Is There More To Black Music Than Hip-Hop and R & B?
Most, of the hottest producers and artists are black. They are on our TV screens, in the clubs and on the radio 70% of the time. So naturally, most people are drawn to urban music. Historically, black musicians have created music that has influenced society in a way that is unparalleled.
However, I've started to wonder whether there is more to commercial black music then just Hip-Hop and R & B. Think about it. The only black musicians we see in the mainstream media are rappers or R & B singers.
Unfortunately, the truth is black artists are becoming very predictable, which means they are easily replaceable. You can never replace Tina, Aretha, Michael, Whitney or Prince. However, there will be another young black artist who can sing and pop to dance beats.
I am not saying those who do are not great at what they do. But... the more we listen to those artists, the more we will imitate them. Therefore, black musicians of tomorrow are not going to be as creative as black artists of yesterday.
Underground artists like Zion I and Slum Village are creatively superior to their commercial counterparts. Unfortunately, their voices are only being heard by people who seek out their music.If black music is gonna survive creatively, it needs to branch out and experiment with something new. Otherwise the death of Hip-Hop might signify the death of commercial black music as a whole.
However, I've started to wonder whether there is more to commercial black music then just Hip-Hop and R & B. Think about it. The only black musicians we see in the mainstream media are rappers or R & B singers.
Unfortunately, the truth is black artists are becoming very predictable, which means they are easily replaceable. You can never replace Tina, Aretha, Michael, Whitney or Prince. However, there will be another young black artist who can sing and pop to dance beats.
I am not saying those who do are not great at what they do. But... the more we listen to those artists, the more we will imitate them. Therefore, black musicians of tomorrow are not going to be as creative as black artists of yesterday.
Underground artists like Zion I and Slum Village are creatively superior to their commercial counterparts. Unfortunately, their voices are only being heard by people who seek out their music.If black music is gonna survive creatively, it needs to branch out and experiment with something new. Otherwise the death of Hip-Hop might signify the death of commercial black music as a whole.
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