...particularly the last statement ? made about the "FEATURING ERYKAH BADU" credit. The REAL followers know what's up. THE ROOTS are 4 albums deep (3 with extensive credits and thank you's) and they still never list the creative co-conspirators. Not that there's anything wrong with that, at least to me. It forces you to appreciate the artistry. Also, these record companies are all about MARKETING strategies (aka trying to find a way to push your shit on people who didn't plan on buying it before they heard that load of bullshit). You ask why am I so wise to this game? I painfully admit I fell for the same shit and got upset when I first heard "ILLADELPH 1/2LIFE". As a listener I felt betrayed because "DYMN" was the greatest shit I had ever heard since....well anyway, the promotion angles (in all the hip-hop publications) were talking about..."NO SAMPLING!!! ALL LIVE!!! THE NEXT LEVEL!!! PICK IT UP NOW!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? WHAT, YOU STILL HAVEN'T BOUGHT IT???" After I read the review in BLAZE (I forget which issue, the one that reviewed TFA), and ?'s response, coupled with my then-still-ever-growing-distrust of record companies, I simply got over it.<P>The moral of that long-winded story is: FUCK THE RECORD LABELS!!! (unless you're in business with one of them, and in that case, fuck the REST of them; DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!; furthermore, don't allow the suits to dictate our listening tastes. They already think we're lab rats...(now that sounds like C-O-N-spiracy...)<P><BR>gB