jungle mcs (Re: + UK MCing imported to US +)

Tony Reid
05 Jan 99 08:01:10 -0800


ce> While at the Winter Music Conference in Miami last month I got to
ce> catch several MCs. There was a close relative of Bob Marley (can't
ce> even remember the dude's name) on top of DJ Monk. Blah. He had no
ce> soul. He must have repeated this same line at least 20 times:

ce> Peace...love...unity

we've got an mc out here (l.a.) that likes to chant the djs name as if it's
a money mantra...

ce> It was pretty obnoxious after a while. TC Islam went over some of the
ce> Metalheadz. He was a lot more about the attitude and strutting
ce> around. He tried to interact with the crowd but unfortunately it was
ce> in a very rock star style -- holding his hands out to touch the people.
ce> Blah. DJ Rap had some other chump trying the MC bit. He really took
ce> away from her performance. It seemed that she was trying to work with
ce> him, but he had a schizophrenic sense of time/meter. She would take
ce> the beat away so he could do his bit and he'd miss the cue. It was
ce> really wack!

that's a drag, i would've expected quite a bit more from her crew--i still
can't figure out whether l.a. junglists dig her because of her music, or cuz
she's *gorgeous*...

ce> I try to be open minded but my experiences with MCs have not been all
ce> that positive. Even the LTJ Bukem stuff sounds dirty with MC Conrad
ce> on it. What's even sadder is that US MCs are all trying to sound like
ce> they're from the UK.

and as someone else said, the uk guys are on the jamaican's tip...

ce> I realize that all music borrowes from one another, but why front like
ce> you are from somewhere else. Borrow at will but always give it your
ce> own twist. These are, of course, only my opinions.

the problem i have w/most of the jungle mcs i've heard are that they don't
know when to *shut up*!! i'm cool w/them namechecking the dj (gotta give
props), or friends & other visitors of note (cockni o' dire namechecked me
once at a crowded club, and it felt *really* nice--like i was famous).
while
i wouldn't say cockni's the perfect mc, i like the way that he's not always
on
the mic. often, he's trying to tell the crowd know what's going on (e.g.
letting them know another dj is coming on), and occasionally he's actually
rhyming--almost hiphop style, but much more riff-like. if the dj is just
playing tunes, cockni is often "invisible"--excepting the rewind, of
course!!
also, he doesn't try to sound english; he's a dancehall dj, so he's more
from
the jamaican school--someone know if he's *actually* jamaican?

-t