Ex-Prodigy disses Beastie Boys

[kingadrock]

i do like the prodigy, fat of the land was a great album. however, i have listened so some their new album and from what i've heard so far it sounds pretty lame. so liam shouldn't be talking shit about anyone. Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned may have done well in the UK but i've been keeping track of billboard.com and i don't even think it debuted in the top 50 hear in the states. that just goes to show you that most americans don't give a fuck about prodigy anymore.

[Rancid_Beasties]

Yauch, you are one of my biggest heros, but i gotta call you on this one. You guys can hardly speak on disrespectfulness to women, what with your early days. I know you were just kids back in the LTI days, but all the same you said stuff in your songs, and in interviews that was pretty disrespectful to women. But at the time you didn't know better.

Be thankful that you have found a strong sense of religion, political awareness and morality over your career, pity the mere mortals in the prodigy. Dont tell them what to do just because you reign supreme. For instance, if anybody told you not to sing boomin granny back in the day (or even now), it'd make you want to sing it even more!!! Same with the prodigy, especially considering the lack of good songs they have, and that smack my bitch up is one of their best (if only for the tune). By the way when you come to Australia please play the sounds of science, the song not the album its the greatest!!!

[Van_Gig]

Originally Posted by chrisd

Segui il tuo corso e lascia dir la gente!

ERICH VON DÄNIKEN RULES . word .

[Intense]

haha ok...

@dog..why should i care what a irrelevant rookie like u is saying? your cheap disses got no effect on me.

to all u amateurs, if u know anything about producing, the new prodigy album is very well produced, it may be not your taste, but the technical execution is definitely excellent. any producer who know shit will agree.

and any producer who know shit will agree that the new beastie album is weak. some tracks even sound like presets of a software programm (it's not but it sounds like). i think that's why liam said it's shit basically. he sees it from the view of a producer. true, unsuspecting 2nd class listeners think it's a great longplayer, that's ok, i mean, they' re average customers but longtime producers know the deal...

@kingadrock...yea true, americans don't give a fuck about prodigy anymore...u guys prefer 50 cent, p-diddy, ja rule, snoop etc etc...welcome to america...hahahahaha...lol

[lazerinyourear]

I promised myself to be careful what I say here, (nobody gets my sarcasim or feciousiousness <--is that a word?, or my strange sense of humor but, what have you produced besides that post, intense? As far as beats go, this album surpasses all but PB and CYH. Prodigy sucks IN MY OPINION, and if you like that shit, fine. I own a Barry Manilow cd. I'm not pointing fingers. But, if you consider the new album shit, I have to wonder if you can hear. (No offfense to the hearing impaired.) And, as far as the LTI lyrics go, we've all said things we wish we could take back, especially me. The difference is the time frame. 1986 and 1996 or whatever are 10 years apart and the lyrics are changed in live performances. And how friggin' bored am I to spend this much time arguing with a PRODUCER OF THE MEGASTARS! Guess I should go talk to a real person!!!!!!

P.S. Yeah, I make fun of MYSELF more than others. To the cool peeps on the board, I'm usually joking, I live to have fun and don't mean any harm.

[Qdrop]

yeah....i gotta side with those on this thread (intense, runoutgroove, ect) that feel that the boys were waaaaaaaay off that day in 98'.

the song was NOT meant to promote misogynistic violence....at all.
any more then saying "i'm gonna beat your punk ass" is diss to punk rockers.

the phrase "smack my bitch up" is to be taken in the same vien as "so good, makes you wanna slap your mamma" and such.
it's a GENERIC, exclammotory phrase that means "fire it up", ect.

