This morning at about 8:54 marks the 16th time this past week I've heard Future and Rihanna's "Love" song on the radio while I went up the street to get my hair cut. Now I didn't drive to my barbershop which is only two blocks away, I walked. But as I walked, I heard the song on the radio. A headache then came about me. Yeah I'm sick of hearing Future spelling out L-O-V-E like I didn't go to kindergarten and watch ENDLESS hours of Barney, Winnie the Pooh and Sesame Street when I was younger. We get it man, we know exactly what you want. Why do I have to keep being tortured? I really don't even like the song, but it's been drilled into me so much I know every lyric and when the snare kicks in at an exact second.And the song has been out for a few months. I'm surprised it's still getting airplay. I'm sure there is some other Rick Ross, French Montana, Future or Rihanna song that's about to come out and needs to be played over and over until my brain oozes out like creamy peanut butter.
I don't hate the radio. I actually love the radio, when select songs are played of course. Those days when they play old cuts like 01' Luda, some old school Kellz (R. Kelly for you who aren't hip to the game) or occasionally some Hov from the Blueprint. I remember one night WGCI played nothing but Kanye West, from College Dropout on, focusing more on his past works. That was a great refresher. Having the opportunity to listen to music from my childhood makes me that much closer to myself in my earlier ages. People older probably feel the same way reminiscing Pac and Big, Prince, The O'Jay's, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye etc. Satellite radio is personally my favorite because it isn't as censored. I can actually hear the music as it was made, explicit and all. I'm not a fiend for hearing curse words and nasty lyrics but it gives the music more meaning and more powerful, as long as it isn't done unnecessarily. But imagine hearing a 2Pac song censored, you might as well listen to a Barney sing-a-long. Also the artists are much more diverse. On the Hip-Hop/Rap radio, you can hear more than the people you see on MTV and BET. But more independent artists, Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Big K.R.I.T. are some of my favorites. And it's not just their popular stuff, but more of their songs that go unnoticed but is just as good. Little people know that Jay-Z's Allure is every bit as good as Encore or that In Cold Blood (Rick Ross off Deeper than Rap) is better than BMF. I went on a driving lesson with my brother and on our way to the range, Reasonable Doubt was being played. Screw learning how to drive, give me a glass of Hen and a Cubano and let me chill. It was bliss.
Now let me actually dig into the topic. A constant discussion about music nowadays is either how mainstream everything is, how artists have changed since getting noticed and how music is affecting people and influencing in the wrong way, especially the hood. Let's attack each.
In my opinion, I don't view music as mainstream and other as most do. Yes, there is music that is known more than other and is seen as "dominant". But, music is music. It's all in the hands of the people. The people determine the success of an artist and their work. If the people don't like what the artist puts out, then that artist can't eat. If the people like the music, and in this case, a lot of people, then you see how a lot is in place how it is now. Constant radio play and rotation, television takeover, and all of the other amenities. But you can't blame the artist for being mainstream. If their music is what the people like, and the people that like the music also happen to outnumber those who don't, unfortunately, that music is what you are going to get. And let's go ahead and kill this new trend of not liking "mainstream" music and thinking you're being different. Naw, you're just being goofy. Because like I said, music is music. Either you're going to like it or not. Just so happens when the power is shifted one way, it's a big factor in what you hear when you tune into the airwaves.
In terms of an artist going mainstream, is quite similar to the above. While a lot of artists say that they stay true to themselves, they are quite swayed by their fans. Let's use Wiz Khalifa and Kaye West as examples.
Back in the day, like 07, could you believe that Wiz Khalifa didn't have a tattoo or smoke weed? It's true. He had an independent album named Show and Prove (which flunked) where he discussed it and on the album cover you saw his skin was inkless (he did in fact sport a 4XL black tee though). However, it wasn't until Wiz made singles such as "Ink My Whole Body" (how ironic), Say Yeah, and Make it Hot, he started a transformation. Buddy started smoking more weed than dealers could sell and you couldn't find a blank space of skin on him. Almost like he's zebra. While that sounds like disaster, it turned Wiz into a star a started a trend. Think about all the skinny light-skinned guys who got tattoo sleeves, with snapbacks, fitted jeans and Rayban glasses. Then when Wiz got the colored stripe in his afro, ah man, it was an epidemic. All I saw were guys with blonde/red strips in their hair with skinny jeans, and Chuck Taylors.
