Shakka's on Stage ........... AGAIN?!?!?!

Posted by Shax / at 09:02 / / 1 comments

Yup.

Shakka - Groove Gumbo @ The Pigalle.

Hosted by Eric Roberson.




Watch the 1min video for the full details below:

Shakka

The Music
The Life

The Never-Ending BandWagon - A Friend's Rant ...

Posted by Shax / at 13:36 / / 7 comments

This is a long-un.

(deep breath)

I don't know about you right, but over the last decade, the number of people I saw with iPods on the tubes and buses increased by like 300%.

(Everyone says that - I know, but it's TRUE!)

I've seen a random growth of T-Shirt designers, and "Insert-Crew-Here" Entertainment groups. And the last 5 years brought about the "Bright Clothing Era" (no, not the 80s) where heads thought (and still think today) it was a statement to wear a bright and vibrant colour, with ANOTHER bright and vibrant colour - nice one!


Please don't start a "Let people Do what they Feel" campaign against me ....... I'm not knockin' a hustle, new hobby or lifestyle; I embrace this independent culture. I'm merely voicing an interesting observation.


Bringin' me onto a rant from a good musician o mine - no names; this independent culture is also a sensitive one:

" ...... and it gets me upset, right. These guys are downloadin' Dilla's music and Flying Lotus' stuff ... singin their songs ... and then imitatin' their music; makin the same drum patterns, usin the same instrumental line-up.

And they're doin it thinkin they know better music than others ... but it's such a lickage to the originators that it's unreal. Dilla is a genius; he changed my life too. But amazing music is meant to be appreciated and taken as influential, not imitated."

Not gonna lie, I've been thinkin about this for some time now ... This scenario was said in so many different cases.


Some may remember when Nirvana came out, the whole Generation X phenomenon, and how everyone was on a Grunge-binge/overdose/liberation/.......... dunno man, somethin.


When Jay-Z went away after The Black Album, and came back with Kingdom Come; so many said he was the best rapper alive.

(again - NO DISS - Jigga makes music that makes me "bang my head" in the GOOD sense of the phrase)

And there's many others:

- US and the merging of Euro-House and RnB
- UK's wierd nu-found Appreciation for the 80s - includin those who weren't born then ....
- T-Pain and the Globilization of Auto-Tune (where is T-Pain people? Ludacris anyone? - comment n let me know please?)

Is this a BAD THING?

(... flip no!)

I did the Dilla thing that my friend complained about ...... I didn't make beats or music like him, but I was influenced BY him.
There was a time that I protested: "Dilla was the best, would still be the best after his time, and that people don't know about the SKIIIIIILLLZZZ!!!! They're not on the inside of dis Velvet Rope!!"


Yep, ... I did that too.

I thought no rapper could best Jay-Z at one point. Then Lil' Wayne, Jay Electronica came, and I started listening back to the Fugees, and Andre 3000, and I just lost my mind.

These mad changes can be both annoying and beautiful. Obviously, the annoyance being the kiss-arses, but the beauty being the Newness (Musiq - brrrrrrap!!!). It's what keeps it movin'. People see the saturation, and strive for a new cloth -

yuh like de pun, yeessh?

- and create new ways of makin listeners say "OOOOOOOOOH! What was DAT?!?!?! Bluetooth to my PHONE INNIT?!?!"
............ ain't gone one really. This is life, and the heart of Pop Culture. Just two things;

To the listeners: don't kiss the bum. People can smell dat. Be true to what feels good listening to. And if you didn't like it before, and you like it now, it's bless coz it goes that way sometimes.

To the makers: keep it movin' (http://incisive1.blogspot.com) and keep it proper kosher. Make something from the heart, not from .............. everyone else - lol!



Shakka

The Music
The Life