Anyone with the tinyest bit of pop culture savy should be able to decipher this.....including the beastie boys.
and i HAVE to believe they knew this....unless they are truly out of touch with the world around them.
which is why i always thought that whole instance was a publicity stunt of sorts on the behalf of the Beasties...and a pander to the liberal "PC" left.
it really sucked.

and even if prodigy actually meant for the song to be pro-women beating.
so what?....
i am so fuckin sick of liberals and conservatives alike who claim that media (TV and music...books, ect) can induce violent activity.
does any moron out there truly believe the someone is going to hear "smack my bitch up" and say "ohh......man, it's about time i did smack my bitch up....yeah!!"
come the fuck on!!
anyone who does what a song or book or movie says ALREADY HAS A PREDALICTION TO VIOLENCE, ect. In other words, they are already fucked up.
it's not the media...it's the pre-existing mind.
media will not cause an otherwise law abiding, good natured person to commit violence. that's fucking ludicris and not backed up by a shred of scientific evidence. NONE!
name one REPEATED, substantiated study that shows this....

i can go on....but i'll wait for a reply to this.....

and please, no "but we as a society have to take a general stand against any negative messaging blah blah blah"

such vague, unsubstantiated "feel good" mantras......pathetic and shallow.

[iLL kID]

@INTENSENCE YOUR A BITCH

[sugaplumfairy]

I thought some of you might find this interesting, considering the recent talk about the Prodigy and Smack my bitch up....

Act 2

[Yauch]

wow, this thread got intense quick, no pun intended. (but while we're on the subject, is that you liam? that would be funny.)

ok, i am going to add a couple of things here.

first off, we didn't tell them not to play the song. we asked them if they would mind not playing it. that is not censorship, that is a conversation. the decision was always up to them.

secondly, the person who mentioned that there are misogynistic lyrics on LTI is right, and that is precisely the discussion we had with liam. it was basically from our side something like "back in the day some of what we said joking around was misunderstood... we learned from our mistakes... the song smack my bitch up really comes across to us like it is promoting violence towards women..." again, it was a discussion, not a demand.

third, you can say what the song means to you, and I can say what it means to me, but neither of us can say what it means to everyone. if you want to get a sense of what the song means, take a poll, ask a bunch of people what it means to them.

lastly, if you ask me, everything does have an effect in the world. If someone hears it, it has an effect. you are making me think by posting here, i'm making you think... every conversation, everything we listen to and see changes us a little.

i am not suggesting that we sensor people's music, but having conversations about what things mean or what effects they have on people is a good thing.

[Parkey]

Originally Posted by Yauch

secondly, the person who mentioned that there are misogynistic lyrics on LTI is right, and that is precisely the discussion we had with liam. it was basically from our side something like "back in the day some of what we said joking around was misunderstood... we learned from our mistakes... the song smack my bitch up really comes across to us like it is promoting violence towards women..." again, it was a discussion, not a demand.
.

You see, that makes more sense. I think that's a very fair line to take on the matter. But the old saying by Plato was along the lines of; "The young need to make their own mistakes".

Again, out of interest, did you have a word with D12 at the MTV movie awards? I know they only played My Band (which in itself is a travesty), but given some of their output they are maybe more deserved of a quiet word than the Prodigy.

[lazerinyourear]

[QUOTE=Yauch" every conversation, everything we listen to and see changes us a little."

Damn, I wish I could come up with shit like that!

And, I love Mario Caldetto, Jr. just as much as anyone but i couldn't be happier with the TT5B release. Genius comes to mind. Great blend of expression, fun, and mad beats. An old school feeling is captured even if not intended. Fuck you lame, I mean liam.

[Qdrop]

Originally Posted by Yauch

secondly, the person who mentioned that there are misogynistic lyrics on LTI is right, and that is precisely the discussion we had with liam. it was basically from our side something like "back in the day some of what we said joking around was misunderstood... we learned from our mistakes... the song smack my bitch up really comes across to us like it is promoting violence towards women..." again, it was a discussion, not a demand.

third, you can say what the song means to you, and I can say what it means to me, but neither of us can say what it means to everyone. if you want to get a sense of what the song means, take a poll, ask a bunch of people what it means to them.

lastly, if you ask me, everything does have an effect in the world. If someone hears it, it has an effect. you are making me think by posting here, i'm making you think... every conversation, everything we listen to and see changes us a little.

