Friday, March 4, 2005
CD slams the state of hip-hop
By Kelley L. Carter
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
Raymond Scott is angry.
Actually, he's more than angry, he's
furious
He's got some rage boiling up inside of
him that he's ready to unload to the hip
hop masses, that is, if folks bite on his
indie project, "Arch Nemesis," which hit
stores last week.
Scott, better known as rapper Benzino,
has a vendetta against rapper Eminem
and he won't sto talk-
ing, or rapping, about
it.
"It's a situation
where I feel like it's a
double standard being
used in hip-hop. The
people that are han
dling him are using the
fact that he's a white
rapper to monopolize
the game so to speak. I
just spoke up on it as an artist. Not as
somebody from the Source. I'm an artist
first. I made a couple of songs on a mix
tape and went at him," Benzino says.
"This guy goes at people all the time.
But I guess I struck a nerve and he came
back at me. His stuff was more personal.
I had a real motive for what I did and
why I did it. I feel like hip-hop, as it's
growing, is in danger of being stripped
from us like how rock music was. I'm
just being that voice of the street, that's
all."
For those who missed the saga of the
last year or so, here's a quick catch-up:
Benzino is best friends with David Mays
and both publish the Source magazine,
which for years has been the place to go
for everything hip-hop.
The magazine was the first national
publication to give Eminem props. In
1998, it featured him in its influential
"Unsigned" section. After Interscope
Records signed him, the magazine nom-
Every new year
brings new movies
Review by Aaron Amendola
staff writer
With every new year comes new movies.
With new movies come new academy awards.
With the academy awards comes controversy
and this year is no different. With "Million
Dollar Baby" nearly sweeping all major cate
gories, there's obviously going to be some dis
pute. While I could nitpick the overlooking of
Annette Bening for the second time or the acad
emy undermining the talent it took for Clive
Owen to become who he was in "Closer," I am
more enraged that some lesser-known films
went unrewarded.
I find it sickening that a film like "Million
Dollar Baby," good albeit overrated, can sweep
the awards while smaller pictures like "Garden
State" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind" can go overlooked. For Zach Braff, get
ting "Garden State" made was a huge undertak
ing. He not only wrote and starred in it but he
directed it. For a first-timer, this is a colossal
job. The fact that it resonates so well with the
audience is a testament that you don't need a
big budget and all-star cast to make a well
rounded movie. If anything, Zach Braff should
receive a special achievement award for the
blood, sweat and tears he put into his freshman
project.
Charlie Kaufman, while awarded "Best
Original Screenplay," deserves much more for
idealizing the masterpiece of Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind." With the help of Michel
Gondry, Kaufman not only made an exquisite
art house movie that was accessible to nearly
everyone, he made a film that captured pure
raw love in its most sincere form.
Why is it that Hollywood seems to give
mated him for multiple Source awards
and championed him as the first white
hip-hop artist of significance.
Then something changed. Through
underground mix tapes and Benzino's
own CD, he traded barbs with Eminem
and his label, Shady Records, for most
of 2003. Scott called Eminem a "rap
David Duke, a rap Hitler, a culture-steal
er," and was pictured in the Source hold
ing Em's head. Eminem called Benzino
the "softest, fakest wanna-be gangster in
New York."
"The people that are
handling him are using
the fact that lie's a white
rapper to monopolize the
game...
- Benzino, rapper
speaking about Eminem
said it was after a teenage breakup, but
the lyrics caused a stir when the Source
played them at a news conference and
posted them on its Web site. The article
talked about the rapper's early career,
and Mays says they've collected a lot of
evidence that suggests Eminem may not
be sensitive to the black community and
issues of race.
Lawsuits followed and court deci
sions. Among them: Could the CDs be
distributed with the magazine? (Not the
full songs.) Were there copyright
infringements? (An injunction was
granted against using the lyrics on the
Web site.) Should the Source pay dam
ages? (No.)
The hip-hop hoopla died down for a
minute. Then Eminem released
"Encore," which talks very personally
about these struggles and others in "Like
Toy Soldiers."
He raps: "I am never supposed to show
it, my crew ain't supposed to know
r UDENT LI
rir
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Then there was the cover story the
Source printed that
depicted Em as a
racist. That edition
came with a CD con-
taining snippets of
raps Eminem made,
before he was a star,
that include derogato
ry comments about
black women. Exactly
when they were made
is disputed, Eminem
praise to films that have already garnered it
from everywhere else? Why reward success
with more success when there are tons of other
deserving movies out there just trying to find a
small audience, if any audience at all.
Sure, word of mouth will carry these films on
in the years and have their messages cemented
in cult-like status with people in the time to
come. hut an academy award means something.
