I kind of remember a friend of mine saying, like, you guys should make a rap record. You know, because we were already making punk records. We were a punk band. And I kind of thought, that's crazy.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
We went into that knowing that we were never going to sell a major record 'cause we didn't sound like these bands, so I just thought this was an opportunity for us to make the kind of records that we wanted and make some money at the same time.
All through the kind of late '80s and '90s, every A&R record company man was saying, 'Now what we want is another record like 'Back in the High Life.' And, of course, that's not the way to make music at all. That's the tail wagging the dog.
I used to record but just in my own studio or in my friend's back when I toyed with the idea of being a rapper.
It sounds odd, but I was a singer and started writing songs, and I didn't have anything in mind. Maybe it crossed my mind that it would be cool to have a hit record and a career, but that was so out of reach that I don't think I thought about it that much.
I didn't ever want to make a rap album. I considered it too limiting. Now that's exactly what I've gone and done.
You know, most people called rap stupid when it started, and it was one of the most innovative music forms of its time.
What was punk all about? To me, it was if you really want to do something, go ahead and do it.
We always started these albums as making demos, that went right on until Scary Monsters.
If I went crazy and tried to make pop music, my band wouldn't record it! I love them too much to do that.
When you're trying to bring the streets into rap to prove a point, then you already lost. You separate the two, and that ain't to be played with. You've got people that lost their lives and people that are doing real time. If we gon' make music, let's just make music.
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