I'm listening to This is Madness by The Last Poets while sitting in a black-owned coffee shop in my heavily mixed-race neighbourhood, one of the historic center's of Washington, DC's sizeable black middle glass. I'm surrounded by young hipsters and middle-aged black families, nodding my head in time with the beat, and really enjoying the music--when it suddenly occurs to me that if they could see this, the men who cut that album would probably be quite horrified.
« Cruel math | Main | We must force you to be free! » More Music Sunday09 Sep 2007 01:38 pm Comments (20)
Brooksfoe, do you know The Last Poets? In the 1970's they were of the "whites are evil" stripe of militancy. It was just an interesting comment, that's all; there wasn't any particular criticism implied. I'm not sure how I feel about it, actually. At any rate, only a lunatic would try to dance to the Last Poets, at least in their 1971 incarnation. 
Somewhat off topic, but what is with the self-conscious postings from coffee houses? I still don't understand this general trend. Is it that there are fewer distractions that at home so people can get more done? Doesn't seem likely now with wi-fi and music, and there are plenty of people doing it on Friday and Saturday nights. Are these people who live in 120 square foot studios and need the spaciousness of a Starbucks? Is it that if you have a Powerbook, you have to be SEEN with it?
It's not that exciting . . . the coffee shop in question, Busboys and Poets, makes a really great falafel. However, I *am* more productive in coffee shops; no television, no chatty coworkers, no temptation to vacuum.
Who cares? The artist doesn't own the art. As soon as it's out there, it's out there.
Freddie wrote: Who cares? The artist doesn't own the art. As soon as it's out there, it's out there. Given current trends in patent and copyright law, I wouldn't count on that...
...one of the historic center's of Washington, DC's sizeable black middle glass. There must be some distraction in that coffee house. Try working @ home, & promising yourself you can vacuum only after you've used preview & re-read your item twice. P. S.: The Last Poets say: "Wake up, n*gg*rs, or you're all through!" (Just love that line; any excuse to type it.) I own a cassette of a Last Poets LP, & though I haven't listened to it in about 20 yrs. (stashed in storage) I don't remember much "whitey is the devil," more "wise up & help yourselves, don't expect anyone else do it for you" rhetoric. You probably couldn't dance to it, but you can definitely bop your head to it.
I listened to the last poets when they first put their music and poetry out. As a matter of fact, I was one of those dashiki-wearing high school students running around with big fros, doing bad imitations of the last poets, gil scott heron, nikki giovanni, leroi jones and many other talented folks from that era. lame as it was, we tried, and we were inspired by those artists.
Yeah, I know the Last Poets - haven't listened to them in decades. I regretted that post after making it. I was trying to just note that there's something slightly triumphalist in that sort of retrospective defanging of political or racially aware music, and it's a pretty fraught zone to get into. The political issue isn't much different from what would be conjured if you'd been listening to "Straight Outta Compton", but I think that one would be sufficiently aware of how extremely wack it would be, as a white paid coffee-house blogger in a black neighborhood, to be overheard listening to NWA, that one might hesitate to allow it even to come on the randomized player. Just as I would be aware of how wack it would be, as a white coffeehouse blogger, to be overheard using the word "wack" in a black neighborhood, and probably wouldn't use it.
This is vaguely reminiscent of Michael Bolton's commuter scene from the opening of 'Office Space'.
brooksfoe, Are you suggesting that in public areas where one's music may be overheard it is poor judgement to listen to something that is seemingly at odds with one's phenotype? That seems highly absurd, especially in the DC area, which is so cosmopolitan. Should I restrict my listening to bluegrass and polkas since that's the music of my ancestors? Because frankly, I like "black music" much more. And I've always enjoyed being the nerdy white girl with glasses bumping Wu-Tang, et al. I make fun of my teenaged nephews and nieces for listening to punk and emo, asking them, don't you have any black folks in your school?
Why would they be horrified? Because you're an American who uses Anglicisms like "neighbourhood," or because you're not very pretty?
You never disappoint. It is kinda fun because really stupid people usually keep their stupidity under wraps. They've learned not to advertise the fact that they are a real dunce. Fortunately, for our amusement, you wear your dunce cap high!
What an incredible string of nasty unsubstantiated ad hominems. Depressing reading
Maybe it's that I don't own an iPod, & am usually listening to NPR or even Air America on my (cassette-playing) Walkman©, but I assumed that The Last Poets were on the coffee-house's sound system, not that Ms. McA. had them on her iPod. Thus were, say, one of The Last Poets to walk in for a "great falafel" (@ a black-owned establishment, yet) he might "quite horrified." Though I doubt it.
What is incredible and depressing is that a supposedly reputable publication would hire someone like McArdle to write under their name.
Well, Frankie D., at the time, AFAIK, the Last Poets were separatists, no? I doubt that they then would be happy to see what has happened to U Street, though I don't know what their opinion now would be. And I don't think it takes much understanding of the times to understand what gave rise to a song like "Opposites", which is what I was listening to when I wrote that; I'm pretty sure they didn't mean it for upper middle class white women to listen to while they work. But you're weirdly reading in criticism where there was none. I was wondering about the question of what happens to art after the artist lets it go, not investigating the question of black separatism. Likewise, Brooksfoe, I wasn't celebrating it; just noticing it. M. Bouffant, no one in their right mind would put This is Madness on a sound system in a coffee shop. I was listening to it with surround headphones; no one else heard it. The sound system had some sort of boring Muzak on.
Thanks for the update. Guess we can see how old I am. And I certainly would put the Poets on in my coffee shop, pasty white as I am. But I like Yoko Ono too. Any of her on your 'Pod?
Your question illustrates my point.
My only regret is that MattY didn't chance by so that he and Jane Galt could both nod their heads while discussing the best place to find lobster rolls in Maine.
Megan McCardle wrote: " I was wondering about the question of what happens to art after the artist lets it go, not investigating the question of black separatism."
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Oh, those guys were so limited by their historical and racial perspective. They just wouldn't understand how your unique insight allows you to transcend such shallow resentments. But they certainly are good at dancing! And music. It's that beat, you know? Probably genetic.
Posted by brooksfoe | September 9, 2007 2:05 PM