sad news

[alocispepraluger102]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/.../703020333/1005

That's wiggity-whack! Rap hits decline

Fans tired of lyrics, soft-porn videos

BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Maybe it was the umpteenth coke-dealing anthem or soft-porn music video. Perhaps it was the preening antics that some call reminiscent of Stepin Fetchit.

The turning point is hard to pinpoint. But after 30 years of growing popularity, rap music is struggling with an alarming sales decline and growing criticism from within about the culture's negative effect on society.

Rap insider Chuck Creekmur, who runs the Web site allhiphop.com, says he got a message from a friend "asking me to hook her up with some Red Hot Chili Peppers because she said she's through with rap. A lot of people are sick of rap . . . the negativity is just over the top now."

The rapper Nas, considered one of the greats, challenged the condition of the art form when he titled his latest album "Hip-Hop is Dead." It's at least ailing, according to recent statistics: Though music sales are down overall, rap sales slid a whopping 21 percent from 2005 to 2006, and for the first time in 12 years no rap album was among the top 10 sellers of the year. A recent study by the Black Youth Project showed a majority of youth think rap has too many violent images. In a poll of black Americans by The Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices last year, 50 percent of respondents said hip-hop was a negative force in American society.

Nicole Duncan-Smith grew up on rap, worked in the rap industry for years and is married to a hip-hop producer. She still listens to rap, but says it no longer speaks to or for her. She wrote the children's book "I Am Hip-Hop" partly to create something positive about rap for children, including her 4-year-old daughter.

"I'm not removed from it, but I can't really tell the difference between Young Jeezy and Yung Joc. It's the same dumb stuff to me," says Duncan-Smith, 33. "I can't listen to that nonsense . . . I can't listen to another black man talk about you don't come to the 'hood anymore and ghetto revivals . . . I'm from the 'hood. How can you tell me you want to revive it? How about you want to change it? Rejuvenate it?"

Linked to mayhem

Hip-hop also seems to be increasingly blamed for a variety of social ills. Studies have attempted to link it to everything from teen drug use to increased sexual activity among young girls.

Even the mayhem that broke out in Las Vegas during last week's NBA All-Star Game was blamed on hip-hoppers. "(NBA Commissioner) David Stern seriously needs to consider moving the event out of the country for the next couple of years in hopes that young, hip-hop hoodlums would find another event to terrorize," columnist Jason Whitlock, who is black, wrote on AOL.

While rap has been in essence pop music for years, and most rap consumers are white, some worry the black community is suffering from hip-hop -- from the way America perceives blacks to the attitudes and images being adopted by black youth.

But the rapper David Banner derides the growing criticism as blacks joining America's attack on young black men who are only reflecting the crushing problems within their communities. Besides, he says, that's the kind of music America wants to hear.

"Look at the music that gets us popular -- 'Like a Pimp,' 'Dope Boy Fresh,' " he says, naming two of his hits.

"What makes it so difficult is to know that we need to be doing other things. But the truth is at least us talking about what we're talking about, we can bring certain things to the light," he says.

Long-time criticism

Criticism of hip-hop is certainly nothing new -- it's as much a part of the culture as the beats and rhymes. Among the early accusations were that rap wasn't true music, its lyrics were too raw, its street message too polarizing. But they rarely came from the youthful audience itself, which was enraptured with genre that defined them as none other could.

"As people within the hip-hop generation get older, I think the criticism is increasing," says author Bakari Kitwana, who is part of a lecture tour titled "Does Hip-Hop Hate Women?"

"There was a more of a tendency when we were younger to be more defensive of it," he adds.

During her '90s crusade against rap's habit of degrading women, the late black activist C. Dolores Tucker certainly had few allies within the hip-hop community, or even among young black women. Backed by folks such as conservative Republican William Bennett, Tucker was vilified within rap circles.

In retrospect, "many of us weren't listening," says Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, a professor at Vanderbilt University and author of the new book "Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip-Hop's Hold On Young Black Women."

"She was onto something, but most of us said, 'They're not calling me a bitch, they're not talking about me, they're talking about those women.' But then it became clear that, you know what? Those women can be any women."

One rap fan, Bryan Hunt, made the searing documentary "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," which debuted on PBS this month. Hunt addresses the biggest criticisms of rap, from its treatment of women to the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle that has become the default posture for many of today's most popular rappers.

"I love hip-hop," Hunt, 36, says in the documentary. "I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip-hop, but I want to get us men to take a look at ourselves."

Dances get heat, too

Even dances that may seem innocuous are not above the fray. Last summer, as the "Chicken Noodle Soup" song and accompanying dance became a sensation, Baltimore Sun pop critic Rashod Ollison mused the dance -- demonstrated in the video by young people stomping wildly from side to side -- was part of the growing minstrelization of rap music.

"The music, dances and images in the video are clearly reminiscent of the era when pop culture reduced blacks to caricatures: lazy 'coons,' grinning 'pickaninnies,' sexually super-charged 'bucks,' " he wrote.

Crime connection

And then there's the criminal aspect that has long been a part of rap. In the '70s, groups may have rapped about drug dealing and street violence, but rap stars weren't the embodiment of criminals themselves. Today, the most popular and successful rappers boast about who has murdered more foes and rhyme about dealing drugs as breezily as other artists sing about love.

Creekmur says music labels have overfed the public on gangsta rap, obscuring artists who represent more positive and varied aspects of black life, such as Talib Kweli, Common and Lupe Fiasco.

"It boils down to a complete lack of balance, and whenever there's a complete lack of balance people are going to reject it, whether it's positive or negative," Creekmur says.

