Rappers making songs admitting to crimes they’ve committed, even murder is nothing new. Social media however, has taken these darker elements of the hip hop industry and amplified them. With the recent murder of King Von, adding to the growing list of rappers killed and shot in 2020, I can see a pattern of horrific behaviour within the industry which is largely ignored by the media. That’s the ridiculing of the murder victims. It’s one thing to tell a story about death and violence but the mockery is an added vicious element to the heinous crimes being committed. When violence happens and people die, it’s a sad thing, but the cyclical nature of the violence is what makes it even worse. The world is filled with underprivileged kids, lacking confidence, growing up in poor environments where crime is rife. The ‘hood’ gives an artistic way out to these kids through rap, which captures the depraved lifestyle many were growing up in.
Continue reading THEY lAUGH IN THE FACE OF DEATHCategory Archives: Music
It’s more than just music
I recently listened to a video on the Vox channel on Youtube called ‘rappers deconstructed: the best rhymers of all time’. It was interesting to see such a mechanical approach to the analysis of hip hop music. The narrator described her appreciation for the artist MF Doom and started breaking down the lyrics of his songs. I was impressed by the intellectual acuity showcased in his rhymes as I’ve tried to listen to his music a couple of times and I’ve never liked it.
R.Kelly ft Joe Budden
The hip hop and media worlds have gone crazy with the release of the R.Kelly TV series as it sheds light on a severely dark and disturbing part of urban entertainment history. I found the Joe Budden Podcast breakdown of the R.Kelly show very intriguing as the guys take a very raw and open approach to the realities of what went on. Continue reading R.Kelly ft Joe Budden
Stairway to heaven has led us to a bullet train to hell
I listened to Led Zeppelin ‘Stairway to heaven’ around 6 weeks ago when I got mixed up with the fungi crowd and completely understood what the definition of what a musical masterpiece is. The song starts out deliberately slow with delicately played chords on the guitar and keyboard. Then comes the vocals which begins to add volume to the song and over the course of the next ten and a half minutes intensifies with the purpose of synchronicity. The second part of the song sees the inclusion of gradual bass and the sparked vocals lead to the drums where the song begins to fill out. The arrangement of music here is genius because heaven is personified in the song as the guitar solo which comes soon after and is absolutely magnificent. Continue reading Stairway to heaven has led us to a bullet train to hell
Be mindful of what music you listen to
Music conveys emotion and communicates feelings sonically to induce further emotion into the consumer. This could be sadness, anger, happiness or any emotion the artist is feeling at the time. Hip hop as an art form offers a direct depiction of how an artist may be feeling or what they’ve gone through, and often this comes across as conceited, boasty and in some cases glorifies negativity. Continue reading Be mindful of what music you listen to
Selling out has now become the goal for musicians
Musicians have always tried to find the balance between creating their art and selling records, because the more that’s sold, the more ‘diluted’ the music can get. This is the same across all genre’s, rap, rock, classical and pop. As music has changed over the years so has the levels of wealth attainability for the creators. Being rich and having a hit record back in the 50’s and 60’s meant that you could buy your high school sweetheart a new car and go on holiday to Miami twice and year. Continue reading Selling out has now become the goal for musicians
Radar radio
Radar radio is an underground music station owned by Ollie Ashley who is the son of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Radar has been running for nearly four years and has been a platform for DJ’s, MC’s and presenters to showcase their creativity to an audience that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Continue reading Radar radio
The rise of the average looking popstar
Musicians have been known to be good looking and in shape throughout entertainment history. There have been exceptions to this rule but if you look at the music artists who dominate the industry over long periods of time, they are usually appealing to the eye. This is why it was such a shock when Susan Boyle from Britain’s got talent became so popular. Continue reading The rise of the average looking popstar
Rap music influencing life – Quality matters more than content
They try and use rap music as a reason for the violence, but there’s no real evidence which suggests so. If you put aside why people make degrading music and focus on the consumers, you can see there is high demand for fuck bitch nigga shit, and there always will be. Continue reading Rap music influencing life – Quality matters more than content