Beef Teriyaki
Just a quick note in case anyone is checking in regularly and wondering why there haven't been any updates in a while. There's a simple reason... I'm in Japan! I have two songs I'm already planning to post, but net access is teh suxxx at this hotel, so they'll have to wait until I'm back in the states.
For some fun while I'm away, be sure to check out the comments for the previous entry where one of the MCs on the track (Atypical) responds to some of my snide commentary on Sween's album. I'll be responding in the comments and dropping him an email when I get back, but I wanted to clarify just a bit here.
Most of my jabs in that entry were directed at Sween's artistic direction on Face Punch Music, not at those featured on his album, or the city of Albany, or the hip-hop scene of Albany. As I tried to indicate with my language ("Albany must have some mean streets") I don't know much of anything about Albany or its hip-hop scene. What I don't get is where Sween's persona is coming from. I understand branching out in an artistic direction, adopting a character and so forth.. I just don't get why Sween feels a need to be so GRIMEY. That's what I was trying to get at via the comparison to the Insane Clown Posee and early Eminem... the confusion I feel at MCs whose artistic inspiration is to cast themselves as hyper-violent assholes. My preference has always been towards music which is personal and sincere and coherent, and I don't feel that in Sween's 22 tracks of ruggedness. I was so frustrated with his album because he's clearly a very passionate and talented guy.. but from his entire album the only track that wasn't off-putting on a personal level was the track I posted. The 'Robolitics' track made it clear that the MCs were creating characters to express themselves. The rest of the album sounds like Sween really wants to convince everyone that he is a vicious, aggressive asshole. I just don't grasp why, hence my commentary.
With regards to Atypical specifically, I really like the beat he produced on the track that I posted and I'm looking forward to hearing what he comes up with in the future. Thanks for the feedback, and welcome to The Beef!
Comments
i think THIS clarification is a much more fair way of putting things. i think it gives the reader point-by-point references rather then general remarks they would have to piece together only after hearing the whole album.
in regards to your frustration of MCs creating some big bad evil villian as a character for themselves, i would have to share your lack of enthusiasm for it.
eminem either has done it with great clarity, or great humor, or great delivery and so on on nearly every song i can think of from his early work in cd's one and two. and post eminems rookie year, alot of people that are not confident that, they themselves can sell a record by being themself tend to exagerate their emotions in order to whip a crowd into a frenzy. its alot like how bullies act actually; create a reputation as being a bad ass and no one will test you.
MCing, being very primal from its roots, is very much the same concept. Create a persona that people wont challenge (albeit guns, or women, or cars, or money, or moet) and you can sell.
Sex and violence man.
Most of modern society has lost sight of true artistic expression and let it fall victim to anything with pyrotechnics, muscles or T and A. Entertainment makes money, so entertainment trumps art.
Which is what makes many underground / indie / small label artists worth looking into. Many of us are not motivated by money. We are pushed to communicate self the best way we can in hopes to make it fun for the audience to witness.
This is where hip hop as a whole falls short. I find that in a "hip hop" setting, it is nearly impossible to consider spitting some sappy, woe is me tune for a bunch of drunken idiots that griped about the $3 cover. I'm sure many people in other genres feel similarly, but there are few genres as testosterone charged as hip hop.
(Man can i get off topic or what?)
Anyways, I kick ass. My music is okay. Heck, I like most of it anyways. You might too.
If interested I will email you a link to my cd in mp3 form. Maybe you can toss up a song someday of mine that you like off that and tell people how incredible I am.
Peace + be safe
a-
Posted by: atypical | February 22, 2005 03:55 AM