Just came back from my interview of Elliott Wilson at the XXL Magazine headquarters...
The talk will appear on Media Chin-Check soon, if I can just convince the new SOHH intern to transcribe it for me. If you're not familiar with Elliott's public feud with me and other hip-hop bloggers then check out how the Internet drove him nuts, and his recent change of heart concerning us no-name geeks.
Here are some quick behind the scenes notes before I forget...
- My plan was to pick his brain about current big issues in hip-hop, since other bloggers have already covered stuff about the drama with all his rivals. Because I'm not really a skilled interviewer I wasted my time with break the ice questions (so, how does it feel being the subject and not the writer?) and boring stuff about his new CD, XXL Raps.
- Elliott has said his recent rants were not about all bloggers, but specifically aimed towards myself and Jimi Izrael for smack talk that brung his wife into the picture. Being the good blogger that I am, I dug up his editorial from late 2004 where he writes this about his net critics:
"You Internet geeks aww skeet skeet all over your computer...You keyboard pushers need to get your mama to take that Dell computer back."
In other words, his issues with "us" ain't about me, and isn't recent. Again, Elliott's answer will be on Media Chin-Check.
- Elliott has been explaining for some time that his multiple Interscope artist covers are simply about selling magazines, and doesn't affect XXL's credibility. I asked him how come he called Eminem the best rapper after Jay-Z retired, and why he gave the White boy such an easy time when his old "nigger rap" tapes were revealed.
- In discussing bloggers he likes, Elliott name checked myself, Bomani Jones, and Byron Crawford (though that's not to say he doesn't enjoy more...). Ain't that something? Jimi Izrael named us "Three writers you'll want to check for" almost a year ago! It's cool to think that we didn't disappoint. So, to Byron and Bomani- cups up, my niggeratis! It's been a good year! Let's start charging dudes to feud with them from now on.
you mean you guys didn't shoot the fair one?
Posted by: eskay | 2005.12.01 at 06:22 PM
Hashim,
He is scared. Blogs are a huge part of pop culture. He will adapt or get left behind.
Posted by: Taryn85 | 2005.12.04 at 07:30 PM