It is being recognized for your talents and hav
ing a reason to be proud. Though in recent
years the Oscars have been diminished to a live
airing of "InStyle" magazine, there is still a
great amount of value attached to the statues
themselves.
One thing I have never liked about the show
is that (while some films may deserve it), some
movies just dominate the awards and steal
glory from the other competitors. Everyone
remembers "Titanic," but does anyone raise a
fuss about "L.A. Confidential," "As Good as it
Gets," or even "Good Will Hunting" much
anymore? Nope. The fact that "Titanic" stole
the show cast a shadow on those film features
and now they're known merely as Oscar "nom
inees," but not winners. It's a shame.
This coming year looks a bit more promising.
With no clear cut "oscar contenders" slated to
be released anytime soon, we may get surprised
with another "Garden State" or "Eternal
Sunshine." With any luck, some new independ
ent filmmaker will shoot something amazing
and have it astound us soon. We need more
Zach Braffs and Charlie Kaufmans in the biz to
keep things exciting. These guys are clearly
making films for the art of it and the need to
express themselves. With an intention like that,
awards don't master.
it/Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a
Benzino it don't matter/I'd never drag
them in battles that I can't handle unless
I absolutely have to/I'm supposed to set
an example."
Benzino responded with the single,
"Look Into My Eyes." The video picks
up where "Like Toy Soldiers" ends, hav
ing an actor who looks like Eminem
calling someone named Jimmy (likely
Interscope Records Jimmy 'ovine), and
telling him he's scared and wants to get
out of the business.
The entire album isn't about his beef
with Eminem. It's autobiographical and
talks about his life and growing up in
Boston
"This is what I've been going through
the last two years. Everything that I went
through is on this album. Admittedly,
I've stepped up my whole lyric game.
My whole rap game," Scott says. "The
whole concept of 'Look Into My Eyes' is
basically an answer to what Eminem did.
He came out with 'Toy Soldiers,' acting
like he's trying to squash the beef. He
said he helped big up hip-hop. What he's
trying to do is fool everybody to try to
get their sympathy. Eminem is an all
right rhymer. But there's a lot of talented
guys out there and they'll never get the
shot. His people are monopolizing the
airwaves and TV. ' Arch Nemesis' is just
my testimonial of what's happened these
last couple of years in my life. And I'm
proud of my work."
The jury is still out on how others will
receive Benzino's album. Nothing he
released has sold well.
MC Serch, of WJLB-FM in Detroit,
says, " He's the owner of the Source
magazine. He's the owner of a magazine
who has a hobby making music. He has
the money to make music and he feels
like he needs to put out music. He's
respected as an entrepreneur. He's
respected for the way he handles the
Source magazine. But I don't think he's
respected as an artist."
Grant C. Travis, Esquire
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El Canelo now
serves suds
By Annie Sevin
staff writer
El Canelo, a Mexican
restaurant located on Buffalo
Road, has just received its
liquor license. This family
style restaurant is open seven
days a week with hours rang
ing from 11 a.m. - 10p.m.
(Mon.-Thurs.). 11 a.m. - II
p.m. (Fri. Sat.) and 11 a.m. -
9 p.m. (Sun.).
Jose Montes and his brother.
Jose Ingncio Monies. own all
seven of the El Canelo restau
rants. There are three located
in Eric, two in Buffalo, N.Y..
one in New Castle. Pa. and
another in Oil City, Pa.
The El Canelo location clos
et to Behrend is in the East K-
Mart Plaza, 4459 Buffalo
Road, Erie, PA 16510, (814-
898-1531). El Canelo restau
rants are also located 3.5 miles
southwest of Erie at 2709 W.
12th St., Erie, PA 16505, (814-
835-2290); and 2.6 miles south
of Erie at 4236 Peach St., Eric.
PA 16509, (814-860-8187).
El Canelo serves all kinds of
Mexican style dishes, includ-
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longer for unknocc n reasons.
According to Monies, El
Canclo docsn't oiler a lot of
mixed drinks. t) pically just
margaritas dime and peach).
They do offer a variety of
Mexican beers. including
Pactfico. Sol. Corona and
KRT CAMITS Corona I tic.
100 State Street
Suite 210
Erie, PA 16507
455-3839
The Behrend Beacon I
(';niche R t)a d h as
cd it, liquor
.;1!1CII) \Vo
othcr hi,:
lacw,. tajita , . ciiChiladas
chalupes. Hui - Hos. tamales.
chimichaiwas. cunt quesadillas.
The) LIF , O ~ er\C a variety of
deserts: Kahlua cakes. cheese
cake and sopapillas (a fried
pastry screed \kith cinnamon
sugar and hone\
It took 11 Cando (the
Buffalo Road location) about
eight months n) receive
itsliLluor license. Monies said
it usually only takes about
mo-threc month to get a
but this one took
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