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Forum nameThe Lesson
Topic subjectDe La Soul - I Am I Be
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=3044665
3044665, De La Soul - I Am I Be
Posted by doitall76, Mon Nov-27-23 01:49 PM
Out of curiosity, has it ever been determined or revealed whether the cameo vocals for I Am I Be were recorded prior to the verses were recorded???

The reason that I ask is because of the lines:
Faker than a fist of kids
Speakin' that they're black
When they're just n****s trying to be Greek
Or some tongues who lied
And sail "We'll be natives to the end"
Nowadays we don't even speak
I guess we got our own life to live
Or is it because we want our own kingdom to rule?

The light hearted nature of the delivery from the guests, especially from Q-Tip, who originally took issue with the line from Stakes is High, "That's why the Native Tongues has officially been reinstated". He said that he didn't really acknowledge that they had stopped.

Thoughts?

Peace
Doitall76
3044670, Always assumed the Native Tongue shots
Posted by natenate101, Mon Nov-27-23 07:41 PM
were aimed at Jungle Brothers, which would explain why they had no presence on De La releases after De La Is Dead. But it’s been said many times that Tip and Pos have a sort of tough relationship at times. Seems like it was a mutual respect and some mostly healthy competition between them.
3044674, RE: Always assumed the Native Tongue shots
Posted by doitall76, Tue Nov-28-23 08:46 AM
That might be correct that it was aimed at Jungle Brothers. They were absent from the Midnight Marauders and Buhloone at that time. But, Busta and Dres were present and active.

Peace
Doitall76
3044673, Good question. Been wondering about those lines forever.
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Tue Nov-28-23 08:38 AM
Would love someone to come in and clear it up.

Related, I just get the impression that Q-tip is kinda difficult to be a group member with. Not impossible, but just really on his own thing.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
3044675, There was some Native Tongue Oral History mag article some time ago....
Posted by c71, Tue Nov-28-23 09:08 AM
...where Mike G from the Jungle Brothers said Pos, Tip, and Baby Bam are/were too much alike (alpha males clashing/ego clashing).


Reportedly, Baby Bam REALLY didn't like the shot: "I tell you now - a Jungle Brother on the run" Pos said on "Breakadawn" - Pos even tried to apologize about that in the article (but Pos didn't explain why he said/wrote that line in the first place).
3044678, Prince Paul talks about it in What Had Happened Was
Posted by cal.25, Tue Nov-28-23 10:41 AM
start at 18:35 for the I Am I Be section

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3HETteXwLAJBGlhSwW1U0C?si=03121951e2c94cea

Also Pos says in an old interview somewhere that it some way he regrets the line in his verse:

“That was when me and and was going through our little growing pains and going through a lot with each other so, that’s how I usually write,” Pos said when asked about the lyrics. “I write where if it was a good day, it was a bad day, I write about it. So those was one of those bad times where we as groups–in our own individual rights were becoming very successful and known–and friendships can get a little strained. no difference with us as brothers. We go through it in our own way. That’s what that line is basically about.”

Posdnous continued by explaining that loyalty is key but regrets writing the lyrics because of their never-ending impact and because all groups have moved on since.

“ about how I felt, we were friends but in terms of being friends you’re supposed to treat each other life family and brothers opposed to what I thought maybe they weren’t,” he said. “Obviously we grew past that. I can honestly say I regret writing it. Not in terms of art and what I felt but it was only one instinct where I felt like that and wrote it and then it becomes a line that’s known forever.”
3044688, RE: Prince Paul talks about it in What Had Happened Was
Posted by doitall76, Tue Nov-28-23 04:29 PM
Thanks for the link. That was great. I knew they had Maceo Parker on I Am I Be. I never caught that they had Fred Wesley on Patti Dooke and I Am I Be.

While it didn't answer the original question, it was a great listen and I am extremely grateful to you for that.

