Mainstreamed.

Today, and on several occasions, I was discussing music with my brother, Vic, and others. Most of it did constantly refer back to Michael Jackson, respect - he not only defies gravity but he beats the UNbeatable - t.i.m.e. Anyhow, the topic switched quickly to the topic of mainstream not even nearly measuring up to the music produced by the likes of the King of Pop. But this is a topic I struggle with and basically, I'm going try to explain why I have conflicting opinions on this broad topic.

A new friend of mines, who's deeply involved in music, got into the conversation with me today, similar to Vic's and I. I was trying to explain to her, my feelings on mainstream music. Where I struggle is that there is so MUCH to mainstream right now, there's so much that comes across the streams + underground, so many mixtapes + iTune exclusives, so many artists that are good utilizing myspace + then we have the crap that has to have a bumass dance that's jacked off a very basic & wack artists. (I will NOT name names, but I'm sure we all have some artist that's got fame from Youtube dances overNIGHT.] At the same time, music is an art-form. A way of expression and if someone is talented enough, and on the same stream line a hustler to get thousands of people to download a track which I, and a lot of others not juss in my bias group of friends, but those in the business & alums alike find to be killing music, if that person can get the thousands to buy his "crap" and feed it to the public who will eat it up, get that money? Who am I to hate on that? That's one area where I struggle with. Music has become, and always will be a business.

Also as I was saying, there is so much that crossed the airwaves. And there's so many different ways to get music now. There's so much going on, you get so much on the radio, even though it's typically the same rotation of songs, you get different genre's. It's been going on, since the respect of Black's in the music business crossed over to the Pop charts, there's been barriers that's been broke. I know you feel me, on more than juss that example. Basically this cross-genre's that occurring that honestly you can't knock "mainstream." My new friend, I gotta quote her because she summed it up nicely. "The diversity in mainstream has progressed tremendously but the quality has taken a horrific nose dive."

Kanye West proclaimed sometime last year that he was the "Michael Jackson of this generation." There is NO way. One, my generation remember Michael Jackson, we grew up with Michael as well, because our parents rocked to him, and our grandparents rocked to him. And now with his passing, this generation is being introduced to him. My 3yr old brother can identify his music by juss hearing it played throughout our house all the time now.

So no, Excuse me Mista Westtt, you are NOT the Michael Jackson of our time. You did not CHANGE the face of music, or change the way music is viewed. Nice video's though. Mainstream gives us one thing - a taste. I think there are artists out there, who are mixing the two : old + new sound. But one always think and keep in their minds, there's always something going in someone's mind, in someone's basement, so we never know when that ONE is gonna come out to change it all.

There's many that's popping up all the time. Not "So Far Gone" (I liked Drake before he was mainFUCKED] Down Beat Keys. QuEst. B.O.B. E-Dot Dizzy. -- Someone who's more... "known"? Janelle Monae. I remember when I found out she was with Diddy? I was like Damnnnn, please don't let this man fcuk up her talent.*sigh* Hell, I promote for Emerald Morrell (PROMO TIME !!! - She worked with Dilla (the GREAT, RIP!], her style is to take the old skool hip-hop flow & mix it to a different beat. It doesn't match, but it WORKS. Trust me, you know I wouldn't steer you wrong.
(Otherwise, click that X *top right corner ; HA!]

There's a difference in these new genres. Even the crossing of the genre's are occurring. Funkiness spring a new sound. Always always occurring. So one day, we'll get that GREAT person. I don't believe it'll happen in my time. There's Elvis, then came Michael, next will be...



Till then, we'll keep being mainstreamed.


peace, -ace.