Ghetto Heroes: Meanteam

Ghetto Heroes: Meanteam

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This prog's Rogue Trooper strip ends, mid story, with the announcement that the thrill will return in the New Year. This seems to be happening a lot recently; first Mean Team and now this. At the height of it's popularity, all that seemed to happen in the thrill is that Rogue Trooper marched around Nu Earth looking for The Traitor General and experiencing grim and, on the whole, humourless adventures. Now, it feels like, ever since finding the traitor, every new story is an event. This time, Rogue and his bio-chip buddies return to Milli-Com to witness The Souther and Nort brass signing a peace treaty.

How did this happen? Where was the foreshadowing to this? It wasn't that long ago the very idea of a Nort was enough to send a Souther officer into a battle rage; now they're best friends? The good news is that there is a mysterious alien race who have united the old enemies against them and, even better, have had to base themselves on Nu Earth so that they can travel through the nearby black hole once the space storms have passed.

The new aliens have teleportation technology which means every episode over the last few weeks has seen them suddenly appear from nowhere and cause disruption before disappearing again. Helm , Gunner and Bagman are about to be regened when, suddenly, the aliens appear, grab the geneticists and vanish. The Nort and the South top brass are about to have a peace treaty party when, suddenly, the aliens appear, knock over the jelly and ice cream, steal the pass-the-parcel parcel and vanish. Rogue is about to settle down for a relaxing, hot bath at the end of a hard day trudging around Nu Earth when the aliens suddenly appear, swap the hot water for ice cubes, cover the bar of soap with itching powder and then vanish.

Damn those pesky aliens. Slaine returns this prog yay! The Cythron Girl spent the end of the last Slaine run parading around with Nest on a lead and referring to her as a sow to be experimented on. Now she is pleading for her life saying "I can help you" to which Slaine replies, "How? All I feel able to contribute to this debate is, great body, shame about the face.

Slaine returns with extras; a role playing game, instructions for which are going to be serialised along side the strip over the coming weeks. Role playing games have never been my thing and at this time, in , I can say with almost complete confidence that I despised them. This is because during the sixth form, I managed to strike up a conversation with a girl in my year that I fancied when it was interrupted by a roll playing game obsessive I knew telling us that the previous night he had stepped on an elf's eyes.

Anyway, I'm normally very happy to read anything that appears in AD for The Slog but, on this occasion, I hope you don't mind if I skip this bit. Meanwhile, this prog's episode of Mean Team ends after only three pages with an announcement that it will return in the Spring.

As a thrill, it's not fallen into place yet while Bellardineli's art looks hurried compared to usual. I think he, with Wagner and Grant , have decided to do another ACE Trucking Co story instead which seems a better use of everyone's time. We have seen in the thrill, however, an appearance by a puppet as a sports commentator which, in case you didn't know, turns out to be an early version of the Bat Man villain Wagner and Grant go on to create, Scarface and The Ventriloquist.

Nemesis Book Five stops for a little break after this prog. It ends this episode with Nemesis, Torquemada and the ABC Warriors entering the Time Wastes to stop Thoth from destroying the galaxy by forcing the black and white holes that exist either side of Termight to collide. Torquemada's wife, Candida , and alien loving Purity Brown are also present. It should be noted that Bryan Talbot, the art robot with the loveliest hair in comics, is drawing them both with big, Goth style Barnets as was the fashion in and again in and whatever year this story is set in.

Judge Dredd has been experiencing a memorable run of self contained one offs recently. It's as if script robots John Wagner and Alan Grant are compensating readers for the disappointing, multi part epic City of The Dammed. In this prog's tale, hundreds of citizens jump silently to their deaths from the top of Flakey Foont block. The story ends with the Judges concluding, after a lengthy investigation, that no criminal act was responsible for the deaths but was, in fact, a case of mass hysteria brought on by modern living.

