Page 8-The Michigan Daily- Tuesday, January 14,1992 Cube's revival wakes the dead by Forrest Green 111 iggas are in a state of emergency. The Death Side, a mirror-image of where we are today. The Life Side, an image of where we need to go. So sign your Death Certificate." - Ice Cube Rap at its best has always been an honest reflection of society - the realer, the better. Ice Cube remains truto this ideology in Death Cer- tificate by rendering the expansive crap of South Central Los Angeles in an uncompromising view of real- ity.." Meanwhile, Cube's AmeriKKKa has. turned to ignorance as The Wepon Of The '90s - making his message anathematic to the Amer- iKKgKan way. . W thile Cube's old bandmates in NW play Al Jolson's Drive-By Shffle for a predominantly white, mainstream audience, Cube himself is aligned as a threat for his artis- tic statement. I'm alternately amsed and disgusted by the censor- ship-backlash that this album has received. S he album is broken into the first "Death Side," a depiction of where and how Black people live, an thegsecond "Life Side," a state- ment of where ae need to go. This presentation gives Cube the oppor- tunity to blend vivid, powerful rhymes about bothisqualor and struggle. He presents both subjects equally well. Two obligatory misogyny tracks, "Givin' Up The Nappy Dugout" and "Look Who's Burei'," find him dropping lines tha are alternately glorifying and condemning in their depictions. m he best of his barbs include, "Nympho, nympho, boy is she bad/ Gether All alone and out come the knee pads," "Daddy's little girl/ Shekeeps nuts in her mouth like the bitch was a squirrel," and the stand- out, "You should hear how she sounds with a cock in her/ The boots get knocked from here to Czechoslovakia." Even though Cube continues to use women as a medium, the true at- tack is directed at promiscuity. There's even a public service an- nouncement for prophylactics thrown in for good measure. But then, the intent is consis- tently benevolent through Cube's look at the Death Side, from criti- cisms of pernicious health care for Black people to his pointed observa- tion of class conflict, "A Bird In The Hand." Over the beat used for the St. Ides malt liquor ads, we find more clever rhymes and statements, the best of which being Cube admis- sion that for the time being, a bird in the hand (a key of crack) is worth more than a Bush (a white supremacist President). The Life Side is where Cube be- comes dangerous as he inverts his rage to the enemies of Black people. The anger of the opener, "I Wanna Kill Sam," builds to a fever pitch in "Horny Lil' Devil," a furious, dense polemic on sexual harassment of Black women in the workplace. Soon thereafter comes "Color Blind," a message track voiced with some of the West Coast's toughest rappers, most notably KAM and the MAAD Circle, to end gang warfare in Los Angeles, and "True To The Game," the more subtle of Cube's two disses of Dr. Dre and NWA. The latter is utilized more effec- tively than a simple dis song, to de- construct house niggerism in the name of pro-white integration, and to jar the memories of the ghetto's forgetful "buppies." Easily one of Even though Cube continues to use women as a medium, the true attack is directed at promiscuity. There's even a public service announcement for prophylactics thrown in for good measure. Cube's best songs,, it strikes the lis- tener as customarily scathing but also positive and pro-Black: "Get the hell out/ Stop being an Uncle Tom, you little sell-out/ House nigga scum, give something back to the place where you made it from." He reminds Dre, "You want to be just like Jack/ But Jack is callin' you Although not as groundbreaking as AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Cube's second album is a classic. His lyrics of the love nobody else could muster, and the hate only he could manifest, carry Death Certificate through intolerable depths with relative ease. a nigger behind your back." The next few songs find Ice Cube dropping the berserker tone en- tirely, in order to drop positive messages to his own. The overall callousness of the Death Side and my least favorite track, "Black Ko- rea," is justly compensated for. "Doing Dumb Shit" is an auto- biographical lesson, while "Us" is an observation of Black people's self-destructive faults. He closes with a return to his old bandmates, "No Vaseline." The statement fol- lows that the reign of "house nigga scum" like NWA must end along with Uncle Sam for Cube's Black nation to rise. Although not as groundbreaking as AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Cube's second album is a classic. His lyrics of the love nobody else could muster, and the hate only he could manifest, carry Death Certificate through intolerable depths with relative