Culture Blues

Clef Notes: The Hiding In New Zealand Edition

Every Friday, or at least until his spectacular rock star flameout, Giovanny will be dropping a week’s worth of music knowledge on you with Clef Notes, proof positive that he’s a one man music magazine.

News:

Most people don't know that Pac is in all of the Lord Of The Rings movies.

Still against the world: My annual globe-trotting ritual over the last month has prevented me from reporting all the recent happenings in the music world. Thus, I was not around when Tupac was found alive and well in New Zealand at the beginning of this month. Frankly, it's one of the greatest regrets of my career. By now most of you know how PBS was hacked by Lulzsec, a community of tech savvy cyber-vandals (there aren’t many synonyms for hackers) who did not appreciate the way that Wikileaks was portrayed in a recent episode of Frontline. Lulzsec took it upon itself to vent their frustrations by planting a phony news story on PBS’ Newshour front page ,which stated that the deceased rapper had been living in NZ for the last 15 years and was being hidden by locals... oh, and Biggie is hiding there too (you’d figure they could have chosen a country where they would blend in better)! The hackers then went one step further and posted the passwords and usernames of subscribers, as well as staffers, to the PBS site, along with sensitive info regarding PBS server security. This absurd cyber-attack was discovered and remedied very quickly by PBS, but it was out in the ether long enough to be picked up by CBS news, and to become pure Facebook and Twitter gold.

Now, just a few weeks later, Pac is in the news again, except this time it is much more serious.

On June 15th, AllHipHop.com posted a news story which claimed that a man had come forward and confessed his involvement in the November 1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur inside Manhattan’s Quad Studios. Before I go any further, I would like to help some of our math challenged readers by pointing out that this shooting did not result in Shakur’s death, and the legendary rapper was actually slain in Las Vegas in 1996. Dexter Issac, an inmate at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, who is currently serving a life sentence for numerous offenses including robbery and murder, claims that he was offered $2,500 by his one time friend James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemond to rob Shakur. The confession itself comes in the form of an AllHipHop.com exclusive, and it details some of the property stolen from Shakur as well as what supposedly happened to the pilfered items. Additionally, Isaac alleges that the initial orders for the assault and robbery came from Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, who was not happy that Shakur did not sign with Bad Boy (an allegation that has been out there since the shooting transpired).

Here is a man who hopes the bell never tolls.

It is important to note that Issac’s confession comes on the heels of an allegation from Rosemond, who is himself the subject of a Federal investigation for his alleged involvement in a cocaine distribution ring, and is currently on the run. Rosemond, who was once the owner of Czar Entertainment and represented the likes of The Game, Brandy, Akon, and actor Michael K. Williams (who will always be known as Omar to the people of Culture Blues), claimed that the government actually used Issac as an informant in his drug investigation. As you would imagine, this accusation did not sit well with Isaac, who viewed himself as a proud soldier who served his time in silence... until now. In Issac’s confession, he goes so far as to call Rosemond himself an informant, and claims to have some documents to back that up.

Those of you with any passing knowledge of the history of hip-hop understand why this is a big deal. Although the November 1994 shooting was not the incident that killed Shakur, it was the catalyst for the whole East Coast/West Coast feud which ultimately led to the murder of the two most prominent emcees of their time.

Finally, it appears that this story has piqued the interest of more than just music fans as Billboard reported that The New York City Police Department is investigating the AllHipHop news story to determine its validity, and if they find it credible then they will be seeking an interview with Mr. Isaac.

That is the body language of someone who is commanding the stage!

Who didn't see this coming?: In a move that surprised absolutely no one, Amy Winehouse has cancelled ALL of the remaining dates (there were only 11 left) of her big post-rehab comeback tour. This decision was made in the wake of her legendarily disastrous show in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, where the troubled diva showed up more than an hour late, was incapable of singing her tunes, and spent an inordinate amount of time bashing some members of her band while praising others. These events are yet more setbacks for Winehouse, who had just checked back into rehab on May 27th. Some of the circulating stories claim it was the pop star’s choice to head back into treatment for the umpteenth time, others say it was at her fathers behest, and the more cynical claim that the only reason she even entered was to meet demands set by her tour’s insurer. Whatever the reason, it seems that she did not get the help she needed, and BMG has spent all week trying to hunt down the wildly embarrassing video of what appears to be a shell-shocked and destroyed Winehouse wrestling with her mic, missing every cue, and emitting a key-less timbered bellow whenever she decided to open her mouth. We here at Culture Blues are a sensitive bunch, whose hearts all bleed profusely, so it goes without saying that we wish nothing but the best for Ms. Winehouse, and hope that she gets all of the assistance that she needs to get her career, and most importantly her life, back on track.

