Jeff Chang takes on Nik Cohn, old white guys, and da capo

To be honest I don't know how much you'd like Nik Cohn, but I do think you should give him a try. In some ways his voice is fairly unique too and somewhat rare, so while I'm all for inclusiveness I don't want to see certain other endangered species fall off the edge. On the other hand, I *like* Tosches style wankerdom and also some other crit styles I'm fairly sure you don't. I'm all for giving the ego trip crew et cet more space though and Danyel (though not Zadie) Smith would be a dream editor for me of a Da Capo book.

I could see maybe one article on undie/conscious/whatever-the-hell-term-you-want rap in an anthology like this but is it really representative to look for *bunches* of them? Also I do think that its somewhat of a contradiction that on the whole there's more better writing about music I find more dull (the rockist canon) than about music I find more exciting (i.e. hip-hop etc). And some of the hip-hop I find *most* exciting gets some of the *least* space for expansive thoughtful coverage (i.e. just Murder Dog or something in a capsule reviw at the back and maybe a fascinating but straightforward interview)

When the fuck is Junot Diaz gonna do something else? How long can one man coast on one collection of short stories?

"You could also invest next year in Raquel Cepeda's anthology collecting some of the best hip-hop journalism of the last two or so decades called And It Don't Stop (not from your press, I note)".

So does the fact that Da Capo has more music books on its backlist about artists of color than any other press in existence.

Also, the series clearly doesn't limit itself to "music journalists," so one of the main thrusts of his nearly racist rant is a little disingenous. I don't think the series aims to capture the state of music journalism. The pieces chosen are what the Guest Editor thinks the best writings on music are, regardless of the source, whether the authors are novelists, poets, journalists, or whatever.

They probably shouldn't call it "Best Music Writing 200x" then.

And while Bangs might indeed have be "mentoring a young woman of color," it would only be after he got her drunk on cough syrup and . . . well, you can imagine the rest.

Triksta
Life and Death and New Orleans Rap
Written by Nik Cohn
Music - Rap Hardcover
November 2005 $22.95 1-4000-4245-3

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In Triksta, a masterful observer of movements that emerge from dark corners to become worldwide phenomena–early rock ’n’ roll and “Saturday Night Fever,” to name but two –gives us a mesmerizing account of a city, its music, and a way of life that often embraces death.

Nik Cohn’s love of hip-hop goes back to its beginnings, and his love of New Orleans even further, to when he passed through on tour with The Who and discovered a place whose magic has never failed to seize him. As a white, foreign-born writer without money or bling, he would seem the least likely rap impresario imaginable, yet he plunges into this violent and poverty-ravaged world as a would-be producer. His passionate involvement with the music and the people who make it leads him through a New Orleans–wards, clubs, and projects–hidden from anyone not born to it: a journey into the heart of the hip-hop dream. En route, he immerses us in lives we scarcely think about, and then only with ignorance and fear, lives at once desperate, heroic, and endlessly enterprising as these men and women driven by talent and passion struggle to survive. Cohn captures a music that’s hugely popular but rarely understood, and with transcendent humanity he reveals this beloved city in all its tragic beauty.

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Nik Cohn is the author of six previous books, as well as two collaborations with the artist Guy Peellaert. He was born in London, raised in Northern Ireland, and now lives on Shelter Island, New York.

anyway, he comes across as extremely conscious of and humble about his position (old english white guy) vs his subjects (young black rappers). (ps, for the shelter island hataz, he has spent time living in new orleans and has an apartment there. next to a crack house, for extra authenticity).

also, he was even more ahead of his time than i had previously realized--not only invented saturday night fever, but also has a claim on ziggy stardust and pinball wizard too.

plus, he really should be rehabilitated as the OG Popist.

so, step off bitches.