Access Sez So: Album Review: Stuntdouble & Tenshun – The Ballad of Shawn T. Nelson EP
Wes has been locked in his basement listening to this 7-inch and writing the great American novel a review. Now, he’s back with a vengeance.
Just a few a months ago, one of my favorite San Diego releases of the year dropped with a bang! And while it’s just a 7-inch EP with a mere four tracks, it’s a little release that had big things to say!
After their last album, Don’t Have to be Drunk To Tell the Truth, was released back in 2007, Stuntdouble and DJ/Producer Tenshun continued to perform locally, maintaining their presence around San Diego’s underground scene. Tenshun, as a solo act, has worked steadily on pushing out releases independently and through several other indie labels as a following of fans of his drum heavy production continues to grow. Stuntdouble remains equally busy juggling back and forth between school, work and family life, recording songs between releases, sometimes with other producers. Unfortunately, as the years passed, the material and the hours put into said sessions had become all but an afterthought for the emcee, and sadly those tracks may never see the light of day. Over the years, I would see both artists here at Access, and I’d always be eager to hear anything new and if they would at least hint at another release together. Finally, after a few delays over the summer in which the plates to press the brand new EP on vinyl were denied due to sampling issues, their long talked about return is here!
Stuntdouble didn’t set out to make an EP about how “fine” his city is with some half-assed anthems your friends can chant the words to at house parties. “Welcome to San Diego. Now go home.” These words are printed directly on the label of the record itself and this pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the EP. The Ballad of Shawn T. Nelson is a release filled with political connotations and the social commentary fans have come to expect from the fire-bearded and equally hot-tempered emcee. It’s aimed specifically at life in San Diego, from the perspective of the average citizen, and not some pamphlet-pushing tour guide who can’t wait to lure visitors on a tour bus to “America’s Finest City,” as it is so affectionately dubbed by the media. As an outsider myself, living in various neighborhoods amongst this city’s inhabitants for the last ten years, “America’s Finest City” is a term that definitely feels outdated.
The EP opens with a dark story about an almost forgotten incident that took place right here in San Diego. You pretty much know you’re in for a rude awakening as Stuntdouble exposes the things that really make this city tick.
Stuntdouble & Tenshun “The Ballad of Shawn T. Nelson”
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When Stuntdouble first told me about the new material and refreshed my memory on who Shawn T. Nelson actually was, the idea initially sounded like it could make for a hilarious storytelling piece with Stuntdouble’s usual comedic wit applied to what most people remember as an odd and sort of comical moment in San Diego history. After hearing the song itself, I’m happy to say that I was wrong in hoping for something of that nature. It wasn’t some long drawn out joke. I was thinking so simply about it being this humorous rant about “That guy who hijacked that tank 15 years ago.”
Yeah, that guy! The guy who went on a rampage in Clairemont back in 1995. The guy whose footage is so famous, that it became part of the extreme reality TV boom in the late 90′s like World’s Dumbest Criminals, and sadly “that guy whole stole the tank” is now the butt of the joke on said shows.
The story we’re not told and one that Stuntdouble wanted to tell is that Shawn T. Nelson was a man at odds with himself, losing everything in his life as it rapidly eroded around him. The U.S. Army Veteran suffered from injuries caused by a motorcycle accident in 1990, which would then lead to a downward spiral of financial problems. He unsuccessfully tried to sue the hospital that treated him for $1.5m, claiming negligence and false imprisonment among other charges. After the case was dismissed, the hospital in question counter-sued for thousands in unpaid bills and legal fees. Nelson’s wife later filed for divorce, and soon after, his parents died of cancer in 1992. This is where a little of the crazy began to settle in for Nelson, fueled by a methamphetamine addiction. From mining for gold in his backyard to a new lawsuit he tried to file against the city for $200,000, he only continued his downward spiral. Understandably, Shawn T. Nelson was distraught, and yes, maybe a little out of his mind at the time. But considering the circumstances I’d say that sounds like enough to drive any man a little crazy.
So while the media portrayed him as this tank-wielding lunatic, Stuntdouble suggests a different perspective, one in which we view Shawn T. Nelson as the victim in this situation, which resulted in Nelson’s death. It’s the death of a man who previously mentioned suicidal tendencies, a man who was clearly crying out for help, and yet no one would—or could—offer it to him. From the time it took to commandeer a tank, he plowed through city streets and pancaked cars, only to meet his bloody end.
