An extended-gestating collaboration between Chuck D and The Doorways drummer John Densmore has lastly arrived — however not with out controversy.
The mission, launched below the title doPE, traces its roots again to Report Retailer Day 2014, when Chuck D served as official ambassador and met Densmore throughout a panel dialogue. Based on Chuck, the spark got here a 12 months later by way of electronic mail: “You’ve got received the beats, I’ve received the rhymes, let’s make doPE.”
The title was conceived as a hybrid of The Doorways‘ lowercase emblem aesthetic and Public Enemy‘s longtime shorthand, PE. Greater than a decade after their first assembly, the 2 cultural heavyweights have now accomplished a full collaborative album below that banner.
Nevertheless, the announcement rapidly drew a response from Edsel Dope, frontman of the long-running industrial steel band Dope, who publicly accused the duo of infringing on a reputation he says he has legally owned — and lived — for over 25 years.
Opening his assertion with an emphatic “Yooooooo!”, Edsel made it clear this was not an assault on the artists themselves. I’m an enormous fan of Chuck D, Public Enemy, and The Doorways, so the very last thing that I need to do is interrupt a artistic endeavor from two legends that I like and respect.”
Nonetheless, he careworn that the title dope is inseparable from his personal profession and identification. “It will be important for me to focus on the 25 years I’ve dedicated to constructing a band/model, which has discovered a superb little bit of success and constructed a large fan base across the globe. These 4 letters ‘dope’ have been tattooed on my knuckles since 1998.”
Edsel went on to state that the title isn’t just symbolic, however legally protected. “I appropriately registered the artist title dope and I’ve owned the Trademark, ever since I hit the scene, greater than 25 years in the past… The paperwork is updated, and my rights concerning the title are indeniable.”
He additionally pointed to the sensible implications within the fashionable streaming period, suggesting that the newly shaped doPE might trigger vital market confusion. “Selecting to name themselves doPE would invite a superb little bit of market confusion, particularly on the streaming companies like Spotify, the place I’ve greater than 1,000,000 month-to-month listeners, together with a number of hundred million mixed streams…”
Regardless of the agency stance, Edsel struck a conciliatory tone, positioning himself as a fan first — and even extending an olive department. “Subsequent to the 2 of you, I humbly contemplate myself ‘the little man’. So if YOU TWO LEGENDS are dedicated to utilizing MY FOUR LETTERS, please hit me up immediately, as I’d like to be a part of some type of collaborative effort with you.”
He closed with reverence for each artists’ legacies: “I do know each phrase from Apocalypse 91 & I’ve smoked extra weed listening to The Doorways than one might ever think about. LOVE AND RESPECT TO YOU BOTH!”
As of now, neither Chuck D nor John Densmore has publicly responded to Edsel Dope‘s assertion. Whether or not the state of affairs escalates right into a authorized dispute, leads to a reputation change, or unexpectedly evolves right into a three-way collaboration stays to be seen.
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