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?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 -
- 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
7 comments:
good. read.
You need to stop hating on todays swag < hate the word. . Just kidding. .
"But amazing music is meant to be appreciated and taken as influential, not imitated."- Agreed %100 Thats why I love hip hop theres always something new and original, despite beats etc.
I really enjoyed that!!!
Wow Shakka, I totally understand what you are saying. That is what separates certain creative minds from the rest. be original, stay original ... It is great thing to be inspired by others work and trends, but sometimes people get lost in it and forget themselves and what really matter and makes you tick.
Stay focused, stay creative.
Kadija Kamara
KK x
@oloni - I felt that in my soul when I heard that too. It made me take a step back and think about my ideas n ting.
@KK - YOU RIGHT HUN YOU RIGHT!! Losin' yourself is the worst. And it's soooooo easy to do it - "are you bein open minded, or ... just ... plain ... teef?!?!"
Reading this is making me think i was being a bit snobbish about them dilla begs.. I
2bh we need beg friends in this music industry to make the innovators (spell check) stand out. Not only the innovators.. but the musicians making music for musicians.. and everyone making music true to themselves.. rather then for the industry.
Theres loads of arguments to what i said.. but to an extent its one of those things that you just gotta accept... and let people doing what they feel! (whether or not you or i rate.. because there's obviously alot of people who do!)
PEACE
STREET FOCUS
Just like you wrote at the foot of this blog "The Music, The Life..."
The thing I love about music the most - and I mean the industry, not the actual music itself - is that it IS a lifestyle. Just like they say Hip Hop is a lifestyle, pop is a lifestyle. It all is. Thats where
Pop Culture comes in. Rock n Roll is also most definitely a lifestyle as well as a genre.
It might be the MJ, Diana Ross, Andy Warhol and the Studio 54 Disco, drug taking days or the
earthy, I like to light candles and listen to Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and D'angelo moments... It's all a lifestyle that people follow because it suits them - and that is kinda the beauty and the curse of music and what it can do to people, both listeners and makers.
In my eyes (as I'm not just a singer and maker of music) the greats are those that start trends, fashions, start hypes as well as make unique music. People like MADONNA and PRINCE are sex symbols, fashion Icons and entertainers as well as musician/singer and people latch on to that.
Michael Jackson, Elvis Presely, James Brown were idolised because of there innovative dance moves and their 'swagger', their style and it was all a hype that people want to follow, that's the aesthetics of it all!
Being in that limelight as an artist, people will inevitable follow and be inspired. The difference is, those gifted enough can channel that usefully into their own original works.
Creators can only be credited if they create.
Creators cannot be credited if they copy.
Like Shax said, make music from the heart.
DUKE
http://twitter.com/@dukemusicbox
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