Intelligent Hip-Hop Alert

[The ClayTaurus]

Just because I know it razzes all you old folk to hear that some rappers can actually write some coherent lyrics...

Enjoy:

Atmosphere - That Night (Sunshine Blues)

Don't even know if I can write this song
caught on a beam between right and wrong
gotta keep forward, keep straight
for the sake of why we stay awake all night long
it's not up for interpret
paranoid of exploiting the verdict
but in the same breath
I got thoughts that I wanna express and let surface
this ain't for props or the pop culture
it's about a balloon that got punctured
the sunshine is fun til it burns someone
and we all got burned that summer
She was sixteen
another young angel with clipped wings
she came to the shows
but I never met her
don't even know if she was listening
that night, we lost a supporter
that night, somebody lost a daughter
he raped and killed her at the venue
I can't comprehend what her friends must've went through
that night, the sun went dark
now watch everyone on the tour bus fall apart
that night, Lord have mercy
the music died that night in Albuquerque

oooh, I can feel it touch my soul

Stop, it can't be true right?
this type of real doesn't happen to you right?
Cresent, Murs, Dibs, JayBird,
I wanna go home now and start a new life
I wish I could protect the kids
I guess safety is hit or miss
with a prior convicted sex offense against a four year old
why'd we let you live?
I don't know what I'm trying to write
but there's a part of me that keeps dying at night
when I think about her mother
I become another member that wants you to suffer
you're locked up for now
you have no more chances to steal the children's laughs
and if you ever find God, better pray to her
and ask that we never cross paths

Ooooh, I can feel it touch my soul

 

[The ClayTaurus]

This song was in response to something that happened at one of Atmosphere's shows. Here is an article on it, the site requires you to sign up so I'll just quote the whole article.

Hip-hop duo Atmosphere has returned to New Mexico to perform two benefit concerts for the family of Marissa Mathy-Zvaifler, the 16-year-old fan killed at the group's July 16 show at the Sunshine Theatre.

The proceeds from yesterday's show at Santa Fe's Paramount Theatre and part of the proceeds from tonight's show at the Launchpad will go to an organization Erica Zvaifler is creating in her daughter's name.

Sean Daley, the group's emcee who is also known as Slug, has been hesitant to speak to the press about Mathy-Zvaifler's death, saying, "I don't want this to be a 'me' thing."

"I wanted to speak to her mother before I spoke to anyone else about it," he said. "After I spoke to her mother, I didn't feel like I had the right to chastise or criticize anyone."

Erica Zvaifler said she isn't a hip-hop fan, but she was planning to attend the Santa Fe show. She said the proceeds go toward promoting self-awareness, creativity and empowerment in teenagers, and to support a rape crisis center and self-defense classes for young women. Erica Zvaifler said she also wants to see some of the money go to outreach programs for families of homicide victims.

"Things like this are happening all over," she said. "We were amazed at how little outreach there was for grieving parents who don't have a support group like I do."

Erica Zvaifler said she intended to meet with Atmosphere before last night's show. She and Daley both said these performances were to be emotional experiences about the process of grieving and healing.

"It's the right thing to do for these kids and for her family," Daley said. "Even though I'm distanced from what happened - I'm out in Minneapolis - every time I go to that region those kids give me so much respect."

Daley said he wants the event's focus to remain on the community.

"My views and feelings are nowhere near as important as the other people's in the community," he said. "I don't want to shallow out my feelings or anyone else's."

Daley and Erica Zvaifler said they felt it wasn't appropriate for the benefit concert in Albuquerque to be at the Sunshine Theatre.

Dominic Akers, a janitor at the theater, is charged with her death. Akers told police he strangled Mathy-Zvaifler in a secluded area of the theater. Her body was found July 19.

"I think it would be too emotionally charged and disrespectful," Erica Zvaifler said. "It's still hard for her friends to even walk by there."

Daley said the responsibility for audience safety rests on security guards everywhere.

"These people are paid to take care of these children at shows," he said. "I see security guards all over the world treat the clientele like assholes. I think that's a little backward because these kids keep the lights on."

Daley said it's valid for fans to wonder about his response to the murder, but that the focus on him makes him uncomfortable because he doesn't want to use tragedy to gain media exposure.

"It's a weird thing because of who I am," he said. "If I was one of her friends nobody would ask me about it, and here I am in the paper again, but it's because of this terrible thing."

Though he can't yet predict all the effects this will have on his music and performance, Daley said Mathy-Zvaifler's death brought him a needed dose of reality.

"I know there are certain things that I don't do or say anymore (onstage)," he said. "It's changed my life. The magic to what I do dissipated somewhat. The fantasy changed. I had forgotten that reality can still happen. I'm actually glad that some of the magic is gone. There's no telling where I could have ended up if I continued the way I was going."

Erica Zvaifler was not surprised Daley has been so affected and said that her daughter's spirit continues to have a presence in the community.

"I don't know if anybody out there believes in reincarnation, but it's like Marissa is everywhere."

 

[Said1]

I like a lot of their songs. For some reasons Reflections is my favorite.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I like a lot of their songs. For some reasons Reflections is my favorite.

Drunken sing-a-long?

 

[Said1]

Drunken sing-a-long?

Hardly. :finger:

 

[The ClayTaurus]

"You look like you were built for me
You talk like you want to steal my drink
You kiss like you already came
And that's a lift to pull a line for those with out any game"

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Hardly. :finger:

The hook is definitely sing-a-long material...

 

[Said1]

"You look like you were built for me
You talk like you want to steal my drink
You kiss like you already came
And that's a lift to pull a line for those with out any game"

Gee thanks Mr. Lyrics. Now I won't be embrassed when I sing along. I owe you one.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Gee thanks Mr. Lyrics. Now I won't be embrassed when I sing along. I owe you one.

I'm going to go ban you some more from DU. Suck it.

 

[Said1]

I'm going to go ban you some more from DU. Suck it.

In your dreams, pal.


You -------> :nine: <----- Me

 

[The ClayTaurus]

In your dreams, pal.


You -------> :nine: <----- Me

I don't really swing that way... I'm more of a :69: man myself, you're going to have to find someone else to hot -carl...