[L-I] Interview with Paris about modern conditions.

On a search for socially conscious hip hop of the modern era, I came across this
interview with Paris. Definitely worth a look.

--Macdonald

----
The Onion: When did you first become interested in politics?

Paris: I'm not really interested in politics. I just like to make records that I
believe are conscious or socially relevant. I really could care less about
politics.

O: But there's a politically charged element to your music.

P: Yeah, but it's more socially relevant than political. I think it ends up
transcending into politics, but for me, it's all about just making records that
I feel comfortable with, that I won't be embarrassed by later. So, if I'm going
to do it and I know about certain things that other people might not necessarily
know, and I'm party and witness to injustices that have occurred, then I'll want
to speak about them. That's not necessarily every record. You know, every record
is not necessarily going to be that way. Not every song on Sonic Jihad is going
to be like "What Would You Do?" I just want to make records that cover a range
of different topics.

O: Has your music always been socially conscious?

P: Yeah, and I think that's the one thing that ties all my albums together.
There's always concern about the condition of everybody, although initially my
focus was on issues relevant to the black community. More recently, I've been
encompassing a broader worldview.

O: How difficult was it to get Sleeping With The Enemy released?

P: When I delivered that record, it was during a political climate that's
similar to this one right now, in that there was a lot of intolerance for
alternative points of view. We were in a war at the time as well, and there was
a presidential election coming up; this was in '92. Ice-T had just gone through
a lot of drama with the furor over "Cop Killer." That, in turn, made everyone
else fall under increased scrutiny. I was released with a settlement package,
and then it bounced around from label to label.

O: When you recorded "Bush Killa," did you think it was going to be as
controversial as it was?

P: I had no idea. I was heavily influenced by other music that was coming out at
the time, and I kind of wanted a button-pushing, aggressive song that would
spark debate, but I didn't know it was going to get that large.

O: Is it true that you were visited by the Secret Service because of the song?

P: Well, I wasn't visited, but I did receive notice that they were not happy
with it. Let's put it that way.

O: How did that make you feel?

P: At the time, I was much younger, so it was unsettling. It wasn't necessarily
scary, but it was unsettling. The times we live in now are scarier, though.

O: What do you think has changed since then?

P: Well, let me see. The fact that you can be arrested and detained indefinitely
and put to death without charges being brought to you, and have all your assets
frozen and not have anyone know that you're even missing-that's pretty scary.
All of that is a very real possibility for people who express dissent after the
passage of the Patriot Act.

http://www.theonionavclub.com/avclub3822/bonusfeature1_3822.html


-------------------------------------------
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
--
In the contradiction lies the hope.
                                     --Bertholt Brecht



_______________________________________________
Leninist-International mailing list
Leninist-International@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To change your options or unsubscribe go to:
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international