Take a trip in time to the 1920's with me. Hip-Hop hasn't been created yet and the music of the times are Jazz and Blues. Their origins are easily attributed to people of color. Over time each new genre has taken elements of music from its predecessor. It's safe to say the Blues heavily influenced Jazz which influences modern Hip-Hop. Although the sounds are different, the things they have in common are vast.
As far as the origins of Blues we could easily attribute that to black music in the 1800's. You see, the blues is derived from the songs sang in Negro Spirituals. Across plantations in American, Negro slaves sang tales similar to those that resemble the plight of the Israelites in Egypt from the Bible book of Exodus. The content and lyrics of all the music are similar if not identical. Many of their songs even had elements that are still used in blues music today like call and response that hip-hop uses too. Many people attribute jazz and blues together because of the pure melancholy content and mood of the lyrics. The difference is the impromptu vibe of the music.
Over time it's clear that whites imitate and add to the culture. With that being said it isn't properly appreciated and used in a derogatory sense even down to the definition of the word Jazz. I learned that the word "Jazz" was originally a Creole/Patois derogatory term towards black music, or race records meaning sexual immorality. With that being the case, why would a white man become involved in the music? Perhaps out of love and appreciation.
Jazz became big in the big cities highly populated with black people like Harlem, New Orleans, Chicago, Memphis and more. One can say that history repeats itself in rock with examples like Elvis Presley and The Beach Boys vs Chuck Berry. Elvis is regarded as the King of Rock and Roll. There is no doubt that Elvis is legendary but he's the king of a genre of music that had been seen in a negative light as well. I find that interesting. Most music in the 19th century and even today, people of all kinds emulate the culture created by black people which has been regarded in a negative light. Even in the poetic form of hip-hop new artists like Iggy Azelea, Macklemore, and Eminem. In his song Without Me, Eminem admits that himself. "No I'm not the king controversy. I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley, to do black music so selfish. And used it to get myself wealthy. Hey, there's a concept that works twenty million other white rappers emerge." Like I previously said, although talented their contribution is to popularize and monetize where others have pioneered.
So how do you judge if people appreciate the music? I was at work the other day and Play that Funky Music by Wild Cherry came on. Ironic because I was thinking about this very article you're reading. 30 years ago it was so easy for white to adopt and appreciate the music of our parents. There were more instrumentalists and white people could contribute to the playing of the music in a different way than could be said about rap music. It was two minutes into the song when one of my coworkers said to me "You see how you could actually understand the words to our music. So much better than that jibber-jabber that you all listen to now." A little upset I replied, "It is because you're mind isn't developed enough to understand the lyrics and sonics of the music at a rapid enough pace." I also asked her did she know the song and group playing. She couldn't respond.How do you feel about white rappers?— #WTM (@WatsTheMovement) February 24, 2016
How do we begin to expect every artist and listener to appreciate the music? I think it starts with all of us. We have to study it. We have to be students and be willing to teach and learn the way everything else is from politics to sports. We also have to know the difference between the Eminem's and House of Pain to the Machine Gun Kelly's and Vanilla Ice's of the world. Hip-Hop legend Grandmaster Flash once said something that really spoke to me. "In rock and jazz, they go into the archives. I consider myself an expert in most music, but I can still look at a jazz historical program and say, 'Wow, I didn't know that,' and 'Why did he blow the horn like that, how did he slip the finger like that and come up with the sound ?' I watched a concert with the Rolling Stones, and 70 percent of the audience was kids! Somebody must've told them that these people were incredible before they were even born, and they went to go look. We need to do that for hip hop." Music should not be viewed with such a negative stigma, and that stands for all genres. So my real question to you is what do you think? What has to be done to change the culture and how it's viewed?Does black music get the respect it deserves?— #WTM (@WatsTheMovement) February 26, 2016
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