Albarn is currently trying to sort out our planet's energy crisis.

Someone is an overachiever!: English alterna-God Damon Albarn must really believe that old adage about idle hands, because he seems to have an incessant need to stay busy. Everywhere you look these days you can find the Gorillaz/Blur front-man peddling songs from his upcoming (sure to be great) theatrical production Dr. Dee: An English Opera, which is reportedly a musical detailing the life of Queen Elizabeth I’s medical and scientific adviser. In addition to writing an entire opera (which he will also be staring in), Albarn is orchestrating a music project where he and various DJs and producers will head to the Democratic Republic of Congo to first sample Congolese music, and then make a record (he plans to do it in about a week). But that’s not all! Albarn is also part of a power trio with Flea on bass, and (Fela Kuti) drummer Tony Allen who, according to Albarn, will have a mostly instrumental album out in the near future. When you combine all of that with the fact that Albarn has promised that a reunited Blur will tour America (OH MY GOD PLEEEASE!), and the rumor that he is considering collaborating with the one and only Paul McCartney on the former Beatle's next record, it starts to look like Albarn never sleeps. Which is fine with me if it's fine with him.

16th Notes:

Don't let the airbrushing fool you. That chick is older than your mom.

In a recent interview with XXL, Lil Wayne teased that he may in fact retire after the release of Tha Carter IV. This is all a very clever ruse on his behalf, and is proof positive that said album will never be released... The Internet has been ablaze with the story that Metallica and Lou Reed have joined forces to work together on an upcoming album. I thought for sure that Lulzsec was responsible for this nonsense, too... In honor of its 20th anniversary, the landmark album Nevermind is getting a deluxe reissue. God, I hope that Frances gets to see some of this money and it doesn’t just disappear up Courtney Love's anything... The earliest footage of Radiohead’s upcoming From The Basement has been released, and it showcases the band playing a previously unheard song entitled Staircase. I like this track about as much as I have liked everything else off of The King Of Limbs... The much talked about and ballyhooed Buddy Holly tribute record is now streaming on NPR. No joke here, just go listen and see for yourself if it lives up to the unreal hype... Madonna is returning to the studio for the first time since 2008's disappointing Hard Candy. It is too early in the Madonna reinvention cycle for her to have her next revival. I would watch out for her in 2014... Billie Joe Armstrong has been cast as Saint Jimmy in the movie adaptation of Green Day’s American Idiot. As Billie Joe will be 40 when this movie films, and Jimmy is supposed to be 16, I am sure that his performance will come off as highly believable... James Blake will be dropping a new single and b-side on us July 11th. And here I thought all I was doing on July 11th was celebrating China National Maritime Day!

Top Ten List:

In the last edition of Clef Notes I gave you a sneak peek at the early contenders for songs of the year. Well, in this edition of Clef Notes I will give you the ten best albums of the year so far!

10) Wounded Rhymes - Lykke Li
9) Cults - Cults
8) Return of 4Eva - Big KRIT
7) Kaput - Destroyer
6) Tomboy - Panda Bear
5) House Of Balloons - Weeknd
4) Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
3) Let England Shake - PJ Harvey
2) James Blake - James Blake
1) Past Life, Martyred Saints - EMA

In Memoriam:

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011)

Flags all over the state of New Jersey flew at half-mast on Thursday (and really should for the rest of the month), as a display of solemn remembrance for the passing of "The Big Man" Clarence Clemons. Born in Virginia on January 11th 1942, Clemons was best known as the tenor saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. During the course of a music career that lasted nearly 50 years, Clemons contributed unforgettable passages of music to some of the most iconic rock songs that this world has ever heard. Over the course of more than 70 recordings, Clemons worked with a panoply of the music world’s biggest stars such as Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr, The Grateful Dead, Jackson Browne (with whom Clemons had a hit single, You're A Friend Of Mine, in 1985), and, most recently, Lady Gaga. Known by those who had the fortune of being associated with him as a jovial, warm, and amiable soul, Clemons was also a hugely philanthropic figure who committed tremendous effort to revive the arts in American public schools. Clemons, who is survived by his four sons (Clarence III, Charles, Christopher, and Jarod), leaves behind a massive musical legacy, one that is measured not just by the notes he played, but by the hearts he touched.

Track Of The Week:

Nirvana Vs. Nine Inch Nails Vs. Radiohead - Pretty Lights: This week’s track is not an original composition, but is instead the first mashup that I have ever featured as a Track Of The Week. It comes to us via Derek Vincent Smith, also known by the stage name Pretty Lights, who has mashed-up and remixed All Apologies, Closer, and Everything In Its Right Place with startling success.