Etc.

A Cherry Flava'd Email

By Shock G

Foreword to The Philistine's Guide to Hip Hop

Status:  Cherry Flava'd
From: Shock-G
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 04:27:01 EDT
Subject: The Intro
To: the Philistine
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-ELNK-AV: 0

Four years ago, when the first creative seeds towards  Fear of a Mixed Planet began, I was heavily into a lot of crazy mind- & consciousness-altering substances. Looking back it was less "use" and more "abuse" based on the frequency & consistency of the occasions. So yeah, my mood & view of the world was from a more isolated & aloof perspective. I haven't sworn anything off but I managed to lift myself up out of the habitual indulgences, and these days there really has to be a special occasion for me to oblige certain activities (or certain people even!). Upon re-emerging into clarity, I almost couldn’t believe the despair & hopelessness in the world around me. I mean, there's always been dysfunction in the US & abroad, but it really seems to be coming to a head these days; like America’s long, lucky, careless & carefree run is finally catching up to her. At first I thought I must be hallucinating so much tension & panic, figuring that it couldn't actually be this critical and must be part of the withdrawals from interrupting my intense 10-year non-stop party. And so I was ready to blame hallucinating as a disclaimer to the irrelevance of a lot of the material. But later when I was clearer and sure I was seeing & hearing things right was when I realized that it really is that bad out here, for everyone. The huge increasing gap between the haves & the have-nots creates pressure on all sides, including the confusing off & on middle section, which is where I try to dwell most of the time.

If you felt an underlying theme of racial harmony throughout, it's based on my belief that once we all recognize each other as family, it'll be that much harder to hate, deprive, or bomb each other. Those in power are always trying to get people to choose a side and oppose the other side; this is precisely how they remain in power. But I myself got too many different social classes, skin colors, and nationalities in my family to ever choose a side. I just love & appreciate all life. I've never once felt better or superior to any species, much less another human being. I've always felt connected to the greater life of the universe and always kept an open & appreciative relationship with the sun, god, and all the creatures. Your sun is a pimp. And I mean pimp in the "awesome cool cat" typa way, not as in a parasitical agent to prostitutes. For real, I like that clown. And I call him that because, like most clowns, he makes us smile but is seldom thanked or appreciated. Everyone pays lip service to a god they can't see, and thanks their moms, managers & agents, which is fine, but how come no one ever thanx the sun, our selfless consistent provider of all life & energy on this planet?

Anyhoo, my spiritual awakening and reconnection to conscious-living over the 3-year course of recording was probably the main reason for so many title changes (from Keep It Beautiful to Hallucinations to Fear of a Mixed Planet). It took a long time because I could only continue occasionally in my spare time and when I could afford studio costs, which was hardly ever. So I just remained patient and kept tinkering away every break in the grind that I would get, and finally, 3 years after starting it, wellah! a finished album, and without any label or management help or interference.

If Fear of a Mixed Planet had been a d.u. album, "We're All Killaz," "Cinnamon Waves," and "Cherry Flava'd Email" would’ve all been ruled out as "too gay" by the DU staffers like Money-B, Cleetis-Mack, & Esinchill. They’re not tryin to be down with nothin too gentle or sensitive, or anything that might lean more towards the feminine/emotion side of the brain. They simply would not have let me put those on the album and would’ve waged war if I resisted. War within the crew means constantly nagging and rallying against it throughout the course of making the album until you’re so worn out that you just give in.  (I'm guilty of waging a few myself, hee hee.) All three of them are from Oakland and they all have what I call "homophobia-association-phobia." A lot of Bay cats have it and San Francisco headz have it the worst. It’s where you go out of your way to be extra macho to let outsiders know that "just 'cause I live in the gay capital of the world, I...WHAT DA FUCK YOU LOOKIN AT NIGGA?!!, I AIN’T NO PUNK MUTHA FUCKA!! WHAT NIGGA?!!, WHAT NIGGA?!!, ..POP-POP-POP-POP-POP!!!!!"

This is precisely the root of why San Francisco cats are particularly quick to start shit wit any outside cats; there's a hidden paranoia that other headz wonder if they're gay or bi or whatever. But the truth is, we never think shit like that about SF cats, especially not cats from HP, the 'Mo, east Pally-Ally, and so forth.  But still, as a matter of history, our first DU Bay Area event, the Sex Packets album release party in 1989, was shot up and turned out by a crew from Frisco called "The Ill Mannered Posse" who supposedly at the time had beef with some of Too Short’s crew, who were also in the house that night. Fortunately, they didn’t "set it" till like 1 A.M. after all the presentations & live performances were completed and the affair was ‘bout ta end soon anyway.  ("Thanx Ill Mannered Posse for holdin that down till late night, but no love for thrashin the place like that.")  A bullet grazed a good friend of mine Piezos' neck that night, and a few people got lumped-up pretty bad, including our limo driver, but fortunately nobody was killed or seriously injured that night. Jah bless.

Okay back to "Cinnamon Waves." Those who are confident & most comfortable with themselves don’t posses any homophobic or sensitivity paranoias, and can better enjoy a rich & fulfilling life, which encompasses all the moods, feelings & emotions from both sides of the brain; the male (logic & practicality) and the female (love & emotion). I have my hang-ups & personality defects like anyone else. I'm far from free of the popular paranoias & fears; but I do push myself & work on my character, constantly striving to be freer & happier each day. Not happy as in "whoopeee!!!" but happy as in content with the simpler things in life; friendships, love, health, etc. As I get older & wiser and push towards this spiritual peace, I'm startin ta care less about male posturing, dress codes, proper slang & attitude and all that bossin' & flossin'. As an artist I thrive by letting go & expressing myself fully.  And just as I was taking this stance and finishing this album, I look up and André3000 drops this masterpiece of free expression, and MAN was I happy to hear that album.

Until that came out, most of the cats in my click thought I was straight flippin-out for making songs like these. Then they realized that I, along with André3000, Kanye West, Ben Harper, Mos Def, Goapele, Murs, and countless others, had decided to make a 180 degree turn away from all the negativity that’s going on lyrically everywhere. We all were doing it unaware that each other was also doing it, all simultaneously feeling the global need for love right now. I bet hundreds, thousands of other artists are on that page too, and are all gonna start droppin some very beautiful music in the near future. Lord knows the next generation needs that from us. The NWA & Pac frame of mind was important to create the change that brought us here, and now we’re at the dawn of the spiritually-conscious era. Get ready.



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As I get older & wiser and push towards this spiritual peace, I'm startin ta care less about male posturing, dress codes, proper slang & attitude and all that bossin' & flossin'. As an artist I thrive by letting go & expressing myself fully.