 |
Crazeski's blog
| Monday, October 10th, 2005
Conscious Music (prehistoric ramblings or tool for social change?)
Conscious Music (prehistoric ramblings or tool for social change?)
Conscious music seems to have mostly died the death in the popular music front. Gone are the days when P.E (Public Enemy) spouted its uncompromising form of political rap to the masses, now in the rap world sex rules, conscious music seems to be now unpalatable to the music executives, I think it has always been that way, but the unscrupulous people that most record executives are, they probably thought well we don’t like this type of music but dam if they be making money without us!
However recently there has been certain conscious tracks that have made their way to the top ten, most recently Blackeye Peas’ ‘Where Is The Love’, Jadakiss’s ‘Why’. Nas has always tried to push out at least one or two positive tunes on his cds, and there is Common, Dilated Peoples, Kanye West to name but a few. But do you think their success is due to the heavy wave of sex, sex, sex, party, party, party, Blink, blink, blink and of course ‘Kill, kill, kill your bit#h ass and go home and have my 40 oz and a big mac and fries whilst watching American/UK Pop Idol! The inbalance generating a search by music listeners to hear something different as opposed to Sex & Kill Music!
What are your views on Positive music Vs Negative music, or don’t you give a rat’s posterior as long as you like the music!
| | Posted By Crazeski @ 7:48 AM | [Comment on this blog post] |
| Drlunk's comment posted October 10th @ 8:11 AM:
The masses have always wanted entertainment first, message second, if not forty-seventh. As I approach "Old Geezerhood", I'm constantly inundated by reflections and ruminations in the media about the glory days of protest or socially conscious music of the 60s. And there was a lot of it. But for every "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, etc or name a Dylan song, there were 30 "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies" or "I've Got A Brand New Pair of Rollerskates" by Melanie and in most markets, Melanie got more radio play than Dylan. Social content dwindled in the 70s. Was there any in the 80s? Man, I can't think of a one that got any airtime. Was "You Have to Fight for Your Right to Party" a social protest? Whether your talking pop, rock or rap, Sex sells, Strutting sells, Deviance sells, Bad Behavior sells and Living Large sells. Always has and sadly always will. In the perfect world, music should touch the heart or mind of the listener. Unfortunately, what most of the public wants touched are their fanatasies of wealth, power or their crouch. |
| SoundtrackOfMyLife's comment posted October 10th @ 1:10 PM:
is it what they want??
surely not EVERYONE...
sex is what sells b/c most ppl are here on earth for a bodyfuck, not a mindfuck...
this is not just relevant to music, but practically everything....
it's what drives most ppl:
... I make $$$, so that I can buy fancy shit that will impress the opposite sex so that I can get some.....
....I bought this diet/beauty/health book so that I can find out how to look superficially good so that I can get some....
.....I use whitening toothpaste so that my teeth will be so frickin' white that another person will not be able to aviod noticing them and, being so blinded by my perfectly-chiseled teeth, they can do nothing else but gaze at them and then I will approach this fawning person so that I can get some...
.....I bought this c.d. so that I can get some....
.....I'm in this band so that I can get some.....
....I use super-premium-unleaded-x^810-highly refined-war_fueled oil so that I can get some.....
(ps...I posted on this blog so that I can get some..... =P) |
| Crazeski's comment posted October 10th @ 1:47 PM:
Soundtrackofmylife made me laugh, and I understand her points and agree with some of them, however and there is an however, I said Positive Music Vs Negative Music as an attention grabber, coz its not as simple as that.
There are many tunes that celebrate sex in a positive way, Marvin Gaye anyone? Alexandre O'neal, Luther Vandross and there are Rap artists as well, Method Man ft Mary J, Dead Prez, 2pac, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Nas etc. The main word we are lookin for here is balance. Party/Good Vibes 55%, Deep/Thought Provoking/Emotional 35% and controversial/shallow stuff 10%.
Music should be used to uplift people and make them feel happy above all, negative connotations in music seldom achieve this, but the lines get blurred on certain tunes and with certain artists. Most women don't wanna be called a bitch, whore, hoe etc, But will accept a song talking bout women as such as long it isn't them lol.
To put a cap on it, we do wanna impress the other sex, "daaammm", some of us wanna impress both (freaky). But we can get our swerve on to all types of music it just depends on the way it is expressed. Lets try and opt for good taste over outright trashiness. I can't throw no stones at no one, have you heard my tune B.Boys/B.Girls, its on the boundries LOL.
