The Wake

[This is where the lead-in would normally go. But Bam served up such interesting theories on space aliens, factual theory, and the origins of the AIDS virus, that it wasn’t worth wasting that much of the page. Plus, introductions are stupid.]

Without further ado: a conversation with Afrika Bambaataa.

Bam on winter:

[In New York] y’know, I’m getting ready for winter syndrome.

Bam on Yankees:

Well, the Yankees are cool. Y’know I respect them for being in the state and for winning all the World Series that they have won throughout their history.

Bam on the media and hip-hop:

A lot of corporations are messing it up. They incorporate the commercial side of hip-hop, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re gonna show hip-hop, then show the balance and show what truly is hip-hop. Don’t just show a bunch of rap videos when you have DJ videos – you know, where’s the James Brown, where’s The Chemical Brothers, where’s the electro funk? Where’s the consciousness of hip-hop? People get into all these different things . . . house-hop, and all that – it’s all hip-hop, y’know. You know, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ – it’s hip-hop. I’m always [misrepresented in media]. A lot of ‘em that try to keep myself or anything dealing with the Zulu Nation away from stuff. Cuz once Afrika Bambaataa stepped in the scene, then you had to get your factology right.

On gangsta rappers . . .

A lot of them gotta come to grips with themselves. You either gotta wait for Lucifer or you gotta wait for the Supreme Force. Y’know, we can talk about the bad things we did and all that stuff, but you gotta have a balance. I mean, Tupac was as gangsta as you’re gonna get, but Tupac also rapped about lovin’ your mama. You got to have a balance.
To me it’s a conspiracy if all stations are playing this one-side of gansta rap. It’s bullshit, you know. I mean you brainwash it in with all the brainwashing techniques you use to sell records all day long then you’ll get the people saying “oh, I like that.” Y’know, cuz there’s times when you hear a record and you’re like “ ‘oh, I don’t like this shit,’ but you know, you hear it so much that eventually you’re like ‘damn, I like this shit.’” [laughs]

On Clear Channel:

Well, I used to work with them under Hot 97 and they had the nerve to come tell me that James Brown was secondary up here. How the hell you gonna tell me that James Brown is secondary in carrying over to hip-hop when hip-hop comes from his songs? Play all of it – it’s all hip-hop.

Bam on the Universe:

I’m pro-Universe. I’m not just of this planet. I’m of the Universe. You know – a lot of people get psyched out y’know. You know, it must make the Supreme Force feel like a piece of shit to say that we’re the only beings in the whole universe and there’s nothing else out there. Y’know, Zulu Nation used to tell people there were more than nine planets in our solar system, people thought we was crazy – now they’ve got two-hundred and something. You know, we to say we’re gonna become galactic humans - now they’re saying that they’re gonna take people into space in 2007! [laughs]

Bam on Space Aliens:

I think they definitely checkin’ out the vibrations. I mean – they’ve been here. They may be walkin’ among us – who knows? Maybe they’ve been at the rap shows – y’know, they say Jimi [Hendrix] got his vibrations on some other kinda trip, y’know? We’re just not checkin’ enough.

Bam on AIDS:

I think that’s been put in Africa as chemical warfare to try and get the land that people want for oil. I think it’s a concern to the whole planet – wherever AIDS is at it’s a concern. I mean, who made that shit? It didn’t come from no green monkey – and even if, who the fuck bit the monkey?