It is 2002 and I’d like to wish everybody a healthy and happy new year. Now, with that said, the issue of what hip hop can do for society, as it is in its 23rd year as rap music and 28th year as a sub-culture. In the last 3 years I’ve been doing super-mentoring to a lotta cats looking for clarity while trying to penetrate the game, or even those already within this game, and it has been a swirl of an experience. I’m surrounded by a gang of aspiring musicians, businessmen and writers who represent a constituency of do or die-ers when it comes to the name of the game, but not necessarily the game itself. It’s not necessarily their fault as they are led to believe the distortions of what’s presented thru the media. The illusion is truly becoming a killer. Fifteen years back I warned ’Don’t Believe the Hype’ and now… First of all, cats have to respect the artform and culture, but before they do that they gotta respect the people and community it originated from. In order to respect the people you gotta know the people, which in many cases means knowing thyself. Many cats say they love hip hop to the bone marrow, but if they disrespect black folk, as many are black themselves, their love for hip hop is null and void. Knowing self is a major step in contributing to this sub-culture, which at the root is black, but adopts all contribution in a true color-blind fashion for the sake of balanced reflection, not financial corporate takeover. However, it’s this takeover that is stunting the development of the art and its participants, as cats are becoming bent as they lose sight of what it is, and who they are, therefore never fully scaling ‘the hurdle of thirty’.

Thirty years of age is a beautiful point of creativity, and understanding of self and what self can do. It’s the culmination of a 12 year period of so-called adulthood (since 18) and an introduction to really fully understand and use the skills learned in that span to ones advantage, so called enjoying the ‘fruits’ while doing it. However in this society, time-wise, the period from 18-26 is a key area on preparing how to live in the 30-50 ‘zone of life’. This is why jail is so de-habilitating, because the 12-17 year period prepares you for that zone. Because the cultures have been packaged and processed, thus infantiled, solely for an early teenage consumption, things like eMpTy V and B.E.T. extends teenage years to 29, the developmental period of 18-26 is being passed over entirely in both life and art for the sake of mass consumption. So Chuck, what does this all mean? Because, you got a lotta heads out there so confused by the illusions by thirty they find out that the weed ain’t as potent as it used to be, the playstation is not as satisfying, the clubs ain’t poppin like back in the day and the chicks ain’t fallin for the same ol tricks. For the rap cats it’s parallel; the beats accumulate on the shelf, nobodies answering the record company phone call, and nobody is givin a damn unless a check comes with it.

Add to that, every time the cat turns on the TV there’s a much younger cat rappin, wack he thinks, with bangin chicks behind him rollin iced and 20ed out, stuck in a eMpTy V crib wondering what he should do with an empty day. While his reality tells him he’s 30, he’s really 33, waking up outta the haze, gotta few seeds with "baby mama drama," as he says. No real job skills, as he passed thru 18-30 chasing his dream he peeped on TV and heard on the radio, the aspect of adulthood has hit like a wall. Instead of experiencing the joy of gradually getting there, while overstanding that life is about living rather than surviving. The confusion to the illusion has created an edgy keeping up with the ‘joneses’ at all costs which has created suicidal and homicidal tendencies for the 1990s era ‘black or hip hop male’ that are evolving this decade. Keepin it real is a hard thud for those that refuse to see it. A non stop sepia ‘dizzy whirl’ will end up killing cats, or cats killing themselves, unless they get rooted into doing for self from ground zero rather than wishing for a nipple at the 13th floor.

Thus we are gathered here with a cluster of nearly 30 cats who are fortunate to be in the main public eye, dumbing themselves down while selling adult themes to 13 year olds, yet unable to clearly defend what they say. Rhyming in circles is like processing your own spit to drink again. This dropoff factor has led those that want more off to ‘spoken word’ clubs. Especially the women who get ‘thawed’ off of the dumb shit by the likes of JILL, ERYKAH and INDIA by 19, while their male counterparts still think like LIL WAYNE who’s only a couple a years removed mentally from LIL BOW WOW, trying to floss crispy like FABOLOUS.

The hurdle of thirty is a high one, much higher than RED and METH’s flick, just peep the angry and distorted faces past the line. Get your own grip on yourself and grow gradually brick by brick, you can still build within your reality. In Amerikkka, compared to other lands, the opportunity to network against the hype is at least here, (which explains the high octane imagery thrust thru the airwaves) whereas physical conditions are not as favorable in other places (but the mental platform has less distractions). Therefore the 30s should be an introduction to fantastic creativity, reflection, output, performance and fun. Something that young cats wanna aspire to, which is true happiness beyond the toys, is the key to living rather than just surviving.

