A number of (NOT ALL) hip hop musicians have gone on record saying that the marketplace and the industry encourages them to make their material more commercial by adding violent and profanity laced, materialistic and over-the-top stereotypical images and concepts to their work. They too know that this mythology reinforces destructive behavior at home and influences the world’s view of the Afro American in a decidedly negative direction. If you love black people how can you love this?
So far as the pornographic products and the minstrel show ghetto routines that are very popular, I can only say: THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. We want to consume these products and want them for our kids. It is people’s right to choose this, as it is mine to express my thoughts and perhaps dissuade some from the specific products to which I refer.
Daaaamn. I don't entirely disagree, but I feel like he's being a little too dismissive. However, I feel like he's earned the right to be critical as a well-accomplished musician himself.
But part of me thinks that maybe this is sour grapes because his music is less popular than what he considers to be "low-brow" art. I can name a lot of other artists in history who have been critical of the masses in their lack of appreciation of fine art. This seems to be in keeping with that idea.
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Originally Posted by ResAlien
If we can't fall in love with replaceable bottom 6 players then the terrorists have won.
Daaaamn. I don't entirely disagree, but I feel like he's being a little too dismissive. However, I feel like he's earned the right to be critical as a well-accomplished musician himself.
But part of me thinks that maybe this is sour grapes because his music is less popular than what he considers to be "low-brow" art. I can name a lot of other artists in history who have been critical of the masses in their lack of appreciation of fine art. This seems to be in keeping with that idea.
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"If Javex is your muse…then dive in buddy"
- Surferguy
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There's a lot of truth to what he's saying, but it's not just true about hip-hop. Pop music in general does a pretty fantastic job of glorifying or idealizing lifestyles that are full of what could be considered outside of healthy and positive behavior. Highly emotional caricatures sell music. People are swayed by simple and emotionally charged images. The caricatures that have roots in the origins of hip-hop just happen to involve a lot of racial stereotyping because of where the music grew out of. Can still celebrate the successful hip-hop artists who aren't just performing as racial caricatures though.
Curious to know how others view Childish Gambino in relation to this. Guy is a successful and well-educated (NYU) performer who puts on a totally fake accent that clearly does not represent his own roots and plays on stereotypes in order to communicate a political message in This is America. Is that damaging or not?
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"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?"
There may be a few good hip-hop artists but they are lost in a sea of trash. Maybe I'm getting old as I grew up with 80's hair bands and there's no doubt it was full of cheesy posers and misogynistic lyrics but at least they could play musical instruments and write some good riffs. IMO hip-hop today is a new level of no-talent music.
We should accept that many devices and apps, such as lap-tops, tablets, Garage Band, drum machines, recording studios, etc., are also musical instruments.
We should accept that many devices and apps, such as lap-tops, tablets, Garage Band, drum machines, recording studios, etc., are also musical instruments.
They absolutely are. Just as the professional mixing board is an instrument that most musicians don’t know how to use well and would be useless without.
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He's 100% right; and I listen to a lot of the junk he's talking about.
There's no denying how negative the content is in so much hip hop. If you're an impressionable young person without enough other positive influences, not a good thing.
I grew up with the late 80s early 90s rap, hip pop and R&B. I always thought it was just me being a grumpy old man with the 95% of crap I hear today but a lot of the old school rappers and hip pop artists have said similar things about the lack of quality and frustrating stereotype that is modern rap and hip pop.
Good time to plug the best rap documentary on the infamous NYC radio station with Stretch and Bobbito, if you have even a remotely small interest in rap and hip pop this documentary shows its rise in an awesome way.
__________________ Allskonar fyrir Aumingja!!
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Wynton Marsalis Doubles Down on His Attack on "Most" Hip-Hop
