81,000 in credit bills under the name of another Smith - Atlanta Hawks basketball player Steve Smith!
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Answer to Friday’s pop quiz:
In what fictional town have Ozzy Osbourne, U2, Sting, Tom Jones and Barry White all been sighted?
Springfield of course (as guest stars on the Simpsons)