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| spychild's comment posted October 10th @ 2:02 PM:
My favorite music has always been music with no lyrics (words). Things like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Medeski Martin & Wood & Amon Tobin to name a few. To me this is positive music because it inspires me to keep on. I guess i get enough of peoples opinions and really need a music that let's me be me and you be you. dig? Though i can find strength in a tune like "Message from the Meters"!! or "Inner City Blues" or "Higherground"
-peace |
| DiMeSBaL's comment posted October 10th @ 5:15 PM:
This relates a lot to your last blog crazeski. But in my oppinion I enjoy a smooth mix of both. Eminem demonstrates this as does Snoop, tupac, and the wu Tang Clan. They all know that to get people to listen to what you have to say you have to tell them what they wanna hear first. Soubdtracks comment made me laugh to, cuz well, it's funny, but it's also true. |
| mookster's comment posted October 10th @ 7:05 PM:
I am such a mix bag over this one... I cannot help but dance if there is a good beat to a track, but at the same time I still hold strong to my view that a message is all important, and when people hear a negative message constantly, it is on some level, effecting them. I am also a big fan of Dilated Peoples, along with Rage Against the Machine, Mos Def, Sizzla and Jeru TD... Music for me has always been a way of communicating your thoughts feelings and opinions to the World... Sell outs are named that for a reason... Puppets. |
| powderjay1's comment posted October 10th @ 11:40 PM:
positive an negatives don't exist. since speach was developed music has been the link that bids every one together. society has not changed technology has, but the thoughts and feelings are the same. so no social change will never occur.look at migration paterns, we as well as animals move to survive, music is the same, we move to survive! |
| powderjay1's comment posted October 10th @ 11:49 PM:
beyond the spelling errors maybe nothing is relevent at all. we desire to make an impact, but the chances of meaning every thing to every one are slim to none, so as long as people are different, there will always be diverse music, political or sexual it's the same. we want to be different, and in that logic we are the same...!!! no words will stop stone from crumbling or floods from drying up. enviromental change is the constant we will always strive to over come it, but we always have. don't forget jon the baptiste was beheaded..and what good did it really stand to be on a soap box...from an artists perspective it's depressing. so we try to be different, then every one wants to be like us..except the losers...so we ultimately conform. our word then lose their meaning. songs are turned into music jewelry boxes. and we are irrelevent anyway. maybe this is why kurt cobain killed him self...oh yeah and i just got laid! |
| powderjay1's comment posted October 10th @ 11:51 PM:
and those are my prehistoric ramblings! |
| Crazeski's comment posted October 11th @ 4:20 AM:
Thanx for all the good comment people, Mookster took me back in the past music wise, you have morals, but when the Cash is in front of you, in front of all of us what are we really gonna do! I hope you as well as the rest of us will try and do the right thing at the time!
DiMeSBal mad e a very good point, I was getting disappointed with Eminem until the came out with the Mosh, he did do a stealth move, I loved the party stuff, but I need some food for thought as well!
Powder made a good point bout the changes that happen and how we just move to survive, human nature, the jewelry box analogy was partically good. But I'm abit more of an optimist then Powder, I think John The Baptiste made the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs and because of that he was immortalised in history. Also if he never made a change, or wasn't making a change why did they kill him. Look at Nelson Mandela! Martin Luther King! Ghandi! These people made a change and sacrificed their lives or most of their lives for their beliefs. This isn't music but if one person goes in a positive direction as a result of one of my tunes, I consider myself a success and I made a difference! Once again thanx for the comments they are educational!
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| gsxrqueen's comment posted October 11th @ 12:13 PM:
I'm all for positive music but what I consider to be negative music mayb different to u..I dont like songs that make u feel depressed or wish for things that u cant possibly have.(cut ur throat cold play springs 2 mind) there's nothing wrong with a bit of sex n bling in a track, particularly if its got a good vibe too it!(ski's bboys bgirls for instance).
Rock was all about sex n drugs in the early days anyway but I guess it left more to the imagination because you didnt have video then.
Music like dress sense is a matter of personal taste what I like u might hate & vice versa!but it should have some soul & be inspiring if a message comes across then all the better.
Of course this is just my humble opinion... to quote a famous englishman "If music be the food of love then let the music play on!" |
| RtisX's comment posted October 11th @ 12:42 PM:
Man what a subject. Yea I really don't go for much in the Suicide,Kill, or Slap a Hoe(WAY Disrespectful to WOMEN) kind of ramblins. Such was "The Soldiers of Fortune". Our little world has quite a bit as it is. As Musicians we can influence by our words or relate 2 others in events they find themselves in or related to.
Too many Rapers related to doing what they wanted and it was kill a cop gonna do my Sh**. Well 2 me that would be like Mouthin at the Mofia....lmao..U soon know where ya be. True Gangsta's don't say Sh**.
If you feel like politics remember this is one tricky subject but if it's what ya feel....DO IT....As long as it doesn't have threating lines....What the hell. These people make mistakes all the time and perhaps need reminding. I would say weigh all of the input and go with what you feel...After all you are the creative....Use your audience not the Record JOck. |
| djinfla's comment posted October 12th @ 9:01 PM:
Positive versus Negative ---music? Everytime I contemplate writing a song - I know where the inspiration comes from. The "message" is always personal. Ans, sometimes it comes from a negative experience, other times from a positive one. Now the song crafters of marketable music? How to explain what it is they think will sell the most copies? I would like to think that the million selling musical artists out there today write strictly from a creative place of personal inspiration. Are they counseled, cajoled, co-erced into changing "message" to suit market trends? Probably. I know what I write is always trying to convey a message of positive outlook for my own personal reasons. Of course, I have a better chance of seeing GOD than anybody finding one of my songs marketable. But, as a record buying consumer - I always am moved by a well written song - regardless of whether the lyrics could be deemed "negative" or "positive". These labels are all so very subjective anyway. When we look at a Picasso, or a Van Gogh, do we really contemplate "message" as much as we interpet the personal meaning to us? Great forum Crazeski. |
| DiMeSBaL's comment posted October 30th @ 8:11 PM:
Even if it comes from a negative experience, usually the lesson is positive. Touchee! |
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