Ok, first....Yauch...i dig you. you seem like good people.
and i see your point.

but you're still repeating the same vague rhettoric i hear from far too many PC liberals....

things like "if you ask me, everything does have an effect in the world. If someone hears it, it has an effect." are very vague unsubstantiated statements.

what true negative effect does hearing "smack my bitch up" have on society or any individual?
it hurts their feeling?....it reminds them of past instances of thier lives?

tough!....why should they be coddled?.....why should they be pandered to?
don't go to the show...turn the station, ect.
if they misunderstand the meaning....THAT'S THERE FAULT! deal with it!

why should others be punished for that? (by having to endure censorship).

by asking Prodigy to please not play that song, you were asking them to censor themselves....plain and simple. end of story there.


this country is constantly putting "feelings" over facts....."feelings" over expression.
that causes so much damage in the politcal world, as well as the artistic world.
you, as an artist should recognize that.

you mention your early work on LTI....
tell me....did you actually mean any of those misogynistic remarks you made?....were they meant to be literal? even back then?
do you think any good-hearted kids heard those lyrics and changed thier whole philosophy on how to act in society?
of course not....there were just rap songs.......that's it.
they had little or no effect in that respect.

i think, unfortunately..artists sometimes put TOO MUCH stock in their songs...they think they have far more of an effect then they do.

music culture may influence fashion and/or some basic behavior in certain circumstances.
but behavior is BY AND LARGE is fueled by the direct enviroment we live in...and genetics. not rap songs.
music reflects....it doesn't dictate.

[Qdrop]

[quote=lazerinyourear][quote=Yauch" every conversation, everything we listen to and see changes us a little."

Damn, I wish I could come up with shit like that!

And, I love Mario Caldetto, Jr. just as much as anyone but i couldn't be happier with the TT5B release. Genius comes to mind. Great blend of expression, fun, and mad beats. An old school feeling is captured even if not intended. Fuck you lame, I mean liam.[/QUOTE]

dude, wipe some of that poop off your face from kissing Yauch's butt so much.
have some integrity.

[lazerinyourear]

Actually, it's the liberals that normally speak out against censorship, etc. With the exception of dumbass Tipper Gore. (It's etc., not ect. BTW.)

If you are sharing a stage w/ someone, that is a reflection on you. Yes, they could've not played but, asking is not censorship. Pulling the plug on the mike would have been censorship. (And and act of kindness in my opinion. Have you heard them live?)

Let it go, Yauch's right. I disagree w/ censorship and all of the bullshit "the music made me do it" lawsuits. That doesn't mean you can't pull an artist aside and express your opinion. He could have just played the damn song but, he had to make a big deal about it. More than likely to make a headline. It put the Prodigy name in the paper for a minute.

When is the "Where are they Now" episode gonna air?

[lazerinyourear]

Originally Posted by Qdrop

dude, wipe some of that poop off your face from kissing Yauch's butt so much.
have some integrity.

The only ass I kiss is my girlfriend's. (My balls are in her purse.) JK

I don't have a reason to kiss anyone's ass. Think Yauch is inviting me for dinner or something? No.

That is my opinion. If I disagreed, I would say so. The man has a point and is no different than anyone else I know. Fame doesn't impress me. Your lack of grammar doesn't impress me either.

[Intense]

haha yauch, niceone.. but nah it's not liam*

first off, wise words man, but i personaly wouldn't make such a theatre because of a song title, even if it's a track that u play in front of thousands of people. true, we don't we don't know what the tracks means to each person but i think if there's any person which becomes aggressive and wants to beat a women after hearing a track called "smack my bitch up" then he might be an complete dumb neanderthaler with no brain.

how dumb must a person be wanting to beat a women after hearing a certain track??

anyways, i said what i wanna say and yauch, thanks for the reply (even although i've critized the album)

you'll laugh yauch but if u need any remix of a beastie tune made by professionals then i'm yours. i guarantee the result would be more than satisfying. just drop me a mail if you're interested or if u wanna know more.