ease. And to blame him for this content is ultimately to speak from ignorance and cowardice, given that he even has the heart to con- front and present reality like this. As Sister Souljah says, "You can't declare war on the Black man/ Without declaring war on me." The powers that be can censor this album, but they can't possibly omit the lives, and thoughts, and daily reality, of millions of Black Americans. As Cube maniacally notes in one of the album's tracks, "Now my whole block looks shitty." Cube has exposed the shit and made it obvious to us. The only question that remains is who will clean it up? who what where when Free Free Free! Nashville 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. and 7 singer/songwriter Don Henry does p.m. Call 833-7900. a free show at the Ark tonight at 8 p.m. Henry's new album is titled Take a short ride up to North Wild in the Backyard, and he writes Campus to check out what the funny pop. It is free, and his song- University's Art faculty is up to. writing did win a Grammy in '90 The School of Art opens a new ex- for "Where've You Been?" OK, we hibit today, entitled "Issues of our never heard it either. But it is free. Times." Faculty artists present a wide range of works relating to is- sues ranging from gerontology to The Detroit Institute of Arts the environment. An opening recep- kicks off its 1992 film series this tion and an accompanying panel dis- Friday with director Akira Kuro- cussion will take place on Friday at sawa's latest, Rhapsody in August. 7:30 p.m. in Room 2104 of the Art And yes, the film features Mr. & Architecture Building. The ex- Cindy Crawford, Zen Buddhism's hibit, which runs through February cutest convert himself, Richard 1, is open Tuesday through Saturday, Gere. You have the next two 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jean Paul G r weekends to make the road trip: Slusser Gallery in the same A & Gore Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and AB. Call 763-4417 for more info. BOOKS Continued from page 5 cover whatever it was that was bothering the innocents. Through 29 wonderful books that method worked like a charm. I, with my fellow addicts, looked forward to an endless stream of novels to assuage our cravings. And with a tried and true method such as Francis', how could we get anything but the wonderful books to which we were used? Unfortunately, Francis has an- swered that question. The formula that had worked wonders doesn't work at all in Comeback. Perhaps it's because of the stretching re- quired for one to accept why the hero, Peter Darwin, (who keeps telling us that he's not related to Charles) becomes involved. You see, Mr. Darwin is a diplo- mat whose late-father died in a horse race some umpteen years ago, conveniently supplying the manda- tory equine connection. He is reas- signed to London from his post in Japan, and while travelling betwixt the two, he has a lay-over in Miami where he runs into an elderly British couple. Later in the evening, the couple is mugged, and Peter is drafted by the British Consul in Miami to shep- herd them home. So far, so believ- able. Once they arrive in Britain, Peter drives the couple to their Glouces- tershire home (totally out of his way and, coincidentally, where he grew up) and meets their son-in- law, Ken. Ken just so happens to be a large-animal veterinarian (with a specialization in-you guessed it - horses). The troubled doctor's equine patients keep dying mysteri--" ously (surprise) after he operates o0m them. Further, Ken's hospital is suddenly burned to the ground, and then, for inexplicable reasons, Peter decides to try and help him. But why? It is apparent, as the book pro- gresses, that the reader is supposed to read into Peter a loyalty to a long, lost childhood home. It is also apparent that the reader is expected to overlook the contrivances in- voked to gain man-of-the-world Pe- ter' s interest in little-ole-Glouces- tershire's problems. I tried to do, that - I really did, and I'm sorry Mr. Francis, but all that this re- viewer found was a poor attempt at cranking out number 30. -A. L. Hogg i- r v RUSH Continued from page 5 suggests an impending climactic conflict. And it does come; but the movie isn't really set up as a thriller until the end, so this climax doesn't connect well with the rest of the story's psychological bent. For a psychodrama, we also get very little sense of the characters' backgrounds. There is a heightened sense that the scenes we're watching have been arbitrarily selected. Scandinavian Studies You know Ingrid and Ingmar- NOW explore the rest SWEDISH FILM BEYOND BERGMAN Yet Patric and Leigh have created intriguing personalities, and despite some divergence from the focus of the story, Rush assembles a com- pelling picture of the drug