Chuck D was one of the most controversial and combative rappers of all time during his prime. He had no problem taking it to anybody that criticized his message. That being said, the Public Enemy rapper is not one to promote division for division's sake. He's been watching the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle like the rest of the world, and while there are aspects he's enjoyed, he'd prefer to see the two stars make up. Chuck D went as far as to suggest that they should reunite with J Cole and take the "Big Three" on tour.
Chuck D hopped on X (formerly Twitter) May 5 to set the record straight on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. He clarified that he was team Lamar, but felt that both men would be better serving the genre by banding together and presenting a unified front. He included J. Cole in his hopes. "These fantastic 3 rappers (I’m biased for KL) have songs that never will get this public attention," he noted. "Hence this low hanging kid sh*t turns casuals heads." Chuck D felt the best possible outcome for hip-hop fans would be a tour. "Get them all on a TOUR so we can pick seats," he added.
The Public Enemy rapper also noted the difference between rap now and when he got into the game. He pointed out how he was considered "old" when he hit his 30s, yet Drake, Cole and Lamar are all pushing 40. "I didn’t make music for kids, but if they got it, it wouldn’t ROT them," he explained. "When I turned 30, I was old in Rap. Same with 40, 50, 60. Now, with all going on in the world, 40 year olds asking me about 3 millionaire great rappers beefing."
There have been lots of veteran rappers who have weighed in on the Drake vs. Lamar battle. Memphis Bleek voiced his support for Lamar, as did Rodney O from the duo Rodney O & Joe Cooley. Bun B didn't pick a side, but he had a more positive take on the situation than Chuck did. He took to Instagram to say that as long as there isn't violence involved, rap beef is entertaining for the fans. "Fans get more music done on a high level," he asserted. "No one is physically hurt. Enjoy it! I know I am!"
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Steve Albini‘s bands Shellac and Big Black now have their catalogues available for listening on Spotify.
Albini passed away aged 61 earlier this month due to a heart attack. He was well known for being the producer of major albums such as Nirvana’s ‘In Utero‘, Pixies’ ‘Surfer Rosa’, PJ Harvey’s ‘Rid of Me’, Manic Street Preachers‘ ‘Journal For Plague Lovers’ and more.
Back in 2022, the late producer took his music off the streaming platform. He had previously criticised the company for platforming anti-vaxxers such as Joe Rogan, and tweeted later that they were a “terrible company”, adding: “I don’t want to be part of their business”.
He later told Attack Magazine that Spotify was “one of the few places outside of record stores where recorded music can earn anything at all, and for bands [with] more generous, honest relationships with independent labels not part of the ownership trust, then the payments from Spotify, though meager per-play, can add up to a viable income stream. Nobody’s getting rich, but it could pay for the groceries.”
Now, it appears that Albini’s work with his bands Shellac and Big Black are now available to stream on Spotify. This include’s Shellac’s final album ‘To All Trains’, which was announced shortly before Albini’s death and was released last Friday (May 17).
Tributes have poured in for the legendary producer since the announcement of his death. Our NME obituary hailed him as “a lone voice of anti-industry punk scene ethics, even as he worked with major labels on some of the biggest names in alternative rock.”
Meanwhile, Foo Fighters dedicated a rendition of ‘My Hero’ to the late producer in Charlotte, North Carolina last week.
“Tonight I’d like to dedicate this song to a friend that we lost the other day, who I’ve known a long, long time,” Foos frontman Dave Grohl told the crowd. “He left us much too soon. He’s touched all of your lives, I’m sure. I’m talking about Steve Albini. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don’t know, just remember that name: Steve Albini. Let’s sing this one for him.”
PJ Harvey also said he “changed the course of my life” during sessions for her 1993 LP ‘Rid Of Me’., and Joanna Newsom dedicated a version of her song ‘Cosmia’ to him, who engineered her 2006 album ‘Ys’. See further tributes here.
Elsewhere, Yourcodenameis:milo spoke to NME about how the 20th anniversary of their LP ‘All Roads To Fault’ was made all the more profound by the passing of Albini, who engineered the album.
Remembering their time with the punk and production legend, Lockey said: “We paid attention, saw everything he did, asked questions that he would gladly spend ages answering”.
“He once stopped the session and proceeded to give us a lecture on how the peanut built America. He schooled us in billiards, then showed us his favourite cooking shows that he’d recorded. It was all so natural and encouraging, we could do what the fuck we wanted and he’d capture it. That’s the deal, and we fucking loved it.”
