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Author Topic: Who's "Nig Biz" about?  (Read 3176 times)
black zappath
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Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« on: December 07, 2004, 11:20:55 AM »

A real character?...
A real guy that actually recorded a song called "The Tracks of My Tears"?...
Who is it?...
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SOFA
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2004, 07:45:34 PM »

great question...
I have no clue.
It could be "about" anyone, I suppose, but I'd put my money on Ray White - if it were a specific 'band member story'. To me, it just sounds like a Ray kind of story...
If anyone know's for sure, I'd love to hear it.
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guacamole
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2004, 02:58:47 AM »

I don't know who it is specifically about ( if anyone ) but I've always tended to think as it being generally about the way black artists have been treated, or rather mistreated in the music industry and in society as a wider issue.
Taken historically, the evolution of "popular music" is a rather sorry tale; black artists creating a sound / style, being generally unable to get recognition for it then whitey comes along with some financial backing, steals the stuff and hey presto, they're the next big thing. Think I'm talking rubbish ? well have a look at Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones ( admittedly they did acknowledge who they lifted from ) and Eric Clapton ( a particularly deplorable example IMHO who treated Muddy Waters like shit when he toured with him and had the audacity to make racist pronouncements on stage in Birmingham (England) ).

btw, it was Smokey Robinson and The Miracles who recorded "The Tracks Of My Tears".
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SOFA
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2004, 04:28:00 AM »

Quote
Eric Clapton ( a particularly deplorable example IMHO who treated Muddy Waters like shit when he toured with him and had the audacity to make racist pronouncements on stage in Birmingham (England)
I was not aware of this...
Was it not Eric who personally sought out Skip James' widow to hand over a royalty check? I also thought he went out of his way to make sure royalties were paid to the descendents of Robert Johnson...
Maybe I'm wrong; it's been a while since I've read anything on Eric...
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guacamole
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2004, 06:36:50 AM »

I was not aware of this...
Quote

Yep, sad but true. In 1976 whilst onstage, "God" pronounced that he thought Enoch Powell ( a particularly nasty bigot who somehow managed to get himself elected as a Member of Parliament ) was right in his views. This was at the height of the Ugandan crisis when refugees of Asian origin were being forced to flee Idi Amin's regime. As a result of EC's outrageous comments, Rock Against Racism was formed.

As to his treatment of Muddy Waters I don't have the reference to hand but I read about it in a biography of Muddy which came out a couple of years back.

I don't know about Clapton's seeking out of Skip James' widow to give her a royalties cheque but he might be better off spending his time seeking out other surviving relatives of black artists he's ripped off throughout his career than producing the dross that he comes up with himself (IMHO).

[end of rant].
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SOFA
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2004, 06:58:49 PM »

Quote
[end of rant]
Okay, Bro; you've made your point...
I guess I'll have to bone up on this topic a little more. I was always under the impression that EC stood up for the abused black musicians of the past.
Personally, I always thought that Led Zepplin were the worst for stealing from the old black artists and claiming it for their own. I bought a Chess box set a long time ago, and was amazed upon listening to the original chestnuts just how much of Zepp's "repitiore" consisted of old American Blues tunes...
Oh well, grow and learn.
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MentalTossFlycoon
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Re:Who's "Nig Biz" about?
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2005, 12:26:37 AM »

"Nig Biz" is about Warner Brothers.

Would you like to buy a vowel?
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...and ultimately, who gives a fuck anyway?
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