Thursday, May 04, 2006

Sign O' The Times

So this one could be long. But if you love music like I do it should be an easy read for you. This has been milling about in my head for a minute, and Im gonna try to get it all out. There's alot of debate about the state of music. More specifically black music, and to get even more specific.....the state of HipHop music. D4L has caught alot of heat for 'Laffy Taffy'. I hate the song just as much as the next person but we cant blame the perception of HipHop music being in a weird place on them or any other particular artist for that matter.

Before I start let me remind you that these are my thoughts and opinions. You can reference the name of the blog (see it up there in white letters?) if you have any questions. Im not saying you should feel the exact same way. It's just the way I see it. And with that said....................

You know who I blame? I blame 3 entities. The labels, the media, and US! Not the U.S., but our dumb, lazy, cheap, downloading asses. Allow me to break it down for you..........

THE LABELS : You can blame them, and then again you can kinda see their position in the matter. They are in it to make money. That's it. Simple as that. Basically they couldnt give a shit less about the artist, the history, the culture or anything else that aint the bottom line. They dont give a fuck about what you say, what you represent, what you promote, how many imaginary people you dump on, how many fake birds/bricks/cakes/grams/kilos/pies/pounds you move....as long as them first week numbers and that soundscan looks right, then carry on my nigga!!! You can record all the death and destruction you want. Them shits betta move units though! Hell.....spit about peace, tranquilty and butterflies if you want. As long as them shits move yo! Fuck ya talent, this is a business. You aint heard? Them niggas at the label prolly cant stand "Laffy Taffy" niether, but that shit racked up bookoo spins and 'nuff sales for them to stomach it. The lables are in it for the money. Cant be said any more plain that that.

THE MEDIA : I'm not sure if they are the biggest culprits here or if it is the people in general. I place a good amount of blame on the commercialization of hiphop. We didnt have these kinds of problems when MTV only gave us 'Yo! MTV Raps'. Now we got MTV2 (which is damn near all HipHop all the time) and MTV Jams and etc. The thing is that the balance of music is not presented like it should be. Radio and TV are still the most popular, simpliest forms of mass communications. The internet is right up there, but every nigga in the 'hood aint got a computer yet. And if you turn on the radio in AnyHood, USA you'll more than likely here the same 9 songs on that town's No. 1 station. And that kinda goes back to us....but I'll save that for the 3rd verse. It doesnt help that BET just aint interested in balancing out what they show! Did they really say Little Brother's "Lovin' It" was too intelligent? Didnt Styles P make a video for "I'm Black" ? Why didnt it get any burn? Why did radio turn it's back on it? I mean aside from 50 shutting shit down at Interscope in retaliation for the beef. But I mean really.....I was soooo disappointed that radio gave it less love than the KKK got for the NAACP. If the people dont know about all these dope artist that arent on major labels, then how can we support them. If the radio doesnt play them, then how can we know about it. Im sorry but people dont go into a record store no more and just buy shit b/c it looks interesting. CD's are like $20 now! Nobody got the time nor the funds to be curious like they used to. Take a stand why dont you? Demand the video stations play some other shit. Call and request to hear so and so on your local radio station. Do something dammit.

