A year ago i was invited to the "Hip Hop and Social Change" conference at the field museum in Chicago
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/hiphop/
The weekend's keynote address was to be given by both Mos Def and Talib Kweli.
They were each to take some time to make opening remarks, first thing Mos says is "when we were on the plane here (first class) i opened the envelope they gave us and it said YOU ARE GIVING THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS THIS IS NOT A PANEL so i thought i should write some things down, but i really don't have anything"
He and Kweli went on to talk about how they shouldn't be role models, they are just concerned with themselves and their families and people should look else where for leadership, talking about their struggle and how it's so rough to be them and people should work on their own struggles and not look for them to guide them, blah blah blah
When it came time for question and answer the arrogance showed even more. Rather than taking the prepared questions they decided to pick people on their own, Kweli exclaimed "no no no, i want him to go first, pointing at a guy in the audience, i want him to ask his question".
The guy he picked out is Aaron Patterson
http://www.ccadp.org/aaronpatterson.htm
He was sitting down the row from me with Fred Hampton Jr and a few Chi-town gangsters turned revolutionaries, real street cats.
Patterson said something to the effect of "why don't you talk about my struggle” Kweli "i know your struggle, i feel your struggle” Patterson "you know what!?! i was on death row for 17 years!" etc etc things escalated, basically because Kweli and Mos had done a benefit concert for Patterson and didn't know who he was when he was in the crowd and they had been arrogant pricks. Yelling between them and Patterson. Kweli "do you know who this man is? this is Mos Def!" blah blah blah until Mos Def crosses his arms and Kweli says "if this is how this is going to be we're just going to leave" this after about 20 min of what was billed as an hour - two hour event The crowd got supper pissed. people started yelling. Kweli and Mos did nothing to calm things and actually made things worse by wanting to leave, being unprepared, etc.
It took Fred Hampton Jr and Lord Casious D from Chicago going up on stage with Mos and Kweli to calm things down with the crowd and with the arrogant prick "stars"
But not before Mos and Kweli had caused security to step in and the police had been called.
The arrogance of the super stars was countered with the Chi-town natives yelling "we'll see you after this backstage and we'll be at your show tomorrow"
Probably not as good a story typed when i'm tired, it's better told in person.
Got other stories about Kweli in South Africa gettin sonned by tribal women he personally insulted, etc.
Later that evening chilled with Kweli in the VIP at a Chi-town club and ate his chicken wings. While some random chick stuck her most voluptuous parts in my face.
He's still a punk though and so is Mos.
Fakers.
Too bad M-1 left early and wasn't there for that.
And lucky for Kweli and Mos that Fred Hampton Jr was there, at least, or they would have got fucked up by 1,000 + angry fans
