The Slow and Sad Degeneration Of Rap Music

Let me first say this- this has been a long time coming for me. I have long since noticed what is going on in the rap industry and thanks to that, my frustration with the artists, producers, parents and fans only continues to grow.

Anyone who really knows me knows I am no stranger to rap music. I hear it almost daily, but after a while I have to stop listening. Hip hop has transitioned since it first became mainstream in the eighties. Old school hip hop (think The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Fat Boys) inspired the new school hip hop (think Run DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J). But this generation of artists, I don't who's inspiring them.

Well, okay, that's a little harsh. There are some artists who have clearly inhibit the talent of their forefathers, artists like Jay-Z, Common, Eminem, Outkast, Kid Cudi, and yes, even Kanye. They bring back real hip hop back in bits and pieces, just enough to give this generation an idea of what hip hop really used to be.

And then, dear God, there are the others. Artists like Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Trey Songz (yes, your beloved Trey Songz is on this list), Snoop Dog (shudder), even Usher is starting to join the legion of young male rappers who seem to only rap about sex, making money, and big egos.

But I feel I should give specific examples of this, so let's take the top five r&b songs by male artists and look at some of the lyrics:

Usher's "There Goes My Baby"- In this single, Usher gives his audience a bit of both worlds, not losing his gentle, sweet side- "I've been waiting all day to wrap my hands around your waist and kiss your face. Wouldn't trade this feeling for nothing not even for a minute." Yet,at the same time, Usher's still speaking to what the record companies seem to think the world wants to hear- "I swear your body's so perfect baby, how you work it baby yeah...so please believe we gone be twerking it out by the end of the night baby."

Drake's "Find Your Love"- Now this kid, in the charts, this kid is hot. His song is a prime example of a kind of softer alternative hip hop beginning to make it's way across the charts. This is a truly, genuine love song though and Drake's voice is perfect for it. I'm proud of this kid for sticking to his guts and putting out there what he sees fit to be heard. "I bet if I give all my love, then nothings gonna tear us apart."



Usher's "OMG"- Usher, Usher, Usher, what happened? Surely he realizes that though this song is infinitely catchy, seeing a girl drop it low at the club does not equal falling in love with her. That's falling in love with her body. Sigh. "I fell in love with shawty when I seen her on the dance floor. She was dancing sexy, pop, pop, popping, dropping, dropping low."

Young Jeezy's "Lose My Mind"- Wow, Jeezy, wow. I didn't know it was possible to make a whole song about getting drunk and having reckless sex, but you've proved me wrong. I get partying, I do, but this song is just one in a common parade of songs almost exactly like this, and I don't just mean the theme. Everyone in the industry is copying after one another; originality is a thing of the past. "Security,I need help cuz the bitch stalkin'. A half fucking mill,that's what the whip cost me. One-hundred dollars,that's what the pussy cost me."



Ludacris's "Sex Room"- Do I really need to explain? I actually used to have respect for Ludacris as a rapper because even though what he was saying wasn't always that positive, I got the feeling he was going for a 'I know what I'm rapping about, isn't it stupid, maybe you should turn this shit off' influence, if that makes any sense. I don't know what happened; I guess the record industry got a hold of him, or the idea of making more money overshadowed making the best music he could make. "Damn right imma get that thang & imma put my name on it. All night imma whip dat thang, allstate better put a claim on it. I claim my territory, my tongue finna mark you up."

I said earlier in this post that the record companies seem to think this is all the people want to hear, and maybe they're right. The more this kind of degrading and just down right stupid music is produced and released, the more people buy it. Although record sales have been going down for the last couple of years, and I cannot remember another time in my life that I turned on the radio and heard song after song tell me to "drop it low and take it all off."

So what is the point of this blog entry? We can't stop the record companies and artists from putting on the music they want, and why should we? That's the freedom that comes with living in America. But it's not okay to let kids sing and dance to this, most of whom don't even know what they're really talking about. You wouldn't let your two-year watch X-rated porn, so why should you let them pop and lock it to a song filled with cuss words and extremely vivid sexual imagery ("Change Positions" by Pleasure P...need I say more?)

