July 4, 2007
Conspiracy
- by Jon B
So you’ve been rapping as long as your brother?
We started around the same day. About 1990-91 we started writing our own songs.
How did SBU (Supreme Being Unit) form? Did you want to be famous right off the bat?
SBU was a name that Mindbender invented in 1991. We were in Ottawa with the rest of the Nextraterrestrials. We were all talking about making group names, people were throwing ideas around. SBU stands for “Supreme Being is You”—everyone’s a Supreme Being and everyone’s in our group. We’re an international group: whether you’re retarded or rich or poor, white or black, it doesn’t matter, you’re an SBU. It used to be Mindbender, Conspiracy and the third member was Kelron, our producer, but he changed his name to Nick Knox. He looks like Evil D from Beatminerz, he’s kind of like a Premier type of producer. I’m basically the DJ and Mindbender’s the lead MC because he’s more socially activated. I’m sort of like the Phife Dog of the group.
Did you do any shows?
It was hard for us to get into clubs so we did a lot of talent shows, restaurant shows; underage stuff because we weren’t of age to get into clubs. We did peoples’ house parties. We’d do shows in Toronto.
So how did you move to Edmonton?
In 1998 I was traveling across Canada and I was in Toronto with Mindbender and he didn’t want to let me live with him because he was living with his girlfriend; so I ended up being homeless in Toronto, sleeping on people’s couches. It was the only time in my life I’ve never had my own place. I was waiting to buy a ticket in a Greyhound station to come back to Edmonton and they arrested me for trespassing. I think it was racism. I spent a week in the Don Jail, went to court, got totally discharged; they didn’t fine me, they just kept me a week in jail. After that I didn’t like Toronto so I’m like ‘Mom, I’m moving back to Edmonton.’
Who did you hook up with when you came back?
When I came to Edmonton my first crew that I was down with was the Dungeon Crew: Billy, FBI, Butta, Touch, Tanner Lane and Owen. Shout outs to the Dungeon. From about 2001-2003 I used to hang out with them, before I was part of the LBA crew. The Dungeon guys were cool, they had really good beats, but their quality was high that their output wasn’t good. They’d work on a beat for like 8 months and it would be on the Premier level, but they only had one song.
After that what happened?
In 2002 I met Chazmo and Max Prime.
How’d you meet those guys?
I think I met Chazmo around the clubs. My memories of LBA are kind of hazy. This is how I think it went down: I met Max Prime or Chazmo first, then I met Addvice, then Chris Plus and last I met the Blurb. Chazmo made up the name and we just decided to roll as a 6-man crew.
What’s happening now in LBA?
The reason why I left LBA was because I felt there wasn’t enough love between the members. In Nextra, out east we’d talk everyday, we’d smoke weed everyday and write songs everyday, but we wouldn’t have any money. Out west nobody gets together, but we all have money. Nobody gets together. People have their own lives to live, so I figured that LBA didn’t need me ‘cause nobody really said much. People were just always doing their own thing. When we did get together to do albums and stuff, it was cool, but it just wasn’t as often as it was out east. Right now LBA is: Chris Plus, Chazmo, Max Prime, Addvice and Nato. Blurb and Conspiracy are not in LBA anymore officially.
“I never throw songs away. I mean I have a couple songs that are really crappy, but I still have the songs in case someone else likes it.”
Another reason why I left LBA was because they were like ‘oh, throw this song away’—I never throw songs away. I mean I have a couple songs that are really crappy, but I still have the songs in case someone else likes it. I never lose music, ever. Shout outs to all those people who have all their original songs!
What happened with Blurb?
I guess they just decided to kick him out because we didn’t really fit the picture of the LBA that they’re trying to make now.
How are they trying to portray themselves?
