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Since Frost's been talking about Soulja Boy and Everywoman expressed her love and distaste for certain music, I wanted to post a song that kinda addresses both issues.
In MrFrost's posts, there have been discussion about why vets (Ice-T mostly) feel the need to blame Soulja Boy for the fall of the industry, whether or not their in the right, and the real pitfalls for Hip Hop.
Imeverywoman posted a general statement about how she respects, but doesn't necessarily like (to listen to) all music & musicians. In the process, she mentioned her waning toleration for Hip Hop, and attributed the falling interest to the changes that come with growth & and age; I'd add the decline of an artform.
On the post concerning Soulja Boy, Contrabandwidth argued that showmanship was a big reason for the fall of Hip Hop. I agree, but place some of the blame on the internet; the ease with which people can create, distribute, or download music has led to laziness on from artists as well as fans. But we haven't really discussed how the industry has a huge hand it all this. Let's face it, Hip Hop is big business.
Since we live in a society of instant gratification, the methods used by record companies feed into the unquenchable thirst for music now, now, now. Although you could argue that they haven't really figured out how to manage/handle the distribution of music over the net, the music that is being produced largely consists of catchy hooks, ring tone beats, poppy flow, and dance moves. These songs can be put out on a factory belt. It's the EZ Button for Hip Hop (did I use that phrase already?)... So what else?
Well, there's the way rappers go at other rappers. We love beef! Hip Hop can't get enough, and there's always something (see 50 Cent for details). And while I realize that battles are as much a part of Hip Hop as rhyming, the shit is a little outta control. There's always talk about who's gonna cap who, and how tough these guys are, how they'll go pop the trunk or whatev... I seriously didn't intend for this to be a long post.>>>
Anyway, basically I don't like Soulja Boym, but I don't blame Soulja Boy for the fall of Hip Hop. I think there are way too many aspects, and one major aspect is money. I mean, that's why he's in it right? That's why a lot of people are in every field that their working in, but look at the way crappy music is fed to those w/ short attention spans. Look at the promotion of beef dvd's (Mtv Fight Klub, Smack DVD, hell just look at YouTube). Look at the overnight Hip Hop songs, that fizzle and fade as quickly as they caught on. In 20 years, we'll be blaming someone else for the decline of our music, while the people making most money off Hip Hop don't even rap.
Mtv is runnin this rap shit
Viacom is runnin this rap shit
AOL and Time Warner runnin this rap shit
We poke out the asses for a chance to cash in
- Mos Def
peace
"Music’s not a mirror to reflect reality; it’s a hammer with which we shape it!" – Invincible I can’t tell you how excited, honored, and lucky I am to be the one who formally introduces the MOG community to Invincible. She’s not a new emcee, but ShapeShifters is her first album. Some of y’all heard her on Platinum Pied Piper’s "Detroit Winter" or Finale & Spier 1200’s "Eye of the Beholder" (dope song, dope tape). The very first time I heard her I had no idea who she was, but I was in awe because she was really dope and managed to stand out on a song with like 10 other emcees. Anybody remember Hip Hop for Respect? Well, Invincible was on that amazing line-up for "A Tree Never Grown" with 88-Keys on production and Mos Def adding a soulful hook. "One of the most talented emcees I’ve ever heard black or white, male or female…" -Talib Kweli
Miss Ilana Invincible officially hails from Israel/Palestine, but has claimed Detroit as her home since she was young. She learned English by listening to hip hop at the age of 7 and started writing rhymes by 9. After a start like that, you know she’s serious. Enter the "Second Golden Era" of hip hop. Influenced by what she was hearing in the early 90’s, Invincible started doing shows in 1996, and teamed up with an all-female group called Anomalies (Kuttin Kandi - DJ, Helixx C. Armageddon - MC, Pri The Honey Dark - MC, Invincible - MC, Just - MC/ B-girl, Dun Deal - B-girl). All the women are talented in their own right, but I’m sure you already figured as much. While she was with the group in New York, she was approached by a number of mids and majors, but she wanted to maintain creative control over her music, so she decided to pack up and go back to Detroit in 2002. When she returned, she got involved with the community through Detroit Summer, a nonprofit, multicultural collective that’s working to rebuild Detroit and redefine the meaning of community. Invincible was working with the group, and ironing out the plans of her independent album at the same time. One day, she woke up with one less car