Living Colour Covers Biggie In Stand Against Gun Violence – Who Shot Ya Mixtape Coming Next Month
Living Colour have offered a sneak peek at their new video that will accompany their song Who Shot Ya to be released on September 9th as part of an Andre Betts produced mixtape that will also include contributions from Chuck D and Black Thought. The name of the mixtape is also Who Shot Ya and not “Mixtape” as reported by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. The cover of the Notorious B.I.G. track that originally appeared in ’95 is a powerful statement and vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun are just the guys to serve it up. I spoke with them about it after their show at City Winery on Wednesday evening, August 17, 2016.
I have enormous RESPECT for these guys as artists and as people and our conversation was significant to me personally. It was meaningful not only because I enthusiastically support what they are trying to accomplish in speaking out against gun violence but also because Living Colour was the first major band that I interviewed as a college radio DJ. It was live on the air at WICB in 1991. I listened to the, gasp, 25 year old interview recently and one thing that knocks me out about it is that Fishbone is mentioned. None other than the bone will be sharing the stage with Living Colour next Sunday the 28th as part of the Afropunk Festival. In fact, Will explained that they would be playing in various permutations with members of Fishbone, and – it keeps getting better – Bad Brains. The three bands will be collaborating with each other in what one must figure will be a never to be repeated event. This is not to be missed!
Something else that I got a boot out of is after the interview with all four members wrapped up on Wednesday night, I got to speak with Doug Wimbish a little bit and enjoy some brief recollections of his days as a session man in the house band of Sugarhill Records. It’s him playing arguably the most famous bass line of all time, White Lines by Melle Mel! He was also on The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five among a million others. Something Doug told me that I didn’t know was that he was guy who, years before he joined the band, took Mick Jagger (who he played with on Primitive Cool among other things) and Jeff Beck to see Living Colour at CBGB. This moment was also referenced in the ’91 interview as it was a key one in getting their career rolling…
Vernon mentioned that they had recently received a verse from Talib Kweli that was too late to be included on the mixtape coming out next month. That could very well inspire a part two to the Who Shot Ya project. In any case, Living Colour is putting the finishing touches on their next studio album, Shade, that we can expect in early 2017.
Here’s a bonus bit: Corey speaking about The Notorious B.I.G….