From this point forward, or at least this year, I’m thinking about keeping t-domes shorter but more consistent, as I’m getting more writing pieces like next month in BOB GUCCIONE’S GEAR MAGAZINE entitled RAP; THE COINTELPRO OF THE MILLENNIUM? State of the State of the Art; 2002. This came about after we did a roundtable discussion on it narrated by BONZ MALONE, and attended by EL-P from COMPANY FLOW, AFU-RA, PRINCESS SUPERSTAR, BLACK ICE and DAN the AUTOMATOR. These cats have great insight and are truly rooted in contributing to the form with great works indeed.

Speaking of BLACK ICE he ripped shop on RUSSELL SIMMON’S DEF POETRY JAM, which looks to be another success. BLACK ICE outta PHILLY is now being produced by DJ JOHNNY JUICE in the ICEHOUSE studios here on L.I.

I was saddened by the recent passing of the great, great MR RUFUS THOMAS in MEMPHIS at the end of last year. Here was another one of my favorites, whom I had the utmost pleasure of hangin with, and interviewing, while at Fox news. During an ELVIS special, I tripped down to MEMPHIS and covered the E mans would’ve been 60th birthday and I countered the whole ‘king’ thing by getting a chance to build with LITTLE RICHARD in LA as well. But with MR RUFUS it was like building with an 80 year old FLAVOR FLAV which he actually was. He had more energy than cats a quarter of his age, playing new stuff that he recorded at SUN STUDIOS where we kicked it and ate lunch. Went to his crib to pick him up and all. This is the same cat that gave BB KING his first break!, started SUN RECORDS and STAX.... a breakbeat legend as well as one of the first black radio pioneers on earth. When I asked ‘Mr Octogenarian,’ as he called himself, about the battles between SAM COOKE and JACKIE WILSON he said they not only tore the house down, but tore it down and rebuilt it.

I haven’t put a book list together in a minute but I am still buyin them like I’m siiiick...

1. BASS CULTURE ; LLOYD BRADLEY
2. THE ROAD TO POWER ; KEIDI OBI AWADU
3. DIGITAL VIDEO FILM MAKER’S HANDBOOK ; MAXIE D. COLLIER
4. FOLLOW THE MUSIC: Story of Elektra Records ; JAC HOLZMAN GAVAN DAVIS
5. STEP INTO A WORLD: A Global Anthology Of The New Black Literature ; edited by KEVIN POWELL

2002, the 15th year of PUBLIC ENEMY, expect some new records and some revamped old ones (or classics as they say) thru www.slamjamz.com, but most of all this year were gonna tour some exotic places, do music and have fun doin it. Stay tuned I’ll keep you posted, yup.

The ENEMY BOARD Conference is here in NY with a few heads about to set it. And well appreciated, the web has made this amazing feat possible... eh?

Really BLU CANTRELL is burnin the cover down in the new VIBE issue, we can’t be mad… I repeat we can’t be mad…

Sometimes I like the chick videos so much I say give the chicks the record deals… since a lot of the flow is simple, we know that the chicks can do it just as good if not better. Really if all these cats knew that the only reason they’re getting peeped is the chicks ridin behind them, they’d have to raise their game level. I don’t think that some of these cats need to be in the video themselves as they are as much in the way as a VIACOM logo blurr. I repeat, give the chicks the record deals and literally cut out the middleman. Somebody give Cita and her world a record deal while you at it.

Mr. PHIL UPCHURCH is another friend of mine and a legend who has takin advantage of technology by his site. He also hand ships the music to you, an incredible inspiration to us all... http://www.philupchurch.com. He taught cats like DONNY HATHAWAY the ropes, played with JAMERSON, CHESS, MOTOWN and the whole nine… get cha history, go there and tell em Chuck sent cha…

Next week I’m gonna be on JIM ROME’S THE LAST WORD. He’s good and quick on the sports tip, it should be fun...

This year I promise to give more of a heads up on TV appearances… all right.

Really, these cats talkin about $$$ in the music, TV and film game... it’s puppy-chow as opposed to the video-game industry. I had dinner with one of the owners of a popular company that just moved 3 million units worldwide at $50 a pop… do the math as they laugh at what you think is large.

One thing I dig about LUDICRIS is his vocal clarity… strong lessons from his radio experience on HOT 97.5 in ATL.

We’re not gonna talk long about JAY-Z versus NAS, because although I dig NAS, p.o.v. the problem is do you have any memory of him getting in front of his fans and sweating for them. Jig has at least gotten in front of 10,000 or more cats, traveled and worked. His UNPLUGGED show was impressive, so he understood as a performer he has to perform. At least try. You can’t be a top player if you don’t cover the key aspects of the game MUSIC, OBJECTIVE, VISUAL and ENTERTAIN… NAS covers three outta four, JIG has zoned all four. Cats gotta take it to the stage instead of bein ‘paid AND full’….

Gone Mistachuck@rapstatio n.com