On Coming From a Broken 'Interlude'

LyricsBeatMusic will be performing Gill Scott-Heron's On Coming From a Broken Home in about two days from now... During a Poetry Night in the Upward Bound program. We will be doing this to recognize Heron's lyrical quality and how he became a major influence for the Hip Hop genre... Saty tuned for there might be a video posted

Track 3:A sound rather than a song

I have come to realize the focus on making “good songs” in the music industry. By good; I mean creating a marketable sound. Knowing you are asking yourself “what is a marketable sound?” Well, in most popular music there is a common progression of notes. Notes are pitched sounds. The common progression of notes is C to F to G to A minor back to C. The sounds that the notes create are aesthetically pleasing to your auditory senses. This progression has been abused and reused by many of the popular artist today. The songs that are created using this sound , I mean putting several words together into vaguely meaning something important. Are an epidemic in our musical society. For example: Every Black Eyed Peas’ song. Think about it. The Black Eyed Peas have become a musical giant because of their ability to churn out marketable sounds, not meaningful lyrics.

The Black Eyed peas have spewed out marketable sound after marketable sound such as “I just can’t get enough”, I gotta feeling”, “Let’s get it started” and the list can go on and on. The sounds produced by the Black Eyed Peas are catchy and “fun” but the nonsensical lyrics that are produced by the Black eyes peas are tolerable trash to say the least. Their lyrics are throwaway lines that only induce confusion when being truly read. For example: in the song , "Boom Boom Pow". One of the lyrics is “Y'all stuck on super A-sh**, They're no fast stupid a bit, I'm on that HD flat, This beat go boom boom pow” , Why is this person on a HD flat screen and the only super A-sh** is listening to this piece of musical disgrace. Another example is” The Time(dirty bit)”. The Black Eyed Peas rendition of “The Time” by Mickey & Sylvia desecrates a classic 70s songs. The Black Eyed Peas borrow the chorus of the 70’s version of The Time and imbue their own flavor on the song…a bad idea. For example” I-I came up in here to rock, light a fire make it hot, I don't wanna take no pictures, I just wanna take some shots. Why must someone “light a fire”, is that euphemism? Never have a heard the Black Eyed Peas do any inappropriate behavior such as drinking too much anywhere. Have you?

I understand that the Black Eyed Peas loves to get a party “hyped” but their success shouldn’t detract from artists that actually want to put out meaningful lyrics. Up incoming artists who are neophytes in the music industry will and are being overshadowed by the success of marketable songs. Big Sean, Mike Posner, Pusha T, Tyler the Creator all have something important and innovative to say but their sounds don’t appeal the masses. We need to support the progression of music rather than the devolution of it. To do this go to DatPiff.com and check out new artists.
However; you will probably ignore my message. Go on with your life and listen to whatever is “popular” this year. But the thing you readers don t realize is that…. we control what gets popular. We control what is constantly played on the radio. We control what is on the top music charts. We control who’s message is being heard by everyone. But; unless we change our ability to listen to the lyrics rather than the beats, we will always listen to a sound rather than a song.

Track:4 The Greatest

Lupe Fiasco's album, "Lasers" was released on October 8th 2011 and sold 204,843 copies in just the first week.Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was release on November 22, 2010 and in its first week sold 495,000 copies. Kanye has been a favorite for many years which is why he gets a lot of likes. Lupe has been around for a while too, but I think Lupe has made a bigger impression on the music world.

Kanye's album sold more copies in its first week than Lupes it seems that Kanye is by far the favorite in the music industry. But what people don't understand is that Lupe has a more of an addressing tone, where he wants people become aware with whats going on in society around them. In his song Words I Never Said ft. Skylar Grey, you can tell that hes serious about everything hes saying and really feels like something needs to be done in the world. "I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bulls***Just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets" In this line Lupe is saying how the war on terror is just so superfluous. People get killed everyday and why? Because they cant control themselves and they don't think about their actions. Hes saying it should just end, but who's going to listen? No one and why because that's how the world is today we don't know when to stop.

In Kanye's Album he does talk about romance, self-doubt, power and being an upfront person. Kanye also goes around ranting on how hes a "Monster". "Profit profit, n**** i got it, everyone know I'm a mutha f***ing monster." In this song he basically talking about how he is everything that society doesn't want. He talks about how much superior he is to everyone one else around him. While he profits everyone else around him looses.

Now that my opinion is out there i want to hear the kanye and Lupe fans reactions, thoughts and opinions. Let the music world hear your responses.

Renaissance (Interlude 1)

Some time ago, there was an epidemic that occurred within the Mediterranean. About a third of the people living near that area in Europe died. But, as compensation, many scholars fled west in order to escape the plague. And being scholars, they were able to teach… All of a sudden, people learned new ways to do things. And it was better! Peasants were no longer just peasants… they were peasants getting paid. There was a new interest in the style of learning. Many artists allowed themselves to be influenced by old Greek mythology, their art contained more realism. They became depictions of things that may have or can occur in the real world.
Before this gets too boring, let’s skip some chapters in the movie . Let’s go to chapter 1920. Black people arise from depression and come under the scrutiny spotlight. Learning how to let go their emotions as artistic expressions… poetry, blues, art or jazz. It was hard to attain a hater in this time when everything was welcomed. Anything was art, all styles, varieties accepted. Langston Hughes’ Not Without Laughter and Countee Cullen’s The Black Christ and Other Poems; novels and poems. The visuals: Jacob Lawrence, Palmer Hayden or Aaron Douglass. As well as the musicians: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk or Fats Waller.
All this Renaissance talk leads me to say that Hip Hop is changing. Around the early 1980s, it was all about good beats and simple rhymes. ‘Cause no one really had the time to make improve their lyrical content. They were content with what they’ve done, and only having fun. But… then came a time.. about 5 years later, when people thought about their stories. It wasn’t just having fun with Dick & Jane… it expounded why Dick & Jane had to rob in order to support their family because of effed up companies effing up the world. How Dick & Jane didn’t have the money to provide a hot shower for their son. This Golden Age was like Story time. Rappers spoke their stories or tales they’ve witnessed or heard…. And bedtime was at 1994 sharp! Now, it seems hip hop contains many artists heavily influenced by braggadocio – which is boasting/bragging. Bragging within hip hop… seems like a topic anyone can pick up and throw over a beat… hmmmmmmmmmmm

Track1:Mainsteam & Underground Pt. I

Mainstream and underground. Both are styles of hip hop. I believe it’d be better to say genre though. Because there indeed is a big enough difference between what Drake raps about in Say What’s Real and what he says in Up All Night. I’d say the difference is between what the artist wants to say, and what the audience wants to hear. Many teenage girls paraded the “ Peace, Happiness & Love”. That line almost makes no sense when the song is regarding, or basically, his loyalty to Young Money. There can’t be peace with such a plethora of artistic styles. Happiness is miniscule when you’re a celebrity because everyone around you, are like monkeys on your back. Peace cannot be enjoyed in America, Home of the Greed and Unpaid. And as far as love… There’s no reason to bring this up. In Say What’s Real, he gives us a 4 minute synopsis of his life transitioning from small acting, to big music. His topics range from his mother not wanting her son to flaunt money because now he has it to how many record companies try to trap musical artists in ominous contracts. The idea is, mainstream and underground music are made for differing reasons. If you want a story, a narrative listen to the music that express emotions and feelings. Now, it won’t always be underground doing this… Or, if you want sugar-coated stanzas, enjoy mainstream because in a way, you’re voting for this new genre.