and the determination to become focused (like seriously focused) on her CD project. She got a home studio together, started EMERGENCE (her record label), and began to piece together her self-proclaimed "lifetime-in-the-making" debut album. So when you listen to "Looongawaited" you hear a sliver of the story that went into creating this disc. You gotta love a person who says what the mean and does what they say. Thought I’d never finish it. For more than a minute, I wished to end the shit / Put down my penmanship and get a carpentry apprenticeship / Swinging sledgehammers for a minimum wage, / Renovate the D with shelters for women with AIDS / Least I’d have some benefits, and I could see a dentist quick / Still my thirst, I wasn’t quenching it by learning a trade. It’s no wonder her first single off the album was "Sledgehammer". It’s a flute driven (I think those are flutes), lyrical quagmire that sits atop off-beat drums built around a quote from the late J Dilla: "You don’t pay attention, man. / That’s why your money is the size of your attention span." – from "Hold Tight" I’m not a musically trained dude, so I couldn’t tell you what 4/4 time signature is, but I’m pretty sure this ain’t it. Nevertheless, I (eventually) grabbed a hold of the beat she was using to deliver such lines as "These lyrics heat seekers; deplete tweeters ‘til your speakers dissolve." There is nothing the music industry can do to shake her CD off my personal top 10 for ‘08 list. Nothing. This album is a landmark & testament to hip hop music. This is how you make music that is not only entertaining, but relevant. Invincible throws daggers on the mic and would have had your tapes popping like Turbo and your CD’s skipping like Rafer Alston… thank [Insert deity/idol here] for digital music players. On "Looongawaited" she expounds, "I’m striving to be one of the best, period / Not just one of the best with breasts and a period". On "Spacious Skies" she flirts, "Oh beautiful, really wanna make this fit / Promise me to change your ways / Keep on repeating the same mistakes and slip." Or listen to "Ropes" with the ghostly assistance of Tiombe Lockhart’s gossamer voice. Invincible spills her sentiments from the inkwell: For every victory, there’s like 50 times of setbacks / For every revolution there’s a death trap / And every time I see police attacking with a Taser gun / I protest it. It’s down already; on the ground. My face is stunned. / I see people that’s unaffected like, "That’s just for safety hon." / Turn around and tell myself, "You’re not the crazy one." If there were such a thing as a "best" in this music, she’d be on my list for contention. If I could ever compile a top ten emcees list, she’d be on it. If I could only buy one CD for the whole year she’d be among the 10 or 15 that I would consider. Her album covers terrorism, poverty, racism, blind patriotism, WMD’s, fake gangsters and gentrification (an issue that hasn’t been touched directly since Oddisee’s Foot in the Door mixtape, but that’s another post altogether). Not only does she dangle the issues right in your face, but she does it with a deftness that will son three quarters of the emcees you’ve heard in the past 5 years; maybe the past 10…maybe more. The entire album is full of sonically pleasing tunes, and headscratching lyrics. To top it all off, she uses her voice and her experiences to push for change and growth. The best thing I can say about Invincible is that she embodies the positive essence of the human spirit.
"The album is also heavily influenced by the other places I have called home: Palestine/Israel, Ann Arbor/Ypsi, and Brooklyn. In general though, my music is inspired by the potential for all of us to transform ourselves to our highest potential, and in turn evolve our communities, and I see the most tangible examples of that here in Detroit." - Invincible
To quote Brittany, "This is how you make a music video...and a rap song for that matter. " "Locusts" Check the vids, check the website, check the interview, check the CD. Hopefully you’ll support the music, and she’ll be around for a long ass time. Music4Life
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Whoa..not that is one hell of an introductio. How could I not check it out. Thanks scribes.
Same over here. She's bringing it hard and I can't wait to hear the full album (she's got your vote and Talib's vote, so I can't doubt it).
"I’m striving to be one of the best, period / Not just one of the best with breasts and a period".
AMEN!
Last weekend I drove about 3 and a half hours out to Michigan. It was good to be home, but it was hotter than the inside of lit firecracker (or perhaps a match head?). Don't matter, I love summer.
Anyway, on Saturday I went with my friends (thanks Tasha & Ryan: love y'all) to Eastern Market near Downtown Detroit. If you've never been, I encourage you to get out there and see the people, the culture, and the hustle (and bustle) that takes place in my hometown.
