Albums you own or used to own from artists that turned out to be awful people.

And there’s a viewpoint that being a customer of Sonic Youth records doesn’t make Thurston Moore’s domestic arrangements any of your business.

not a v popular one at the moment

aint that the truth

I did know a little bit about the Rik James story but I wasn't sure I could trust the site. For all these true fucked up stories there's probably a lot of myths spread by fans and haters.

Anyone know anything about the NWA stories about them beating up journalists? In one case throwing a woman down the stairs and giving her a beating? Was this the whole group? Is it a myth?

Rick James stuff was national news at the time.

NWA was Dr. Dre specifically. I had not heard of it until a couple years ago. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dee-barnes-reflects-on-traumatic-dr-dre-1991-assault-exclusive-interview_us_55f6c9c1e4b063ecbfa4c77f

music writers tended to frame it as a "fight" or a "brawl"

The underlying (and pretty sexist) assumption being that women fighting is somehow "cute." They might break a nail! Or, better yet, tear some lacy clothing. Ugh.

that also highlights the abysmal way music journalism treated women in those days

did anyone notice that headline about Thurston "squealing" on Courtney. What a narc!

the rick james thing was hardly some rumor, that's well known history at this point

Courtney punching Kathleen was well-known at the time and just emblematic of Courtney's general shittiness imo

Yeah Rick James was not a rumor, there was enough evidence that he even went to prison. Of course rich and famous people just do 2 or 3 years at prison for things that normal citizens would rot in jail for.

Yeah Rick James was not a rumor, there was enough evidence that he even went to prison. Of course rich and famous people just do 2 or 3 years at prison for things that normal citizens would rot in jail for.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, November 14, 2017 8:22 AM (forty-six seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the rick james stuff was a joke to people, like part and parcel of his legend, oh that troublemaker and those women, etc. people often forgive shit by artists they like or find amusing. rick james hero worship was equal parts music and image.

I think Dave Chapelle is partly to blame for turning him
into a meme with the “I’m Rick James, bitch” and “Cocaine is a hell of a drug” catchphrases.

my fave rick james detail. he actually took the PERFECT amount of those drugs. we may never know what killed him:

"He had died from pulmonary failure and cardiac failure, associated with his various health conditions of diabetes, a stroke, pacemaker, and heart attack. His autopsy found alprazolam, diazepam, bupropion, citalopram, hydrocodone, digoxin, chlorpheniramine, methamphetamine, and cocaine in his blood. However, the coroner stated that "none of the drugs or drug combinations were found to be at levels that were life-threatening in and of themselves"."

as far as rick james and this thread go: when was the last time someone listened to a rick james album?

I gave Garden of Love a spin or two this summer.

I don’t think I’ve ever listened let alone owned a Rick James album which is why I didn’t bring him up in the first place.

Only know him because of Dave Chapelle and the Super Freak sample on U Cant Touch This. I wasn’t even born when he rose to fame.

the mary jane girls, on the other hand, are essential listening.

Rick James has at least two all-time classic songs

Street Songs is a fucking great record.

I don't know anyone who thinks Rick James is funny; I do know a bunch of people who think Dave Chappelle imitating Rick James is funny, because it was.

Indeed. As much as I love Street Songs, I think Rick James became a joke, and not in the funny sense.

just saying, aside from super freak and chapelle show he's mostly forgotten. and if chapelle show had never happened he would be almost entirely gone aside from fm super freak airplay. he has a LOT of albums that nobody listens to. other than nerds. like you guys. joking! not really. a little!

Well, there's a sample of him shouting "GIMME SOME GANJA!" all over a Kendrick Lamar track that came out this year.

Not comparing it to Rick James or anything - well, maybe a bit - but Boy George handcuffing someone, keeping them prisoner and beating them with a metal chain doesn't get mentioned too often these days.

In an apparently accidental allusion to Culture Club's 1982 No 1 hit Heather Norton, for the prosecution, asked the jury during the trial: "Did he really have to hurt him?"

Very true, and he was only on TV last night singing a rendition of 'Purple Rain' during a show to promote a children's charity.

(xpost)

just saying, aside from super freak and chapelle show he's mostly forgotten by white people

^^^ more accurate in my experience

Haha yeah

also mary jane girls and 'party all the time'

also "Mary Jane" the song

xp: I love the part in that video when he steps out from behind the console to mime playing the bass for a few bars and then stops playing before the song's over to hug Eddie Murphy.

he was definitely huge. and a crossover hit. for about three or four years. and no doubt people loved those records but aside from super freak he's kinda gone in the wider world. is all i'm saying. people will always love lots of old stuff that they loved (and old r&b/soul fans are totally loyal to their faves of yesteryear) but it doesn't always linger or stick around in pop culture other than THE BIG HIT. lots of people sold millions of records. he's not marvin gaye. to bring up another troubling icon mentioned on this thread.

did he write party all the time?

Motown totally sold him to rock fans too. There were huge ads in every rock magazine for months on end for that first run of records. And it worked.

y

^ xp there

more "garden-variety prick" than actual abuser but even what little is public about the falling out between trent reznor and tori amos makes me very uncomfortable listening to NIN's stuff

also I still listen to Kate Bush even though she supports Theresa May

Bet she doesn't now.

didnt rick james have like a dozen albums? insanely dismissive reading of his career itt. you guys dont know 'cold blooded' or 'give it to me baby'?

plus yeah his mary jane girls stuff was fire too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jhf0NeyRfE

don't go full ilm on me here, guys. *what, i'm the only one who listens to The Flag every morning before work?* i'm not talking about you guys. and yes like i said earlier mary jane girls are essential.

although i'm suspicious. i don't even think that YOU guys listen to rick james that much. you are too busy listening to your bootleg CDs of prince doing rick james covers.

the broader culture will come back around to you & I, ghetto life and give it to me baby sooner or later.

There's a recent commercial that uses "Give It To Me Baby" but I can't remember it now.

I've seen/heard that, too, and I can't remember what the commercial is for. Good work, ad people!

ok I did it artists who plausibly appear to be good people

don't have anything to contribute tho. feel like I only know the bad stories.

I do slightly worry that anyone mentioned in that thread will shortly turn out to have rubbed unmentionable parts of his or her body on an underage puppy or something. Maybe that's superstitious but I am nervous about jinxing someone.

(Still, Janet Weiss is way cool.)

Street songs is a classic album, shite reputation aside