Originally Posted by
seasoned vet
Originally Posted by
sillyputty
Originally Posted by
seasoned vet
....nah, its not a bad look, thats just your generations guilt trip and raction to embarassment.
...its not a sense of all knowing, thats just how your generation takes it.
.....its more about:
having an open mind that you dont know everything and willing to learn
vs.
taking a glance at an artist that came out before you were born and brushing them to the side like coming out before you were born takes away from the music
.....how idiotic would it have been of me as a teenager to expierience Al Green for the first time roll my eyes and say, who the ++#* is Al Green? he aint got $*!* on this new dude R. Kelly?
^ i was intelligent enough to be able to appreciate BOTH. something this newer generation has a hard time doing. makes NO apologies for, and even brags about
...and NO, this doesnt happen with every new generation.
my generation appreciated the greats. i have no idea what happened with this new bunch
This is the problem with dealing with the bias on this topic.
When I grew up, I had ONLY the radio to listen to until MP3s got really popular and online streaming was available to listen to radio stations in other parts of the country.
Kids today have way more music and can develop more cult followings of underground acts more than they could ever before.
In the past, you were forced to listen to whatever was on the radio, and that usually consisted of a lot of music from previous generations.
I can honestly say that the ONLY reason I know about the names from the 70s and even the 60s is because growing up thats what we listened to...and I had NO alternative.
Now, there is no barrier to the array of music thats available.
Give me a laptop with the access I have now in the mid-90s when I started paying attention to music and it would be a WRAP. I doubt i'd ever go back more than 10-15 years tops just to keep up with all the stuff thats coming out now.
The point is, why listen to the oldies when there are literally HUNDREDS of new songs released daily in dozens of genres across thousands of blogs and other sources.
The diversity is too great to want to force people to accept the past so far back.
It would be nice, but its unrealistic, and its not an inherent obligation of the consumer either.
.....interesting points made.
.....however, i can tell you, when i was exposed to greats like The Isleys, Al Green, James Brown, etc. it wasnt through the radio thats for sure. the radio back then did what the radio does now......play the same top 40 songs over and over and over.
...i dont quite remember how i came upon those artists i listed, but when i did i liked it and looked for more. i sure didnt discount it or mock it by calling it 'my grandfathers music' while moving on to something new, thats for sure.
This is the case with "history" in general and its relevancy in understanding things...
You could reasonable also argue that learning about what the founders wanted for the USA is ultimately pointless since we're living now and things have changed...but the fact of of the matter is...
SO WHAT?
People are so hung up on "respect" for the past that they forget that its all subjective.
We're talking about music here...not war history, not public policy, not the economy, etc.
Its something that is only meant to connect with certain people. Its not universal, in the slightest sense. Even if its a popular song, there will be people who will have never heard it and can't be faulted for that.
You can talk about cultural capital and the need to be well-rounded, but thats a social construct and not something that is essential to navigating through life.
I can't name very many blues artists but I damn sure do love my classic jazz and those who carry on those traditions.
I can appreciate those names you listed and I love their music...but I don't like it...beacuse other people liked it. I like it because it sounds damn good. There are tons of lesser known artists from that era that don't get any shine, but I don't hear you talking about them? I mean lets be honest...those were the equivalents of the Rihannas, Kanyes, and Katy Perry's of today. Huge Pop(ular) artists that influenced many many artists because of the limits of the time and the access to stages one had to have to even be famous. Thats it.
You should be free to mock whatever music you want and embrace whatever music you want.
I got as much love for Gucci and Jeezy as I do for Talib and Mos Def and the Roots. Its about whatever YOU like.
Thats why I say rap-fans can be some of the most hypocritical consumers on the planet. They're always looking for new artists to pay homage. This isn't a damn mafia. New comers are just itching for their chance to make it, now you want to tell them that they should listen to Biggie and Nas? Why? Why should they? They got here doing them in the first place, now you want to force them to go back? They clearly were doing fine without your opinion. It would be NICE if they did that, but by no means are they OBLIGATED to. There isn't a rule stating that one must appreciate prior content.
As a consumer, I care ONLY if it sounds good.
Its the elitist in your heart thats clouding your judgment homie.
Remember, for every Al Green or James Brown, there was probably a lesser known version of him that did it x10 better but never got that shine. You're not doing a service to yourself to only remember the famous names. Those are just popular acts made to appeal to wide swaths of people...thats like going 50 years from now and telling the new pop princess to do her homework on Rihanna or Gaga.
As a black man growing up in a jamaican family I slightly felt ashamed that I didn't have those popular white references of Zepplin, or The RollingStones, or the Eagles, or Bruce Springsteen or those other super huge names of bands that seemingly everyone else knew about.
It wasn't until I was older that I said, screw it. if I didn't get introduced to it, or didn't grow up around then who cares. I'm it only for what I love to listen to. I bet those white kids didn't know about Marley, Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy, Buju, etc. All great artists in their own right.
I didn't grow up during the thriving eras of jazz in the 50s and 60s, but I yearn for that music like no other...its real to me...but it doesn't prevent me from listening to newer cats like Esperanza Spalding or Marsalis.
For every name you list, I can show you a longer list of artists you've NEVER heard of and ask why you don't know them.
