We've had this track on repeat around the office for a little over a month now. it's one of the reasons we've got Kala as one of our favorite albums this year. The video is the first shot in America and features a short cameo from the Beasties. Apparently there was a little trouble making it for Maya and she wrote her fans a letter about it. you can read that after the video.
Here is the letter to her fans.
PAPER PLANES VIDEO
LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE HATERS OUT THERE, I DEAL WITH IT EVERYDAY THATS NO FUCKING BIG DEAL AND IVE DEALT WITH WORSE IN MY LIFE, A FEW PEOPLE TALKING SHIT DONT MATTER TO ME, BUT TWISTING TRUTH ISNT THE LESSON I WANNA LEARN IN MY TIME IN MUSIC, SO WHO EVER THAT IS DOING IT , I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
1, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE VIDEO IN A FACTORY ON THE BORDER OF EQUADOR, BUT COULDNT. I WAS TOURING THE U.S, I COULDA BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT THEN BUT THERE I WAS IN AMERICA, IN NYC, IN BROOKLYN, IN BEDSTUY , I WAS TORN BETWEEN SCRAPIN SHOWS IN AMERICA AND MEETING AMERICAN FANS OR SHOOTING IN NYC ON MY ONLY DAY OFF I'D HAD IN 4 MONTHS AND GETTING ON WITH IT.
2, SO THAT WAS THAT! I NEVER MADE A VIDEO IN AMERICA AND HEY ITS STILL A PART OF WHAT I DO AND SAY, ITS WAS STILL VALID, SO I WAS READY TO ROLL WITH IT.
3, YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE SONG SOUNDS, THATS WHY WHEN U GO ON YOUTUBE 400, 000 PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LISTEN THE SONG AS IT IS AND STARE AT SOME PICTURE THEN TO ACTUALLY WATCH A VIDEO
4, WHEN LETTERMAN CENSORD ME IT WAS WAC OF COURSE!!!!!! , AND YES I FELT SOOOOOO BAD FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MY SOUND. I WAS ABEL TO SOUND CHECK FOR THAT SHOW AND THEY LET ME SOUND CHECK FINE, THEN ON THE ACTUAL TAPING MY SOUND WAS SOOO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ID AGREED, AS SOON AS I OPENED MY MOUTH THE DIFFERENCE BLEW ME AWAY, I FELT I WAS GETTING BULLIED ON NATIONAL TELEVISON, AND I COULDNT EVEN REACH OUT TO MY LABELS OR MY MANAGEMENT TO HELP, SINCE THEY ARE NEW TO WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTIST LIKE ME IN MAINSTEAM AMERICAN CULTURE.
SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESS
WHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????
THE VIDEO WAS SABOTAGED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IM DISAPPOINTED THAT MTV HAS HAD SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS. THE BLOGGERS WHO ARE LAZY ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE MTV LINK AND POST UP AND COMMENT ON THE SOUND WHEN THAT HASNT BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE GUNSHOT ARENT REPLACED AND EDITED MAKES ME SAD. I DID FIGHT FOR THE SOUND , BECAUSE PUTTING MEANINGS IN YOUR VIDEOS, IN MY OPINION IS A DYING ART. I CAN FILM MY SELF ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND LET YOU KNOW THE TRUTH , BUT THE SONG IS WHAT I WANTED TO PRESERVE IN THIS CASE.
TO ALL MY FANS, LOOK, ITS LIKE THIS, IM LEARNING THINGS ABOUT THIS WORLD WITH YOU, I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME , I WANT YOU TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WILL SIT AND SPEND ALL SUNDAY TEARIN ME DOWN FOR SOMETHING I DIDNT EVEN MAKE OR PUT OUT, SO PEOPLE WELCOME TO MODERN DAY PROPAGANDA MESSAGE MANGLING.
IN 2007, AN OUTSIDER OPINION WILL BE CONFRONTED THIS WAY , AND THIS IS HOW THE BATTLE GOES, MY MESSAGES AND IDEAS AND MEANING WILL ALWAYS BE BROUGHT TO YOU WITH SLIGHTLY TAINTED CHANNELS. IF YOU SUPPORT ME BE SMART, AND KNOW THAT.
I LOVE YOU, U KEEP ME GOING. XXXXXX MAYA
HERE IS THE REAL AMERICAN VERSION WITH GUN SHOTS!
Gander On!
I met Davin Michael Stedman in the early months of 2003 while doing some promotional work for Eclectic Approach in Pullman, Washington, on the campus of Washington State University. Although that show never materialized I left Pullman with a few stories, as always, and an early EP and T-shirt from one of the most promising bands to come out of the northwest since EA and the Blue Scholars.
What first caught my ear about The Staxx Brothers was their seamless integration of hip-hop, classic rock, and the blues and soul from which they derived their name. The seminal record from that EP “Slowdown (12th Street Blues)” was a combination of memorable guitar licks, hard edged rhymes delivered by DC Staxx, a blind rapper from Detroit, and Davin’s ethereal lyrics and cutting edge music sensibility embodied by a Kanye West-styled soul loop chorus. Only this wasn’t looped it was performed live and Mr. West’s debut CD The College Dropout wouldn’t come out for another year. “Slowdown (12th Street Blues)” returns as the title track and although its utter brilliance has been dimmed by three years time it remains a great record.
The rest of the CD is a musical playground of a mixtape made by someone with a firm grasp of musical history. Another great track “Keep the Motor Runnin’” sounds like pure blues influenced classic rock while “Back Home” could have been ripped by a country music fan choosing that track that even the city kids will love. While genre-hopping is pretty much the modus operandi of 12th Street Blues none of it sounds out of place. Clocking in at exactly 46 minutes, its length may be its only downfall. But 12th Street Blues is exactly the length of one double-sided vinyl LP in homage to Staxx Records.
12th Street Blues by The Staxx Brothers is a definite must buy and one of my favorite records of the year. And while you’re at it pick up an old Otis Redding LP too.
Gander On!
At the restaurant Crustacean - Bow Wow is hanging with some peeps having a nice seafood dinner... ------------------------ Sent from my Blackberry Wireless Handheld
We have no idea what Bily Joel was thinking when he wrote this song. Maybe it was "I have deep feelings about the war and I'm going to write a song about it." Whatever it was it sucks, he knows it too because he ddin't even want to sing it. He enlisted Cass Dillon to do it for him saying he felt the song needed to come from a younger voice. Gander On!
