forums : Jungle Scene : Hip-Hop

_

While Ray Benzino has called Eminem rap's Hitler, Elvis and a "culture stealer," the Boston veteran and Source co-founder had ironically signed a white emcee to his Surrender label in the late 90s called The Bawston Strangla. After being mysteriously dropped in 1999, The Strangla re-emerges to speak on the recent Eminem controversy and Benzino's hypocrisy.
"I think he made a mistake, I think he was young. To me that's what it sounded like. It sounded like he was probably 16 or 17 years old his girlfriend broke up with him and he was heated. But at the same time, you don`t go putting stuff down if you don`t mean it like that," The Strangla told SOHH.com via phone regarding the Eminem audiotape at the center of racial controversy.
Last week, Benzino presented the media with two audio clips from an audiotape which included lyrics which The Source magazine has called racist. As a white rapper of Irish decent, The Bawston Strangla, believes the statements could be detrimental to the fragile racial accord in America.
"Hip-Hop has helped white people and black people come closer than ever. And this is something that could put another fence up and make the water a little bit hotter for everybody. It`s inexcusable. You can`t go around disrespecting black women like that and he`s got to have a viable or good enough explanation for what the hell he was saying."
Brendon aka The Bawston Strangla was once signed to Benzino and Hangmen 3's Surrender Records. Interestingly, The Strangla claims that Benzino attempted to shape his image into a persona that strangely resembles Eminem`s earlier days.
"I don`t want to say that he said you have to say this, but basically he came to me and he was like this is the image I`m looking for on this song. I`m looking for a white kid from South Boston, who is Irish, who's extremely pissed off, got a drug problem, doesn't like authority figures and doesn't like Black people. My inital reaction was I can't say that because I live in the most cultured part of Boston," The Strangla revealed. "I was under the impression that it was being used for a movie and they were looking to portray a crazy white kid. At that time, I was young, I was new to getting a record deal so you kind of just want to do what the boss says."
With the blessing of his black friends, the Boston emcee eventually said the "N" word in a song called "Shamrocks & Glocks." Consequently, things went downhill from there.
"If you listen to that song, everything else I ever recorded is the exact opposite of that song. I can`t justify myself for doing it. I was wrong for doing it," The Strangla said in regard to his use of the dreaded racial slur.
Ironically, the Bawston Strangla got dropped from Surrender Records right around the time Slim blew up. According to the Strangla, Benzino felt it would be near impossible to promote another white rapper while Eminem was making so much noise -- prompting Zino to put the Strangla on hold before eventually dropping him. Shortly after, rumors that The Strangla was dropped from Surrender for spitting the "N" word began circulating around Boston."
I heard a lot of stories... that [Benzino] gave me the beat and then I wrote the song and recorded somewhere else. That`s not true... [Benzino] was there when it was recorded," The Strangla told Sohh.com. "As far as me being dropped because of using the N bomb. That's false."
Meanwhile, Brendon offers his take on the apparent vendetta Benzino has against Eminem. The word on the streets in Boston is that Zino went to show love to Em at an awarda show, only to be shunned by Slim who was pissed the Source didn`t give him 5 mics.
"It became one of those things where [Benzino] just kept trying to lyrically beat him, battle him and it wasn`t working out so he just went for the next best thing," The Strangla revealed. "It was kind of hypocritical because dog turned around and do the same thing to Eminem that he did to me."
Despite it all, Brendon is moving on, preparing a new LP for a March 2004 release on Commonwealth Records.
"I have no hard feelings towards [Benzino] because of the song. It`s like anything else... if you get divorced from a woman you`re not going to get remarried to her. I wouldn`t go back to Surrender and I wouldn`t go back with dog [Benzino]."

Re: _

hey man mainstream rap is dead and u know it! so stop posting junk! no body cares about eminem GUNIT and all those other played out fooz.

Re: _

No one cares . . . hmm . . . 8 million (50's album), over 10 million (Em) and the list goes on. Of course it is just as simple to not read my posts then they'll never xist . . . . . Mainstream, Underground, same s**t different toilet . . . . .

Re: _

the only thing i like about mainstream is the beats!!! and yes i listen to mainstream hip hop for the BEATS!!!

Re: _

word bypass.. the money that goes into paying producers ends up creating some SICK instrumentals!!

Re: _

i think they should have mainstream instrumentals only. withough the fake ass, simp ass, get eaten up in a battle, tupac with no glok ass wankstaz.

Re: _

very simple - would Missy be who she is today without timberland's beats?

and on a bigger opinion would gangstarr be gangstarr without primo's beats?

how many mc's would never have the recognization if it wasn't for thier producers banging out catchy hooks.

my duece
ganjalist

Re: _

ya know, i used to be big into rap, when i was real young. I was into Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Ice-t, EPMD, Run, f**kin Pac, ya know, and then i think i just grew the f**k up. Now i'm real picky about the s**t i listen too, like, it has to be good, ya know? and i really dig 50 cent, and Eminem, and Busta Rhymes, but this mainstream hip-hop s**t is getting outta hand. Eveyone comes out straight up gang-bangin, then they turn into all these soft-core niggas. i lost alot of respect for hip-hop because that's like what the world revolves around. The mainstream influences society, big f**kin time. I'm gettin into some real f**kin hip-hop though, like the imfamous Del, and Heiroglyphics just did a show up here with Brother one. That was f**kin tight. Souls of Myschief, Atmosphere, Livin Legends is tight... and i love the s**t outta Grouch and Eligh. The Grouch is f**kin tight. That's the real s**t, ya'll. Alot of hip-hop and r&b i've been diggin, because of jungle mixes. Like R&B... i f**kin hate that s**t. Unless it's gotta raw f**kin beat behind it... that's half the reason i listen to what i do... is cuz of the beat. I get s**t for listening to drum n bass all the time cuz it don't have no words in it, and it's repetitive. Well, i f**kin love it. I LOVE MY DRUM "N" BASS!!!!
-keep it real... don't listen to the radio... listen to yo' heart...

Re: _

melodic_trixter

that was a great post

=]