The only way to change the radio format is to change ourselves.

It is a far gone conclusion, that the radio format today is particularly garbage from top to bottom. For hip hop, guns, sex and drugs govern the airwaves. For R&B it’s more of promiscuous sex and buying bottles in the club for that fine b***h. Pop features teeny bop and corny songs to fit the pop standards. Why? Because it’s what the youth demographic the record execs aim for like and can relate to.  While many may not agree with the principles in music today, it’s sadly what the listeners want to receive and what today’s younger age bracket is active in and what is generally accepted. Case in point, violence, sex, smoking weed is no longer considered a taboo action, but the norm.

But what if the radio standards of today were switched to maybe what a Prince, Maxwell or India.Arie fan would generally accept? Could the advocating of spiritual healing, finding the right love and grown folk love songs for grown folk situations last today? Well, what if it did?

I asked my parents the other day, that when they were growing up, was promiscuity a prevalent thing. They simply answered it was all under the table, if it was. Of course, back then, America’s youth was run on a tighter ship. Religious and moral values were seen as a must have and respect for others and yourself were considered the normal. I’m sure in 1950’s to mid-60’s the American teen probably had a bit more core values than the average teen today if not a lot. In other words, radicals were in the minority. So, because of that, the music airwaves had a larger audience of people who could relate to the music being issued out. There weren’t too many songs about sex, because the issue wasn’t pressed the way it is now aka it was more taboo. This is why

1. Many songs of the 60’s have merited classic status with simple and creative messages on love, heartbreak, appreciation of the opposite sex and political messages.

2. Protest songs that cracked the top 10 were common.  But it should be noted that the music of any era always move along with the times. Therefore, making the radio standard of the past something old school music heads will always long for.

But while it does seem like a grand and precise idea to have music executives attempt to reverse the music standards for radio, it would seem highly unrealistic simply because of the state of today’s youth. Again, the format moves along with the young generation. A Jill Scott or a, say, Robert Glasper wouldn’t be pushed for the radio, because this generation doesn’t care about the topics such as love or artistic movements that they may present in their music. But a Trey Songz or The Weeknd will of course get the nod over them. Why?

Because sex, promiscuity and drugs are not only what this generation want to hear. It’s what they do openly and freely. Maybe the number is for every 10, eight partake in that rigorous lifestyle it. So just as it was easy for folks who grew up in the Motown era to constantly play a tender song like My Girl by the Temptations, a Say Ahh by Trey Songz will be just as easy today as it will be 25 years from now because our youth can recount the days how the song made them feel in the club.

So in conclusion, I’m sure many would absolutely love for the garbage music to saturate itself away from the radio. Those who groove to Prince and Stevie have been staying away from the radio for well over a decade and rightfully so. But, the real problem isn’t the execs or the radio DJ’s, it’s our youth and what we as adults allow. The radio format is going to stay the same until the next craze comes along to add on.

Prime example, molly. If we allow the youth to over-marinate their brains with clothes, sex, calling women bitches and hoes, (don’t forget about smoking, drinking and having no morals) then if the format flipped, it wouldn’t last 5 minutes. More positive thinking kids then maybe in a few years a Kendrick Lamar will get more airplay than a Lil’ Wayne. But that’s just wishful thinking, and maybe kids will want to relate more to Lil’ Wayne cause Lil’ Wayne raps their lifestyle, But of course, in order for things to change, we must be the change ourselves.