Stuntdouble goes for the heart and you actually begin to feel bad for this complete stranger on the final line: “He lived his whole entire life in 23 minutes, while the newsman warned us of graphic images.” Stuntdouble’s haunting retelling of the events over three quickly delivered verses is intercut with actual commentary from news crewmen in helicopters and police chatter. All of this is laid over a tense beat that changes up at least twice. The atmosphere of this song is just as suspenseful as the actual events that unfolded on live television.
Stuntdouble & Tenshun “Cold War”
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On “Cold War,” the meaning of the word “cold” takes on two forms. The song is quite literally about climate change, how there’s just something not right about the weather in San Diego these days. Stuntdouble takes a small jab at John Coleman during the song. He broke it down for me when I asked about it:
“Look, here’s a fucking guy who’s been doing the weather for KUSI for years and something most people don’t know is that he’s one of the strongest global warming denouncers out there. He’s been on Fox News to debate it, he gets funded to go around the country holding public forums about it, KUSI gave him a two-hour special in which he basically told viewers that global warming is horseshit.”
Digging deeper on “Cold War” you can also see that there is a general feeling that people are simply acting cold toward one another. As it relates to the undergound hip hop scene, Stuntdouble described to me that “a lot of us in the [San Diego] hip hop community walk around with a chip on our shoulder, because we feel like we do have a good scene and for some reason we’re always overlooked.” San Diego hasn’t been a forgiving place for the hip hop community in recent years. Crowds have become scarce and if your friends don’t show up for support than it’s likely there’s no one to perform for even when local artists bring in bigger names for a show. Stuntdouble expresses these frustrations and more as Tenshun provides a slower paced beat, allowing for a relaxed delivery from the emcee about such stressful topics. It’s almost like a phone conversation to the everyday people of San Diego.
Stuntdouble & Tenshun “Enemy”
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If you thought the first track on the EP was heavy, “Enemy” sheds light on the issues this city has and how broken San Diego’s political landscape really is. Stuntdouble was extra expressive when explaining to me: “I vote every fucking cycle, I put in fucking hours of research before I vote and I pay attention to what’s going on in my city and who’s on those ballots.”
The song touches on the fact that the conservatives in control believe that this is a city that thrives only on tourism as they cut city jobs, gouge public schooling budgets, and eliminate community services. In one lyric Stuntdouble puts it quite simply where city officials’ interests lie as they “fire the librarians, but keep the graf task force.” Decisions are made that continue to support the belief system that there is only one way to generate revenue here. And the victims of this thought process are the citizens, not the tourists. Hearing his points throughout this track, you can’t help but agree that there is an entire culture of people who are only here for the attraction of San Diego. And they continue to exploit it. So while those in charge continue to cater to the tourism industry with the goal of maintaining our reputation as one of the nicest cities in America to visit, they can’t even find the money or the time to address something as problematic as our ballooning homeless population.
From the outside looking in, San Diego is quite deceiving, and Stuntdouble makes it quite clear that this is a city made to look liberal, when in fact it’s an oddly, conservatively-run, Republican town. On the chorus, Stuntdouble repeats, “Because I love it like an enemy, this place will probably be the death of me.” So for as much hard-hitting eye openers there are in the song, it also shows that the lifelong San Diego resident is still devoted to his city.
Stuntdouble & Tenshun “Shaving C.R.E.A.M.”
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The closing track, “Shaving C.R.E.A.M.,” features another fast and heavy beat, but it lightens up the mood with a bit of humor. It is also the only track that isn’t San Diego specific, as Stuntdouble cites many of his literary heroes from the past who rocked wild beards back in the day like Walt Whitman and John Updike. He takes pride in having facial hair and tips his hat to any and all that do, as kind of a follow up to another beard-themed song, “El Guapo,” off the duo’s previous album.
The Ballad of Shawn T. Nelson is about the love-hate relationship we all share with San Diego. And sometimes it’s enough to make you just want to take to the streets and drive a fucking tank through it all! This is perhaps some of the best work I’ve heard from the two working as a duo and my only complaint is that there weren’t any cuts or scratches from Tenshun. But I suppose there’s only so much you can fit on a 7-inch. Hopefully, there’ll be room for that on an official third full-length still to come. And hopefully still, it is just as powerful and well thought-out as the tracks presented on this EP.
Reading be fun though:
