Ursula Rucker - Mama’s Always On Stage
Angelica LeMinh has bragging rights for life that the one and only Ursula Rucker called her phone, talked to her for two hours, and commended her on her stalking techniques (she likened it to “the perfect amount of persistence”). Philly’s most poetic Supasista waxes lyrical (for the lounge) about politics, street credibility, and raising her babies.
ALM: You just finished playing the Sistahood Celebration in my hometown with one of my best girls (Amalia Townsend www.myspace.com/sekoya). You’ve also been through Montreal a few times. Tell me about the crowds and the difference between playing Canada and the United States.
Ursula: Vancouver was great this last time, but I never have a bad show in Canada, I’ve also played Toronto. Like Europe, the audiences tend to be more open and progressive about what they know, and their awareness of culture and art is more acute. I haven’t performed extensively in the States, but I don’t think the current climate is too encouraging. I still don’t have a booking agent, and women doing poetry are always going to be beneath the radar. I was excited last summer to perform in Atlanta, a city renowned for being musically progressive, but the crowd was so unresponsive that I was almost bored. I’ve played in Ohio and Chicago, and it was like performing on a space ship.
ALM: Can you talk a little more about the current political climate and the war that hasn’t ended?
Ursula: Well, it’s no secret, and people would do better if they refused to accept trying to keep it secret. I remember I was in Vienna on tour for Supa Sista, and I already had a fear of flying, but this was just after 9/11 so it was exacerbated. I was pregnant with my third child, had left the other two at home and when I saw that night vision shot, I just started crying and wanted to come home. When people heard us speaking English and knew that we were American, the reactions of how they perceived us were completely different. Now, it’s only getting worse and worse for peace. I’m not a punk, but I’m for peace. I realize that as a super power, a First World country (if we’re going to rank), we can’t just sit back and do nothing in the face of such an attack, but what we’re doing right now is not protecting our country, we’re trying to oppress and control another one to fully participate in capitalism. But I appreciate the opportunity to travel and get the truth, because our media here is totally skewed. I think that people have lost that instinctual feeling to see something and react as aware folks and question further. I want to throw something everytime I see our president on the television. There is nothing elegant or eloquent about anything that ever comes out of his mouth, and I am ashamed.
ALM: Are you going to vote for Senator Obama?
Ursula: I don’t know who I’m going to vote for. You’re never actually voting for anyone, it’s just the lesser of evils. It’s like the police officers, you can’t be that good of a person if you are a cop. At least not in Philly, with the corruption that’s involved.
ALM: Let’s talk about Philly for a minute, what’s going on with slept-on talent in your city, woman?
Ursula: Like Bahamadia? (laughs). We’re still unsung, man. We did a track together (”Path to Rhythm”) and my jaw still drops everytime I hear her flow. I love her, she can freestyle, do it all, and never gets her dues. We were both in a local documentary done here in Philly called “Seen Not Heard”, and I go to tears everytime I hear her words in that one, about how she’s been doing this for 20 years, while being a mother, and she still doesn’t get recognized. I can’t believe that people in our own city have never even heard of her, it blows my mind.
There’s something special about Philly, it’s a rough town. Musically, there’s something going on, but I like the fact that people don’t talk to you, you have to confront them. They make you work for their acceptance.
ALM: But the Roots, that’s a different story…where you been the last two albums, anyway? And why weren’t you at the Block Party?
Ursula: I guess they’re moving in different directions, and that’s good. The three albums I did participate on were blessings. I love Dave Chapelle’s crazy ass. Ahmir asked me to go and have lunch, and it’s just crazy to think of where they are, and how much they deserve it. I always love working with Ahmir, he’s got so much love and knowledge for music. I am working on an epic poem about New Orleans, so I was there just being with people, and the Roots were playing at the House of Blues. Now, I’ve seen them play many times, many, but that night was special, it was like they had just captured the exact spirit of New Orleans at the time, of what people there are fighting for, the band was tight, Tariq’s flow was amazing, though he’s another one to just freestyle, whatever, for hours at a time and not even be a little bit breathless. Black Lily’s having a reunion next week and I’m playing the finale. The Roots’ band is backing, Jill Scott and Jaguar Wright are amongst the performers. It’s going to be three days non-stop of workshops and shows, a film and music festival.
ALM: So, Kanye’s the Gap between Banana Republic and Old Navy, what do you think of him?