I can't remember how I felt reading this in , at the time Milton Keynes , apart from being Europe's largest mutie ghetto, also happened to have the country's highest suicide rate, but in , probably because of recent events in Wales, I find it quite bleak. After fifty years spent in rehab, Sam is an old man again and on the hunt for Hoagy and Stogie, his two idiot droids who are gambling away his 27 billion credits in savings. The story ends with Sam having no choice but to go back into the robo-hunting business and Hoagy and Stogie for sale in a second hand shop. If my memory is correct here we go again , this is the last Robo-Hunter story from the classic era.

As you know, I loved the story Portrait of a Politician where Dave became mayor and now, here he is, lying dead in the street with a knife in his back. I think I may have been slightly dismissive of Peter Milligan's Future Shock stories in recent entries. The problem with anyone who replaces Alan Moore as the new definitive script robot is that they are going to seem, initially, like a disappointment.

Very quickly, Moore established himself as popular amongst the vocal comic fan community and any astute editor would know that, given this, you allow someone with that regard as much movement within the constraints of the format of a Future Shock as possible.

If Moore wants to use a reoccurring character then fine. If he wants the centre, colour spread then that's no problem either. Milligan's Future Shocks are more traditional; written, perhaps deliberately, as if Alan Moore had never existed. This prog's, Doing Time , drawn by Robin Smith is pulled from the tabloid headlines of the day.

Two young men take delight in committing crimes because the punishment when they are caught seems light. The strip ends with them being sent back in time to today, , making crime "a thing of the past". It's just a daft, contemporary idea given a pop sci-fi spin but seems more in tone with Future Shocks from before Alan Moore. A better example is last prog's, Prisoner of Conscience. The reveal is a half page panel, which is a formatting trend that happened often in earlier Future Shocks although on this occasion, the twist is run on the right hand page totally dampening the surprise.

A reveal like this is more effective normally but it does make any possible collection of Milligan Future Shocks less likely because lots of half pages in a book is less aesthetically pleasing to the browser. On the subject of past masters whose presence is still felt, the back colour page has been used recently to print art from the covers of Judge Dredd Eagle Comics drawn by Brian Bolland. This series of pin-ups is titled The History of Justice , as if the work was commissioned directly by Tharg.

Personally, I have a fondness for the artwork being printed in this manner. Yes, the paper is cheap newsprint and the ink comes off onto you fingers but the size is bigger and the artwork all the more striking for it. John Wagner and Alan Grant's writing pseudonyms are becoming characters surrounded by pre-publicity in their own right now.

In it, a new script robot is delivered to the Command Module only, instead of being the tough, no nonsense creator droid that they were expecting, he turned out to be the effeminate and very, very camp Nigel. Disappointingly, there had been a mistake made by the Post Office. This droid was meant for toddlers' comic Jack And Jill. When the real Milton "The Beast" Shrimpton arrived, he got straight to work writing The Mean Team to sound effects such as "hack", "slash" and "grind".

The Mean Team is another future sport strip with casualties. A cross between Inferno and Blackhawk , which might explain why Bellardinelli got the gig drawing it what with having been the principle artist on those two thrills before. There's also an unhealthy dollop of The Mean Arena in there too.

Those of you who have been following The Slog for a while will know that I found what felt like the never ending presence of The Mean Arena a bit depressing. Personally, the portrayal of the robot revealed as the real Milton "The Beast" Shrimpton is so off putting that, coupled with my natural aversion to sport, future or otherwise, I find myself resistant to The Mean Team.

Of course, it is early days and the thrill is just getting warmed up, plus it is being written for real by the usually excellent Wagner and Grant, but I can't help thinking how much more fun the strip would be if it had been written by Nigel in the end. So far, Nemesis Book Five, currently up to episode three, is proving to be the closest AD has got to a multi-thrill cross over. By announcing his intentions, Combs is bringing attention to the song, letting people know he approves of it.

However, by stating his approval, he also reaffirms his value as commentator and judge of music. Combs extensive image consciousness stems from his past as a party planner, an occupation also held by Simmons early in his career. Furthermore, the other important element party planning is to achieve an elite reputation in order make certain of further success.