Like a 4-man crew of perfectionists. Blurb’s kind of sloppy and I’m kind of sloppy, so they just got rid of the dead weight they didn’t need—that’s how I view things. I think they’ll do better off without us because they are perfectionists, they work hard at their craft: they rewrite songs, work out songs and memorize songs for shows. I was sort of like the Cappadonna or Moka Only member of the crew: where I’m not really there at all the shows, I wasn’t memorizing all my songs; I wasn’t fully participating ‘cause I didn’t feel like there was a lot of communication for me to know what to do. I like being asked or told to do something—I can’t read minds. I hope all the best for the LBA crew.
What are you working on?
I have my “Conspiracy Theory” album; it’s a 4-part album. I named each CD after my favorite artists and actresses. CD 1 is: “Tyra Banks, Abstract Rude and Black Thought”; CD 2 is: “Vivicia Fox, Busta Rhymes and Method Man”; CD 3 is: “Pamela Anderson, Cage and Eminem”; CD 4 is: “Jenna Jameson, Ill Bill and Apathy.” No Canadian artist has ever put out 4 full CDs in one project, so I’d like to claim a historical first. It’s like a double-double album project: black man (the black Christ) on the front cover and white woman on the back cover (Jenna Jameson).
“one time I did like 2 grams of crystal meth and I wrote 3 albums over a 7 day period, perfectly written, sequenced, edited, everything.”
How do you write so many lyrics?
Weed and coke. Without weed, coke and alcohol I wouldn’t write anything. ‘Cause I don’t get high and just sit around and watch TV and do nothing. Me, I’m a productive drug user. When I used to do crystal meth…one time I did like 2 grams of crystal meth and I wrote 3 albums over a 7 day period, perfectly written, sequenced, edited, everything. I’d just like to shout out all the drugs I do.
[Drugs fuel] the imagination. If you have a vivid, active and childish imagination; whatever it takes to get you to create, usually you have endless potential. I just smoke a joint, I have my 10 or 12 free beats, record 3 beats, record 3 songs in a day, I got 3 new songs. At the end of the week, I got 15 new songs and 20 empty beats kickin’ around. It all just adds up. Shout out to this Jeru the Damaja line: “Organization kills more devils than bullets.” I have never lost a song, a lyric, a CD, any artwork. I think there’s 1 out of 450 solo songs I’ve record as Conspiracy, only 1 I don’t have on my computer, my brother has it. I cherish my music as much as a diamond thief cherishes the diamonds he steals. I look at creation as like a reflection of my responsibility; so if I’m sloppy with my creation, then I’m an irresponsible bum.
Tell me about “Sex Is the Key to Immortality”
“Sex Is the Key to Immortality” is based on the metaphysical magic experiences I’ve had in my lifetime. I have a book called The Necronomicon, which is a demonic spell book, like a real evil black magic book. I opened it up and it cursed me. There’s two magical beings that listen to my conversations (they’re listening right now probably); I think they’re either Vampires or Succubuses (female version of Incubus), so like sexual energy leeches. They came because I opened The Necronomicon. That’s why I wrote “Sex Is the Key to Immortality”; the first song is “I’m Cursed By A Demon” and the last song is “Demon Slayer”; so the first song I’m cursed by the demon and by the last song I slay the demon.
When did you pick up The Necronomicon?
I bought it in 1997 and I got cursed probably two weeks after.
What made you think you got cursed? Creatively, is it a good or bad?
I look at it as a balance. It could be worse and it could be better. It’s like a prank caller. You know what a medium is? They’re using me as a medium. They channel my thoughts through stream of consciousness and they basically feed off my energy or cause random communication. They create lucid dreams or talk to me during the day; they’ll be like: ‘go catch your bus’ or ‘don’t drink that juice, drink some milk,’—they want me to be like them basically.
“You don’t have to believe in god, even god knows that.”
I suggest that people believe in themselves and follow their own instincts. What I’ve learned from being cursed is that: belief is a feeling from the heart and thoughts are feelings from the mind. You gotta separate the two. You don’t have to believe in anybody; that’s my religion. If god’s not going to save me, I’m not gonna believe in him because I’m just as cool as anybody. I know that there’s a god, but I don’t have to believe in him because I believe in freedom of religion. You don’t have to believe in god, even god knows that.