war and of the seductive power of narcotics. RUSH is playing at Showcase and Briarwood. Channel Z You know, of course, that Nova (8 p.m., PBS) is perhaps the best show on television. No matter how boring the subject, these folks inves- tigate it in a fascinating manner. There are no commercials, and the narrator has a cool voice. What more do you want? Tonight's episode, "Hellfighters of Kuwait," de- scribes the extinguishing of over 700 oil well fires in Kuwait after the Persian Gulf War. And everyone's favorite angry man, Lou Reed, will debut a song or two from his brand new album on Late Night With David Letterman (12:35 p.m., NBC) tonight. Tell 'em Lou! RECORDS Continued from page 5 peccable. The choir also puts in an excellent performance. The compo- sition itself is - well, um ... Did I mention the wonderful orchestra? Oh, hell. I'm sorry, Mrs. Warren, but I'm just not up to it. Not this time, at least. The Liv- erpool Oratorio has got to be a ca- reer low for the "cute" Beatle (assuming you mercifully discount the Wings tune "Let 'Em In"). The music is boring and uneventful, the story childishly clumsy, the words inane and silly - and the lines rhyme! About the only good thing that can be said for the Oratorio is that McCartney neglected to script any parts for his wife Linda. Not to mention the fact that McCartney's pomposity has reached startling new heights. An accompa- nying PBS documentary goes out of its way to emphasize what a monu- mental achievement the Oratorio was for someone so lacking in for- mal classical training. OK, so he can't read music. So what? Neither could Irving Berlin. This dismal fiasco, taken to- gether with his recent pair of snooze-festival releases (the "unplugged" and "Russian" al- bums), makes the most convincing evidence yet that Paul is, indeed, dead. -Alan Glenn Blue Train This Business of Dreams Zoo Entertainment/BMG Marc Almond Tenement Symphony Sire Four cute heads and a colorful name Suppose you've been locked in a room for the past ten years with no access to music media of any kind. Now, the first albums you are handed when:,you come out of your pitiful confinement ion compact disc, whatever these shiny things are) and subsequently listen to with digital quality, are those of Blue Train and Marc Almond. Pros: That's a nifty programmed electric drum sound these Blue Train people have have. The singer has a kinda mellow and pure voice. It makes me wanna put this CD in my car so I can go all the way to California just listening to them! But then, there's this Marc Al- mond album. I wouldn't want to neglect him, because it's so full of cool strings and weird timpani mixed up with a movin' dance beat. He even has some original sound- ing tunes on here, including the rad "Jacky", where he sings: "And if I joined the social whirl/ Became pro- curer of young girls /Then I could have my own bordellos/ My record would be number one/ And I'd sell records by the ton/ All sung by many other fellows." And don't forget that he sticks in a version of Debussy's Trois do not a successful band make. Chansons de Bilitis. I can't wait to get to a record store. Do they still have records? Now as if by magic, the same,, person who handed you the CDs. puts an ultra-sophisticated chip into' your brain with the ease of a swim- mer's wax earplug. You now have solid knowledge and recollection of the music of the past 10 years. Cons: Aaaag! Get me my Zep- pelin and Cream records back! I can't stand it anymore! These Blues,( Train guys have obviously stolen the drum machine from the Fine x Young Cannibals, infested the bod- ies of the guys from Go West, and sing lines like "All I want, all i want, all I need is you!" (groan) Oh,,.> please. - Please don't make me talk about the Marc Almond album (sob)!!!- All right. It hurts just knowing this is that same Soft Cell guy that;4 sang "Tainted Love." Marc must have been abducted by OMD, Mor- rissey, New Order, and especially the Pet Shop Boys, whereupon they wrote and produced his album and forced him to sing on it. Oh, woe!' Maybe there's something good on-. TV in 1992... -Jeff Rosenbetg Scand. 481-NEW COURSE WINTER 92 only .4 Visiting Professor Dr. TyttiSoila of Stockholm University Film Department Films shown at MICHIGAN THEATRE each week ' _~ J .. SAFEWALK and NORTHWIALK U-M's Nighttime Team Walking Services we are pleased to announce the imminent AU DITION.S for the University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society's spring production of the Pirates of; Pen zanee Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday January 14, 16, & 17 7:00-10:30 p.m. Sign-up at the UMGASS office -. 4k i V' MASS MEETING Tuesday, January 14,1991 i Union- Pendleton Room 44- Help make campus feel safer to all of us. Volunteer just 2 hours per week.