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Done? Ok. I know rap and hip hop as a genre that I have grown up with since I was a young boy as a quickly evolving genre. My musical influences vary greatly from my mother, my step-father, my real father, my culture, MTV, Muchmusic, and community gatherings. I'm talking about Roxette (I do not know why Roxette was the first to be on this list, and I will not edit my selection process to emphasize any one group that comes to my current mind space), Deena Carter, Chicago, Boston, Whitesnake, CCR, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Wu Tang Clan, Eminem, Bon Jovi, Smashing Pumpkins, Pantera, Slayer, Tool and the list can go on and on. The one genre that has dominated my headspace is rap or hip hop. It is forever changing and evolving into new and exciting forms. I remember back when the Beastie Boys were so game breaking because they were a white group coming into a black dominated game. It is known that rap and hip hop are dominated by the African American culture and will continue to do so into the future. I think that the genre often gets a bad rap (no pun intended) for it's content considering many people deem it to be all about disrespecting the female gender and glorifying drug use and gang warfare. I can not be ignorant to the fact that there are certainly many "artists" that do exploit these avenues, however any truly good artist is not going to be simply "spitting" out any old lyric.
Some true artists, such as Kanye West, have the ability to bring the art form to another level. Rap has always pushed boundaries in politics through cultural expression, and this is one of the main objectives in the art form of rap, which is a platform from which to express yourself and your issues. Having said this, and I am having a hard time keeping this short, but Kanye West's new album Yeezus is another boundary pusher. His album previous to this, was considered to be one of his greatest achievements and could be considered almost perfect artistically. Now he feels like he has the free reign to try new things with his art form because he has already made "perfect." Now he can make "different" and force people to think about new ways to change the sounds and move the genre into a different direction because at the moment it can be considered stale, or stagnant. I think people really need to be vulnerable when it comes to art and making things that matter. I think that people need to be brave and trusting when it comes to expressing themselves artistically in controversial ways. Not all art work needs to be controversial to be great, but for those that do provide controversial pieces, are important because it forces one to see things in a new way, and that in itself is very important. I can respect Kanye for that.
This is an interview that I watched, that helped me understand Kanye's understanding of his process and what it means to him. He is articulate and really takes his art work seriously. I think writing and poetry can be a great art form from which to express yourself. Moving into the future, it is difficult to say something new and exciting. Regardless, it is fun to try and it would be a great activity for children to practice rhyming and getting their point across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2T0fMkZoMo
I hear ya! Punk rock also has a bad rep in mainstream society because it is viewed as radical, noisy and lacking talent. It is often associated with anarchy and people who wear studded leather and have piercings everywhere. Well, guess what? That's not true. My favourite band in the whole world is a punk rock band from Winnipeg and I don't fit the punk rocker stereotype. There is a lot of terrible punk rock, but there is always going to be terrible music in every genre.
ReplyDeleteI get that people don't like to listen to the "harsh" sounds of punk rock but some punk artists are incredibly talented, you just have to listen to the guitar, bass and drums individually to hear how amazing some of the riffs/sets are.
Punk rock also pushes boundaries both in style and lyrically (most of the time). I always want people to listen/read the lyrics of punk rock because the message given is often very clever political satire. My favourite band is Propaghandi, they are incredibly talented musicians and have brilliant minds. Most people don't listen beyond the harsh chords of punk to hear the beauty that lies within (whoa, getting deep! haha). They are really regular lookin' dudes with families and University degrees but they are some of the most hard rockers I've ever seen.
Ok, I could go on but I'll end it there.
This is one of the things that I appreciate about Kanye West. I appreciate how he says what he is passionate about with no apology. This can be an aggressive process that will impact you positively or negatively. I find it empowering how he can break boundaries with his music. Good entry!!!
ReplyDeleteMy son, probably a bit older than you, also grew up with rap and I learned to listen to it with him. The ugliness can be a natural expression of the ugliness of being excluded from mainstream society and the conventional opportunities for success that other people have. I like that rap began with people who had nothing but their voices, and still their creativity flourished as self-expression that was authentic. As so many of you have noted, a noteworthy artist does things in an original way, pushes boundaries, and gives the rest of us a new way to think about the world. This is, I think, a key to understanding the value of art and the importance of giving kids art opportunities, whether to appreciate or create.
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