So why is it called “Sex Is the Key to Immortality”?
Shouts to…I can’t give his name, I’d be divulging a secret. Just some dude. He said it was his favorite saying he goes: ‘don’t you think that sex is the key to immortality?’ I just jacked it. ‘Love conquers the demon,’ that’s what the album’s about.
Tell the people about “Screw the Underground, I’m Going Commercial”
My first solo album came out in 2001 it’s called “Screw the Underground, I’m Going Commercial” recorded on Chazmo beats. I had a lot of people giving me a lot of positive feedback on that album. I feel that next to “Sex Is the Key to Immortality”—most perfect album, easily. Front to back, top to bottom—flawless. It sounds like a robot made the album, it’s just completely and absolutely perfect in every way. I did an outro called “An Important Discussion”; I break down how politics is based on haves and have nots and what if the roles were reversed? That’s where real justice in life comes in. God always says ‘the last shall be first,’ if you’re poor: don’t really worry and if you’re rich, you shouldn’t really care; no matter what, everybody gets what they deserve.
“I don’t want to be around a freestyle battle where they’re selling liquor to underage kids and 8 guys have guns.”
What are thoughts on the Canadian rap scene?
The best city to do hip hop in Canada is Vancouver because there isn’t a lot of violence in the city. For some reason a lot of ignorant people are involved in hip hop. The smaller the city, the safer it usually is. I mean Toronto…I live in Edmonton ‘cause I left Toronto. I don’t want to be around a freestyle battle where they’re selling liquor to underage kids and 8 guys have guns. That’s the Toronto scene, people pack gats to shows. I don’t want to be around that shit. Second best is Ottawa or Montreal. Edmonton third.
The reason why hip hop in Canada sucks is the population. America has 300 million people and Canada has 32 million people—just think of the numbers for support; they have 10 times the support we do? You could sell 10 times as many CDs. That’s why there are guys like Master P going platinum from their trunk…
Anyway the Canadian hip hop scene: shout outs to Swollen Members, Saukrates, who is signed to Redman’s label. I’m happy ‘cause it goes to show that Canadian artists can network with the biggest American artists. Even Classified. Classified is not bad, I don’t mind the guy. He’s like an average rapper; to me he’s sort of like a Juelz Santana or Camron type rapper. Just some guy who’s got something to say; there’s nothing special about him, he’s not that extravagant or super fast with the tongue like Twista; he’s just a nice guy who likes to make music.
What about gangsters in rap? It seems sort of irrelevant in Canadian rap…
I think it’s because America is older than us. Most real gangsters are 35-40 years old; in Canada if you’re a criminal, you’re probably 15-25 and you’re not really economical enough to make a difference. You got the snot nosed Canadian kids or the old gangster. There are a lot of older dudes in the US who make gangster music, pimp hos, sell crack, pack guns, and drive a Lexus. Age 30 is where the bar is drawn. Canada has to age about 7 or 8 years; we’re probably 9-12 years behind America in terms of social structure and just musical accomplishment. Canada’s just like…we’re searching for an identity; we don’t want to be known as the nice guys anymore; ‘cause I mean ‘nice guys finish last’ as they always say. Everyone wants to be known as rough and tough and big and rich and powerful…America’s got that image down-pat; I mean super powerful, monstrous, big huge corporate entity sort of country. Canada’s looking for that corporate support; in Toronto there’s a lot of corporate power and there’s a lot of thug rappers in Toronto. There’s a lot of gangsters in Toronto and they have a lot of corporate support, but they don’t have the true creativity that New York had. Ghostface has that song “Criminology”; Gangstarr’s “Just To Get A Rep”—they’re interesting with their crime.
Shout outs?
My twin brother Mindbender who I love forever; God—who is a really weird person; my favorite 5 artists: Black Thought, Ill Bill, Busta Rhymes, Cage and Eminem; Project Blowed and Def Jux…
This is my one wish: get signed to Def Jam or Aftermath. As a rapper, those are my two basic goals to complete my careers progress.
