w w w lw w w _ . W- 10B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, September 12, 2002 '3 Feet and Rising'ahip-hop masterpiece The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine- - Thu By Scott Serilla Daily Music Editor Producer and visionary "Prince Paul" Huston once told "Rolling Stone" that there would come a time in hip hop when you wouldn't be.able to blind the kids with flash, when hopefully we'd all choose mind-expanding substance over generic thug posing and pointless arrogance. If that revolution ever comes, Prince Paul and De La Soul's masterpiece may finally get its due. Released in 1989, 3 Feet High And Rising was actually expected to have single-handedly sparked - the upheaval itself. It was a great and funny party album that secret- ly had something to say. Endlessly inventive, relentlessly positive, it was a record densely packed with laid back, but impres- sive wordplay and an astounding assortment of samples. With every- thing from standard P-Funk and James Brown to unthinkable fron- tiers of Johnny Cash, Hall and Oates and yes, even yodeling, it was a debut that sounded like noth- ing else, then or now. Hailing from Long Island, the trio of Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove and DJ Pasemaster Mase had formed De La Soul while in high school. The threesome soon became associat- e d with New York's loose con- federation of pro- gressive rappers and DJs, Native Tongues, whose ranks included Queen Latifah, the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and Afrika Bambaataa. Production master Prince Paul had already established himself as a MC with New York act Stetsasonic before he convinced Tommy Boy to let him take the young, idealistic rappers into the studio. Picking up where Public Enemy's legendary Bomb Squad had left off with the heavily layered production of the 1988 classic, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back," Huston and Mase began raiding obscure records. Anything seemed fair game; bits of a French lesson for "Transmitting Live From the Moon" and other .wFom rap albums, '60s the rock, pop and Vaul soul for the sonic montage of "Cool Breeze on The Rocks." In terms of sheer eclecticism it is rivaled only by the Beastie Boys' own 1989 contribution to forward- thinking alt-rap, "Paul's Boutique." While most rappers were content with just stealing George Clinton's grooves, De La went one step fur- ther, grabbing Dr. Funkenstein's absurdist wit and psychedelic imagination as well as his funky beats. The group's humor was irre- pressible, spilling over from every track into what became the very first hip hop skit, here in the form of a goofy game show that keeps popping up throughout the record. Other comedy highlights include "A Little Bit Of Soap," a tirade against body odor; the bizarre audience chant "Do As de la Does" and the Native Tongues sex jam "Buddy," which featured a very young Q-Tip busting out before Tribe had released a record. But the boys had a message too, proclaiming the beginning of "the Daisy Age," a new period of posi- tivity and hopeful optimism for hip-hop's potential. The record didn't ignore the urban problems that traditionally fed hardcore its material, it just refused to glorify them. "Ghetto Thang" and "Say No Go" dealt with issues without preaching or ranting, "The Magic Number" and "Me Myself and I" quickly promoted the group's sunny outlook without sounding excessively sappy and were still bouncy enough to be club hits. Meanwhile "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)" and "Eye Know" were honest, almost touch- ing love songs that veered clear of the banes of most of today's rap; cheap sentiment and sexism. Sorry to say of course that "the Daisy Age" was short lived. De La never was quite comfortable with Tommy Boy's day-glow flower art- work for the album and when the MADSTONE Continued from Page 3B This branch focuses on granting first- time directors the opportunity and more importantly, the means to tell their story. Twice a year, Madstone takes anywhere from three to five of the world's newest and most promising talent and affords them opportunity to make their film. These directors are signed to a two-year contract which pays them $50,000 dollars annually, offers them complete benefits and on top of it all, Madstone Inc. finances their movie with a budget between $500,000 and $1.5 millon. A seasoned member of the film indus- try, Tom Gruenberg realizes the plight of first-time directors. "To be a first-time future director and get funding, you have to be a great salesman, great financial wizard, a great writer and a great direc- tor. You have to organize all of this and survive. And that is, for anyone an awe- some task." The Madstone Films division focuses on allowing the talent to do what they do best without worrying about funding. Directors are given the freedom to direct, writers are given the freedom to write, the division aims to allow artists to focus on where their skills lie, avoiding other dis- tractions. HEAD-FIRST INTO THE DIGITAL In conjunction with the first-time future directors program, Madstone Inc. also launched