Newsgroups: alt.rap,alt.music.alternative,rec.music.funky
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 00:02:02 -0400 
From: Eric Scott Jefferson <ej0i+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Body Count: "Cop Killer" removed from album
	<1992Aug20.155058.18926@schaefer.math.wisc.edu>

	This is my last word on Bodycount that will be sent to the rap bboard.
All replies to this message will be ignored unless they are sent to a
metal bboard since most people on this bboard could not give a damn
about metal (just as most metal fans could not give a damn about rap)
and thus it should not be discussed here.
	>Besides, the true secret to the success of Metallica and Megadeth is the
>fact that they're from that Mecca of the rock world, San Francisco. That
>they happen to be white is pure coincidence.
The members of Metallica are in fact not from San Fransico. James
Hetfield (lead singer and rhythm guitarist) is from Alabama (or
Arkansas, I'm not sure), Lars Ulrich (drummer) is from Denmark, Kirk
Hammet (lead guitarist) is from San Francisco and Jason Newsted
(bassist) is from Phoenix. They moved to San Francisco to be close to
original bassist Cliff Burton who was later killed in a bus accident. 
They got to be what many critics (and many fans) believe to be the most
important metal band since Led Zeppelin (just try insulting Metallica on
a metal bboard and see how many flames you get. It would be like
insulting Public Enemy here) by continually practicing their instruments
while growing up so that they can actually play them. Megadeth has a
similar history.
	I shouldn't have picked Bodycount to insult since Ice-T is in fact a
big admirer of metal (in fact he was tremendously proud that for his new
album he got to record in the same studio where his heroes Metallica
have recorded.) He says he has listened to more metal than most white
kids. Bodycount though unfortunately is only a second-rate thrash band.
Their members obviously did put practice guitar too much while growing
up. Maybe they'll get better though. If good guitar playing as Mark
McKinzie alleges is not what Bodycount is about then they are a truly
stupid band since if you do not want to make good music you should not
be playing in a band in the first place for that is what metal is all
about, music first lyrics second (which is why I got away from rap. I
had been listening to it since 1979 but it just does not have the power
of metal since the music is very simple and basic while the lyrics come
first). A lot of people (people who know absolutely nothing about metal
mostly since metal fans judging by their writings on bboards and to
magazines seem unimpressed with Bodycount so far) just seem to like
Bodycount for their lyrics unfortunately and not their music which is
far more important.
	What I was objecting to in saying black people should know about white
culture before playing metal is this: most black metal bands (Living
Colour, Fishbone etc.) bring a black mentality to metal. Always talking
about racism and injustice for instance. They even seem to show contempt
for this music while playing it since Fishbone sneers all over the place
at Led Zeppelin and alleges how Jimi Hendrix was the only great
guitarist and Living Colour arrogantly suggests that rock music is the
heritage of black people and they will reclaim it (as if their two
Grammys were gotten based on talent rather than skin color).Now this is
why rap was created (and if anybody out there was reading last year you
will remember I criticized white rappers who were not aware of black
culture and brought a white mentality to rap for which I recieved much
flack from white rap fans even though I myself am white). Metal from its
beginning was listened to primarily by poor whites (one critic has said
that metal serves the same function for poor whites as blues served for
poor blacks in the South in the early twentieth century). This is of
course why few white metal fans listen to much black produced metal
because the mentality and viewpoint is all wrong. It isn't any racism as
Living Colour suggests. I saw black fans of Guns N' Roses and Metallica
at their joint concert this summer and they were quickly accepted and no
one bothered them. I have black friends who are big metal fans but they
understand the mentality of it which is cool (they also are unimpressed
with such as Living Colour). Magazines continually criticize white rap
groups who are not "down" with the culture as do people I have known.
Should not this same standard be applied in reverse?
	I have actually seen Ice-T in concert and used to be a big Ice-T fan
before I stopped listening to much rap and I really appreciate the fact
that he has continually shown a genuine love for metal and a regard for
it. I don't like Bodycount for the reason that they are pretty rough in
their playing.
	And yes, rap does use a lot of white music in their samples and yes
Jimi Hendrix was one of the original influences on metal (along with The
Who, The Yardbirds, Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer) and he certainly was
one of the greatest guitarists ever (I have all three of his original
albums as well as some live stuff) But the original metal groups are
considered to be Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin who are most certainly
white and while both started off as blues bands they changed blues into
a completely new art form by developing the power chord and increasing
distortion etc. (which blues players never did)
	>Get fucked you stupid asshole. Pull your head out of your asshole (
its metal up
>your ass, not head up your ass!) and try something new. Think, its not
illegal yet!

>I would like you to meet Ice Fuckin' T and have it explain it to you!

>I guess there goes the neighbourhood!
It's always nice to hear from intelligent people with a three word
vocabulary! I look forward to many hours of stimulating debate with you
in the future!
	
	


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"I got something to say, I killed your baby today and it doesn't matter
much to me as long as it's dead
I got something to say. I raped your mother today and it doesn't matter
much to me as long as she spread" -- The Misfits
"They're out ta get me. They won't catch me. 'Cause I'm innocent." --
Guns N' Roses
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Newsgroups: alt.rap