Want to Buy a Rap CD on Venice Beach? You Sure?

By Jeff Weiss Wed., Mar. 7 2012 at 4:00 AM

Nanette Gonzales

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.]

The plan was simple. Head to Venice Beach, sample the mixtapes hawked by the hucksters hovering near the paddle tennis courts, pick one rapper to profile for this column and avoid the Kama Kosmic Krusader, the Rollerblading guitar freak in the white turban. (You've seen him, trust.)

The boardwalk might be the last spot in L.A. County where MCs still shill the old-fashioned way: by guilt-tripping you at levels that could shame a Hasidic grandmother.

After all, it's been a half-decade since digital warehouse Datpiff and FBI pressure quelled physical mixtape distribution. Long gone are the days when I lied to my mom to take the Big Blue Bus to Venice to cop DJ Rectangle mixes and miscellaneous bootleg paraphernalia. What's left are stalwarts ignorant of the Internet, those doggedly determined to stalk fame and fortune amidst the tourists, gawkers and connoisseurs of Bob Marley T-shirts.

Or so I thought. For one thing, your average Venice Beach mixtape rapper these days is as old as Jay-Z. These aren't young strivers; these are veteran peddlers profiting from the benighted buying hand-drawn Drake sketches. (This I saw with my own eyes.)

Upon entering the gauntlet, the babble commenced. "Yo dawg, you like rap?" Their uniforms were slanted caps and jiggy-era-sized jeans and tees. Accentuating the played-out fashion was a Jheri-curled G in a puffy North Face jacket, who looked like an extra in a 112 video.

Suddenly, arms foisted headphones and CDs at me. This wasn't the chimerical hustle of Rick Ross but the braying sobriety of the diurnal grind. One man approached like I was a turkey in November.

"Yo, yo, yo, man. Where you from?"

If someone offers three "yo's" in one hello, they're either trying to sell you something or they're a self-obsessed Spanish speaker with a stutter. I volleyed the question back.

"Compton. Yo, you getta check out this music, son, it's crazy."

Tags:

Bizarre Ride, mixtapes, Venice Beach

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tf1

Though eloquently penned, your article is slanted and biased by what sounds like an unfortunate growing-up experience. I guess these people who walk around Venice all day, trying to sell some CD's and make cash should just get a job like you, writing complaint-ridden articles for LA Weekly.

gdw3

That "rollerblading freak"(Harry Perry) is a super nice guy, and can play some decent guitar! Unlike many of these rappers who are just talking over a drum loop, he actually has some skills, and sings songs with a positive message. He's been around for many years, has made an appearance in countless t.v. shows and films, and is truly a fixture on Venice Beach. He doesn't litter or tag or curse. You, Mr. Weiss, are the freak on the beach who doesn't know any better.

kungfukaraokegangsta

Oh do quit thumbing your nose at hip-hop. If 'anybody' can rap, why don't you upload an mp3 of yourself doing it? Anybody can rap BADLY, just like anybody can sing or play an instrument badly.

You're a moron.

and I'm a metal fan calling you out on this, btw.

kungfukaraokegangsta

Oh do quit thumbing your nose at hip-hop. If 'anybody' can rap, why don't you upload an mp3 of yourself doing it? Anybody can rap BADLY, just like anybody can sing or play an instrument badly.

You're a moron.

fred5ive

1 Like

you are laaaaame.

AndrewBoydMusic

I went down to Venice beach and saw the aforementioned Harry Perry. It was my first time visiting the boardwalk. He was playing his guitar and selling his shirts and cd's etc. I told him a friend I recently met had sent me down to hear him play. He smiled and said..ahh I'm glad you heard my last song then...and said.."Infinite blessings" Enjoyable experience. Not sure which part of that interaction I would have wanted to "avoid" It was actually one of the highlights of my recent visit to LA.

Bgsongs

Dear Mr. Weiss,

I’m not going to address your taste in rap music or your opinion of the hucksters who are peddling mixtapes of questionable originality - I am going to call you out on denigrating a musician who has nothing to do with the aforementioned boardwalk brokers.

You implied that people should “avoid” the "Rollerblading guitar freak in the white turban".

You may or may not like his music, but you should be aware that not only has he been a fixture on Venice Beach since 1973 but that he is an artist who writes and records original music and has chosen to market and sell his music in his own creative way. He has written, produced and manufactured his music for longer than most current DIY artists have been alive.

His name happens to be Harry Perry. Look him up on Wikipedia.

His page is rather impressive, trust me. I happen to believe that not “all press is good press” - So maybe you should find another cutesy way in your first paragraph of getting to the intended topic of your piece before you dismiss an artist who seems to have more talent , stamina and chutzpah than many and deserves not to be avoided out of hand - especially if the hand happens to hold a pen that has a regional audience.

Sincerely,

Bruce Garnitz

(no affiliation with Harry Perry)