After grabbing a few drinks from one of the local shops we stopped to give an old timer some props (and a few dollars)as he his guitar strummed through a busted amp and he sang Akon's lines from "I Wanna Love You". This was the beginning of a perfect afternoon.
(Props to the Street Performers out there)
There were people everywhere selling everything; fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, clothing, water, incense, and of course Red Wing gear (I'm not a huge hockey fan, but you gotta love your home teams).
So, we made our way over to Bert's Marketplace (2727 Russel ST.) where they were grilling up huge slabs of ribs, savory chicken, and the fattest burgers I have ever seen. Outside. In the sun and warmth of the summer afternoon, people were getting their Karaoke on. Yep, Outside.
It was absolutely fantastic. Dudes and Babes were gettin their Prince (Happy Belated), their Morris Day and Time, and their Motown 60's on all day. That's not it, there were more than a couple rock fans in the audience, and Aerosmith and AC/DC (among others) made their way into the mix.
I have to say that there were five major highlights to the evening. The first is actually a lowlight, but my GOD...
1.) A man who clearly lost a bet decided to sing Bill Wither's "Use Me". I promise you on everything I hold dear that there is NO POSSIBLE WAY he has ever heard this song. Every single word was off beat. I felt bad for the guy, but I felt worse cause I really love that song.
2.) The next highlight came at the hands of a man doing his damnedest to get the crowd hype as he sang Mr. Goodnight's "Kiss". Great job, too (i think there was a jump split in his act).
3.) A group of four who collectively upheld the city with a rendition of "Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson (Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner and Carl Smith). Beautiful.
4.) It's actually amazing, but one of the founding member of the Philadelphia group The Delfonics came out and did two songs; one of them being a solo version of the group's hit song "La-La Means I Love You". The older ladies were swaying, singing, and boastfully shouting, "This is the 60's baby! That's my time! This MY music!" Can't argue with that.
What could possibly top that? Nothing, right? Definitely not some guy trying to sing Sam Cooke. ESPECIALLY not trying to sing "A Change is Gonna Come". There's only one man that could sing that, right? Well, now there's two.
5.) All I know is that a man named James delivered an incredible, soul-stirring re-visioned version of the song that almost made me cry. Seriously beautiful. He modified a few words, but kept it true to the man who wrote it.
On a full stomach, in the sparkling sun, with a couple brews down, we took this as the crown of the day, and left the grill smoke wafting to the remaining tunes from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. If every weekend is half as good as those three hours, I can die happy at the end of summer. Love4Life
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Never been to Detroit, but would love to visit and make some of the stops you've mentioned. Sounds like a real good time. Funny about the Karaoke. I've only done it once and I thought I should try Sinatra's "Summer Wind" because I'd heard it a million times and it doesn't move too fast. I was a half beat late on every darn lyric. But my favorite Karaoke experience was watching a chunky woman, who appeared to like other women, gesticulating wildly (arms and hips) as she sang Clarence Clemons "Stroke it"
that does sound like a damn good weekend... I must say I'm envious and now even more looking forward to a few days off...
Scribes
great post, and good to hear about Detroit. i live in Cincinnati, but i pass through Detroit quite a bit. Bert's sounds like it's worth checking out.
peace brz
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the rate of overnight hip hop songs is overwhelming. there's so much music being pumped out everywhere, spewed out to internet users etc., that songs are only good enough to stay on the public's radar for a short time before it's onto the next. i wish there was a magic button to put everyone on pause for a minute, make 'em come with something real. this was such an excellent read, S4L!
I think hip-hop is having a dark period similar to rock's "hair-band" era of the late 80s right before and the pendulum swung back to the Nirvanas, Radioheads, Soundgardens, Smashing Pumpkins and the like .... jazz went through it and so did the blues. I think in about 5 years there will be a pleasant balance of empty music for people who prefer it and fun, substantive music for music lovers... I could be wrong. But I'll offer a different version of the future and say that in about 20 years, our children will be reveling the wealth of good music that's being made at this very moment....while the then-40-yr-old Soulja Boy fans will be scratching their heads wondering how it snuck up on them. And we'll be having too good of a time with the dope shit to worry about who's to blame for The Dark Ages...
And some of the ones who gave up on hip-hop and got disenchanted will return, just like old Beatles and Rolling Stones fans who gave up on new wave and butt-rock came back.
Hopefully fingers-crossed
haha - bring on the Hair Hip Hop! let's see the afros and eyeliner phase!