Barbelith Underground > Radio & Music > El-P: Fantastic Damage

Lyra - you’ll get not any argument from me concerning the attitude of the a lot of the music press to hip hop. I simply find it odd that the factors you label “rock” I’d label “universal.” I can name tons of hip hop records that contain as much, if not more angst as your average Co Flow record, and/or as much distortion. There are certainly a hell of a lot more acts that are more “westernised” and “rock” than these. Anyone can use these ideas, emotions and techniques - in fact, one of the amazing things about hip hop is it doesn’t give a shit what it draws from: everything becomes a useful raw material. I’m glad you’ve pointed out that the problem-makers are the critics rather than the artists. However, the lines you draw concerning which groups are guilty of perpetuating these (at best) conservative and (at worst) racist attitudes are artificial, because you still seem comfortable with accepting their definition of this imaginary “scene” in which some groups are more valid than others, only from a reactionary stance rather than that of agreement.

When you post to these threads it often feels insulting that you feel the need to make these points to people who genuinely love the music and would probably agree with you about the dumb way in which its portrayed in the press. I would also add that its a real shame that Co Flow were so criminally abandoned by large sections of the hip hop community in a way that seemed to be such a reaction to their critical acclaim outside of the hip hop scene. Remember, these guys practically worshipped Co Flow when Funcrusher was released. The artists haven’t changed as people, their music has progressed and developed but it’s fundamentally based on the same kind of blueprint it has been since the beginning. I think its also partly the reactionary stance of the hip hop press that has left them seeming disconnected to their obvious roots, as disconnectedness that quickly vanishes when you listen to the music itself.

I would certainly take issue with “regressive:” I certainly haven’t found anything that sounds like El-P’s rhyme or production style, although you can hear where his influences have come from. The fact is, no-one sounds quite like this group - they’re extremely individual and distinctive. Any comment on the quality of production or rhyming is simply a matter of taste. You’ll certainly get no argument from me that there’s innovative, funny, driven, funky and intelligent music being released by other hip hop artists. You will get an argument from me if you say those things aren’t also true of Co Flow. You seem to be confusing a lot of worthy rhetoric on the nature of the industry with your personal taste. If you don’t like them: that I can accept. That their music is to blame for useless, irresponsible and/or idealogically unsound journalism, I can’t accept.

I’ll admit, I’m increasingly starting to agree with you concerning the quality of the groups Co Flow have inspired. However, isn’t it time we stopped tarring all these artists with the same brush? It feels like even those who find the stance of the majority of the white press coverage of these groups to be reprehensible still accept their system of classifying the scene when choosing which groups to take issue with.