Ursula: Unless he really fucks up and goes bonkers and does some
P.Diddy shit that’s completely empty, I’m fine with what he does. It’s cool when you can make music that doesn’t completely alienate people but can get them thinking about something in a different way. When he made that statement though, he forever won my favorite. He stood out on a plank, to have an album coming out and say what he said, he said it from his heart, I don’t think it was a publicity stunt at all. I wish it wasn’t a standout thing, that everyone would do that, but it doesn’t happen often enough. People don’t take that kind of visibility to express truths. Jay-Z is just starting to, and I’m so glad. Everything you do doesn’t need to be political, but every now and again, say something, because people are listening.
ALM: What about backpackers being the next new gimmick? Mos and Kweli as the “underground to the masses”?
Ursula: They don’t have to turn down the money. As long as they’re still saying what they’re saying which is still not mainstream. They don’t have to feel guilty about getting paid, but I am a bit tired of them being the only ones. There is so much happening on the grassroots level, but a lot of artists never get heard. Can somebody else get some?! Or what?
ALM: I almost died when I heard you say, “I ain’t no holla-black girl” on the last record, can you please tell me your take on the recent rash (pun intended) of baby rapping over the kind of beats that people shank for?
Ursula: (Laughs). I’d like to meet Gwen Stefani, and not just “know” her in some entertainment interview. I’ve got respect for her as a woman, but there comes a point where we have to talk about cultural mis/appropriation, right? Is it ok? Is it not, and if not, when? I see what she’s doing, pushing the envelope and all. But everytime I see her, I’m irritated, the Harajiku girls? They seem like her personal posse of millenium geishas and it just makes me feel not good. That’s just me though, I always seem to have a problem with something, maybe there’s something wrong with me.
ALM:No, I think there would be something wrong with you if you just accepted it without questioning. Speaking of which, what is your reaction to the most recent school shooting and the First Amendment right to bear arms?
Ursula: My uncles grew up hunting, and they didn’t do anything but hunt with their guns, but considering how easy it is to even get a gun, it’s pretty sick. Speaking from the city with the highest murder rate in the country, and we already have about 200 murders this year, the violence is out of control. The music videos, the gun culture, the video games, the neighborhood dynamics, it all contributes.
That’s why I don’t allow my kids to play with guns, sing songs about guns, rock t-shirts advocating gun play, I try to keep them away from video games, but their dad plays so that’s harder.
ALM: You’ve got three boys?
Ursula: I’ve got four boys, a stepson, (”and a husband” in unison with the interviewer, followed by laughs all around)
My 8-year old got into a fight the other day with a kid who lives around the corner, this kid called mine “gay”, which is another one of my pet peeves. If he woulda called him “muthafucka”, I would’ve accepted it over “gay”, but he’s a tough kid, you know? So I take my son outside to solve this problem, and he lunges at this kid, Shawn, who has the audacity to punch my child in front of me. I tell you I could’ve gone to jail that day, I kept thinking to myself “whatever you do, do not put your hands on this child”. I grabbed both of them and marched them directly to his mama’s house. I feel pretty bad about this, but I actually said to him, “If there was a pill I could take that could shrink me down to your size, I’d kick your ass”. His mama wasn’t home, but his older sister was there and she was very respectful and listened to me. I wanted to teach both of them, because there was a time when people cared about that, teaching all the children, not only their own. I want to teach them peace, but my husband would’ve just let them fight. Their grandfather (my dad) told him that he should’ve hit him back and not stopped hitting. I understand, because little black boys need to learn how to get themselves out of a jam, but I’m just thinking that if it gets to a point when they’re hitting and calling eachother names, they should just separate. I actually saw Shawn today, his older brother plays with one of my older sons, so he seemed surprised that I said “hi”, but I told him, “Look, I apologize for losing my cool with you, but you hit my son in front of me and you can’t do that, it’s disrespectful!”
Lightning round:
Thick Luther or Svelte Luther? Alive Luther.
Sign O’ The Times or Musicology? Sign o’ the Times-it’s one of the best albums, ever. (After all of my opinions that this woman has already validated, this was the cherry on the black forest cake)
Bettye Lavette or Billie Holiday? Billie Holiday, please. Anyone who has the audacity to stand up in front of a mostly white audience and sing “Strange Fruit” is a star. Please.
Favorite Me’Shell N’degeocello song? (she actually hummed bars for me, y’all) “Outside My Door” (there’s a beauty-full story that goes along with this one involving rain and riding in cars with mama, but there’s a reason I’m privy, and great-full enough to never fully disclose)
So, there’s my contribution to the war effort of getting folks to notice and credit Miz Rucker for her prescence in the modern cannon as the equal and opposite sex energy as provided by Saul Williams. Even if this woman never gets her just desserts in our lifetime as an artist, at least we can count at least six (including Shawn) young black males who will be taught how to act right.
