Feud in Nashville Byrd/Chestnutt

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 24 Jul 2001 4:18 pm

Feud In Nashville: Tracy Byrd And Mark Chesnutt Pit Country's 'Old Establishment' Against The Newest Genre Of Country Music

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Country artists Tracy Byrd and Mark Chesnutt have drawn first blood in a feud that is turning Nashville upside down. In "A Good Way to Get on My Bad Side," the duo mocks up-and- coming country rap group, the Southern Rap Commission and their first release, a remake of Hank Williams Jr.'s "Country Boy Can Survive." The duo goes on to say "ought to be a law against cowboy rap."

Southern Rap Commission strikes back with their first album, appropriately titled "Banned From Nashville," featuring country-inspired rapping by MC Wild Turkey and Gangsta Tea and joined by Carson Daly of MTV's Total Request Live (TRL). "Banned from Nashville" is scheduled for release Tuesday, July 31.

"We're not trying to take anything away from country music," said MC Wild Turkey. "Country music is in our hearts and in our blood. We're trying to create a resurgence of the 'cowboy' by recapturing those fans who may have found their rebellion in other music genres such as rap. We also hope to rope in new country fans by showing them country is here... and it's cool."

Southern Rap Commission has attracted a diverse group of fans, including rodeo champion Matt Frost and rap legend Ice-T.

"Country and rap have always been similar in story-telling styles. It was only a matter of time before someone merged the two," said Ice-T.

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

GORDY NICHOL · Post by **GORDY NICHOL** » 24 Jul 2001 6:09 pm

" Money! All I care about is Mo-Mo-Mo-MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Jul 2001 7:48 pm

"Country and Rap are similar?" Man, I think that Iced Tea guy has been smokin' some Lipton's, or something! Much of the Rap music I hear is mean, nasty, or hate oriented in the story it tells. I don't hear that too often in Country Music!

(Well, there is "A Country Boy Can Survive", and "Friends In Low Places" and "Take This Job And Shove It". But that's about it for the "mean" Country songs! )

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 24 Jul 2001 11:15 pm

Country rap? I suppose it was inevitable, but I think I speak for all of is when I say AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!![This message was edited by b0b on 30 July 2001 at 10:59 AM.]

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 25 Jul 2001 1:31 am

If ya wanna hear "Country-Rap",listen to "Smoke,Smoke,Smoke That Cigarette" by Tex Williams,or "Hot Rod Race"* by Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan. Only,back then,we called it,"talkin' blues".

*the original "Hot Rod Lincoln"

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Rainer Hackstaette · Post by **Rainer Hackstaette** » 25 Jul 2001 4:12 am

Donny - no "mean, nasty or hate-oriented" country lyrics? What about this then:

If you don't love it, leave it
Let this song I'm singin' be a warnin'
When you're runnin' down my country, man
You're walkin' on the fightin' side of me

And then there is "Up against the wall, redneck mother".

I ´spose we have our feuds like anybody else ...

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Remington D 10 8/8, Session 400 LTD

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 25 Jul 2001 7:57 am

I'd say more power to them. I did some studio work for 2 different projects 20 years ago on country rap albums. Dunno whether it was my playing of the content or the times that they weren't sucessful but, even though rap is not my kinda music, it has its place and following. I'm suprised that Mike has slammed the door on this so quickly :~)

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 25 Jul 2001 8:19 am

Anyone heard of Beck?
The dude has Bob Wills, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley in a blender with cosmic cowboy, rap-folk-noise-R&B, hip-hop, easy listening lounge funk gone totally wrong. But in a good way, at least to me. And lyrically he's like a surrealist version of talking rap blues up all night with an army of acid taking monkees trying to write the great American novel.

The guy hits the charts with a drum machine, banjo and a steel guitar and nobody really questions these elements. Bill Payne from Little Feet has worked with him as well as several fine steel players, even the forum's own Jay Dee Maness.

Wake up and smell the fusion..(ooh that could be my new signature!)

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 25 Jul 2001 1:38 pm

Rainer, sure we have some "not-so-nice" lyrics in a few of the "fringe country" songs (Like the ones you and I mentioned), but I think most people would agree that the usual Rap lyrics..."choke the bit@h", "kill the pigs", "cap the honkey", etc., are a little more malevolent than even our "redneck" songs (that RARELY mention killing somebody!)

(I haven't heard many country-song-gunfighter-ballads recently!)