Edited March 2, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Claude]

Re: sad news, no commentary needed

Hi,

Why is this "news", and why is it sad?

The decline of the rap/hip hop phenomenon has been going on for years. It's just a natural development in music, that people get fed up with a certain (rather limited) style, and they move on. Rap will never die, but it will merge into new styles.

And I think that all the times in pop history, the influence of music and their lyrics on youth is highly overrated.

[Swinging Swede]

Perhaps this is the right time for the big bands to finally come back!?

[7/4]

Time for the organ trio to return to the top.

[Alexander]

Re: sad news, no commentary needed

Hi,

Why is this "news", and why is it sad?

The decline of the rap/hip hop phenomenon has been going on for years. It's just a natural development in music, that people get fed up with a certain (rather limited) style, and they move on. Rap will never die, but it will merge into new styles.

And I think that all the times in pop history, the influence of music and their lyrics on youth is highly overrated.

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

[alocispepraluger102]

Time for the organ trio to return to the top.

all the boys need is to be seen in a hip hot movie or guest on a bigtime tv show with the wind blowing right.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

someday there's going to be a hit movie about the aacm, scored by wynton and michelle legrand, of course, starring harry connick as muhal. that might catch on.

my point is that if 'jazz' ever resurfaces in popular culture, it will be so bastardized you and i wont recognize it.

Edited March 2, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[umum_cypher]

my point is that if 'jazz' ever resurfaces in popular culture, it will be so bastardized you and i wont recognize it.

[Joe G]

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

I really doubt it. I think that mass market-driven musical trends are about played out.

[Joe G]

Either that, or what comes next won't come from America.

[alocispepraluger102]

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

I really doubt it. I think that mass market-driven musical trends are about played out.

very interesting thought. thanks.

[zen archer]

maybe these kid's will start picking up instruments .....

[(BB)]

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

I really doubt it. I think that mass market-driven musical trends are about played out.

I agree with Joe. I was thinking about this yesterday while shoveling snow. When I was in highschool (mid 80's) music was one of the main delineators of a social group (pop/metal/new wave/punk/rap). I was thinking when my daughter will be in highschool (10 year's from now) I doubt that will be the case.

[BruceH]

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

Indeed.

[randissimo]

It looks to me as though hip-hop is primed to join blues, jazz, soul and funk as music that was once the music of African American youth, but has largely been taken up by middle class whites (like myself). I wouldn't worry about it, though. Every time this has happened in the past, young black musicians have ushered in another musical revolution. It's probably already begun, and we just haven't heard about it yet.

Indeed.

Maybe the "Earth, Wind, & Fire" school of pop music will experience a 'renaissance'.. Wishful thinking..

[Jazzmoose]

Hell, I knew it was dead when I bought that Kayne West CD. If you've got some fat, balding middle-aged white man buying your stuff, it's pretty much toast as far as 'cool' goes...

[Man with the Golden Arm]

that guy looks familiar!

[alocispepraluger102]

can we agree that music as a standalone product is nearly extinct?

one hoping to create or ride any new popularity waves must concoct an ingenious array of media to the lowest possible denominators to deliver their product and seduce the masses.

as we hear more and more music, individual works of music(artists) are becoming unimportant.

... music will be drowned by other media just as music has drowned the silence.

[JSngry]

Maybe the "Earth, Wind, & Fire" school of pop music will experience a 'renaissance'.. Wishful thinking..

Dude, it's already going on in the dance underground. Has been. Of course, it's not "all natural" anymore, but oh well.

[JSngry]

And anybody wondering where the Real Soul Singers are these days need to go to the underground.

[7/4]

explain what is so sad about this.

[Neal Pomea]

one hoping to create or ride any new popularity waves must concoct an ingenious array of media to the lowest possible denominators to deliver their product and seduce the masses.

Nobody pays attention to mass media anymore. It's too popular.

[alocispepraluger102]

Maybe the "Earth, Wind, & Fire" school of pop music will experience a 'renaissance'.. Wishful thinking..

Dude, it's already going on in the dance underground. Has been. Of course, it's not "all natural" anymore, but oh well.

club djs tell me they are so sick of that 70's stuff resampled........

[randissimo]

Though I have tried I've never been able to develop any real appreciation of rap/hip hop other than Arrested Development who I actually did like.. I think I am fundamentally allergic to it's negative and abrasive qualities and could never get beyond my disgust and low tolerance of it.. Most of it just sounds to me like ignorant attitude cell block banter too often forced very loudly on everybody by the urban assault vehicles with the tinted windows and industrial strength woofers at a gas station or typically at an intersection while I'm impatiently waiting for the green light to get away from the fool.. I guess I'm just 'old school'.. My prevailing idea of what hip rap is was the Last Poets..

Edited March 2, 2007 by randissimo

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

People got something to say, they'll say it. People haven't got something to say, they'll say it.

Can you tell the difference?

Next case!

MG

[JSngry]

Maybe the "Earth, Wind, & Fire" school of pop music will experience a 'renaissance'.. Wishful thinking..

Dude, it's already going on in the dance underground. Has been. Of course, it's not "all natural" anymore, but oh well.

club djs tell me they are so sick of that 70's stuff resampled........

That's not what I'm talking about, sampling. I'm talking about the various "neo-soul" acts and older bands like Ingognito & Brand New Heavies (erratic output form both to be sure) who use the progressive soul of the 70s as thier starting (and too often, finishing) point for their original material. The "not all natural" point had to do w/the use of drum machines & such.