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Here's an example of some blacks dancing to some white artist's music. The dance crew is called The Elite Force. They are dancing to a song by the Police. Even though Sting and the Police are more rock leaning here they did a type of song that appealed to some black dancers.
Max Roach was said that the reason that Disco was so successful was because white music (I assume he meant Country and Western) the beat came on the 1 and the 3 while black music the accent was on the 2 and 4, with Disco, the accent is on the 1,2,3 and 4.
But I digress.
When I was coming up in New Orleans and all black people lived in the "ghetto" whatever that's supposed to mean, we listened and played, the James Gang, Tower of Power, and Chicago just to name a few. I even remember when Art, and Cyril Neville playing in Deacon John's band at the Nightcap night club played one hell of a rendition of Crosby, Stills, and Nash's "My House". Do I really have to remind folks of the Isley Brothers cover of Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze" or the fact that Carroll King penned more Motown Classics than a little bit.
Of course this doesn't include Boz Scags, the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Teena Marie, Gino Vanelli, the Average White Band, Simply Red, KC & the Sunshine Band, Johnny Otis, or the Everly Brothers.
No black folks weren't huge fans of the Stones, and with few exceptions fans of Zeplin, Metallica, and none that I know of who have any love for Lynard Skynard (don't put dixie in a song unless you are Neal Young).
On the other hand look at black artist playing genuine black music who can't put a dent in the black community, B.B. King (two exceptions, the "Thrill is Gone" and "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother), Taj Mahal, Keb'Mo, Buddy Guy, or even the Neville Brothers!
But there have been a few classic examples of in hard rock, Living Color; Run, DMC and Aerosmith; Ice T and Body Count; and of course Hendrix and the Band of Gypsies.
Early 80s elektro hip hop was highly influenced by German electronic music such as Kraftwerk.
I went to a mostly Black HS in the 80s and there was a cadre of Black boys and girls who were primarily into New Wave, a decidedly White music phenomenon.
Myself, I was into Two-Tone which is one of the few sub-genres of music that was named for the race/s of the band members. In this case Black and White.
Someone really needs to educate me on good "white music"...
I'll be honest...it's just not catchy. I guess I like lyrical content, and not just random ideas strung together with no sensible meaning discernible...I guess, I don't appreciate the abstractness of what they produce. Just give it to me straight, you know? None of that, "yellow submarine" or "stairway to heaven" stuff...
Plus, they don't make jokes, or play with words as much. If it's about love, they talk about "I love you"...I mean, the idea has been expressed so many times, find a different way to say it...I guess.
For example:
Quote:
The only problem is the missing beak
Once I have my wings and my ...... chain
Oh that’s the black talking in me let me down a couple cups of bleach
Or, if it's about being yourself, no matter who you anger, or what happens to you:
I mean some of these lines are just insanely clever...
Quote:
They say we learn from mistakes, well that's why they mistake me (At least he knows)
All hail weezy, call it bad weather (Funny)
You don't need a bus pass, you need to bust your <-(Too true...)
Life is a choice and death is a decision. (Astute)
When that cookie crumble, everybody wants a crumb. (True)
Freedom was my girl, until they took her (I wonder why?)
You can look into the future, it's right behind you eyelids (It's a funny thought...)
But I don't want to know, because I like surprises (lol)
I just don't get the same sort of "laying it out there" with white musicians. It's like they hold back. Say it....spit it out, see what happens. Life's too short to not try it at least...
Do you know how many problems many black rappers are in these days? You can't say that stuff, and expect to just live life easily. People pay attention, and they all know that if they meet the wrong sort of people, it can be ended for them rather quickly. It's why they keep low...
I hear people pointing out that blacks started rock music. I think many blacks lost interest in rock after the 50's. 50's rock had a more catchy rhythm that many blacks prefered. When the 60's came that rhythm changed. After the 50's rock took a less danceable vibe for many blacks or it just didn't fit with the way most blacks liked to dance.
I don't know that I agree to all of your post, but I'd agree the old "rock and roll" was in some ways different than what we'd call "rock" now. There was much more use of saxophone and jump-blues or boogie-woogie type energy. Some white rockers I think did maintain a bit of this. "Canned Heat" had a fair amount of blues/boogie aspects. But you don't really see that much saxophone, or even piano, oriented dance music be called "rock" these days.