[L-ROX]

True, it's wrong to censor people but that happened in '98 and that cat is still on that? I'm sorry, but that's bitch-made.

Regarding the latest Beastie Boys album, I'm a producer/mastering engineer (I only work with hip hop, so trust I know what the fuck I'm talking about), the album was well-done. I love the way "3 the hard way" sounds on my Polk-Audios.

Which one of you fucks that was touring back in '87 is STILL putting out records and packing large venues today, Hmm?

[Qdrop]

Originally Posted by wints

Exactly. The point is not whether a man is going to hear the song and think "what a good idea", the point is that a woman (especially one who's been abused) might hear the song or just the title and think "Wow, that's not funny or clever, it just sounds like they're condoning violence against women." Don't condemn a person's natural response to something as "PC liberal rhetoric". I can avoid the Prodigy's concerts like the plague, and I do, but if I go to a Beastie Boys show I have a right not to expect to hear violent, hateful bullshit.

that is such complete bullshit.....
you have no idea, but you are well on your way to fascist thinking.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SOME PERSON MAY THINK OR MAY GET OFFENDED! tough shit!!!
artists do not have a responsibility to not hurt people's feelings....for fuck sake, what is wrong with you people?

"but if I go to a Beastie Boys show I have a right not to expect to hear violent, hateful bullshit."

what the fuck planet are you from? if you go to a concert or festival, you think you have the RIGHT to not be offended?....what the fuck!?

you overly sensivtive elitist......grow some balls.

it's like going to a bar and demanding that no one in there be drunk...DUDE, IT'S A BAR....THERE ARE BOUND TO BE DRUNK PEOPLE THERE!!
it's goes with the territory....you know what you're gettin into.

i think people like this should just stay home, in there own little safe fantasy world.

when you, or yauch, or anyone else says "that offends me, and possibley other people.....can you not do that?"....that's forcing your veiws on other people....aka-mild facism.
yes, you're asking - not forcing....but the underlying ethic is there.

it comes down to choice....you can choose to buy an album or not...to go to a concert or not....to watch a video or not.....
you choose...
no one has the right to take that choice away...
you know what to expect when you do any of those things.....it's your life.

but that is what people like you try and do.....take that choice away from the rest of us because it offends you and a few others.
you try and take it upon yourself to SAVE these other people from hearing, seeing, reading something that YOU are just so sure is terrible and wrong.

hey, i'd be offended if I DIDN'T hear that song......don't i count?...don't my feelings count?

does ANYONE else on here understand what i'm saying?

[Rich Cheney]

Y'all can argue over the smack my bitch up line all you want.
I'm offended by the part where that bloke says "change my pitch up"

Yeah my voice is high, so what no need to mock me.

[Parkey]

Well I like them both; Beasties and the Prodigy. In fact i'm seeing them both on consecutive nights in Manchester this December. Yauch has as much right to air his feelings as Howlett does. Neither are right and neither are wrong but on the day in Reading I think the crown sided with the Prodigy over the Beasties as it came across as the big international act throwing their weight around. The Beasties have every right to ask people not to play stuff but then they shouldn't be suprised when the same people get pissed off.

I'm sure it was made all the more accute by the fact that the Prodigy were all fully signed up Beastie lovers and hardcore fans. I imagine it could come as a bit of a shock to hear when you were expecting a call wishing you luck on the night. I get the feeling it was a bigger deal in the USA (the song that is) as in the UK it got played on BBC Radio 1 pretty heavily and they were viewed by then as pantomine bad guys in a similar way to the Sex Pistols.

[stillill]

I think that it might be useful to read one another's posts and actually think about each other's points. I seems that many people are just focused on being right and just say that the other person is wrong. I have tried to explain why I feel a certain way. It does not really help to attack a person or a vague ideology; this does not refute that person's specific point.

