hcour, It occurred to me that my previous post may have offended you because of my strong, and less than favorable, opinion of those who like and listen to rap music. Please understand that it was not my intention to offend. I was just being (tactlessly) honest.
I was introduced to rap in 1980 when one of my friends played Kurtis Blow "The Breaks" and then eventually Grandmaster Flash and Run-D.M.C. These artists rose from the mean streets of the South Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn -- they paved the way for moguls such as Russell Simmons and Sean Combs. I don't like all hip hop, but Night of the Living Baseheads by Public Enemy and It Takes Two by Rob Bass have got to be two of my all-time favorites. The emergence of rap has got to be one of the best success stories vis a vis the American dream, and now thousands of black entrepreneurs make millions owning their own labels and producing their own records. How fucking great is that? But the best part is reading jealous bitches such as hapaboy ("Mr. Latrell Sprewell makes too much money" and jzlucas ("Mr. I won't go to a Chinese restaurant") who envy their fellow African-American citizens in sports, business, entertainment, etc. Who is owned now? LOL!
Being a musician, I was making an observation concerning the music business, that's all. If that makes me jealous, so be it. I don't see it though. Are you a musician, Pound? What talent am I not noticing in your preferred music listening pleasure? I don't believe hapaboy posted in this thread.... am I missing something here?
I worked with an 11-piece R&B band in the 60's & 70's and also have enjoyed all spectra of music. But from the first time I heard rap, all I could think of was the rhyming exercises we used to do in the 2nd & 3rd grades, and I felt embarassed for these guys who got up in front of so many people making fools of themselves. Then I saw a video and I felt like the fool because I saw success in the making: gold teeth, gold chains, hand bling, crotch grabbing, flashy cars, cleve, booty, 'taboo' language and so on ... the'flash' that attracts the getto kids (and their $$) just like the drug dealers use to flash. Take away the threatening lyrics that make these kids feel like big shots and 'gangstas', take away the bling, flashy cars and booty from the videos ... I don't see the attraction.
I thought this thread was about that hot classy chick Britney Spears and her sophisticated charming husband Kevin Fedderline. (Note--The previous statement was pure sarcasm).
Was just a side man, played (screech) trumpet. After 3 yrs, it was either the horn or the family, so I gave the horn away.