Re: RARA-AVIS: Stagger Lee and Blaxploitation books

From: a.n.smith ( ansmith@netdoor.com)
Date: 30 Mar 2000


I mentioned something to my students today about how I really don't see rap as this terrible new corrupting form when most of the lyrics are descendents of hard-boiled writers like Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, Chester Himes, and you see something of this in the contemporary: John Ridley and George Pelecanos.

I saw a video from "Ol' Dirty Bastard" in which he used footage from
"Dolemite" in an ironic way, putting himself into scenes from the movie. Very nice work. I just think that these rappers must be aware of the hard-boiled fiction (or at least the films) that preceded what they are doing now, especially some of the more interesting ones like Dr. Dre and DMX.

>Now if you insist that these be contemporary 'rappers' I cannot
> offer any suggestions.

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