Rockbites: 75 Ark, among others, drops focus on fictional violence

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September 2001 • Rockbites Alternative Daily

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75 Ark, among others, drops focus on fictional violence
17 September 2001

Last Tuesday, just hours after the attacks on US civilians and government workers in New York city and Washington DC, executives of NY hip-hop label 75 Ark decided to drop the planned album artwork for the new record by Oakland, California duo The Coup, Party Music, due 6 November for the US. The artwork depicts the band—Boots Riley and DJ Pam The Funkstress—standing in front of the twin towers of the World Trade Center as they explode, with Boots’ index finger on a remote detonator. The tag line for the album’s publicity was '...overthrowing the system has never been so much fun!'
    (Following 75 Ark’s wishes, and to pursue our own anti-tabloid values, we are not providing the image here.)
    The staff of 75 Ark issued this statement:

“The original cover artwork for The Coup album Party Music was created long before the unfortunate events of September 11th. 75 Ark recognizes and supports the artistic freedom of its artists. However, recent extraordinary events demand that we create new artwork for the album.

“The physical cover of the album has never been manufactured; cover artwork exists mostly as a web image. We ask that all web supporters and fans of The Coup and 75 Ark discourage any further distribution of this image.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone whom this tragedy has touched. We appreciate all of your support during this indescribable time.”

    A few days ago, 75 Ark General Manager Toni Isabella said “The Coup are deeply saddened by this horrible tragedy. The Coup advocates change, but change through peaceful means, never through violence.” Uh, song titles such as 'Kill Your Landlord' notwithstanding.
    It is not only 75 Ark that got caught with their pants down and their sordid profiteering showing. Last night Fox Television affiliates pulled an airing of the 1996 attack-on-America thriller Independence Day and instead showed the family-fun flick Mrs. Doubtfire. Movie studios from Disney (Big Trouble, with Tim Allen) to Warner Brothers (Collateral Damage, with Arnold Schwarzenegger) are delaying release of films that depict terrorist activity. And television executives are scrambling to figure out how to behave with sensitivity, editing out shots of the New York skyline and considering the outright dropping of entire new series such as The Agency. | 75 Ark | | The Coup on Stray Records | | 'rescheduling' story on CNN | | top of page |

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