Comments | tinywarrior: The New Minstrel Show or How I Came to Despise the Doggy-Doggs

tinywarrior

The New Minstrel Show or How I Came to Despise the Doggy-Doggs

Sep 05, 2001 22:09

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Space ain't man's final frontier. Man's final frontier is the soul,
guided by someone more powerful than any human being
Someone felt but never seen.
You will be surprised of what resides in your insides...Had one of those long conversations today about the state of ( Read more... )

writing, race, music

Comments 30

This isn't really related... buscemi September 5 2001, 20:43:47 UTC

...but why do so many rappers today have trouble staying with, or are oblivious to the drum beat? Ugh.

I'm partial to old school meself. I wonder what Public Enemy's up to. It still seems strange that Run DMC are born-again Christians now. (?!)

That can't be true! froglegs September 5 2001, 21:04:06 UTC

Are Run DMC really born-again Christians? I can't believe that?!?

It's twue! It's twue! buscemi September 5 2001, 21:19:17 UTC

They've mentioned it on various tv shows. Run and DMC are born-again, but I don't know about Jam Master Jay. (Is he even with the group anymore?)

Back from hell

>>Note that the term "religious conversion" is used. Otherwise maybe 800.com is afraid no one would buy their albums?

Re: It's twue! It's twue! froglegs September 6 2001, 06:41:54 UTC

Well, gosh. I guess you learn something new every day. ;)

Thread 5

todfox September 5 2001, 20:47:25 UTC

I agree about rap -- in it's purest form, street poetry, it is really beautiful and I have heard some great rappers locally. But I miss a lot of the rap of the 80s that was so creative and inspired. Very little of what I hear today is like that.

froglegs September 5 2001, 21:02:18 UTC

It is interesting to me that you write about this now. I have recently begun an exodus into greater appreciation of hip-hop and rap music. I admit that I am pretty new at it all. I have a hip-hop loving brother who helped, then he moved away and I got hooked on some of the mainstream stuff, my fiancé attempts to continue the trend in a direction with more depth.

At one point in the past you could hear me blaring Snoop's Gin and Juice just because of the beat in the background and that fact that I could sing along. I probably still know all the words. I did grow out of him (mostly) at some point because of the crap he was spouting, but I have found that I am easily influenced by a song that is easy to sing.

Anyway, I enjoyed your post.

tinywarrior September 6 2001, 17:35:32 UTC

You raise an interesting point about lyrics. There's always been a debate about whether language influences thought or thought influences language. Sort of the linguistic chicken/egg problem. I wonder, though, at the effect of so many kids mouthing along to these hateful chants...and how insidious the thoughts behind the catchy lyrics are. An example of what I mean: How many times can a teenage boy sing/speak along to lyrics that refer to women as bitches without eventually having that word filter into his cognitive processing of language. Will he only use the term when he's listening to music, or will he incorporate the word (and the thought behind it) into his everyday speech?

lyrics froglegs September 6 2001, 19:52:59 UTC

He will incorporate the word into his everyday speech. Just like any other new word - we associate a meaning with it and it becomes part of our repertoire. We understand how to use the word in the appropriate context and comprehend the meaning of the word. That meaning can't be isolated just to music. I believe that the insidious meanings behind the catchy tune are having a defining effect on youth... but I keep listening anyway...

ernunnos September 5 2001, 21:29:52 UTC

I loved Arrested Development. About the only rap I've gotten into lately is the Ghost Dog soundtrack.

tinywarrior September 6 2001, 17:10:41 UTC

That's a good soundtrack...although, I'm not too crazy about the movie--even if I am crazy about Forest Whittaker. Jarmusch has definitely done better work.

arch_carrier September 5 2001, 23:19:17 UTC

definitely agreed. it's important to remember though that groups like ultramagnetic mcs and de la soul were never really THAT popular; people listened more to coolio, snoop and ice cube than to digable planets or black sheep.

it's a shame.

i think you'd definitely like gang starr's older stuff (check out 'DWYCK') as well as the above. there's some more obscure stuff too... like eric b & rakim, nice & smooth, etc etc...

good taste in music all around, though.

*walks off whistling 'tennessee'*

tinywarrior September 6 2001, 06:56:29 UTC

Digable Planets = magnificent example of the best rap ever! Thanks for reminding me of more of my old favorites. And you're right...most of these groups/artists were never THAT popular...but they were just popular enough to give me that "maybe this is the part where people get it" feeling. I'm still hopeful...we'll just have to see. : )