Rap and Irrelevancy - Food for Thought
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Artists are fond of reminding the public that an artist’s only responsibility is to his art. Invariably, the artists who make these proclamations are those whose work has been called into question by the public. With Rap Music, which performer/writer Head Roc has reminded us is not the same as Hip Hop, the questions of responsibility, tastefulness and relevance have been around as long as the genre itself. Why are rap lyrics so base, so inane, so devoid of any uplifting theme and so celebratory of excess and violence? Can you even call it art? But if it’s so repugnant, why does it sell so well?
Well, it sells because rap music in 2013 has degenerated into a version of the 1990’s World Wrestling Federation; something so patently fake that we have all agreed to a willing suspension of disbelief. Trinidad James is a star? Seriously? Drake drops a song saying he “Started From the Bottom” even though he actually started out playing the character Jimmy Brooks in the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation and everybody traces that ish. Nicki Minaj is the poster child for irrelevancy and Rick Ross? To paraphrase Jay Z; “I respect the shooter, not the one who got shot at.”
The truth is that rap consumers are as much to blame as rap performers for the current state of the art. Somehow consumers migrated away from being an audience waiting to be entertained to a body of sycophants needing to live vicariously through mindless lyrics completely disconnected from their own life experiences. This is different, and it’s important to note the difference. Music is vital when it reminds us of our own realities; a love lost, a struggle being waged, life with our friends, things in common with our peers. Instead, what we have today are artists who demand that we co-sign childish irresponsibility; throwing money at strippers, trivializing violence, disrespecting our women and the virtue of community. Now, it’s not about you; it’s all about them. If they cared about you, they would write about you.
Think of it this way; if you had a taste for Italian food and went to an Italian restaurant only to discover that every dish on the menu was Chinese you’d leave, right? That’s not what you wanted and not what you came for. It should be the same way with rap music – stop paying for bullshit when what you actually want to be entertained with is something relevant to your own tastes. But rap music marketers don’t think of you as sophisticated consumers. They think of you as the sucker who stays in the Italian restaurant that only serves Chinese food.
Enjoy your meal!
#Fashion Fridays - Classy
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Thoughtful Thursdays -What Makes You Happy
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By Lynda Spirit Baptiste
Well I am not sure what you are thinking, but I think our Lovationship Gurus are leading us to some very valuable information, especially for those of us looking to be in or remain in lifelong partnerships. You know the kind I mean; the ones when you hear about the couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. All of a sudden, the shock sets in, your jaw drops and you gasp a deep, “WOW”. You are amazed and your mind wonders a bit. Next you hear yourself say, “I wonder how they did that?”
#FashionFridays - Sevyn at Seven
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Before we get to our Fashion Fridays spotlight, I want to thank my readers for rocking out with me each week. As your Fashion Fridays writer, I think it’s important that I bring my readers the ultimate exclusive interviews.
With that said, readers I present to you Sevyn at Seven.
Sophisticated Sunday: Catching up with Tanya Blount and the “I Am Beautiful Movement” to Kick-off Women’s History Month
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By Natasha T. Brown
“When we were making Sister Act 2, it didn’t seem like it was a classic for us. We were just a bunch of kids having fun.” – Tanya Blount
This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the classic comedy Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Lauryn Hill and Tanya Blount, a Prince George’s County native whose voice and rendition of “His Eye Is On the Sparrow,” became one of the most memorable and most-loved moments of the movie. Since then, Blount has continued to create music, perform in stage plays and travel the world inspiring those with her voice and infectious poise and positivity.
This week, in honor of Women’s History Month and the upcoming Butterfly Beautiful Girls Conference, I caught up with Blount, 38, a singer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mother who is on a mission to uplift the self esteem and God esteem of young women and girls through the “I Am Beautiful” movement and her company, I Am Beautiful Corporation.
OnStage: What are you up to these days?
Wow, *laughs* I just opened office space for my entertainment company, Code Red Corporation. We’re located in the Downtown Cultural Arts Center in Baltimore. The I Am Beautiful Corporation is also preparing for the Butterfly Beautiful Girls Conference, taking place in Bowie March 8-9. We have three cities where we will take a two-day conference, featuring a variety of [professionals] who will bring their experience to encourage self esteem in girls ages eight to 18.
OnStage: What made you want to create the “I Am Beautiful” Self Esteem Movement?
There’s research done (by the Dove Company and others) that only 11 percent of women say they are beautiful, and that’s not even considering girls. Specifically in the Prince George’s County area, I’ve found that girls 15 to 17 are struggling with teen pregnancies, and oftentimes, you find girls and young women wanting to have babies so that they have someone to love them. So it was put on my heart to start something to get women and girls to know that they are beautiful.
I chose to do it in Prince George’s County first, specifically in Bowie, because I grew up there and I want to empower girls in my own backyard first.
The conference will be in Baltimore at the Downtown Cultural Arts Center May 17-18 and in Switzerland in December, where I Am Beautiful plans to take 20-30 girls.
OnStage: Tell me about your music now, how it’s evolved and where you’re headed?
My voice has changed a lot, so now it’s very classic – a cross between Whitney Houston and Julie Andrews. I’m striving to make really good songs, love songs with meaningful lyrics that inspire people.
