So, there is the question.
What will you be listening to in 10 or 20 years?
When I started to write this, it started out as a rant, but then I really started to think about it. I soon became distressed.
I still love music and all that it has to offer so I was forced to consider the question for myself. For me, the answer to the question is two-fold, negative and positive.
Lets start with the negative.
I have no love for a lot of the music that is churned out of the music industry factory these days. Well, I take that back. I do like a lot of it, but there is also a lot more popular garbage out there. In about 10 or 20 years, I feel we’re going to be left with nothing, but this cool trash fronting as the new classics.
Can you imagine being at a party in 10 years talking about: “Buss it baby! That’s my song right there! Want to dance, baby?” No disrespect to anybody, but I can’t. First, the music isn’t very good and that goes for other genres of music, not just Hip-Hop.
On the other side, the music is full of so much filth that once you do get a bit more mature, you either 1) can’t listen at all or 2) must listen as if it were audio pornography. I can’t call it – some of it might be good for YOU now, but for me, its not good now or later. A lot of these dudes make a 80’s Ice Cube sound like Will Smith.
So, when I refer to “you,” I invariable must think of the younger people of Hip-Hop. Those of you that do still watch TV and listen to oodles of commercial radio will likely think about what you love in a few years. Then there are some of you that will still have a wealth of music to listen to, but I feel it is unlikely that you will have that common thread of going to the party and grooved to the same song. I like this, you like that…its the ipod nation. But this isn’t about young or old even though it can tend to cut down demographic lines.
Here is the other side.
I truly feel blessed to say that I have had some of these issues and musical conflicts for myself. For example, I love the Geto Boys, but can I and do I want to indulge in “Mind of a Lunatic” these days? No. I’m not into songs about raping corpses at this stage in my adult life. But, I will say that more often than not, I am able to listen to most of my music with the same love and affinity that I did back in the day.
Part of it is that, the cussing and vulgarity wasn’t so obnoxious. There were real clean versions of hit songs and even hit albums. What is considered clean today, is really just the cuss words taken out, but the content remains very explicit. Also, what was a hit back in the 90’s wasn’t really determined by what was on the radio and video. We would dictate what the radio played.
Now, that I am a bit older and a lot of the music from my formative years is 10 years or more old. I heard these songs in cars, I hear it on the radio with love and affection. And what is very cool, I might add, is that I have common musical ground with people that are considerably younger than I am just on the strength of the music. They might like Main Source or Tribe Called Quest and so do I…and that’s love.
With all the hate that goes on these days, I wonder in 10 years will it be looked upon with some sort of revisionist affection or will it be despised as it is now.
Even though I still feel like a participant and consumer of Hip-Hop, I am happen to feel secure that I have an insurance policy from the 1990’s that promises me good music to listen to for just about the rest of my days on Earth.
Love it, but I’m not listening very much these days: “The Mind of a Lunatic” -The Geto Boys.
They weren’t lying. I’ll be listening to this til infinity! Souls of Mischief – “93 ‘Till Infinity”
Maybe…Just maybe. Lil Wayne – “A Milli”
