Sound Off!

Rap-Metal Is Not Dead!
Submitted by Edmund Cole

I would just like to say that you've clearly misunderstood (hed) pe's Only in Amerika (read CD review) as it is one of the greatest albums ever made. The songs have a lot of meaning to them and there is a clear theme throughout the album; stay true to yourself and your friends and don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Also, as the album title suggests, it is a look at both the good and bad points of modern America and is very satirical.

There are two possible downsides to this album; I can understand that some people may be offended by some of the language and imagery used, however this is not something indigenous to this particular (hed) pe album as was suggested by your review, for example see “Crazy Legs” on “Broke” which is of the same ilk as most of the songs on Only in Amerika, and is especially similar to “Amerikan Beauty”. The use of violent lyrics is therefore not a new thing used to get more attention, in fact this concentration of the more violent side to (hed) pe’s style was devised as an attack on their over-restrictive record company and the industry in general, in particular “The Box” is a good example of the sentiments.

Second is that if anything, to my tastes, it is slightly too punky in places, with reference to parts of “CBC”, “Amerikan Beauty”, “Chicken”, “Daydreams” and “Not Ded Yet”. As for the comments on them not being able to play their instruments and all the songs sounding the same, I can see absolutely no basis for these accusations and can only assume that this is because you have not listened to the songs properly or enough times, or that you have noticed the running themes that you thought didn’t exist and have missed the individual songs’ themes.

For examples of especially good instrument mastery listen to “Raise Hell” and “Chicken”, and for an example of lyrical mastery and skill listen to “CBC”. Thank you for your time, I hope that you will re-examine this album and reconsider some of your comments, even if you still don’t like it.

P.S. Rap-metal is not dead.

Editor’s note: Despite the fact I wrote that review nearly two years ago, it is probably the most commented on review I've written. Hed pe's Only in Amerika and the Kottonmouth Kings DVD Ten Years Deep get the most reader responses; at least one every month (for two years!). This however is the first that didn't say I was a f***n' a**hole, don't know shit, and things of that nature. I stand by my review, but give props to Edmund. He proved to me that people that listen to Hed pe aren't all brain dead, ignorant, immature burn-outs.

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