Hip hop is slowly dying, no doubt, and I can see why some people would take offense at what's being said here, but the hard truth is it's true.We can bring it back, but it will take people facing the truth and, even more than that, changing the circumstances for the better.

-Whitni

This Album Is Your Kid's Bedtime Story

The first thing that I will say about this album, Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes is that it is everything except for fleet. There is very little that makes this album fast paced. In fact, I found that, for myself, it actually helped me slow down, especially when life is moving so fast right now. When listening, I feel like I could fall asleep while listening, but that doesn't mean that this musical composition is boring. They remind me a little of Coldplay, in the way that they play quieter music (for the most part) that doesn't put people to sleep, but actually entertains them. Not saying that they are like Coldplay, because they aren't. I'd have to say, they're a rough mix of Beirut, a much quieter Kings Of Leon, with some Josh Ritter thrown in there. Different, huh? But I like them, nevertheless.

I like the style and tone of the music. It's kind of like they are saying to their audience, 'Okay, sit back and relax and put this on when you have company in the living room, but still listen closely, because you never know when we'll surprise you.' And that's true, no two songs sound alike, not at all!! My favorite songs are the second, fifth and sixth, 'White Winter Hymnal', 'Quiet Houses' and 'He Doesn't Know Why', respectively. I think that Whitni's favorite song is either the second or third 'Ragged Wood' (sorry Whit), but I can't be sure. The first song 'Sun It Rises' is also very excellent, which is always a good thing, and the fourth song, 'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song' makes me want to go outside in a skirt, with no shoes, and hippie dance. If I had to pick a potential single, it would be track eight 'Your Protector', which is a magnificent song that could easily find its way onto college/alternative radio. All in all, Robin Pecknold and Josh Tillman work together on the vocals to create a magical kind of road trip. Thankfully, this kind requires no car or driving skills. Just a radio, and a little bit of your time.

I Can Dig It, Can You?

In case you've lost count, this is album number three we've reviewed, aka album number forty-seven on Rolling Stones top fifty. Yes, I know, we're moving kind of slow, but with some creativity we've found another way for both of us to listen to the album, even as Raivynn or I am away from home, which will definitely get us pumping these out that much faster.

This album, "Dear Science" by TV On The Radio, was certainly nothing I've heard before. Turn on the first song and you are hit with a wall of sound. Once you get over the initial "Ba-ba-ba," a staple of pop music, lead singer Tunde Adebimpe's voice comes into play. As he sings, you get a feeling of exactly what this is, even though it's hard to describe to others (trust me, I've tried). The drums are heavy, the synthesizer obvious, the vocals light and airy, but overall the beat is solid. If I had to pick a genre, I'd go with alt-rock-pop with a splash of indie thrown in. Okay, maybe more than a splash. Whatever. Their sounds are blended, which is just what the music industry needs. Gone are the days where a band was simply rock or pop. Instead many bands are now are getting the label 'rock/pop' or 'rock/alt/pop.' Blending, as I like to call this phenomenon, creates variety, which is usually good. Now people who claim to love or hate just one genre get the wonderful surprise of finding out their beloved band is not only this, it's that as well.

But, back to TV On The Radio. My personal favorites were tracks five and six- 'Golden Age' and 'Family Tree', especially 'Family Tree.' The music is soft and the lyrics are the kind that make you stop and think, something all of us could do a bit more often. Raivynn liked tracks one and two- 'Halfway Home' and 'Crying', and wants to note she quite enjoyed this band, something I agree with. Behind the music, the lyrics are rough and edgy, driving a knife into your soul, even if you don't exactly understand what they mean. The music compliments the words, and together they have the ability to give your head a couple of spins. That is, of course, if you're ready.

-Whitni

The Things That Make Me Smile

This title, of course, does not mean today was a smile-y day. Some days I just want to hide under my bed and wait until I turn eighteen and am shipped off to college and enter the "real world." But today was not one of those hide under the bed days, nor was it an extra smile-y day. Like most days, it was somewhere in-between.

But, onward to things that make me smile. Music, of course. That's a given. But there are other things that make me smile, of course. Like babies, especially really cute babies (is that creepy?). Also, anyone who wears Converse. I LOVE Converse, and they will definitely come up later in this blog as this summer goes on. Looking at other people's Ipod, especially when they have good music on there. Yummy food is another. But the thing that makes me smile the most is other people. Especially my friends and family. Today, my friends had that effect on me.

Now, it should be noted my friends don't always have this affect on me. Sometimes they drive me crazy, especially adding in the fact that a lot of them work with me. But, a good chunk of the time I love these people. And lots of them have great taste in music, one dude especially, which is encouraging. When I think about it, music and friendship aren't that different. Both have their ups and downs, both can make me think, make me cry, and take me places I didn't know existed. And both make me smile.

Yes, I know this post is super corny, but extremely necessary. Thanks guys, if you're reading this. You don't know how great you are.

-Whitni

PS- Just a taste of what's to come on this blog- more reviews, a whole post on Ms. Lady Gaga (and not the 'OMG, SHE'S SO AWESOME' kind), posts on awkwardness, the wins and losses of this generation, the oreo effect (and not the cookies), a music lover's five best friends, and lots more. Stick around, won't ya?

Twilight, True Blood and...Vampire Weekend?

Move over Edward, here comes a new contender that may be more talented, doesn't outwardly sparkle (insides are a different story), and is, maybe, handsomer than you. His name is Ezra Koenig, and he and his aptly named Electric-Afro-Pop band, Vampire Weekend, rock. Their newest, sophomore album, Contra, blew up the college charts, but somehow haven't hit the radios yet, making them a unknown secret, which is great for me, because I can claim I found them before they were BIG big.


Now, wanna hear something ironic? A Vampire Weekend track has been included on the Twilight Saga: Eclipse CD, which is either in stores now or will be on Tuesday. If anyone out there is a music listener/book reader/avid movie watcher, you know that the Twilight movies aren't very good (they kinda suck), but the music always rocks. First, it was 'Flightless Bird, American Mouth' by Iron & Wine that caught my attention. And even though I don't like many I&W songs, I love this one. On New Moon, it was that Death Cab For Cutie song, 'Meet Me On The Equinox', although I also liked The Killers' song, as well as another song that I don't know the name of. All of the albums have Muse on them, a request of the author.


Anyways, I digress. What I meant to blog about was the fact that a bad movie deserves good music, and I am very happy that the people who make up the albums for the Twilight movies have recognized that Vampire Weekend is very, very vampire worthy.

-Rai

P.S- Did you know over 500 artists submitted songs for the new album, Twilight movie albums make millions of dollars, and VPW took a song Ezra wrote back in high school and revamped it (pun not intended) for the movie.

Extra, With A Splash Of Ordinary

The second album to be musically tasted by us music tasters is Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine. Ms. Apple's music genre is vocal (think Norah Jones), and vocal isn't really my thing, but I kept my mind open. The album opens with Whitni's personal favorite, 'Extraordinary Machine', which also happens to be one of the best songs of the album, and most likely the single. The song keeps you interested, and it is a really cute, sweet song about being yourself and going at your own pace. It reminds me of Paul McCartney's song 'English Tea' from his album Chaos and Creation In The Backyard. My favorite track on the album was 'Please Please Please'. I love the combination of the piano, bass guitar, and drums with her voice, as well as the 'do do do', which you can also hear in Vampire Weekend's track 'Mansard Roof'.

Overall, this album was very good, but not entirely extraordinary. It had its moments, but not enough of them. If I had made this list, I would have switched Bright Eyes with this one. After the first track, the album slows down and, dare I say, gets boring for a few tracks. The second half of the album (7-12), is a lot better, it has more feeling to it. In the first half, many of the songs sound a lot alike, but they start to develop their own personality later on, which is always a good thing. The noteworthy tracks I would mention are 1, 5, 9, 11, and 12. I like twelve because it sounds like a waltz, and there is nothing wrong with a little ballroom music. All in all, this was a good album to listen to, but don't expect to be amazed by it. Just enjoy the splash of extraordinary.