Peace
Doitall76
3044693, Listen to that whole season !
Posted by Brew, Wed Nov-29-23 10:05 AM
Prince Paul is such a great interview. And he and Open Mike have such great rapport. Then, of course, there's the stories about De La, but also Paul's whole career. Just an absolutely tremendous season of a podcast. It's the best of the What Had Happened Was series by a long shot. The current season with ?uest is ... one sided ? Ha. I feel like I've heard Mike speak like 3x in 6 or 7 episodes.
3044822, RE: Listen to that whole season !
Posted by bski, Tue Dec-05-23 10:19 AM
>Prince Paul is such a great interview. And he and Open Mike
>have such great rapport. Then, of course, there's the stories
>about De La, but also Paul's whole career. Just an absolutely
>tremendous season of a podcast. It's the best of the What Had
>Happened Was series by a long shot. The current season with
>?uest is ... one sided ? Ha. I feel like I've heard Mike speak
>like 3x in 6 or 7 episodes.

Nah chill this is finally the right forum for Quest's long-windedness. he's the interviewee for cryin' out loud! lol

Mike's asking great questions and getting out of the way. I'm loving these stories from Quest. I almost can't believe how much of this stuff I'm hearing for the first time. It's actually my favorite season so far.
3044823, Fair enough. I've just always had trouble following his stories.
Posted by Brew, Tue Dec-05-23 10:44 AM
>Nah chill this is finally the right forum for Quest's
>long-windedness. he's the interviewee for cryin' out loud!
>lol
>
>Mike's asking great questions and getting out of the way. I'm
>loving these stories from Quest. I almost can't believe how
>much of this stuff I'm hearing for the first time. It's
>actually my favorite season so far.
3044824, Just wanted to say I agree on Quest’s stories
Posted by natenate101, Tue Dec-05-23 12:05 PM
They meander too much for my liking, it’s hard to follow. He has always been long winded, and it depends whether I’m in the mood to listen for this season.

Also co-sign the Prince Paul season being phenomenal. Dante Ross’ season was also really enjoyable for the insights into Brand Nubian and Puba alone. But I understand Dante’s style isn’t for everyone.

Glad Mike is doing this.
3044827, Yea I loved Dante's season, 2nd only to Paul's.
Posted by Brew, Tue Dec-05-23 02:08 PM
>They meander too much for my liking, it’s hard to follow.
>He has always been long winded, and it depends whether I’m
>in the mood to listen for this season.

Totally. It's funny cuz I actually have the same "problem" (for lack of a better term), in that I always inject too many unnecessary details into stories and lose the plot, so oftentimes the point or punchline of my story/joke doesn't hit. I find that ?uest does the same. The details can be super interesting sometimes, to be sure, but oftentimes by the like 6 minute mark of him rambling I'm like, wait, there was a reason he was telling this story, I wanted to know the answer to Mike's question, but now I forgot wtf he was supposed to be talking about haha. So by the time he finally lands the plane, I've sorta lost interest in the story he was telling in the first place.


>Also co-sign the Prince Paul season being phenomenal. Dante
>Ross’ season was also really enjoyable for the insights into
>Brand Nubian and Puba alone. But I understand Dante’s style
>isn’t for everyone.
>
>Glad Mike is doing this.

Yea I liked Dante's season a lot. Puba/Brand Nubian being a major point of interest for me as well.

El-P's season was OK but it sounded almost as if he didn't want to be there at times. So the opposite problem of ?uest's lol.
3044816, Prince Paul sounds delightful.
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Mon Dec-04-23 02:11 PM
I swear I've heard him interviewed before but he sounded so happy, easy going and peace talking about what must have been a really rough thing for him. Open Mike did a great job making hm comfortable to talk.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
3044828, I always took the "Greek" line as
Posted by The3rdOne, Tue Dec-05-23 06:28 PM
a metaphor to Jungle Bros pledging a fraternity and forgetting their GDI friends lol