Saul Williams does a Nike Ad (1 Viewer)

[oh shit]

yes, because that is exactly the same thing as saul williams, radical black activist and hip hop poet, selling his music for a nike ad. exactly the same. isn't that the dream, though, for thumped? even when thumped was sampling bad brains and telling its fans to hope for something more in the world, we should recognise that money makes the world go round and after all, this westlife ad is going to bring thumped to a wider audience, and anyway it's not like thumped is tom waits, who can pretty much do what he wants. good point greg, well made.

 

[thisgreg]

yes, because that is exactly the same thing as saul williams, radical black activist and hip hop poet, selling his music for a nike ad. exactly the same. isn't that the dream, though, for thumped? even when thumped was sampling bad brains and telling its fans to hope for something more in the world, we should recognise that money makes the world go round and after all, this westlife ad is going to bring thumped to a wider audience, and anyway it's not like thumped is tom waits, who can pretty much do what he wants. good point greg, well made.

good stuff you obviously have him sussed. He must thought after all these years you know fuck it, i know i've turned away major record deals but this nike ad would be a sweet bit of cash and i could do with bling and bitches about now.

I obvious don't speak for pete or thumped, but I'd imagine the hope is that you can at least find a way for your project to pay for itself, whether it's thumped or your next album and if you can make a living at it too all the better. This obviously gives him the time and money to achieve other things without being compromised by a label. If you have a better way of doing it i'm all ears, cause i'd love to quit up my 9-5.

 

[taubstumm]

good stuff you obviously have him sussed. He must thought after all these years you know fuck it, i know i've turned away major record deals but this nike ad would be a sweet bit of cash and i could do with bling and bitches about now.

I obvious don't speak for pete or thumped, but I'd imagine the hope is that you can at least find a way for your project to pay for itself, whether it's thumped or your next album and if you can make a living at it too all the better. This obviously gives him the time and money to achieve other things without being compromised by a label. If you have a better way of doing it i'm all ears, cause i'd love to quit up my 9-5.

why are you going to so much effort carrying water for saul williams? is he that important to you? why defend a hypocrite?

 

[Vinnie]

why defend a hypocrite?

Why condemn a hypocrite?

 

[taubstumm]

Why condemn a hypocrite?

disappointed to hear that he'd sold his music to a nike ad, but life goes on

but the rubbish he came out with to try to 'explain' it is sort of repellent, like a smooth politician trying to waltz out of a problem

 

[Vinnie]

A delicious double post latté with extra testicles

 

[Vinnie]

disappointed to hear that he'd sold his music to a nike ad, but life goes on

but the rubbish he came out with to try to 'explain' it is sort of repellent, like a smooth politician trying to waltz out of a problem

It's pretty difficult reading but I think the tedious babbling gibberish at least reflects a crisis of conscience on the matter. Nothing a vintage Delorean and a diamond abacus wont cure, mind.

 

[taubstumm]

It's pretty difficult reading but I think the tedious babbling gibberish at least reflects a crisis of conscience on the matter. Nothing a vintage Delorean and a diamond abacus wont cure, mind.

you're all about the abacuses today, aren't you

 

[taubstumm]

abaci?

 

[Space]

It all sounds very Rage Against The Machine to me. What would Zach De La Rocha do?

 

[broken arm]

hands up who isn't a hypocrite.

 

[oh shit]

it's not what he does, i don't really give a fuck what he does, he's only got one good song and now it's going to sell trainers, fair play, i wear trainers too and maybe next time i'll get some nike because i too have a list of demands, written on the back of my hand, such as a toned body, a new bike, an open plan loft conversion in brooklyn, a burning desire to be all that i can be, ie a toned adonis with a radical activist attitude, who can run all day; and i can get that from nike, i realise that now.

but as tom said, it's all the shite he's spouting. if he just said what you said, fine (even though it's still bullshit, DIY culture was surviving fine before saul williams and will remain fine afterwards, and would you call your mother a bitch or a bling?) but he's obviously talking out his arse, no change there i suppose.

ps if you don't like your job greg, quit! don't wait around for that million dollar handjob from a major sportswear manufacturer.

 

[oh shit]

hands up who isn't a hypocrite.

i took the hypocritical oath, what have you done?

 

[broken arm]

i took the hypocritical oath, what have you done?

I'm always compromising my shit.

 

[Vinnie]

abaci?

[edit] Etymology

The use of the word abacus dates before 1387 AD, when a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English"]Middle English[/ame] work borrowed the word from [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin"]Latin[/ame] to describe a sandboard abacus. The Latin word came from abakos, [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language"]Hebrew[/ame] ābāq, "dust"[2]. The preferred plural of abacus is a subject of disagreement, but both abacuses[3] and abaci[4] are in use.

In your face Saul Williams!

 

[thisgreg]

why are you going to so much effort carrying water for saul williams? is he that important to you?

I'd admit that his blog is long winded and a bit waffley, but it often is.

Well i do like a lot of the music he has released and i've never liked this sell out stuff. fair enough if a band signs a deal and changes what they do to sell records, i'd generally lose interest. If someone gets paid to do what they do, i won't begrudge that.

I mean at what level has he compromised himself, is it only now that he gave his music to a nike ad, what brand computer did he write the blog on, was he already compromised when he did a U2 cover, arguably that was more of "sell out".

 

[thisgreg]

ps if you don't like your job greg, quit! don't wait around for that million dollar handjob from a major sportswear manufacturer.

well if you only like one of his songs, download it onto your ipod and don't worry about him selling out, you obviously aren't too fussed about what he's has to say.

Yeah see that's the problem, what with talk of the recession and all, there isn't many ads in the herald for black activist hip hop poets, but i am keeping an eye out. otherwise i enjoy what i do, but i'm fortunate I have a job that I enjoy and also pays on a regular basis.

 

[Froog]

good stuff you obviously have him sussed. He must thought after all these years you know fuck it, i know i've turned away major record deals but this nike ad would be a sweet bit of cash and i could do with bling and bitches about now.

I obvious don't speak for pete or thumped, but I'd imagine the hope is that you can at least find a way for your project to pay for itself, whether it's thumped or your next album and if you can make a living at it too all the better. This obviously gives him the time and money to achieve other things without being compromised by a label. If you have a better way of doing it i'm all ears, cause i'd love to quit up my 9-5.

by the way, i'm pretty sure you make fuck all off google ads. and if you love saul williams so much, why don't you marry him ya big poo head.

 

[thisgreg]

by the way, i'm pretty sure you make fuck all off google ads. and if you love saul williams so much, why don't you marry him ya big poo head.

Yeah i don't imagine it's much either but if it helps pay for the site that's grand. Hmmm, maybe i will, but i'm only in it for the money of course.

 

[MDR]

I don't think a person compromises themselves by doing an ad, but if music is supposed to have some sort of power that's transcends bullshit and is a humanising force in the world, then you can't really use it to sell stuff and still expect to be considered one of the good guys. He let his artform be used as a jingle - it's not a hanging offence: it just makes him much less appealing to people like me. Not for ethical reasons - more because it's such a cheap thing to do.