Bono: 'Sexy' Leonard Cohen Is 'Original Rapper'

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:39 pm

by Chris Taylor on 5/27/2006
http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=17669

Following Prince Charles’ surprise admission he was a massive fan of Leonard Cohen, Bono has now claimed the “sexy” cult singer is the world’s “original rapper”.

The U2 frontman has claimed an understanding of Cohen – famed for his dry, miserablist delivery – is key to an appreciation of hip-hop’s roots.

He says in a recent TV interview, “He's the original rapper, you know, if you're interested in hip-hop.

"He's a sexy man who made sexy music, who made music asking questions about God and girls and everything."

No, we don’t get it either.

Dem

mat james · Post by **mat james** » Sun May 28, 2006 4:30 am

Chris, all these poeple are into the Jewish/Christian myth. It is a long tradition of "rappers" all the way back to Songs of Solomon in the Old Testament.
Prince Charles, though future leader of the Church of England, was considering the merrits of returning to the fold of the Catholic Church.
Bono, no doubt is an Irish Catholic and Leonards' work is full of Jewish/Christian references.
His writing is fulll of symbols with double meanings. For instance, Lover, refers to the relationship of a man and a woman, but also the relationship of the soul to god. This is very Solomonesque.
Leonards' song "Light as a breeze" is all sex and god.

" I knelt there at the delta
...The cradle of the river and the sea
and I knelt there like one who believes
that the blessings come from heaven...."

Leonard was talking about kneeling before a womans "delta" and several other things as well.
As rappers are poets in essence, one could imply, as Bono did, that all poets are rappers.
I might add that some, perhaps many, would not agree with me, but this is what I see. Regards, Mat James.

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sun May 28, 2006 3:50 pm

Thanks for the interesting reply mat
but I am not Chris who wrote the piece
I am just that damn cocky Dem
who copied and pasted it here

The lyric you mention actually goes
"...So I knelt there at the delta, at the alpha and the omega, at the cradle of the river and ... "

Now if the delta means the delta of a river
and the genitals of a woman doew the alpha and the omega
imples that the genitals of a woman are all that this world/life
is about?

Because that's how we use in Greece the phrase:
"the alpha and the omega"(=the crux of the matter,
the essence of something).

Dem

thoughtcat · Post by **thoughtcat** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:56 pm

Am I the only person to wonder what on earth Bono is going on about when he describes Leonard as the original rapper and precursor of hip-hop etc?

Although I don't mind a bit Bono getting Leonard in the headlines with such a "soundbite", he couldn't be further from the truth.

Rappers might be poets but Leonard is no rapper. For rap you need lots of words delivered fast. Leonard is basically a romantic poet who uses far fewer (and arguably better chosen) words, and hardly any of his songs are what you'd call fast, are they.

I suppose there are a few exceptions to this such as The Stranger Song and Teachers, which are a bit more upbeat, but generally I can't see any connection with rapping and hip-hop at all.

I reckon the original rapper in the popular imagination was Chuck Berry, an influence Dylan, whose Subterranean Homesick Blues is distinctly rappy, has rarely acknowledged.

And yes I do take everything Bono says literally...

TC

MonkOverBook · Post by **MonkOverBook** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:32 am

very fine, tc. I totally agree. In fact, by your words I realize why Leonard is that familiar to me... he seems to have discovered slowness long before Sten Nadolny.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:12 am

I've always considered The Last Poets, a black group out of N.Y.C., the original rappers. I became aware of them circa 1971. Leonard and rap are hard to square. Besides, Bono didn't perform at Jazzfest because "negotiations broke down"... read that "financial" negotiations... but The Edge came and joined in in a truly heartfelt way

.

~ Lizzy

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:29 am

Besides, Bono didn't perform at Jazzfest because "negotiations broke down"... read that "financial" negotiations...