For instance, Combs listed several rappers on fliers and other publicity materials as participants at his first major party without their permission or knowledge. However, by sheer publicity, Combs was able to insure the all rappers listed showed up. An extension of this image as advertising exists in the street team, a marketing device Combs used heavily. Street teams are young and unpaid individuals charged with creating as much publicity as possible with flyers, posters, and directly asking for a particular artist to be played on the radio or club.

It hopes to circumvent traditional outlets of publicity and hype, such as conventional media, and use a grass roots tactics in order to make songs popular. Street teams only work in an urban and highly populated environment. Rural street teams simply would not work due to the size of the area needed to be covered. In essence, these marketers believe though the ghetto is a necessity in order to maintain street credibility, the mainstream market is the primary source of income.

It both reassures the ghetto Combs is not changing while demonstrating vicarious escape for the suburbanites. However, the sale of only records was apparently not enough to sustain the desires of these moguls. Though they might have been satisfied with just music, because of the overhead and the non-favorable distribution deals with larger companies, they had to look into other projects.

However, despite the many-sided business approach, the same level of assumed success applies. I knew that I wanted to be a multifaceted entertainer; I wanted that to be my strength.

But I never knew how it was gonna play out. First, these moguls were highly self-motivated and would accept failure. Victories and defeats are not measured by reality, but rather how one remembers the occurrence. No longer was he the producer tainted with accusations of violence and drug use. Instead, he became the pop radio friendly mogul repackaged and ready for mainstream white America to listen again.

Combs purports to have been at attendance at rap shows from an early age, sneaking out so well his mother had no idea of his absence. Such tales strengthen Combs' street credibility and legitimacy in the rap game. Cool J, I was there. It also reiterates a point concerning Combs and many other subsequent definitions of rap. Combs did not want to become a rapper, nor is he considered as such. He wanted to become a mogul, to be able to utilize the talents and skills of others for his own esteem.

In exchange, he provides them with sustained financial means safer and free of the stigma of actual criminal activity. This freedom from the stigma of a criminal conviction also increases the esteem for the rappers. Though such conceivably don't exist because the individual never engaged in such criminal activities, they can claim it is due to their intellect and guile, in addition to police incompetence, they were never caught.

The stoic facade works only free of any actual adversity. Combs never bragged about his escaping jail time for the gun incident since it would ruin his facade of being "not guilty. Combs attempted to use this same principle during the trial. Combs tried to manipulate his image with the jury by trumping up his religious nature. Combs hoped to enact a self-fulfilling prophecy of innocence; by acting innocent, he figured the jury would find him as such.

Such a behavior was how Combs gained his success in the first place. Likewise, by changing his stage name, Combs hoped to enact another self- fulfilling prophecy by removing the stigma attached to his name and continue to remain financially viable. After the trail, the name Puff Daddy was no longer synonymous with positive memories of the Notorious B. Yet, Combs was able to change roles when the environment called for it. Furthermore, "Puffy" was not the real Combs; it was just a persona he created in order to get wealthy.

Combs never advertised himself as an artist, but rather as a mogul. He never gave the appearance of gaining personal esteem through his lyrical ability, but rather through his success in making music and other endeavors. His success was not because Combs is particularly talented as a musician, rather because he is adept at making hits.

Likewise, artists did not seek to work with Combs in order to create expressive or culturally relevant works. Rather, it is because they are assured wealth and mainstream popularity by working with him. He wanted to sell not just records, but everything else. Furthermore, as a producer, he was able to grant that sort of success to other artists. They did not make such music because they were particularly novel or unique, but because the music became popular and well played. While Simmons preferred to hide more and more behind the scenes as his acts became more successful, Combs placed himself more out front.

His acts were commodities, and his name brand became his strongest selling point. Likewise, his branding transcended into products beyond music, like Simmons. However, unlike Simmons and earlier rap music producers, he became the attraction as well. Though Combs cannot rap, dance, sing, or have any instrumental training outside of a good ear for melody and knowing what is popular, he became a force in several genres. His name change was in order to maintain this commercial viability, as well as continue the success of his rebranded persona.

