"I just want to go back to the Wu-Tang years. Those were the greatest."
-myself. Wednesday night.
"You're such a 90's baby."
-P.M. few weeks ago.
There is no doubt in my mind that the years between...ahhh lets say 92-98 were the best for music. (not of ALL times of course. But the best years I actually LIVED through.)
I dont know if it was just a combination of me being an adolescent..which means that I "FELT" everything so strongly. (I remember when i lost all the eyelashes in my right eye from a freak eyelash curler incident, and refused to go to school for a week.)
Or maybe it was just because that's when artists were still able to make money by actually RECORDING an album. (none of this online download shit. 1.99 per song b.s. on itunes. I still give Pearl Jam huge kudos for taking the first stand against Napster. I only wish more artists would have followed.)
These were the times when everything was working in conjunction together. When Mtv actually played *gasp* videos. When Vh1 was still the "old people's" music channel.
When radio played real shit. (Put it in your mouth, would NEVER get any radio time these days.)
These were also the days of rap GROUPS. Which is what i miss the most. Not just some simple "collabo" on someone's track. (think the Drake/Lil Wayne invasion right now.)
This was an actual group of friends, combining all their skills together, and coming up with some of the most creative shit I've ever heard.
Wu-Tang
The Lox
Naughty by Nature
Bone Thugs
Junior Mafia
Cypress Hill
and on and on and on and on. Back to the days of Run DMC and NWA and digital underground. Public Enemy. Even (shake your head if you must) The Beastie Boys.
I've said it before, and I;ll say it again...I'm a fan of voices. And of lyrics.
And there is nothing more amazing, then hearing a track with each person contributing a different sound. A different technique. But having it all come together like a beautiful puzzle. Cash Money Millionaires.
The different styles. the different personalities. The levels they took each other to. It's almost like a battle rap on every track. Like each person tried to out do the person before. To produce some great motherfucking music.
In my opinion no group did this better than Wu-Tang. Deep melodic versus from Method Man, then into a more high pitched up tempo Cappadonna verse. Man. You just FELT it.
Plus it was like a bonus...you got like 5 people's LP's for the same $10.
But now things have changed.
Everybody went solo. Some have been successful...others not so much.
Break out stars. Break out albums.
Now it's all about ego. Shine. Spotlight. Money.
Everyone feels they can carry a whole album on their own. Everyone believes that they personally have sooo much to talk about...that they don't need any help. They know it all. No need for input on beats, lyrics, production, video concepts.
No need to split that check.
Except that...things start to sound a little "too" studio. over produced.
every Wu-Tang song feels like they literally just sat around high in someone's basement apartment and wrote some shit down and put it on a tape. Grimy. Dirty. And real.
The people that came up with you, can keep you in check. They'll keep you real and grounded. And they're concentrate on the music.
Lil Wayne is amazing..but he's soooo much more amazing as a PART of a greater song. (hence all the "guest tracks.")
He has good lyrics. He has a good 16 bars. But to put in a CD and listen to ONLY his voice for 2 hours. Just looses some of that greatness.
-myself. Wednesday night.
"You're such a 90's baby."
-P.M. few weeks ago.
There is no doubt in my mind that the years between...ahhh lets say 92-98 were the best for music. (not of ALL times of course. But the best years I actually LIVED through.)
I dont know if it was just a combination of me being an adolescent..which means that I "FELT" everything so strongly. (I remember when i lost all the eyelashes in my right eye from a freak eyelash curler incident, and refused to go to school for a week.)
Or maybe it was just because that's when artists were still able to make money by actually RECORDING an album. (none of this online download shit. 1.99 per song b.s. on itunes. I still give Pearl Jam huge kudos for taking the first stand against Napster. I only wish more artists would have followed.)
These were the times when everything was working in conjunction together. When Mtv actually played *gasp* videos. When Vh1 was still the "old people's" music channel.
When radio played real shit. (Put it in your mouth, would NEVER get any radio time these days.)
These were also the days of rap GROUPS. Which is what i miss the most. Not just some simple "collabo" on someone's track. (think the Drake/Lil Wayne invasion right now.)
This was an actual group of friends, combining all their skills together, and coming up with some of the most creative shit I've ever heard.
Wu-Tang
The Lox
Naughty by Nature
Bone Thugs
Junior Mafia
Cypress Hill
and on and on and on and on. Back to the days of Run DMC and NWA and digital underground. Public Enemy. Even (shake your head if you must) The Beastie Boys.
I've said it before, and I;ll say it again...I'm a fan of voices. And of lyrics.
And there is nothing more amazing, then hearing a track with each person contributing a different sound. A different technique. But having it all come together like a beautiful puzzle. Cash Money Millionaires.
The different styles. the different personalities. The levels they took each other to. It's almost like a battle rap on every track. Like each person tried to out do the person before. To produce some great motherfucking music.
In my opinion no group did this better than Wu-Tang. Deep melodic versus from Method Man, then into a more high pitched up tempo Cappadonna verse. Man. You just FELT it.
Plus it was like a bonus...you got like 5 people's LP's for the same $10.
But now things have changed.
Everybody went solo. Some have been successful...others not so much.
Break out stars. Break out albums.
Now it's all about ego. Shine. Spotlight. Money.
Everyone feels they can carry a whole album on their own. Everyone believes that they personally have sooo much to talk about...that they don't need any help. They know it all. No need for input on beats, lyrics, production, video concepts.
No need to split that check.
Except that...things start to sound a little "too" studio. over produced.
every Wu-Tang song feels like they literally just sat around high in someone's basement apartment and wrote some shit down and put it on a tape. Grimy. Dirty. And real.
The people that came up with you, can keep you in check. They'll keep you real and grounded. And they're concentrate on the music.
Lil Wayne is amazing..but he's soooo much more amazing as a PART of a greater song. (hence all the "guest tracks.")
He has good lyrics. He has a good 16 bars. But to put in a CD and listen to ONLY his voice for 2 hours. Just looses some of that greatness.
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