The Coup

Steal This Album. You know I kinda like it if the artists or creator put such a slogan on their product like e.g. Blu Magazine. The Coup used it even as a title for their third and best selling album. The name The Coup rings a bell by those who are looking further then the length of their nose. Loot: "Whoow! You juts got that from the P.O. Box?! I'm in search for that album for a long time." Have to say, I myself was very pleased to find this album in the press promotion package of Stray Records. In total I got five albums from the division of Dogday Entertainment, but for sure, this one tops the other four. So cope that Coup, a thrill!

B-Boy Stance

Before even to get into the music, their logo rings already a bell. Digging in the crates the logo stands out from all others. Directing and demanding your attention. In the land of logo's, my favorite is the massive and incredible powerfull Public Enemy logo. For those who do not know it (say what?!). The P.E. logo is made out of a silouette of a B-Boy standing in the B-Boy stance with an target eye locked on him. Chuck D designed it and used for the silouette a picture of T-La Rock.
Back to The Coup's logo, I have to say that their logo even tops that one of Chuck Dangerous. Studying both, I have to recognize: The Coup's is my most favorite! The artwork displays an African mother dressed in West-African clothes brest feeding a baby. On her back she is carrying a sawed off shotgun. In the background a big red star. Symbol of the many revoultions that fought (and some succeed) the Amercian Way. Maybe it's a shock to you but what is the American dream is for too many people the American nightmare.

HipHop must die…

From Oakland USA, Boots Riley and Pam The Funkstress keep on doing what they want to do, doing the right thing with making good music. The songs often got a catchy sing a long chorus. My favorite: "When we start the revolution all they probaly do is snitch." From the song Busterismology. "Oakland do you want to ride?" These sounds are not as the stereotypical west coast gangster sounds as often portraited. From the Bay Area they bring just a phat HipHop sound. And if you want to put a stamp on it, you better recognize their sound as the echo's of a mob riding for the cause.

On: http://www.illcrew.com/thecoup, Boots Riley is quoted in an article stating HipHop must die. As Boots Riley states: "Hip-Hop was brought forth from a revolution. Now that the music of HipHop is no longer revolutionary, it must die, HipHop must die." As you can or can not understand, it will be easily misunderstand. The statement put the state of HipHop right on point. Just as George Orwell's classic book The Animal Farm. When the book was published the right wing of the political centre saw it as proof the communisme was wrong. The left wingers thought Orwell had betrayed the cause. Both camps misunderstood the message of the left orientated writer. How many will understand The Coup and is their a change they can maintain to take a stand against Goliath? At least they coninue. look out for their new album: Grand Theft.

Songs that my momma could sang

The gross of HipHop releases can't move me anymore. A Nas with Genuwine singing on the radio: "Girl what is your price?". I'm more concerned about the youths that are caught up in the material world. How many of our sons and daughters are going to get caught up in the fast lane, my brothers and sisters? Can't care less how many you sell or what your image is. My love goes to the makers of this low budget record. They make me feel fine and I keep on singing: "Still writing songs that my momma could sang/and if you feel some drips on your skull/it ain't rain. Uuuh! I wanna piss on your (George Washington's, ed.) grave! Make me feel alright! Yaa yaa yaa!"

AQ

http://www.illcrew.com/thecoup
http://www.dogdayrecords.com/stray/index.html

Stray Records
Delta@dogdayrecords.com
1501 Powell Street Suite C
Emeryville, CA 94608
Phone: +510-547-5567
Fax: +510-547-5577