I was amazed at all the positive coverage mobster John Gotti received when he died. A lot of it was untrue. The press for the most part did this makeover of him as a good man. He was a mobster for Christ sake, you know what they do.

If you are like me you are so tired of people being re-invented by fans and media when they die. If I had a wish. I'd ask that people stop re-inventing people when they leave us. I remember when Big Pun passed away. People were on the radio saying stuff like 'Yo he was a community leader', 'He was a revolutionary', 'he was a vegetarian', etc. People were just running their mouth saying wild crazy stuff and journalist write what they think that people want to hear. Big Pun was simply a talented rapper. I liked his music and I dug his chorus of "he wasn't a player but he just crushed a lot", but as far as all the other accolades that he has received in death people need to knock it off and stop re-inventing people. Honesty is the best policy in life and death.

In death people get these "makeovers" that would make a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon blush.

ALISON POWELL interviewed Nina Simone in 1997. It's quite clear from their conversation that although many rappers used her music, she was no fan of rap music. She wasn't sampled as much as James Brown but cultural rap acts like Talib Kweli, AZ's, Dead Prez, and Wu-Tang have sampled her for tracks. But don't let that fool you, the closest connection Nina had with hip hop was likely through the now deceased hip hop producer Weldon Irvine. Simone co-wrote the popular "Young, Gifted, & Black" with Weldon Irvine. She didn't mind being sampled or mentioned but as a true Playahata, she wasn't one to put up with much of that commercial nonsense you hear on the radio and best believe you better not use her name in a foul way. If you think Rosa Parks gave Outkast hell over misuse of her name, you don't know Simone.

Here are some excerpts taken from her last interview with Allison Powell.

AP: Do you listen to much contemporary music? 

NS: No, I don't like it, and I don't like rap music at all. I don't think it's music. It's just a beat and rapping, and even though they are protesting against what we have all protested against--racism in this country--[rappers] have ruined music as far as I'm concerned.

AP: Do you think the message of rap is getting through? 

NS: Yes, but I don't know what that message is anymore.

AP: One argument is that the message is destructive 

NS: Well, I think it is too, and what's more, I don't think they can win. There aren't any leaders, honey. I think people are banging their heads against a stone wall.

AP: Do you see any elements of the early civil rights movement still at work in the States? 

NS: No, all I see is rap music.

AP: So, you think greed IS the driving force. 

NS: Yes, greed has driven the world crazy. And I think I'm lucky that I have a place over here that I can call home. It's no surprise that Michael Jackson, the man that I adore the most in this world, has disappeared from the United States. I distinctly remember meeting Michael on a plane many years ago when he was little, and I said to him, "Don't let them change you. You're black and you're beautiful." But of course, he was influenced by his family and everybody else. And I don't mind if you say this, I think that the person who's responsible for Michael's tragedy is Quincy Jones [who co-produced his albums Thriller and Bad]. You can quote me.

AP: You've often been called an angry performer, an angry songwriter-- 

NS: Let me finish what you're trying to say. I believed that at one time it was possible to change the race problem. I believed that it was possible for Martin Luther King to become president, for Jesse Jackson to become president. But I don't believe that anymore. My anger was fire and I was pushing that all that time, but I'm not angry now. I'm philosophical, and I am happy where I am because I can't change the world. I'm getting older and I have no business being out there preaching like I did.

AP: Have you heard any of these women who have made it O.K. to be angry in pop music? 

NS: No, I heard one girl singing, "You Al Capone, I'm Nina Simone."

AP: You're paraphrasing Lauryn Hill of the Fugees [in "Ready or Not"]. Did you like it that she used your name? 

NS: Yes, I just wish she had sung one of my songs.

AP: I don't know if anyone could sing one of your songs. 

NS: Oh my God! Dear child, I've got hundreds of them.

AP: I simply meant from the vocal standpoint, these songs belong to you. 

NS: But who cares? There's no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were.

Full interview at (Please check it for yourself) http://www.boscarol.com/nina/html/manual/interview/interview.html Let the Hip Hop Generation embrace her but realize she wasn't embracing hip hop and respect that (check her autobiography). She is gone and you can't win her over now by creating false associations in death.

There is time for converting other music legends, take Otha Ellas Bates McDaniel. The world knows him as Bo Didley. Bo Didley took his name from a one-stringed African guitar, and usually played a guitar with a rectangular box shape. He managed to work his name into some of his songs and everybody knows him today. He is still singing and performing, and took his place in the Rock-and-Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987.

Yes Bo Didley is 74 and hates rap music too. I think that most in this age group do. It' all understandable for people that age cause if you don't follow it you will hate it. Nobody in rap has sampled Bo Didley yet or offered much in the way of shout outs. Like Simone it probably would not change his perspective.

Just two months ago, The pioneering Blues-man, Didley told high school students at Dunnellon High School near his home in Archer, Florida, rap was "disgusting" and said that it would not last as long as his 50 year career has. "The lyrics are very disgusting because you are a person, and a person deserves respect," he said. "I have daughters, my mother was a woman, and I don't like what I'm hearing." Didley stressed the importance of hard, legal work, no matter what way the students decide to earn their living. "You've got to hustle, man," he said. "There's a legal way to hustle." Ok. Now all of this is his opinion. As part of the hip hop generation I don't agree with his generalization but if he dies tomorrow I hope I won't see people sampling him, rappers discussing him as influences or associating him with hip hop music or the hip hop generation. Stop these makeovers. People are who they are. If you want to give them a makeover reach out to them while they are still alive, although at 74 its probably too late.

Released: April 27th, 2003

The views and opinions expressed herein by the author do not necessarily represent the opinions or position of Playahata.com.