Brandin · Post by **Brandin** » 25 Jul 2001 2:16 pm

Johnny Cash;
"I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die"

Or Loretta Lynn's 'Fist City'

Now that's mean! But I love em.

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 25 Jul 2001 2:43 pm

Speaking of Ray Wylie Hubbard he has another great album out there and a couple tunes have the rap rythem.
Also Conversation With The Devil

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 25 Jul 2001 3:05 pm

If you mix country and rap, don't you get "crap"? That's what I always thought.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 25 Jul 2001 4:09 pm

I'm still looking for that bumber sticker that reads: "RAP ON THIS."

PAul

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 25 Jul 2001 4:20 pm

Ain't it about time Tarzan recorded Ah u a u a u aa.Or Smiley Roberts recorded O $hit Blues in Half time with a Banjo intro?.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 25 Jul 2001 5:02 pm

Ernie,

If you mix country and rap, don't you get "crap"?

That's a good one..LOL

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 25 Jul 2001 6:36 pm

I'm suprised that Mike has slammed the door on this so quickly

Jim, I stand properly chastised. One should keep an open mind about this. Maybe there is something wrothwhile going on here. We can't truly know until we hear it.

But personally, I don't consider rap to be music (although some of it might be poetry,) and am bothered that so many people don't see the difference between talking and singing.

I see it as yet another example of the dumbing down of our country. And my first impression of it's infusion into country music is that it represents a deterioration of that music.

But hey, I could be wrong. We should listen with an open mind. Maybe it's crap. Maybe it's not. There's only one way to know for sure.

Deana Clark · Post by **Deana Clark** » 25 Jul 2001 7:51 pm

Crap, definately crap.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 25 Jul 2001 7:59 pm

"Hot Rod Race"* by Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan...the original "Hot Rod Lincoln"

Let's see, now... how would that have gone? Hmmmm... How 'bout this:

Son, you're gonna drive me to space
If ya don't stop drivin' that hot-rod-race!

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www.jimcohen.com

Don Walters · Post by **Don Walters** » 25 Jul 2001 8:51 pm

Then there's
"if you don't like Hank Williams,
you can kiss my ..."

I've said it often!

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Don Walters
Carter D-10, 8p/6k
Session 500 with Lemay Mod

Ben Lawson · Post by **Ben Lawson** » 25 Jul 2001 8:54 pm

Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 26 Jul 2001 7:20 am

Country music will never be the same

Of course, that was said when Web Pierce recorded Lowly with Bud Issacs playing a pedal lick on his steel.
Country music will ALWAYS never be the same after something new is added.

The question is whether of not the new developement is an improvement or a deterioration. In this case, I suspect the latter.

Hey, maybe if the country rap records don't sell, they won't make any more of them and the trend will die.

Greg Vincent · Post by **Greg Vincent** » 26 Jul 2001 7:47 am

Folks said Elvis was going to ruin music. Folks said the Beatles were going to ruin music.

Since the birth of "popular" music, the kids have needed music that their parents hate. This probably goes all the way back to the swing era or even "race records". They need "their" music!

By not understanding hip hop (what we call "rap") music, we just make ourselves obsolete in the eyes of the newest generation of music fans.

I don't claim to understand hip hop, but I DO understand that the kids couldn't care less if a bunch of steel players dislike it. In fact, that probably makes it COOLER!

If we shut our minds off to this music, we hurt only ourselves (AND the steel guitar), because hip hop isn't going to go away. It's HERE TO STAY, and it won't miss us.

We wring our hands so much about "the future of steel guitar". Here is the challenge: Can steelers find a place in today's music? Can we be open-minded and innovative enough to make the kids listen?

I admit that a lot of this music sounds to me like it was composed by someone with brain damage. But I'M the one who loses when I miss the point of this music. I'M the one who gets a little more irrelevant as a musician in today's culture.

We can't afford to scoff at hip hop music if we want steel guitar to remain a vital instrument.

GV

Of course, all this is coming from a guy who plays in a honky-tonk band!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 Jul 2001 7:55 am

Definition:

"Rap Music"...people talking when they should be singing.

"Opera"...people singing when they should be talking!

Bob Shilling · Post by **Bob Shilling** » 26 Jul 2001 9:06 am

Country Rap? .... Yeah, "Hot Rod Lincoln" sure sets an early precedent, but I'm not sure that even the much more recent "Devil Went Down to Georgia" doesn't predate the current rap craze. And he did manage to squeeze in some decent instumental work on that one.

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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic"