The strawman of the white, DJ Shadow/Jurassic 5 loving, university student hip-hop fan

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I love Lil' Scrappy AND J5. Well, I don't LOVE J5. But you get my point.

Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:28 (eighteen years ago) link

2, have you heard the new cage yet?!

asbo, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:41 (eighteen years ago) link

ehhh i dont fuck w/ him no more

2, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 01:50 (eighteen years ago) link

I just happen to be listening to Express Rising right now and it somehow seems appropriate.

Anyway, so I don't really get the issue. What're the sides we're discussing here? That folks who still listen to J5/DJ Shadow (I personally think he is far above and beyong any J5 link)/RJD2 aren't listening to the "real shit?" And those listening to the "real shit" think the J5/DJ Shadow/RJD2 fans have no clue? What's the issue?

And where do Tribe and De La fall in all this? I think and argument of the non-real shit fan is maybe "positivity" or "talking about things I can actually relate to." At least those are the arguments I can remember from my college days. But I still can't take a side or provide a real argument because I don't really know what the question is.

matt2 (matt2), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 02:36 (eighteen years ago) link

WHAT HATH DIGABLE PLANETS AND DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HIPHOPRISY WROUGHT!

donut ferry (donut), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 03:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah I was going to say I can't say I've come across anyone repping real hard for DJ Shadow...erm, ever? Besides ILM. I'd definitely replace him with De La/Tribe/Kweli. I might roll my eyes at them, but I can't say they bother me all that much. I don't really get the vitrol. Is it a "they're holding us all back!" sort of thing?

Candicissima (candicissima), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 03:43 (eighteen years ago) link

It seems to be one of the few unifying things on ILM (and on wider music forums actually, come to think) that the white, Jurassic 5 t-shirted university student who plays "Entroducing" twice a week is the ultimate in hip-hop evil.

I think that for a lot of people (I'm not necessarily one of them), J5 and Shadow represent a museum curator's approach to hip-hop, a sort of "4 elements 4 life" nostalgia that keeps rap's aesthetic locked in a time capsule from which it can never evolve. Ergo, the white college kid who champions these artists is, in fact, speaking a dead language.

Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 03:49 (eighteen years ago) link

"i loves me some backpacker hiphop, achachacha!"

http://www.costumeexpo.com/Products/hats/character/thumbs/strawman.jpg

phlegm pyle (eman), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 04:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Who thinks DJ Shadow is hip-hop? Gimme a break...

Oh – De La pwns all over Talib, Mos Def, and Jurassic 5. Have you listened to their beats? Their last album shows no slackening.

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:31 (eighteen years ago) link

dom, is it still 1998?

N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:37 (eighteen years ago) link

I made this point earlier on! I thought this arguement went down with Derby County, but it's been brought up twice on ILM in the past month! He who forgets the past etc etc etc.

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:39 (eighteen years ago) link

I haven't read this thread yet but this was me seven years ago, woot.

Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:42 (eighteen years ago) link

i can never meet steve, because he was me, apparently.

N_Rq, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:48 (eighteen years ago) link

oh yeah right though, my point the other day is that j5 (and les rhythms digitales) has been REDEEMED by missy. steve/me were right all along.

N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link

I didn't like J5 that much actually, thought they were somewhat boring.

Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link

i liked 'lesson 5' lots.

N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link

these people will always exist, and there will always be bands for them, on the periphery of every genre.

Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link

the white, Jurassic 5 t-shirted university student who plays "Entroducing" twice a week is the ultimate in hip-hop evil.

Well I guess I'm the ultimate in hip-hop evil because I'm white, I'm a university student, and I like Endtroducing a lot. Don't have a J5 shirt, though.

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:03 (eighteen years ago) link

"I like the beats BUT..."

Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:09 (eighteen years ago) link

i think you should all go and listen to J5 before you knock them.

N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:15 (eighteen years ago) link

I tried but fell asleep after the first line ;)

Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:17 (eighteen years ago) link

For Pod's sake, these dudes used to be friends of mine.

Now that Michael Jackson is "invincible" in court (haw haw), maybe he can sue to win the rights to get "J5" back from Jurassic 5.

You're confusing MJ with Berry Gordy.

Also, N_RQ, no. Jurassic 5 are still mostly yawnfilled. Lovely guys, tho'!

BARMS, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:20 (eighteen years ago) link

[sorry that was me teasing ronan -- i don't think iever heard the whole j5 elpee, though i do like the 'lesson 5']

N_RQ, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:21 (eighteen years ago) link

For about 7 stoned minutes in 1998, they were really incredibly fun.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Wow. I understand the desire (need? addiction?) to dissect and analyze music...I do it CONSTANTLY, and my wife threatens that this, above all other things, will be the reason for any divorce in our future.

But...COME ON! What the hell happened to live and let live, even in the face of others who do not adopt said credo? This smacks of the same undercurrents that lead to the hateration that is thrown in Dave Matthews Band fans faces - those without the knowledge are deemed the unwashed masses, somehow below those of us in the know.

