European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse By James Lemoyne . Times Luther Campbell Singer and producer of the first record to be found legally obscene by a Federal judge is a former Leader of a youth gang who turned to music and became a self made millionaire. Quot nobody Ever came up out of the Miami ghetto like he did Quot said Carl Mcmillon a local realtor who said he grew up in the impoverished Liberty City neighbourhood with Campbell. Quot these Guys Are respected in the Black Community. They Aren t Selling drugs. They Aren t robbing people. They Are telling Young Black kids not just that you can be As Nasty As you Wanna be a but that you can be who you Wanna As Nasty As they Wanna be the album by Campbell s rap music band the 2 live Crew is at the Center of a major Legal Battle and a National debate Over obscenity statutes and artistic Freedom. After . District judge Jose Gonzalez ruled that the recording was obscene the Broward county police arrested a record store owner for Selling it and then arrested Campbell and two other band members june 10 after they Sang at a club performance for adults. They were released on Bond. In an interview at his offices in a Black Miami neighbourhood Campbell said last week that he was a victim of racism and a narrow minded local judiciary that was out of touch with Blacks and with younger americans of All races who have bought 1.7 million copies of the album. Quot to get to the record store to pull my record off the shelf Quot he said Quot the Broward police had to drive by stores Selling a rated videos clubs with a rated live sex shows and stores Selling magazines like Penthouse and others a but they just singled out my record produced by a Black group with their own Independent Black company. Now if that s not racism what is Quot sheriff Nick Navarro of Broward county who has led the crackdown on the rap album strongly denies the charge of racism. He said in a Telephone interview that he sought to have the record legally banned because he believed it was so sexually explicit that it clearly violated state Laws on obscenity. When asked Why he had not similarly cracked Down on a sexually explicit record by the White comedian Andrew Dice Clay Navarro said he had not received complaints about it and was not aware of its contents. Navarro can count on considerable support from floridians. David Bonilla 28, demonstrated against 2 live Crew at their concert in Miami Beach Quot i Don t think this sort of pornography should get to minors a he said. Quot i have a 2-year-old daughter and i have to think of her growing up in this Campbell has a 7-year-old daughter of his own and he acknowledged that minors had bought the 2 live Crew album. But he said that he had produced a Quot clean Quot version of the same record without explicit sexual language and that he had voluntarily put warning stickers on the sexually explicit version of the record. Quot it is up to retailers to see that it is not bought by minors Quot he said. Campbell also said his daughter liked the sanitized version of his album. He said he would not let her listen to the Raun Chier version. Quot she s not ready for it a he said. Quot she s not an adult Quot from rags to riches to who knows where Al Luther Campbell member of the controversial Miami rap group 2 live Crew and president of Luke skyy Walker records. Use of extremely graphic sex Aranosi was part of a tradition of Black cultural expression exemplified by comedian a Redd Foxx Richard Pryor and eds Murphy. He said he Sang of sex in Frank terms because that was the Way sex is often discussed in real life and it was hypocritical to pretend otherwise. To not talking about anything that s not going on Quot he said. He argued that his work was no More vulgar or graphic than that of Clay who taped routine is available in most record stores in South Florida. James Thomas a talk show Host at radio station wed in Miami which is devoted to Black music said Campbell had contributed to a Community Campaign to buy thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas gifts for Low income families. He also said Campbells record company provided jobs for 25 Blacks and that the company sponsored a local Black achievement festival that gives awards to gifted Young Blacks. An official at a local aids group said Campbell had also Given More than $5,000 to help aids victims. Campbell was asked Why he a Man who was described As devoted to helping Black youths and supporting his Community did so by producing songs that speak mainly about explicit sex. A look i say if the shoe fits Wear it Quot he said. Quot there Are Good women and there Are bad women. We done to treat women violently. We wanted to be like Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor. We wanted to be the comics of As