Tricky Bizznizz

"It's Tricky" was a song by Run DMC released 86 

"Tricky Disco" by Tricky Disco (GTO) was a hardcore rave tune released on the warp label in 90 

I have blogged briefly about the graffiti artist "Banksy " before ,He formed part of a group of graffiti artists including "Goldie", "Inkie", "3D" who are all associated with the Bristol hip hop scene.   On more than one occasion as a teenager my friends and  I arrived at the Barton Hill youth Club mini ramp and to our frustration find it unusable as its being painted with their latest piece (I suppose today we would ask them for their autographs)

"Inkie" used to go to school with my brother.

 "3.D." (who produced Neneh Cherrie's "Man Child" ) seemed at the time the epitome of cool, However over the years I remember meeting the various members of Massive Attack and despite loving their music, I was disappointed to discover they were in reality just flawed human beings like the rest of us. So it didn't surprise me to read about the very public falling out over the years of the various members, To be fair their first album "Blue Lines" was always going to be an impossibly a hard act to follow. The pressures must have been immense.Today I read the latest episode in that "Massive Attack" saga "Tricky's" attack on "3.D."

It was Massive Attacks "Tricky" who has most triggered me. An undeniable musical talent I first met "Tricky" in my local pub which for some reason he visited just after the release of the first album.At the time I was on a date with "hot" young lady he made a b line for her and began to chat her up ignoring completely. He quickly asked her to go with him  and she paused (too long) to think before eventually declining,  to which his response was "If you go home with me I'll give you some massive attack t-shirts" again she gave it some thought before declining.

I almost forgot about "Tricky" (to my mind he never repeated the quality of his work on blue lines) until a few years later when he had an encounter with another "girl of mine" we weren't actually in a relationship, but she was staying with me and I was keen on the idea so imagine my annoyance when she came home one night excited telling me she had met Tricky at a party and he had autographed her underwear ! - suffice to say that friendship was short-lived.

So it seems Tricky has the habit of exposing my deepest fears and insecurities and so I wasn't surprised when his attack on "3.D." evoked similar emotions about what it is to be "pretentious" "self confident" , "cool" , "a white guy"...

Reading about Trickys life I realise how privileged I have been . Life has dealt him some hard knocks but despite that he managed to use his talent to make a successful career where others might have fallen by the way .