Ask yourself this: what were the intentions of each party? Do you believe that the Beasties were coming from a pure place, trying to prevent a negative message from having an effect on others? Do you believe that The Prodigy had a knee-jerk, adolescent, you can't tell me what to do reponse without trying to see things from another perspective? I do. I would be more than happy to further explain myself in a respectful way with any member of the board.

Originally Posted by Rich Cheney

Y'all can argue over the smack my bitch up line all you want.
I'm offended by the part where that bloke says "change my pitch up"

Yeah my voice is high, so what no need to mock me.

You crack me up.

[Parkey]

Originally Posted by stillill

I think that it might be useful to read one another's posts and actually think about each other's points.

Amen to that!

[L-ROX]

"change my pitch up"

Cool, finally I know what he says on that line, LOL, I always thought he said "change my picture" which made absolutely no sense (I thought it had to be a brit thing).

BTW, at the Beasties concert @ the Universal Amphitheatre not too long ago, this dude got punched in the face (I think it was over dude looking at some other guy's girl). Too bad, he missed MMM's siiiiiiiiiick intro.

[Parkey]

Originally Posted by L-ROX

"change my pitch up"

Cool, finally I know what he says on that line, LOL, I always thought he said "change my picture" which made absolutely no sense (I thought it had to be a brit thing).

When I saw Prodigy doing that track at a festival back in 1996 and it hadn't been released, I thought it said 'Take Your Beechams'...

[Gabriely]

omg...that is why you are my hero Yauch

[JRide71]

Next time you think something is offensive...just remember back when your parents thought G n' R was pretty freakin repulsive. Pretty tame by todays standards. These things are SUBJECTIVE...and cannot be put into "offensive" vs. "non-offensive" categories. Think about it, how the hell can one categorize music (or art) into tidy little neat categories. Walk into any music store and you are left wondering where the hell your band is...punk? garage? hip hop? rap? R+B? and the worst of all...POP?? People waste way too much time trying to trying to put things into their own perspective rather than taking music for what it should be...a form of art without boundaries or reservations. As a music director for my school radio station for 4 years, I have reviewed hundreds of CDs for the radio station (believe me, I still am no expert) and found myself screening thousands of songs that are deemed "non offensive" and safe for airplay. Quick reality check...my station was slapped with the largest fine ever given to a college radio station (20,000) and 3 years off the air because a graveyard shift DJ let one FUCK go over the air at 2 am. Bullshit, right (thanks FCC)?. If we are to cater to anyone and everyone listening with a radio or at a club/concert, things would be unbelievably boring. Hell, my grandmother thinks "Whoomp there it is" came straight from the devil. Please do not buy into the fact that music should cater to your beliefs. If there is something that you disagree with, FINE, speak out against it...just don't take away someone's right to say it.

"Insert your generic Beastie Boys Quote here"

[sugaplumfairy]

Originally Posted by lazerinyourear

Actually, it's the liberals that normally speak out against censorship, etc. With the exception of dumbass Tipper Gore. (It's etc., not ect. BTW.)

If you are sharing a stage w/ someone, that is a reflection on you. Yes, they could've not played but, asking is not censorship. Pulling the plug on the mike would have been censorship. (And and act of kindness in my opinion. Have you heard them live?)

Let it go, Yauch's right. I disagree w/ censorship and all of the bullshit "the music made me do it" lawsuits. That doesn't mean you can't pull an artist aside and express your opinion. He could have just played the damn song but, he had to make a big deal about it. More than likely to make a headline. It put the Prodigy name in the paper for a minute.

When is the "Where are they Now" episode gonna air?

The Prodigy have been around long enough, and just because they are not as commerical in the US or Canada for that matter, doesn't mean they are going to have a where are they now episode on VH1 or MTV. I could go on for hours about bands that those channels say are one hit wonders, but in reality aren't played 400 times a day like Britney Spears, mainly because they want to appeal to a younger crowd, and they have a certain amount of "different" music that they are allowed to play.

Wouldn't you be offended if your favorite band told you not to play a song?

I love the Beasties and I love the Prodigy,and the funny thing is.....I hadn't heard anything about this until I came to this message board.