It is this principle which allows Combs continued acceptance in the rap world, and justified in changing his persona. Combs willingly and purposefully rebranded his persona, and by extension himself, in order to sustain future economic worth. Though Combs was primarily a producer for the bulk of his career, he was able to achieve moguldom through a utilization of the same attitudes as Simmons. It is this pursuit, coupled with the original intent of rap music, which validate Combs as a legitimate and worthy inheritor to the legacy of rap entrepreneurialism.

In addition to producing music, the Roc-A-Fella label also included a major clothing label, Roca wear, a film production company, and vodka distributor. Time to focus on other things. That's why I'm retiring. In addition, a documentary would be filmed of the Madison Square Garden concert on the tour. However, Carter was not simply retiring from all work. Though the position could be viewed as a figure head post, Carter was conceivably taking on much more authority as a corporate head than as a rapper.

But I was fortunate enough to have staying power, so I kept going. I believed it for two years…. It was the worst retirement, maybe, in history. Records are a distraction. He could be missing an opportunity to get really rich. I haven't produced a record for 15 years… Making records is over. In addition, the music video demonstrated a subtle jab at Cristal Champagne, with whom Carter had contention during his time as CEO.

When offered a bottle of Cristal, Carter is depicted as confidentially shaking his head. In particular, Carter took the ideas and concepts employed by individuals such as Simmons and Combs in representing an artist by manipulating their public persona, and applied it solely to himself. Unlike Simmons and Combs, Carter did not enjoy a middle class upbringing. After being shot at during drug dealing, Carter decided to give up drugs and release his own rap album. Though the group was able to garner a distribution deal with Priority, the foundation of a record company in order to create a single album shows a remarkable amount of initiative and entrepreneurialism.

From the beginning, Carter was image conscious enough to portray himself as a financial success, not only as a rapper, but as a businessman as well. Indeed, the cover of the "Reasonable Doubt" album illustrates this principle. The black and white picture shows Carter in stereotypical Mafioso clothing, hat pulled down low over his eyes with lit cigar in between his fingers. Though Carter had to soften his style, the album was a much bigger hit than "Reasonable Doubt. Carter averaged a full album a year, allegedly never writing any of his lyrics down before entering the studio.

For instance, his first widespread single was "Hard Knock Life," which sampled the Broadway show tune of the same name.

Even within the song, Carter announces to the listener to "check the baseline out," highlighting his utilization of the song from "Annie. However, Carter proves his street essence dominated the qualms of a light and fluffy sampling. From his early records, Carter had not been shy about heaping accolades upon himself, with little to no justification, in the hopes they would eventually become fully realized. In this same vein, he also engages in alluding to elements of his past and persona which are never completely spelled out or demonstrated.

In essence, by vaguely mentioning such subject matter, Carter is putting the responsibility upon his audience to find out their complete meaning. By fabricating and highlight elements of his past, Carter seeks to gain credibility for his personal boasts. For instance, in the lead single to his album Blueprint, "H.

Got it dirt cheap for them. Plus if they was short with cheese I would work with them. In the next verse Carter calls out the record industry, calling it "shady and needing to be taken over" despite the fact he already claims to be a successful member of said industry. He also alludes to supposed unscrupulous practices of record companies, taking away money from the deserving artists. However, rather than holding out for an apology, Carter claims financial means for himself would be the preferred manner of settling the score, "we can talk, but money talks, so talk more bucks. Nevertheless, in this particular verse, Carter puts aside some of the facade in order to demand more payment.

However, such lyrical content is opposed to the benevolent dictator Carter portrays in the song's music video. In the video's world, Carter's face is on everything, from cigars to bottled water. Even with the brief accusation against the record companies, Carter is still propping himself up as the mogul and successful tycoon. Though such imagery appears contradictory to the song's lyrical content, it maintains the image Carter has cultivated in his public persona.

