A lot of your older artists are saying that it’s faggot music. Ain’t no such thing as faggot music. If I’m a boy and I’m singing about me loving this boy, I’m not saying I love this boy just for me — I’m saying it so all the girls can sing along too. Remember, in order for you to get a party packed, you’ve got to bring the girls, who are going to bring the boys. So let me be the one to make the music for the girls, so they can sing to your ass and get you here.
— 10th Ward Buck, excerpt from The Definition of Bounce: Between Ups and Downs in New Orleans
(photograph by Jordan Blanton)
I was just really mad and sad. This is going to be a major moment in American history, and I want to do something about it. What I was really amazed by was the spirit of the people of New Orleans. Another thing I found amazing was the humour. They’re profane. We wanted to record the raw feelings of these people. That’s what makes New Orleans the most unique city in America, and that’s tough for me to say, being from New York.
— Spike Lee (Associated Press)
