I normally have music playing when I'm writing or doing pretty much anything. Right now, I'm stuck in the 80's and 90's. I have some of today's music but as of now, I'm stuck back in time. I remember when I was in my teens and I would try to get my mom to listen to some of what I was listening to and she refused. Gave me the whole "They don't make music like they used to" speech. I figured she was just old and stubborn and my father was the hip one because he kept up with the times. I promised myself that I wouldn't allow myself to become old like that. Well people, I'm old! Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of talented singers/performers around. I guess where my issue starts is there are so many young performers out now and not enough mature artists. Sure we have R.Kelly (stay away from the personal issues), Kem, Tank (eep, oop, ork, ah ah..... if you know about The Jetsons, you know what that means) Usher even though he was supposed to retire from music, Joe, & Mary J but they are the chosen few who managed to have stuck around for a minute. Christopher Williams, Jade, Jodeci, Alexander Oneal, Ready For the World, SWV, Troop, Ideal, Boyz II Men, Donell Jones (some of the more well known), UNV, II Close, UMYND, IV Example, Faze, II D Extreme (had to shout out my boy Johnny Gill's brother group) all have one thing in common as far as I'm concerned. They made what I like to call Grown & Sexy Music. Sure there were some risk-kay tunes, but it's music that I could relate to and you could go to a live show and know that there was true talent. Don't get me wrong now, there are some great talent out now but I want to know when it became a rule that you need to be as naked as possible in order to sell an album? My bad.... CD. I sort of understand where my mom was coming from. What happened to allowing your true skills come through? I see there are some who has taken that route and seems to be doing well (like that "Rehab" chick and my father's personal fav, Corinne Bailey Rae) but they won't sell out arenas like your more popular singers. In all honesty, how many of you guys will go see Beyonce to hear her sing? Yes she has a beautiful voice but you are going to watch her shake her booty, fling her hair, and allow "Sasha" to take over and hopefully you will sit close enough to see her panties as she kick her legs high.
There are groups like H-Town and Intro that sold well in their time but because of the lost of Dino and Kenny (oh Kenny and Dino is gone yall), it is understandable why the remaining members G-I & Shazam from H-Town and Jeff & Buddy from Intro (hello Jeff .... he looks like T-Mac but with darker eyes) quietly backed away from mainstream (though I hear that G-I and Shazam are still making music). Odd that I would use those groups as an example because I remember my cousin and I went to see them in concert at The Apollo one summer. Intro, H-town, and Silk. "Come Inside", "Knocking Da Boots" & "Lick You Up", and "Freak Me" all in the same night (yes I picked all the quality time tunes). What a show.....
No comments:
Post a Comment