Does hip-hop need the 'Spinal Tap' treatment?
Discussion
OK, I'm currently working in an electrical store (I'm doing a placement in January and I need the money, OK...), and we sell a lot of large and desirable flatscreen TVs. Now, to show off their visual capabilities, we have music channels on all day - The Hits, TMF, MTV, that sort of thing.
But it seems that hip-hop is the only thing that really counts for pop music these days. If you're really lucky they might play a Coldplay or Oasis video once every few hours, but other than that every video's the same - some gold-encrusted black guy waves his rings at the camera and some girls who look suspiciously like slaves/prostitutes dance around in the kind of way the BBC would censor before 9.
Every song starts with the usual 'uh, uh, yo, oh yeah' and all anyone seems to sing about these days is how rich they are and how much 'bling' they can afford (50 Cent is by far the worst offender), and how they got it by pimping and drug dealing (for the blokes), and being a slapper/gold-digger (for the wimmin').
Thing is, I remember a time when rap music was angry, political, musically intricate and quite intelligent, a kind of black American take on punk. Nowadays it's not even proper rapping. 50 Cent just seems to 'talk aggressively'.
I now realise that I sound like my Grandad used to, but IMO hip-hop's got so out of hand that its excesses are beginning to remind me of the demise of the NWOBHM, and we all know what brought the straight-faced ludicrous excesses of that particular musical movement to book - that film This Is Spinal Tap - no-one could take rock bands seriously after that film and they really had to brush up their act.
50 Cent now has two albums both called Get Rich Or Die Tryin', a film called Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (am I alone in thinking he's coming across as more than a little insecure?), and a computer game in which you play himself (ooh, wow) called Bulletproof. This is a guy who used to be a crack dealer, got shot nine times, doesn't regret a minute of it and for some reason sees himself as some kind of role-model. What a tw@.
I think hip-hop's unconsciously crying out for the Spinal Tap treatment - a film that shows it all up for what it is - and to bring back the likes of Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Sugarhill Gang, NWA and so on.
What do we all reckon?
But it seems that hip-hop is the only thing that really counts for pop music these days. If you're really lucky they might play a Coldplay or Oasis video once every few hours, but other than that every video's the same - some gold-encrusted black guy waves his rings at the camera and some girls who look suspiciously like slaves/prostitutes dance around in the kind of way the BBC would censor before 9.
Every song starts with the usual 'uh, uh, yo, oh yeah' and all anyone seems to sing about these days is how rich they are and how much 'bling' they can afford (50 Cent is by far the worst offender), and how they got it by pimping and drug dealing (for the blokes), and being a slapper/gold-digger (for the wimmin').
Thing is, I remember a time when rap music was angry, political, musically intricate and quite intelligent, a kind of black American take on punk. Nowadays it's not even proper rapping. 50 Cent just seems to 'talk aggressively'.
I now realise that I sound like my Grandad used to, but IMO hip-hop's got so out of hand that its excesses are beginning to remind me of the demise of the NWOBHM, and we all know what brought the straight-faced ludicrous excesses of that particular musical movement to book - that film This Is Spinal Tap - no-one could take rock bands seriously after that film and they really had to brush up their act.
50 Cent now has two albums both called Get Rich Or Die Tryin', a film called Get Rich Or Die Tryin' (am I alone in thinking he's coming across as more than a little insecure?), and a computer game in which you play himself (ooh, wow) called Bulletproof. This is a guy who used to be a crack dealer, got shot nine times, doesn't regret a minute of it and for some reason sees himself as some kind of role-model. What a tw@.
I think hip-hop's unconsciously crying out for the Spinal Tap treatment - a film that shows it all up for what it is - and to bring back the likes of Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Sugarhill Gang, NWA and so on.
What do we all reckon?
Twincam16 said:
I think hip-hop's unconsciously crying out for the Spinal Tap treatment - a film that shows it all up for what it is - and to bring back the likes of Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Sugarhill Gang, NWA and so on.
What do we all reckon?
Oh definitly, but perhaps Hip Hop is already beyond parody.
selmer said:
Isn't every Eminem video a pastiche of the whole rap/bling/booty/weapons/knives/homophobe/misogynist...etc. culture that pervades hip-hop?
Actually, that's why I consider Eminem to be the exception to the hip-hop rule. He's actually a highly educated middle-class bloke whose decided to parody the whole genre with massive success. No wonder Dr Dre's behind it - I bet he's sick of what his music stands for now.
Even better - the chavs think Eminem's one of their own, just like they did with Ali G, making them look even more ludicrous.