-Rai

Procrastination Is Not The Name Of The Game

Thinking about this lovely little project the other day, I did a little math. Fifty albums in a little over ninety days equals less than two days to listen, review and blog each album. That, my friends, is a lot of blogging. And listening.

I really have no problem with the listening part of this. Listening to music can make me feel better when I'm sick, mad, depressed, confused, needing inspiration, or pining over some boy and wanting to feel all warm inside. Also, I love how music is so apt at delivering messages.

One good example is in the form of two songs by the Black Eyed Peas. "One Tribe" describes the need for people to function with love and respect for their fellow man and promotes peace. "Now Generation", on the other hand, speaks to me more about the common theme that my generation is one that demands so much, and wants it all now. They sing about it in a kind of mocking way, but I kind of get their point. We DO want everything now, but that's not just limited to high speed internet and texting. This generation also wants peace now, climate change now, health care reform now, an end to genocide now, education reform now, civil rights for all now, all these things our forefathers weren't able to do. So, maybe now isn't such a bad thing.

Like how I should really be doing my French homework, right now.

-Whit

And The Countdown Begins...

Don't you love how "tomorrow" always ends up meaning two days from now? I guess it's just one of those things...

But, to focus, the countdown has begun, and I have written up, happily, the first review. I tried to be fair, respecting the artist, because every music lover knows that making it in the world of music is something close to impossible and sticking around can be even harder, even when the music itself is great. Take Ben Gibbard's little love project that few have heard of, but many love- The Postal Service. I heard of them from a good friend (she knows who she is :), and fell in love with them, especially 'Such Great Heights', 'Sleeping In', 'Nothing Better', and 'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight'. But the band only had one album and a couple LP's before they fell apart and Death Cab For Cutie rose from their ashes. Of course, I love DCFC, so I'm happy they were created. I just wish The Postal Service didn't have to fall apart for DCFC to be here.

Anywho, enough with the music induced sob story. Onto the review!

Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning-
This album reminds me of a very long lullaby, thanks to the husky voice of lead singer Conor Oberst and his gentle guitar. The album begins with a short spiel, something that definitely drew me in. I found myself craning to hear what Conor had to say, and then sitting back and enjoying the music. The whole album has this folksy feel, both a good and not so good thing.
My personal favorite was the last song, "Road To Joy". Hearing Oberst scream, quote, "...fuck it up boys, make some noise!", gave me confidence that though this is folk, there's a little something below the surface. This song was raw, real, and I couldn't imagine the album being wrapped up any other way. Rai was really digging the second song, "We Are Nowhere And It's Now", a swaddled melody of thought and guitar. Oberst really dove into this one, and she felt like he was reaching across the album and singing the song just to her. Other tracks we liked had to be number five- "Train Under Water", number seven-"Another Travelin' Song", and number eight- "Land Locked Blues."
Rai and I give this album a C+, because, while folk and Bright Eyes go hand in hand, they are trying a little too hard to get that Bob Dylan/Jack Johnson sound. Folk is good, granted, but it's not all Bob Dylan. Plus, Conor's voice is truly genuine, but I don't especially like the input of Emmylou Harris. Her vocals just don't fit, in my opinion, and the album would have been a bit better had she not sung in tracks two and seven. All in all, if Bright Eyes can find their own sound, they will rock the folk world. No doubt.

Overview

So, I'm sure at this point you're wondering, exactly what the hell is this? You could look up at the little thing right above this, but reading this is much cooler. Well, to answer your question, this is a project. A project merging two wonderful things- summer and music. The idea is that two kidults (aka teenagers) from Cincinnati shall attempt to listen to the best 50 albums of the last decade (2000-2009, if you didn't already know),according to Rolling Stone magazine, in 3 months. It will be crazy, and hard, in between working, other projects, traveling, and hanging out with family and friends. But, it will be accomplished! This is Day 2, and one album has been listened to. The review will be posted tomorrow, but until then, keep listening...whoever is out there reading this.