Some things happened over the summer. Some things I did at Bonnaroo for another publication have gone unused and, honestly, I don’t know or care why. After all, Bonnaroo happens in June and this is almost October. In this high-speed webmatic world of ours, some of that content is starting to collect cobswebs; however, I’m going to try and put as much of it up as I can & if anyone has a complaint, they can find me. I’m still here. I value my work and so do you, my readers. For that, I thank you.

I really want people to maintain their awareness of Aimee Mann’s stellar 2008 release, @#%&*! Smilers. As such, I figured it was time to go ahead and post this interview we were honored to have with Aimee at Bonnaroo 2008. Imagine our surprise to hear her mention that she used to read newsgroups like alt.bitter.

So listen, Ye. First off, I would bet you don’t read blogs and, most likely, you don’t read mine. That’s okay with me. I am just another fucking fan out there who lost his cool after being up all night. I was tired and cranky last week. I want to apologize for being a dick. I admit that my comments were pretty harsh on you about what went down at Bonnaroo. I sent my Idolator update on the morning after it happened, four or five hours sleep after the fact, so I was still pretty stung about the delays and all that. Not that it probably matters to you, but I wasn’t trying to get in the “‘Ye Hater” line.

But I didn’t understand what caused all the drama last Sunday morning and, a week later, we still don’t know for sure. You haven’t said anything about it, and I’m surprised.

I know you’ve got the dopest live show in the universe and you wanted to share it with the Bonnaroo crowd. Would you please say something about why your set started almost 2 hours late and got cut 75 minutes short? I know, you’re going to say “that doesn’t concern you”. Well, indeed, it concerns all the fans who were at Bonnaroo that had great expectations.

I personally left Sigur Ros at 2:00 a.m. to walk over to your show, knowing that if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to get a seat. When people were starting to boo you and leave, I stayed because, like the faithful, I believed you were coming up just any minute.

By the time I realized you weren’t coming until way fucking late, I had missed everything else I wanted to see — Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Chali2na, Ghostland Observatory. I might have been honored by your lateness for even showing up to that fake shit, but I was actually let down by the shortness of the set list and a lot of people aren’t going to forget this. Feel me?

I retract any insinuation that your show “sucked” or was not up to par — I really liked it, truth be told. I just wanted to have the full experience that was promised. I wanted it to live up to John Pareles’s massive praises. You and I both know it wasn’t the same show you’ve been hitting the people with, that it had to be edited down for some reason or another.

I’ll even blame Pearl Jam if you want me to. Just tell me how I’m supposed to feel. Right now, I feel like one of those people in the movie Tommy who went to “Tommy’s Holiday Camp” only to throw away their eye shades, earplugs and corks. I am not alone, and you gotta know that.

The people who came to see you would have come at 8:15 or 9:30 or 4:30 or whenever you said you were taking the stage — all that had to happen was for you to show up even just *fashionably* late and give us the full strength of what you had prepared. That didn’t happen, so please just put me (and everyone else) in check on this whole thing. Come out and call us bitches or whatever, give us something to explain the whole delay that makes sense. Don’t hide behind publicists and P.R. people. Someone who is as intelligent and vocal as you are doesn’t have to hide behind anyone. Speak for yourself. Otherwise, the hate and confusion will just persist.

Look, I’m going to respect and support you anyways. I don’t care what someone else does. But I like that feeling of being able to say to people, “See? I told you there’s a reason why Kanye is one of the most important voices in modern music. He ain’t scared of anything or anyone.” I can’t come right out and say that, though, until we clear this up. Nahh mean?

———————-

Now, on a props note, I have to say this — I got your back when it comes to the Ice T. vs Soulja Boy controversy. Your assessment of the situation is absolutely accurate. For those not aware, here’s what Kanyeezy had to say in his official blog on the whole thing –

Soulja boy is fresh ass hell and is actually the true meaning of what hip hop is sposed to be. He came from the hood, made his own beats, made up a new saying, new sound and a new dance with one song. He had all of America rapping this summer. If that ain’t Hip Hop then what is? A bunch of wannabe keep it real rappers that ain’t even relevant, recycling samples trying to act like it’s 96 again and all they do is hate on new shit? Niggas always talk about the golden age but for a 13 year old kid, this is the golden age!!! That song was so dope cause everything he said had a hidden meaning… that’s Nas level shit… he just put it over some steel drums which is also some Nas shit if you had the 2nd album cassette with the bonus track “Silent Murder” on it. In closing… new niggas get ya money$$$$$$$$$$ Keep this shit fresh and original…. ain’t no fuckin’ rules to this shit and that’s what real hip hop is to me.

- Kanye West

This whole controversy is stupid as can be. Ice-T needs to check himself. He needs to go back to the dungeons of rap and find out what’s going on because all that f’in Tutuola time on Law & Order: SVU has fucked him up in the cranium. Maybe he’s not gettin’ enough Coco T? Whatever it is, this is the dumbest shit stirring in the history of hip-hop and it needs to be squashed. Appreciate you speaking up for the game.

Here’s Soulja Boy’s response

Here comes Ice-T trying to “Iceberg” his way back into the game. Whatever, yo.

To prove how easy it is, I made this in just a few minutes. It speaks for itself, so I won’t try. What is there to be scared of? Give it a shot! There’s currently only 50 entries, and you have until July 7th to enter.

The next time one of your blogger friends tells you that “blogging aint easy”, take their word for it and give them a hug. From time to time, we need hugs to keep us focused on doing what we do — delivering the goods to all of you music fans out there.

In answer to the questions posed by three of our readers, I’ll attempt to make an answer by sort-of not answering directly. “We’re working on it”, is the most honest answer to the question at hand. We have been working with the wonderful people at Idolator to generate stories and, so, the coverage we’ve generated will be appearing there once it’s ready.

We are aware that people like the “instant gratification” of regular updates via Twitter or tiny updates, but this year we’re trying to do something of greater quality and vision for all of you. We went to Bonnaroo looking to talk to all of you, the music fans who make the festival a reality, to ask what you think about various topics. What we learned is the basis for something much bigger than what we originally planned on doing.

Much thanks to everyone who we met at Bonnaroo 2008 — artists, fans, workers, volunteers — for making the experience memorable. We’ll tell you all about it really soon. Promise.