Another music blog post. Sue me!

First of all, this isn't another blog talking about how hip hop us dead, music sucks, blah...blah...blah. Quite the opposite, actually.

These days - during the digital age - it's easier than ever to get a record deal. You can hop on fruity loops, make a catchy beat and a dance, toss that shit up on Myspace or YouTube, get some attention, and you're almost guaranteed to get a deal. Or you can be the ultimate hustler, say your name over and over on records, give out your real phone number and your almost guaranteed to get a deal. Or you can make up a random beef with a random successful rapper, put out a street video on YouTube and you're almost guaranteed to get a deal. The actual music has become secondary. But this doesn't lead to less quality music...just more shitty music. Here are the REAL problems, though:


1. We are lazy
I consider the golden era of rap to be 1994 -2004. During that time, countless 'damn good' to 'classic' albums were released. Let's take a random time frame from that period; summer 1996 - summer 1997. Jay-z dropped 'Reasonable Doubt'. Nas dropped 'It Was Written'. Outkast dropped 'ATLiens'. Big dropped 'Life After Death'. 2pac dropped 'The Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory'. And those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Back then, there was a different power player releasing a quality album each and every Tuesday.

And truth be told, things aren't that much different these days.

There is still plenty of quality music being released in 2009. The names may not be as recognizable, and we may have to look a little harder, but it's out there. Part of the problem is that, as consumers, we've gotten lazy - spoiled by years of an over abundance of hot shit. We don't want to take the time to weed through the Soljia Boys, D4Ls and Gucci Manes to get to the Killer Mikes, J.Coles and Joe Buddens. So what do we do instead? We bitch and whine that there isn't any good music out there. And what happens when we finally DO get off our ass and find the quality hip hop we're looking for?


2. We don't support good music
Picture this: You go in to work tomorrow and your boss calls you in his office. He tells you that you will no longer be getting paid for your services. Would you keep that job? If so, would you still work as hard at your job and continue to produce the same quality day in and day out? Well that's the message that we send to artists whose music we like when we download their music, as opposed to buying it. We tell them that they can put their blood, sweat, tears and labels money into a project, and the consumers (their FANS, no doubt!) will undercut them at every turn by stealing that music. So why would they continue to put such effort into making that music? They wouldn't. This results on two things:

A) Some artists compromise their art in an order to make up those funds. They start seeing that as long as you make simple club records and records geared toward women, they will actually SELL some records. So you see Sheek making 'Hood Love' and T.I. telling women 'You can have whatever you like!'. Good records? Yes. But also uncharacteristic of the artists.

Or

B) Artists start to generate income outside of music. We've been begging Dre 3000 to feed us with a solo rap cd. But as a man with a family, bills and activity above the brain stem, why would he lock in for six months, spend thousands on studio time, make an album, release it and have his 'fans' download it for free, as opposed to coughing up $12? Especially when he can shake hands with a Hollywood big shot and get a $2 million check to do a movie. Financially, music seems to be a less than viable option. We need to make it profitable for artists again.

And when I say 'we', what I really mean is 'you'. Because I support my favorite artists (for the most part). I BOUGHT Jay's Blueprint 3. I BOUGHT Slaughterhouse. I BOUGHT Killer Mike's 'I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind 2'. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have the right to complain. See proof below:

3. Marketing departments from music labels are very good at what they do
They're so good that they routinely convince us what artists we should like. Don't get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with commercial music. My favorite rapper is Jay-z, for Pete.s sake. Can't get much more commercial than that. But my point is that there is music and artists out there other than what you hear on the radio. For example, I'm pretty sure there is a good portion of the population that have never heard a Killer Mike record other than 'Adidas' or 'Akshon'. And have never heard a Joe Budden record besides 'Pump it Up'. But these are two of the most skilled, intelligent, hungry MC's doing it today. But you probably wouldn't know it, just judging of those singles. Now, they have gone the indy route and are consistently dropping quality music. But you won't see them on 106 and Park. Their records will never get a million spins a week on radio. And unless you actually WANT to know when they have shit dropping, they could release an album without you ever knowing.

My point?

Stop letting labels tell you who you should like and actually open your ears, let the music speak for itself, and make up your own mind. And don't let the fact that major labels aren't behind a certain artist cause you to not get behind them either. Quality is quality, whether it comes from your favorite super star rapper who has 3 million fans and always goes plat, or from the dude that only has a hardcore fan base of 200,000 who fuck with him regardless, but isn't on a major label.

That's pretty much it.

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY

It's best you stop screwing around homey and gimme mine/or get cooked in front of ya girl like y'all in Beni Han

'Nigga, please!'

DISCLAIMER: It's 2am, I have been writing on my latest script for 3 hours and I'm starving. This blog post will most likely jump all over the place. Continue at your own risk.

Here are a few things that a lot of you may not know about me:

-I'm a English Major

-I am a hip hop head

-I am a writer

That means that I have a unique relationship with words. Not just the string of letters that make up a word. But the actual meanings and interpretations behind those words. This blog is about a word that seems to be the source of much angst and confrontation.

...NIGGA!