Totally uncalled for. Bono actually walks the walk rather than talk the talk like most other so-called celebrity activists (including Mr. Populist Springsteen with his throwaway lines - but of course he makes incredible music)
He (Bono) spends enormous amounts of his time to various projects around the world and is personally involved in all the details. He is a 21st century protest singer. The only one I guess.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:32 am

Called for or uncalled for ~ matter of opinion, Kush. I recall staunchly defending Bono at one point, though I can't remember your stance at the time. I know I was in the minority.

Springsteen [your otherwise hero] and his "throwaway comments"? Remember that his lyrics are the everyman commonman. His politics aren't the same as yours, though, so his Katrina comments about the government and the Standby President , Bush in any case, I guess would constitute throwaway for you.

~ Lizzy

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:49 am

I wish you wouldnt make throwaway assumptions about other people. Becoz then I have to come back and correct them.

1. Springsteen aint my hero...I just love his music plus he's a great guy from all accounts.

2. What makes you think his politics are not the same as mine? Actually I dont have much politics in the first place. There isnt much of "your politics". Its not that important to me.
But I am uncomfortable with that statement of his if he isnt going to follow it up with action. Its always easy to condemn and pass judgment (I am sure you know all about that)

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:53 pm

Am I remembering wrong that you support Bush and the Iraq War and have from the beginning, or am I confusing you with someone else, or are the lines blurring a bit with an extended period of time? Are you not in the 'Republican camp'?

From things said by you here, Springsteen, he constitutes 'hero' as much as anyone would for you. At least far enough for purposes of my comment. I guess I could get absolutely literal with what I'm saying on it, but 'hero' pretty well summed it up, particularly when you're defending Bono and bashing Bruce.

Its always easy to condemn and pass judgment (I am sure you know all about that)

Yes, I'm sure I do; and haven't had the sit-down time yet to properly address the most recent of this process.

~ Lizzy

Young dr. Freud · Post by **Young dr. Freud** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 3:32 pm

Bono didn't perform at Jazzfest because "negotiations broke down"... read that "financial" negotiations...

Lizzy,

How do you know these things? Are you in the loop? So, tell us...how much did Bono want to play the fest...what did he want in his dressing room for munchies...etc., etc.

Details. We need details.

YdF

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:49 pm

Lizzytysh - the only camp I am in is my own. Its very comfortable.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:22 pm

One is company. Two is crowd.

Joe Way · Post by **Joe Way** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:13 pm

I think that Bono should be here discussing Leonard with us. He is obviously very fond of Leonard's work and is making this effort to bring it to a wider audience for what appear to be very unselfish reasons. My estimation of the man has been raised considerably-I confess to being quite unfamiliar with his music-I will make an effort to expand my horizons!

Regarding the "rapper" notion, I thought that Mat's response was very interesting. I was thinking last night as I was walking how my old Professor of Greek and Roman culture, emphasized the oral tradition. How by their very nature without a method of transcribing them in a written language, the Homeric ballads, of necessity needed a rhythmic structure to be memorized and passed on. In a lecture to 400 freshmen, he once challenged us all. "Stand up and recite one poem, that you have memorized." How many of those 400 freshmen would have been able to meet that challenge? I know that had I not been too shy, I couldd have recited a Leonard Cohen poem from my well-thumbed copy of 1968's "Selected Poems" as my familiarity with them lead to an unintentional memorization.

Poetry is literally words set to music or perhaps more properly stated- the music in words organized and revealed. Rap certainly seems to fit these definitions whether one finds it appealing or not.

Joe

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:33 pm

I think 'Democracy' has a rap rhythm and could be great rap song in the right hands. Matisyahu. Is he reggae or rap or both?

I am also completely unfamiliar with Bono's music except for his sort of rap/middle eastern cover in the LC trubute album. It was interesting (to put it mildly). Other than that if I have heard him elsewhere it did not register.

p.s. I'm Your Man and Tower of Song could also be rap. Just a few tweaks in the rhythm, tempo, syncopation...