Take It Personal

The January 1993 issue of The Source was the annual year in review issue.  As I’ve mentioned previously, these were my favorite issues because they were always full of info you missed throughout the previous year.  After reviewing this issue, I can clearly remember it being the time I believe Ice Cube died in my eyes.  In a letter to The Source (in this issue), he tries hard to rebut his song/video “Be True to the Game” where he clearly disses Hammer.  Hammer asked Cube about it in person and he backed down?    Yup, that’s why, in my eyes, his rap career ended with Death Certificate.  The music didn’t have the same feel after that.

Also, ‘92 was also the year I got a job with the Source.  I still can’t believe how it all happened but I remember writing them and becoming a college representative.  It was an unpaid job but I did it for the free music/magazines, meeting with artists, getting promo items, and future benefits like writing for them.  But it was all put on hold by the Student Affairs director.  I had to have her permission to work as a representative of the university for The Source.  At first, she denied me without even speaking to me or The Source staff.  Then, we had an hour long conference call in her office where they (Source reps) did everything they could to convince her that hip-hop was growing, that the youth (especially college age) embraced it, and that the artists would visit and possibly give us concert discounts, etc.  This stupid a** woman made up all kinds of bullsh*t excuses and the guys were exhausted and basically said, “Sorry Vince” and hung up.  Later, when the Hit Squad tour came to campus (October 1992), she regretted everything she had said and apologized to me.  But The Source never reconsidered it because of her mean attitude.  That was like a major turning point in my life because I just knew I was destined to write for them despite being an Accounting major.  HAHAHA!  Wow, my life surely would have been different had I started working with them.  Oh well…

The best albums of the year are also listed and some of us will not completely agree with that list.  Let me know your top 3 albums from the list:

Das Efx – Dead Serious

Showbiz & A.G. – Runaway Slave

DJ Quik – Way 2 Fonky

Gangstarr – A Daily Operation

Da Lench Mob – Guerillas in the Mist

Too Short – Shorty the Pimp

Mary J Blige – What’s the 411?

EPMD - Business Never Personal

Spice 1 – Spice 1

Diamond – Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop

Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Mecca & the Soul Brother

Redman – Whut? Thee Album

Juice - Soundtrack

Grand Puba – Reel to Reel

Boogie Down Productions – Sex and Violence

Some other highlights from this issue:

- The artists and writers pick their top 5 albums of the year

- Memories of the year are recalled – (This is the funniest and most informative stuff in the magazine.  Especially Scarface smoking weed with his father. A must read.)

- Kool G Rap‘s album gets delayed and eventually not distributed by Warner Brothers due to the “Cop Killer” controversy

- An article discussing the continual break up of hip-hop groups

- The Bay Area brings back that real hip-hop (graffiti, DJing, breakdancing) – Did anyone else breakdance on cardboard on the corner?  Those were the days…we even got loose change from people passing by. HAHAHA!!!

- The unsigned hype update (Biggie, Mobb Deep, Common, etc.)

Sorry there was no record report.

January 1993 part 1

http://www.zshare.net/download/7621643b9bf0ad/

January 1993 part 2

http://www.zshare.net/download/7621749ff44e20/

~Vincent~

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