"That's MY Money You're Spending!" AKA "I Made You, Cossell!"

The following blog was written by myself on April 26th, 2006 and posted on my MySpace page where few people read it...I share it with you today. I have also received a proper promo of "Graduation" I will be reviewing very soon. Damn Yankees! Enjoy:

I (PD) was reading BostonRap.com this afternoon and ran across a thread titled "I saw Kanye West at Copley Mall today" and clicked on it immediately. This female user tells the story about how she was in the mall and saw Kanye West and crew walking around, shopping and being surrounded by MAD security. The security was pretty much shoving people aside and telling them to stop sweating Kanye, saying things like "He's human, too!" and "Let the man breathe, damn!" (or things to that effect). Kanye West, arguably the biggest male star in MUSIC right now, forget Hip Hop, shows up at Copley Mall in Boston (Copley Mall is the mall near where brown people live, provided it's also a major business site, but he wasn't gonna go incognito or unnoticed THERE!).

He was swarmed, surrounded by fans taking digital pictures and pictures with cameraphones and trying to get close to him and asking for autographs...all of these requests fell on DEAF EARS. He didn't stop to sign anything and the story has been confirmed by me that by now HE DIDN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE FANS' PRESENCE!

The woman who wrote the thread claimed she screamed "Kanye!" "Kanye!" and got no response or acknowledgement from him AT ALL. His security parted the disappointed fans like the Red Sea and he and his entourage were off to continue their leisure time. The threadstarter did manage to get a response from Kanye after all...while he was still in earshot she hollered out "That's MY money you're spending right now!" Kanye turned and let out a chuckle at that statement according to her....Needless, to say, shorty (and several other Kanye fans) were pissed off.

This post lead to a bunch of people commending her for being quick enough to hit him with that (but they also warned her that he MAY make a song about it!) but people began to debate whether or not Kanye really owed it to the fans to be...uh, civil to them. Some people said that Kanye is a reported asshole (a talented asshole, but an asshole nonetheless) and that was to be expected.

Others said that regardless if he's an arrogant bastard (an arrogant bastard with hot beats, but an arrogant bastard nonetheless) he should have shown some respect to the adoring throng of fans...After all, they bought your damn record! Some users said that Kanye is an overworked man whose in demand everywhere and he probably finally got some time off and wanted to enjoy it like an ordinary person and people/fans ask too much of the self centered superstar (A self centered superstar who spits clever lines, but a self centered superstar nonetheless). Either way, the thread turned into an argument about 'What do artists really owe the fans?"

I depends on who you are and where you are in your career, I personally know of mad stories where underground/old school hip hop legends will kick it with people they don't know from a can of paint and show 'em love. I've personally heard stories about Jam Master Jay (R.I.P.), Fredro & Sticky from Onyx, DMX, O.D.B. (RIP), Outkast & The Goodie M.O.B., Grandmaster Flash, D-Nice, dead prez, Nimrod, Redman & Method Man, RZA, GZA, Rakim, Kool Kieth, Shyheim & Cappadonna, R. Kelly (maybe that's a bad example, huh?), Mary J. Blige, The Outsidahz, Busta Rhymes & The Flipmode Squad, KRS One, Keith Murray, Public Enemy, Run DMC, etc. all going above and beyond what an artist is expected to give to their fans when they came through to Boston.

It has a lot to do with the artists personality as well as the demands made on them. Mary just seems like someone who remembers when her favorite singer swung through the hood and showed her love and it made her realize what that can feel like as a fan. I remember heads like Ed O.G. or Guru breaking down exactly how the industry works to cats and what to look out for, some people take time to reach out...because that person that's asking for your autograph today could be someone who could be in that SAME POSITION one day, themselves.

It's a hollow statement to say "I'd be nowhere without my fans!" if you don't truly take that shit to heart yourself. Am I saying that Kanye was wrong to do what he did or that he didn't have a good excuse for avoiding the fans? I can't say for sure because I don't know the whole story....I can tell you for certain that we won't do that... How can I be sure of that you may ask? it's like my brother Buctayla says "Every person that buys your music makes it possible for you to buy groceries and pay the phone and cable bill. The fans are the people that provide us with food, clothing and shelter so we can't short them with wack material. They give us love, we should give it right back."

When he said that I know I'm glad our parents didn't raise any egomaniacal, selfish, arrogant assholes who spit hot bars and make hot beats...nonetheless. One.

Once again,the events described above ^ all happened LAST SPRING. One.