FBI out of line A California congressman blasted the Federal Bureau of Investigation for violating its charter after the bureau took an official position on the controversial rap song "Fuck the Police", by NWA (Niggers With Attitudes), a group from Compton, California. The congressman's move came in the wake of an FBI letter sent to NWA's label, Priority Records, that condemned the song for "advocating violence and assault" against police. "This smacks of censorship, and the FBI shouldnt be in the business of censorship", said Congressman Don Edwards, Democrat of San Jose, California, who is chairman of a House subcommittee that monitors the bureau's activities. Edwards -- a former G-man himself -- contacted the FBI on October 10th, objecting to its letter about NWA and demanding a full explanation. In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, DC, protested the FBI's action and called on the Justice Department to retract the letter. Members of NWA would not comment on the issue, although group member and songwriter Ice Cube previously called the track a "revenge fantasy" stemming from what NWA views as repeated police harassment of young blacks. Priority --More-- Records chief Bryan Turner said, "We dont advocate violence in any way, shape or form, but we do advocate freedom of speech." Turner recently returned from the Soviet Union, where he lined up a Russian distribution deal for Priority albums that could include "Straight Outta Compton", which contains the inflammatory tune. The FBI's letter, signed by assistant director and bureau spokesman Milt Ahlerich, claimed the angry rap number "encourages violence against and disrespect for the law enforcement officer", describing the "unprecendented" surge in violent crime and detailing statistics of police murders during 1988. Concluding that "music plays a significant role in society", the letter ended on an ominous note, warning Priority "to be aware of the FBI's position relative to this song and its message." Earlier this year, the song became subject of an intense fax campaign among local police departments, with the lyrics transmitted to cops in cities where NWA toured. The number was deliberately excluded from the tour's regular set list, but when a few lines of "Fuck the Police" were chanted at a Detroit concert, a scuffle broke out, and group members were later briefly detained by local authorities. - Jeffrey Ressner, Rolling Stone Magazine X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven & the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845 Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766 realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662 Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699 The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674 Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560 "Raw Data for Raw Nerves" X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X