Over 30 years ago, I watched the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" with some friends. I was particularly curious how one friend would react. Public Enemy was the musical guest, and I suspected that a violist and Stevie Ray Vaughan fan like her probably wasn't enjoying the rap group's first song.
She didn't say anything until the song ended. When it did, she said to no one in particular, "That was dreadful."
Except for P.M. Dawn, Digable Planets, and a few other sporadic tracks by other artists, rap and hip hop music doesn't appeal to me all that much. Do I second my friend's reaction? Let's just say I understand it.
To their credit, however, the band respectfully prefaced its first song with three seconds of silence for Miles Davis, who had passed away earlier that day. I've listened--and will listen--to far more Miles Davis music than Public Enemy tunes. Knowing how much respect the band had for such an important, influential trumpeter, though, made me want to play Public Enemy songs on KCOU--occasionally.