This blog has been in the works for like 2 months, but over the last 2 weeks, a couple of things have happened that almost FORCED me to write it. But I'll get to that later.

My mother once told me when I was younger that I shouldn't argue with white people about matters of race because it would be impossible for them to understand my position. I've come to realize that truer words were never spoken. Don't get me wrong, I am ALWAYS up for a passionate discussion about the topic. But I've learned how to recognize when a healthy, passionate discussion is heading towards an argument, and that's when I usually humbly bow out.

Why does this matter?

Because I've recently made the choice to stop using that word around white people, altogether. The reason for this is because I have determined that there are a good number of white people who don't seem to understand that it is not OK for them to say the word - in any context - regardless of who you hear say it. In fact, I have a declaration to make, right here and now, to all my white friends and future family members. There's no interpretation needed, no reading between the lines. It's very black and white. Ready? Here goes:

I can say that word all I want. You, on the other hand, cannot!

Sounds hypocritical, right? It is...very much so. No doubt about it. It's about as clear and cut a double-standard as you will ever find. But, it is one of those things that just IS. Yes, there are reasons behind it. But to be 100% honest, me going into them in any amount of detail would just come off as ignorant, self-indulgent or me having a sense of entitlement. None of which are true; but seeing as I have traveled down that road before, I don't think I'm gonna go down it again. Now by no means do I consider myself a revolutionary, a Sharpton-esque type of guy. In fact, I despise those types of people. I'm a big believer in calling a spade a spade when it comes to discrimination and racism, but not in seeking out angles and avenues to turn any sort of injustice into the second coming of Jim Crow. But what I can't really stomach is white people using that pesky word around me. I have no problem asking a stranger who uses that word what makes the think it's okay to do so. And here is the bottom line: If you say it, and I ask you politely what makes you think it's okay to do so, and you flippantly tell me 'Because you say it!' or 'It's all good, I say it around all my black friends. They don't mind!', there is a pretty decent chance that I will punch you in the face. Or we will get into a discussion that will lead to a place that neither one of us wants to end up. And who wants that? Certainly not me. So, to keep that from happening, I'm no longer going to use it around white people. That's that. Moving on.

Now comes tricky part: using the around others of the same race.

Most black people identify with one of two schools of thought:

a) The word should not be used at all, by anyone, as it is disrespectful to all black people, our ancestors and there sacrifices, and there is nothing good that can come of it.

or

b) Both the word itself and the meaning and connotations are different than it they were in generations past and that there is nothing wrong with using the word.

I identify with both, if that makes any sense. I guess if I was forced to hop of the fence, I'd say that I'm more of a B'er. As I said before, I use the word all the time. And I will continue to do so. Why? Because I am very comfortable using the word and know when how to censor myself when the situation warrants. However, I can certainly understand the point of view of anyone who identifies with A. Some of my best friends fall in line with that viewpoint, and who am I to disrespect that? But it seems that us B'ers don't get the same respect from the A crowd. Here's an example:

I recently used the word when commenting to a friend on a certain social networking site that shall go unnamed. One of their female family member's decided to crusade for all that was right and pure in the world and proceeded to tell me not only that they did not understand why I felt the need to use that word, but that my use of the word personally offended her.

You are offended by my use of the word? Not a problem. One of my life mottos is 'Pride and ego destroy great men'. I had no problem humbling myself and apologizing for offending her by using the word in mixed company. But not for the obvious reasons. In no way to do I feel the need to defend my use of the word itself. I apologized because I respect the person who I made the comment to and, by proxy, I respect his family.

But she decided to take it a step further and indirectly refer to me as a moron, attack my character, wonder out loud of I was 'too stupid to find some other noun to use' and stated that anyone who wanted to comment that the word was OK to use would be 'verbally assaulted'.

This is the part that I have a problem with.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am very articulate, well-read and beyond intelligent. I am college educated (somewhat...yikes!) and have a mastery over the English language that is well above average. Remember when our grade school teachers told us that the kids who used curse words were the ones who weren't smart enough to think of any other words to use? Well, that was a FUCKING myth! I defy anyone to listen to my usage of four letter words and equate that with my IQ score. You'd be in for quite a surprise. Don't let the sloppy blog, tattoos and potty mouth fool you, people.

My son is crying...be right back!

Ok. False alarm. Back to business.

Now, the person who made those comments seems very intelligent and seems to have a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. Is there a reason she could not have respected my word choice as my own, let her feelings be known and move on...the way that I did? Am I subject to indirect verbal assault, character assassination and petty name calling if my word choice does not fall in line with the next person? Something about that doesn't seem right.

If she is reading this, which is quite possible, please don't take it as some sort of attack. Clearly..it's not. If you are as sharp as you seem, you should be able to tell that I wouldn't throw shots at you, even though we have never even met in person. Just my curiosity getting the best of me. Feel free to comment.

HIP HOP LYRIC OF THE DAY:

I told her all about how we been living a lie/ and that they'd love to see us all to go to prison or die/ like 'baby, look at how they show us on the tv screen!'/but all she ever wants me to do is to unzip her jeans.

-J.Cole, 'Lights, Please'