... the other Black experience
The Future of Black Music
Everytime I see a "Black" rap video (you know the deal: pimp, hos, drugs and any other negative stereotype we have) and seeing how people praise it so or buy into this crap, I always think of this video:
Seems like we really are headed this way, going completely backwards. Anytime there's a rapper that's proud of being - and staying - in the hood and never cracking open a book I really wonder for the condition of our people. Now I do know it's Black rappers on the cammeras but White execs who tell them to do this but the fact that it's all making bank is saying something. Of course, most mainstream rap albums are bought by White kids out in the Suburbs because we are like the "Arabian Nights" for them - a land so far and distant where there is lawlessness, exoticism, fast living and every moment is a cheat on death called "The Hood". Good grief, but Black kids are getting hit on the byway because that's really the most they ever see of anyone who has their skin, as some devious, modern-day rendition of some slave out of "Birth of a Nation".
Change can happen (I hope and wonder) but how? Yes there's AfroPunk but the issue goes far deeper than a website and independent film documentary. Even most of the Black community doesn't know we exist and as far as they're concerned, we think we're "White" because we stand outside the monolith. We went from Cab Calloway to Ella Fitzgerald to Lena Horne to Michael Jackson to this, Lil Wayne and T.I.. Ugh.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LesYpersound on -
yeah i had a similar thought not about black music, but specifically black american popular music.
what i was thinking though was that it's sad that younger folks may not aspire to play musical instruments... *shrugs* or use their bodies to interpret and express something other than sexual prowess or role-playing violence. i bet folks will point towards ppl like janelle monae though as a black person in pop who isn't "cooning"... *shrugs*
but yeah...there's no shortage of these "is this the future of rap/hip hop" posts on the internet lately... i didn't really read past the headlines but kanye west is collaborating w/ justin bieber? lol. whatever. it's culture. derivatives will dominate and that's fine. don't listen to it... no use in getting upset at it... just do you, etc. blahblahblah.
and it's ok that the standard or what is considered black music or music that black ppl can make has loosened up... and crap, for the moment, is what will surface faster than something that's not packaged for mass consumption. :) *shrugs*
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Permalink Reply by Laidback Mike on -
I agree we need a change in all forms. It's sad to see black culture going this way...
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Permalink Reply by something else on -
I think the bitches, hoes, drugs, violence, etc themes is merely the rappers talking about the conditions they grew up in. Don't be so quick to judge them because they're talking about the only things they know.
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Permalink Reply by Kodachi on -
It's one thing to talk about how you came up but it's another when that's the only thing that's pushed and even rappers who haven't had that kind of life talks about it only. I'm fine with people talking about their experiences, dreams and fears, that's what's supposed to come out if you're an artist but when someone is acting harder/gangsta than thou and make music that closely resembles the video above, regardless whether it's true or not, that's when I have issue.
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Permalink Reply by Compound Egret on -
Whenever I think about some of the legends that have come before, I REALLY wonder about the future of Black music. Think about someone like Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye, or Gladys Knight. Who is really even on their way to that level right now?
In terms of rap, there are two things.
One thing I hate about rap is the supposed "reality". You can read an interview with Kerry King, King Diamond, etc, and they are not swearing up and down that they really sacrificed someone last night. They freely admit that it's entertainment.
Rappers are about to overload YT with all their claims of being real, when someone who really did all that murder and trafficking would never stand up and talk about it. I keep singing the song, but Rick Ross' BMF song is a great example.
Meech is doing decades, Hoover is doing life...how did they miss Big Rick??? Cause he's just a rapper talking trash, not likely a drug lord. He should tell the kids that idolize him that.
I also think that all the music that is being cited is really symptomatic of the breakdown of the family.
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Permalink Reply by Oba Richards on -
I love HIP-HOP artist like KRS-1 he spits knowledge to the people dem
Tupac kept all the whack rappers in check
Trick daddy let it be known what happens on a regular day in the hood
most of the rappers dont love music. they see it as a quick way to come up in this capitalist country.
I lived in some rough areas in miami however I can talk about much more than money,bitches,drugs and violence.
you educated niggas need to come off the high horses because you were exposed to more music growing up.
not everyone was that lucky. on the flip its sad to see people not want to broaden their horizon.
video kill the record shop , those beat makers dont give credit to the inspiring music they sample (kanye west "my way home" dude sampled and looped damn near the whole Gil Scott Heron " Home is where the hatred is") fuck
I feel the future of black music can be saved by educating the youngsters on the black music of the past.
Rick Ross the rapper was correctional officer in miami and he talked to a lot of dope boys when he worked in prison
thats why he know so much bout that shit. fucking lame
some of that mainstream r&b is no different from that whack ass rap
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Permalink Reply by Kodachi on
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Even being exposed to the same stuff over and over can create change tho. Just because someone was raised in the hood and had Lil' Scrappy stuffed in their ears from cradle to whenever doesn't mean he should or that the has to talk about the stereotypical stuff. Being exposed to more music is pretty instrumental to bettering someone's music talent but not always needed, I don't think. Just some personal creativity but that's seems to be hard to find when looking in the mainstream. And you don't have to be educated just to find out there's something out there besides what's being set right in front of you. I have friends who never went to college or have GED's, know far more music than I ever will. And it's hard to break out of a little box when you don't even know that you're there, there's better on the outside or taught consistently that it's 'bad' because it's not 'Black'. If there weren't so many mental walls, places like AfroPunk wouldn't have to exist because there wouldn't be this problem of being outside the super narrow monolith.
Yeah we could educate young rappers about the Black musical past and maybe even turn a couple of them into decent emcees but it seems Black kids don't even wanna learn about Black history. I was called "too White" just because I corrected some kid about Fredrick Douglass and explained that Blacks weren't always porch monkeys. It's like they don't care (yeah, someone can argue they were practically taught not to care but still, this is what I see).
R&B's not what it used to be either. Seems to be the same thing rap is but attached to a ballad but it also reflects the whole of Black music because at current it seems to be the same crap said over and over but either over terrible trip beats or copy+paste instrumentals. Steve Harvey was right in The Kings of Comedy when he said that no one ever sings about love anymore. It's all violence and sex.
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Permalink Reply by Kodachi on
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I didn't see that, I was writing my post but I did see the first video a while ago. It raised very good points! I like how he mentioned how some kid pretty much walks into an execs office wanting to be a rapper and a week later he comes back and says he's a killer. Really on point.
Blipp said:This pretty much sums it up.
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Permalink Reply by Kodachi on
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Yeah, I can be a bit harsh, not one of my best personality traits >.> I was raised in the hood in Baltimore so I definitely see what you're saying. We have a strong poetry underground here and even tho most if not all the poets both big and small came from the same hoods I did, we still managed to find something else to talk about that didn't sound like guns and robbers, lyrical edition. There are whole articles, books and social hegemonic (what defines the 'norms' of a particular society) about hip hop, black music and the mainstream and how it is suppose to be the modern placemark of all that is wrong with society (according to the mainstream eyes) and even how Eminem is part of a bigger representation of that. It's good reading.
And you're right, it does appeal to rebellious teens and for many reasons. Part of it is because of how (White) America perceives Black culture and their opinions haven't really changed much since the 1600s, 1700s 1800s to today and that opinion to the rebelious teen is like as a described before, an 1000 Arabian Nights kind of deal. Listeners today are incredibly desensitized because most music today (not just Black music) that is considered popular isn't very deep but very catchy. It's meant to make money, not be a beautiful piece of art, so a lot of people are being jipped hardcore. However being Black and raised in the hood and hearing Lil' Wayne all the time is going to produce a different result than being White and raised in the suburbs and listening to Lil Wayne because one kid is submerged to the point they nearly can't tell the difference between the fantasy they hear and the reality they're living whereas the other sees it all as something to dream about but can turn off, just like a video game.
Blipp said:Kodachi . . I would say you are a bit harsh, but I also don't agree with the excuse about being born in the hood therefore you are limited to rapping about what you are exposed to. Before hip hop existed there were ghettos and people who robbed, stole and sold drugs, however black music was not dominated with tales of gangstas guns drugs and ho's.
I suppose cursing, tales of extreme violence and sex will always appeal to rebellious teens.I took a listen to Emimen's "Recovery" CD and I swear most of the cursing and "shock value" is unnecessary . .or is it? . . Even with his talent as an emcee, he wouldn't sell as many cd's if he didn't include this sort of sick twisted lyrics to his songs.
It just shows how desensitized a generation of hip hop listeners are. The lyrics and behavior definitely had an impact on young black youth especially.The difference between the black and white listeners of hip hop are the fact that they have more options to opt out. Hip hop is mostly a genre decorated with words and not so much music . . the impact is much more severe since it can be absorbed and repeated so easily by anyone.
Kodachi said:Even being exposed to the same stuff over and over can create change tho. Just because someone was raised in the hood and had Lil' Scrappy stuffed in their ears from cradle to whenever doesn't mean he should or that the has to talk about the stereotypical stuff. Being exposed to more music is pretty instrumental to bettering someone's music talent but not always needed, I don't think. Just some personal creativity but that's seems to be hard to find when looking in the mainstream. And you don't have to be educated just to find out there's something out there besides what's being set right in front of you. I have friends who never went to college or have GED's, know far more music than I ever will. And it's hard to break out of a little box when you don't even know that you're there, there's better on the outside or taught consistently that it's 'bad' because it's not 'Black'. If there weren't so many mental walls, places like AfroPunk wouldn't have to exist because there wouldn't be this problem of being outside the super narrow monolith.