Campbell spoke workmen put the finishing touches on his sleek new office. Campbell wears a Gold rolex watch two Gold rings a Gold Bracelet with diamonds and a Gold necklace symbols of the financial Success he has had since starting his own record company five years ago. Before that he was a Leader of a Black gang with arrests he says for displaying firearms and fighting. Then he got interested in rap music. Today he is the owner of Luke sky Walker records one of the most successful Small Independent record companies in the United it obscene or just a Nasty by Robert Hilburn los Angeles times he lesson of the 2 live Crew Case once again is that censorship does no to work. In declaring the group s As Nastas they Wanna be album obscene . District court judge Jose Gonzalez has turned what was a mostly undistinguished and relatively underground act into the most famous attraction in rap. And he did it virtually overnight. 2 Dull Crew has become 2 Lucky Crew. Gonzalez s ruling wont be any More effective in protecting Public morals than moves in the �?T50s that resulted in hip swinging Elvis Presley being shown Only from the Waist up on the de Sullivan television show or the rolling stones in the 60s having to change the words of let s spend the night together to let s spend some time together for the Sullivan show. Both of those measures which curbed actions or language that now seems almost quaint Only heightened the Appeal of the two acts. In the Case of 2 live Crew the courts will undoubtedly overturn the ruling at some Point. In the meantime 2 live Crew is certain to sell several Hundred thousand More copies of its Nasty album a it sold 1.7 million copies even before the Gonzalez ruling a because of the curiosity stirred up by the judge s decision and subsequent arrests of two group members and a record store owner. While the threat of Legal action is keeping the album off the shelves in hundreds of record shops there Are plenty of copies available. Imagine the Advance orders for the group s cleverly titled and timed follow up album. Due Early july from 2 live Crew banned in the .a. What will the curious find in the Nasty album for one thing All the Quot dirty Quot words that have apparently shocked the judge and detractors. But the album which comes with a warning imprinted on the cover that there is Quot explicit language contained Quot mixes its exaggerated no words spared tales of sexual fantasies and a contemporary hip hop music style with a degree of artistic ambition and imagination a however shallow a that lifts it beyond the typical a rated adult Bookstore fare. Nasty in fact combines two pop culture traditions the suggestiveness of Rock a no Roll and the Bawdy humor of Quot party Quot or Quot stage comedy albums. Sex was part of Rock culture even before Elvis Shook his hips. Some of the most celebrated of the mid 50s ramp a Novelty hits that led to the birth of Rock featured songs built around sexual innuendo. 2 live Crew in keeping with the easing of restrictions against sexual images and activities in film and print since the 50s, offers the sex without the innuendo thereby connecting with the a rated comedy of such personalities As Redd Foxx and Eddie Murphy. The showdown that led the judge in Florida to declare the Nasty album obscene a Quot an Appeal to dirty thoughts and the loins not to the intellect and the mind Quot Gonzalez wrote in his 62-Page opinion a easily could have been handed Down two years ago. A the crude four and five letter words and sound bites of women simulating sexual ecstasy that Are found in Nasty were also present in 2 live Crew s second album move something. Most of the lines in the songs amp a contain the usual sexual expletives words that Are beyond the Bounds of what can be printed in a family newspaper. Depending on ones attitudes and sensibilities the song a with its satanic references and brutal images a can be seen As encouraging unhealthy sexual activities or it can be seen As mocking sadomasochistic fantasies. Two other tracks on the album Are clearly humorous in design and work off two classic mid 60s Rock hits Manfred Mann a do Wah Didd Diddy and the kinks All of the Day and a of the night. The words to one and one which uses the kinks Melody is in the playful Nursery rhyme style of such Chuck Berry hits As my Ding a Ling and reeling amp Rockin. Little if any of the three 2 live Crew albums is any More sexually arousing than a comedy routine. Its value a however measured a is in its humor. You either laugh or you Don did no to laugh presumably and he does t believe anyone else should even be allowed to hear it. It s Fine if he is trying to save everyone from wasting their Money on the album but he a dealing with constitutional rights. Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday june 20,1990
