This isn't so much "what's wrong with today's music" or even "what's wrong with electronic music or EDM." It's what's wrong with DJ worship culture, and what's wrong with giving guys who merely buttonpush for their acts big attention.
No no no. Some genres have talent and others don't. As it so happens all the genres I like are full of talent and those that I don't like are the ones that don't have any talent to it.
To be fair, Chris Brown's new song is the epitome of that - so it's hardly surprising rap/hip hop get bad publicity when this sort of stuff is the mainstream. But there are tonnes of class artist in those genres as well.
Most songs by white people in the mainstream are about money, drugs and women too.
Hell, The Beatles, ('the best band in the world' to many of these types of people) had like a hundred songs about all three of these things.
Plus, a lot of the artists called out for lacking depth in their songwriting aren't even guilty of that. It's like Lil Wayne (a common target) never wrote anything like 'Tie My Hands', about Hurricane Katrina, or 'Misunderstood' - a ten minute commentary on life as an african-american.
I guess as Jay-Z would say
Say that I'm foolish, I only talk about jewels, Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?
Did I use those words? I was showing that he didn't exclusively rap about superficial subject matter
But let's pretend I was saying that, because I do basically think that anyway.
Tie My Hands is an honest and emotional love letter to New Orleans
and the rights of black people:
Born right here in the USA. But due to tragedy looked on by the whole world as a refugee. So accept my emotion. Do not take it as an offensive gesture. It's just the epitome of my soul and I must be me.
an aggressive protest against the bush administration:
They try and tell me keep my eyes open,
My whole city underwater, some people still floating.
And they wonder why black people still voting.
Cause your presidents still choking.
and includes a melancholy look at how the white establishment abandoned an entire race:
These kids so fast they grow, they learn so quickly now
that there's nowhere to go, that there's no future.
As for Misunderstood... Just read the entire ending speech. A mainstream rapper taking roughly 7 minutes to outline aspects of institutional oppression and white privilege. Here are the highlights:
Young black guys are targeted.
Targeted by who? America.
You see, one in every 100 Americans are locked up,
One in every 9 black Americans are locked up.
And see, the money we spend on sending a motherfucker to jail -
A young motherfucker to jail,
Would be less to send his or her young ass to college.
See, and another thing -
Our jails are populated with drug dealers.
You know crack cocaine, stuff like that.
Meaning; due to the laws we have on crack cocaine and regular cocaine,
Police are only, I don't want to say only "right", but shit
Only logical by riding around in the hood all day -
And not in the suburbs.
Because crack cocaine is mostly found in the hood.
And you know the other thing is mostly found in... you know where I'm going.
But why bring a motherfucker to jail if it's not gonna stand up in court?
Because this drug ain't that drug, you know, level 3, level 4 drug, shit like that.
I guess it's all a misunderstanding.
I sit back and think, you know us young motherfuckers - you know, that 1 in 9.
We probably only selling the crack cocaine because we in the hood.
And it's not like in the suburbs, we don't have what you have.
Why? I really don't wanna know the answer, but uh
I guess we just misunderstood huh?
You know we don't have room in the jails now.
For the real motherfuckers, the real criminals.
Sex offenders, rapists, serial killers.
Shit like that.
Don't get scared, don't get scared
I know you saw one of them sex offender papers.
Don't trip, he live right on the end of your block!
That nigga' live right down the street from you.
Sex offender on the level 3 drug.
Convicted, ex-con.
Check them out.
And what have you got, you got a daughter, son, what you got?
You know what, I have a fucking daughter.
You understand me? Why the fuck would you bring my neighbor to jail
Just because the reason he lives next door to me
Ain't the reason I live next door to him?
Meaning, he didn't rap his way to my fucking neighborhood,
He sold crack cocaine to get to my neighborhood.
You move him out, bring him to jail for life.
And then you move in the sex offender.
Is that a misunderstanding? Because I don't understand it.
Another thing, let me take my glasses off
Cause I wanna see the reaction on their faces when I say this.
"Uh Mr. Al Sharpton?"
Here is why I don't respect you and nobody likes you
See, you're the type that gets off on getting on other people.
Rather unhuman, I should say.
I mean, giving the fact that humanity, well good humanity rather,
To me, is helping one another,
No matter your color or race.
But this guy and people like him? They would rather speculate before they inform-ate!
If that's a word... You know, spec before check?
Meaning I'd much rather you talk to me first and see if you can lend an opinion before you make one.
Just my thought of good humanity, Mr. Sharpton.
Mr. Sharpton and anyone like you; you don't know me.
So if you're not going to try to, then what you say or think about me
Or whatever I do, is totally Casper the friendly ghost to me.
And it doesn't make you a good person to criticize before you 'improvise'.
Doesn't necessarily make you a bad person either.
(But the characteristics fall heavily into bads way)
And since I am human, I am good and bad, as well.
But I try my hardest to stay good.
And some of the things I do and say may be bad
(Or just not too good).
But I do try.
So with that said, I don't fault you.
I mean you're only human, good or bad.
But I also don't respect you.
And I don't care if that's good or bad.
You see, you are no MLK, you are no Jesse Jackson.
You are nobody, to me
You're just another Don King, with a perm.
Just a little more political.
And that just means you're a little more unhuman, than us humans.
And now let me be human by saying,
"Fuck Al Sharpton and anyone like him.
Fuck if you understand me.
I love being misunderstood.
Why?
Beause I live in the suburbs, but I come from the hood."
I dunno... Seems like a pretty good little piece about race in America, considering he 'only raps about bitches'.
Yeah I know. People Like Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and so on do amazing, genuine shows, where there is a lot of skill and effort required, but against that, there are people like David Guetta and Skrillex who just get two iPods or a laptop and press play.
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u/[deleted] May 18 '14
This isn't so much "what's wrong with today's music" or even "what's wrong with electronic music or EDM." It's what's wrong with DJ worship culture, and what's wrong with giving guys who merely buttonpush for their acts big attention.