Yeah we could educate young rappers about the Black musical past and maybe even turn a couple of them into decent emcees but it seems Black kids don't even wanna learn about Black history. I was called "too White" just because I corrected some kid about Fredrick Douglass and explained that Blacks weren't always porch monkeys. It's like they don't care (yeah, someone can argue they were practically taught not to care but still, this is what I see).
R&B's not what it used to be either. Seems to be the same thing rap is but attached to a ballad but it also reflects the whole of Black music because at current it seems to be the same crap said over and over but either over terrible trip beats or copy+paste instrumentals. Steve Harvey was right in The Kings of Comedy when he said that no one ever sings about love anymore. It's all violence and sex.
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Permalink Reply by Fashionfreak on -
yeah biggie smalls might have lived what he rapped about and shit but the average cornball today on bet does NOT. they are talking about how much violence they 'experience' and the 'hood' then when they leave the booth go to their gated communities. that's real tough.....i cant believe the youth actually believe them. now these guys living in the projects listen to that and think it's so cool to be living in the ghetto and they stay there....just with a fancy car parked outside and expensive clothes in their rundown apartment.
i grew up listening to both hiphop and rock so i have an equal love for both. however i am starting to listen to rap less and less everyday. it doesn't feed my appetite AT ALL anymore....except for oldschool of course and a few lil wayne songs here and there.
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Permalink Reply by Fashionfreak on
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EXACTLY! some people feed into to it and to others it's merely entertainment then they go back to their REAL lives.
this is how i am......yeah fuck it i like to bump some of that ignant shit from time to time but in no way shape or form do i take it seriously. how can i? but it's sad to know there are thousands of people out there who do.
Kodachi said:And you're right, it does appeal to rebellious teens and for many reasons. Part of it is because of how (White) America perceives Black culture and their opinions haven't really changed much since the 1600s, 1700s 1800s to today and that opinion to the rebelious teen is like as a described before, an 1000 Arabian Nights kind of deal. Listeners today are incredibly desensitized because most music today (not just Black music) that is considered popular isn't very deep but very catchy. It's meant to make money, not be a beautiful piece of art, so a lot of people are being jipped hardcore. However being Black and raised in the hood and hearing Lil' Wayne all the time is going to produce a different result than being White and raised in the suburbs and listening to Lil Wayne because one kid is submerged to the point they nearly can't tell the difference between the fantasy they hear and the reality they're living whereas the other sees it all as something to dream about but can turn off, just like a video game.
Blipp said:Kodachi . . I would say you are a bit harsh, but I also don't agree with the excuse about being born in the hood therefore you are limited to rapping about what you are exposed to. Before hip hop existed there were ghettos and people who robbed, stole and sold drugs, however black music was not dominated with tales of gangstas guns drugs and ho's.
I suppose cursing, tales of extreme violence and sex will always appeal to rebellious teens.I took a listen to Emimen's "Recovery" CD and I swear most of the cursing and "shock value" is unnecessary . .or is it? . . Even with his talent as an emcee, he wouldn't sell as many cd's if he didn't include this sort of sick twisted lyrics to his songs.
It just shows how desensitized a generation of hip hop listeners are. The lyrics and behavior definitely had an impact on young black youth especially.The difference between the black and white listeners of hip hop are the fact that they have more options to opt out. Hip hop is mostly a genre decorated with words and not so much music . . the impact is much more severe since it can be absorbed and repeated so easily by anyone.
Kodachi said:Even being exposed to the same stuff over and over can create change tho. Just because someone was raised in the hood and had Lil' Scrappy stuffed in their ears from cradle to whenever doesn't mean he should or that the has to talk about the stereotypical stuff. Being exposed to more music is pretty instrumental to bettering someone's music talent but not always needed, I don't think. Just some personal creativity but that's seems to be hard to find when looking in the mainstream. And you don't have to be educated just to find out there's something out there besides what's being set right in front of you. I have friends who never went to college or have GED's, know far more music than I ever will. And it's hard to break out of a little box when you don't even know that you're there, there's better on the outside or taught consistently that it's 'bad' because it's not 'Black'. If there weren't so many mental walls, places like AfroPunk wouldn't have to exist because there wouldn't be this problem of being outside the super narrow monolith.
Yeah we could educate young rappers about the Black musical past and maybe even turn a couple of them into decent emcees but it seems Black kids don't even wanna learn about Black history. I was called "too White" just because I corrected some kid about Fredrick Douglass and explained that Blacks weren't always porch monkeys. It's like they don't care (yeah, someone can argue they were practically taught not to care but still, this is what I see).
R&B's not what it used to be either. Seems to be the same thing rap is but attached to a ballad but it also reflects the whole of Black music because at current it seems to be the same crap said over and over but either over terrible trip beats or copy+paste instrumentals. Steve Harvey was right in The Kings of Comedy when he said that no one ever sings about love anymore. It's all violence and sex.
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Permalink Reply by LesYpersound on
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thug life.
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