Now let's jump into Yeezy's story. The man was a longtime beat maker before he even had the courage to jump in front of a mic. He produced numerous hits for Jay-Z, Common, Cam'Ron, The Game and others not to mention himself. It wasn't until 2004 he released his first album College Dropout and a year later Late Registration, both classics. In those albums, he touched on more inner and social topics, such as destruction in Africa (Diamonds from Sierra Leone), gold-digging (Kanye's New Workout Plan and Golddigger), triumph (Through the Wire) and struggle (All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, and Heard Em Say). Back then, Ye was known as the Louis Vuitton Don who was known to sport a little Ralph Lauren too. Graduation was an album of Kanye coming into his own, recognizing his success and all the hard work it took to get there with a little celebration and release. However, when his mother died and a nasty breakup with his fiancee, Kanye began transforming into the person he is now. Mason Martin Margiela, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Audemars Piguet and a bunch of other high end designer clothing I can't spell. As his money increased, the content of his music changed. It became more fitting of the braggadocio style, with the exception of 808's and Heartbreak and select songs (or all, it's about how you view em') on MBDTF (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy). Today, you can spot Yeezy driving the finest foreign automobiles, eating anywhere with a $25 appetizer and saving hoes, one day at a time (Yeah you Kim). And he's sure to let you know about all this too.
Many see the two as disappointing and both wasting their potential. I don't. Understand, Yeezy, Wiz Khalifa, or any other artists you may deem as changing or more common going "mainstream" are simply exercising their right to do what they want to. That's legal right? These are grown-ups we are talking about. They will do as they see pleasing. In terms of music, I think diversity is important as anything else in the industry. If you can't switch things up every once in a while, you can't survive, simple natural selection theory put in place. And is natural selection ever so present in music. Too many artists disappear during times where it seems they are hitting an upstart. Why? I don't really know. If you develop a strong fanbase, that fanbase should carry you to where you want to go. But sometimes you also have to adjust yourself to altering situations and the music game changes every so often and the demands of the people also change and need to be met. Those who can't adjust, don't survive. Going back to Kanye, the man is worth $50 million now he can't go back to his old self. Yeah he can still dig deep into his memories of being a broke boy working at GAP and not being able to afford KFC buckets, being that's kinda exhausted already. He's in a new chapter in his life and to me personally, his music now isn't bad and still quite in sync with how he was back then. He still touches on a few issues like he did in College Dropout and Late Registration, just not as often. With Wiz turning into Cruella De Vil and marrying Mr. Clean's ex-squeeze (Amber Rose), I have no thoughts.
On to controversy. This particular topic is mainly about the rap game today and how it is affecting the youth. Instantly, when this comes up Flocka, Chief Keef and associates, Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, and 2Pac are brought up. Their songs feature a lot of the lifestyle within hoods across America. The drilling, drug dealing, testosterone pounding, drug munching, poverty, struggle and all the etc with a little killing thrown in on occasion. With homicides, violence and crimes escalating year after year, especially in Chicago which is home to Keef, Lil Reese, Lil Durk, and King Louie, much blame is put on the people whose music content is composed of such. I don't think it's fair nor truth. Although I don't condone anything that artists such as them say in their music, it isn't their fault that things are the way it is now. Chief Keef is barely 17, Chicago had the same issues now as it did when he was still shitting himself. Is his music polluting the minds of youth in the city with corruption and false realities, possibly, but the extent of what his music does is on that specific person. They certainly aren't commanding black males to shoot people, smoke excess amounts weed, consume MDMA and not respect women. I listen to lots of rap music with controversial content and I'm a pretty decent young man if I say so myself. There are others just like me who listen to music like I just mentioned and it's left at just that, music we listen to and enjoy. It is up to each individual person as to what effect the music will have on them. There are definitely lots of weak-minded individuals out here that will take music like that seriously and go out and do drastic things, but that's only a minority and little can be done to stop it. (My neighbor and friend Josh Davis was killed a while ago for wearing a RIP Lil JoJo hoodie, who was a close friend of his, and was supposedly killed by someone in Chief Keef's corner).
All in all, music is just something that is supposed to make us feel a certain way and entertain us. It isn't supposed to be taken so seriously. My fellow Americans, yes the rap game is fucked up. But believe me when I say that there is hope in everything (Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T. just to name a few). The process of reconstruction starts soon. It won't be long until good days come back. End. Check out the music in the end.
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