Above The Law's Letter To The Source

[Adam Donnelly]

“The Magazine of Hip-Hop music, Culture, and Politics,” That is a very strong statement to make and apply to a magazine for and about the culture, in which we live, eat and breathe. With all the “beefing” in music and now in Hip-Hop publications, We think The Source has concentrated more so on “politics” then the actual music and cultural aspects of Hip-Hop. We are very disappointed in your recent issue (August 2003 #167) celebrating your 15-year coverage of “top 115 artists”. Regarding your selection of “top” artists for clarification purposes, you stated that in making the final cut “we took into consideration QUALITY OF MUSIC, INFLUENCE, LONGEVITY and RECORD SALES. These are all-important aspects indeed, but we believe you have concentrated more on “record sales” and “hype” in regards to your selection of artists for this list.
We think you have done a disservice to a group who time and time again from 1989 on up to today may have not had gold or platinum sales straight out the box, but who has sold millions over their careers. That group who we feel you have omitted and overlooked is Above The Law.
In regards to “quality” of music, no one can disprove that this group has put out low quality music, Above The Law has always been their own production team, rarely going outside their production circles to record. Above The Law never needed Dr. Dre (or his camp) to solidify their importance in this industry or get substantial radio and video play. Above The Law were harmonizing over their records years before there was a Bone Thugs. Before there was “Gin and Juice” and “Pass The Courvoisier” there was “V.S.O.P.” and “X.O Wit Me.” No one was “187” undercover cops or wack MC’s before Above The Law popularized the police phrase. Before DJ Quik, Timberland, and Missy incorporated Indian Rhythms into their music, Above The Law did it back in 1998 on their Tommy Boy release “Legends” album. If songs like “Black Superman”, “Murder Rap” “Another Execution” “Kalifornia” and many other songs they’ve created and/or contributed to lack quality, then what really is your standard of quality music? Past Above The Law album reviews in your magazine always had the group as “dope” (31/2 mics) to “slammin’-definite satisfaction” (4 mics) never received anything less. Isn’t that a standard of quality, coming from your own system of rating what is a quality album and what is not?
“Influence” is another key element to your selection process. Above The Law changed the entire musical sound of West Coast Hip-Hop in 1990-1991, yes even before Dr. Dre’s very influential “Chronic” album as the media has stated in the past and present. Above The Law created and are the originators of the “G-Funk” name and sound. Dr. Dre, Warren G, nor any other MC, group or producer, here on the west-coast can rightfully or truthfully claim that they’ve had anything to do with its creation, most of them just jumped on the bandwagon and used the name for their own benefit and well-being, including as of late incorporating the name into a line of speakers. The group is proud that others in this business have benefited from their creation of gangster-funk music and there is no hate or animosity involved, but we feel that it’s important that the public and many of these artists know and acknowledge the truth. The media including The Source, has attributed G-Funk to everyone but its creators. Above The Law influenced and oversaw the “humble” beginnings of Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Kokane, Bone Thugs, etc.. Above The Law’s “Black Mafia Life” was the instrumental blueprint that the good Doctor (Dre) used for his Death Row Records debut. Above The Law are the Fathers of Pomona California, long before Kokane, Suga Free, and even boxer Sugar Shane Mosley even came into the picture and made Pomona California a household name. Artists like UGK (who you’ve included in your list) have stated time and time again that Above The Law were very influential in their careers, they’ve done their own ATL cover of “Another Execution.” Shaq did a remake of “Black Superman” and even a group on the “far-left” spectrum of Hip-Hop, The Insane Clown Posse, did an ATL cover of “Murder Rap” on their last album and in a recent interview, they have said that Above The Law are their heroes, so if that’s not influence, then what really is your standard of influence?
Longevity is another criteria that you’ve used. The group already recorded 90% (coming straight out of high-school, by the way) of their debut Ruthless Records album “Livin’ Like Hustlers” before Eazy signed them to his label, and before Dre “produced” the album. They released their first album in 1990 and are readying for their eighth album this year. They never have broken up or broken up and reunited and have been putting down work with other artists for the past 13 years. How many groups in Hip-Hop, especially from the West Coast are still around? Still putting out quality records? If that is not longevity, than what really is your standard of longevity?
We think you have done Above The Law and the West-Coast Hip-Hop scene in general a disservice by “omitting” a legendary group who meets and exceeds the criteria that your magazine have laid out. We find it hard to honestly believe that you can tell your entire readership that artists like Benzino, Shyne, Hot Boys, Trina, AZ, Mase and others have had more quality of music, influence, longevity, and record sales regarding this culture, then Above The Law? If so, you have absolutely lost your minds and really don’t have the staff capable of seriously evaluating the Hip-Hop scene for the past 15 years. It’s hype, hate, or plain ignorance, point blank.
In other words, you have said Above The Law have not contributed anything worth mentioning to Hip-Hop during this era of time. Again, we thank you for the coverage that you have given the group in the past, but we feel that not acknowledging their accomplishments within this “15 year” time-line, you have left the group totally out of the loop of things and basically said they are not a prominent mainstay in the culture.
In order to make this list, we have surmised that Above The Law should have sold millions of records the first week of their release dates, have beefs with other artists, shot up some fools in a popular club, been to jail a few dozen times, been shot up more times than 50, then possibly that way you would of granted them prime coverage, give them 5 mics, or “maybe” even grace your cover. Instead of calling your staff the “mind squad” we think the “odd” or “fraud squad” maybe more appropriate. It’s a shame that other publications of the same caliber representing Hip-Hop music and culture has acknowledged and praised Above The Law’s existence and contributions and not the so-called magazine “Dedicated to True Hip-Hop.”
Sincerely,
WestWorld Records and Above The Law

[LAZY]

DAM..... i agree with everything there hopefully the source does sumthin

[js83]

The Source magazine is a fucking joke.

[Adam Donnelly]

The Source magazine is a fucking joke.

I second that my friend

[Lincoln]

that letter is the real shit. Big Hutch is a way better producer than Dre & ATL is one of the top 5 groups on the West

[Lord Funk]

Very interesting... that reference to Warren's speakers sounds like jealousy to me though.

Did the magazine publish a response? I'd like to hear how they justified it.

[Black_Smoke]

thats some real shit,hopefully Source listenes to them

[Adam Donnelly]

Very interesting... that reference to Warren's speakers sounds like jealousy to me though.

Did the magazine publish a response? I'd like to hear how they justified it.

I would not say jealousy they were just saying they created the name G Funk and now someone is selling speakers by that name.

[southbound]

damn, that sounds like sumthin damon x would write! even though i agree with some of the things said. a lot of rap fans on the east coast for instance never even heard of them. yeah they have longevity and all but you know fans are fickle and it always comes down to what have you done lately... anyway im drunk dont mind my rambling  

[Danté Williams]

To me it sounds like dem jealous somebody mastered the art they invented...

[o g s u e s o n e]

well true spoken. but atl need to drop another album now instead of writin stuff like that. cant wait for a new disc!

[Gangsta_T]

well true spoken. but atl need to drop another album now instead of writin stuff like that. cant wait for a new disc!

[KURUPTION-81]

was it printed in the source

[Lil Jay]

To me it sounds like dem jealous somebody mastered the art they invented...

[_That_Cracka_J]

Very well put...I agree 100%.