when describing music? what is it supposed to mean?

Read: working-class young people of color who grew up in cities -- as opposed to most "white" kids who grew up in the suburbs...

As always, its the latter who commodify the former. Thus in any suburban high school the most popular format is most often "urban"

I think it's because it is used to describe the r&b/rap hybrid artists. Especially on the radio. It is one quick easy term. And somehow has yet to offend.

theonion.com had a side bar that said "all black artists filed under Urban at local music store". Which might actually be quite observant.

dancerella said:

Nowadays, it's become a catch-all term for black music or black-oriented music. Anything R&B and hip hop lands in this category. It's an industry term. I don't like it, but even I find myself using it sometimes.

Whats even more scary about the term "urban" is that it's like the 2004 version of the old term "Race Records" back in the '40s and '50s to describe black performed music. It's about putting people in boxes not allowing them to grow.

Black people live in the suburbs now in very large numbers, most of the people who buy rap & R&B live in the suburbs -- shouldn't we be calling this suburban music?

"hmmm" edit.
[Edited 10/11/04 14:17pm]

[quote]I think it's because it is used to describe the r&b/rap hybrid artists. Especially on the radio. It is one quick easy term. And somehow has yet to offend.

theonion.com had a side bar that said "all black artists filed under Urban at local music store". Which might actually be quite observant.



interesting.....it's just something i've noticed over the past 5 years or so. urban used to mean, an area or neighborhood but now it's always used when describing an artist or type of music. so is eminem considered "urban"?

dancerella said:

Yes.

Several years ago I was getting annoyed that black artists would come out with music that would be filed under R&B, although it wasn't. If the same song had been by a singer resembling Britney Spears, it would have been a "pop" song. Now they say "Urban music." I think it's just a sugarcoated way of saying "black music." I don't like the term.

[quote]Several years ago I was getting annoyed that black artists would come out with music that would be filed under R&B, although it wasn't. If the same song had been by a singer resembling Britney Spears, it would have been a "pop" song. Now they say "Urban music." I think it's just a sugarcoated way of saying "black music." I don't like the term.



I think you're absolutely right. I don't think I really like that term and I never use it. Once again, it's a way of segregating music/artists.

I think it's called "urban" because that particular music appeals to the people of urban areas more than any other kind of people. I don't necessarily think this is true, but that's what they believe.

I sometimes use the term when it is hard to describe the artist as neither strictly R&B or strictly hip-hop, as well if their style/content is more street (ie. urban life), I would be inclined to call them urban myself.

There are alot of "umbrella" terms to describe sounds when you can't box the artist in neatly in with another term, even for whiteboy music.

Urban. You know it when you hear it.

It's a pretty fluid term. ie. It can be electronic music too as long as it is groove based.

Alot of terms are like that... New Wave, I'm sure NWF has heard things described that way and it irked him.

as if charley pride didn't feel alienated enough.

Anxiety said:

lmfaooooo

CinisterCee said:

Whiteboy music.

CinisterCee said:

Yes, I have. And there are some artists that I think fall into that category that others don't, like Wham! or INXS.

there was a period where i knew more black people who were into david bowie than white people who dug him. then again, i remember hearing ratt's "round and round" on my grandma's country music station back in the '80s. oh well, whatever, nevermind.

Anxiety said:

But everyone liked Bowie, whether you were Black or White or Orange or Blue.

I don't know about Ratt though.

NWF said:

Having more to do with the "innocence" of the 70's?

NWF said:

That's "blue-eyed soul," sort of a reference to "not being black but playing black music." Or urban. You know.

Why are some of you saying you don't like the term
when , in fact there's nothing degrading about it ?

Thunderbird said:

You see what I mean???

Now, yes, they were Blue-eyed soul as far as their chart status, but they're New Wave at the end of the day.

NWF said:

Michael Hutchence wanted to be James Brown and you know it!!!

Dewrede said:

That's what I'm sayin! But I think everyone is against any segregated terms.

Thunderbird said:

I'm not denying that. Hell, who didn't want to be James Brown?

But I'm saying, they are a New Wave band. Listen to their first few albums they released in their native Australia and then tell me they're not New Wave.

Dewrede said:

it just comes off as a bit patronizing to me. "you know that band...they're kind of, you know, URBAN." what the hell does that mean?! what about people in the suburbs who like the kind of music that's labeled "urban"? there are probably more people in rural and suburban areas who like "urban" music than people in actual urban communities who like it. maybe we should start up a new category for music by and for people in major metropolitan areas and call it "urbane music".

i just think labels are weird, i guess.

That's some funny shit! it would make a great new discussion too. we should start one on charley pride and black country artists!

The use of the word 'urban' is not just used in the music industry. I mentioned this in a thread in the Prince forum. Urban is code for black. I hate it with a passion. It's very racist.

It's just another way to easily pigeonhole someone musically.

Not only the fact that it's somehow more PC than referring it to being "black" music.

Labels of any kind are only good for making it harder to find what you really want to hear in the wrecka store.



(I'm still waiting for the label "Hybrid Crap")

Why is it racist ?
Does it say unworthy or degraded music ?
I think some of you drive this pc thing too far
I can understand why the term can be confusing tho
But to call it racist is just nonsense


I just think it's a mixture of R & B and hip hop of
which the majority of the performers happen to be black
[Edited 10/11/04 16:01pm]