I don't see Yauch slamming the Prod, but I see a bunch of Beasties fans slinging mud all around. Apparently this is old news, let it stay that way. None of us will or do know the full story, and won't, so why is this such a big issue to people. If you don't like the Prod, don't buy their albums, see their shows, etc etc. Easy as that.

[James Jupiter]

Taken from http://www.theprodigy.com/ 'News' 'Personal' section.

"7/10/2004 - posted by liam
i would like to set the record straight about this 'beastie boys nonsense'

it seems that some journalists are enjoying sensationalising some things i am supposed to have said.i have no wish to carry on any dissagreements i may have had about the smbu issue from Reading.people know my stance and it is still the same as it was then.

i recently was asked about their new album in an american interview and as with most of my interviews they are in my usual humour.i said that i had respect for their rhymes but i thought they needed me to make their beats doper as i didnt think they were as dope as they should be!!

really i dont give a shit- so their u go.

long live smbu!

LH"

[Rancid_Beasties]

I'm not going to waste time on any of the petty "I'm right and your wrong" or "the new album sucks" or "prodigy sucks!!" arguments. Its a waste of time because none of us are going to be able to change other peoples opinions, thats the futility behind much of today's arguments and the reason behind so much conflict and war.

Originally Posted by Yauch

secondly, the person who mentioned that there are misogynistic lyrics on LTI is right, and that is precisely the discussion we had with liam. it was basically from our side something like "back in the day some of what we said joking around was misunderstood... we learned from our mistakes... the song smack my bitch up really comes across to us like it is promoting violence towards women..." again, it was a discussion, not a demand.

Anyway, Yauch, are you saying you actually regret doing some LTI and Pauls Boutique songs like maybe "high plains drifter" where you rap about stealing cars, smacking a seven eleven guy in the head with a bag of ice or like you pulling a shotgun on Adrock in "paul revere". Or one of your absolute classics
Girls - to do the dishes
Girls - to clean up my room
Girls - to do the laundry
Girls - and in the bathroom
Girls - that's all I really want is girls

Thats what made you guys the kings in my opinion!!! That ability to make fun of the rap scene, to ham up the fact that you were rappers despite your geekiness and the fact that you were "a bunch of joeys" (i'm assuming you guys were sort of geeks because you dont look like sport superstars no offence, and you dont look like nerds). You guys let the general public know that what you say in your songs doesn't matter, its entertainment, its all a bit of fun.

This was further enhanced by your video clips which made fun of all spectrums of society while also having a sense of nostalgia towards movies and old cop shows and stuff. I thought you would be so against censorship....i gotta say i'm a little disillusioned with you Yauch. I know those Prodigy songs are also sort of roleplay too. I mean their songs can't be taken literally. Even now, after all your enlightenment and that you have a kid and you're married and stuff (I know you've probably matured more than most of us ever will, which i might add i'm not having a go at...) I thought you guys still had an abstract sense of humour, enough to be able to get the Prodigy's music. Or at least understand that its different horses for different courses.

[Runoutgroove]

Originally Posted by wints

And I should add that, yes, your point about choice is exactly what I was saying: I can make a choice to avoid hearing something I don't like, and I can make a choice to ask someone not to play something I don't like, just like Beastie Boys can. I can also make the choice to ask you not to call me a fascist, because it offends me, but by doing so I'm not censoring you. Learn the difference.

The thing your missing out here is that its not just about "my/your/one's personal choice", if that had been the case then every single person at the concert would have (and indeed did make) a choice about whether to stay or leave when smack my bitch up came on. However, if it had never been played then no-one would have had the choice, they all would have been 'protected'. Think people, where does that sort of protectionism end?

I think we can all agree that subjectivity means that we can't say what a song means exactly to every single person, but to not play SMBU on the basis that it might hurt someones feelings? Come on folks , take the rose tinted shades off, I like the Beasties too , but if a politician had come out and said this then you would all be up in arms.