(ThyBlackMan.com) The music business has been tainted with illuminati misconceptions and Ill-minded executives turning trash into gold. As of lately, you can make a rap song popular by capitalizing on Vine (Bobby Schmurda,) use African American references in music, video and performance (Miley Cyrus) and now, Jennifer Lopez. Yes, read that previous line correctly, and no, it’s not the year 2002. J to the Lo just recently released her latest album A.K.A in June to mixed-negative reviews while selling only 33k copies in the first week.
There is nothing wrong for a formerly accomplished artist to try to rekindle ones past accomplishments; it becomes a problem when you attempt to fit into today’s faux-pas music fiasco. In a nutshell, Lopez has proven that record executives see artists as distributors of their material; in which they don’t particularly care who sings it, as long as the song hits the market.
At 45, Jennifer Lopez’s singles were “I Luh Ya Papi,” appropriately titled “First Love” and the no-comment title “Booty.” Well, I do have a few comments on that. If these songs teach us music consumers and connoisseurs anything, it’s that the climate and substance presented don’t appear to be budging from our speakers anytime soon. Apparently, the good folks at Capitol Records didn’t care that the people who liked “Jenny
From The Block” in 2002 have long grown older, maybe even the same age as me, or Lopez herself.
It saddened me listening to “Booty,” and “I Luh Ya Papi,” because it made the dead elephant in the rooms odor more apparent; record executives, as do other CEO’s and shot callers from your who’s who in big business, only care about the zeros on the check. Is it a surprise? Not to say the least, but I’m sure Lopez didn’t want to record those songs with the reason that she’s too old to sing songs only a teenager would find appealing.
Contrary to popular belief, mainstream music has been sliding for the past few decades. You can go onto any YouTube clip from 2004 on back, and see the numerous claims that the listeners wish music of yesteryear could come back. Well, it’s the same music; violence, corny dance songs for the club, sex, jewelry and drug dealing. I once saw a comment under 2Pac’s “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted,” where someone stated “Back When Hip Hop Music Was Good.”
That song could possibly be no different from the material released today. But, just as Jimmy Iovine and Suge Knight didn’t care for the real Tupac and his particulars, they don’t care about Lopez, and the losses of her singles flopping are now on her head. If you thought there was any glimmer of hope in music, Jennifer Lopez has possibly shot them down.
Now I’m not saying that it was wrong for Capitol Records to showcase an even more sexualized Jennifer Lopez, or that she’s being degraded and all of that jazz. Obviously, she’s a grown woman who can conceptualize her own decisions and ideas. It’s only wrong because it’s now clearer that record executives do not care about who is singing or rapping the product, as long as the product is created, produced and shipped out to radio and the digital world by its launch date.
While Jennifer Lopez may have saw the light at the tunnel of appealing to a new set of fans who probably never seen Anaconda, Enough, Selena or heard “I’m Real” with Ja Rule, she must realize two things have changed since her late 90’s, early 2000’s heyday; 1. Music is now singles driven, in which the lack of quality of the album is usually a recurring trend. Millions are now made off downloads. See: Pitbull and Flo Rida. 2. If you are seeking album sales, decent/very good material or tabloid candy is a must. Since Lopez had neither, she lost altogether, which, to say the least, is disappointing for Jennifer Lopez.
Music Editor; Brad Washington
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