Rappers have strong feelings and journalists are supposed to be meek. Most of the time that’s true but tonight I’m just set that aside and bring out the emcee that I once was.
I received a press release the other day that states what U-N-I, an L.A. group that I dearly champion, really feels about another (sorta) rap group called The Knux, two brothers from New Orleans who set up shop in L.A., somehow got Eminem’s manager’s attention and were signed to Interscope. They also recently released an album called “Remind Me In 3 Days” that has thus far performed poorly out of the gate as far as sales. (My boy Jeff Weiss still rides for them in L.A. Weekly, and I value his criticism)
Actually, it’s no secret that Jeff champions The Knux the same way I do U-N-I. We writers do take sides – shockin, ain’t it? And because Jeff is the homie, I was inclined to give The Knux a chance and listen to their music more closely despite the fact that I simply did not like it on first few listens. Bottom line is that it’s Fruitcake Music and although I do like Rick Ross’ voice and occasional funny lines, Maybach Music is a bit too … Robin Leach for my taste.
But back to the subject at hand. Being that I listen to music less and less yet still pay attention to blogs, I read a full interview that Jeff posted on his site. That interview included material that Jeff didn’t use in his lengthy cover story for L.A. Weekly about L.A. emerging “hipster rap” scene (the term is infinitely stupid, but hey, labels are labels). In that transcript of the Q/A, I just happened to stumble across a part where The Knux claim to have started the “hipster movement” and explicitly say “U-N-I did not.”
By chance, couple days after reading that I got an assignment from VIBE.com to interview The Knux about their new album. I did just that but also asked about the U-N-I slight – I didn’t think it was a diss, at least not yet. The brothers started backing down as soon as I asked, clearly not wanting to own up to something they said or take it any further.
Next, I hit up U-N-I and brought it to their attention that The Knux was talking greasy. The response was lukewarm at first, even after I suggested they record a diss track over Jay-Z’s “Lucifer” beat (hey, as I said, I was an emcee and that beat would inspire me to record the diss).
Instead, U-N-I went the press release route, which takes me back to the beginning of this tall tale. Although a press release sounds too P/C in my book, I’ll take it for what it is. Here’s what Thurz and Y-O of U-N-I had to say about The Knux:
“I mean how could we possibly compete with one dude who named himself after a glazed donut and another who rhymes like Dr Seuss, dresses like a ghetto Richard Simmons and let his brother name himself after a glazed donut? Jimmy Iovine was unconscious when he signed them – you’ll never see us wearing eyeliner.”
And there you have it. Perhaps it’s friendly banter and peace will be in order, or maybe there’s more to this … stay tuned.
In the meantime, on a more serious note, I do want to point out one critical part of the press release that fans should take in consideration:
… a marketing plan that cost Thurz his day job as a statistics analyst at an actuary firm in October 2008, when his bosses monitored his internet hours and found an exorbitant amount of time spent on Okayplayer.com and Myspace. “My productivity did decrease a little bit,” Thurz admits with a giggle. “Now I’m a full-time rapper with no plans to go back to the plantation.”
For his part, Y-O, who pays his bills by driving a van full of “rugrats” from school to a childcare center says, “The entire ride consists of paper balls being thrown at the back of my head. But when I pop in our music the kids can recite all the words.”
Having done all the math and considered the repercussions of what I’m about to say, I am impartial.
U-N-I all day.
And this video is why. By far my favorite song on their street album.
1 Comment
November 19, 2008 at 6:55 pm
There is no comparison to U*N*I and The Knux. U*N*I by far has better music, better style and much better steez. The Knux music is so out there, that they don’t compete with a true Hip Hop group like U*N*I. What do they mean they started the Hipster movement in LA? Well they can have that hipster title and movement. U*N*I aren’t hipsters, they are a Hip Hop group. Can’t wait till their new project called “A Love Supreme” comes out.