Though the song contains supposed personal lyrics by Carter, it is still a commercial product. Carter is selling a lifestyle and himself, along with the actual music, despite what is said in the song. Though the subject matter might be personal, unless the audience finds enjoyment in the listening, Carter's desires to gain wealth will go unrequited. Because of this, rappers must be keenly aware of their public appeal, with Carter being no exception. Indeed, while the lyrics of "H. The song primarily features a sound sample from the Jackson 5 hit "I Want You Back," which is looped into a bouncy and catchy beat.

Indeed, it is fairly easy for a listener to ignore Carter's lyrical content of drugs and unrequited profits in light of the sheer fun sound of the song. Another element of Carter's, which demonstrates his desire to become a commercial success, is his habit of creating and self-promoting his own names and titles. While Simmons and Combs are notorious for shamelessly plugging their products and other ventures, Carter generally promotes himself rather than his products. A key example of this principle is his taking of the title "Hova. Like, how do you do that?

So it's like, 'You're like a different guy, Jehovah. And then, the name stuck. Though Carter claims he was not the originator of the name, he is still willing to repeat it, all the while stating he was not the one who gave him the title. As Carter became more popular and in the forefront, his persona became a marketable asset; no longer was he just referencing his wealth and success through name brands, but also by his own name. It is difficult to isolate a particular cause for the animosity between the two rappers. Prior to the contention, the two artists had public esteem for each other.

Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas. That's a one hot album every ten year average. Though there was malice in their lyrics, violence was never brought into the equation.

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In essence, Jones and Carter were returning rap to its roots in regards to using confrontation to sell records. While certainly biting and witty, the insults contained in the Jones and Carter raps are hyperbolic, and fairly free of legitimate threats. Though there is Carter's allusion to having sex with Jones' girlfriend, with the elusive, "you-know-who, did you-know-what, with you-know-who, but lets keep that between me and you, for now," in "Takeover," it is in line with other rap battle lines.

This falls in line with the tradition of break dancing and other older urban contests, such as the dozens, originating as an alternative to gang violence. It is possible to achieve the same sort of victory without resorting to violence. Carter's "Blueprint" was to be released on September 11, , with "Takeover's" inclusion.

Likewise, Jones' "Stillmatic" album included "Ether," and was to be released December 18, The feud is no longer perceived as two enterprises ramping up demand for their product, but rather the personal disagreement between two individuals. Though presumably their labels' public relations department worked overtime to insure exposure for the two rappers, it retained an intimate disagreement.

Their feud did not end in fireworks or gunshots, but rather with their albums being released. Once there were no more albums to release, the banter diminished severely. Jones and Carter both acknowledged the others' lyrical ability and value as an artist. Indeed, by the time of their public reconciliation at Carter's "I Declare War" concert in , the contention between the two had long been put to rest. In addition, Carter was CEO of Def Jam at the time of concert, a fact heavily referenced in the stage pieces of a mock oval office and presidential seal.

However, the centrality of further economic viability came into play at the concert's culmination, where Jones joined Carter onstage. Not only did the two perform together, but they announced a collaborative album would soon be released. Rappers favored the over year old brand of high end Cristal Champagne.

Cristal fit the rapper aesthetic well: Carter is no exception to this esteem. Indeed, Carter mentions the alcoholic beverage often throughout his discography, even beginning early with his Reasonable Doubt record. Many of Carter's videos depicted club or party scenes with bottles of Cristal being popped and poured without care or discretion. We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business.

While the hip hop culture felt the appearance of Cristal signified the perception of wealth, Rouzand's comments seems to suggest Cristal viewed the association with rappers as undesired and sullying to the company's reputation. In response to Rouzand's comments, Carter issued a press release of his own. In addition, Carter makes reference to his other brands no longer being associated with the liquor.

Though Cristal might have one commercial outlet, Carter makes reference to having several, which would compound the loss of profits for the drink maker. In addition, Carter also called for a hip hop wide boycott of the beverage, due to the supposed racial nature of Rouzand's comments. Carter hoped the loss of revenue and esteem for Cristal would punish the company. Furthermore, Carter replaced his traditional esteem of Cristal with Armand de Brignac in the "Show Me What You Got" video, which marked his supposed return to rap as an artist following his retirement.