How are you going to do that?
By making enough noise to make them call me.
But don’t you need to call them?
I’ll call them, I got their numbers.
I’d like to say that officially Conspiracy and Rewynd are the only two artists on Astral Majesty Creations (AMC Records) which is the label of SBU and Nextraterrestrials. Peace to Jon b and all the cats at ugsmag and to all the people who will die for hip hop music—we’ll party on in heaven.
For more on Conspiracy check out: myspace.com/conspiracysbu & supremebeingunit.com
Jon B
My name is Jonathan "Jonb" Balazs a writer, photographer and filmmaker here at ugsmag. Originally a long-time forum poster and terribly naive rap head, I first visited the site in 2001, but didn't start speaking my piece until 2006 with a "gizmo review" on Lomography's Fisheye camera. Since then, I've tried to interview only the dopest rappers, producers, DJs and hip hop icons throughout Canada and the United States – or at the very least, shining a light on those artists who have made a significant mark in their respective territories. Hailing from Ugsmag's original prairie home of Edmonton, these days Toronto is where I lay my head at. I am always curious about new music and I encourage legitimate rap folks to email me the new sounds, but there is a very good chance I will not get back to you – I'm terribly grumpy and have very little patience for biters, whiners, posers, toys...as well as overt displays of sexism, homophobia and bigotry. But I love damn good hip hop!
43 Responses
Nice interview but Blurb wasn’t kicked out of the LBA and nobody ever told you to throw out your songs.
Just to clarify, Conspiracy quit the LBA on his own volition and we never told him he should ‘throw away’ his songs, that is ridiculous. Also, The Blurb was not kicked out of LBA he moved to Cortez Island and was never around when we did most of the recordings, we tried getting him on tracks when he was around but it didn’t work out.
Also in the future maybe you should try asking the artists themselves questions like that rather than get second hand information from a drug addict who lives in his moms basement. Get your shit straight guys, I’m pissed you would speculate and be stupid about this.
This all revolves around us having the ability to do live shows, and if Khari can’t remember his lyrics and Blurb isn’t on any songs – than what’s the point?
Please use better discretion in the future.
“Out east we’d talk everyday”, shit was the same back in the you-K. I mean here, don’t nobody show up un-announced and just knock on your door to say “hey whats happening ?” but as as buju say.. Til i’m laid to rest yes’ always be depressed there’s no life in de wesT errr.
~blesS Conspiracy
Damn i miss tha Blurb man.. i’d freestyle with that cat all night til we was both drunk and couldn’t even talk straight.
The Tuedays at the Black Dog…
I knew this was a volitile subject–Khari’s departure from LBA, but he expressed his opinion and the facts as he knows them. I invite you guys to do the same with me.
It’s not volatile at all. You’re publishing heresay, second hand information that is speculative displayed in factual context. If you see nothing wrong with that than I guess there’s nothing I can do. All I know is that if I was doing interviews I would save the questions for the people who actually know rather than speculate with a crackhead for what is supposed to be a reputable online publication.
You know what you should have asked him is why he thinks Crack is a holistic drug, and how can he someone get cursed by a work of fiction like the “Necronomicon”.
I think it’s a pretty good interview of a pretty good crackhead rapper. I don’t see anything as hearsay; it’s not hearsay if he believes what he is saying – it’s his point of view and you can’t discredit that (even if he is on drugs 90% of the time). I say props to Jonb for keeping his cool and letting the crackhead speak, no big deal. Do you really think he is hurting the LBA name when a couple questions later he says he is gonna sign with Aftermath after he gives them a call?? I don’t think so, hahahaha.
I respect Conspiracy as a rapper… I respect Conspiracy as A RAPPER. I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do that is motivated by rational thought.
Add-vice, not sure what rap interviews you grew up reading, since when have rappers responses been taken as 100% dead straight facts? All Conspiracy said was “I guess…” and your crazy if you think that appears factual in context. Like Nato said, this is just the dude saying what he feels. The only mentions before the “I guess” state “he recently left the rap crew LBA” & “The reason why I left LBA was…” Nothing about anybody being kicked out.
I’ve read a dozen interviews that have said Kool Keith is from a city on Earth, but we all know that isn’t true. Rap is fun.
“one time I did like 2 grams of crystal meth and I wrote 3 albums over a 7 day period, perfectly written, sequenced, edited, everything.”
this quote is fucking hilarious on many levels.
conspiracy you are one grimy mofo, dope interview.
Abbacadabra damned anti-matter eliminates my cadaver.
I was more talking in regards to this
“How are they trying to portray themselves?
Like a 4-man crew of perfectionists. Blurb’s kind of sloppy and I’m kind of sloppy, so they just got rid of the dead weight they didn’t need—that’s how I view things.”
Seeing as how Conspiracy specifically told me he was trying to cut out the “Dead Weight” in his life when I asked him why he wanted to quit the crew, than he gave you this type of answer to a ridiculous question….I guess the guy just has no idea what he is doing and this interview is a reflection of that. You know us Jon, we’re reasonable people.
There’s just so much other stuff you could talk about I don’t know why you would try to stir a dead fire.
But do what you gotta do, it was still a good read.
The point of a good interview is to stir the pot a bit I think. This was a good read and it is great to see that people read and care about the interviews and content on this site. I think it would be awesome to interview the LBA to set the record straight. This reminds of being a kid!
Rap is the Best!
Peace
Chaps
I’m not trying to stir a frozen stew or rekindle a fire. I know you guys are reasonable, I like your music, but I think your beef is more with Conspiracy than it is with me. Let’s link soon so we can publish YOUR side of the story.
there is no beef.
Llike in sin city I collect tortured dead hookers heads/
all evil finally ends everywhere, when I am dead/
-conspiracy
Yah that’s the thing, there is no beef, it is what it is, either you get it or you don’t.
jon, the beef is all in Conspiracy’s head.
and people are not gonna know that.
he just left us a phone message that he was leaving the crew some months back. and thats it. thats how he left.
its actually an excellent read. and i think Khari’s opinion on LBA adds quite well to the entertainment value.
but then we(LBA) have to deal with other peoples opinions on us based on how we are being portrayed (as haters of him) in this interview. we have absolutely no hate for him, we all think Conspiracy is a sick mc!
however,
i hope these rediculous statements will garner more sales for everyone (fingers crossed).
Add-Vice wtf are you talking about? Jon B was conducting a Q&A INTERVIEW, not writing an article. He doesn’t have to research or fact check shit, that would completely defeat the purpose of the interview in the first place. If you have a problem with what Conspiracy said, take it up with Conspiracy, not the journalist or the medium.
^^
are you retarded? an interviewer can manipulate a Q&A into what he wants by asking certain questions, much like controlling somebody with predictable answers. If he chooses, he can also edit out any part of the interview before sending it to ugsmag. Mindbender does that all the time before he published interviews on famous rap pioneers if what they say is too scandelous for magazines, even though he will post those edited parts on philaflava soon after.
“How are they trying to portray themselves?” (uh….)
“What happened to the Blurb?”
for the record, i have no problem with the questions asked by interviewer, the interviewer, or the interveiw.
should have asked more questions about Sex is the Key. that album is fucking insane, truly demonic & extremely brutal.. I bet if humans find that shit in a few thousand years they will base religions around it.
i only left LBA, cuz my personal life was too out-of-control, and i was telepathically attacked, so i just got vex and dissed my close e-town friends, cuz i thought, if im getting my ass kicked, im taking my anger out on people i can…i fought with my mom over black magick………i got into near final arguments with mindbender….everybody
if you get you ass beat , you get mad and want revenge
i didnt say i was right in leaving LBA or arguing with long-time friends
in fact i really miss chilling with chrisplus and addvice………we joked alot and dissed mad losers….it dont get no better than that
LBA is edmonton’s best group and i only work with high-quality artists……….