another branch devoted solely to digital technology. Madstone's Digital Distribution Network (DDN) aims to enhance the theatrical experience through the incorporation of digital technologies. Madstone DDN, being a technology based firm is highly interested in the implementation of digital-based technolo- gies. Eventually, the company hopes the DDN branch will extend to responding to audiences' wants and needs through the internet. The DDN could serve as a scav- enger for the market in a region, and then aid in bringing a cinematic consumer want-list to Madstone's silver screen. Madstone DDN turns traditional movie screens into interactive multi-functional outlets. While Madstone Theaters show top flight independent films, Madstone DDN is designed to incorporate other uses for a movie theater. DDN screens will be able to show movies, but additionally, can be used as a closed circuit network for business functions, such as product unveilings and press conferences. The company was the first exhibitor in North America to purchase a DLP Cinema digital projector, evidence of Madstone's desire to be on the cusp of technological advance. When the theater -in Ann Arbor opens, it will not have a dig- ital projector, but Madstone plans to install one in the future. Because of the company's employment of digital technology in the Madstone Films branch (the directors all film with digital cameras) the company has placed themselves in a position to show their movies in the best possible environment, with the best available technology. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Madstone Inc. is the sum of its parts. The Madstone Films family seeks to bring promising new talent into the cinematic cultural landscape, the Theaters division is designed to improve the theater going experience and encourage the viewing of lesser known high quality pictures, the DDN department is devoted to the prolif- eration of digital technology. "Our com- mi tor fir me en we bri an( to CL thi inc tiol the sto wa press started labeling the group neo-hippies, the boys took outright offense. There were accusations of pan- dering towards a mainstream white audience and as the '90s opened progressive rap took a backseat as gangster exploded. Ironically the white kids were more entranced with the brutal voyeurism and macho posing that gangster provid- ed than they ever were by the intel- ligence and suburban goofiness of the Soul. On their next album De La Soul Is Dead they'd take a turn toward dark material. The cover featured a cracked flowerpot complete with wilted daisies. So much for opti- mism. STAYING POWER Continued from Page 8 of the menu. (Price doesn't hurt, either. It's $4.50 for an omelete, hash browns and toast.) In a place where restaurant turnover is higher than nor- mal, Steve's is a sort of anchor for those who remain or return to Ann Arbor. "I have one (regular) customer who has been coming here since he was a student in the '70s," Lee says. Fleetwood Diner (300 S. Ashley, open 24 hours.) Opened. as Dagwood's in 1946, the diner has been known as the Fleetwood since the mid-'60s or so. I could probably look up the exact date, but that's not really the point. The Fleetwood is the only 24-hour restaurant with- in walking distance of campus, and if you can't amuse yourself conversing with the crowd of characters that inevitably trickles in around 5 a.m. (it helps to speak other languages), you can at least enjoy the food. The grease is plentiful and the Hippie Hash (nieaty or not) is ideal for soaking up libations. Prices are low and portions large. "People say they're anti-establishment, but they go to Starbuck's," says Tami, a waitress at Fleetwood for nine years. Ann Arbor establishments are still putting up a better fight against the malbouf that infests college campuses than goes on most places. (What other towns can you think of in which both Burger King and McDonald's been forced to close?) But what exactly does that mean? "You'll have to ask someone else, I'll give you some stupid, smartass answer," Tami says. F 'I Ca e Ambrosia f36 Stvlynard~st Al on -Thur 7am fri 7am Sat 8am Sun 8am - 12am - 1oym - lopm - 12am 'b r Do you see a mud hut in Uganda or a f functioning branch of a New York hosp Portable medical equipment and remote diagnostic technologies. We've developed them alread you're like us and see the world as full of possibilities, you belong here. From advanced medical to jet engines, from financial services to power generation, the diverse businesses of GE will pi with unlimited opportunities to make the world a better place. All you have to do is bring energ passion to work every day. Visit us at www.gecareers.com. An Equal Opportunity Employer. GE Day and GE Panel Discussion SEPTEMBER 19TH Meet GE Representatives at GE Day 2002 in EECS Atrium, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM and GE Panel Discussion in EECS (Room 1311), 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM We bring good a (n WQ a YU UQ Z ffi CA ,across from NickeCs Arcade io stop by before or after the game! i4cross from J'fickeCs .Arcax[e ~. stoy by before or after the game!