US : How that shit from the Fugees album go? "If you let a mu'fucka kick you 5 times, he'll kick you 5 times. But if you cut off the mu'fuckin foot.....wont be no more kicking!" Like I said man. Take a stand for crying out loud. If you really are interested in finding out what else is out there besides the shit you are force fed on TV and radio, then go out and research. Hit the local Mom and Pop store as opposed to Tower or FYE or the big chain retailer. Thank God for the internet in that respect. Now if you hear the name of an artist once, if you are really a music lover you might go and check some their shit out online. But it's a double-edged sword b/c nigs nowadays will just download your whole album and keep it moving. But that shit is wack man! If you like the new Ghostface album, go buy your own copy man. Dont get a burned copied from your boy. Stop being cheap man and go support that shit. We are killing the quality artist by not buying the fucking CD. And stop making Jigga have to "dumb down (his) lyrics to double (his) dollars". Niggas always wanna party and not have to think. In addition to music making us feel good or wanna have fun, it also can make us think. Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin On" is a classic example of that. When was the last time we got something anywhere near that zone? "Come on baby light my fire...music is supposed to inspire/So how come we aint getting no higher" - Lauryn Hill. We aint getting no higher b/c Joe Budden's album didnt sell. Im still mad at that shit. That album was one of the best, most introspective albums of the last few years. His joint didnt do numbers, but 50 sold like 11 mil that same year? What part of the game is that? And I aint mad at 50. I love that album too. But see that's the thing. I have both! Do you? It's about having a balance man. Some days I like the energy of a 'What Up Gangsta' and a 'Heat'. (That whole damn track is SICK!), but shit some days I aint that aggressive. Some days I can kick back and put a '10 Minutes' or a 'Calm Down' on and just zone out for a second. Anyone who listens to strictly one or the other is a severely fucked up, non-well rounded individual and I suggest you keep your distance. Find some balance, bitches! Know that it is more out there than they tell you about. Go out on a limb and discover some shit. Please.....Im beggin you.

Inspiration for this blog : Mos Def's song "Beef", repeated references to "Laffy Taffy" fucking up the game, Phonte's verse from "Boondock Saints", fiending for VH1 Soul b/c they do play new shit that I never heard and end up finding that I like, Dr. Wax, remembering the era when I would hear Artifact's "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks" on the radio and knowing that that era is soooooo long gone, and the feeling of feeling like you are the only one up on some dope shit that you came up on and wanting/needing/having to tell all your peeps about it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure for some this will be educational because, for some reason, people get the idea that songs like Laffy Taffy are Hip Hop and that's just crazy. Thank you for the getting out some ground rules for true Hip Hop 'cause it sho ain't the late nite video bullshhh you see on BET.

Cherise said...

Music is in a state of disaster right now. I agree wholeheartedly with you. I refuse to even listen to the popular radio stations. I keep it ole skool and gangsta in my car.. LOL Yes I do. If I do listen to the radio, it's usually our ole skool station that plays strictly MUSIC (if you know what I mean)

I believe that it is up to US to make a stand against this pop hip hop era. A lot younger kids don't understand what Hip Hop means. We do! We grew up during time when music meant something... Take the X clan, right.. U could actually dance to their music and learn something at the same time. That just doesn't happen anymore.


It's sad really when I think back to the late 80's and early to mid 90's.. I used to be excited to go to the record store.. back when there was no Best Buy or Big chains ... we had the neighborhood Mom and Pop joints that welcomed us into their stores.. I could stay in there for hours rumagging thru tons of music.. Now, shit I can't remember the last time I bought a damned CD. It sucks and I want my music back.. NOW.
LOL


And lastly, there are lots of artists out there that people sleep on... too many to name, but I try my best to support them by buyin the album.. Peeps like Glen Jones, Goapele, Amiel Larrieaux...and on and on...


Holla atcha girl Teej.. LOL


Damned word verification

Anonymous said...

I agree with Reesie. Somehow it was so different in the 80's and 90's. I couldn't wait to get this or that CD or Album when it dropped. Now, its just so lame. But you know me, I damn near support Itunes. I will lose my damn mind and drop $200 in one sittin because I gotta have it.

Yet, even with the new music today, I find myself nostalgic listening to some old 80's raps and songs when they come on the radio. Even stuff way back in the 60's and 70's -- somehow we've lost our soul. While I can dance to "Miss New Booty" just like the next girl, there's something to be said for some old school and the way it was. Throw on some old Prince, Duran Duran, Madonna, Tears for Fears, LL Cool J, EPMD, whateva and you know that's the party to set it off.

Alas, we cannot go back.

See ya on the B Side, Clo

Nika Laqui said...

Teej, you did the damn thang on this here...

I love that, "I'm Black" joint.

Don't tell me that Stlyes got a video for that shit.....

I'm bout to put it on my webpage if he does....

Sim1 said...

OH TJ!!!
You’ve done it now!!!

Like Dead Prez said....

*It's bigger than hip hop*

When I was working in the industry my colleagues and I would debate this issue daily and you are right!!!

The $ or £ or whatever your currency reigns supreme!!!
Record companies are only interested in record sales!

I am so deliberate in my terminology because I feel the word "artist" is used too freely.

In my humble opinion...

L'il John is not an artist.
Usher is not an artist
D4L ?? who??
I won’t continue the list as being that it serves no purpose as it is subjective….
Oh what the hell!!!!
Nelly is not an artist.
Bubba Sparks is not an artist.
Paul Wall is not an artist.
Bow Wow is not an artist.
Rhianna is not an artist
Beyonce could be an artist but chooses not to be an artist.
Chris Brown is not an artist.
Christina Milian is not an artist.
Ray J is not an artist.

Not one of these mf has moved me…maybe my hips but that’s about it!


These people are entertainers....singers...rappers...dancers if you will. Who exist to profit from the market!! These people will sit around thinking about what does the public want to see?

An artist creates!!!
An entertainer duplicates and perpetuates!!

I don’t believe censorship is the way forward… but the issue you raised i.e. the lack of balance only goes to show that we *the record buying public* need Jesus *lol* Can a sister get some options!!!
It’s like going to a store and there is only one brand on offer….*Stoopid Shit*
(after seeing/hearing Nelly’s *Grills* video/track I’m upset)

But on a serious note the only reason there is a shit storm of ignorance on or airwaves/tv screen/ipod playlist is because we want it there. (I use the term *we* in the loosest sense of the word).

Being the radical that I am I see it like this!!

A record only gets phenomenally success if white people are buying it!! I’m not a statistician but I’ve been informed that that African Americans represent approximately 13% of the US population. Correct me if I am wrong! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans#Current_demographics
In the United Kingdom black people represent under 2% of the UK population.

With that said why would a person of the Caucasian persuasion be interested in seeing people of African descent transgress stereotypes….they are quite comfortable seeing us roll around in our shit (i.e. ignorance). These performers D4L et al. are the 21st Century coons and help perpetuate the ideology that makes our little girls wanna drop it like it’s hot and our young men believe that “a whip and a chain is the american dream” - Common!! This thinking stops us from being a political threat!! Design or coincidence…you tell me!!

When Dead Prez’s first album dropped I nearly passed out…I couldn’t believe Columbia records would sign up to the notion that…

Everywhere the white man goes he brings misery
all throughout history, look it up,
everything them bald heads touch, they fuck it up,
every goverment set up is already corrupt.

but hey where there is a market there is a way!

Anyhoo DP presented an alternative (balance if you will) they championed the necessity for a unified black community, an awareness of self, the need for a focused body and mind….they asked listeners to challenge dominant ideology (okay I know I’m going off on a Marxist tip). Every black person I know was excited….and the album achieved *critical acclaim* but what did the general “record buying public” say?? Nah….none for me I’m full!!!

50 Cent releases The Massacre and its certified quadruple Platinum in a month….I guess the general public said “Please sir… I want some more.”

In short these performers will continue to pollute the airwaves for personal gain and give the general public what they are accustomed to. Heck even self enslaved black people will think contribute to our cultural death. The awful by-product is providing the next generation with images and sounds that are bound to corrupt their thinking and actions and keeping us a *limited people*.

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

I have no problem with D4L ana dmook, Fabo or Born Immaculate. They been in the game for 12 plus years and im gl;ad to see they made it doing what they liked and not what folks consider should be sold or what is music - i have more problem with the fuck boys the likes of 50, TI, Yayo who would rather talk about what they have and killing that community betterment

nice blg folk

and chk these references out
1] http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2006/05/wild-wild-mess.html

2] http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2006/02/these-niggas-shootin-again.html

3] http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2006/01/fuckd-up-view-of-manhood.html

4] http://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/2005/12/age-of-fuck-boy.html