the.21.thing.thats.killing.urban.music!

i apologize for the lack of posts. the fashion show i was directing, came & went (see a later post), challenged my time & ability to keep you entertained; i’m sorry. so, today, i’m reading through my gamut of online literature; mail; blog rolls when i stumbled across a posting in regards to this post’s context.

soulbounce perts how “we” forgot the slow death thats spreading across all urban media, as the legacy of soul and its first cousins are antiquated by a writhing mass of commercialism, homogenization, thuggification and overall laziness.

wow! was my immediate sentiment as i cosigned with this statement in entirety. & to my surprise, the 21st thing is something i’ve argued repeatedly, whether in & out of clouds of revery, as few have adopted my insight. i’ll list the top 20 & if you wish for a synopsis visit the source.

the list is as follows:
1. the end of the event album | 2. big name hip-hop producers
3. deaths of tupac & notorious b.i.g. | 4. “neo-soul”
5. “reality” show | 6. lazy a&r departments | 7. scarface & the untouchables
8. thugs | 9. crime | 10. ringtones | 11. lack of music education
12. b.e.t | 13. the radio | 14. club djs | 15. mainstream hip-hop publications
16. bloggers | 17. youtube/myspace
18. singing rappers, acting rappers, rapper athletes
19. end of real singing groups | 20. kanyitis


21. the death of aaliyah. indeed!!!

opinions are wild in discourse of whether she was what many believed she was. there’s no denial that the entire industry felt the impact of her passing though i dare not say this event single handedly put the nail in urban music’s coffin. however, urban music lost much, if not all, validity and eschewed in a throng of copiously pretty drones lacking musical relevance with no personality ie. ashanti, beyonce, ciara, teairra marie, rihanna, etc.

as expressed, aaliyah had a warm & humble personality along with effortless talent, ideas, and a willingness to experiment, which was evident by the direction/context of her eponymous album, aaliyah. the multi-hyphenate gave only subtle doses of herself leaving much to be desired even in death. now we’re left with the wretchedness that’s big & shiny (beyonce) & sounds of a cat being skinned (ciara/rihanna), all of whom are questionably talented with average inner drive. i ask, where’s the competition needed to aspire for artistic greatness or blissful demise? wait! by the sounds of it, interred.

wrap oneself not in packaging but the substance inside as you should never trust anything with a big butt or shiny.

proceeding with high caution,
venus.as.a.boy