The Funky White Boy Quiz by Adam Klein, Flagpole Magazine Makin' with the freak-freak with Special J of the Brooklyn hip-hop experience known as 2 SKINNEE J's. Flagpole: Have you ever been over to a friend's house to eat where the food just ain't no good? I mean, the macaroni's soggy, the peas are mushed and the chicken tastes like wood? Special J: Yeah. Well, once when I was in grade school I went to my friend's house and his mother made me vegetarian lasagna. And, I grew up in Nebraska, so I was pretty meat-oriented in those days. I was heavy towards my carnivore side and my omnivorous existence. So, it really was unappealing to me. And it was disgusting. We were eating this stuff, and I kept taking gulps of milk to wash it down, to swallow it. And on the very last bite I puked it all up, right onto the table in front of her. FP: For people who haven't heard your music, or your new album Supermercado (Capricorn), describe your music for them and what they can expect down at your Georgia Theatre show. SJ: Well, Supermercado has been compared favorably to some of the great records - like the Beatles' White Album... FP: Uh, sure. We were just talking about that a few minutes ago here in the office. SJ: Yeah, and also the Go-Go's Vacation record. Honestly, we just try to make music that makes us happy and have fun. So it's light-hearted, with lyrics that are full of references that are completely meaningless and altogether too clever for human consumption. But they bring smiles to our faces. FP: In your track "The Good, The Bad, and The Skinnee" you mention Dante's Inferno, so I wanted to ask you about the Fifth Canto... SJ: OK, you're gonna have to refresh me on which one that was; it's been a long time. FP: Sure. It's about Francesca and Paolo. Francesca was married; she cheated on her husband with Paolo... SJ: Oh boy. FP: Francesca's husband sees them and kills them both on the spot. Then they descend to the depths of Hell. And because of their act, they are now stuck there together forever. But they don't really love each other, you see. SJ: Yeah, they just wanted to fuck. The company's gonna get boring after the first few stages of eternity. FP: Was their sin worth it? Have you ever loved someone so strongly that you would be willing to endure the depths of Hell with them? SJ: I'm gonna have to be honest. I could really win girlfriend points on this one, but I'm gonna have to say no. FP: Yeah, it is Hell, man. SJ: Yeah, it's fucking Hell. You can't get beyond that. I don't think you can make love in Hell. It might make Hell somewhat less endurable, but just a fraction. FP: OK, last question. What do you think of the appropriation of what may be considered predominantly black culture by white people? Do you feel that it's walking a fine line, with race being such a sensitive issue in this country? SJ: My feeling about culture is that it's there for the taking. People may be concerned about things like that, but they don't realize the contributions people of all races and cultures have made to different forms of music. Like Kathleen Battle, one of the world's greatest opera singers should she not sing opera because it's a western form of music? I think that's absurd. There's a danger when people who don't share common experiences with things they're trying to explore. You have to be honest with what you do. There are terrible white rap groups, and there are terrible black rap bands. But someone's color shouldn't have anything to do with self-expression. <====