Sometimes I think it'd be neat for artists to try "guitarless rock" a bit more than they do. Not that guitars are "white", clearly they're not, but it does at times feel to me like there is an overemphasis on guitar to the detriment of other sounds. And that, rightly or wrongly, the emphasis on guitar as the main instrument is associated to whiteness. Although even in music that could justly be deemed "white" (say the folk music of European peoples like the Celts or Slavs. Understand though I'm not saying black artists can't do that music, that would be stupid, as say the "Carolina Chocolate Drops" rendition of "Reynardine" is fairly good. I'm just saying the origin of English folk ballads or Celtic songs is usually from "white" cultures if we must use that term) they sometimes/often had other instruments be central instead of guitar.
Someone really needs to educate me on good "white music"...
I'll be honest...it's just not catchy. I guess I like lyrical content, and not just random ideas strung together with no sensible meaning discernible...I guess, I don't appreciate the abstractness of what they produce. Just give it to me straight, you know? None of that, "yellow submarine" or "stairway to heaven" stuff...
Plus, they don't make jokes, or play with words as much. If it's about love, they talk about "I love you"...I mean, the idea has been expressed so many times, find a different way to say it...I guess.
For example:
Or, if it's about being yourself, no matter who you anger, or what happens to you:
I mean some of these lines are just insanely clever...
I just don't get the same sort of "laying it out there" with white musicians. It's like they hold back. Say it....spit it out, see what happens. Life's too short to not try it at least...
Do you know how many problems many black rappers are in these days? You can't say that stuff, and expect to just live life easily. People pay attention, and they all know that if they meet the wrong sort of people, it can be ended for them rather quickly. It's why they keep low...
Sooo is it too abstract or they don't play with words enough? Which one?
I suggest you do educate yourself. Start with Bob Dylan.
I just don't get the same sort of "laying it out there" with white musicians. It's like they hold back. Say it....spit it out, see what happens. Life's too short to not try it at least...
That's too bad because you are depriving yourself of one of the great aspects of not only musical lyrics but literature as well, metaphor. Without understanding metaphor you can't appreciate not only the lyrics of white musicians but African American poets and lyricist either.
Did Curtis Mayfield hold back when he sang Underground?
Familiar music, familiar sound
Does mute your thoughts for the underground
Lonely sight for any turning light
Future prophesy for the [Incomprehensible]
There'll be equal stay and equal play
The underground where none can betray
The underground
The underground
The underground
There'll be no light, so there can be no sight
And you'll judge your fellow men on the stand
By what is right
They'll all turn black so who's to know
As a matter of fact: color, creed and breed must go
The underground
The underground
Familiar music, familiar sound
Does mute your thoughts for the underground
Lonely sight for any turning light
Future prophecy for the [Incomprehensible]
The underground
The underground
The underground
What was the brother saying, and why was he "holding back".
It seems that you desire music as propaganda (and I don't use propaganda as a negative) not music as literature or art. Songs that require contemplation or thought and reflection on your part. Which is fine but your appreciation of music and literature will remain stunted and undeveloped. Un-intellectual if you will.
So what say you about the deepest expression of African American musical creation, the Blues, will always remain an enigma because it is filled with double and tripple entendres crafted to obfuscate and disguise the true meaning that the artist intended their audience to understand and their antagonist to find incomprehensible. And I might point out that "white bands" like the Beatles, Zepplin and the Stones reintroduced the Blues to an American audience that either was ignorant of its existence, wrote it off as unimportant or simply dismissed it because it was the music of African Americans. Those "white" groups you names held black musicians like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy folks who laid the foundation for hip hops lyricism.
There was a period in my life when I was hardheaded and myopic as a result I was ignorant of a wealth of knowledge and experiences for too long a time. Open you mind, you might be surprised what wonders there are.
Here's just a little taste of the meanings that can lie behind those held back lyrics
I'm black with a very diverse musical library, but I also credit my parents who were fans of music and not just radio listeners... I feel the radio tells the majority of people what to listen to, and there is what at one point would be considered white music on urban stations now.
I'm black with a very diverse musical library, but I also credit my parents who were fans of music and not just radio listeners... I feel the radio tells the majority of people what to listen to, and there is what at one point would be considered white music on urban stations now.
and I jam to nothing in secret. lol
A brother who goes by the name BlackZappa, what a shocking revelation.
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