http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9oj0dVsbQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Tb80rmPt4
Last night I had the privilege of attending the New Edition Reunion Tour at the
Nokia Theater downtown Los Angeles. It was a great show! First off, After 7 opened up for them and did a great job. They did all of their jams including some other classic old school jams such as Bloodstone's "Natural High". They hyped us up for a great night of true music. After that, the deejay for New Edition came out and hyped us up by mixing and playing a lot of different old school jams. Everything from Earth Wind & Fire, Maze, to Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick, and the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. It was great. Then it was time for the main attraction. New Edition took the stage and did all of their classics. They even supported each other while all of them ventured in their solo works by singing backup for example when Johnny Gill sang "My, My, My", Ralph Tresvant sang "Sensitivity" and Ricky Bell when he sang "When Will I See You Smile Again?" all of the other members were onstage. It truly was a joint effort. It was a great night. Me, my friends and cousin sang along with the songs because it reminded us of our childhood and our growing up as did After 7 and the deejay spinning the wheels with the old school music. We have been singing New Edition music for 29 years.I also think back to Frankie Beverly and Maze concert that I went to last November. The amazing thing about Maze is that they have continued to sell out large arenas like The Nokia and have not released a single new release since 1993's Back To The Basics . This is because their music is timeless. It resonates with us because it takes us back to a time where it was all so simple.
As I was riding home with my cousin we could not help but think about the music of today. What will be "old school" for our kids, our youth of today? What will be there memories? Lil Wayne? Nicki Minaj? Chris Brown? Drake? I was trying to be objective but when you compare their music to the music of Maze or music of Earth, Wind & Fire or Aretha Franklin something is lacking. I think to Hip Hop of our generation. Doug E. Fresh can still get out onstage and command an audience with "The Show". Naughty by Nature can still get everyone to their feet with "Hip Hop Horray". I look at the stuff Lil Wayne does on stage, the pants hanging halfway down his behind, all of the tattoos, the bling in his teeth, and I wonder if that will still be acceptable twenty years from now when he is in his 40s or 50s.
By that time a lot of our youth will be parents, working citizens,and community leaders and they will have matured like we have. As we matured we didn't have to worry about outgrowing our music because our music was already mature. It was music about love, war, togetherness and having a good time. This music of today is hard to make out.
Now I clarify and give props to those who try to continue with the good soul music that we love. Artist such as Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Robin Thicke, Musiq Soulchild, Ledesi, Mary J Blige, Kem, Chrisette Michelle, Maxwell, Mint Condition, Alicia Keys, and a few others. The problem is other than Blige and Keys, a lot of these artist do not get the media attention or radio airplay as say a Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj or a Rihanna. It seems like the more negative publicity you have or the more arrest warrants you have, the more media attention you get, the more your record is endorsed. Artist who tend to focus on their music get kind of pushed aside. Lately, we hear more about Rhianna and Chris Brown's domestic issues than their music. And while yes artist like Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson, and Sly Stone had their issues, you did not hear about them till the later of their careers. The majority of their careers focused on their music. Now it has so dramatically shifted. If you don't have drama, if you not cursing on stage, if you not talking about sexing someone up,if you not on stage smoking blunts, your music has no value. My how it has fallen. It is sad. I just do not see an old school hip hop concert with the likes of some of these artist because too much of their music is right now music not timeless music. It is sad state of affairs that Boyz II Men, who was once considered the largest selling guy group of all time can't even get a major record deal because.."nobody want's to hear that sappy mess anymore..", according to record execs, but we can disrespect our women by calling them "Ho's and bitches.." Men can disrespect themselves by calling themselves "Pimps" and wearing our pants halfway down our ankles. Its time out from this madness! It is one thing to have shock value and have the talent to back it up, but if all you are doing is doing things to shock and offend people and you have no talent to back it up, what is left?
Thirty years from now, people will still be shouting, "Whoa, Whoa, you got the best of my love.." by The Emotions, "Billie Jean is not my lover" by Michael Jackson, "Turn of the lights and light a candle" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Loving you is easy cause you're beautiful." by Minnie Riperton. Those are lyrics that will still be relevant. Asking the world "What's going on?" my Marvin Gaye will still probably be a relevant question. We will be reminded by the simpleness of having a good clean quality good time on the dance floor by Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Once You Get Started.." or Midnight's Star's "No Parking On The Dance Floor.." What will these contemporary artist be able to sell from today that in twenty or thirty years that will still be culturally and spiritually relevant.
I challenge some of these acts such as Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Drake, and Nicki Minaj to step up their games. Don't just rely on shock value and buffoonery to sell records. I attached two links. One is The Emotions singing their classic "Best of My Love.." Most of you reading this blog entry will start singing along because you just know this song. It resonates with you. The other link is Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh at The BET Awards look how hyped everyone is in the audience. Timeless. Take note artist of today, ignorance is not bliss. The listeners crave easiness, artistry and emotion that we have known for years. We need it, we desire it. We demand it. Take note please.
In the spirit of love,
CG2