i just wish that everything wasnt so final .. i make mistakes all the time…sorry LBA
keep our memories sacred
now on to other things
if you know about plants and pharmaceuticals, you would know about the coca leaf….grows like celery and is just as natural as weed
drugs have been around as long as substances/essences for god’s sake, so deal with the reality of it..
it all depends on the user
so many MCs talk about selling and doing coke/crack cocaine that i feel drug usage is just another way to have fun in life…like drinking booze or cigarettes or weightlifting or sports……all these thing give you a buzz…adrenaline is a high…endorphins get you high…it is called chemignosis-the art of smoking
no big deal —just say no [or yes] – to each their own [but FOR REAL, THO]
I DONT BELIEVE IN DEMONS, BUT I BELIEVE IN MY OWN TWO EYES-GEORGE CLOONEY -‘FROM DUCK TILL DAWN’
i am a logical athiest but when my third eye gets channelled by mediums…it’s on
you might think my way if my experience happened to you
the life you save might be your muthafucking own
rewynd is nextra/SBU
LBA can claim SBU-mindbender would consider them all true family-peoples know eachother……..
im the black eminem/the last emperor/tame one/abstract rude
and due to misinterpretation of opinionated communication, i want any cats who care to tell me something i dont know
shine light on the darkness
AMC
i know crackheads that are revolutionary geniuses in ottawa/toronto
mabye edmonton i just young and innocent
AMC
“Still kill at will like Ice Cube’s EP” – I’m just sayin’ Murderize is ill and I’d like to see it live,
“Never ever better bitch mister sicker illest, killer like Mickey and Mallory stick you quickest, thickest twisted dreads on my head I said bitches, if kids insist on being dissed than I’m revealing the feeling”
“Any dirty hooker I’ll trust her” Seriously man if you do that song live even once, all is forgiven.
uhhh, Max Prime, as someone who edits Mindbender’s articles for 1 of the print mags he writes for, I’ve NEVER edited something an artist has said because its ‘controversial’, nor has he to my knowledge. If anything it would be kept in if it’s a coherent thought because it represents the artist’s opinion, an opinion I dont believe in censoring.
Jon didn’t negatively manipulate shit, he clearly only asked Conspiracy to expand on something HE said:
“Blurb and Conspiracy are not in LBA anymore officially.”
“I guess they just decided to kick him out because we didn’t really fit the picture of the LBA that they’re trying to make now.”
You’re acting like he put words in his mouth, stop crying man. I hardly think Jon B publishing the fact that some obscure Edmonton crew had a beef with an ex-bandmate constitutes “scandal.” You’re gassing yourselves up.
ahahha….
From the start of me when I rolled thick with DGC way back when I met Chaz and Add Vice and I remember hearing some shit bout IST(Even from the graf boy Levi)But i know these doods always got my respects cause they were in the trenchs even before Conspiricy linked wit em.
But on the other hand I know Con got history in this city with “Transporter Room” and he done rolled with Won 18 in the early days so its hard to pin point who had first.
Regardless…LBA been doin it in Edmonton as a unit I’ve always respected as far as being a pure emcee in whole…
So I cant wait to hear some new ish from the Punch Bros,Maximus,and Add Vice(who went from being my least fav to most anticipated….true story)
Advokit and Non Status always got LBA’s back….thats washup!!!!
very entertaining read.
I’m diggin the new ugs!
mp.
req
i’ll stop crying when you wipe my tears granny.
mindbender records various interviews live on tape, and it is him who types them up. He has forum-posted parts of interviews in the past of cats (i swear ive seen this on philaflava) dissing their own label and various people in them over business issues, an he claims these parts were kept out of the magazine. just ask him one of these days.
ok, you do have a point with jon just following the natural path of what is being said by khari. schooled.
now, thirdly, you can drop the condescending attitude. the “retarded” part was meant to be joky, and then to debate your opinion, not yell at you. nobody is gonna talk to you or care what you say from this point on if you treat people you never even seen or met before like children.
ps, sorry for calling your opinion retarded there buddy.
that was a very entertaining read! Thanks dudes!
For the sake of argument…
Facts are facts, not what people percieve to be true. If I percieve Shaq as a midget that does not make it fact, even if I believe he is.
You guys watch to much Colbert Report.
“Jokes Bud so can laugh or get dissed” – Conspiracy
It’s all good, Rap Is The Best and Noyz you are completely right as far as rap interviews and the fact it’s all about truthiness.
PEACE
just cuz i still love my LBA brothers, ima memorize ‘sex is the key to immortality’ IN ORDER….
if i could have my wish, id perform the whole 12 song LP live and direct…
give my memory time to absorb the complex wordplay and breath control patterns
it’s pretty hard for a slow rapper
i never rapped that good before
i think it’s chrisplus’ influence
LBA are SERIOUS artists………im just a lazy smoker nigga
CONSPIRACY will know all his new songs by halloween…mabye a halloween show?
righteousness cannot deny evil the right of it’s existance-apathy
jon b did a beautiful job of crafting this SBU/AMC interview.hella respect, star..good
everybody enjoy everything
AMC
this was fascinating. thanks for posting this.
wow. the comments was even more entertaining.
good read. P1 AMC SBU
anyone else notice how filthy dudes shirt is in that first pic? looks like hasn’t took a shower in over 3 years lol
construction worker stylez…….i rep dirt dogs
weasel said it best…….
when you are making music, get your grime on
when you are as funky with the freestyle, who has time for a shower?
only onstage im clean
at home, nobody’s looking [i strip for big brother]
hehahoo-hahah
AMC
All things are relative to the experience …be it directly or indirectly. i found this REAL funny how the slight glimpse of politics begins to shine true colours on everyone’s being ….VERY ENLIGHTENING!
LOVE n’ kisses n’ more kisses n’ more love to CONSPIRACY
Diane
I’ve got to say I somewhat agree with Req… It’s a straight Q&A interview, so nothing really needs to be fact checked. The interviewee could say whatever ridiculous shit he wanted to say and there’s nothing wrong with printing it. Even editing things out would be fine as long as that aspect is noted with the elipsis. With an interview, no one should assume it’s facts; rather, it’s just the interviewee’s point of view.
As for Mindbender, I don’t doubt that he has put up online parts of interviews that haven’t appeared in print, but I bet there are other criteria involved in those parts being cut other than controversy. Controversy makes good copy and creates interest, so I can’t see controversial subject matter getting cut just because it’s controversial. Perhaps their were space constraints and that part Mindbender put online later just didn’t fit in the word count, or maybe the editors of the magazine decided to cut it because they didn’t want the controversy or it didn’t suit the flow of the interview… But, more importantly, I’d be likely to believe that they were sections that were not used for an ARTICLE, which ends up using much fewer quotes than a Q&A (obviously) and what is used has to fit the theme and flow of the article. So, it’s possible that the quotes from Rapper A dissing his label just didn’t work in the article but that they are intriguing quotes and Mindbender would like to present them to the public…
Either way, I don’t think Jon B has done anything wrong in asking these questions (inquiring minds want to know) or in using Khari’s answers in the Q&A. In fact, I think it made for a much more interesting Q&A, and with the format of UGSmag, everyone was able to give their own viewpoint…
Interesting interview, Jon B… When are you hooking up that Wordburglar interview? I’m sure he’s got beef with someone…
After talking with Jon I found out he actually left alot of other shit out that was way more ‘contreversial’…I guess I just saw it as “why would anyone care about shit like that” but in the end some people are generally interested. The fact we all know each other is maybe why I thought it was a bit unnessecary, but it’s all good.
Peace
great read. even the afterparts. canadian rap is the best.