The lyrics also reflect the sentiment, where in Carter calls out the "Gold Bottle with the Ace of Spade. Regardless of Rouzand's later apology, Carter took the statement as a personal insult and altered his public perception to reflect the change. First, Rouzand and Carter's statements were not made on a mixtape or in lyrical form, but rather in the pages of The Economist and press releases.

Furthermore, the subject in question was not shoes or other more affordable commodities, but rather a brand of champagne that costs several hundreds of dollars bottle. It is highly unlikely any of Carter's listeners, regardless of income, were purchasing bottles of Cristal on a regular basis, if at all. Finally, the contention between the two never escalated to a major confrontation. Aside from no longer mentioning the liquor in a positive fashion, Carter did not further berate the alcohol manufacturer, after the disagreement. I thought dudes remark was rude okay.

But I first had to take care of the world I know. However, despite the increased affluence of Carter, he responded to the perceived insult in a personal manner. Though he was CEO of Def Jam, he did not mention the label in his statements, but rather he would no longer use Cristal in his "personal life. The video shows attractive females responding to the unveiling of the bottle with gasps of glee.

The focus on commercialism and financial success is noticeable throughout the music career of Shawn Carter, but it is most keenly felt in the build up to his supposed final album and retirement. Carter claimed to be leaving the world of a rap artist to focus solely on his role as CEO. Carter claimed to be retiring, even though he was taking up the position of a CEO and president of a major record company. The insinuation is that compared to rap and living on the streets, as it were, legitimate business is easy.

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He would be able to relax, even though in theory, Carter is taking up a much more intense career. Carter also uses the record to silence supposed cynics who decried his commercial records.

Ghetto Heroes - Meanteam (Hardcover)

Most rappers made their name by insulting other rappers and winning the subsequent battles. He got somethin to live for…You ain't with Mary no more where gettin chips from now? He laughed at me. It probably tripped him out that I understood what was going on. I was thinking businesswise. He exaggerates or fabricates criticism for his own benefit. Carter never names the source of such heat for his commercial music albums, but claims such ire is causing him to retaliate.

His retaliation also raises publicity and hopefully record sales. Since rap is a highly competitive and egocentric genre, it follows naturally that an artist would manufacture an adversary if one were not readily apparent. The more they reacted, the bigger my name got. The Life and Times of S.

Most, if not all, rappers will mention their rise from the ghetto and overcoming the odds by making it into the music business. Their past life of crime has avoided imprisonment or falling victim to the violence of the street gangs. In short, they have overcome much too simply get an opportunity to rap in the first place.

However, such a claim restates a central fallacy of rapping; though rappers claim street credibility and authenticity at all costs, it is fairly evident that their background is not typical for individuals from the ghetto. The entrepreneurial drive and fierce individualism might be the source of their success, but it does not coincide with the forms of African-American expression, such as the blues and jazz, that most scholarship links with rap. While they give credence and respect to the environment, it is mainly to ensure such individuals continue to purchase their records and give them the counter-cultural credibility needed to market to mainstream consumers.

However, by being accepted by the ghetto, it ensures the perception of being rejected by the mainstream; since if a commercial product is held in high esteem by the counter-culture, it therefore must be not as accepted by the mainstream culture. Rappers thrive on controversy to generate publicity for their music and other products. However, after sustained success in the mainstream, the rap mogul becomes the establishment. But, an edge must be maintained to the music, as well as keeping the esteem of the black audiences which initially supported the mogul in the first place.

In this vein, a new approach must be taken to facing phantom opposition. In particular, since Carter was taking on the mantle of CEO of Def Jam, and would have to presumably work and sign artists he might otherwise battle, his choice of opposition was problematic. However, by choosing not to name his supposed critics, Carter had an advantageous position; in short, he could say whatever he wanted, claim someone else said it, and not alienate any particular audience.

This marks another interesting element of hip-hop music, though the lyrics are often antagonistic and heated, it is rarely if ever directed towards the audience. Although rappers are often particularly violent and threatening in the lyrics, the audience is not the recipient of verbal abuse. However, he does not belittle his music purchasers for their choice, but rather the black community for their frustration with him.

