 Bill Cosby: Goes hip hop with new album
The 70 year old Bill Cosby has recorded a new hip-hop album, which will be released in next month. "Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency" mixes the comedian's concepts and stories with a hip-hop, pop and jazz soundtrack.
Bill Cosby told on Monday, "I do not rap on any of these things. I wouldn't know how to fix my mouth to say some of the words".
Cosby said, "The hip-hop music I hear is profane and degrading. My album is - the opposite of what I think is the profanity for no particular reason, the misogyny for no particular reason. It really looks at the frustration and the anger that a young man may have".
Bill Cosby said that the album, assembled by his longtime musical collaborator Bill "Spaceman" Patterson, contains rhymes provided by guest rappers. The subject matter is "The value of an education. The value of respecting one's self and ... giving (listeners) a chance to raise their self-esteem and confidence".
Patterson said he was surprised when Bill Cosby first inquired about making a rap record — until the comedian revealed he wouldn't be the one doing the rapping. He said, "People started speculating, is he going to rap about Jell-O Pudding Pops or what? But he's always been involved in music and he was there for the first generation of spoken word. He has always understood rap's potential, but he was appalled by the foul language and the misogyny — the way people used a medium that could be used to elevate people, to open their eyes and provoke thought".
Bill Cosby made the album as a companion to his 2007 best-selling book, "Come on, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors." And though he doesn't expect the CD to be a huge hit, it won't be his last hip-hop venture.
Bill Cosby said, "We can do even better. The next one will be even more cheerleading". |