By: Christopher Keith Johnson

Christopher Keith Johnson — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 20:14:42 +0000

@DL. Excellent point! How music has gone downhill is an oft told tale. Our generation not treating hip-hop like our grandparents treated Jazz is so much a part of the problem. Black people have not had a long history of controlling our music. We might actually have MORE administrative and financial control now than ever. Even during those RACE RECORD days of yesteryear there was always someone from outside pulling the strings. Difference is, we made sure that what was BIG was also GOOD(sounding). I think the music is what the times demand. And largely what the times deserve. No social movement to “police” content or quality. The result is all around us.

By: DL

DL — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 18:51:19 +0000

Interesting critique! As the GM/PD/MD of my campus radio station I grapple with this very frequently. I’m nearly 40 and I am programming the station adding music like Bands and B!tch Bad and sometimes I feel like I am doing the students that listen to the station a disservice…but hey if we don’t play it they will listen elsewhere, right? I had to really reason this out and I came to the conclusion that when we were in the coveted 18 – 24 demographic we had songs just like B!tch Band and Bands. The difference is the music was more balanced…for every Bands we had 4 or 5 B!tch Bads. The music is not inherently bad, I think it has a place just like the revolutionary music. The “party element” of the music has been hyper-inflated and promoted. What we seek is a balance…not an elimination of any form of hip hop.

Thats my 2 cents lol

Comments on: Lupe Fiasco: Message Music vs. the Strip Club Anthem: The Struggle Continues.

By: Christopher Keith Johnson

By: DL