Witchfinder said:
All forms of music ultimately eat themselves. It is inevitable.
Hmm. I reckon the excesses eat themselves leaving only the good stuff.
Look at rock - NWOBHM was an excess killed off by Spinal Tap, then the American scene bloated into Grunge and died with Kurt Cobain and the breakup of Guns'n'Roses. Then we had Britpop which died due to a mixture of Tony Blair hijacking it and Oasis disappearing in a blizzard of cocaine.
But look what we've got now - some great bands like Kaiser Chiefs, The Bravery, The Killers, a revitalised Oasis, Razorlight, Gorrilaz, Keane, Magic Numbers, The Coral, The Zutons - I could go on and on, all brilliant bands who, due to the constant 'reality checks' over the last twenty years have, to borrow a Westwoodism, 'kept it real'. Yo, uh, and oh yeah indeedy.
It's like everything - you have to separate the commercial blingy rubbish from the 'real deal'. The likes of J5, *are* musically gifted (Cut Chemist and Numark) and Shadow is amazing - almost every BBC documentary seems to have a soundtrack based on Shadow's 'Product Placement' album - and that's where the O2 advert music (amongst others) comes from. 'HipHop' producers are pretty gifted in general. it's the limping ruby-toothed fools that stand around in the shiny videos with loose women..!
Twincam16 said:Totally agree, but most people just think he's a white rapper and don't get behind the headlines - or even listen to the lyrics.
Isn't every Eminem video a pastiche of the whole rap/bling/booty/weapons/knives/homophobe/misogynist...etc. culture that pervades hip-hop?
Actually, that's why I consider Eminem to be the exception to the hip-hop rule. He's actually a highly educated middle-class bloke whose decided to parody the whole genre with massive success. No wonder Dr Dre's behind it - I bet he's sick of what his music stands for now.
Even better - the chavs think Eminem's one of their own, just like they did with Ali G, making them look even more ludicrous.
It needs something much more in your face.
I'm thinking Chris Tucker. Reprise that obnoxious character Ruby Rhod from the Firth Element as his real persona, and butch it up for his stage persona. I'm just wondering if that's physically possible though.
Twincam16 said:
But look what we've got now - some great bands like Kaiser Chiefs, The Bravery, The Killers, a revitalised Oasis, Razorlight, Gorrilaz, Keane, Magic Numbers, The Coral, The Zutons - I could go on and on, all brilliant bands who, due to the constant 'reality checks' over the last twenty years have, to borrow a Westwoodism, 'kept it real'. Yo, uh, and oh yeah indeedy.
It happened to Disco. It happened to Rock 'n' Roll. It'll happen to Rap and R'n'B. They'll loose preeminence and be replaced by another form of music. These things go in cycles as you said. Even Classical has had its ups and downs.
Twincam16 said:
Isn't every Eminem video a pastiche of the whole rap/bling/booty/weapons/knives/homophobe/misogynist...etc. culture that pervades hip-hop?
Actually, that's why I consider Eminem to be the exception to the hip-hop rule. He's actually a highly educated middle-class bloke whose decided to parody the whole genre with massive success. No wonder Dr Dre's behind it - I bet he's sick of what his music stands for now.
Even better - the chavs think Eminem's one of their own, just like they did with Ali G, making them look even more ludicrous.
Totally in agreement there
. One of the most talented people in the current music industry to my mind. His video's always either raise a smile (Ass like that? Real slim shady? Loose it?) or make you think (Stan? Mockingbird? Mosh?) and his lyical talent is really rather good (understatement). He even has huge fans among mates of mine who claim to hate Rap!!
Another good parody of the whole rap/hip hop/pimping thing is Kid Rock. See one interview with this guy to know he finds the whole thing huge fun. Appears to be a total drop out nut job hick (and openly calls himself so) yet behind the scenes is a very talented song writer for other people (and plays quite a few seperate instruments himself). His last album "Rock" is actually a total mix of Country and hip hop, but actually works.
50pence anoys the hell out of me as he doesnt seem to actually ever fully open his mouth, and hence doesnt really ever talk properly. That really narks me for some reason...... :lol:
Remember Chris Morris as the rapper Fur Q performing Uzi Lover on The Day Today?
"You got to...uh...kill people to...uh...have respect fo' people, you know? You got to kill some people, anyway, but you can't kill everybody...uh...'cause you wouldn't have anybody left...uh...to respect if you did."
"You got to...uh...kill people to...uh...have respect fo' people, you know? You got to kill some people, anyway, but you can't kill everybody...uh...'cause you wouldn't have anybody left...uh...to respect if you did."
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff