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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 11:22 am: | 
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A familiar pattern is emerging in the world of pop music as witnessed by the fact that white Eminem swept the Rap categories last night on the American Music Awards show. Nelly just won once. Poor Baby.
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Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 11:17 pm: |
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Talking about Rap. One of the local radio DJ's (Ed Lover, Power 105.1 NYC) was lamenting over the state of rap music. He complained about the apparent unwarranted success of artists like 50 Cent and how a deceased artist like Tupac can continue to burn up the charts. He says the genre has to evolve.
It occurred to me the Ed Lover needs to evolve – he has gotten too old for the popular Rap music a 40ish year old man its too old to be passionate about something where a 16 year old is the target audience. People who buy pay 50 Cent’s CD’s are quite happy, judging by the sales. Twenty years from now 50 Cent fans will be talking about how great 50 Cents was “back in the day” and how weak the current artists are. Besides he has to listen to the same 20 song over and over I’m sure he is bored to death – maybe that is why these dee-jay talk so much garbage.
White or otherwise Eminem is as good as any of the popular rappers out today. Obviously Rap is no longer the domain of Black inner-city youth. There are stores in Tokyo Japan selling Rap to rival most stores in the US (selling it on vinyl too). Rap was co-opted long ago. Just like our literature if you want something good you have to dig for it. You are not going to hear it on the radio first and it is not going to win an American Music Awards either.
What is the purpose of these award shows anyway? Do we really think their purpose or goal is to promote and award excellence?
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Cynique
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 12:18 pm: |
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Hi Troy,
Yes, Eminem is good. And Rap, like jazz, has become the domain of anyone who can master its flavor and technique. That's the way it goes. The purpose of these awards shows? I dunno. They're popularity contests,I guess, and they certainly give the platinum-garnished winners a chance to shuffle on stage and "thank God", and give shout outs to all of their homies. Peace out.
Cynique |
Sandra
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 05:00 pm: |
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I didn't see the show. Nelly won only one award??
I can't believe it. Eminem took over huh--oh well, no news there.
Poor Nelly and his air force ones. |
Chris Hayden
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 10:29 am: |
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Well, we have seen it before with Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Michael Jackson (Michael Jackson?) that white folks like their black music white--they do, after all, buy most of the records.
It won't change in my lifetime, and is probably inevitable, since some cross/fertilization communication is what is the goal.
Maybe Black folks should start doing polka music, country and Lawrence Welk. |
Kenneth White
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 09, 2003 - 03:29 pm: |
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I have loved and respected hip-hop music and culture ever since I was seven years old. I can honestly admit that if it were not for its influence upon my life, then I probably would not be a poet/spoken word artist today.
My primary concern involving the current state of rap music is not so much the artists themselves as it is the repetitive shallow content which surfaces on BET, MTV and VH-1 everyday. I am not trying to sound like a stickler or the poster boy for censorship, but I personally find it alarming when the majority of our CDs and videos revolve around the three "Bs:" booty shaking, bling bling and Bentleys.
Surely the mainstream must realize that we have more subjects to share with the world than empty fantasies. Yet, I know that it is usually all about marketing, record sales and airtime. I am a firm believer in building a lighthouse instead of sitting around just cursing the darkness. However, it is still not easy for conscious wordsmiths or Christian rap artists (and there are literally MANY of them out there...although you would hardly know from watching BET and MTV)to gain more avenues to be heard. Hopefully, in the near future, more up and coming singers, rappers and bards will embrace the realization so emphasized by artists like Lauryn Hill, who said, "Fantasy is what we want, but reality is what we need." Peace (John 14:27).
"I don't begrudge anybody from making the music they want,...But if it's not fulfilling to my soul, I don't want to listen to it." -- Common (from the article "The Cross," XXL, March 2003)
"Underground is the sound of rebirth." -- Mars ILL (from the song "Black Market")
www.sphereofhiphop.com
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