Stop making nonsense

Recently, a conversation with an acquaintance inspired me to think a little longer than my perpetually declining attention span normally allows. Summer in this town tends to accelerate that process. And admittedly, it was something that I'd rather think about without a head full of whiskey, as was the case when it was first brought to my attention. The thing wasn't precisely the subject of the discussion, but more along its contexts, which rambunctiously danced from the disparities between rap and hip hop to whether or not those were the modern answers to such musical predecessors like the blues that also depicted the strife faced by African-Americans and anyone else who wasn't part of the small percentage of the wealthy ruling class. \nAside from the obvious differences between the likes of Robert Johnson and Jay-Z, which are plentiful and profound, there is the issue of whether the rap and hip hop artists are more performers than musicians. When someone tries to tell me that rap is the only voice for those who are unaware of what urban life is like, it seems as if they are confused. They don't see it for what it truly can be: a performance, an act. I'm pretty sure urban life isn't all about cars, parties and sex; even if I'm coming from the suburbs. \nWithout a doubt, there is plenty of rap and hip hop that is raw, honest and real. These artists, who need no identification, are the Howlin' Wolfs and Robert Johnsons of the contemporary era. Even if they aren't playing beat-up guitars or defining new musical genres, they are still carrying the same torch. The others I speak of are just good performers. They put on a show that people of all walks of life can enjoy, from a person in the ghetto to a person driving a BMW to class. \nNot that there is anything wrong with putting on a good show, but their delivery is what bothers me. As if a live show consisting of turntable scratches and studio backing tracks played through the PA wasn't bad enough, we now have these videos with their jewelry and debauchery that just completely destroy any legitimacy to what these guys started out to do in the first place. Escalades and escargot? So, this is what urban life is like, says the rural teenager watching MTV and ordering headbands on the Internet while failing to distinguish between a performance and musical expression. \nWhat ever happened to the golden days of musical performance? I revisited my adoration of The Talking Heads by renting "Stop Making Sense," and it made me realize that a delicate harmony between music and performance was and still is attainable. What about gaudy costumes donned by David Byrne in that concert film, including his oversized grey suit, or those of Parliament/Funkadelic or KISS at their performances? They are not much of a deviation from the costumes you see in rap videos today. Even the choreography seen in "Stop Making Sense" can be linked to some presently popular performers. Music is so much more appreciable when a band can not only play or sing with emotion and precision, but stage a creative and entertaining stage performance as well. The substance is in the music, the entertainment is packaged in the show, and all of these types of groups entertain their fans while somehow maintaining a least a minute degree of integrity. \nMy congratulations and admirations to the Talking Heads and any other band, singer or rapper that knows how to really entertain. Don't be fooled by someone riding in a car that costs more than a house, full of sluttish girls hired by the producer of the video and telling you what his world is like, because what he is doing is no different than what Gene Simmons did when he stuck his tongue out and spit fake blood. It is a performance put on just for you. Enjoy it, but realize that taking them with a grain of salt is harder than taking them for granted.