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MC’ing in Action

After reading the M.I.A. cover story [“M. I. A. POW!,” December], I have a new admiration for her. It takes a true artist to walk the razor-thin line between being revolutionary and being a hypocrite. While she may have broken into the mainstream through a stoner-movie trailer, it seems that she is still concerned about the troubles of the world. I hope she keeps up the good fight. Also, congratulations to her and her fiancé on their bundle of joy.

ClAre SAMPtOn

Salem, Oregon

Last Year’s Model?

As I was reading your interview with elvis Costello [the spin Interview, December], I couldn’t help but wonder if his career had jumped the shark. then

I continued reading and the answer became abundantly clear: Yes, it has. It’s now only a matter of time before we see e.C. contributing original songs to animated family films.

ADDIe WhIte

Houston

Epithet Epiphany It was refreshing to see Fucked Up get some coverage from a major music magazine [“Crazy/ Beautiful,” December]. With a record as stunningly explosive

as The Chemistry of Common Life, the psychedelic-punk outfit should be a regular fixture on newsstands. Brian raftery’s profile (though too short!) captured the band’s appeal perfectly: the absurd aliases, their prolific output, and of course, their fascinating/ repulsive live shows.

MIke POWell

Billings, Montana

No Free Samples
Your article on the end of
sampling [“Is Sampling Dying?,”
December] taught me a lot
about the real costs behind a
sample. But your pessimism
seems undue. take, for example,
the producer Bangladesh,
who was behind the Busta
rhymes track “I Got Bass.”
It’s one of the freshest songs
I’ve heard in years, and doesn’t
rely on sampling. Also consider
the roots, who are famous for
their live hip-hop approach.
Samples have undoubtedly
changed the course of hip-hop,
but if the corporate game is
going to kill them, then so be
it. the best minds in hip-hop
will react appropriately.
technology makes it easy for
musicians to record their own
music and treat it as a sample
if they so choose. Judging by
the latest Wu-tang album,
rZA isn’t ready to come into

18 FEBRUAR Y 2009 / READ DAILY EDI TORS’ BLOGS AT SPIN.COM

“IT’S NOW ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE WE SEE ELVIS COSTELLO
CONTRIBUTING ORIGINAL SONGS
TO ANIMATED FAMILY FILMS.”

the future. But I imagine a time when producers and artists will play instruments themselves. If hip-hop producers love soul and funk sounds, then why not write some licks themselves? It seems some contemporary rappers think the Auto-tune gimmick is the only way to solve the problem of the high cost of samples. Instead they could have an original new riff and then speed it up, chop it up, screw it up, get it hyphy, or even mash it up, instead of rehashing a shitty parlor trick that Cher reintroduced ten years ago. I love hip-hop, and I don’t want to see anyone give up on it just because they aren’t being creative enough.

ArthUr henke Bay Village, Ohio

If sampling dies, we could see creativity rise from the ashes, with artists making new and imaginative beats. And originality is never a bad thing.

MArk FArMer

Oakland, California

Echo of the Past

Just wanted to let you know that I think your magazine is a great read. I’m pushing 44 and still enjoy reading about new music, but the fact that you continue to update on older bands is nice. the recent echo & the Bunnymen article [“heaven Down here,” December] and a previous one that interviewed many older musicians about the punk scene [October 2007] were cool.

DAvID MArShAll Scottdale, Georgia

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