Carter exemplified this principle early in his career, not only bringing on label mates on his songs, but also very deliberately showing off the Roca wear clothing and other products. It is in this vein the public perception of Damon Dash comes into play. Even though Carter was yet to assume the actual mantle of rap mogul and CEO, he was already engaging in such behaviors in his work as an artist. Of course, such behavior begs the question if Carter sought out to primarily be an artist or a mogul in his musical endeavors.

Though his entrepreneurialism in jump- starting his musical career is evident, he also quickly sought the assurance of continued commercial viability by seeking out Combs and Def Jam for his second album. Financial means outweighed the desire for independence early in his career. However, he eventually left the position due to the mundane nature of signing invoices and other humdrum activities.

For Carter, signing papers for three seconds on a music video was preferable to actually signing papers in real life for hours. Carter is an individual who enjoys playing the perception of a mogul more than actually having the responsibility of such an office. However, considering the heavy emphasis put upon image in rap music, Carter is viewed as more successful of a mogul than individuals who legitimately engage in such activities.

Akin to Run-DMC becoming more revered as gangstas than actual gang members despite not engaging in such activities, Carter succeeded in become more accepted as a music businessman than actual music businessmen. Despite the lyrical content of Carter's rhymes, and his attempts to perpetuate his own narrative, his supposed retirement and ascension to the position as CEO of Def Jam marks a different course. Although Carter might not be an example of Simmons and Combs' work ethic in establishing companies, he does exhibit characteristics of one who has listened to exploits of those and followed the story rather than the actual occurrence.

Indeed, Carter's willingness to engage in the story-telling and self-actualization of speaking wealth into being demonstrates the success and persuasiveness of Simmons' retroactive explanations in reaching subsequent rappers. In addition, it also demonstrates the reach Simmons' message had. Granted, Carter was also from New York City and became linked to some of the rap individuals as Simmons and Combs, but Carter and Simmons are certainly from different generations. Carter saw the images portrayed by rappers and sought to follow the example given.

This process of self-actualization by championing one's own persona and speaking wealth into existence gained popularity and became commonplace. However, by the time commercial hip hop matured to encompass a new generation of rappers who were in the initial audience of the music, most of the infrastructure was already in place. There was no need to create new record companies or hustle distribution deals since Simmons and others had already created such.

This generation did not have Lyor Cohen working behind the scenes creating a press pack to entice Adidas, nor was it needed. Companies actually began to pay rappers for endorsements or ignored the rapper's mentions and became dismissive of the culture, like Cristal. While the other two initially looked at rap music primarily as a product and were not too heavily involved in the actual writing and performance of rap, Carter was primarily a rapper, despite his founding of Roc-A-Fella records, with his true rise to actual mogul status not fully realized until later in his career.

However, once moguldom was achieved, Carter drew away from the actual work of a music executive, preferring the perception of being a mogul rather than the reality. Granted, he certainly enjoyed the trappings of a mogul and CEO, being more than happy to make boastful outbursts concerning his wealth and station. There is no political voice…Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead…If we don't change, we gonna disappear like Rome.

There are those in the rap world who are defensive about elements that they view as central and meaningful in their life and are not fond of seeing it so crassly and obviously displayed for commercial gain. However, their memory is more than likely skewed.

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The Ghetto Heroes Monument Polish: It is located in the area which was formerly a part of the Warsaw Ghetto , at the spot where the first armed clash of the uprising took place. The monument was built partly of Nazi German materials originally brought to Warsaw in by Albert Speer for his planned works.

The completed monument was formally unveiled in April Also the site witnessed several clashes between the Warsaw Ghetto Jewish partisans and the German and auxiliary troops. The decision to build a monument to the Ghetto partisans was made as early as in , by the Central Committee of Polish Jews in Lublin. The new, larger monument, sculpted by Nathan Rapoport who worked under the supervision of Suzin , was unveiled on April 19,

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