I would suggest this instead - if you should see someone who fits any variation of the above appearance, reach into your bag and give them one of the 5 burned cds that you will keep with you from now on. On said discs, you will have burned a compilation of the music you find would be important to turn these "unfortunate souls" onto. What is actually on it? Who the fuck cares? Just do it. Spread the word, instead of wasting words.

I've seen J5 a few times, enjoyed their show once or twice, and was bored by it once or twice. I feel like "Entroducing" was an important album for me in terms of exploding what music could be, and I got it in...something like '96? '97?

Don't hate - elaborate, educate, and celebrate. How cool would it be to get Sam Bush and Ice T on the same track? What the hell kind of mind fuck would THAT be?

Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I remember the first time I typed the word "strawman". It was on ILM like 2 years ago, and I immediately regretted it.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I've been on ILM for over two years and I STILL don't know what the fuck a "strawman" is.

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:29 (eighteen years ago) link

The 18-year-old white dude who lived next to my girlfriend when she was a senior in college and played Entroducing at least once a day, if not more, for 8 months, at high volume, deserves whatever hate you care to direct at him. As would anyone who did this with any album.

Eppy (Eppy), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Eppy, now THAT is OTM. Regardless of what the music is, can't this person take a day off or get some really good headphones OR do that in their car while driving on the highway?

Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I've been on ILM for over two years and I STILL don't know what the fuck a "strawman" is.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/901742/scarecrow_oz.gif
IF I ONLY HAD THAT MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD 12".

nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:38 (eighteen years ago) link

I've been on ILM for over two years and I STILL don't know what the fuck a "strawman" is.

The straw-man rhetorical technique is the practice of refuting weaker arguments than one's opponents actually offer. To "set up a straw man" or "set up a straw-man argument" is to create a position that is easy to refute, then attribute that position to your opponent.

One can set up a straw man in several different ways:

1. Present only a portion of the opponent's arguments (often a weak one), refute it, and pretend that all of their arguments have been refuted.
2. Present the opponent's argument in weakened form, refute it, and pretend that the original has been refuted.
3. Present a misrepresentation of the opponent's position, refute it, and pretend that the opponent's actual position has been refuted.
4. Present someone who defends a position poorly as the defender, refute that person's arguments, and pretend that every upholder of that position, and thus the position itself, has been defeated.
5. Invent a fictitious persona with actions or beliefs that are criticised, and pretend that the person represents a group that the speaker is critical of.

Some logic textbooks define the straw-man fallacy only as a misrepresented argument. It is now common, however, to use the term to refer to all of these tactics. The straw-man technique is also used as a form of media manipulation.

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:42 (eighteen years ago) link

I like j5 and shadow, although I haven't listened to either one in a while.

I am also white and have been to college.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:44 (eighteen years ago) link

I was introduced to the word 'strawman' by the lady from the godhatesfags.com website, who sent me an amusing reply to my impertinent question about redemption

DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:56 (eighteen years ago) link

thanks, Dom

zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:17 (eighteen years ago) link

I mainly listened to lonely man music when I was in "college".

Adam In Real Life (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:30 (eighteen years ago) link

ahh the jack johnson question up thread is a difficult problem on the university campuses of Britain right now, well as early as 2003 i came into contact with this menace. teenagers on gap years and travelling (lets not use the word inter railing as this suggests Europe and i don't believe the jack Johnson / Ben Harper et al virus can be contracted in European locales) often in the east and the Australasias will partake in such activities as surfing and beach parties (obviously foolish activities when one could be online quoting Family Guy and Futurama I mean duh... anyway...) jack Johnson is well known in surf communities for his knarly rip curling and is therefore quite the celebrity without his singing and strumming and adoption of reggae strumming patterns. It seems that this sound is quite the doozy on the beach as the sun sets and your surf board pings in the wind and aborigines do dances somewhere over the far ridge. the end result is that said music is brought back by cds and ends up played by those wealthy enough to go travelling when they get to uni thus vaguely annoying people who don't like jack johnson such as myself and others. i try not to sulk about it all but was accused of it.

The Jive Session (elwisty), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link

As I remember it, the downfall of this now-extinct indie hip-hop stuff had more to do with Cibo Matto exclusive vinyl-only remixes and Sean Lennon guest appearances than Endtroducing and J5's first album/EP.

Chris H. (chrisherbert), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link

I got into hip hop via the NME and other indie press so initially it was all PE, J5 and ATCQ because they "were intelligent" (or something) and forcing myself to think "Paul's Boutique" was a lot better than that silly, sexist joke "Licensed To Ill". I now just about prefer "LTI" and think I was a bit silly with the J5/PE thing. I now like stuff like Luda and Lil Jon a lot more so maybe it's just the indie fan's route into hip hop. I just abandoned the indie rhetoric and realised that I could listen to this and not feel the need to get on flight to Compton and shoot a policeman.

Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:09 (eighteen years ago) link

haha 'in soviet union united kingdom policeman shoots you'

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link

i don't find that this strawman is particularly widespread in actuality, i meet more people who claim that they "love every kind of music except rap and country" (which really means, "i don't listen to anything except U2 and Coldplay").

I liked J5 for about a week, then forgot they existed for a couple of years. my favorite J5 "moment" was when i was taking trash down to the dumpster at my old apartment and happened across a stack of Power By Numbers LPs sitting atop a bag, in totally pristine shape (along with a few LP copies of a Tupac zombie comp). I think I netted about 50 in trade for them later that night.

gear (gear), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:26 (eighteen years ago) link

i meet more people who claim that they "love every kind of music except rap and country" (which really means, "i don't listen to anything except U2 and Coldplay").

OTM I reckon.

Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:51 (eighteen years ago) link

crazily enough these people usually say they hate metal, find jazz to be boring, reggae is a no-no other than bob marley, the blues is dead, classical is for weenies, indie is made by bands no one has ever heard of, and techno is for gay people.

gear (gear), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:27 (eighteen years ago) link

but they love everything!

gear (gear), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't know man, this just wreaks of another backlash, and nothing more.

People used to hate Miami Bass. Now they love it.

People used to love sample based Hip-Hop (some with harsh lyrics, some without). Now they hate it.

Whatever.

Hip-House is the music of the future. Arrested Development will undergo a critical reevaluation then too.

PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:31 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm inclined to agree with Pappa: I'm betting by 07 at the latest, we see someone (Talib Kweli?) cover 'Tennessee' and turn it into another big hit; Speech becomes the newest talking head in the VH1 stable and "a game of horseshooooooooes!" enters common parlance again.

Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:35 (eighteen years ago) link

ehhh i dont fuck w/ him no more
-- 2 (...), July 26th, 2005.

did he quit returning your emails?

asbo, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:41 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm sure he is a bad thing, in general, but I'm not sure why. What is he doing wrong? Is it the music he listens to, or the way he listens to it? Is he actually doing any real damage? Is he relevant any more? Why is he so much worse than the Okayplayer crowd anyway?
his taste in music is boring. I've known plenty of people who are like this when i got to college (dorm living circa 2001-2002), its not SOLELY a strawman. There's nothing inherently WRONG with having boring taste of course, i always assumed the corny fuxxor thing was just like a different way of saying "this dude's taste is boring," which doesn't do DAMAGE per se, its just boring. And of course boring taste has nothing to do w whether someone is a good or interesting person.

deej.., Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Hip-Hop audiences have played this 'my camp is more credible than your camp' ever since Rakim came around. Before that, it was all one camp.

Once Rakim hit, there was a division where some were very focused on lyrics, while others still wanted raw beats (not to say Eric B's beats aren't raw, but there was a difference).

This is how the NYC vs. Down South thing started, and NYC acts would have riders in their touring contracts saying they would not play a show with anyone from down south.

Then Outkast hit in 1993, and the tide slowly turned.

The sad thing is, not the acts that once perpetuate this, but the audiences who buy into it all (which includes me, to some degree).

PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Arrested Development will undergo a critical reevaluation then too.

God help us.

lyra (lyra), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:55 (eighteen years ago) link

God help us.

Because we will be very very old and very very irrelevant.

Happy New Years!

PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link

most of them seemed to live in the co-ops, now that I think about it.

Jesus Christ, Attorney at Law (res), Thursday, 29 January 2009 17:09 (fifteen years ago) link

cliche area

I see. So now if you witness something, you should change the place you saw it to be "less cliche."

Jesus Christ, Attorney at Law (res), Thursday, 29 January 2009 17:10 (fifteen years ago) link

that last Shadow album did pretty much suck tho (except 3 Freaks) right?

O Supermanchiros (blueski), Thursday, 29 January 2009 17:12 (fifteen years ago) link

http://www.fulana.org/images/if-you-see-something.JPG

and what, Thursday, 29 January 2009 17:12 (fifteen years ago) link

I used to know a lot of "heads" (all white guys, natch) who listened to music such as this on their studio quality headphones while walking around town, their dreadlocked hair tucked neatly into their rastafarian hats

― Jesus Christ, Attorney at Law (res), Thursday, 29 January 2009 17:00 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Where is Ed?

Architect of the Geocities (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 29 January 2009 18:16 (fifteen years ago) link

no hat on Ed, he lets it flow

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 29 January 2009 18:17 (fifteen years ago) link

"that last Shadow album did pretty much suck tho (except 3 Freaks) right?"

shadow basically started hating his fans. more 'corny indie rap fuxor' self hate.

uk grime faggot (titchyschneiderMk2), Thursday, 29 January 2009 20:10 (fifteen years ago) link

lol otm

The Reverend (rev), Thursday, 29 January 2009 20:58 (fifteen years ago) link

lol otm

― The Reverend (rev), Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:58 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark

lol otm

brightscreamer, Thursday, 29 January 2009 21:12 (fifteen years ago) link


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