I'm kinda in a special position where I can relate to BOTH sides. I co-host the #1 6-10 pm radio show in Chicago (Bad Boy Radio on WGCI). Wgci is the radio station that gave you Tom Joyner and Doug Banks whose syndicated morning shows are heard all across this great country. This radio station does'nt breed your average 'oh-yeah-I-heard-of-you' dj, it breeds 'STARS'(I will use stars in quotes because thats what our boss tell us we will become). The support and love we recieve from the listeners is like no love you have ever seen for a radio personality. We are like actual local celebs and just like the Roots, we have our own intercative website www.thebadboyz.com(shameless plug)<P>How does this relate, you ask? I'm kinda like ?uest, the interactive one. Out and about, responding to questions on the site, trying to take the good with the bad. We all got into this for some sort of LOVE but the fans can be a bit much at times. Whether they're drunk, callin your name like they know you, or shittin' on your work,(or in my case show)you can only take so much. FUCK WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT 'YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR OPINION' NO ONE LIKES IT WHEN YOU DISLIKE THEIR SHIT! Artists put their heart and soul into this and the fans shoot it down...excuse me 'review' it in seconds. They (hip hop fans and our radio listeners) also feel like your success is based on THEM ALONE. 'Y'all would'nt be shit if it was'nt for us, dont forget that' they'll tell you in a heartbeat!<P>From the fan side I can relate too. ?uest would seem approachable because of his interaction with this site. I remember when I was a kid, since I wanted to be a dj, I wanted nothing more than to hang out with the cool radio jocks when they did a party at the local skate rink. But they seemed too cool to approach (not unlike a lot of hip hop artists). Of course you could go up to them if you were fine with a fat ass (also like a lot of artists). I don't think artists are in it for the ass... it just comes with the job. If more fans were like Guru (give 'em a pound, tell 'em my name, told 'em I liked their music and was out) artists would appreciate it more, but people want to freestyle or sing for you (Boyz II Men syndrome) or just hang out which aint cool after awile cuz the artists MIGHT be trying to get laid (after all we are men and well, if they're gonna give it to us were gonna take it... right?)<P>Anyway, i'm rambling and I don't want y'all to get too mad at the okayartists for speaking they're minds (Aquarius' and Pisces can be brutally honest) Hell, y'all do the same and they're/we're supposed to just take it?<P>Disclamer:<BR>This was not written to put myself or WGCI radio in the same light as the Roots. (hell, who the fuck am I anyway?) <P><BR><a href="http://www.thebadboyz.com" target="_blank">http://www.thebadboyz.com<;/a><BR><a href="http://www.wgci.com" target="_blank">http://www.wgci.com<;/a><P><P><P>'Don't worry 'bout what the fuck I be doin'- Smokey