Hey,
The guy is 100% is serious. I'm grew up listening to bands like Metallica and Anthrax, a lot of you probably don't remember just how crazy everything they did was at the time. Metal raised the same stink back then that rap raises today, the stoners at school all had freaky hair, drank beer and smoked cigarettes at school, the girls really liked a guy in tight denim and muscle car; nowadays rappers all have corn rows, smoke weed and drink cognac, and there are loads of ladies piling into Escalades and Bentley's. Other than the kind of music and ethnic background of the people involved, what's the difference?
At the time rap music wasn't mainstream yet except for one or two groups here and there, it would have to wait its turn to blow up into the big machine it is today.
Just take a look at what's being played on MTV nowadays...Snoop Dogg's show, Puff Daddy's show, a street ball show, and when they do show videos they're usually almost all 'urban'; these guys are all rolling in cash and women, just like the metallers used to do in the 80's. Back then there was a lot of metal on MTV: Headbanger's Ball and Rock Blocks had way more airtime than Yo MTV Raps, these guys were all over the press for stirring stuff up and getting themselves in trouble with the law for sex, drugs and violence.
Sure, he's taking little stabs at some of the things rappers do nowadays, it's obvious that he only has access to some of the more mainstream parts of urban culture, but he's also making some great points about some of the innovation in attitude and style they're creating for themselves. Metallers never had much style, only loud obnoxious music and long greasy hair. And back patches on their Levis jackets.
Take care,
Nick
