WTF?
Here's a twist on an OC Weekly blog from a few weeks ago. You may remember that last month's Hotlist in Rolling Stone deemed the muse du jour of rappers across the nation to be fictional anchorman Ron Burgundy. This month's RS reported on an unlikely rapper du jour for off-kilter hip-hop fans. If you haven't heard by now, it's Kid Rock.
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In fact, the hallowed music mag printed a picture of self-proclaimed feces-target Tila Tequila locked in the arms of a would-be Kid Rock. The impostor had the look down to a T–with aviator sunglasses, goatee and long blond hair tucked under a fedora.
The man was so convincing, in fact, that Ms. Tequila was never aware she was being canoodled by an imitator, even when she reportedly simulated fellatio on him.
While this particular incident happened in Las Vegas, RS reports there have been fake Kid Rocks spotted in Detroit as well as in New Orleans. According to Unkle Cracker, the latter charged the field during a Saint's game. Guh?
Who?
Kid Rock is one of those musicians whose dogged determination over the decades led him to considerable success in the early millennium. Because he refused to give up despite early failures in the 1990s, the world was gifted with such rap-rock anthems as “Bawitdaba” and “American Badass.”
His forthcoming release
Born Free, produced by Rick Ruben, features cameos from such luminaries as Sheryl Crow and T.I. and the eponymous single has been licensed by TBS to promote post-season Major League Baseball.The jam falls back on a Southern-style rock sound in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd and could just as easily double as B-Roll for a Chevy commercial.
Begging the Question?
With all the high-profile new talent in the world, both good and bad, why imitate Kid Rock? This isn't a knock at Kid's chops which are considerable when you figure the talent he's been asked to perform with–a litany of artists that includes the likes of Trey Anastasio and Metallica.
But you'd be hard pressed to find anyone capable of making a good argument that he has ever had a fresh sound. Even his early success was launched from the coat tails of other rap- rock acts as Limp Bizkit and Korn. Has anyone heard of a person sincerely impersonating Fred Durst?
Sadly, since those early starlit days Rock devolved into a songwriter whose music is groaning with classic rock pastiche.
But all things considered, we should count our lucky stars that the world has yet to be overrun by Justin Bieber dopplegangers (so far as we know). And something Kid Rock said in the Rolling Stone article in response to his imitator's encounter with Ms. Tequila was quite reassuring. “I wouldn't be caught dead with TIla Tequila holding her boobs and taking a picture.”
Right on bro. Maybe people like you because despite your blatant cliche's, you just might actually have some genuine conviction.
When it all goes down:
According to Kid Rock's Web site, Born Free will be released Nov. 16.
